Lampasas staff report waterline break; council approves preliminary design work for Highway 190/F.M. 580 entry improvement

Staff (Speaker 4) told the council a contractor and welder were on site to repair a waterline break on the Buster line between Kempner and Copperas Cove and that staff enacted stage 5 water restrictions; Police Chief (Speaker 5) later said the main was patched and that water should be turned back on pending checks. Staff said the public would be notified when restrictions are lifted.

Separately, a presentation from Jones and Associates (Speaker 2) described the Highway 190 and F.M. 580 entry-point capital recommendation, identifying task work for preliminary engineering, land easements and acquisitions, and project design. Staff outlined a rough timeline: about four months for full design, three months for electrical and structural work, and roughly two months for TCEQ approval after land acquisition. Staff said land acquisition discussions were underway with at least one property owner and that design work can proceed in parallel with acquisition efforts.

Council moved to approve the consultant proposal to begin preliminary engineering and land easement activities; staff said final approvals and funding will follow the planned design and permitting steps. No immediate construction contract was awarded; the action authorized project initiation work.

Next steps: staff will continue land-acquisition negotiations, proceed with design tasks under the consultant proposal, and update the council as the project advances through design and regulatory review.