Granite Shoals to vote on street bonds in November, wait on paving today

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council on Monday, Aug. 15, changed course on a decision and now will give voters a chance in November to approve a $3 million bond issue for the restoration of the most heavily-traveled portions of its three main arteries.

To secure a potential U.S. Department of Agriculture grant for 55 percent of the cost, citizen financial support would be critical and complete restoration of the streets would almost certainly exceed $6 million.

Originally, the council determined by a one-vote margin to wait until May, when all drainage and easement studies were complete to home in on the exact cost of re-working all three streets from beginning to end. On Monday night, the course changed and the council called for creation of an ordinance for a bond issue that would support at least an option short of the full length of each, repairing the most heavily traveled portions of—Valley View Lane, Prairie Creek Road and Phillips Ranch Road.

Council Member Todd Holland changed his previous vote for a May election to join collegues Mark Morren, Eric Tanner and Anita Hisey in supporting a November election against Mayor Carl Brugger, Mayor Pro Tem Shirley King and Council Member Tom Dillard.

“Citizens have told us and told us they want the roads fixed,” said Holland. “If they are serious about it, they will vote for this in November. If they are not, there is no reason to continue to spend money and time on road construction.”

One more issue will be on the November ballot: a referendum on the No Deer Feeding Ordinance. That ballot item is dictated by a citizen petition with more than 80 signatures. The cost of the additional issue is about $5,500, according to City Manager Ken Nickel, who said the council preferred ballot language that would ask whether a voter favored or did not favor the ordinance, rather than a yes-no question on repeal.

The meeting had been called primarily as a budget and tax rate workshop and the council was able to pare a few items from what staff already considered a bare bones proposal. The council on Aug. 9 approved the mandated “not to exceed” rate for publication at $0.5572 per $100 valuation.

After deciding to delay hiring an addition employee for streets and parks and looking at the possibility of drawing down on the debt service fund balance, they were looking at proposing a rate closer to $0.53718. That would be about 1.6 cents per $100,000 valuation ($16 in a year) higher than the current rate, $0.5207.

City council meetings continued Monday, Aug. 22, to approve an ordinance calling the bond election, and Tuesday, Aug. 23, for the regular meeting of the council to continue budget and tax rate discussions.

Meanwhile, the Street Department is prepared for its annual paving project, conducted in cooperation with Burnet County, to go on from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 24-25.

Traffic delays can be expected around eight city streets: Valley View Lane from Ranch to Market Road 1431 to Lee Way; Poverty Drive from Prairie Creek Road; Deep Forest Drive, Shady Forest Drive and Forest Oaks Drive from Forest Hill Drive to Sherwood Forest Drive; Sherwood Forest Drive from South Prairie Creek Road to North Prairie Creek Road; Forest Hills Drive from Forest Oaks Drive to Sherwood Forest Drive and Granitecastle Drive from North Shorewood Drive to Prairie Creek Road.

The council also approved purchase of a 1999 fire engine from Manchaca Fire Rescue and declared the 1985 truck in use as salvage for sale.

“A new truck would have been from $395,000-$700,000,” said Nickel. “Our fire chief, Austin Stanphill, will have a final mechanical evaluation before purchase. But he negotiated an agreement to purchase this new equipment for $50,000; $25,000 to be paid this fiscal year and the balance in the new budget year in November.