Bedford council approves joining TCAP, festival and fireworks contracts and increases Station 3 budget

The Bedford City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved three major items: joining the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power to buy the city’s wholesale electricity, renewed event contracts for the July 4 fireworks and the Beats & Eats festival, and an increase to the Fire Station 3 project budget to cover additional remediation and electrical work.

Finance Director Brady Olson told the council the city expects TCAP — a municipal aggregation of mainly cities — to better match Bedford’s overnight-heavy electricity load and produce lower wholesale rates than the city’s current county-focused purchasing cooperative (P3). “We believe we'll get a lower rate,” Olson said, explaining the switch is intended to use the city’s load profile to negotiate improved pricing. Margaret Somerive, identified in the meeting as executive director of TCAP, described the coalition’s monthly purchasing strategy and city‑focused governance, saying TCAP buys one‑twelfth of a municipality’s energy into the wholesale market each month to “take advantage of the average” price and avoid long‑term carrying charges.

The council voted, by motion of Mayor Pro Tem Gagliardi and second by Council member Sable, to authorize the city manager to enter a professional services agreement with TCAP. The resolution, as presented, makes Bedford a member in perpetuity; the staff presentation said the city would later present a resolution to withdraw from P3 if the council confirmed the switch. The staff report and presentation identified an aggregation fee and explained TCAP’s member services (budget estimates, reporting assistance, access to energy consultants), and noted TCAP’s board is composed of municipal officials.

Also approved by consent (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Gagliardi, second by Council member Sable) were: a one‑year contract with four one‑year renewal options for Pyro Shows of Texas Inc. to provide the city’s July 4 fireworks at $48,000 annually (a total of $240,000 if all extensions are exercised), and a professional services contract with Promoter Line Inc. to provide event production and planning for the 2025 Beats & Eats festival in an estimated amount of $360,000 (the staff summary said $45,000 is for event planning and the remainder covers production and talent costs). Staff said funds for both contracts are budgeted in the city’s tourism fund; the council emphasized that hotel occupancy tax revenues in the tourism fund must be used to market the community and fund events.

During the consent discussion, resident Joseph Hans of 816 Bridal Drive urged the council to table the fireworks contract until the city addresses long‑running road closures and recent construction that, he said, has created safety problems. “The $48,000 a year for the fireworks should be completely tabled until we figure out why our roads have been closed for 4 months,” Hans said. Council members and staff responded that several of Hans’ concerns are not on the agenda, described the city’s multi‑year infrastructure catch‑up that has increased construction activity, and invited Hans to meet further with the mayor.

On a separate agenda item the council approved an amendment to the Fire Station 3 project budget to cover unexpected costs discovered during demolition and remediation. Assistant City Manager Karen Riggs said the project included a roughly $38,000 contingency but that demolition revealed additional mold in the kitchen area and more extensive damage to the building’s fire panel sensors than originally documented. Riggs said the remedy is to bring in a specialist mold remediation firm to remove and treat contaminated material and perform air quality testing. The project is funded from bond proceeds the city issued in mid‑2024; Riggs said interest earnings on the bond account should help offset the increase. Council member Marco moved to approve the budget amendment; Council member Dawkins seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Consent package (minutes of Jan. 14; fireworks contract with Pyro Shows of Texas Inc.; professional services contract with Promoter Line Inc. for Beats & Eats): approved (motion: Mayor Pro Tem Gagliardi; second: Council member Sable; outcome: approved unanimously). Key details: fireworks $48,000/year with four 1‑year renewal options (total $240,000 if extended); Beats & Eats contract estimated $360,000 ($45,000 planning + remainder for production/talent); funding source: Tourism Fund.

- Resolution to join the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power (TCAP) for future electricity purchases: approved (motion: Mayor Pro Tem Gagliardi; second: Council member Donovan; outcome: approved unanimously). Staff explanation: TCAP is city‑focused aggregation intended to match Bedford’s overnight load profile; membership described as in perpetuity; staff will follow up on withdrawal from P3 if council confirms.

- Amendment to the Fire Station 3 project budget to cover additional mold remediation and fire panel sensor replacement (amount described in staff presentation as “a little over $48,000”): approved (motion: Council member Marco; second: Council member Dawkins; outcome: approved unanimously). Funding source: bond proceeds for Station 2/3 projects; contingency of $38,000 retained, and staff said interest earnings on the bond account may offset costs.

Why this matters: The switch to TCAP can affect the city’s future wholesale electric bills and budget forecasting; the tourism fund actions commit hotel‑occupancy tax revenue to events; and the Fire Station 3 budget change uses previously authorized bond proceeds to address health and safety issues uncovered in construction. The council did not take action on any citizen requests during public comment but invited follow‑up meetings.

No additional staff direction, apart from routine follow‑up items explained during presentations, was recorded. The council recessed to executive session later in the meeting and returned with no reportable action.