Mayor Dave Claunch was guilty of a slight hyperbole in his column last week when he stated – tongue planted firmly in cheek – that “dignitaries from around the globe will gather to watch Water District 10 and Ridgewood Village Water System officials sign the final paperwork to complete the transfer of responsibilities.” Nevertheless, kudos are due him and everyone involved in helping their neighbors in need.

When it became painfully clear to the 100 homeowners who were stakeholders in the antiquated Ridgewood Village Water System that they could go broke keeping the system operational, they turned to their city officials for help. It would have been understandable for city officials not to get as involved as they did. After all, a small city has limited staff and resources. But Claunch and the City Council couldn’t do that. They saw neighbors needing their expertise and rose to the occasion. To the credit of the other more than 3,000 residents of the city who were unaffected by the financial duress of this handful of RVWS residents, there was a general consensus that the city staff time spent helping was well spent.

The result of the takeover of the system by Water District 10 was a win-win situation. It will set up a manageable expenditure for 100 property owners, and there was relatively little expenditure to the city government itself. That level of responsiveness is impressive in elected officials. It is clear that Claunch and the entire City Council are doing a lot right.

So, while Claunch may have exaggerated just a little in his column last week, the valve being turned last week that officially brought the handful of residents onto the Water District 10 system brought a welcomed sigh of relief. And, regardless of the fact that only one reporter was watching, we are certain that many West Lake Hills residents and those in other cities can’t help but be impressed.
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