[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6559117,"mediaKeyId","3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3","parentId",3215292,"title","Waco completes construction of new landfill and transfer station; TCEQ pre‑opening inspections expected June–July","audioSeconds",510,"startMs",5280000,"endMs",5790000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3&start=5280&end=5790","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3/thumbnail_5280000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6559117/Waco/McLennan-County/Texas/Waco-completes-construction-of-new-landfill-and-transfer-station-TCEQ-preopening-inspections-expected-JuneJuly","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559117-2ad303b5dbd23b07c3ef3686408bbe5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157724&Signature=B~XjNngA2ELtgZjvPQT-QXZ19l9j9hI7KBx35RB7pAlhVlXLHZ9OVUm5hIlCUnqJHqVxJKjlrRfegS5sJ363cvozOXnj1VqvVbTOAHdnLsfuPWf1jhxRHvrAy20uNUABYjnb7LJU7YES6k9eweexU8xSwpFQu6DvVUWJsG04bkgnRnz8Sk~qIl71rbYumuFWh5bWzaC2zPA8wuwtk1BXQd9gpTFKVFg8zdR6z2c6bu8EV0NG6ERwKyWc8kTTMQ0jk~vLZl0Pm7BuzDnD6FfSdA3rlO3JDuq9dC-0RKB2JViCc2~HfqMSm5uYrOmXXpMZm7Pfy7YMY00hbvDZdbC15w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Waco, TX","date","2025-05-07T15:08:39Z","article","Public works staff updated the Waco City Council on May 6 that construction on the city’s new landfill and companion transfer station is virtually complete and that pre‑opening inspections with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are anticipated in June–July.

\"Big thing here is it's all complete. We're ready to go,\" Director of Public Works Cody Patillo said as he reviewed drone footage and construction milestones. Amanda Dyer, assistant director of public works, described the operational timeline: the city plans to open both facilities at the beginning of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2025, then operate both the existing and new landfills for roughly 3–6 months while a 5‑foot \"fluff\" layer of soft residential material is placed over the new cell to protect the liner before final closure of the old site.

Project status and cost:
- Transfer station: construction finished in February 2025; final items include inspections and small administrative connections. The city widened FM 3400 and added a turn lane as required by the traffic study.
- New landfill: the main infrastructure (entrance road, perimeter fencing, scales and scale house) is complete; maintenance and administrative buildings were reported near substantial completion with final completion expected in early June.
- Costs: Pats reported an estimated construction cost of about $20.8 million for the new landfill (budget estimate previously about $22.6M) and about $15.8 million for the transfer station (estimate $15.5M). Patillo said the projects were delivered on time and roughly within the combined budget. The transfer station contract included an early‑finish incentive that paid $150,000 of a $200,000 potential incentive.

Operations and contracts: staff said the city will privatize the hauling operation inside the transfer station and has a contract with Estella Environmental to haul waste from the transfer station to the new landfill and to load trucks at the transfer facility; the city will operate scalehouse and public customer functions with full‑time city staff.

Why it matters: staff said the new landfill should provide long‑term airspace, with an estimated useful life in planning of about 20–30 years depending on tonnage, and the transfer station offers operational flexibility to manage future capacity and options for hauling if needed.

Council response and next steps: council members and staff recognized the lengthy permitting process that began in 2018 and thanked the public works team for completing a multi‑year project. Patillo said the city expects TCEQ pre‑opening inspections in June–July and reiterated a plan to open new facilities Oct. 1, with closure of the existing landfill following establishment of the fluff layer. Staff said demolition and closure of the existing landfill will be phased over subsequent years and paid from planned budgets.

