The Lower Colorado River Authority Solar Panel Grant may provide a larger service to the residents of Lometa if project manager Jim Burton's predictions are correct.

Appearing before the Lometa City Council recently, Burton said that bids for the $488,000 grant from the Texas Department of Rural Affairs had come in much lower than anticipated.

Originally slated as a 50-kilowatt solar array at the wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of Lometa and anticipated to reduce the plant's energy costs by $8,000 per year, the project may be expanded.

With bids coming in around $209,000, the grant's $488,000 allotment and $51,000 in matching funds from the LCRA leaves excess funding. Burton received approval to rebid the project with a 50-kW base unit and an option of 25 additional kilowatts, up to 100 kW until grant funds are completely absorbed.

When asked by Mayor Cynthia Kirby if the plant's energy savings would translate into savings on water bills for Lometa residents, Burton answered in the affirmative.

In other business, the council approved a municipal tax rate of 35.46 cents per $100 value, raising taxes by 7.7 percent within the city limits. "We all agreed we are going to need additional revenue, and it really isn't that much," said Mrs. Kirby.

A budget of $178,892 for 2009-10 also was adopted by the city.

The council considered the funding of street repairs and the purchase of a police vehicle. After discussion on the interest rates earned by certificates of deposit and those on loans, it was decided the most prudent avenue to accommodate the city's needs would be to reduce a CD by $30,000.

The move will accommodate the needed expenditures while renewing the CD at $100,000.

The council agreed to suspend payments to the Senior Center indefinitely. Payments were halted in March 2008, however the city continues to supplement expenses by paying the center's monthly electric and water bills.