Council approves up to $1.5 million citywide paving and drainage contract; members press for more local small‑contractor access

The Midland City Council voted unanimously to award a citywide paving and drainage contract to Reece Albert Incorporated of San Angelo, authorizing payments not to exceed $1,500,000 for projects that arise during fiscal 2026.

Council members who pulled the item said large blanket contracts can make it difficult for smaller, local contractors to bid on the kinds of $500,000 or smaller jobs that are their usual scope. “Just because we’re allocating $1,500,000 does not mean that they have to be the person that gets maybe one of these smaller projects,” one council member said, urging staff to consider bid bands or separate smaller solicitations so local firms with lower bonding limits can compete.

Carl Craigle, the city’s public works officer, told council that smaller contractors have told staff they often struggle to obtain bonding above roughly $500,000–$1,000,000. Craigle said staff are exploring options to bid smaller, stand‑alone patches so more local contractors can participate while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to unforeseen pavement repairs.

A public commenter, Shandy Williams, used the public‑comment period to criticize what she described as incremental fee increases and urged caution about any measures that might burden taxpayers.

The motion to award the contract was made, seconded and carried unanimously. Staff indicated they will continue working on procurement approaches to broaden the pool of local bidders for smaller projects.