Ending: public works staff described the project as a long‑running, generational infrastructure investment delivered without major overruns and said they will return with inspection results and a detailed operational transition plan in the coming weeks.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Work Session (May 6, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Public works staff said both facilities are substantially complete, construction ran on time and within the combined budget, and the city expects to begin transition operations in October with a 3–6 month overlap to establish a protective \"fluff\" layer and close the old site.","taxTitle","Waco, McLennan County, Texas","taxId",2807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6559122,"Creative Waco unveils giant board‑game mural for Seventh Street Plaza; community paint day set for May 31",540,4110000,4650000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3&start=4110&end=4650","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3/thumbnail_4110000.jpg","/articles/6559122/Waco/McLennan-County/Texas/Creative-Waco-unveils-giant-boardgame-mural-for-Seventh-Street-Plaza-community-paint-day-set-for-May-31","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559122-8fd7c87a76833563617ff87926385292/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157724&Signature=nNJRjuyAlWuFVDowHbokHP-NfYsOfDT~vqKdfn9PmG72vDzuVCfDWxyUPGPka39tuTi~7eOW89fjhVCRptn0N2iyu~dhwVDoy0eEn~IACYX6aQTAP1wDVsX~RNVRZRdLekhxVFfxcQmWYWTsFeDe2uoJnQJEcaV0Yk~qWXiM0HW3PtscyP10xXf2gKdcR95Gjat8QKoIjY7yBflem1AP~tIh365IjtrubA7u1nsq9hEZtT2HsDK0s9Io4VYC3D~oHtewEN29AJp1i0MRH67R79LdwjEF~oWh02FgqbfdEl-0Zg3AF5V93QwDyE1jVtAGOA8FyBqnQqf9Z28CGhjKIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Creative Waco presented a design for a pavement mural at Seventh Street Plaza to the Waco City Council on May 6, proposing a large, family‑friendly interactive design to be painted by high school apprentices in Creative Waco’s Art Apprenticeship program.

\"This is designed to be a giant board game,\" Creative Waco Executive Director Fiona Bond said, describing a pathway of painted squares with prompts such as \"what made you laugh today\" or \"show us some dance moves,\" plus an on‑site spinner and the option to use a phone app or dice. The design includes neutral space to allow staging, seating or a market layout and was developed with input from City Centre Waco, city arts staff and a local design review panel.

Why it matters: the project pairs workforce development for teen artists with public‑realm activation downtown. Creative Waco intends the mural to be both a place‑making element for the Seventh Street corridor and a paid work‑experience opportunity for apprentices.

Key details:
- Program and timeline: Creative Waco said the apprenticeship program hires local high school artists and five teaching artists; the organization intends to site‑prep in May, paint with apprentices roughly May 26–June 15 and host a community paint day on May 31 for residents to participate. Creative Waco indicated the mural painting portion would be largely complete by mid‑June with a wrap party later.
- Funding: Creative Waco described total program costs at just over $100,000, which include apprentice stipends and teaching artist pay. Major support listed included a $45,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant (Creative Waco said that grant remained intact at the time of the meeting), $25,000 from the Waco Foundation, roughly $18,500 from City Centre Waco (PID funds) and $25,000 from other philanthropy.
- Artist and design: the selected design was submitted by local artist Hayley Cash (The Starving Artist). Bond said Creative Waco will use Maker’s Edge to produce large stencils to standardize lettering in each square.

Council response and next steps: council members expressed support for the design and for the apprenticeship model. Mayor Pro Tem Darius Ewing, who served on the selection panel, and other councilors said they planned to participate in the community paint day. Creative Waco asked the council to consider the proposed design and invited council and staff to the May 31 community paint event.

Ending: Creative Waco and city partners said the mural is part of a larger Seventh Street Plaza revitalization plan and that the project will be a visible, publicly accessible activation for downtown if the timeline and funding hold.
","Creative Waco proposed a pavement mural for Seventh Street Plaza to be painted by its Art Apprenticeship program; the design is a family‑friendly, interactive \"board game\" and staff say funding and a National Endowment for the Arts grant are in place.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6559127,"Waco projects $32.1 million in budget efficiencies as city plans conservative FY26 amid state, federal risks",2730,720000,3450000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3&start=720&end=3450","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215292-56adc8fc5279cbe95d25057c17a52bc3/thumbnail_720000.jpg","/articles/6559127/Waco/McLennan-County/Texas/Waco-projects-321-million-in-budget-efficiencies-as-city-plans-conservative-FY26-amid-state-federal-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559127-23c6f35b01aa83307d3c3c0093d89286/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157724&Signature=E4oiuY~HDErinB4JvFyRNi0DkmFqVqYPuv9zqiaA-JIn-LyYT4bSIcc2B5xdedKZ~5unvEb4yZeZVT6Z7-bka9pUnCnVh63qFlDxf8HGyT3b7mPwdOSkqYiJF8NNjn2FBwN~BnH9CPxuGWWDd0RgPsDMwe9q8njx5rAPV7xo6x0T2NIa1U2CgBHwtS54nnIZq8dVQOFiHCJYK9kSOreBjRJR5cJ3rpdLPbSLsVZL2oC4l0TRLhODdtoklqDAe8UVGr~K69-fXwYOKucYYrhtK1M0~nWt7JzFHLk80HYGZfmC1OMpuLgZdc8OQHOwoecHW2N6~iOmCxvBQrP4aHK9KQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance officials told the Waco City Council on May 6 that year‑to‑date results through March 31 show most major funds tracking near expectations but that the city will adopt a conservative approach to fiscal 2026 amid state and federal headwinds.

