Free shopping guide with map, check out Salado Village Guide this issue Salado VVillageillage VVoiceoice Vol. XXIX, Number 37 Thursday, January 25, 2007 254/947-5321 fax 254/947-9479 www.saladovillagevoice.com 50¢ Village of Salado may change building inspectors again BY TIM FLEISCHER of communication and profitable,” Stalcup re- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF changing from one pro- plied. Metrocode, which is cess to another process based in Fort Worth, has The Village may again that was more stringent opened an office in Aus- change how and with than in the past,” Stalcup tin. whom it conducts com- told fellow aldermen Jan. Aldermen discussed mercial plan reviews and 18. “With the forms Bu- the need for a chart of in- commercial and resi- reau Veritas was using, formation for builders and dential inspections after the paperwork was not as property owners so that Salado aldermen, at their user-friendly before.” they know what is expect- Jan. 18 meeting, autho- The cost of contracting ed of them in the process. rized Merle Stalcup to en- with Bureau Veritas was The board also discussed ter into contract negotia- also considerably higher how Metrocode would tions with Metrocode and than area cities, such as supply one individual to bring back a contract for Belton, Temple, Killeen, work with builders when- the board to approve. Nolanville and Harker ever a building official is Currently, the Village Heights. not available. Metrocode contracts with Bureau Aldermen appointed works in communities that Veritas to conduct on-site an ad hoc committee to operate under the Interna- inspections of commercial research the building per- tional Commercial Code and residential construc- mitting process of the Vil- and International Building tion, as well as plan re- lage and come back with Code, which have been A late-night fire engulfed a Salado home on FM 2484 on Jan. 20, completely view for commercial proj- recommendations. One adopted as the building destroying the residence. Salado Volunteer Fire Department, along with firefight- ects. About 15 projects of those recommenda- codes for Salado. ers from Belton, Holland and Stillhouse Hollow, responded to the blaze shortly have begun under Bureau tions is to contract with The ad hoc committee after 10 p.m., but were not able to save the home. Though the owners were out Veritas. Metrocode for third party may also look at build- of town at the time of the fire, the family pet did escape the home and was recov- Village aldermen inspections. ing permits from Temple, ered the following day. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. voted in August to begin “How can they (Me- Belton, Dripping Springs (PHOTO BY STEPHANIE HOOD) using Bureau Veritas as trocode) do it for less than and other communities in Aldermen then dis- concerned about entering its third-party inspector, half,” Mayor Rick Ashe third party inspections. order to make the Salado cussed the process of into a contract with Me- following which builders questioned Stalcup after The board gave author- building permitting pro- switching to Metrocode, trocode while the Village and other developers in he compared the rates of ity to Stalcup to pursue cess more user friendly. questioning when to give still had a contract with the community began to three third party inspec- contract negotiations with “Are we enforcing notice to Bureau Veritas urea Veritas. “It may give complain about both the tion companies. (See re- Metrocode on a motion codes no one else has?” that it will no longer con- rise to some exposure for process and the costs of lated graphic). from Jackie Mills and a Ashe questioned Stalcup, duct inspections or plan us,” he said. Stalcup told building permits. “They told us it was second from Cooper. All who responded that “that review. Alderman Mi- Cooper that many cities “The builders felt it their fee, what they can will be examined in later chael Cooper said he was have multiple contracts for SEE ALDERMEN PAGE 7A has been a combination operate under and remain meetings.” Library directors plan expansion BY TIM FLEISCHER gun at the following web- worth it. Five hundred dol- posit earning 4.35 percent. