City awards 2026 road‑maintenance contracts to LCR after debate over which streets to prioritize

The Bulverde City Council voted to award two contracts under the 2026 street‑maintenance program to the lowest qualified bidder, LCR Transport LLC, after staff presented bid results and a five‑year pavement plan.

Council members and staff said the awards will let the city begin work as early as June 1, with a 60‑day completion target in the contract and a liquidated‑damages clause of $750 per day for late work. Staff told the council the bid package included both construction and a rejuvenation/restriping contract, and that the consultant's recommendation was to accept the lowest qualified bidder.

Why it matters: The decision sets the work schedule and contract terms for city streets this year and frames how the council will use remaining funds in the street‑maintenance budget and the five‑year optimization plan.

Staff presentation and recommendation: City staff and the consulting engineer summarized the sealed bids, explained that Friese Nichols prepared the package and tabulated bids, and recommended awarding contracts to the lowest qualified bidder (LCR). "Following the bid opening, Nichols did provide the city with a bid tabulation for staff to view," staff said; the memo recommended awarding both contract 1 (construction) and contract 2 (rejuvenation) to the lowest qualified bidder.

Council debate: Council members pressed staff on which streets would be treated under each of three options presented by the consultant: (1) accelerate some 2027 streets into 2026; (2) apply additional work to low‑PCI streets within city limits; or (3) expand asset‑inventory work (pavement markings, striping and data collection). One councilmember said option 2 would target red‑flag streets entirely inside city limits. Another member urged caution about adding higher‑cost treatments if crude oil and asphalt prices rise.

Change orders and budget flexibility: Councilors asked whether the contract allows extending scope without rebidding. A councilmember explained that the public‑works contract can be increased up to about 20–25% by change order (per the standard contract provisions) and that staff could use unit prices or negotiate additional quantities if the scope changes. "You can extend that scope without having to do anything. You just pay for the extra road maintenance," a councilmember said during the discussion.

Schedule and oversight: Staff said the contractor's mobilization costs are lower because their equipment is local, which helped produce the low bid, and that the city engineer will be on site as project manager. The projected start date presented to council is June 1, with a 60‑day completion window to avoid cold weather issues and to preserve pavement quality.

Vote and next steps: A motion to approve awarding contract 1 and contract 2 to LCR Transport LLC was moved and seconded; the council approved the awards and directed staff to manage mobilization, monitor price impacts and return with implementation details for how to apply remaining funds from the street‑maintenance budget and any possible additions to the scope.

Contracts and protections: The bid package includes performance and warranty language and a liquidated‑damages clause to encourage timely completion; staff said they will monitor weather and material price volatility and will report back to council if unit‑price negotiations or change orders are needed.

The council did not approve a reoptimization of the full five‑year plan at the meeting; members asked staff to return with a detailed recommendation if they wanted to pull additional streets into the 2026 scope.