[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6681447,"mediaKeyId","2372263-8e6b36d4cdb71e91c5c675beb9dfc251","parentId",2372263,"title","LCRA board approves land-leveling funds, Series F revenue note and a package of contracts totaling hundreds of millions","audioSeconds",217,"startMs",358000,"endMs",575000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2372263-8e6b36d4cdb71e91c5c675beb9dfc251&start=358&end=575","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2372263-8e6b36d4cdb71e91c5c675beb9dfc251/thumbnail_358000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6681447/Texas/LCRA-board-approves-land-leveling-funds-Series-F-revenue-note-and-a-package-of-contracts-totaling-hundreds-of-millions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6681447-abe3569e82164f3fc137ebfba45dfec7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775017197&Signature=nHAijyecZbqTFkGtlKyLDci3wj2s4e-p64eZj0RygXcGMFJpDVonshVbhAPgcX2kbjQktO~ZNgwWGmp7VLfQfVY0wXH0NU4zxgx5lzb6OrPL8uBkcMWxeNK7HVNpXZC9ZQdac91R3pjFcrnLmyMg7iQGyAOKVarza9TLy~okA0z~sdAH3PxaZCRU~LOSocr1WbXY3S06mdxW85jTtzQssrVVaVr8xVmB3MC-w0xg~uvAdexcupuemz1RDaGHA1IG-cyrpaNQxZw-EitshDa8w~e5yvN-MJXv8N8tyueflbjNSg1Zj2if4JmgQtn7UvVORfR7k3P4SWVHrqBRu9KM4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)","date","2025-02-21T19:15:04.61Z","article","The Lower Colorado River Authority board on Wednesday approved a package of operational and procurement items, including additional funding for the agricultural land-leveling program, a companion revenue note (Series F), and nine new contracts plus one contract change for transmission, transformer and related services.

Monica, a staff member who addressed the board about the agricultural program, said the Ag Advisory Committee—nine members appointed by the county judges of Matagorda, Wharton and Colorado counties—recommended approval of additional funding for the land-leveling program. The item carried on a voice vote; the meeting transcript records the motion, a second and a voice vote in favor. The transcript's numeric amount for the additional land-leveling funding is unclear (the recorded phrase is \"$500,000.04 50\"). Monica also said staff requested $25,000 per year for two years for program studies or administration. The board approved the request.

The board also approved a companion finance item related to transmission, described in the packet as \"revenue note Series F.\" Staff reported no additional updates on the item and the board approved the companion motion on a voice vote.

Supply-chain and procurement staff presented nine new contracts and one contract change and requested board approval. Mr. Chavez, the supply-chain presenter, summarized the package: three contracts to construct new sites for private long-term-evolution (LTE) telecommunications towers with not-to-exceed values of $10,000,000 each (NextEdge, Deep South Communications and CA BaaS Ventures); four professional-engineering contracts for high-voltage substation and transmission-line projects with not-to-exceed values of $75,000,000 each (Burns & McDonnell; Macdonald; Power Engineers; Oltec); a contract to Ilgen Electric USA for 138 kV and 345 kV power transformers with a not-to-exceed value of $70,000,000 to secure production capacity; a PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting contract to provide general-auditing services with a not-to-exceed value of $8,500,000; and a contract-change request to Allen Plumbers Associate to increase the contract by $7,300,000, bringing its total not-to-exceed value to $10,000,000 for wastewater and stormwater permitting support.

Mr. Chavez said the $70,000,000 transformer request intends to secure production slots and that LCRA \"more than likely will only procure ... 5 to 10 from them, and they're each around $5,000,000 apiece.\" He and other staff described severe industry-wide supply-chain constraints for transformers, breakers and other components, and said securing multiple qualified vendors and production slots is the organization’s strategy to manage long lead times. Staff told directors some transformer manufacturing slots are booking three years or more into the future.

The board moved, seconded and approved the procurement package on a voice vote; the chair announced the motion carried. After the approvals the board entered executive session and took no further action in open session. The meeting adjourned at 2:32 p.m.

