By MIKE PARKER
Editor

LAGO VISTA—The Lago Vista City Council aimed at creating fees more consistent with the cost of development-related city services at a short regular meeting Feb. 4.
Assistant City Manager Frank Robbins suggested to the Council that the city prepare lot consolidation plats for a considerably cheaper cost than having a property owner hire a surveyor for the same plat with a $250 application fee. The fee for city-prepared lot consolidation plats would be $750.
Robbins said most plat applications concern lot consolidation plats. As part of the Council’s regulatory streamlining program in 2009, the Council allowed city staff to approve lot consolidation plats without review by the planning and zoning commission, which saved about a month in the plat review process.
The Council approved two other changes in fees for special districts and development agreements, which Robbins said made the fees more consistent with the actual cost of services.
In order to create a special district like a Municipal Utility District, or MUD, an applicant did not pay a fee despite the city having at times to pay for legal or outside anaylsis, Robbins said. The approved fee allows for costs the city accumulates from applications. The Council also approved upping the fee for development agreements from $500 to $5,000, also for staff costs.
Other action at the Feb. 4 Council meeting were precursors to events coming to the North Shore. The Council approved a resolution establishing the May 8 city general election. Places 2, 4 and 6—filled by Council members Bob Bradley, Pat Dixon and Richard Bohn, respectively—are up for election. Dixon has announced he will not run for his Council seat, but both Bradley and Bohn have filed as incumbents.
The Council gave its annual approval of authorizing road closures for the annual La Primavera bicycle race Feb. 27-28.
In a work session, the Council agreed to create a non-profit organization to handle funds going toward the new police building.
City Manager Bill Angelo said he expected the building to be built by the end of this year.