More than two dozen people gathered at Pelican Bay City Hall last Tuesday to remember a beloved leader and father. Former Pelican Bay Mayor Billy Heaton was posthumously recognized with a plaque and proclamation at a July 8 Pelican Bay City Council meeting. His family turned out in abundance, filling the tiny council chambers.
Current Pelican Bay Mayor Tamra Olague said Heaton was instrumental in securing a municipal water and sewer program for the city.
Under Heaton’s five terms, the city of Pelican Bay undertook a transformative effort to secure funding, planning and implementation of sewer and water infrastructure. He served as mayor for a decade between 1992 and 2002 and died suddenly in April at the age of 75. Olague said she did not initially know the impact made by Heaton but she came to learn more after speaking with Public Works Director Mike Lowry and Heaton’s family. According to Olague, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the city to establish a municipal sewer system and get its residents off private septic because of its proximity to Eagle Mountain Lake.
