Palapinto County Municipal Water District No. 1 updated the Mineral Wells City Council on the Turkey Peak reservoir project and related capital planning, reporting that SWIFT (Texas Water Development Board) funding paperwork is being finalized, bids for the reservoir construction will open Aug. 29, 2025, and the district plans a sequenced contractor selection and interview process in September.

Howard (district representative) told council the district and city will finalize funding paperwork with the Texas Water Development Board in the October timeframe and that the city participates because it is an insurer on district debt. The district’s schedule calls for bids to open Aug. 29 in Austin; brush clearing is set to resume Sept. 1 after the golden‑cheeked warbler nesting window; selection‑team synopses and finalist interviews are planned in the weeks afterward with in‑person interviews expected the week of the 22nd and follow‑up selection discussions the week of the 29th.

District staff said seven contractors submitted bids and the selection team expects to interview roughly four or five finalists. The selection matrix includes quantitative scoring on management, staffing, equipment, financial capacity, schedule and technical approach; the district’s engineers (HDR) and district leadership will score proposals and present recommended finalists to the district board. The district’s contract committee includes engineers from HDR, district board members and an engineering officer from the Brazos River Authority (who is participating at the district’s request).

District staff cautioned council the final contract award is a district board decision, but they said they expect to present full bid summaries and the selection‑team analysis to interested city officials so the council can hear the same data. The district noted market and interest‑rate dynamics remain factors but said recent trends have reduced tariff concerns and that lower expected borrowing costs would be favorable for general contractors.

Councilmembers asked about price‑risk and interest costs; district staff said interest expense will be reflected in project revenue planning and that the district is adjusting schedules and contractor review to reduce risk. Staff also reiterated the project’s complexity and said the district will take additional months if needed to ensure contractor selection and contract language are correct before construction begins.