Lampasas pursuing grant projects
Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 05:08 AM
By Jackie Stone
Killeen Daily HeraldLAMPASAS – Solar panels, sidewalks and energy efficient lighting are all on the table as possible projects for the city of Lampasas thanks to potential funds from state grants and programs.
Discussions of the three separate applications to the state took up the bulk of Monday night's City Council meeting.
The council approved one new application, heard progress on a second and finally approved a resolution allowing the city to pursue funding through a third, federal grant program.
City Manager Michael Stoldt said he submitted a grant on Oct. 28 to fund building a solar panel grid at a closed Lampasas landfill site.
Stoldt handed out copies of the application for the Distributed Renewable Energy Technology Program through the Texas comptroller's office, and said it was stamped received by the state just four minutes before the 2 p.m. deadline for applications.
The city hopes to get $2 million through the program to build a solar panel grid that would produce 433,000 kilowatt-hours per year – or about 0.5 percent of the city's annual electricity use.
The panels are likely to take up only a small portion of the more than 150-acre site, Stoldt said, leaving plenty of room for potential growth.
"The plan is, financing available, to expand on this in the future," he said
Stoldt said the state has targeted Dec. 11 to have contracts signed, so the city should hear back before then unless the date changes.
If the solar panel grant is approved, the city will have to approve a $400,000 budget amendment to cover the remaining cost of the projected $2.4 million project.
Stoldt on Monday also asked the council to approve an application for a Texas Department of Transportation program to build or repair sidewalks in order to connect U.S. Highway 190 to Farm-to-Market 580.
"The purpose is not just to build sidewalks, but to tie together destinations for pedestrians," Stoldt said of the targeted dollars.
The council unanimously approved the application.
If the application to the program is accepted by TxDOT, the city will have to expend the money first and then receive an 80 percent reimbursement from the state.
Stoldt said the city would likely end up putting in $50,000. If the application is approved this budget year, part of the city's matching dollars will come from $30,000 already set aside for sidewalk repairs.
Council members also approved a resolution allowing the city to pursue funding from the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant to install energy efficient lighting at the library and nursing home in Lampasas.
The council voted 5-1 in favor of the resolution, with Councilman John Cole voting against it.
Also Monday, the council approved a timeline for expenditure of the $1.6 million worth of capital improvement projects already in the budget for this year.