Kennedale public works seeks project manager, $3M Peggy Lane reconstruction and annual paving funding

Kennedale’s Public Works Director presented the department’s FY26 priorities at the June 2 budget workshop, including staffing, vehicles, pavement, water and sewer projects and regulatory compliance needs.

Key staffing and equipment asks included a public works project manager to oversee vertical and horizontal construction projects, a 20‑yard dump truck (to replace an aging 7‑yard truck), a man‑lift and a mulcher attachment for the city’s skid steer. The director said a new 20‑yard truck would reduce travel time on large hauling jobs and that a new mulcher would assist mowing, ditch and brush work.

The presentation identified Peggy Lane as a shovel‑ready project: design is complete and staff estimated a $3,000,000 price for water, sewer, curb, gutter, driveway and sidewalk work. The director asked council to fund that project so construction could start promptly. Staff also listed other needs: overlay of Clover Lane (estimate $150,000), North Road water improvements (roughly $300,000 to replace 6‑inch asbestos cement pipe), and a broader note that maintaining the city’s asphalt network would require roughly $2,000,000 per year to stop lane miles sliding into poor condition.

Public Works also flagged water‑system priorities: looping dead‑end mains to eliminate automatic daily flushes (staff estimates the city is losing roughly $1,000 per week because of automatic flushes), rehabilitation of an elevated storage tank (rough estimate $1,000,000), and two tank projects timed with ARPA money already allocated (staff said ARPA funds must be spent by the federal deadline). Regulatory requirements were listed as near‑term budget items: lead and copper rule sampling and monitoring (estimated at $45,000) and an updated stormwater management plan and related consultant work (estimated at $75,000).

Councilmembers asked for a priority list and recommended staff provide a short list of streets at risk of moving from fair to poor so limited paving dollars can be targeted. The Public Works Director said some projects could be paired with Tarrant County and other partners, but several needs will likely require city debt or grant funding.

No projects were authorized at the workshop; staff requested that council consider these items during the FY26 budget process and indicated some projects (Peggy Lane, tank work) are ready to proceed once funding is identified.