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Survey answers needed for grant
By Courtney Burleson, Managing Editor
Weimar city officials are hoping that more local residents will participate in a citywide survey that is part of a $350,000 city grant application.
Judy Langford of Community Management Services of Austin was present at the July 10 council meeting to express the need for local residents participation in the survey to qualify for the grant funds.
It is a HUD requirement that these community development funds be used to assist areas of greater than 51 percent low-to-moderate income households. Reaching that 51 percent mark has been a problem so far.
Cole Ulrich, a summer city employee who has been helping conduct the surveys, said out of 147 only 71 respondents have answered. The surveys are done by addresses not names. However, if there is no response at a designated address that survey is automatically marked as a high-income household.
"It skews the results," said Weimar city manager Randall Jones.
City employees have finished the door-to-door surveys in the south end of town and will begin working on the northwest section then follow-up with survey addresses where there was no response.
"This grant will benefit the whole city," said Jones. "With the new plant we will be able to provide continual water supply for the whole city."
The survey is part of the city's application for the Texas Community Develop-ment Block Grant, which is funded through the Office of Rural Community Affairs.
They are federal grants from the Housing and Urban Development Agency.
If approved the city will use the funds for a surface water treatment plant.
"Because of the competitive scoring process the application must go through, projects for water and sewer are the one generally funded," said Langford.
If awarded the city will be responsible for a $35,000 match.
The deadline for the grant application is Sept. 30. Results of the grant application will be known in the first couple month of 2009, said Langford.
Bringing lengthy discussion were visibility concerns in the city.
For several months councilwoman Becky Roberts has expressed concerns about the visibility at city intersections.
"My question with visibility is at a corner or intersection," said Roberts. "As I have said I saw someone almost get hit on a bicycle because of vehicles that were parked all the way up to the intersection. You cannot see clearly to get out into the intersection."
Roberts said she drove around Columbus where she found there was not a problem with vehicles being parked close to an intersection.
City attorney George Cason read verbiage from the state transportation code that the city could use to replace their current ordinance.
Under state regulations any intersection where there is signage or traffic control device, vehicles must be parked 30 feet from the intersection. However, if there is no signage or traffic control device the rule does not apply.
Roberts said that would not help the situation at the intersection of East South Street and South St. Andrews Street where someone was almost hit because there is no signage at that intersection.
No decisions were made as to how that particular issue would be addressed. Several council members suggested talking to the residents about the issue.
Along with parked vehicles, code enforcement officer Randy Cantwell also addressed overgrown vegetation and trees that might be blocking visibility.
He stated that he had list of sites he would be visiting and checking to make sure they were in compliance.
The city currently has an ordinance stating that no trees or vegetation can be 15 feet from the corner of an intersection.
Approved during Thursday's meeting was an increase in city permit, inspection and reinspection fees. Permit fees were approved at $4 per $1,000 value with a $50 minimum and remaining permit types were set at $50. Inspection fees were set at $50 with reinspection fees set at $60.
Rates for water and sewer and taps were also amended. For a 3/4" service line the cost is $475 and $625 for 1" service line to the city's water main.
For the sewer system the new cost will be $850 for a 4" service line and 6" service line is $1,050.
The new rates will go into effect Friday, July 18.
In other business:
A budget workshop was set for Thursday, Aug. 14 beginning at 2:30 p.m. with the regular council meeting to follow.
During city manager's reports, Jones mentioned that Colorado County Judge Al Jamison had approached him about leasing the civic center to the Texas Department of Health which is currently housed at the juvenile detention facility in Eagle Lake.
A lease agreement between the county and Youth Services International out of Florida was recently signed.
Approved the minutes of the June 19 meeting with the correction to remove the name Jim Fox where it should have read Kevin Fishbeck.
Tabled action regarding the appointment of a city health officer for the next two years. Mayor Kosler said one of two doctors would fill the position but was waiting for one of them to get back in town.
The two names mentioned were Robert Youens and Dr. Olga Duchicela.
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