During an Aug. 25 meeting, board members also let the tax rate ride next year at the current $1.20250 per $100 evaluation level. That approved rate includes a $1.04 maintenance and operations tax that feeds the general fund balance and a $.1625 debt service tax.

“As projected, the 2010-11 budget includes use of general fund reserves due to factors such as the economic environment and state funding, (which has remained) essentially at the same level since 2006,” district Superintendent Nola Wellman said. “Throughout the coming year, the district will seek ways to trim expenditures whenever possible without adversely affecting the classroom.”

The district expects to collect $94.1 million in property taxes this year, down from the $99.6 million it collected last year. The revenue the district receives from the state this year will increase $3.2 million to $15.4 million to cover that decrease in property tax revenue.

In addition to the $66.4 million the district will expend to operate its facilities during the 2010-11 school year, it will give the state another $53.2 million in recapture money that will be used to help operate property poor school districts.

“Developing a financial plan or budget for our school district should, like a business or household, be done with a long-term perspective,” said Paul Stone, board president. “It is simply a fact of life that there is rarely enough money to pay for everything we would like to have. There are also things we cannot control – state education funding, property values, the number of families moving into the district and the general economy – that directly impact our finances.”

Stone said the district had developed its fund balance over the past years to give board members and administrators time to adjust to those types of uncontrollable financial forces.

“The district is keenly aware that planned deficit budgets cannot continue forever because the fund balance would eventually be exhausted,” Stone said. “So the challenge for this year and in years to come is to continue setting priorities to maintain the excellence that our community expects and deserves, fund as many of the priorities as possible [and] then adjust the budget accordingly. The community expects us to figure it all out, and we will.”

The support the district receives from the community through the Eanes Education Foundation and campus booster clubs makes a huge difference in difficult financial times, Wellman said. EEF gave the district a check for $1.01 in support during the Aug. 25 meeting that will fund 19 teacher positions in the coming school year. An estimated 85 percent of the expenses the district covers each year are in salaries, which means any major reductions in its operating budget will have to revolve around teacher and staff cuts.

“The Board of Trustees will discuss expenditure reductions through the budgeting process, which gears up after January,” Wellman said. “Any future budget reductions that the board may discuss will not take place until 2011.”

In a July 28 preliminary budget presentation, district business office head Larry Keiser told board members that the district would continue to drain the fund balance for at least the next seven years, or until the state overhauls the public school finance system.

For residential customers, monthly charges for lines one inch or less will go up $2.70 to $47.70 per month. Other sized lines will not see an increase in base charges.

In addition to the flat rate increase, the residential usage rate will increase 35 cents per 1,000 gallons used to $6.15.

Multi-family residential customers will see a base rate increase of $2.15 to $37.93 and an increase of 32 cents per 1,000 gallons used to $5.61.

Non-residential customers will see an increase of $6.87, bringing their monthly base rate to $121.35. The usage rate will be increased 48 cents to $8.53 per 1,000 gallons.

In other action the council approved a variance for an office at 4800 Bee Cave Road to install a sign that is 24 square feet, less than the 48 square feet the applicant asked for. The variance was sought by Stirling Capital Management and Choice Asset Management, the tenants in the building.

The council also voted 4-0, with Councilman Stan Graham abstaining, to lower the maximum speed limit on parts of Westlake Drive to 25 mph. The action is part of series of measures to reduce traffic accidents on the steep, winding roadway.

Just hours after the council’s decision, 27-year-old Sharad Sood of Austin was killed in an early-morning single-vehicle accident on Westlake Drive.

Compared with the same period in 2009, January through August, Rollingwood’s sales tax collections have fallen nearly 4 percent. The only city to take a bigger hit was Manor with a nearly 10.5 percent decrease. Austin saw a 4 percent increase for the same period and Bee Cave saw a 7.2 percent increase.

There was a glimmer of hope in Rollingwood’s collections for August. When compared with the same month last year, sales tax revenue is up almost 14 percent.

The city had projected flat sales tax revenues for the year when drafting the budget last fall, Mayor Bill Hamilton said, and this year, the city’s budget will likely reflect a projected 10 percent drop.

