Council approves land purchase, awards engineering services and schedules tax and budget hearings

Port Arthur City Council on Aug. 7 approved a set of resolutions and an ordinance covering right-of-way acquisition for a state traffic signal project, contracted engineering services for a drainage improvement, designated a tax-code compliance officer, and scheduled public hearings on the proposed 2025-26 tax rate and budget.

The most contested discussion concerned the Port Acres drainage engineering contract, where council members asked staff and the project lead detailed questions about design revisions, change orders and FEMA time extensions. Elsewhere, a local pastor spoke in favor of the council approving the small property purchase needed for the signal project.

What the council approved

- Resolution PR24427 — Property acquisition for traffic signal installation: The council authorized the city manager and city attorney to purchase a 0.0217-acre (944-square-foot) right-of-way at Procter Street and Ninth Avenue for $11,500 to support a TxDOT traffic-signal installation (capital project account 30721-049-8511-00-10-000, project CE0008). The motion was moved, seconded and the council approved by voice vote.

- Resolution PR24450 — Professional services agreement for Port Acres drainage improvements: The council authorized a professional services agreement with Arsenal Wilson & Co. LLC, of Port Arthur, Texas, in the amount of $266,850 for engineering and construction management services for the Port Acres subdivision drainage improvement project. Funding was stated as available in CDBG account number 148-00-000-8515-00-10-000, project DR1P03ENG. Councilmember Doucette pressed staff for background and design rationale; staff (Dr. Haney) explained a FEMA time-extension and site-specific design changes that had required redesign work and noted prior change orders to address unknown petrochemical pipelines. The motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution PR24466 — Designation of tax-code compliance officer: Council approved naming the officer and employee responsible for compliance with section 26.04 of the Texas Tax Code. The resolution passed on a motion and second.

- Resolution PR24467 — Proposed tax rate: Council approved setting the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 tax rate, taking a record vote and scheduling a public hearing to receive comment on the proposed rate.

- Resolution PR24468 — Budget public hearing: Council called a public hearing to receive comment on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget.

- Ordinance PO7355 — Appraisal rolls: Council approved the 2025 appraisal rolls and accepted tax assessor determinations under section 26.04 of the Texas Tax Code. The item was decided by roll-call vote; members recorded “yes” as reflected in the meeting transcript.

Public comment and staff clarification

Pastor Nichols of Breath of Life Ministries spoke in support of the ROW purchase at Procter and Ninth, describing the church’s multi-year investment in the neighborhood and its community services. “We offered housing, food, we served 67,000 hot meals out of our parking lot in 6 weeks time,” Nichols said, recounting post-Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Councilmember Doucette asked detailed questions about the Port Acres project’s design and prior change orders. Dr. Haney, who spoke for project staff, described a FEMA-mandated timeline that was later extended and explained that previously unknown petrochemical pipelines required abatement work; staff reported a value-engineering change order would reroute flow and upsize boxes to eliminate an estimated abatement cost of roughly $600,000 and return the project toward its original post-value-engineered budget (~$13.2 million as stated in the meeting).

Votes at a glance (recorded from transcript)

- PR24427 (ROW purchase, Procter & Ninth) — outcome: approved (voice vote). Votes: ayes recorded; no noes on the record.

- PR24450 (Arsenal Wilson & Co. LLC professional services, $266,850) — outcome: approved (voice vote). Votes: ayes recorded.

- PR24466 (Tax-code compliance officer) — outcome: approved (voice vote).

- PR24467 (Proposed tax rate & record vote/schedule hearing) — outcome: approved (voice vote).

- PR24468 (Budget hearing) — outcome: approved (voice vote).

- PO7355 (Ordinance approving 2025 appraisal rolls) — outcome: approved (roll-call vote). Roll call recorded: Councilmember Frank — yes; Councilmember Hamilton Everfield — yes; Councilmember Ken Long — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Dusett — yes; Mayor Moses — yes; (transcript indicates Councilmember Lewis later confirmed presence; votes recorded as yes during roll call).

Ending

Council approved the measures and moved on to a workshop on emergency medical services. Several items discussed at the meeting — notably the Port Acres drainage project redesign and the FEMA time-extension/change-order issues — were described by staff as continuing matters that would return to council for formal change orders or further updates.