Council approves Stafford EDC park fountain replacements and moves forward on Meadows Place bikeway funding

On Oct. 15 the council approved two separate items tied to Stafford Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) activity and interlocal projects.

First, council approved a resolution creating a SEDC project to fund replacement of water fountains in city parks. The second reading was administrative: the SEDC project had been discussed previously and council voted to finalize the project authorization.

Second, council considered a long-running Meadows Place bikeway project. The city previously allocated SEDC funds for design; the finance director reported $470,000 had been allocated by SEDC for the project and only about $23,095 of that allocation had been spent on design. Meadows Place asked Stafford to confirm continued participation in the multi-jurisdictional mobility project; earlier plans estimated Stafford's maximum exposure at about $230,000, although the most recent letter from Meadows Place cited a possible maximum Stafford share near $330,000 if costs rise. Councilmembers said the project had been in the pipeline since 2021 and that Fort Bend County had agreed to cover about 80% of construction costs in earlier planning; after brief discussion the council approved moving forward and authorized the mayor to execute the CenterPoint contract necessary for the easement work.

Council members asked that future communications ensure SEDC and council staff coordinate and that council be given timely notice when multi-jurisdictional projects need a decision.