BURTON CITY COUNCIL TO POTENTIALLY LOWER HIGHWAY 290 SPEED LIMIT WITHIN CITY LIMITS
The Burton City Council will consider lowering the speed limit for the stretch of Highway 290 that runs through city limits at its meeting tonight (Tuesday).
Councilmembers will consider an ordinance which designates the speed limit for the portion of Highway 290 inside city limits to be set at 65 miles per hour. TxDOT has given approval to the city to lower the speed limit from 70 miles per hour.
Also at tonight’s meeting, the council will look at an interlocal participation agreement with the Local Government Purchasing Cooperative, which assists governmental bodies with purchasing various products and services. City Secretary Angela Harrington said joining the cooperative will help the city save “a great deal of time and money”.
The council will also consider an updated Drought Contingency Plan, as well as a Bio and Chem Monitoring Plan. Harrington said recent meetings with the city’s utilities contractor and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have brought about the need to consider these items.
The council will also consider:
- Adoption of a resolution authorizing submission of an application to the Texas Water Development Board for water system improvements. Harrington said the city hopes to submit a Project Information Form to the board for a backup water well.
- Accepting an order of election for May 2nd, approving an election services contract between the city and Washington County for the election, and approving an interlocal election contract and agreement between the city and Burton ISD.
- Approval of the city’s 2020-21 general and water/sewer budgets, and setting of a budget hearing for March 10th at 5:30 p.m.
- Adoption of an ordinance electing to discontinue the participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System as to people employed or re-employed after February 1st.
- Approval of the Washington County Appraisal District 2018-19 audit.
- Adoption of an ordinance that encourages lawn maintenance, the cutting of grass that becomes a nuisance, and providing for the enforcement of the ordinance.
The council will meet this evening at 5:30 p.m., at Burton City Hall.
Speed trap.
Gov. Gregg Abbott rightly pushed for state legislation in the last session to limit the abuse of municipal powers, and I give him and the legislature credit for getting a lot done. However, they have done nothing to address speed traps. That is a subject that needs attention. Municipalities should not be able to exploit people that are just passing through on major highways as though they are a tax base. If those municipalities need money then they should have to raise their taxes, and if their constituents protest high taxes then they should find ways to reign in spending. Simple as that.
I must question the wisdom of this 5 mile per hour speed change. There is no way it makes anyone safer nor does it do much to change the way traffic flows through Burton. My best guess is that they see it as a way to generate more ticket revenue with this minor change. If that is the case, than shame on the city for preying on innocent motorist who may not notice the speed change.