Krugerville council discussed guardrails at the intersection of New Hope and Surveyors roads at the March 18 City Council meeting.
The discussion followed recent construction to widen the intersection and install a drainage system to improve stormwater drainage, with council members saying adding guardrails would provide an extra layer of protection against vehicle damage to the drainage system.
“It is definitely very doable if you’re driving appropriately to make the turn,” council member Stacey Sasser said. “It’s just if you’re cutting a corner, then you can cause a problem.”
The council noted that the most frequent damage is caused by larger vehicles, such as school buses, 18-wheelers and trailers.
Up to $10,000 from court funds was approved to go toward the guardrail.
Resident John Klatt spoke at the meeting, expressing his love for the city and concerns as a parent.
Klatt urged the city to add ordinances for registered sex offenders and child safety zones.
He mentioned that he was unable to find any existing ordinances or zones in the city.
Child safety zones are common areas where children gather, such as parks, schools, arcades and pools, that can also serve as buffer zones against sex offenders.
Ordinances for sex offenders could prohibit them from living in child safety zones, which, when violated, leads to penalties.
Klatt also mentioned that it’s an issue affecting multiple jurisdictions.
He referenced a school bus stop at Squires and Perkins, used by children from both Aubrey and Krugerville.
Aubrey has a child safety zone in place, and that stop is included.
However, Klatt said his concern is a lapse of protection for children, because Krugerville does not have child safety zones.
His requests for the council were to adopt ordinances for registered sex offenders, establish child safety zones, require sex offenders to live or work at least 2,000 feet away from these zones, and prohibit sex offenders from living in shared households.
He also urged collaboration with neighboring cities to make these rules standard.
The board agreed to add child safety zones and clustering ordinances to the agenda to discuss for a future meeting.
Denton County requested that Krugerville annex Arvin Hill Road, which goes from U.S. 377 to New Hope Road.
“The road is concreted all the way through and curved; it was done just a few years ago,” Mayor Pro Tem Kristen Kromer said. “It’s in really good condition. … If the Chief [Stoney Ward] were here, he would let them know that he really would like for us to do this.”
Once annexed, the city would oversee the road’s maintenance.
Kromer added that the city’s process to gain control of the road is not immediate, as it must go through the formal process with Denton County and is expected to take a couple of months.
Mayor Rodney Cagle noted several benefits to annexation, including advantages for public safety departments and future city expansion.
