Council approves amendment to wastewater engineer contract as sewer construction continues

Bruceville‑Eddy council voted Oct. 24 to approve amendment 4 to the owner‑engineer agreement with Taubart & Associates LLC for the city’s new wastewater system. City staff said USDA has approved the internal reallocation; the amendment does not increase the overall contract amount but moves money from a residential‑inspector line item into general services to cover additional on‑site engineer time.

Why it matters: Construction of the collection system and lift stations is underway; staff said the engineer will need to spend more time on site than originally anticipated and the amendment will allow direct compensation for those services. Council members asked about in‑house inspection capacity and certification plans; staff said Johnny Grady is the city’s lone TCEQ‑licensed wastewater employee but the city is budgeting consulting funds and planning internal training under a licensed committee member to enable staff to sit for certifications.

Staff also reported progress on the sewer construction: customer service‑line inspections continue, site work at the wastewater treatment plant has started, and lift‑station construction is active. Kent Manton said the mayor and he met with an appropriations lead for Congressman Pete Sessions to pursue federal appropriations to add additional connections; staff will consider engaging a consultant familiar with the appropriations process.

The next steps: Staff will continue construction oversight, track amendment costs against the project budget and return updates to council. The amendment passed unanimously.