\"We are in year 2 of a 4 year journey, of fiscal constraint,\" Assistant City Manager Blue Khoslet said during the work session, framing the administration’s plan for continued spending restraint. Colin Booth, director of finance, said general fund revenues were about 73% of the annual budget through March and noted several line‑item variances: property taxes were at 98% of budget, franchise fees at about 42% and intergovernmental (grant) revenues at roughly 77%.

The presentation centered on a department‑led efficiency exercise intended to reduce recurring costs. Booth and Khoslet told councilors the city set a target of $24 million in efficiencies and departments identified $32.1 million in potential savings. Of that total, the general fund identified roughly $12.4 million (about $11.7 million recurring) and non‑general funds identified $19.8 million (about $15.4 million recurring).

Why it matters: city staff said the savings will help preserve essential services while the council and manager build the FY26 budget. Officials warned that state and federal legislative actions could reduce city revenue and that some one‑time cash balances will require a careful drawdown plan.

Key details from the presentation:
- Preliminary net taxable value for FY2026 was reported at about $18.15 billion, up from the certified roll of roughly $16.3 billion, a change staff described as an approximately 11.5% increase in preliminary values. Staff cautioned that taxable values typically fall between preliminary and certified rolls as protests and exemptions are processed.
- Sales tax revenue remains positive year‑to‑date (staff reported a comparable fiscal‑year‑to‑date increase of about 7.1%) but showed signs of slowing; staff said retail comprises about 47–48% of local sales tax collections and that prudence is warranted for budgeting.
- Staff reported available cash reserves and working capital that could be used for one‑time capital projects but urged a planned approach rather than drawing balances down immediately.

Staff also flagged specific potential revenue impacts from legislation under consideration in Austin and at the federal level. Booth and the city manager cited an estimated $1.7 million annual loss to Waco from a proposed business personal property exemption (House Bill 9 / companion resolution) and noted a separate bill exempting streaming services from a telecom right‑of‑way fee could cost the city about $1.3 million a year if enacted.

Council discussion and next steps: council members thanked staff for the department‑driven efficiency effort and asked staff to provide more granular job‑ and industry‑level economic tracking in partnership with Prosper Waco and economic development staff. City staff scheduled additional budget briefings and a June 6 budget retreat; the council will consider adopting the maximum tax rate in early August and hold public hearings on the budget and tax rate in September under the planned schedule presented.

Booth emphasized that many of the efficiency items were recurring savings that would reset the structural base of the budget: \"That total impact... $12,400,000, 11.6 million of that being the recurring,\" he said. The council directed staff to continue refining assumptions and to return with the FY26 proposed budget in coming months.

Ending: The city manager and finance team said they will update councilors regularly as state and federal legislative outcomes and the appraisal roll certification process crystallize. The next in‑depth budget work session and retreat are scheduled for June 6 at the BRIC.","City finance staff reported midyear results and an early look at FY2026, including $32.1 million in efficiency proposals, preliminary property valuation gains and potential state and federal revenue losses that will factor into the final budget.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Waco completes construction of new landfill and transfer station; TCEQ pre‑opening inspections expected June–July

Creative Waco unveils giant board‑game mural for Seventh Street Plaza; community paint day set for May 31

Waco projects $32.1 million in budget efficiencies as city plans conservative FY26 amid state, federal risks