Palapineau County Municipal Water District No. 1 presented a detailed capital improvement and procurement timeline for the Turkey Peak Reservoir, including a planned bid opening in Austin on Aug. 29, contract‑selection interviews the week of Sept. 22 and a possible board presentation in October to recommend a construction contract. District leaders told the Mineral Wells City Council the city is included in the process because it will be the district’s primary insurer of the debt.

Key schedule points and constraints: the district said formal bids for the reservoir will open Aug. 29 in Austin. Brush clearing and site work will resume Sept. 1 after the seasonal restriction tied to the golden‑cheeked warbler’s nesting period ends. The contract selection team expects to receive a bid synopsis the week of Sept. 8, conduct in‑person interviews with shortlisted contractors the week of Sept. 22, and reconvene the selection committee around Sept. 29 to finalize recommendations. The district said seven contractors submitted bids and that the committee expects to interview four or five finalists.

Selection process and data: the district described a multi‑factor scoring matrix for evaluation that will include firm capacity, management and personnel, equipment lists, financial capacity and technical approaches; engineers will review proposals and the selection committee will score and interview finalists before recommending a contract. District staff emphasized the procurement is data‑driven rather than a simple low‑bid decision.

Debt and approvals: the district’s board met with bond counsel and expects to finalize Water Development Board (TWDB) loan paperwork in October; the district said it will return jointly with the city to complete final loan documents because the city will act as insurer for the loan. The district also said it will work with the Brazos River Authority and other engineering partners during the procurement and construction phases and that mobilization and construction decisions may be stretched over additional months if the selection committee or board requires more analysis.

Environmental and implementation risks: the district flagged environmental timing constraints (bird nesting season), market variables (material and interest‑rate movements) and the technical complexity of reservoir construction. District staff told the council that delays earlier in the schedule have helped by allowing tariff and interest‑rate uncertainty to calm and that bid pricing observed to date has not shown the same volatility feared earlier in the year.

What this means for the city: the city will be involved in finalizing loan documents and is invited to observe selection and briefing activities; the district’s board, however, retains final contracting authority for the reservoir project. The project remains contingent on final TWDB loan documents, procurement results, and environmental and technical reviews.

Next steps: district staff will continue the selection process in September, complete TWDB paperwork with city signatories as required, and return to the board and the council with contract recommendations and construction schedules as they are available.