Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Updates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council gets progress reports on two fire stations, FY26 budget and the Water Bridge plan
Summary
The council received updates: AGCM reported preconstruction work and a tentative February groundbreaking for Stations 30 and 31; the city finance director outlined revised FY26 revenue/expenditure and fund‑balance figures and noted upcoming public hearings on the budget and tax rate; staff reiterated a multi‑well Water Bridge plan with bids and design scopes moving forward.
Council members heard three substantive updates at the Aug. 26 meeting: construction management’s progress on Fire Stations 30 and 31, revisions to the proposed FY26 budget, and a brief update on the Water Bridge plan.
Fire stations: Chief Siri introduced Denikar Pangavilla of AGCM, who said Grossman Design has ordered a survey and taken geotechnical samples; conceptual site and floor plans are under review and stakeholder coordination (public works, TxDOT) is underway for approach roads and possible signalization. Pangavilla said the preconstruction schedule is on track and that, if milestones proceed, staff expects to break ground the first week of February (year not specified beyond presentation). "On the schedule, we are right on track with the original preconstruction schedule," Pangavilla said.
Budget: Mr. Ayers reviewed FY26 proposed budget changes, reporting updates to personnel‑service projections (from ~ $7.7M to $8.1M), corrected a public‑safety apparatus line item (fire engine cost adjusted to $983,857), and described changes to the beginning fund balance and overall expenditures (projected expenditures about $51 million). Ayers said the tax rate conversation will move from the de‑minimis to the voter‑approval rate and outlined the schedule for public hearings and adoption (next meeting will include the public hearing on the budget; Sept. 23 is listed for tax‑rate hearing and budget adoption).
Water Bridge plan: Staff reported work continuing on six planned wells and additional storage. Bids for the Town Center Park well were set to open Aug. 28; staff said wells 2–6 will move through committee for design scopes and that the city is working with regional partners on purchase contracts, currently assuming about 6.5 million gallons and an additional 500,000 gallons coming on July 1 in a phased arrangement.
Council discussion touched on the timing and coordination challenges—particularly with TxDOT for station site access and with regional partners for water capacity. Staff committed to provide further updates and schedule specifics at the next meeting.
