Council approves $26,500 amendment for Skyway Gardens water engineering

Alpine — City Council unanimously approved a $26,500 amendment to the engineering services agreement with Jacob & Martin LLC for water-system work at Skyway Gardens Phase 2.

Engineer Andy Melli told the council the team discovered the pump station yard piping and some installed field conditions did not match the original conformed plans. "What was installed was not what was planned and not in the design," Melli said in a technical briefing describing cross‑connected piping and missing control and pressure‑reducing valves that prevent flow from upper hill to lower hill tanks.

To address pressure deficits and ensure reliable service to the development area, staff recommended—and council approved—Amendment No. 1 to expand scope for preliminary engineering, regulatory (TCEQ) coordination and construction‑phase services. The revised engineering services total is approximately $145,100, an increase of $26,500 over the original contract; Melli said some of the additional work shifts effort toward required TCEQ protections and added pump‑station complexity.

Council members asked for clarity on budget source; staff said engineering costs are professional services and will be charged against the existing project budget already authorized for Skyway Gardens infrastructure.

What’s next: engineers will continue design, identify pothole locations to verify as‑built pipe connections, and update an opinion of probable construction cost ahead of bidding and a broader system‑level study.