Shafter moving forward with water corporation

SHAFTER — Shafter residents are moving forward with the creation of a water supply corporation by meeting on Saturday to establish a board and approve bylaws.

The meeting of residents and property owners will take place at 2 p.m. at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church Community Room. There will also be a discussion on the role of the Water Supply Corporation Board of Directors and what the status is concerning a potable water supply to the Shafter community. The community has long been supplied with water from the adjacent silver mine that is not currently operational. That well water is tested but does not meet the state standards for testing and chlorination, and thus the community has been under a boil-water notice for more than a year and a half.

Presidio County received $4.6 million of state grant money last year for water system improvements, which includes funding for planning a new water system for Shafter.

Event set to memorialize veterans

MARFA — All veterans and the public are invited to attend a service to memorialize veterans that have died in conjunction with the upcoming Memorial Day. The event will be held on the Presidio County Courthouse steps at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 23.

Refreshments will be provided, and keynote speaker will be Presidio native and veteran Denise Estrada. 

Update from Fort Davis Democrat: Still no word on review of challenge to ballot application

FORT DAVIS — On January 16, Jeff Davis County Democrat J.R. Harrell filed a challenge against a petition by county commissioner hopeful Graydon Hicks to be on the ballot for the March 5 Republican primary. Candidates can gather a required number of signatures for an application in lieu of paying a fee to be on the ballot.

Harrell said he and other Democratic activists examined the petition and were concerned that many of the residents who signed Hicks’ forms may not have been registered with the proper address to be in the precinct required. He said he submitted the challenge to the secretary of state’s office (SOS) per state law. Initially a spokesman for the SOS told The Big Bend Sentinel that reviewing those challenges was not the purview of the office, despite an SOS website outlining the process.

Harrell said he finally heard from the SOS in late February that it was reviewing the challenge, but as of Wednesday, he has not heard back from the office on the review. Hicks ended up losing the Precinct 3 County Commissioner race 122 to 57 to incumbent John Davis.

City of Alpine HOT grants now open for applications

ALPINE — Applications are currently being accepted for hotel occupancy tax (HOT) grants from the City of Alpine for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Visitor events and other projects that draw overnight visits to the city are eligible for funding consideration, according to the requirements of state law.

The grant application and guidelines can be found on the City of Alpine website (cityofalpine.com) under “How Do I > Apply For > Hotel Occupancy Tax Funding.”

The grant application deadline is Friday, June 14, 2024. All applications must be for events and activities occurring during the funding period, which runs from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Questions about the grants program can be directed to admin@visitalpinetx.com.

State law identifies the various ways that hotel occupancy tax funds may be used. The allowed expense categories that are available for grants include advertising, promotion of the arts, historical restoration and preservation, sporting events and transportation. All expenditures must also directly encourage overnight stays at Alpine’s hotels and short-term rentals.

HOT grant applications will be evaluated based on their impact on overnight stays, business and promotional plans, the capacity to host a successful program or event, innovative new programs, and other criteria listed in the grant guidelines.

“The City of Alpine has a long tradition of partnering with event organizers and other groups to provide high-quality events and activities for our visitors and residents to enjoy,” said Director of Tourism Chris Ruggia. “We are grateful to those who bring their visions and ideas forward to help make Alpine a better place to live and to visit.”

A workshop on hotel occupancy taxes will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, in the Alpine City Council Chambers. The workshop will be presented by Justin Bragiel, lead counsel for the Texas Hotel Lodging Association. Bragiel’s presentation will focus on guidance for elected officials in their deliberations on uses of these tax revenues. There will also be an opportunity for grant applicants to ask questions about the grants program and application process.