Published: July 01, 2009 03:17 pm      

Vacancy filled

Court appoints well-driller to serve on UTGCD board after split vote

Chelsea L. McGowan

cmcgowan@weatherforddemocrat.com

Parker County Commissioners have appointed a new member to the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, but that appointment was not unanimous.

During a special called court session Tuesday morning, Pct. 1 Commissioner George Conley made a motion to appoint Cresson well driller Tim Watts to the board. The motion was seconded by Pct. 4 Commissioner Jim Webster, and Pct. 2 Commissioner Joe Brinkley lent his vote in support, giving Watts the three votes he needed to become a member of the controversial panel.

As of press time, Watts said he had yet to be notified of his appointment, and so did not feel it proper to comment.

The court’s appointment fills the vacancy left on the UTGCD by Larry Jones, whose term recently expired. Commissioners began compiling a list of applicants in late May, and each spoke publicly of the traits they’d like to see in a board member.

County Judge Mark Riley was quoted in a May 20 article as saying he felt the intentions of an appointee were more important than the skills that person might bring.

“I can tell you right now, I’m going to be looking for someone to serve this community,” Riley said. “I don’t think we have a person on that board right now that’s doing that.”

Riley, along with Pct. 3 Commissioner John Roth, voted against Watts’s appointment. However, Riley said he thought Watts would perform adequately in his new position.

“I didn’t really vote against Tim,” he said. “I think we all feel like we had a good list of applicants. There was just another one that I felt a little more comfortable with. But I didn’t feel the need to make a strong vocal argument against Mr. Watts, because he’ll do just fine.”

When asked if he advocated strongly for any candidate in particular, Riley said he did not.

“We discussed every applicant during these meetings we’ve had,” he said. “It’s been one of the better interview processes I’ve seen. Every member of the court did research, and all did a great job.”

Roth said he believes Watts relationship to the well-drilling industry might cause “the perception of conflict”.

“I think we now have two people on that board who are in the well-drilling business, and I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said. “I don’t want there to be any perception of conflict. There’s plenty of people in the community who know what they’re talking about, and we had a lot of good choices to pick from.”

Although Roth didn’t say which applicant he preferred, he was clear in saying he believed Watts’s profession wasn’t the asset to the board the other commissioners might think it is.

“I think he’s well-qualified,” Roth said. “But I also think that having two people from the same profession... a profession that is so directly affected by the policies this board decides... I just think that’s too close to home.”