The Lampasas City Council on Monday voted to keep the city's 2009-10 tax rate at 39 cents per $100 valuation, the same rate as in fiscal year 2008-09.

In another unanimous vote, the council approved the second reading of an ordinance to enact the new budget, which took effect Thursday.

The council also voted unanimously to grant a variance to the city's sign ordinance to allow a Vision Lampasas! mural on the Western Street side of Ron Ischy Masonry.

The mural will be based on old-fashioned postcards and will feature city landmarks on each letter of the word "Lampasas."

Painting tentatively is set to begin in the spring, and volunteers hope to complete their work by June or July, said mural project chairman Sue Ellen Bumpus.

In addition, the City Council unanimously approved an Oct. 21 homecoming parade and a Dec. 4 Vision Lampasas! parade planned as part of the Carol of Lights events.

The council also OK'd the closure of portions of Western, East Third and Live Oak streets for "Squared Silly," a downtown Halloween event.

In other business, the council voted 7-0 to award a bid of $4,550 to Soil Express of Prosper for playground surfacing material to be installed at Sue Ann Park. The material will complete the rebuilding of the playground, a project funded in part by donations from residents of the Sue Ann neighborhood, Parks and Recreation Director Micky Tower said.

In another parks matter, the council unanimously approved a change order to the Lampasas Regional Sports Complex, under construction on Farm-to-Market Road 580 West. The change order will add to the project a Musco Sports Lighting System for two baseball diamonds and two soccer fields at the complex, and will increase the construction price by $352,339. Council members approved the change as part of the 2009-10 budget.

Also at the recent meeting, the council OK'd the first reading of an ordinance to change fees at Hancock Park Golf Course. With tax included, greens fees will increase by $1. Six-month membership fees for singles will increase by $20, and couples memberships will increase by $32. Families will pay an extra $63 for six-month memberships.

With the changes, Hancock Park Golf Course's greens fees are a few dollars higher than at public courses in Copperas Cove, Killeen, San Saba and Llano. Membership fees at the Lampasas golf course remain lower than at those neighboring cities' courses, City Manager Michael Stoldt said.

And the City Council added a definition of "premises or real estate" to the city's code of ordinances. The change is intended to require property owners to maintain strips of land between sidewalks and curbs, as well as in alleys, Stoldt said.

"I would estimate 98 percent of people in town mow between the sidewalk and the curb," Building Official Lance Carlson added, "but it's that 2 percent that give us problems."

Most cities -- including Copperas Cove -- enforce similar policies, Stoldt said.

In another item, the City Council voted 7-0 to approve an amendment to the city's contract with CH2M HILL OMI, which operates Lampasas' wastewater plant, water distribution system and wastewater collection system. OMI also reads meters.

OMI, which contractually is entitled to request an annual adjustment consistent with the increase in the Consumer Price Index, will receive $849,987 -- a 2.25 percent increase from the 2008-09 fiscal year.

The contract increase will provide for pay raises and new maintenance management software, OMI Project Manager Danny Stephens said.

Also, the City Council voted to use excess Community Development Block Grant funds to pay for engineering services to expand a wastewater project on the southeast side of the city. Construction crews will bore under Central Texas Expressway and install a 10- inch interceptor line, which will run north along Western Street and connect with an existing 10-inch line on Water Street.

"It will increase that area's service capacity quite a bit," said Randy Clark, director of public works.