Jeff & Brenda Turner Oakdale Farm 1242 Bear Creek Road West Kerrville, TX 78028-7487 Phone (830) 367- 4727 e-mail jt@timefrost.com Mr Bruce Oehler Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 4 700 E. Main Street Kerrville, Texas 78028 Dear Mr Oehler, My wife and I received the enGosed letter in last Friday's mail and it, together with some of the other things that have been happening in the area where we live, causes us sufficient concern that we feel that it is time to write to you in the hope that you can bring some reason and control to the disorganization that is destroying the Bear Creek area Firstly let me point out that we moved to the area because of its rota[ nature and because being outside of the city there were fewer restrictions on life here. Unfortunately it seems that the utilities are determined #o destroy that comfortable atmosphere. No doubt you are aware of the rampant destruction the t_CRA have brought to the valley and worse still to the skyline with their ili thought out power lines. We have also seen the necessary evil of local distribution lines brought along the valley where the former Swan Ranch is being developed piecemeal. It was however a further shock to see distribution lines brought down the escarpment on the southeast side of the valley to a lot that already had power distribution. No doubt this was part of the competition between KPUB and CTEC. If not then it is a further manifestation of the Pack of aesthetic care either of the power suppliers have towards the environment. To add insult to injury and for no apparently sane reason we now have a new set of ugly poles along the north side of Bear Creek Road that appear to be carrying either cable or telephone. Why the utility that put those poles in could not share the existing poles on the south side of the valley is a mystery. Now we seem to have a "water grab" by Kerrville (where they intend the water to come from is not clear). Those of us that have lived here for some years have at often extreme expense made sure that we have adequate potable water to meet our needs. So why are Kerrville city trying to encroach further into the County? It seems that there is a strange idea that these changes represent progress. We are sure that we are not alone in expressing the thought that not all progress is good. Certainly the bias that seems to favor developers leads us to think that our Commissioners believe that relatively uncontrolled development is good and that it is quite acceptable for developers to be excused impact charges despite the damage and mess that their profit motivated activities cause. It is quite unnecessary for life in the County to become as "contro![ed" as in the City of Kerrville but it certainly seems time for our commissioners to exerase more control over the damage and duplication that the various utilities cause. We don't need more rules but' we do need some coordinated planning for infrastructural changes and development. We were heartened, after the Rim Rock debacle, to hear that the Commissioners had come down heavily on the LCRA proposat to run yet another high tension power supply through the countryside and recommended that it either follow tH10 ar existing power easement. It is our hope that the Commissioners can build upon this sane decision and pursue a control and rationalization of the spider's web of power, telephone and cable poles that are weaving their way through what used to be one of the most beautiful areas of the Hill Country. While we are at it why not impose more severe control on the proliferation of radio and cell towers - how about a policy of sharing. We are sure that what we have written is not going to be popular with the Commissioner's Court nor is it likely to make our "developers" happy. However, as our representative we would be grateful to know how you stand on the issues we have raised. In our opinion it is almost too late to stop the deterioration that we have seen in our 8 years living here but maybe our commissioners can slow this and initiate a policy of caring for the environment that we share. Sincerely ~~ ~~ _._a~ ~...~.~.~~ Jeff Tumer Brenda Tumer