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Municipal Judge Robert Gradel, center, receives recognition from Mayor Misti Talbert and City Manager Finley deGraffenried for Gradel’s 25 years of service to the city. Gradel has the longest tenure of the several staff members the City Council recognized Monday for their years of service. MADELEINE MILLER | DISPATCH RECORD
The Lampasas City Council voted unanimously to authorize the $409,422 purchase and installation of communications equipment for the Lampasas Police Department.
The city’s Capital Improvement Program committee identified the equipment upgrade as a high-priority project this year, and the police department included $450,000 in its 2020-2021 budget for radio upgrades and a computer-aided dispatch system.
Chief of Police Sammy Bailey said the department’s current analog communications system does not provide adequate coverage throughout the city or county.
“We are an island among ourselves,” Bailey said. “The police department officers can communicate with each other and with the fire department when they’re in the city, but we’re not able to communicate with them outside the city or with other entities without the dispatch.”
The new Motorola Solutions equipment will expand the system’s coverage area and reduce static on the channels.
The equipment costs $663,371, and a grant from the Central Texas Council of Governments will reduce the cost to the police department.
The fire and police departments will purchase a primary fire transmitter, 27 portable radios for fire and police officers, and 30 mobile radios for fire and police vehicles from Motorola Solutions. The purchase includes a maintenance contract.
The council also approved the $432,788 purchase of a Camel Maxx 1200 Jet Vac Truck from Freightliner of Austin. The purchase is included in the 2020-2021 budget.
Van Sims, water & wastewater operations manager, said it will be a long-awaited replacement for the city’s sewer truck.
The council approved two amendments to city ordinances prohibiting the use of motorized vehicles in Lampasas parks and cemeteries, except on roadways and in designated parking areas.
Golf carts are exempted from the second ordinance, which prohibits the use of motorized vehicles in cemeteries.
Drivers may operate golf carts on roads with speed limits no greater than 35 mph during daytime and not more than two miles from where the golf carts usually are parked for transportation to and from golf courses and cemeteries.
Janet Crozier, president of the Lampasas Community Gardens board, updated council members on the progress of the community garden project.
She said the board has applied for non-profit designation with the Internal Revenue Service, and members collect donations at the Lampasas Farmers’ Market.
The Lampasas Community Gardens board is working to finalize an agreement with the city that would allow the board to use land in Campbell Park for the garden.
The current version of the agreement was presented to the City Council for approval, but Crozier said she is concerned about a few aspects of the agreement, and the council members took no action on it.
In other matters at Monday’s meeting, the council congratulated employees on achieving employment milestones with the city, in increments of 5, 10, 15 and 25 years. Mayor Misti Talbert and City Manager Finley deGraffenried presented each employee with a certificate and thanked them for their service.
The council voted to approve a three-year extension of its relationship with MuniServices, LLC, which provides the city hotel-occupancy tax audits upon request. The city will not incur costs unless it requests audits.
Council members also voted to approve a proposal for engineering services from Jones-Heroy & Associates related to the repair and replacement of a roadway and drainage system in the 1100 block of West Third St.
The road currently is closed, pending repairs.
The council approved updates to the fee schedule for the Hostess House. The fees are posted on the city’s website.
During the city manager’s report, deGraffenried said the city OK’d a $2,379 change order for the West Avenue E project, which is the only change requested so far, and it is within the contracted contingency.
The city manager also said H&H Electrical Services, LLC has begun to install Christmas lights at W.M. Brook Park, and Parks & Recreation staff and Christmas on the Creek volunteers are preparing Christmas decorations for display.
DeGraffenried said the police and fire departments will hold their Community Lunch and Toy Drive Dec. 14 at the fire station.
The council approved the first reading of an ordinance to rezone 10 acres at 100 Sunrise Hills from commercial to agriculture.
The City Council also met in an executive session to discuss personnel matters, including the appointment, evaluation, reassignment or duties of the city secretary. The council took no action on the matter when it returned to open session.