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Windcrest council approves higher local match for sidewalk grant application
Summary
The City Council voted to authorize the city to obligate a 25% local match for a proposed $1.9 million sidewalk and street project to improve competitiveness for Alamo-area MPO funding, with formal commitment required if the grant is awarded in spring 2026.
The Windcrest City Council on March 25 approved a resolution authorizing city staff to commit to a local matching contribution for a sidewalk and street improvement grant application submitted to the Alamo-area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
City staff presented the project as a roughly $1.9 million design-and-construction application that requires a 20% match of construction costs and for which the city had already considered a 5% overmatch. "The application was submitted for technical review. We submitted a project. For the cost of approximately $1,900,000," Mr. Young told the council. He said a 20% construction match equals $388,000 and a 5% overmatch would add $96,541.
Council members discussed whether to offer a higher local match to improve the project's ranking among roughly 52 projects submitted regionally and to signal the city's commitment if the MPO awards funds. Mr. Young said the MPO expects a determination on any overmatch by April 30 and that awards would be announced in April or May 2026; design and construction would then follow over about three years. He cautioned that the city would not need to post the funds immediately but would need the ability to commit them at the time of award.
After discussion about scoring intervals and fiscal planning, a council member moved to approve a resolution authorizing the city to obligate match funding equal to 25% of the grant amount; the motion was seconded and the council voted in favor by voice/hand vote.
The action directs staff to provide the required letter or resolution to the MPO committing the city to the stated match level if the grant is awarded; it does not obligate the physical funds until the council takes a subsequent appropriation action should the MPO announce an award.
City staff noted the project was eligible in the MPO preliminary review and that escalating construction costs and tariffs could increase future costs, so contingency and budget planning will be needed before actual expenditures.
The council did not set aside a specific fund today; Mr. Young said the obligation would become binding only if and when the MPO awards the grant and the council then votes to appropriate the matching funds.
Votes at the meeting: council approved the resolution to authorize the city to obligate a 25% match; vote taken by raised hands and recorded as passed.