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF site address: http://www. lars for 300 responses.” According to the Library surveymonkey.com/ McGuire told directors balance sheet, the District Salado Library directors, s.asp?u=937452463759. the current process of sur- has $148,654.25 in current during their Jan. 22 meet- According to Librar- veying patrons as “self-se- assets and $562,036.10 in ing, approved the expen- ian Marsha McGuire, about lecting,” because the opin- fixed assets with $91,609.74 diture of up to $5,000 for 85 people have responded ions of non-patrons are not in current and long-term li- initial engineering or archi- to the survey to date. The considered. The Library abilities. tectural fees for design of board took no action on a may reach out to non-pa- For the four-month peri- trict spent $4,738.51 on its December. an expansion to the current bulk mailing of the survey trons by either sending od of September-December adult collection and another After discussing the 4,000 sq. ft. library build- to Salado residents, which the survey home through 2006, the Library District $2,248.42 on its children’s survey and the finances of ing and appointed a Long would cost approximately the school or setting up at showed $26,324.95 in net collection. the Library District, direc- Range Planning Committee $500 to reach the 3,000 mail Brookshire Brothers to sur- income, including $6,876.33 The vast majority of tors appointed members of that will begin meeting in patrons in Salado. A 10 per- vey people. in net income in December. Library District income is the Long Range Planning February. cent response to a survey Library Directors dis- The $26,324.95 net income sales tax revenues for the Committee, which will The Long Range Plan- would result in about 300 cussed the District fi- is almost $10,000 over bud- half-cent the District col- meet Feb. 6, Feb. 20, March ning Committee will responses, which Salado nances and unanimously get for the four-month pe- lects. In December, the Dis- 6 and March 20: Susan consider the results of an Public Library District di- approved moving $50,000 riod. trict received $17,903.11, Shobe, Debbie Aldridge, online survey the Salado rector Patty Campbell said, from checking into a six- During that four-month which is $3,538.56 less than Merle Stalcup, Renee Oas, Public Library has be- “I don’t think it sounds month certificate of de- period, the Library Dis- the $21,441.67 budgeted for SEE LIBRARY PAGE 15A Open to the Public INSIDE Bulk Rate Village of Salado U.S. Postage Paid CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2B Tourism Council Permit No. 50 CHURCH 10A Salado, TX 76571 presents CLASSIFIEDS 1C FORUM 2A Branding of Salado Subscribe SHOPPING MAP 6B 8-10 a.m. Jan. 27 Today Rooted in Salado SPORTS 8A at the Salado Civic Since 1979 Center 254/947-5321 SALADO Page 2A, Village Voice, January 25, 2007 House-Senate pass strong bi-partisan FORUMFORUM Ethics rules; Demo honeymoon holding Saladoans should remain c­alm Off the An Open Exchange of Ideas and exhibit no fear, even if it appears that an “Age of Reason” has suddenly Record desc­ended on Congress. What hap- by Ken Clapp pened a few days ago in Washington was totally unexpec­ted - espec­ially after Democ­rats installed Nanc­y Pelosi with valid bragging rights about not just and Harry Reid as c­ongressional lead- making promises - but keeping them. ers and forc­ed some un-rec­onc­iled GOPers to seek refuge in partisan CASE OF CIVILITY REPORTED c­loakroom mumblings (those still suf- Every so often our readers will report fering from the Nov 7 shakes). something so remarkably kind that “c­ivil- Simply put, the newly power- ity” bec­omes the only c­ogent desc­ription. c­rowned Democ­rats c­rafted, with an Dic­tionary desc­ribes “c­ivility” as “c­ourte- abundanc­e of GOP-help, ethic­s rules ous behavior,” and therein lies this story. in both House and Senate that are the Last Tuesday’s ic­e-c­rusted morning - finest we’ve seen in dec­ades. The vote saw a number of Saladoans fac­ed with a in the House was 430-1. The Senate slippery entranc­e to the Post Offic­e. Sev- passed their behavior rules a few days eral (who aren’t as spry as they onc­e were) later by a whopping 96-2. noted the obvious danger of falling. The Default Majority As a result most Republic­ans are These less than frisky folks were sur- saying nic­e things about Democ­rats prised (perhaps dumbfounded) when they The “do-nothing Congress” is dead. and vic­e-versa! Even c­onservative were met at their c­ar doors by a gentleman Long live the “do-nothing Congress.” think-tanks and grouc­hy c­ongressional who told them to stay put. He took their Suc­h should be the proc­lamation with Rich watc­hdog groups are suddenly smiling mailbox keys, got their mail, and brought the asc­ension of Democ­rats to c­ontrol of and passing out high praise-marks for it to them! Congress. the c­ongressional ac­tions! That nice guy was none other than The Republic­an c­ongressional major- Lowry our Village Postmaster John Jilson, who ity foundered on its inability to address “EARMARKING” ENDED helped a number of folks in this way and important issues during the past two Most important feature of the House quietly earned a valid “Civility” medal years, so Democ­rats are set to fill the ers working summers or after sc­hool.