Council authorizes $405,000 pool design contract; residents press for local firms and alternatives to costly campus renovation

The Jersey Village City Council authorized the city manager to execute a contract to begin design work on a proposed pool, approving a negotiated total contract price of $405,000 and acknowledging a concept fee payment of 3% ($12,150) to be paid immediately. Staff said work after the concept phase would pause if voters reject the bond in November.

During the required public hearing and the regular meeting, multiple residents urged caution on cost and consultant selection. Resident Dennis Peterson said, “I think the 6 and a half million dollar pool bond is about twice as much as the city needs” and criticized use of out-of-region design teams rather than local firms. Peterson also urged that the council consider lower-cost alternatives to a proposed $21,600,000 renovation to the existing city campus.

City staff explained that a formal request for qualifications (RFQ) was used to select a top-ranked firm and that the $6.5 million bond figure includes contingencies and issuance costs; staff also described options to pause the project if bond voters decline funding. Council members debated whether to approve the concept-phase payment now; proponents said the $12,150 concept fee should be approved to allow six weeks of public engagement and to preserve the timeline should the bond pass.

Council voted to authorize the contract and directed staff to pause further design work if the bond fails; the designers’ timeline included public engagement through October and a possible construction completion in spring of a future year if funding and schedule allow.