COMMISSIONERS COURT AGENDA REQUEST
PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS
TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: Larry Griffin
MEETING DATE: November 25, 2002
SUBJECT: (PLEASE BE SPECIFIC)
OFFICE: Commissioner. Precinct 4
TIME PREFERRED:
Consider and discuss a presentation by Judge Bill Stacy on the upgrade of a septic
system at a residence he is selling.
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON)
NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: Commissioner Griffin
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION:
IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance
with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:
5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.

All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate
information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court
Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards you request being
addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners'
Court.
Judge Bill Stacy is in the process of selling his former residence in west Kerr County. In
accordance with the Kerr County OSSF rules the septic system was inspected by the
Kerr County OSSF Designate Representative, Stuart Barron.
Mr. Barron advised Judge Stacy that since there was no visible evidence of failure of
the system and since the system was "grandfathered," the property could be transferred
without a license AS ALLOWED 1N SECTION 10 OF THE KERB COUNTY RULES!
The only requirement for the transfer was that the tank(s) had to be pumped within the
last three years.
However, Judge Stacy insisted that he wanted the system licensed before the property
was transferred. Accordingly, Mr. Barron advised Judge Stacy that since the old system
was not licensed it would have to meet, or be upgraded to meet, the current OSSF
licensing standards spelled out in TAC 285.
Mr. Barron, after a complete evaluation of the soil, terrain, and typography, determined
that a "standard" system could not meet the current requirements of TAC 285. He
further determined that a "low pressure dosing" system could be designed to meet the
requirements. (The "low pressure dosing" system is the system closest to a "standard"
system and, in most cases, is the next least expensive approach to the "standard"
system. It is NOT an aerobic system, does not require maintenance contracts, etc.)
Over several weeks Judge Stacy has met numerous times with Stuart Barron, Jim
Brown, members of the UGRA board, and me to lecture us along the lines that if he,
"digs athree-foot trench, puts gravel in the bottom, and puts in a standard `leach line,'
the terrain has been changed, the standard system would work fine, and it should be
licensed." He also stresses that, "an 'expert' in Austin who lives on a city sewer system
shouldn't be writing the rules on septic systems." It is important to note that throughout
this process Judge Stacy was repeatedly advised that nobody in Kerr County
aovemment, the UGRA, or the Sfate of Texas required him to do anyihing to the
old system to transfer the aroperty except for the vumvina reauirement.
Bottom line; Judge Stacy is having a licensed low pressure dosing system installed!
However, he wants to address the court on the subject, and, I think, show us some
pictures on how the installer had to dig up the yard to install the new dra;nfield, etc.
{I can sympathize with him on what "trauma" must be done to a yard to install an
upgraded system. I have some great pictures of our yard from when we had a low
pressure dosing system installed at our house in July 2001 because I suspected the old
standard system was slowly failing. Looked like a war zone while the installation was
going on, but a year later the yard looked better than it did beforel)
At this point I do not know of any action that will be required on this agenda item
LG