Kempner reviews outstanding warrants
By MAT TAYLOR Special Correspondent

Kempner Mayor Gene Isenhour reviewed the city of Kempner's outstanding warrants during the recent City Council meeting. The warrants cover a period from 2001 through the present.

"There is a total of 63 persons who were issued a citation who did not appear for their court date or pay their fine," he said. "The outstanding warrant total is $56,897. We could repair more city streets if the fines were paid."

Of the warrants, 55 were issued to Texas citizens, and eight were from out of state. Those 55 residents are listed in the state's Omni system, and if they apply for a new driver's license, their name will come up on the computer system. Their license will be denied until fines are paid.

Isenhour added that the out-ofstate warrants probably could not be collected unless the individuals came back to Texas.

The mayor also reviewed a Kempner Municipal Court statistical report for citations issued during 2007. The city police department issued 311 tickets, with the majority for speeding. Twentyseven were speeding up to 10 miles an hour above the limit, 189 were speeding between 11 and 19 miles above the posted limit, and 34 were traveling 20 mph or more above the limit.

Assistant City Secretary Trudy Davis said Kempner collected $17,500 in fees for the last reporting period, and of that $5,000 went to the state. "Our police officers and court employees do all the work to collect these fines and then $5,000 goes to the state," Isenhour remarked.

In other business, Kempner resident Gary Guyer said repairs had been performed on Conductor Street, "however, there are still some drainage problems."

He also said that since Kempner Iron and Metal Recycling Center began its operations at the intersection of Farm Road 2313 and County Road 3300, the large trucks entering and leaving the center had caused considerable damage to the county road.

He expressed concerns about the trucks also entering the roadway with no warning to vehicles driving south and said he has noticed several near collisions.

Isenhour said the city would look into installing truck-crossing signs. The mayor added that the new business wants to be a good neighbor and plans to plant several hundred trees around the facility. Kempner Iron and Metal also spent several thousand dollars to purchase exhibitors' animals at the recent county youth livestock show.

In reference to a recent city jury trial, Ms. Davis said persons who did not report have been sent notices to appear in court by the end of the week to justify why they did not show up for jury duty. They also may be assessed a fine. Of the 50 jury summons mailed, only 24 were eligible for jury duty, and of those, only nine actually reported.