Kempner City Council last week approved an amendment to the International Building Code Ordinance. The amendment excludes fire sprinkler regulations for one- and two-family dwellings.

Mayor Gene Isenhour said the city previously adopted the International Building Code ordinance, "However, in 2009, the code will require fire sprinkler installation for all one- and twofamily dwellings. The city does not have a building inspector or a method to enforce the ordinance.

"It should be up to the individual homeowner to decide if they want a sprinkler system in their home or not," Isenhour added. The mayor noted that sprinkler systems are required for multi-family dwellings such as apartment buildings.

In other business, the September financial statement was approved, which is the final statement for the prior fiscal year.

Isenhour said the Municipal Court showed a deficit for the year due to a smaller number of traffic citations issued.

Assistant City Secretary Trudy Davis said more than $40,000 in unpaid traffic fines is owed to the city, and there are outstanding warrants for traffic violators. Most of the outstanding warrants are for Texas drivers, and when these persons try to renew their license or vehicle tags, they would not be able to until all outstanding fines are paid, she added.

Mayor Pro Tem Paul Cook said more drivers are driving the speed limit in Kempner, as most know police officers are on duty, and the city is not known as a speed trap.

Council member Jennifer Snyder, who also is a reserve police officer, agreed that most drivers are obeying the traffic laws inside the city limits, and that has resulted in fewer citations issued.

Overall, city departments showed a budget surplus of over $76,000 for the fiscal year, Isenhour added.

In other action, the council approved a resolution supporting "Raise Your Hand Texas." The organization's purpose is to improve public schools in Texas. By adopting the resolution, the council goes on record in support of public schools and emphasizes the importance of a good education for all Kempner children.

In conclusion, Isenhour said the paving of Conductor Street has been completed, and the contractor did a very good job. The contractor also paved Armadillo and Signal streets. Signal and Conductor were the last unpaved streets in the city.

Kempner City Council will meet in a special called meeting today at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers for a public hearing on the proposed voluntary annexation of the property owned by Kempner Iron and Metal.

A second hearing on the annexation and a regular council meeting will be Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Kempner City Hall will be closed from noon Wednesday through Friday to allow staff to attend a required Texas Municipal Court employees' training seminar in Austin.