“We’re starting out with a conservative scenario and a tight budget,” Hamilton said, adding that if sales tax revenues turn around next fiscal year, the city will have a rainy day fund.

Amy Simmons, owner of Amy’s Ice Cream, said the company’s location in the Shops at Mira Vista shopping center has seen a slight dip this year in its revenue.

“Our sales are down slightly in the Mira Vista location but much less than I would have guessed,” Simmons said. “I’m kind of surprised that our dip was as small as it was.”

Simmons said that some businesses in the center have struggled and that Freebirds World Burrito left the center for a location outside of Rollingwood and McAlister’s Deli closed. The loss of those and similar businesses has hurt sales tax revenues and decreases traffic for other businesses in the center. The center is an important sales tax generator for the city.

Hamliton also agreed that the hit to restaurants in the city is affecting sales tax revenue.

“When times are tough economically, restaurants are one of the toughest markets,” he said.

Hamilton added that the city would take a focused look at businesses in the area in the coming months and at what the city can do to encourage economic development.

“We’re in a good location, and we need to make it as attractive as possible,” Hamilton said. “We also need to look at how we can keep our office buildings full because that will drive traffic to our businesses.”

While Rollingwood has seen a dip in sales tax revenue, West Lake Hills is virtually flat, with a 0.9 percent decrease in revenue.

The city had conservatively projected a 15 percent decrease for the year during last year’s budget discussions, so the city is in a good position this year, said Robert Wood, city administrator for West Lake Hills.

“We were pretty sure that was overly conservative,” Wood said. “But it’s better to have more money than you thought you would rather than the other way around.”

Wood attributed the relatively flat revenues to the stability of businesses in West Lake Hills.

“Unlike a lot of other cities in Travis County, we don’t have a lot of businesses that deal with discretionary spending.” Wood said. “Our [businesses] are mostly day-to-day type stuff. I think those business will tell you they have slowed down, but they haven’t seen the huge drop off that other places have seen.”

The other side of that coin is that during good economic times, the city doesn’t see large upswings either, Wood said.

“For us, it makes for a stable amount of money coming in each month,” Wood said.

Like Rollingwood, West Lake Hills also saw an upswing for August, 1.46 percent more than August of last year.

Wood said that the city is projecting flat sales tax revenue for the next fiscal year, which begins in October. The city will use these calculations as budget and property tax rate discussions continue.

Maya Pomroy, who opened Brilliant Sky Toys and Books in The Village at Westlake shopping center in June said that business has been steadily picking up this summer.

“We’re seeing steady growth, not as much as we’d like, but I’m very optimistic,” Pomroy said. “In this [economic] environment, you have adjust your expectations. I think this is just a testament to what we are seeing nationally.”

Pomroy and Simmons, who is a former West Lake Hills City Councilwoman, pointed out that shop local initiatives and efforts can help local businesses and keep sales taxes in the hands of local cities.

Pomroy said that while it is tough for local businesses to compete with big box stores, Austinites and Westbank residents have a strong commitment to shopping locally.

“Support your local businesses – it’s your community,” Simmons said.

• The event is free and open to the public. The show offers visitors a chance to see rare and beautiful cacti and succulent species from around the world.  Vendors from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico will sell native and exotic cacti and succulents and handmade pottery at reasonable prices. There will be a daily silent auction and hourly raffle of rare and collectible cacti and succulents. Educational information, literature and expert advice will be available.

ACSS hosts free public monthly meetings on the third Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Austin Area Garden Center at Zilker Botanical Garden. ACSS also maintains a library of books and journals on cacti and succulents, horticulture and conservation for its members.

For more information, visit www.AustinCSS.com.

• A ban on outdoor burning was approved by the Travis County Commissioners Court last week. The countywide ban was based on dry conditions and long-range forecasts calling for warmer than normal and drier than normal conditions for the next month.

The lack of moisture will allow a fire to start and quickly spread. Larger dead fuels are drying very rapidly and can contribute to the intensity of a fir.

