Missouri City council authorizes roundabout design contract after heated debate over consultant-selection policy

Missouri City council voted 6–1 on March 2 to authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute a contract with LJA/LGA for design of a roundabout at Henry Watts and Knight Road, after an extended exchange about timelines, right-of-way needs and the city’s consultant-selection policy.

Councilmembers spent more than an hour pressing staff for details on the project schedule and the procurement process. Councilmember Brown Marshall opened the line of questioning by noting she could not find a timeline in the proposal and asked staff whether a design schedule could be incorporated into the contract. Mustafa, a project staffer, said the consultant’s proposal includes an 8½-month design estimate and that staff had allowed up to 11 months in the presentation to account for coordination with two nearby projects and anticipated right-of-way work. “We do anticipate in my PowerPoint, I put 11…