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Liberty Hill council approves engineering manual contract, budget amendment and strategic‑plan spending; disapproves downtown demolition funding
Summary
Council approved a $270,000 professional services contract for an Engineering Design Manual, a FY2026 budget amendment that funds in‑house engineering staff and a $95,000 strategic‑plan contract, approved an amendment for City Park design services (4–1) and rejected a $50,000 demolition funding request for 202 Myrtle.
Liberty Hill’s council approved several contracting and budget measures aimed at strengthening the city’s engineering capacity and planning work while rejecting one demolition funding request.
Contracts and amendments: Council approved Amendment No. 1 to Task Order No. 1 with Kimberly Horn & Associates for City Park Phase 1 design services after staff explained an unanticipated floodplain study required additional work; the amendment passed 4–1. Councilmember Elizabeth Brown pressed staff on a recurring pattern in which consultants return for more money after a “not‑to‑exceed” approval and urged stronger scope discipline.
Engineering Design Manual: The council unanimously approved a professional services agreement with Fries Nichols for development of the city’s first Engineering Design Manual (EDM) at a proposed fee of $270,000. Director of Planning and Development said the EDM will replace Round Rock standards now in use, set minimum infrastructure criteria and align with the unified development code and mobility master plan; consultant Giancarlo Patino said the fee was competitive and that the team defined scope to reduce scope creep.
Budget amendment and staffing: Staff presented Ordinance 2026‑005, a FY2026 budget amendment that includes one‑time and personnel costs to onboard in‑house engineering staff (city engineer, project engineers, GIS analyst and construction inspector) and to true up purchases such as Parker’s property and parks master plan overages. Finance staff said the FY26 remainder staffing request totals around $275,000 and estimated annual personnel costs for the full team at roughly $700,000; council approved the ordinance unanimously after an executive‑session discussion about personnel and real property.
Strategic plan: Council approved a professional services agreement with FutureIQ not to exceed $95,000 to produce a six‑month strategic plan and public‑engagement process intended to feed the FY2027 budget and align departmental priorities.
Other votes: Economic development staff requested up to $50,000 to demolish 202 Myrtle; council voted to disapprove that request unanimously after raising concerns about the contingency size and the item not being in the current budget. Council also approved a 60‑month contract with Axon for public‑safety cameras, licenses and equipment; staff said the upgrades include new features such as automatic translation and will increase annual costs when fully implemented.
Why it matters: The EDM and proposed in‑house engineering staff represent a shift toward internal capacity, which staff said can save money over time and provide standards tailored to Liberty Hill’s terrain. Councilmembers pressed for clearer scoping and fewer mid‑contract increases from consultants.
What’s next: Staff will proceed with contract execution and onboarding steps authorized by the council; the City Manager and departments will handle budget‑amendment implementation and report back as projects proceed.