The recommendation to the court included input from the emergency service district fire chiefs, as well as statistical data from the Texas Forestry Service. The Commissioners Court will review the conditions on a weekly basis before taking action to lift a burn ban.

The ban does not affect a prescribed burn under the supervision of a prescription burn manager. It also does not affect outdoor hot work when done under the guidelines established by Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office. Prescription burn managers and those in need of outdoor hot work permits must contact the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office or the fire department in whose jurisdiction the work will be done.

• The next West Lake Hills City Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 11 at City Hall, 911 Westlake Drive.

For more information, visit the city’s website at westlakehills.org.

• Longtime owners of Westbank-based Century Travel RB and Helen Hall recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

They were married 50 years ago in Eastland, Texas, and are celebrating the big event with an upcoming trip to Australia and New Zealand.

• The Healthcare Center at Summit at Westlake Hills recently earned the prestigious Brookdale Cornerstones of Quality award from Brookdale Senior Living, the parent company of the senior living community located at 1034 Liberty Park Drive.

The Cornerstones of Quality for Healthcare Communities is a program that was designed and developed for the Brookdale Senior Living healthcare communities to establish and demonstrate the highest standards of quality care for residents. The Brookdale Cornerstones of Quality philosophy is built on three key components: awareness, responsibility and culture. The purpose of the program is to reward Brookdale communities who learn, improve, and help create and broaden a quality-oriented culture.

• Westlake United Methodist Church Music and Arts Academy is now accepting students.

The academy prepares students for state and community recitals in a creative one-on-one environment. It includes all instruments, including voice.

For more information, call Diana Sanchez-Bushong, director of worship and music, at 327-1335, extension 15.

The Westlake Rotary Club meets Friday at 7:30 a.m. at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 5455 Bee Cave Road. Cost is $5 or $15 for a full meal.

Call Frank Schleicher at 913-4241 for more information.

Board member Colleen Jones addressed the issue during a July 28 monthly meeting. Board members again broached the topic during a study session Aug. 16.

Allyson Collins, district director of records and legal services, recommended against a board policy regarding conflict of interest for voluntary committee members. She said no other Central Texas school district board currently had such a policy in place.

“Is the problem based on when there is a danger that the personal interest of a committee member affects the decision or the recommendation?” Collins asked. “Where is the line between a potential conflict of interest and a simple vested interest? That line is very thin. I think, in order to put a requirement on someone, we are going to have to be very clear on where the line is. We need a very clear point – ‘Here is when you disclose.’ ”

Board president Paul Stone asked Collins to continue researching the issue.

“There has to be something that has already been put into place that we can adopt,” he said. “That kind of policy promotes an atmosphere of transparency that is important, especially when we are considering things like bond oversight committees.”

Eanes school district Superintendent Nola Wellman expressed concern that such a policy would discourage volunteers and make it more difficult for the school district to find key members for critical planning committees. Collins suggested the board consider having the district adopt administrative regulations that would attempt to limit the possible conflicts of interest of committee members. She and Wellman asked the board to provide more clarification on what conflict of interest policy or regulations should encompass, whether it should be in the form of a disclosure statement or a pledge and who would ultimately be responsible for judging exactly what constitutes unacceptable conflict of interest.

The possible implications of conflict of interest by volunteers who advise or make decisions for the district became an issue of interest to the board in May, when local press revealed that Athletic Director Darren Allman and former district bond advisory committee chairman David Perkins had formed a business, Coach Concepts, a company that Allman told board members planned to offer for-profit athletic training programs to the public.

Board members gave Allman the vote of confidence and found that he had acted appropriately in notifying the district of his involvement in the company, but asked the district to see what policy other school districts have in place to ensure volunteers advising the district do not have conflicts of interest or a financial stake in the eventual decisions being made.

Stone said the district will continue investigating possible ways to guard against the conflict of interest of advisory volunteers.

“The board has asked the administration to formulate a recommendation based on the discussion at the meeting,” he said. “I will work with Dr. Wellman to set (the issue) as an agenda topic at an upcoming study session.”

