Killeen council to discuss KTMPO grants, approve $5 million for fleet vehicles

By Kevin Limiti | Herald

A line of cars develops on Chaparral Road minutes before the high school released its students on Thursday afternoon.  Walter Lanier | Herald

Killeen-Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization grants will be a discussion item at Tuesday’s Killeen City Council meeting.

Two KTMPO grant applications were approved at last week’s meeting, one for the Chaparral Road project and the other for the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Trail.

Councilman Riakos Adams was designated the ambassador for the KTMPO applications, he said last month.

“I’m going to give the most recent update on the grants,” Adams said Friday, adding there is a KTMPO meeting on Wednesday. “We’re trying to finalize the high injury network.”

The high injury network shows the focus areas of traffic accidents.

“Right now for the safe streets grant, we just got to continue to get the public involved,” he said.

The Chaparral Road Project was previously approved for $12.8 million for phase one of the project.

Phase 2 of the Chaparral project is estimated to cost $30 million, according to a presentation accompanying Tuesday’s agenda item.

If this phase of the project is approved, it will cover 80% of the costs, or $24 million.

If the council gives its approval, the application for the grants are due Oct. 27.

Another project that could be funded through KTMPO is the Fort Hood Regional Trail Extension.

Estimated cost of this project is $15 million.

If approved, KTMPO will pay about $12 million.

There is also a discussion item on a lawsuit between McClean Construction and the city of Killeen that includes consultation with city attorneys.

There are also two public hearings at Tuesday meeting, one on a federal Housing and Urban Development grant for affordable housing, and the other one on an amendment to the Killeen comprehensive plan’s land use for changing residential zones to commercial zones at a property south of Chaparral Road and east of South Fort Hood Street.

There are 17 items on the consent agenda including:

• Authorizing a bid for Water and Sewer materials at $920,377. These materials, according to the presentation attached to the agenda, are necessary for the functioning of water and sewer systems.
• Purchasing fleet vehicles and equipment for more than $5 million. The vehicles would be purchased for a variety of departments including Public Safety, Animal Services and Public Works.
• The purchase and repair of mobile and portable radios for $353,301. The radio purchases are for the Killeen Fire Department and Killeen Police Department. KFD plans to replace 20% of its radios while KPD plans to replace 10%. Additional radios will be bought for transportation and utility vehicles.

The regular council meeting begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers in City Hall, 101 N. College St., Killeen.

For those unable to attend the meeting in person, it will be web streamed live and archived for playback on the city’s website, KilleenTexas.gov. It will also be broadcast live on Spectrum Cable Channel 10.