Thank you for the privilege to serve you as Texas Department of Transportation area engineer for Lampasas, Mills and San Saba counties since January 2001, and assistant area engineer since April 1990. The priorities of people and their safety and public service have guided my engineering career.

The Lampasas engineering section was re-established in October 1987 by a former TxDOT executive director, who at the time was the Brownwood District engineer.

Thank you for your input these past 22 years into the transportation planning process for local projects both formally at public meetings, hearings, City Council and county Commissioner Court meetings, and informally in my local office, at your property, by telephone and at local restaurants, shops, parks and various community events.

Through working cooperatively with cities, counties, utility owners, land owners adjacent to projects and the public, 34 new bridge projects, eight bridge widening projects and 48 roadway improvement projects were designed and built. Six designed projects are still waiting funding. Major corridors including U.S. Highway 190 East, U.S. 183 North and U.S. 281 North were improved, and three new location FM roadways were designed and built.

During these past 22 years, the engineering section also oversaw maintenance of the roadways and bridges, promptly processed driveway and utility permits, and addressed concerns from the public for the three counties served.

The Brownwood District engineer indicated in February 2008 to the engineering section employees the area office would be closed in the near future, and four of the 11 engineering employees gradually left after that. Many of the engineering employees I supervised who endured the stress for 19 months of working while awaiting the closing have had that stress replaced by new stresses of jobs elsewhere.

I will always treasure the working relationships developed with you. Best of well-being to each of you and our community.

Tom Dahl