While many of his classmates were lounging by the pool, heading to the lake or blazing through the latest video game, sophomore Noah Thompson was braving frigid water to compete in the Youth World Fly Fishing Championship in Slovakia to bring home the bronze medal.

The 15-year-old angler said that after the competition he was told he became only the second American in his age group to ever bring home a medal and is possibly the youngest youth team member to medal at the world championships.

Thompson began fly fishing at age 5 with his father, Randy, near their home on Lake Austin.

“I really liked it a lot, and I just stayed really focused on it,” Thompson said. “As I got older, my dad and I started going on trips, and we just kept doing it during the summer.”

Some of his favorite local fishing areas include Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake and the Pedernales, Colorado and San Marcos rivers. He catches mostly catfish, gar, bass and carp there but rarely keeps anything he catches.

“I hate keeping fish,” Thompson said. “I can’t do it. I throw back pretty much everything I catch – I’ll eat fish, but not the ones I catch.”

In addition to the local waterways, Thompson has traveled to Alaska, all over the western U.S., Florida, parts of Europe and Honduras to cast his line. He fishes nearly every weekend and gets to spend a lot of time with his dad taking trips.

“It’s definitely a father-son thing,” Thompson said.

During his travels, he’s picked tips and tricks from guides and other anglers.

“You pick up all the smaller details – where to fish, how to fish,” Thompson said. “I’m constantly learning new things.”

He joined the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing team in 2007, but this summer was the first time that he competed at the world championships, although he traveled with the team to championships in Pennsylvania, Portugal and Czech Republic.

“It’s different in each place that you go to,” Thompson said. “You have to go after the fish differently. You have to know the different types of fish and know the conditions and adapt.”

The team usually goes a few days early to each competition to practice in the water, but they spend months learning the fish, the conditions and the types of bugs the fish will like.

At the world championships, team members, ranging in age from 14-19 for the youth competition, fish a given stretch of water over two and half days. Individual and team awards are given.

During the competition in Slovakia, Thompson thought he had a less-than-great last day on the water. As he walked up to his teammates, they told him he had taken the bronze.

Daifei Li, 44, has been charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution, a third degree felony, for her part in operating the massage parlor out of an office at 1015 Bee Cave Wood Road. Another woman, Yu Shun Piao, 41, was charged with misdemeanor prostitution.

Travis County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered the location of the parlor in early August after seeing posts on an escort review website, according to an arrest affidavit for Li. Some of the reviews said that this location was providing sexual acts for money. Deputies also located ads on Craigslist and in the Austin Chronicle that listed a cell phone number belonging to Li.

Deputies with the TCSO Human Trafficking Unit conducted surveillance on the women and saw Li leave the parlor, which was located in an office building alongside doctors’ and law offices, several times to pick up and drop off women in Rollingwood and in Austin, documents show.

Chief Dayne Pryor of the Rollingwood Police Department said he was aware of the TCSO investigation.

“Given that this investigation was spread across several jurisdictions, we asked Travis County to use their intelligence to monitor this location,” Pryor said.

An undercover deputy went to the parlor on Aug. 26 and was given a massage by Li, the affidavit says. It also said Li offered sexual services to the deputy, who refused.

On Aug. 27, another undercover deputy received a massage at the parlor from Piao. Piao gave the deputy a massage for the published price of $60, and the deputy gave her an extra $100, the affidavit says. It says Piao attempted to provide sexual services for the deputy, but he refused and quickly walked out of the parlor.

Officials alleged in the affidavit that Li was controlling, supervising or managing the prostitution enterprise that used two or more prostitutes, which resulted in the more serious charge.

TCSO, Rollingwood and Austin law enforcement officials served a search warrant on the location in Rollingwood on Friday, and the two women were arrested.

“This is an isolated incident,” Pryor said. “But it is a growing trend to find these types of places in areas where you wouldn’t expect to find them. They are attractive places to set up because they go unnoticed.”

The Water District 10 Board of Directors decided last week on some of the final provisions of a deal to move 97 properties currently served by the private water company on to the publicly controlled Water District 10 system.

