County considers funding for restroom conversions at Kempner VFD facilities
By DAVID LOWE Staff Writer

Kempner Volunteer Fire Department needs to update its facilities to comply with federal disability laws, Fire Chief Dan Hause told the Lampasas County Commissioners Court Monday.

Finding the $24,000 necessary to convert the restrooms at the main fire station won't come easily, though, county officials said.

The fire station facility houses Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Sheila Hood's court. Jury members and others involved in trials at the court need handicapped-accessible restrooms, Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Vincent said.

The first report of a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act can bring a fine of $50,000, Hause said. The second violation results in a $100,000 fine and forces the building to close until the completion of ADA-related renovations, he added.

Bringing the building into compliance with the disabilities law would require several updates, including widening the entrance to restrooms, lowering mirrors to a maximum height of 40 inches and installing grab bars capable of holding 250 pounds. Workers will need to change the building's plumbing completely, Hause said, and will have to tear out sheetrock.

The fire chief said his department also hopes to update showers in the KVFD training facility so the building could serve the public in case of an emergency evacuation. County Auditor Jack Clark, however, said updating the restrooms at the main building -- and possibly stretching the project over multiple budget years -- should be the first priority.

"I'm not worried about the showers, folks," Clark said. "I'm worried about the JP court."

Hause sent notices to five contractors, but only two provided bids for the proposed project, he said.

Clark asked the fire chief to request a bid from Sanders Plumbing and to examine the KVFD budget for possible line-item transfers. The auditor said he would look for available money in other departments and in contingency funds, but he told Hause the KVFD will need to provide some of the money for facility updates.

"I think it has always been a shared responsibility," Clark said.

The court tabled the matter.

After a brief discussion, the court decided not to tax "goods in transit."

House Bill 621, recently passed by the Texas Legislature, allows counties to tax certain raw inventory goods. Although the law guarantees exemptions for oil, natural gas, automotive dealers' inventories of vehicles, aircraft and retail manufactured housing, commissioners indicated if they passed a tax it would apply to Oil States Industries and Windsor Foods.

"In the past, we've never taxed goods in transit, and I think we ought to stick with it," Vincent said.

A levy on raw inventory goods would hinder the county's efforts to attract new businesses, Precinct 2 Commissioner Alex Wittenburg said.

As a result, the court took no action, meaning companies that transport goods within the county will not face a new tax.

In other business, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved a contract with the city of Lampasas and the Lampasas Independent School District for administering the March 4 primary elections and April 7 runoffs, if needed.

Precincts 2, 3 and 4 will vote at First United Methodist Church in Lampasas for city and school district elections, Elections Administrator Dorothy Person said. Early voting will take place in the elections administrator's office on Live Oak Street.

Commissioners also decided unanimously to cast 765 votes for Ted Newsom to serve on the 2008-09 Lampasas County Appraisal District board of directors. The county's 679 remaining votes will go to current director Ray Upp.

The court voted 5-0 to table discussion of revisions to the local order for homeowner maintenance on secondary septic systems.

Commissioners plan to revisit the issue at the court's next meeting after discussing with title companies the need to inform buyers if aerobic septic systems already have been installed on the property under consideration.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack B. Cox also offered updates on road work. Farm-to-Market Road 1715 is ahead of schedule, the commissioner said, and construction is progressing on the Lampasas River bridge at County Road 2925.

"That bridge is coming along well," Cox said. "It's right on schedule."

County Judge Wayne Boultinghouse added that the burn ban will remain in effect despite the 0.85 inches of rain Lampasas received Saturday. As temperatures rise and sunny days return, the risk of grass fires will remain high, the judge said.