Lampasas council schedules public joint meeting with Kenner Water Supply amid contract dispute

Lampasas City Council members agreed on Dec. 8 to schedule a public joint meeting with the Kenner (Timber) Water Supply Corporation in January so the city attorney can attend and explain the history of a contested wholesale water contract.

City staff told the council the water contract has been the subject of multiple rounds of litigation and that appellate courts have, on prior occasions, upheld the city’s position. Staff said recent newspaper comments prompted a request that legal counsel be present so citizens can hear the factual timeline and legal rationale directly from the city’s lawyers.

Council members and staff debated whether the session should be a brief workshop or a formal meeting. Staff recommended a formal meeting because of the relationship’s complexity and litigation background; council agreed a meeting with a published agenda is preferable and asked staff to allow 45–60 days to ensure counsel’s availability.

"We would like to make sure our legal representation is present for that meeting with [Kenner] or water," staff said, noting the need for a public timeline and documentation to help residents "understand how we've gotten here." City staff also committed to work with attorney Natasha Martin to develop a visual timeline for council and the public.

The council directed staff to prepare an agenda and to propose candidate dates for the joint meeting; no formal resolution was adopted at this session. Next steps: staff will consult with counsel, prepare the timeline and post a public meeting notice with the agenda and counsel present.