The Lampasas City Council recently approved a list of streets to be repaved this year and voted to prioritize Crider Lane repairs for next year.

The list of paving, drainage and sidewalk repairs — estimated to cost $322,495 — includes work on East First Street, East Avenue G, West North Avenue, West Avenue A, West Avenue B, Old Lometa Road and Bridge, College, Cloud and Hetherly streets.

At a recent City Council meeting, several Lampasas residents who live on or near Crider Lane asked council members to consider funding repairs this year on Crider from Barnes Street to Old Georgetown Road. Crider Lane, which residents described as a narrow but heavily traveled route, has numerous potholes and severe shoulder erosion, property owners said.

“We don’t even use that road, because it will knock your front end all out of line,” Glenda Henderson said.

Alan Erwin added that the city could face a lawsuit if an accident occurs on Crider Lane while portions of the road fail national safety standards.

“You could be facing much more in [litigation] costs than it would take to fix it,” Erwin said.

Crider repairs may cost about $33,000, Public Works Director Randy Clark said. Street crews likely would have to forgo the work scheduled on another street in order to afford Crider repairs this year, Clark said.

Robert McCauley, who lives near Crider on Snell Drive, asked council members not to repair Crider this year. The half-mile section is an alley, rather than a city street, he said.

“I don’t really believe we need to put that much money out there,” McCauley said. “I don’t think we need to put that much money in an alley anywhere in the city.”

Robert Erwin, who spoke to the council to advocate Crider repairs, said the roadway is not an alley because it provides the primary access point to numerous homes.

“It should be as well maintained as any place in the city,” Erwin said.

He thanked Clark for street crews’ previous work on the road. Damage has become so severe, though Erwin added, that workers are “just moving from patch to patch.”

Although he recommended the City Council not displace other road work to fund Crider repairs this year, City Manager Michael Stoldt said the roadway at the south end of town should be a priority for 2011.

Also at the recent meeting, the council voted 6-0, with Councilman John Cole abstaining, to approve the second reading of an ordinance amendment that will allow single-family lofts in retail and commercial zones. Special-use permits are not required for the upperstory dwellings.

In other business, the council voted unanimously to reimburse the Lampasas County Higher Education Center Foundation for hiring a chief operations officer to manage Lampasas’ new post-secondary campus. A memorandum of understanding provides for two years of city funding for the COO, who will be announced in about two weeks and will begin work June 1.

The LCHEC director will be hired as an independent contractor and will receive $45,000 per year, plus an annual travel expense allowance of $2,000.

The council also approved development agreements with property owners Larry and Nan Coble Baird, Marvin and Kimmie DuBose, Henry and Patsy Stoneham, Danny and Amy Vann, and Robert and Charlotte Viktorin who own land being considered for annexation at the west end of town.

The agreements exempt the affected properties from annexation for 15 years but limit land use to agricultural, timber or wildlife purposes and existing single-family residential uses. Other development restrictions apply for the duration of the non-annexation agreements.

Also at the recent meeting, the council:

• OK’d a sign ordinance variance for volunteers to paint a mural between the Lampasas County Office Building addition and the former Mullican Dry Goods building. The mural will show various sites within the Sulphur Creek watershed and may include a plaque to honor the late Berta Stanukinos, a Sulphur Creek preservationist.

• awarded a task order for a water distribution study to Austin-based HDR Inc. in an amount not to exceed $49,700. The study is designed to evaluate the city’s water distribution system, identify deficiencies and plan for future growth.

• approved the $13,589 purchase of a John Deere commercial deck mower from Twin Lakes Tractor of Killeen for the Street Department.

• agreed to pay Eckermann Engineering $5,420 for services in a preliminary report about the proposed north interceptor wastewater line near the north end of the city.

• agreed to a five-year lease with Hill Country Community Action Association Inc., which will operate a Head Start early childhood development program using a cityowned building at 510 E. Eighth St.

• appointed George Elsea to the Airport Advisory Board.

The City Council will meet in a workshop session Monday at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The council will begin discussion of regular agenda items at 7 p.m.