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Bell County court approves $1.18M interlocal payment, grant renewals and small architect change order; plat tabled
Summary
Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement for $1,181,000 from the City of Belton tied to the Belton Tax Reinvestment Zone, authorized renewal grants for the Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court, approved a $4,000 change order for Garcia Architects’ Killeen Annex work, and tabled a subdivision plat due to incomplete application materials.
At its Sept. 9 meeting, the Bell County Commissioners Court approved several fiscal and contract items, including an interlocal agreement with the City of Belton for a $1,181,000 payment related to the Belton Tax Reinvestment Zone No. 1.
The payment was presented as reimbursement under a placeholder project in the reinvestment-zone plan tied to county property acquisitions intended to support future Expo Center expansion. The proposed interlocal agreement includes a stipulation that the property and improvements be used for public purposes for 20 years; commissioners discussed that the county’s share of zone participation is roughly 40–50 percent. The court voted to approve the interlocal agreement by voice vote.
The court also authorized renewal grant awards to continue existing programs into fiscal year 2025. Commissioners approved a Drug Court grant award (amount cited as $74,683.62) and a Veterans Treatment Court grant award ($67,549.12) from the Office of the Governor of Texas; staff explained the grants fund positions used by the veteran treatment court and drug court. Staff confirmed these are continuations of existing programs.
Separately, the court authorized Change Order No. 4 to the Garcia Architects contract for additional civil work on the Killeen Annex, described in the meeting as an added $4,000 cost to incorporate the City of Killeen’s streetscape adjustments (bump-outs, ADA sidewalks and related landscaping) into bid alternates. County staff said the approach will allow a base bid without the streetscape and alternates that reveal the cost delta for the city-requested improvements; the motion to approve the change order passed by voice vote.
On a county-engineer item, the court considered the Bridal Plat for "Levi Acres," a 2-acre subdivision in Precinct 1. A county attorney advised that the application materials were incomplete; the court moved and seconded a motion to table the item and voted aye.
The court announced it would go into closed session under Texas Government Code §551.073 to deliberate the purchase, exchange or value of real property regarding 120 and 122 Pinellas Street in the City of Elkton; court staff were asked to remain for closed session. After returning to open session at 10:31 a.m., the court reported there were no action items resulting from the closed session and adjourned the regular meeting.
Motions and approvals were recorded by voice vote with no roll-call tallies provided on the record.
