Bandera council hires Traylor & Associates for RED grant phase 2; staff outlines water, park and grant plans

The City of Bandera City Council unanimously approved an administrative-services contract with Traylor & Associates to support phase 2 of a Texas Department of Agriculture economic-development grant and heard staff updates on water, wastewater and park projects.

Jeff Flowers moved to approve the contract; Debbie Breen seconded. Council voted 4–0 to hire Traylor & Associates. City specialist Susan Hutcherson told the council the contract is for $60,000 and that the consultant’s fee will be paid from the grant; Hutcherson said the firm will be paid in five steps tied to deliverables.

Wesley Traylor, on Zoom for Traylor & Associates, introduced the company and said the firm has provided grant-management services to small communities since 1974 and is prepared to support the city through project management, fiscal management and construction management for phase 2.

Hutcherson and a city consultant identified several ongoing and proposed projects tied to grant efforts. Jonathan (consultant, Adura) told the council staff is working on planning, acquisition and design for a wastewater treatment plant relocation and is beginning asset-management work to digitize the city’s wastewater infrastructure and produce a capital-improvement and maintenance plan. He said related projects include park improvements and drainage work along Maple Street, which staff hope to bundle for a funding board review; he noted typical review windows can be about 60 days.

Jonathan outlined water-system opportunities the city is pursuing through state funding: a Rural Water Assistance Fund application that the consultant described as a “90% grant” to address chronic breaks on about 3,000 linear feet along Highway 16, install a new generator at Mulberry, add a new Middle Trinity well, and add booster pumps with variable-frequency drives in the Indian Waters area. He said the water projects complement the wastewater asset-management work.

Hutcherson reviewed other active and pending grant work: ongoing work on the Madrona Lane waterline replacement (using remaining grant dollars where allowable), a $5,400,000 flood-infrastructure grant proposal to repair and improve the existing park parking area (she said the project would improve the existing surface and add ADA-accessible sidewalks without adding new impervious cover), and a household hazardous-waste collection event planned for May 10 with accompanying public-education materials. Hutcherson said the city submitted multiple grant applications over the last quarter and listed potential funding sources including the Texas Water Development Board Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Lower Colorado Community Development grants, National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation small-surface-water storage program, and Texas Parks & Wildlife outdoor recreation grants.

Hutcherson said the city conducted a public solicitation for the phase 2 contract with limited response and then used an approved vendor list; she told council Traylor & Associates scored well based on direct prior experience with this grant type. Hutcherson asked that Traylor or a representative be present at the next council meeting for a detailed project dive; Wesley Traylor said the firm would prepare to attend and begin work immediately if approved.

Council members asked for a deeper review at the next meeting before major project approvals; Hutcherson noted an April 30 deadline for some grant-related deliverables and said she will provide a clean contract for the mayor to sign.