The Comal County Commissioners Court on Oct. 16 approved an $80,000 line-item transfer from parks administrative contingency to property improvements to cover a low construction bid of $287,000 for a new concession stand at Hidden Valley Sports Park.

Parks staff told the court the project was ranked No. 1 in the parks selection process and was originally estimated at roughly $200,000 in May 2024. The project budget included a $5,000 donation from Canyon Lake Little League; an additional $1,500 donation from that league was accepted earlier in the meeting contingent on the budget amendment.

Parks staff said the low bid returned in September totaled $287,000; earlier purchasing estimates and the application prepared in May 2024 listed construction costs around $200,000 and $21,000 for design. The staff recommendation to cover the difference was an $80,000 transfer from contingency to ensure the county could execute the contract and proceed with construction.

The motion to approve the transfer was made by Commissioner Crownover and seconded by Commissioner Leacock. The court voted to approve the transfer and the related conditional acceptance of the Canyon Lake Little League donation.

Ending

Staff said construction is expected to proceed after contracting and that project savings from unrelated projects partially offset the shortfall; staff will return with standard project updates as construction proceeds.