Bellaire council schedules Oct. 20 public hearings on alley abandonment and building-code updates; approves consent contract for sludge disposal

The Bellaire City Council on Sept. 16 set two public hearings for Monday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.: one on a petition to abandon an alley easement abutting 5115 Locust for residential construction, and a separate hearing on proposed adoption and local amendments to the 2024 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code. Staff told council the building-and-standards commission recommended the code amendments and that the city posted the proposed changes for public comment; no public comments had been received as of the meeting.

Planning staff (identified in the meeting as "Travis") said the alley-abandonment petition met city requirements; council scheduled the hearing as the first step in the process. For the code package, staff said the intention is to hold a single hearing that covers both the code adoption and the related electrical-code provisions; the hearings will follow one another on Oct. 20.

On the consent agenda, the council approved an ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a standard agreement with BFI Waste Services of Texas LP (DBA BFI) for activated sludge disposal from the wastewater treatment plant. The contract includes up to four optional annual renewals and caps any annual price increase at the lesser of the Consumer Price Index (all items) or 5 percent. The consent-agenda package passed unanimously.

Motion and vote summaries

- Alley easement abandonment public hearing (5115 Locust): motion to call public hearing moved by Council Member Witt; seconded by Council Member Giorgio. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Adoption of 2024 International Codes & 2023 National Electrical Code: motion to call public hearing moved and seconded; outcome: approved (unanimous). Staff indicated the National Electrical Code changes include modifications to island receptacle requirements in kitchens that affect builders' prewiring obligations.

- Consent agenda approval (BFI activated sludge disposal agreement): motion to approve moved by Mayor Pro Tem; seconded by Council Member Lewis. Outcome: approved (unanimous). Contract terms include optional renewals and an annual price-adjustment cap tied to CPI or 5 percent, whichever is less.

Why this matters: The alley-abandonment hearing is the statutory first step in considering whether to quitclaim a city easement for private development; the code-adoption hearing may change local technical building rules and affects construction and electrical permitting. The BFI contract covers an ongoing wastewater-plant operational service.

Next steps: staff will publish hearing notices and present the matters for public comment and council decision at subsequent meetings.