Bay City council approves architects contract, PID assessment update and backs TxDOT truck‑route study; reviews $128 million five‑year CIP

Bay City — The Bay City Council approved several contracts and policy items and spent the bulk of the meeting reviewing a proposed five‑year capital improvement plan that includes street and drainage work, water‑system upgrades and park and airport projects.

Council voted to approve a contract with FGM Architects for phase‑2 design and construction administration services for the city’s planned public safety building. The contract cap the council approved is $1,670,000; the work covers design development, construction documents and construction administration through the end of construction.

The meeting also produced several other formal approvals: the council adopted the 2025 update to the Russell Ranch Public Improvement District (PID) service and assessment plan and assessment roll; ratified the mayor’s signature to participate in the Purdue opioid‑related settlement; authorized awards for disaster debris‑clearance contracts following a joint RFP with Matagorda County; and approved a resolution asking the Texas Department of Transportation to fund a feasibility study for a possible State Highway 35 truck route in the Bay City vicinity.

Why it matters

The architect contract commits the city to the next design phase of a major public safety facility. The Russell Ranch PID ordinance sets the annual installment and assessment roll that will affect lot owners in that new subdivision. The opioid‑settlement ratification allows the city to receive and spend settlement proceeds under the terms of the master agreement; council discussed restrictions and internal sign‑off required for expenditures. The truck‑route study, if funded by TxDOT, could produce a recommended alignment that would move heavy truck traffic away from downtown — a possible public‑safety benefit that council members warned could also harm downtown businesses, and one that council members said should include local input during scoping.

Key vote outcomes and context

- FGM Architects contract (phase 2 design and construction administration, max $1,670,000): approved. Staff said the contract covers approximately two years and includes reimbursables up to $5,000.

- Russell Ranch PID 2025 service and assessment plan and assessment roll (ordinance): approved. Staff review showed Russell Ranch contains 192 lots; the outstanding assessment balance is roughly $9.4 million against an original maximum of about $9,564,000. The staff packet included sample annual installments by property ID (example: $4,001.58 shown for one lot). Staff explained the PID plan is reviewed annually under the PID Act (sections cited in staff materials).

- Ratification of mayoral signature to participate in the opioid settlement: approved. Staff described the settlement master paperwork as allowing funds to be used for prevention and remediation activities; city practice requires staff sign‑offs before funds are spent. Examples of prior and planned uses noted in the meeting included billboards and prevention messaging, purchase of Narcan, crime‑lab instrumentation for testing opioids, and placing AEDs in patrol cars.

- Awards for disaster debris and removal services (RFP 25‑0001, joint procurement with Matagorda County): approved. Staff reported six proposals were submitted, three were nonresponsive and three were evaluated; council approved awarding to the top ranked proposer and naming two alternates for activation if the primary vendor is unavailable during an emergency.

- Resolution requesting TxDOT fund a feasibility study for a State Highway 35 truck route in the Bay City area: approved. City staff said TxDOT offered to fund a feasibility study to identify potential truck‑route locations and suggested the city provide a council resolution to demonstrate local support when TxDOT programs the study. Chief Rodriguez and other speakers emphasized safety and evacuation benefits while several council members cautioned that routing could affect downtown businesses and asked for local involvement in scoping.

Capital improvement plan highlights

The council spent an extended period on a staff presentation of the draft five‑year capital improvement plan (CIP). Staff summarized a citywide five‑year capital program of roughly $128 million across general fund, utility, airport and internal funds. Staff said the general fund five‑year total is approximately $88 million (year‑one general‑fund capital about $26.7 million) and utility projects in year‑one total roughly $38 million, much of it TWDB or direct‑appropriation funding.

Noted project highlights included:

- Streets/drainage: Year‑one street projects and drainage work were estimated at just over $12 million, with major reconstruction planned for Highland and Moore subdivisions and resurfacing for arterial routes. Bridge and inlet projects were discussed, including Eighth Street/Avenue H bridge work funded with ARPA and a TxDOT component.

- Water/wastewater: The East Water Treatment Plant was reported to be nearing substantial completion (staff cited an April 2026 target); arsenic‑mitigation and electrical work for other plants has been bid; a North water well project was reflected in the CIP with approximately $12 million of direct appropriations noted in staff remarks; a Fifth Street 12‑inch water‑line replacement (about 7,000 linear feet) was under design; wastewater projects include Cottonwood lift‑station and WWTP work with a February 2027 substantial‑completion target and sewer rehab/manhole programs staged across the plan.

- Drainage and mitigation: Staff described a diversion‑channel Phase 2 project (automatic trash‑screen cleaners and SCADA) with construction estimated at $885,000 and grant funding at 90/10; additional Restore and FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program submittals were described for Cottonwood Creek and Del Norte subdivision drainage work.

- Parks and recreation: Planned work includes decomposed‑granite walking trails and lighting at La Toolle Park, a proposed performance pavilion, playground and restroom upgrades across parks, and a boat‑ramp engineering study tied to Texas Parks and Wildlife grant opportunities.

- Airport: Airport plans included engineering for apron strengthening and a fuel‑farm/jet‑A tank replacement; runway and taxiway maintenance and lighting projects were placed later in the five‑year schedule; staff noted many airport projects rely on TxDOT and federal funding programs.

- Equipment and building items: Staff flagged replacement items (backhoe, dump trucks, vehicle replacements) and called out a police equipment grant ($150,000) and body‑camera purchases; the fire station needs weatherproofing and roof work pending warranty review.

What council asked staff to follow up on

Council and staff identified follow‑up tasks and concerns during the meeting: ensure PID disclosure pages are corrected in the packet before final filing; provide more data on whether the Russell Ranch assessment level affects sales velocity compared with other developments; clarify timing and scope of bridge and street closures; include council/staff participation in TxDOT scoping for the truck‑route study; and provide details on warranty options before replacing the fire‑station roof.

Speakers and sources

Speakers at the meeting included Mayor Nelson; Chief Rodriguez; Mr. Lopez (staff presenter, procurement); Mr. Boomquist (staff presenter on the truck‑route resolution); Scotty (city staff); Herb (staff); Gabriel (drainage/staff); Kelly (parks staff); Crystal (utilities staff); James (airport staff); Doug (representative present for FGM Architects); Councilman Westmoreland; Councilman Flores; and Bruce Kurzkoff (community member appointed to the Bay City Community Development Corporation). Quotes in this report are attributed only where speakers were identified in the meeting record.

Ending

Council moved the meeting into closed session on a legal consultation item, returned to open session and reported no action coming out of the executive session. Staff said the next budget meeting and the big FY‑26 budget presentation would be on Tuesday the 19th (as posted in staff remarks).