Rich Paces is one of five Republicans running for the Precinct 2 seat on the Kerr County Commissioner's Court. Paces is a retired petroleum engineer who moved to Kerr County — near Camp Verde — in 2015. He's drawing experience on two fronts — inspiration to contain a liberal agenda; and his years of work in multinational oil and gas. We sat down with Paces on Wednesday for an in-depth conversation. Here are three takeaways from our conversation:
1. His introduction to public service in Kerr County was through Habitat for Humanity.
"When I retired in 2015, I started kind of thinking about how blessed I was," Paces said. "I felt really compelled, a calling to give back, to serve the Lord, and especially to serve my community. So, that's when I started looking around for opportunities to serve and I started building homes with Habitat for Humanity in Kerrville. And I'm real handy and love to use my hands in that kind of way, and it's a great bunch of people. It's a great Christian mission."
2. On growth in Precinct 2, including Center Point, and what that means for Kerr County.
"It's coming," Paces said. "So, I guess, I just want to make sure that the growth that we see is properly managed, properly planned, and and appropriate for the location that it's being proposed, doesn't jeopardize our available water because that's that's a huge issue and it's on a lot of constituents mind."
3. We discussed the management of quarries along the Guadalupe River and the impact on residents in Precinct 2, where most of them operate.
The quarries, in particular, are a concern to a lot of the people that live near them," Paces said. "You know, when you've got air pollution effectively with all the dust that gets generated. And then you've got all the heavy equipment that makes quite a bit of noise.
"I mean, I kind of I live on a hilltop in Hidden Hills Ranch and I kind of look down over that stuff. Fortunately, I'm not too close to it. But on certain days, when the wind's in the right direction, I hear it. So, I can only imagine how obnoxious that is for people that live a lot closer to it. Yeah. And I and I do hear complaints when I'm out, you know, knocking on doors and campaigning.
"On the other hand, hey, you know, landowners have a right to use their land. And as long as they're in full compliance with Texas law, you know, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. You know, that's the main one to keep a close eye on. And if they're in compliance, it's kind of hard to do anything about it. I think it's great that the commissioner's court formed this committee that's effectively being led by Judge Kelly."
To watch the full interview with Paces, click here: https://fb.watch/avkBg300sE/
If you want to listen to the podcast with Paces, click here: https://anchor.fm/louis-amestoy/episodes/The-Kerr-County-Lead–Jan–12–2022-e1csivm
