The Lampasas County Commissioners Court on Monday called for a Nov. 2 election and approved a list of election judges for 2010-2011.

The following county positions will be up for election this fall: county judge, district clerk, county clerk, county treasurer, Precinct 2 commissioner, Precinct 4 commissioner, county surveyor, Precinct 1 justice of the peace, Precinct 2&3 JP and Precinct 4 JP.

Commissioners discussed abolishing the position of county surveyor — which County Auditor Jack Clark said does not cost the county any money — but the issue will not go on the ballot until at least 2012.

At the court’s next meeting, commissioners will consider a petition to allow the sale of beer and wine within Kempner city limits.

The Commissioners Court also approved lists of Republican and Democratic election judges. Republican judges are: Ray Upp, Precinct 1; Marcia Wallace, Precinct 2; Bruce Crawford, Precinct 3; Diana McDonald, Precinct 4; Laresa Fowler, Precinct 5; Sally Baxter, Precinct 6; Sandi Lockett, Precinct 7; T.P. Wingo, Precinct 8; Vicki McLean, Precinct 9; Elke White, Precinct 10; Skipper Wallace, central counting station, and Debra Farish, early voting ballot board.

Democratic judges are: Bernice Bradshaw, Precinct 1; Paul Gott, Precinct 2; Victoria Melder, Precinct 3; Glenda “Dale” Funk, Precinct 4; Amelia Fields, Precinct 5; Barbara Burkes, Precinct 6; Jacklyn Duncan, Precinct 7; Susan Burns, Precinct 8; Warren Spivey Sr., Precinct 9; Nadine Powell, Precinct 10; Bruce Frizzell, central counting station, and Leah Snell, early voting ballot board.

Early voting will take place weekdays from Oct. 18-29 in the elections administrator’s office, 407 S. Pecan St. in Lampasas. Early voting hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Also Monday, commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the expenditure of $42,000 for a series of security cameras and “panic buttons” for county buildings. Panic buttons would allow county employees to alert law enforcement officers if a disturbance that requires their response occurs in a county facility.

The purchase from Guardian Security is funded by the certificates of obligation issued for construction of the Lampasas County Office Building addition.

In other business, commissioners took no action about complaints related to vehicles stored at Charles Drayton’s property off County Road 3210. Commissioners in June asked County Attorney Larry Allison to review Drayton’s permit, as Lea Kenyon, a neighbor of Drayton’s, said the Texas Health and Safety Code prohibits salvage yards in platted subdivisions.

County Judge Wayne Boultinghouse said Drayton began collecting cars before his property was platted, however. Boultinghouse, Precinct 2 Commissioner Alex Wittenburg and Precinct 3 Commissioner Lowell Ivey said Drayton has addressed the Commissioners Court’s main concerns.

“It has been done,” Boultinghouse said. “I’m satisfied with leaving it alone.”

Drayton said he restores vehicles as a hobby and does not operate a salvage yard. He asked commissioners to make sure officials enforce code violations across the entire county.

“Why is it that I’m looking at all these other salvage yards that aren’t screened and aren’t in the paper all the time like I am?” Drayton asked. “Why can’t some of the time being spent on Drayton be spent on some of the other yards?”

Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Vincent said three salvage yards recently received citations.

Drayton said he will cooperate with commissioners’ requests, and the court decided to take no action without a recommendation from Allison or from the county’s code enforcement officer.

In another item, commissioners said they will consider altering the court’s meeting times to accommodate county residents who cannot attend meetings during regular working hours. Commissioners typically meet in the county courthouse at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

John Kiraly, who lives in the east end of the county off Farm-to-Market Road 2657, said he and his wife hope to attend Commissioners Court sessions but would appreciate additional options for meeting times.

As long as the Commissioners Court meets at least once per quarter, the court may schedule its meetings whenever it wants, Clark said. The court must set its meeting dates and times for the new fiscal year — which begins Oct. 1 — by the last meeting in September.

“If you do move your meeting time, you’re locked into it,” Clark said.

Commissioners can keep some meetings at their regular Monday morning times and consider scheduling other sessions for evenings, he said. The auditor noted, however, that public participation was low when past Commissioners Courts held evening meetings.

Vincent noted that holding meetings after regular working hours increases county utility bills, and Wittenburg added that family and school activities might keep many people from attending evening Commissioners Court sessions.

In addition to considering meeting times, the court plans to study the cost of recording meetings and placing videos on the county’s Web site for members of the public to view at their convenience. Several nearby entities offer online videos of their public meetings, Vincent said.