The Lampasas City Council voted unanimously Monday to begin the annexation of 331 acres near the new city sports park, as well as 141 acres near the high school.

The land near the sports complex includes property on both the north and south sides of Farmto Market Road 580 West. Annexation will extend the city limits about a mile west, ending at the west side of the sports park.

The other annexation will extend the city limits 4,500 feet to the south along U.S. Highway 281. For about the first 685 feet, property on the east side of the highway will be annexed. For the next 3,815 feet — ending at the southernmost point of Lampasas Independent School District property — land on the west side of the highway will be brought into the city.

Annexation notices will be sent to property owners on April 5. Public hearings will be scheduled during City Council meetings May 10 and May 24, and the council will vote on first reading of the annexation ordinance June 14.

In other business, the council voted 7-0 to increase garbage collection rates by 2.2 percent. The city’s garbage collection contract with Waste Management of Texas Inc. requires an annual service fee adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index.

The increase, which will take effect the first billing cycle in May, will raise residential customers’ bills by 36 cents per month.

Also at the recent meeting, the City Council OK’d a Young Eagles Light Sport Aircraft Fly-in at the Lampasas Municipal Airport April 15-18. The city hosted a similar fly-in three years ago, Parks and Recreation Director Micky Tower said.

The event, open to the public, will offer educational programs related to aviation and will give participants an opportunity to ride in powered parachutes. April 17 is the primary flying day.

“I think it will be a lot of fun for the kids,” Tower said. “It keeps the kids involved in some type of aviation.”

Council members voted to require the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles Program to carry liability insurance for each day flights are offered to the public.

The council also voted unanimously to purchase an infrared camera for the Electric Department from GraybaR, a Missouri company, for $9,364.

The camera will allow city electric workers to check equipment and respond to outages for about half the cost of what the Lower Colorado River Authority charges each year, Electric Superintendent Flint Geagley said.

Also at the recent meeting, City Manager Michael Stoldt reported that because of changes to environmental rules, segments of the Lampasas River that had been classified as “impaired” for contact recreation will be removed from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s 303(d) list of impaired waterways. Waterway ratings now will be based on two years of data rather than one, Stoldt said.

“It doesn’t mean we won’t go back on [the list] when they get two years of data,” the city manager said, “but for now we are no longer impaired.”

Later in his report, Stoldt noted that during the first round of State Energy Conservation Office grants, Lampasas was not awarded money for a proposed solar energy project.

After the funding announcement, however, city officials submitted further information requested by SECO about the proposed solar project off Old Georgetown Road.

“Our grant project is still being looked at,” Stoldt said. “We are by no means out of the question.”