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City and SAWS sign MOU to coordinate bond‑program projects; council approves South Alamo contract amendments
Summary
City Council approved an MOU with San Antonio Water System to coordinate bond-program projects and adopted contract amendments for the South Alamo/Market Street project to address utility conflicts and reduce construction delays.
The City Council approved two linked actions on Jan. 30 addressing recurring construction delays and utility conflicts on major corridor projects.
MOU with SAWS: Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) to improve coordination on bond‑program projects. The MOU formalizes a shared process for classifying high‑risk projects, conducting advanced subsurface utility engineering (potholing and advanced locating where warranted), joint contracting where appropriate, timelines for staff decisions, and a third‑party dispute‑resolution step if city and utility staff cannot agree.
Why it matters: Council members described past projects (Broadway, St. Mary’s, North New Braunfels) where unexpected or inaccurately mapped underground utilities led to redesigns and long closures that harmed nearby businesses and residents. Council Member Dr. Core said better upfront utility location work will reduce repeated excavation and redesign and shorten construction timelines. SAWS CEO Robert Puente said the MOU requires executive‑level attention and a contractual approach on shared projects to reduce rework.
South Alamo / Market Street contract amendments: Council also approved increased design and construction authorizations for the South Alamo/Market Street to East Cesar Chavez project, including additional design funds and $3 million in construction contingency amendments; staff said about $116,937 of field design/construction changes will be reimbursed by CPS Energy. City staff cautioned that utility redesigns have delayed the schedule and that the current expectation is for substantial completion in 2026 (subject to ongoing design work and weather).
Council direction and accountability: The MOU sets specific decision timeframes and an escalation path that can involve department heads and, ultimately, third‑party review. Council members asked staff to provide milestone updates and for a clear plan to reduce the community impacts of long closures.
Ending: Council approved the MOU and the contract amendments. Staff will report back with joint protocols and timelines, and the MOU calls for closer cooperation between city project managers and SAWS to reduce surprises in excavation and to accelerate projects where possible.
