Bedford council unanimously approves grants, contracts and budget amendment; sets May 2 election

Bedford — The Bedford City Council on Jan. 27 unanimously approved a series of resolutions and contracts that officials said will fund public-safety equipment, street and sewer repairs, and community events, and set a May 2, 2026 general election for council places 4 and 6.

Assistant City Manager Karen Riggs told the council that recent state rules now require advance council approval for some grant applications, and asked permission to submit three grants to the Office of the Governor to continue a police wellness program, buy active-attack response equipment and fund a modular training system. "These three items . . . due to a recent rule change, now require the council approval in advance of applying for and accepting the grant," Riggs said. Council approved the consent agenda, which bundled those grant applications with routine purchasing and contractual items.

The council also approved Budget Amendment No. 2 for fiscal 2025–26. Riggs said the amendment shifts some planned debt for the Gregory Court street project to the water-repair fund to avoid issuing debt, adds about $32,400 in the tourism fund for Fourth Fest programming and one-time items tied to the city's 250th-year celebration, and moves $41,000 from the drug-enforcement fund for Police Department equipment including a kennel and a precision rifle component. When asked whether the drug-enforcement funds were seized funds, Riggs said they were "seized funds" awarded through the court system and restricted to certain uses.

City Engineer Mara Aquat recommended awarding a construction contract to Douglas Daley Construction LLC for the Gregory and Bedford Court street and utility improvement project for an amount not to exceed $4,174,360. Aquat described full street reconstruction, sanitary sewer upsizing from six to eight inches and targeted drainage fixes; she said, "Once we issue the notice to proceed, it's going to take 200 calendar days for them to complete the project," and outlined funding from the 4B fund, a $437,641 amendment and $936,719 from the water and sewer repair fund. The contract passed unanimously after council discussion about limited bids and raised contingency levels.

Fire Chief Bill Walker recommended Burn Construction Services as the construction-manager-at-risk for the new central fire station after reviewing eight proposals. Walker said the panel "was unanimous" in its recommendation and emphasized experience and the firms' approaches to cost control. Council asked why some bidders were hundreds of thousands of dollars higher; Walker replied that scoring weighed team experience, fit and specific submittal details as well as price. The council approved the selection unanimously.

City Secretary Michael Wells presented logistics for the general election scheduled for May 2, 2026: the filing period runs Jan. 14–Feb. 13; early voting is April 20–28 (with April 21 closed for the San Jacinto holiday); and election day polling in Bedford will run 7 a.m.–7 p.m. at the Pat May Center. A council member subsequently announced they will not seek reelection for Place 4 and the council then voted to call the election.

All formal votes recorded in the meeting were unanimous. Council members and staff also thanked public works crews and first responders for winter-weather work; City Manager Andrea Roy announced a delayed opening for city offices at noon the following day because of weather. The council postponed a scheduled executive session because the city attorney was absent and adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Actions at the meeting will proceed according to contract terms and grant-award notifications; staff said they will report back to council if and when grant awards are received.