Business View Civil and Municipal | May/June 2022

79 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 C I TY OF KERRV I LLE AND KERR COUNTY , TEXAS number of other facilities across the community, again for irrigation purposes,” he adds. Home to many small and independent businesses, Kerrville saw an increase in calls for information and support during the pandemic. This influx of calls prompted the city to introduce an entrepreneur center, something which Mayor Blackburn shares has been on his agenda for some time. Aptly named Kerr Edge Center, it has been available virtually, offering mastermind classes on subjects such as marketing and finance. “We have a membership of 50 plus members, which are typically small businesses, as well as entrepreneurs that are looking for help to get their businesses started,” says Salinas. “The vision is to eventually have a brick and mortar facility, perhaps a reuse of an here in Kerrville.” At the forefront of water management and sustainability, Kerrville is able to pull water from the surface of the Guadalupe River, while also tapping into a local aquifer system. Hoppe explains, “Thirty-five years ago, Kerrville invested in one of the first aquifer storage and recovery systems in the state. We now have over a billion gallons of water stored in that aquifer system. In addition to that, we’ve also proactively utilized reuse water for irrigation purposes.” This reuse is a necessary step in the community, which is home to three golf courses and 26 parks. “We just built a 100-million-gallon reuse storage facility. We utilize that reuse water for irrigation for those golf courses, as well as our newly renovated $20 million sports complex, and a