The Lampasas City Council on Monday formed a three-man committee to study areas for possible future annexation.

The committee consists of Mayor Pro Tem Les Gerhardt and Councilmen Evan Stubbs and Brad Neely.

Last fall, Gerhardt voted in favor of annexing 409 acres just outside the western city limits, including parts of County Roads 1020 and 1025. Stubbs voted against the annexation attempt, which failed when the council did not get the four votes required by the city charter. Neely was elected to the City Council in May.

No formal plan has been developed to annex any specific land, although a previous annexation committee identified 12 areas of interest. If the City Council decides to attempt annexation, plans will not have to be published three years in advance, Assistant City Manager Stacy Brack said at a workshop Monday, because each of the 12 areas contains fewer than 100 residences.

Official direction from the City Council about whether to begin annexation proceedings likely will not come until some time in 2010, Mrs. Brack said.

A city may annex land within its extraterritorial jurisdiction -- one mile from city limits, in Lampasas' case -- unless the city owns the property. Land brought into city limits must be at least 1,000 feet wide at its narrowest point, unless the property borders city boundaries on at least two sides, Mrs. Brack added.

In addition, a city may annex no more than 10 per- cent of its land area in one calendar year. Lampasas encompasses about 4,115 acres, Mrs. Brack said, so the city may take in no more than about 411 acres in any year.

Within two-and-a-half years of annexation, cities must provide annexed areas with utility service comparable to what is offered elsewhere in the city. Annexed property would not necessarily have to receive sewer service, Mrs. Brack said, because not all parts of Lampasas have sewer.

Any property incorporated into the city limits would be zoned as agricultural land, although the City Council could re-zone the land, Mrs. Brack said. Cities generally must allow annexed property owners to continue pre-annexation land use, she said.

Also at the recent meeting, the council voted 7-0 to approve the submission of an application to become a Texas Department of Agriculture GO TEXAN "certified retirement community."

Certified retirement community status will generate significant Internet exposure for Lampasas and help the city attract retirees, said Cherry Hargrove, a Lampasas Economic Development Corp. coordinator who prepared Lampasas' application. Of all the state's regions, Central Texas attracts the largest number of relocating retirees, Mrs. Hargrove said.

The LEDC will pay the $5,000 application fee, which Mrs. Hargrove said the state of Texas will refund if Lampasas is not certified.

In another item, the City Council agreed to contribute to its Texas Municipal Retirement System pension system at the actuarially determined rate -- the rate needed to ensure the city has savings to provide for at least 80 percent of its obligations.

By its 7-0 vote, the council agreed to fund fully the pension benefits included in the city's retirement plan. Previously, city contributions had been capped at 13.5 percent, in accordance with the TMRS Act.

If contributions become a budgetary burden, the city of Lampasas will have to limit its contributions by reducing retirement benefits, City Manager Michael Stoldt said.

In other business, the council:

• voted 7-0 to award a bid of $105,090 to Lindsey Contractors Inc. of Waco for hot-mix asphalt to pave the streets included in the 2009 Utility Replacement Capital Improvement Program. Paving will occur on East First Street from the alley behind The Bottle Shop to Live Oak Street, on West First Street from Walnut Street to Park Street, and on West Avenue B from Race Street to the alley behind Movie Gallery.

• approved a customer services contract of $99,088 with the Lower Colorado River Authority for tree trimming services. McCoy's Tree Surgery Inc. has the contract with LCRA for tree trimming, which is scheduled to begin the Monday after Thanksgiving and continue for about nine weeks.

• voted unanimously to raise fines for overdue children's books from the Lampasas Public Library from 10 cents a day to 25 cents a day. The ordinance amendment also increased the fee for replacement library cards from $1 to $3.

• OK'd a one-year contract with First State Bank- Central Texas to serve as the city's depository through Sept. 30, 2010. The city is guaranteed a minimum of 0.75 percent interest on its deposits.

• voted unanimously to award Cintas a contract of $15,250 for city employee uniforms and janitorial services.

• appointed Pat Parker to fill a vacant Library Board position.

In his operational report, Stoldt mentioned efforts to establish Internet listings of pets eligible for adoption at the new Lampasas Animal Shelter. Breed, sex and size information, along with other data about animals ready for adoption, is available at petango.com/lampasasanimalshelter or by clicking on "animals for adoption" under "quick links" on www.cityoflampasas.com.

"They're beginning a much more aggressive adoption program," Stoldt said of the animal shelter, "which I think is a good thing."