If the board approves the final document at its September meeting, Ridgewood customers can then sign a petition to join the Water District 10. In order for the deal to go forward, board officials have said, 100 percent participation is required.

The move by Water District 10 is the culmination of 18 months of work by water district and West Lake Hills officials to find a way to provide water to Ridgewood area, which is located near Ridgewood Road, Brady Lane and Sugar Creek Drive.

The private water system in that area is more than 50 years old, and the infrastructure is not up to state or local code, said Cliff Drummond, Water District 10 board president. Add to that the tight restrictions placed on the system last summer by the Edwards Underground District, which controls pumping out of the Edwards Aquifer, and the Ridgewood system private owners were ready get out of the water business, Drummond said.

“What the water district is doing is offering the property owners in Ridgewood a way to fix their water system,” Drummond said. “They are not in compliance. The current system is not sustainable and is very old. The only way the district can take them in is if the system is upgraded.”

How to pay for those upgrades is what the district has been working on for over a year. It is estimated that the upgrades to the water system infrastructure could cost $2.3 million and take up to a year to complete, Drummond said.

The board worked out a proposal for the 97 Ridgewood customers to pay back the cost of improvements with a $177 monthly surcharge on their water bills for a 20-year period. A provision may be included to allow residents to pay the $25,775 cost of hooking their home up in a lump sum.

These proposals will be included in the final annexation petition, which is expected to finalized at the September board meeting. After that, a deadline of 30 to 60 days will be set for homeowners to submit their annexation paperwork.

“They are in a very tough position,” Drummond said of the Ridgwood customers. “We’re the only candidate water source they have. We settled on the most equitable solution we could come up with. We are not issuing any bonds or debts and our existing customers will not have to pay a penny.”

The City of West Lake Hills has paid $15,000 for an engineering study on the water system and has pledged to repave any roads in the area that are torn up when lines are replaced, up to $200,000 worth.

West Lake Hills Mayor Dave Claunch, who has been working with the district to facilitate the deal, said that the majority of Ridgewood residents were eager for the deal to go forward.

“All but a few individuals are fully on board with the game plan,” Claunch said. “The others are still unknowns.”

With 100 percent participation required to move forward with the deal, those unknowns could potentially derail the whole proposal.

West Lake Hills residents on the Ridgewood Village Water System should soon have an opportunity to join Water District 10.

The Water District 10 Board of Directors decided last week on some of the final provisions of a deal to move 97 properties currently served by the private water company on to the publicly controlled Water District 10 system.

If the board approves the final document at its September meeting, Ridgewood customers can then sign a petition to join the Water District 10. In order for the deal to go forward, board officials have said, 100 percent participation is required.

The move by Water District 10 is the culmination of 18 months of work by water district and West Lake Hills officials to find a way to provide water to Ridgewood area, which is located near Ridgewood Road, Brady Lane and Sugar Creek Drive.

The private water system in that area is more than 50 years old, and the infrastructure is not up to state or local code, said Cliff Drummond, Water District 10 board president. Add to that the tight restrictions placed on the system last summer by the Edwards Underground District, which controls pumping out of the Edwards Aquifer, and the Ridgewood system private owners were ready get out of the water business, Drummond said.

“What the water district is doing is offering the property owners in Ridgewood a way to fix their water system,” Drummond said. “They are not in compliance. The current system is not sustainable and is very old. The only way the district can take them in is if the system is upgraded.”

How to pay for those upgrades is what the district has been working on for over a year. It is estimated that the upgrades to the water system infrastructure could cost $2.3 million and take up to a year to complete, Drummond said.

The board worked out a proposal for the 97 Ridgewood customers to pay back the cost of improvements with a $177 monthly surcharge on their water bills for a 20-year period. A provision may be included to allow residents to pay the $25,775 cost of hooking their home up in a lump sum.

These proposals will be included in the final annexation petition, which is expected to finalized at the September board meeting. After that, a deadline of 30 to 60 days will be set for homeowners to submit their annexation paperwork.

“They are in a very tough position,” Drummond said of the Ridgwood customers. “We’re the only candidate water source they have. We settled on the most equitable solution we could come up with. We are not issuing any bonds or debts and our existing customers will not have to pay a penny.”

