Tech center changes fee structure

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

In its short history, the Lockhart Technology Center (LTC) has seen changes in staffing, management, fees charged and programs offered. Tuesday evening, the Lockhart City Council voted on yet another set of changes, in hopes of utilizing the LTC to its fullest potential.
“It does not seem that the fees have had much effe

ct on the services,” said city manager Clovia English of a fee structure devised by the Tech Center Committee last winter.
The original fee structure allowed for beginning, intermediate and advanced classes in both work skills and hobby software. It also allowed for discounted classes for Lockhart residents, as the center is city-funded.
Under recommendations from LTC directory Gary Nored, the council voted to expand the center”s offerings to include QuickBooks, Photoshop and basic computer literacy courses under the umbrella of “work skills training.”
Further, the center will no longer provide college classes, private tutoring sessions or Microsoft certification testing, as there has been little demand for the services, and in some cases they are cost-prohibitive.
When the Tech Center Committee met in June to review Nored”s suggestions, they agreed to his ideas and presented them to the council just as he suggested.
In other council news:
Another home was chosen for the HOME Program, which provides for rehabilitation or reconstruction of homes that are no longer habitable.
Eight homes were originally chosen under the project, and after completion, the HOME Project team discovered that sufficient funds were left from the grant to reconstruct one more home. A residence on Fourth Street was chosen.
Representatives from the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) presented their Fiscal Year 2005-2006 budget as it pertains to Lockhart for the council”s approval.
Under the city”s current contract with GBRA, the city council is required to approve the organization”s budget because GBRA provides services, including staffing, for Lockhart”s water and wastewater.
The GBRA budget underwent significant changes this year with the completion of the pipeline from Luling to Lockhart. Use of the pipeline has decreased production from Lockhart”s city wells, changing both operation and staffing costs.
In brief council news:
Mayor Jimmy Bertram presented a proclamation to Judy Thomas recognizing Aug. 2, 2005 as National Night Out.
The council agreed to change the name of Mockingbird Lane south of Highway 142 to South Mockingbird Lane. This change is merely for the purpose of consistency, and will not affect the address numbers of the area”s residents.
Dave Moore was nominated to serve on the Caldwell County Appraisal District board of directors.
This city heard information from two organizations, the Caldwell County Medical Assist Team (CCMAT) and the Caldwell County Christian Ministries (CCCM) requesting funding for the next fiscal year. Both CCMAT and CCCM are non-profit organizations that have been included in the city”s budget in prior years. The council will announce which organizations the city will grant funding assistance to when the 2006 fiscal year budget has been finalized.
The city issued building permits to Whataburger, allowing the company to begin renovation and expansion of the property on the southwest corner of Highway 183 at FM 20 West.
Bertram announced that a letter has been sent to Concordia University inviting the school to consider Lockhart as a relocation site when the school moves from downtown Austin.