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Balch Springs council approves Hickory Tree Road design amendments, awards $6.2M street‑maintenance contract
Summary
The Balch Springs City Council on Aug. 25 approved a multi-item consent agenda that included amendments to engineering contracts for the Hickory Tree Road project and authorization to award a street‑maintenance construction contract, and the council recorded unanimous votes by members present.
Balch Springs City Council on Aug. 25 approved a consent agenda that included amendments to professional‑services contracts tied to the Hickory Tree Road reconstruction and a contract award for the 2024 street maintenance project.
City staff said the Hickory Tree Road project carries a $13,500,000 grant award for design and reconstruction of Hickory Tree Road from Elam to Lake Genera[l] Road and that the design portion of the project is funded with a $3,700,000 contract. Staff told the council the grant is “100 percent reimbursable” but that the city must pay for utility upgrades that coincide with the roadway work; staff said $339,500 for those utility-related tasks will come from the water and sewer capital improvement program.
The consent agenda included five listed items. Among them were a task authorization amendment with Freese and Nichols for a technical memorandum (not to exceed $35,000), an amendment to water/wastewater engineering and design services with Schumbach & Polk, Inc., an engineering/design amendment for the Hickory Tree Road project (not to exceed $3,700,000), and acceptance of a bid and contract award for the 2024 street maintenance project to GMG LLC (not to exceed $6,200,000). Councilmember Miles asked staff to explain the C and D amendments; staff provided the explanation summarized above.
Councilmember Hill made the motion to approve the consent agenda (items A–E); Mayor Pro Tem Garcia seconded. The five members present — Hill, Garcia, Patino, Miles and Salah — voted yes. The mayor stated the motion carried.
Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (items A–E): motion to approve by Councilmember Hill; second by Mayor Pro Tem Garcia; vote 5–0 (Hill, Garcia, Patino, Miles, Salah — yes). Items described on the agenda as: revised meeting schedule for November/December 2025 (A); Freese and Nichols task authorization amendment for a technical memorandum (B) not to exceed $35,000; a professional‑services amendment for water/wastewater engineering related to the Balch Springs/Hickory Tree Road pedestrian and road improvement project (C) (amount on agenda summarized as 335,500); an engineering/design amendment for Hickory Tree Road (D) not to exceed $3,700,000; and acceptance of a bid/contract for the 2024 street maintenance tax project to GMG LLC (E) not to exceed $6,200,000.
Why this matters The council’s approvals advance design and preparation steps for a federally funded roadway reconstruction that staff described as a $13.5 million grant project. Because the grant covers design and construction on a reimbursable basis, the city will carry some upfront costs — including utility work — paid from the water and sewer CIP. The awarded street‑maintenance contract affects the city’s pavement program and budgeted maintenance work.
Context and next steps Staff said the city has previously briefed the council on the Hickory Tree Road project through monthly CIP updates and the city manager’s report. The council also scheduled budget‑related work separately on the agenda; staff later proposed a workshop for Sept. 2 to continue budget work and noted procedural deadlines for a public hearing and tax‑rate adoption in September.