Recorded materials in the meeting packet identify the contract counterparties and not-to-exceed amounts; board members asked clarifying questions about quantities, domestic manufacturing and tariff impacts but did not block approval. The approvals permit staff to proceed with the awarded contracts and the amended Allen Plumbers agreement under the not-to-exceed limits approved by the board.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","LCRA Board meeting Feb. 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Lower Colorado River Authority approved additional agricultural land-leveling funds, a companion revenue note Series F, and nine new contracts plus one contract change, citing supply-chain pressures for transformers and other transmission equipment.","taxTitle","Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Departments and Agencies, Executive, Texas","taxId",17433,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6681452,"LCRA board discusses revisions to auditing and procurement policies; formal votes delayed until next month",135,70000,205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2372263-8e6b36d4cdb71e91c5c675beb9dfc251&start=70&end=205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2372263-8e6b36d4cdb71e91c5c675beb9dfc251/thumbnail_70000.jpg","/articles/6681452/Texas/LCRA-board-discusses-revisions-to-auditing-and-procurement-policies-formal-votes-delayed-until-next-month","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6681452-e4eb68412ad6e4349ced5d49301cb078/orig.mp4?Expires=1775017197&Signature=VVN7iJMWEyuVa-e7f6KadU53wxQPIb2WNIC-gh86tdOuXZIBIB6p9gyAbcwADngtPLifbG0L1CPsFp6YP1W1l9JBXwNPOE2jnYry9YG4RRWEF9mXUNJAzNsw~vc~n7ZsRz2kQKK42cTWf40LxoTY05T9xpY6CJWsVaMWQ5oFanBcGIuu9Ikv0E9feMRMR1jG-0XEwv97E7Ygf67NfhCahk5iI2kt2K4rvATkRTpKyCd-tBISBdxooIdh0NFOk49IlpS7LTXPWn3SW7dy8uuEcU9NgkgBdYz-iQsFHVow0S7DYNd6mU88ugGB9NelMHQnRlIAgYMjvh127DrhzKyEpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lower Colorado River Authority board of directors on Wednesday discussed changes to 10 board policies, including substantive revisions to auditing roles and a proposed change to procurement approval thresholds, but took no votes and pushed formal action to next month.

Lee, a staff policy lead for LCRA, told directors the packet contains mostly conforming language updates but highlighted two substantive changes: board policy 221 would distinguish the independent external auditor from an internal auditor role, and board policy 308 would consolidate procurement thresholds so that a single $5,000,000 approval threshold would apply to all contracts for goods and services. \"We think this distinction between one subset of contracts is no longer necessary and it's appropriate given the size and the number of contracts that we have for $5,000,000 to be the threshold for all of them,\" Lee said.

The auditing-policy change (board policy 221) separates the general (external) auditor and internal-audit functions and removes a redundant review provision also addressed in board policy 107, Lee said. Jerry Garcia was cited as having worked with staff on the auditing-policy language. Lee said most edits are clarifications about reporting to the board.

Staff described a multi-month cadence for the policy review: policies are first brought for discussion, returned as action items the next month for a vote, and staff plans to continue the discussion-and-action cycle through December 2025. \"Because we're in a legislative session we may have to make some additional changes to board policies after session concludes,\" Lee said, noting the timeline could be extended if necessary.

Directors asked about approval limits for executive staff. One director asked, \"Is there a limit for what Bobby can approve?\" Lee replied, \"There is not.\" The board did not vote on any of the policy changes at the meeting; the chair said the board will vote on the packet next month.

The board convened an executive session later in the meeting and returned to open session without taking additional action. The board adjourned at 2:32 p.m.

The discussion will return as an action item at the board's next regular meeting, when the board is scheduled to consider final approval of the policy changes.","The Lower Colorado River Authority board reviewed a package of 10 board-policy updates, including a substantive split of auditing roles and a proposed single $5 million procurement threshold; formal approval was deferred to a future meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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LCRA board approves land-leveling funds, Series F revenue note and a package of contracts totaling hundreds of millions

LCRA board discusses revisions to auditing and procurement policies; formal votes delayed until next month