Kempner council member resigns
By MAT TAYLOR Special Correspondent

Mayor Gene Isenhour announced at last week's Kempner City Council meeting that Place 3 council member Alicia Ford has submitted a letter of resignation. Isenhour said she plans to move to Phoenix to be near her children and grandchildren.

Mrs. Ford has served on the council for almost six years. She also has been an active member of the Kempner Volunteer Fire Department for many years.

"Alicia has been an energetic supporter of the city and community," said the mayor. "We will miss her, but we wish her and her family well in their new life."

Isenhour said the council would seek a qualified person to appoint for the unexpired term of Mrs. Ford.

Also last week, the council approved the nomination of all current members of the Lampasas County Appraisal District board for another term. Directors nominated included Ray Upp, Dale DeShazo, Lawrence Hart and Milton Kellner. There is one vacancy on the board, but the council did not nominate anyone for that.

In other business, the council voted to amend the 2007-08 budget for street maintenance. Isenhour said the planned repairs for the 2006-07 fiscal year were not all completed, and the remaining funds will be rolled over into the new year's budget.

Approximately $1,500 from the 1/4-cent dedicated sales tax and $28,500 from the street repair fund were not spent. This amount, added to the 2007-08 budget, will result in a total of $67,400 for street maintenance.

"Hopefully, we can get a lot of street repairs completed this year," the mayor said.

In a related item, Isenhour said repairs to Conductor Street have been addressed, and a local contractor will apply additional road base. The city will consider paving the street in the future, he added.

The mayor noted that a council member is needed to replace Rex Hooten as Kempner's representative on the Colorado River Floodplain Coalition Technical Committee. After reviewing the committee's duties, no one volunteered for the position. Isenhour asked the council to think about the position, and the item will be discussed at the next meeting.

The city of Kempner was incorporated in November 1997, and will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Nov. 10 with a reception at City Hall from 1-3 p.m. All current and former City Council members will be recognized at the event. Other dignitaries also will be invited. Additional information will be given at the next council meeting.

In final matters, Isenhour said the county election administrator and representatives from all local governmental entities have been working to simplify voting procedures in the county. It has been recommended that early voting be conducted at one location for the convenience of the voter. In the recent May elections, voters had to cast ballots at three different locations, which caused a lot of confusion.