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Council reviews Iteris design proposal for South Loop fiber from congressional earmark; concerns about TxDOT right‑of‑way procedures raised
Summary
Staff presented a design contract recommendation with Iteris for an 7.5‑mile fiber run tying South Loop corridors; the project is funded through a congressional earmark and carries an 80/20 grant match. Staff said TxDOT permitting will dictate placement in the ROW to avoid future relocations.
City staff presented a design‑phase recommendation on March 12 for a fiber connectivity project along the South Loop, funded in part by a congressional earmark with an 80/20 match.
The project scope covers the South Loop (southwest to southeast) with a roughly 7.5‑mile run that will tie segments already in place near FM 1314. Staff said the city solicited professional design proposals and negotiated Iteris’s fee to a recommended design contract of $241,544. Staff noted the design fee is the project owner’s cost and that construction will follow design; staff estimated a six‑month design schedule and a six‑ to eight‑month construction window, with a mix of open trenching and bores where needed.
Why it matters: staff said the grant requires a 20% local match and that securing a design contract is the next step to delivering the funded connectivity. Council members raised questions about timing and permits.
Right‑of‑way and future roadwork: staff emphasized TxDOT permitting rules govern placement of utilities in the state right‑of‑way and said the city’s practice is to place utilities as far to the back of the ROW as practicable to reduce the need for relocations during future road improvements.
Public comment related to fiber: earlier in the meeting several residents raised concerns about fiber contractors’ work in neighborhoods, including yard and curb damage, and asked the city to consider restoration standards or a temporary moratorium on new construction while the city develops permitting and restoration procedures. Staff said TxDOT permits and federal rules limit the city’s ability to ban work in the ROW but that the city can enforce restoration and box‑placement standards; council asked staff to research best practices used by other Texas cities.
Next steps: staff recommended the Iteris design agreement be included in the upcoming action agenda with the stated contract amount and to proceed with design. No final contract award was recorded at the workshop.
