Seabrook approves grant writers, generators and pier application; tables food-truck rewrite

Seabrook City Council on March 18 approved a series of routine and grant-related items, including two on-call grant-writing contracts, a federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) purchase of portable generators for the sewer system, and a county partnership grant application for the Pine Gully Pier. The council also voted to keep open a review of mobile food-vendor regulations and temporarily tabled that discussion.

Council approved the consent agenda, which included second reading of an ordinance amending the World Class Freezer Facility planned unit development and approval of the minutes from March 4. The council then moved through staff recommendations and bid awards, approving two firms for grant-writing and management services and authorizing several project-specific contracts and task orders.

Why it matters: the contracts and grant applications advance several capital and resilience priorities the council has discussed over the past year — including pier reconstruction and backup power for sewer pumps — and create a permanent procurement path for outside grant-writing capacity.

Key actions and outcomes

- Grant-writing contracts: The council awarded on-call grant-writing and management services to two firms (Kimley Horn and Whit O'Brien's) to support future grant pursuit and authorized the city manager to execute professional services agreements. (Item 4.1)

- HMGP generators: The city awarded RFP 2024-521 for HMGP 4556 portable generators for the sewer system to Aviate Enterprises, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $296,455.50. The project is funded through a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program with 90% federal reimbursement and a 10% local match (approximately $29,645.55). (Item 4.2)

- Inspection services task order: Council approved Task Order 2025-01 under the city’s master professional services agreement with Project Surveillance, Inc., for professional inspection services on the Seascape Waterline Project in an amount not to exceed $91,821.60. (Item 5.2)

- Pine Gully Pier grant application: Council approved a resolution authorizing submission of a partnership grant application to Harris County Precinct 2 for the Pine Gully Pier, committing to the required local match if awarded. The application is being submitted using figures from the original pier design and would require a 50/50 match. Staff said further design work on alternative, more resilient “jacket” options could run in parallel. (Item 5.3)

- Harris County 2022 grant amendment: Council approved a first amendment to the 2022 Harris County partnership grant so that existing awarded funds may be used toward demolition related to the pier project; the county indicated a willingness to split demolition costs 50/50 where appropriate. (Item 5.4)

- Tabling of mobile-vendor rewrite: After an hour-long discussion about the city’s mobile food-vendor ordinance, council members agreed to table the item to allow more vendor and staff input; staff was directed to return with proposed revisions. (Item 5.1)

Votes: For multiple items the meeting record shows motions made, seconds, and unanimous approval by the council present. Where the roll-call name-by-name tally was not recorded verbally in the minutes, the official outcome recorded in the meeting transcript was "approved" or "unanimous." No recorded vote indicated failure.

What’s next: Staff will return with refined designs and cost estimates for the pier alternatives and with draft ordinance language and options for mobile food vendors and for the farmers-market requests discussed later in the meeting.