03/17/2026
The Burnet City Council met on March 10 to consider several items that help guide growth, maintain compliance with federal requirements, strengthen our downtown, and ensure the City’s financial records are accurate.
One of the first items discussed was a request to rezone a 5.8-acre undeveloped property at the north corner of County Road 108 and North Water Street. The property was originally zoned Agricultural, and the applicant requested a zoning change to General Commercial (C-2) to allow construction of a convenience store with gasoline sales. The Planning and Zoning Commission considered the request at an earlier meeting but did not recommend approval of C-2 (General Commercial), instead recommending Light Commercial (C-1) with either a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to better address compatibility and development concerns. After hearing from the applicant, as well as City of Burnet residents and non-residents during the public hearing, the City Council voted to approve rezoning the property to Light Commercial (C-1), which permits a convenience store but not gasoline sales.
The Council also appointed a new commissioner to the Burnet Housing Authority. Because federal rules require a tenant representative and the previous appointee did not return following the July 2025 flood, the position was vacant. The Council approved Patsy Thomas, recommended by Executive Director Billie Shelburn, to fill the role and maintain compliance with federal requirements.
Another item discussed was the formal designation of a Downtown District for the City of Burnet. The district generally includes the historic Downtown Square and the surrounding commercial area bordered by East Polk Street, East League Street, South Vanderveer Street, and South Water Street. Establishing a clearly defined downtown district helps support the City’s ability to pursue grants and other funding opportunities that focus on downtown revitalization and economic development.
The Council addressed an issue involving City property records after staff discovered an unrecorded 2008 deed conveying about 3.45 acres to the City. Because the deed was never formally accepted and parts of the property were later transferred to others, the Council declined to accept the deed and authorized filing documentation with Burnet County confirming the City does not claim ownership.
Another item involved an update to the City’s Purchased Power Cost Adjustment formula related to the cost of wholesale electricity. The City purchases electricity from a wholesale provider, and a small amount of power is naturally lost during transmission as electricity travels across power lines. This is known as line loss and is a normal part of delivering electricity.
Last summer, ERCOT increased the statewide transmission loss factor by one percent. As a result, the City has been paying slightly higher wholesale power costs even though customer usage has not changed. The Council approved an update to the calculation used in the City’s electric rate formula so it accurately reflects the current transmission loss factor used by the wholesale provider.
The Council also approved a temporary monthly adjustment to recover the additional wholesale power costs the City has been paying since the change took effect. For utility customers, this will result in approximately a $1 increase per month through September 2026, after which the adjustment will be removed.
Finally, the Council approved several budget amendments to address operational needs such as lift station repairs, corrections to electric inventory accounting, and infrastructure updates related to the Creekfall subdivision to keep the City’s financial records accurate and aligned with operational needs.
The Burnet City Council will hold its next regular meeting on March 24, and all residents are encouraged to attend.
