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La Porte board approves engineering steps for 39 North water projects, authorizes mayor to sign closing documents
Summary
The Board of Public Works and Safety approved two engineering proposals for water work tied to the 39 North corridor — a 16-inch water main extension and design of an elevated tank and booster station — and authorized the mayor to sign closing documents if the land purchase completes before the next meeting.
The La Porte City Board of Public Works and Safety on March 18 approved two engineering proposals to advance water infrastructure in the 39 North corridor and authorized the mayor to execute closing documents if the tower parcel purchase completes before the next meeting.
The work approved includes final design for an elevated storage tank and booster station south of the toll road and engineering for a 16-inch water main extension from the east treatment plant toward Seavers Road. Board members voted to approve both proposals and to allow the mayor to sign closing documents should the land transaction conclude ahead of the next meeting.
The projects are part of a three-part plan to improve water capacity and reliability in the city's north corridor. Tim Warner, Water Department, said the projects will increase available fire flow, reduce the risk of suction-side outages and create a looped feed that could serve future growth. "It means they'll have much improved fire flow capacity, far more reliable water because even if you have a pump station failure, you've now got an elevated tank that can supply water," Warner said.
Howard Jones, a consultant present for questions, outlined a likely timeline: design work in 2025, bidding late 2025, and tank construction in 2026 or possibly 2027 depending on manufacture and erection schedules. Warner said soil borings were favorable for the toll-road tank site and that the three projects are "integral" to planned improvements in the corridor.
Board members discussed permitting and land issues: part of Seavers Road is city-owned on the south side and county-owned on the north, which Warner said could complicate permitting, and the plan includes a bore under the railroad and some land acquisition.
The board's approval covered (1) the 16-inch main extension engineering proposal and (2) professional design for the elevated tank and booster station; the motion was amended to include mayoral authority to sign closing documents if the parcel purchase completes before the next meeting. The motion passed by voice vote.
The board asked staff to provide cost estimates for financing. Warner said preliminary numbers remain broadly in line with earlier estimates and that staff can deliver refined estimates as design advances.
Implementation of the projects will require subsequent construction bids and likely additional approvals as financing and permitting are finalized. Warner and board members said they will report updates to the Board of Public Works and Safety as the design and procurement phases proceed.
