Bluebonnet and LCRA representatives present a $24,500 grant to the South Lee County Volunteer Fire Department for a 6x6 semi-tractor truck. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Dustin Schneider, VFD secretary; Mark Fears and Ethan Miertschin, VFD firefighters; Sherry Murphy, Bluebonnet's Giddings-area community representative; Delvin Boriack, VFD firefighter; Russell Jurk, Bluebonnet director; Kaleb Oltmann, VFD firefighter; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA board member; Cole Mertink, VFD firefighter; Kyle Jenke, VFD fire chief; Curtis Oltmann, VFD firefighter; Michael Krause, VFD treasurer; Matthew L. “Matt” Arthur, LCRA board member; and Kate Ramzinski, LCRA regional affairs representative.

The South Lee County Volunteer Fire Department will soon purchase a 6x6 semi-tractor truck to provide a more reliable way for firefighters to access difficult terrain and respond to water rescues and other emergencies, thanks to a $24,500 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $10,500 in matching funds from the VFD, will enable the department to replace its 32-year-old former military truck with a newer vehicle that will be more reliable and efficient. Repairs on the old truck require expensive and custom-made parts that can keep the vehicle out of service for long periods of time.

“The truck we’re purchasing will be able to hold a lot more water than what our current capabilities are,” Kyle Jenke said, the department's fire chief. “Now that we’ve been expanding the area we’re serving, it’s important that we’re able to carry the water needed to put out some of the bigger fires.”

The department serves South Lee County, and responds to calls in Lee, Fayette and Bastrop counties through mutual aid agreements. It also recently joined the newly formed Lee County Task Force and responds to calls in parts of Burleson and Washington counties.

“The newer truck will be able to handle rougher terrain, so we can get into the tighter areas where a normal brush truck wouldn’t be able to reach,” Jenke said. “We’ve had to do it a number of times already, so we know how important it is for the truck to be able to handle a lot. This upgrade will also make it much easier for us to get any needed repairs done so we don’t have to spend as much money out of pocket.”

The extra wheels on the truck provide additional traction and can be used to respond to fires and emergency rescues, as well as help retrieve other vehicles that become stuck in the mud.

The community grant is one of three grants recently awarded by Bluebonnet and LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. Bluebonnet is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July 2025. More information is available here
 

More than 600 Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative members and guests filled The Silos on 77 event center in Giddings on Tuesday, May 13, for the co-op’s Annual Meeting. Attendees enjoyed live music, received updates on the cooperative’s performance in 2024 and early 2025, re-elected three incumbent directors, and took home door prizes donated by Bluebonnet’s vendors.

Board Chairman Ben Flencher opened the business session by thanking Bluebonnet’s members and guests for their continued trust and support. He emphasized that the cooperative’s strength is rooted in the ties it shares with the communities it serves, where directors live and work alongside the members they represent.

“Our Annual Meeting is always a great day because we get to visit with our friends and neighbors,” Flencher said. “On behalf of Bluebonnet’s directors, thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the incredible progress we’ve made. We deeply appreciate the support our members show year after year.”

Flencher was one of three incumbent directors unopposed and re-elected by general consent in accordance with Bluebonnet’s bylaws. He represents District 5, Burleson County. Also re-elected were Milton Shaw of District 1, Caldwell, Hays, Guadalupe and Gonzales counties, and Debbi Goertz of District 3, Bastrop County.

Bluebonnet is governed by a nine-member board elected by the membership to serve staggered three-year terms. Together, Bluebonnet’s directors bring nearly 130 years of combined service to the cooperative.

In 2025, 6,133 members participated in the election by proxy or in person. No new business was on the meeting’s agenda.

General Manager Matt Bentke shared a report highlighting the co-op’s service to members, historic growth and investment in its communities and electric grid. Bluebonnet has more than doubled its number of meters during the past 25 years, with an increase of 74,465 meters since 2000. The co-op now serves more than 139,000 meters across 14 Central Texas counties.

“Steady growth and strong performance has enabled us to keep our rates among the lowest in the state while building a more resilient, reliable electric system,” Bentke said. “Our commitment to serving members includes maintaining affordable rates and providing excellent service, day and night.”

In addition to benefiting from one of the lowest electric rates in Texas, Bluebonnet’s members will receive more than $11 million in capital credits in 2025, an increase of $747,000 over the previous year. Current members will see a credit on their May electric bill for their share, while former members still owed capital credits will receive a check by mail. During the past 10 years, Bluebonnet has returned $76 million to members in capital credits.

“The continued growth in Bluebonnet’s service area, coupled with our conservative financial management, has allowed us to return record amounts in capital credits to our members,” Bentke said. “Our members benefit from and share in the successes we’ve achieved.”