NEW BOSTON, Texas - With collectively 18 different member organizations to deal with, the Riverbend Water Resources District Board of Directors is looking at adding two more board members.
Board members, who met in New Boston Thursday, are considering adding two members.
Currently, the district's five board members represent the 18 member organizations, including two water supply corporations, three counties, 12 cities and the TexAmericas Center.
Board member Marshall Wood said he's open to adding more board members but added that complications should be avoided in doing so.
"I'm totally in favor of more board representation, but I just want to make sure things will still run efficiently as they have been so far," he said.
One of the potential complications could be in deciding whether board representation should be based on water usage representation or geographic representation, said Riverbend Water Resources District Executive Director Kyle Dooley.
Regarding the district's water volume usage as a measurement, Texarkana comes in at 56% while both the cities of New Boston and Atlanta come on 9% each. Each of the other 14 members come in at 4% or less.
Of the five board members, currently two represent Texarkana while one represents New Boston, one represents TexAmericas and final one represents the rest of the the cities, counties and water supply corporations at large.
The Board plans to continue this discussion next week at its regular meeting.
Infrastructure improvements were discussed Thursday, as well.
Late last month, the District's directors took the first step toward financing an approximate five-year, $200 million construction effort for the new proposed water treatment plant.
Board members agreed last month to set up the first of four bond revenue accounts at Texana Bank. The accounts will collectively hold the money needed for the life of the projected five-year project.
The first bond account of $18 million will go toward paying for the project's initial engineering and design phase.
In addition to the new water treatment plant, the district is also looking at replacing the area's old industrial waste water treatment plant with a $13.5 million new plant. The original dates back to about 1968.
In other business, the district is planning to hold a retirement reception for former New Boston Mayor Johnny Branson at 4 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in New Boston.