Hondo council approves $132,222 contract for airport monument sign

The Hondo City Council on March 10 authorized the city manager to execute a contract with Keller Signs LLC to build an updated monument sign for the South Texas Regional Airport and adjacent business/industrial area.

City staff member Mister Elder told the council the city issued a request for proposals in January that closed Feb. 6 and that staff and the airport advisory board reviewed three bids and recommended Keller Signs. "So with this, new version, we saved around $20,000," Mister Elder said, and he gave the contract price as $132,222. He added the city expects to pay about $10,000 for underground utilities materials, to be installed by the electric department.

The design changes described to the council include moving the sign flush to the ground (rather than on a raised pedestal), adding a limestone veneer at ground level, using a metal tenant cabinet to reduce masonry costs, and enlarging the LED display from 2x12 to 4x12 for greater visibility. Mister Elder said the sign will be double-sided to be visible from both directions on Highway 90 and that the contractor will confirm lettering sizes at a pre-construction meeting.

Council members praised staff and the airport advisory board for their work and asked for confirmation on readability and visibility; Mister Elder said a pre-construction meeting with the contractor is scheduled to finalize letter sizes and other details. Council member Mister Eduarte made the motion to authorize the contract, and Mister Via seconded; the council approved the authorization by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The council’s approval allows the city manager to execute the contract and proceed to the pre-construction phase; staff did not provide a firm construction schedule during the meeting.

The council moved on to other agenda business after the vote.