The City of West Lake Hills has paid $15,000 for an engineering study on the water system and has pledged to repave any roads in the area that are torn up when lines are replaced, up to $200,000 worth.

West Lake Hills Mayor Dave Claunch, who has been working with the district to facilitate the deal, said that the majority of Ridgewood residents were eager for the deal to go forward.

“All but a few individuals are fully on board with the game plan,” Claunch said. “The others are still unknowns.”

With 100 percent participation required to move forward with the deal, those unknowns could potentially derail the whole proposal.

The 33-year-old owner of Snackbox, an independent public relations firm, moved to the Austin area last year and has jumped in with both feet to help organize the 5K and raise awareness about the disease that claimed her mother, Karen Gruhala, at age 56

“There are so many women who don’t know ovarian cancer exists or are getting the wrong information,” said Gruhala-Oltersdorf, who was 26 when her mother died.

Her mother was misdiagnosed three times, and by the time the cancer was discovered, it was already Stage 4, the last stage in cancer development, she said.

“I’m very much on a crusade to get the word out about what happened to my mom and what ovarian cancer can do,” she said.

After moving to the Austin area, Gruhala-Oltersdorf helped the local NOCC chapter launch social networking pages and helped get the word out. When the 5K starts on Saturday, she’ll be thinking of her mom, she said.

“Doing this race is going to be a blast,” Gruhala-Oltersdorf said. “I’m doing this for my mom and everyone else.”

The NOCC Austin chapter uses funds from the 5K and other donations to fund speaking circuits, educational seminars, literature distribution, billboard campaigns and other awareness efforts on ovarian cancer. The disease has been called a silent killer because the symptoms are nonspecific and there are no early-detection tests. Most cases are discovered in Stage 3 or 4, and the survival rate is only about 29 percent.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is to educate women about the symptoms,” she said. “You know your body better than anyone else. Get two or three opinions until you feel that you have been examined and feel like you agree with that doctor.”

Symptoms of ovarian cancer include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, trouble eating and frequent urination. Other symptoms can include fatigue, upset stomach or heartburn, back pain, constipation and changes in menstruation, according to the NOCC website.

Because of her family history, Gruhala-Oltersdorf now gets yearly exams and blood tests for ovarian cancer.

“Early detection is really key,” she said and encouraged women to talk with their doctors about their risk.

The NOCC Balance 5K will take place at the Domain, at MoPac and Braker Lane, at 7:45 a.m. Saturday. Registration is available online at www.balanceaustin.com until 4 p.m. today; runners can also register on Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the lobby of the Westin Austin at the Domain.

 Rollingwood Police Department

Aug. 20

A man was arrested at 1:28 a.m. on Rollingwood Drive after he was stopped for speeding. The man was charged with driving while intoxicated and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also had four outstanding warrants.

West Lake Hills Police Department

Aug. 17

A 30-year-old woman was arrested at 9:38 a.m. on Bee Cave Road after she was stopped for expired registration. She was charged with driving while license invalid, expired registration and expired inspection.

Aug. 21

A business on Bee Cave Road reported to police that merchandise that had been placed outside a shop for display had been stolen.

Westlake Fire Department

Aug. 16

Crews responded to an multiple-rear-end accident at 9:44 a.m. on Capital of Texas Highway near Las Cimas Parkway. One person was transported to the hospital.

Crews responded to a report of a carbon monoxide leak at 11:09 p.m. on Yaupon Valley Road. The homeowner told dispatchers that his carbon monoxide alarm had gone off, and he was told to leave the home. Crews located a gas leak in the central heat supply line in the home. The line was isolated, and the home cleared.

Aug. 17

Crews responded to a minor collision at 4:30 p.m. on Capital of Texas Highway. No serious injuries were reported.

Aug. 22

Crews responded to a roll-over accident at 4:55 p.m. on Lake Cliff Trail and Stratford Drive. When rescuers arrived, they found a driver inside an SUV that was on its roof. Crews were able to get the driver out of the vehicle safely.