County to pursue clean-up grant

From staff reports

Caldwell County will pursue a grant to help fund four community cleanup events and a tire-only collection event for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

Citing the success of the county’s last clean-up program, Grants Administrator Dennis Engelke recommended pursuit of the Capital Area Council of Governments grant to Caldwell County Commissioners at their regular meeting last week.

“We collected 470 cubic yards of household waste last year, and 927 tires at our one-day tire collection event,” Engelke said. “These are things that would have probably otherwise wound up over by the side of the road or in a stream or riverbed. I consider these events rather successful and I would like to continue them in 2022-2023.”

Engelke said the tire event would again be conducted in Maxwell but it would be promoted regionally, with Hays County splitting the cost. That, he explained, will help increase the likelihood the county is awarded the grant.

The court granted unanimous approval to the request.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to move forward with making changes to streets in Prairie Lea that were recommended in a recent traffic study.

The changes to intersections at St. Joseph Street and School Street and St. Joseph Street and River Street were the result of a study that was conducted in fall 2021 after the replacement of one way stop signs with multi-way stop signs at several intersections along St. Joseph Street drew complaints from area residents.

Two of the stop signs will be retained, but stop signs on northbound and southbound St. Joseph Street at School and River Streets will be removed. Stop signs that will be retained on westbound River and School Streets will revert to one-way stops.

Additionally, tree limbs will be cleared and the throat will be widened at both intersections studied.

The changes will be initiated after public notices are posted and signs are posted notifying motorists of the pending changes.