`Misfiled and missing'
Council must reaffirm `99 action due to absent papers
By Lori Mellinger Bullard Banner News

At last week's Bullard City Council meeting, council members were forced to re-affirm action taken in 1999 annexing the Bullard High School property.

City attorney Charles Morton said the action was necessary because while he was able to find some of the documents regarding the annexation, many were missing.

"The original ordinance was nowhere to be found," Morton said. "There are lots of records from that time that were either misfiled or missing. "

Morton said he discovered the problem when Terry Cowan, a planning and zoning member, told him about it.

"Terry is working on a map of the city," Morton said. "He found that a portion of BISD was omitted in 1999."

Morton brought with him John Loftin, former Bullard councilman, to attest to the council's actions, in addition to the few records the city could find.

Included in the council's information about the annexation was a letter from BISD Superintendent Jim Wright.

"The Board of Trustees intent in 2000 was to have the 100 acres plus the 100-foot right of way for the road to be annexed to the City of Bullard," Wright wrote. "Even though the district felt like it did everything necessary for the annexation, I would like to petition the City Council to approve all land and right of way to be in the city."

The council unanimously approved the measure.

Members also agreed to lower the speed limit of FM 344, east of Hwy. 69, from mile point 11.545 to mile point 12.683.

"This was done by TxDOT," said Mayor Connie Vaughan. "All wee need to do is adopt it."

The area in question is past Kiepersol Winery.

The council has been lobbying TxDOT for some time now to lower speed limits in various places in and around Bullard.

"Maybe this is a beginning," said Mayor Pro-Tem A.W. Hines.

In other business, the council:

! agreed to pay a portion of the cost for Meals on Wheels to the Area Agency of East Texas. Bullard's pro rata share - based on population - comes to about $150.

! accepted a proposal - sharing the cost of the wet well with Bullard Creek Ranch. The wet well - which would have cost the city between $40- $60,000 - came at a significantly lower price . Because of the agreement with Chip Jones, owner of the development, the city will pay $25,000 of it. "I think it's a good thing," Hines said. "It's something we need anyway, and the cooperative effort helps."