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Waxahachie council postpones downtown alleyway design contract after sharp debate over consultant fee and total cost
Summary
Council postponed consideration of a $15,000 design-and-engineering contract for a downtown alleyway revitalization to Jan. 5, 2026, after council members questioned why the city would pay a consultant for work they said could be done in-house and raised concerns about a likely $198,000 construction cost and property-owner approvals.
At its Dec. 1 meeting, the Waxahachie City Council voted to delay a decision on a one-time $15,000 contract for design, engineering and project administration for a downtown alleyway revitalization until its Jan. 5, 2026 meeting after a lengthy debate about cost and transparency.
Councilman Smith pressed the council to hold off, saying the $15,000 request was being presented without full cost context. "I just don't understand why this can't be handled in house," Smith said, adding that the council had already seen a presentation years ago and that the $15,000 “is the start of additional fees that are gonna stack up pretty quick.”
City staff member Guillermo answered that the $15,000 is a one-time design-and-engineering expense and that the consultant would also handle contract and project administration. "Right now, the 15,000, like I said, is for design and engineering of the project as well as, contract and project administration," Guillermo said, adding the amount would help produce the project documents and an opinion of probable cost.
A central point of contention was how much the work would cost to build. Staff and the consultant cited an opinion of probable cost of under $200,000 for the alleyway improvements; council members disputed the figure and one council member voiced a $298,000 estimate. Staff later clarified the working estimate to about $198,000. Council members also asked whether the city had gained the needed property-owner approvals for attaching fixtures or making changes to building façades, and how maintenance and infrastructure changes would be handled.
Council members questioned who would pay for features such as dumpster enclosures, water for planters and possible utility relocations. Council member Wright asked whether the city had surveyed comparable projects to get ballpark construction figures; staff said the $15,000 covers design and that a detailed cost breakdown would be provided before any construction contract was requested. Guillermo said the project is funded from the TERS district and that the TERS board had approved moving the design work forward.
With lingering questions about scope, costs and property-owner approvals, Councilman Wright moved to postpone consideration. The motion to move the item to the Jan. 5, 2026 council meeting passed after a second.
The council directed staff to return on Jan. 5 with a fuller presentation that lists the design elements the consultant would specify, a probable cost estimate and the line-item breakdown of expected construction expenses so council members could evaluate the project before authorizing construction funding.
Why it matters: council members said they support downtown revitalization but want clearer cost information and proof of property-owner consent before committing construction funds. The postponement gives staff time to provide a detailed scope and probable costs, and gives council members a chance to weigh the use of tourism-district funds against other budget priorities.
What’s next: staff said it will come back to the council at the Jan. 5, 2026 meeting with a full presentation and cost breakdown for the proposed alleyway work.
