Alice council ratifies several grants, hears water-infrastructure and financial updates
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Summary
Council ratified multiple grant applications (Operation Lone Star, a Selbrite digital-forensics application, a VAWA grant, and a CDBG RCP planning grant), authorized a Texas Water Development Board application for service-line replacement, and heard preliminary September 2025 financials.
The City Council on Nov. 12 ratified several grant applications and authorized additional grant submittals, while city staff also reported preliminary September 2025 financial results.
Grants and authorizations - Operation Lone Star (OLS): Council ratified a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign and submit Operation Lone Star grant application number 4377504 for FY2026. Chief Edeng Garcia said the submission was already completed and the resolution served to ratify the application; the grant would support overtime and equipment for increased patrols and interdiction functions. The motion to ratify passed by voice vote.
- Digital-forensics equipment (Selbrite): Chief Garcia said the department applied for an upgraded Selbrite forensic phone-download system to support investigations; he estimated the request at roughly $35,000–$37,000 and said the grant was 0% match. Council ratified the application by motion and voice vote.
- Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant: Chief Garcia said the department submitted a VAWA application intended to fund a dedicated investigator position (chief estimated the grant at about $80,000 to cover salary and some overtime). Council ratified the resolution.
- Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery Mitigation (CDBG-DR RCP): Desiree (grants administrator) asked council to authorize application for a GLO- administered RCP grant to support a unified development code and planning documents. She said the grant is 0% match and can provide up to $300,000 for planning work; council adopted the resolution to apply and designated the city manager as the authorized representative.
- Texas Water Development Board (DWSRF) service-line replacement program (LSLR): City staff said the TWDB invited Alice to submit a project information form for FY2025 drinking-water state revolving funds to support lead-and-copper service-line replacement work; the amount discussed in the meeting was approximately $769,321 and staff described the program as reimbursement-based and subject to a 51/49 split in cost responsibilities. Council authorized submission by motion.
Financial report Finance staff presented preliminary (not-final) September 2025 numbers: general fund revenues of $13,318,319; property-tax budget $3,023,003.48 with year-to-date collections of $3,089,009.63; sales-tax budgeted at $6,582,000 with 11-month collections at $6,257,096. Staff cautioned these are interim figures and will change as year-end closing proceeds; the snapshot showed the general fund at a preliminary negative $1,025,006.57.
Police department update Chief Garcia also provided an operational update: new grant-funded police-department signage; out-of-state prisoner retrievals in recent investigations; the planned December rollout of VersaTerm, a text-notification and portal system for callers to track officers and assigned investigators; an upcoming police-department web portal and QR-based registration for resident alerts; and new speed-data equipment and outreach with Coastal Plains for mental-health support.
Council action: each grant resolution and the TWDB application were approved by motion and voice vote. Staff will proceed with submissions, and finance staff will return with any final changes following year-end close.
Sources: Staff presentations and council motions during the Nov. 12 meeting.
