Fulshear council canvasses bond election, approves Westpark study and a package of resolutions

The Fulshear City Council on Tuesday canvassed returns for a May 3 bond election and approved a number of measures including financing a feasibility study for the Westpark Toll Road vertical alignment under FM 359 and adopting a revised reservation and rental policy for city facilities.

Why it matters: The bond canvass clears the way for the city to issue general obligation bonds for park and land purchases approved by voters. The council’s approval of a $49,985 engineering feasibility study and a formal EDC resolution begins technical and funding conversations about whether the Westpark Toll Road could pass under — rather than over — downtown Main Street, a change proponents say could preserve downtown connectivity.

The council opened by reading into the record the ordinance canvassing the bond election. The ordinance declared that two propositions carried: Proposition A (authorization to issue bonds for Primrose Park Phase 3) and Proposition B (issuance of bonds to buy parkland). Mayor Don McCoy then asked for a motion to adopt ordinance number 2025-1491, and council voted to approve the ordinance.

On the Westpark Toll Road proposal, Gary Shoske, the city’s director who presented the concept, described an alternative that would route a high-speed toll roadway beneath FM 1093/Main Street and place a low-speed “bow-tie” roundabout and placemaking elements at grade. Council approved authorizing an engineering feasibility study by Gannett Fleming, estimated at $49,985, to examine vertical clearances, drainage, utilities, and other technical constraints. The City of Fulshear Development Corporation (Type A CDC) later authorized the funding by adopting resolution 2025-663 and the council adopted a conforming resolution authorizing the CDC project.

Other actions: The council approved a facility rental agreement for Fort Bend Seniors to use Irene Stern Community Center as a senior center; approved the Rotary Club’s continued use of Irene Stern for a Memorial Day event; and adopted an updated reservation and rental policy for city facilities (resolution 2025-667) with explicit edits removing an open “civic organizations” category and revoking staff authority to waive rental fees without council approval. The council also approved amendments to the Coordinated Development Ordinance (CDO) allowing grocery or retail stores larger than 35,000 square feet in the downtown district under specific design and placement conditions and capping such buildings at 200,000 square feet.

Items sent back or tabled: Council denied proposed revisions to the Type A and Type B Development Corporation bylaws (resolutions 2025-661 and 2025-662) and directed staff and the EDC boards to resolve outstanding legal and policy items and return revised drafts. A presentation on in-house utility operations (item P) was tabled to the May 13 meeting for more time.

What the council asked staff to do next: Council instructed staff to explore funding options for pavement maintenance using the general fund and to report back with projections and budget implications; members said dissolving or significantly reducing the Type A EDC was not a preferred path and emphasized the need to preserve tools that attract commercial investment.

Votes at a glance (summary of formal actions recorded during the meeting): - Motion: Approve consent agenda (items A, B, D–H) — Approved (motion made and seconded; ayes recorded). - Motion: Approve consent item C (application fee $1,500) — Approved (motion made and seconded; ayes recorded). - Ordinance 2025-1491: Canvassing and declaring results of bond election (Proposition A and B) — Adopted (motion made by Mr. Utakar, seconded by Ms. Barron; ayes recorded). - Motion: Fund engineering feasibility study (Gannett Fleming) for Westpark Toll Road vertical alignment — Approved (motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Patterson, seconded by Mr. Poole; ayes recorded). - Resolution 2025-663: Authorizing CDC project (vertical alignment study) — Adopted (two readings required; council later adopted resolution to authorize CDC to proceed). - Resolution 2025-661 and 2025-662: Revision of CDC Type A and Type B bylaws — Denied (motions to deny carried; each denial recorded with one abstention by Mayor Pro Tem Patterson). - Facility rental agreement (Irene Stern Community Center) with Fort Bend Seniors — Approved (motion made, seconded; ayes recorded). - Approval for Rotary Club use of Irene Stern for Memorial Day — Approved (motion made, seconded; Councilmember Powers abstained). - Resolution 2025-667: Reservation, rental and use policy for city facilities (with edits to Section 5F) — Adopted (motion made and seconded; ayes recorded). - Ordinance 2025-1485: Amendments to the CDO (allowing large-format retail in downtown under conditions; tree preservation language; undergrounding new fiber/electrical lines) — Adopted (motion made and seconded; ayes recorded).

Council comments and next steps: Members asked staff to return with five‑ and ten‑year pavement projections and the budgetary delta required to maintain a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) target of 70. Several council members emphasized protecting the EDCs’ ability to fund projects that diversify the city’s tax base and suggested pursuing general-fund or bond options first before seeking changes to EDC funding. Staff was directed to return to council with follow-up information for the May 13 meeting on items the council postponed.

Ending note: The meeting adjourned after the council set follow-up items for future agendas; staff will return with more detailed cost and funding projections for pavement maintenance and with revisions to CDC bylaws based on council and legal guidance.