Belton council approves consent agenda, starts bond issuance process and authorizes reimbursement resolution

The Belton City Council on Feb. 11 approved a package of routine items and took three financing‑related actions to begin a bond issuance process tied to utility and capital projects.

Consent agenda: The council voted unanimously to approve consent agenda items 5–12. The consent items included adopting minutes from the Jan. 28 meeting; ordering May 3, 2025 elections and related agreements with Belton ISD and Bell County for election equipment; adopting an amended personnel policy manual; receiving the annual review of the city ethics ordinance; nominating a candidate to the Central Texas Water Supply Corporation board; authorizing an amended municipal maintenance agreement with TxDOT; awarding a construction contract for storm‑damaged roof replacement; and authorizing a partial release of easement with Atmos Energy on the Rockwell property. The motion to enact items 5–12 passed unanimously.

Bond process and reimbursement resolution: The council also approved (1) publication of a notice of intention to issue combination tax and limited‑revenue certificates of obligation and (2) a reimbursement resolution allowing the city to include certain recently incurred costs in the forthcoming bond issue. Staff presented a package of projects expected to be included in the issuance: the city’s share of the Temple Belt and Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion (the largest item, estimated share roughly $17.8 million), a lift‑station and force‑main replacement, utility relocation work tied to Loop 121 expansions, a previously purchased fire aerial apparatus and the Miller Heights Elementary purchase. Staff told the council they had set aside $5.5 million in cash for the plant expansion and estimated a targeted borrowing for the plant and related projects; staff said the anticipated maximum maturity for the issuance would be 20 years and that preliminary net true‑interest‑cost estimates ranged roughly in the upper‑3% to low‑4% range, subject to market conditions and sale results.

How the actions were taken: The council voted unanimously to publish the notice of intent and unanimously approved the reimbursement resolution; staff said the notice publication begins a statutory period during which qualified voters may file a protest petition (5% threshold) that could require an election. Staff said a competitive sale is targeted for early May and that, subject to market conditions, proceeds would be delivered in May 2025.

Ending: The council’s votes set in motion the municipal borrowing process and cleared the consent agenda for the meeting; staff will return with bond‑sale results and project budgets for council approval.