La Marque council approves recruitment contract, emergency interlocal talks and infrastructure change orders; adopts public‑records policy

The La Marque City Council on April 1 approved a set of consent items and new business measures after extended public comment and deliberation.

Council approved an agreement to retain a recruitment firm for the city manager search with two specific amendments requested by councilmembers: (1) pre‑approval of direct advertising costs in the event a warranty search is triggered, and (2) a six‑month evaluation provision for the newly hired city manager. Council clarified the vendor’s fixed fee was $19,000 (not the $29,000 figure mentioned by a public commenter) and emphasized the need for thorough background checks and transparency so councilmembers can review candidate materials.

The council also authorized staff to negotiate interlocal emergency‑response agreements with nearby drainage districts (DD2 and the related DD1) and to return the agreements for council approval.

On infrastructure, the council approved change orders to continue waterline rehabilitation and sanitary sewer rehabilitation projects. Staff said the original waterline contract began at $2,930,985 and the current contract total with change orders is $3,433,505; the work falls under an approved grant ceiling of approximately $4,165,000. For the citywide sanitary sewer project (Change Order No. 14), staff reported some line‑item savings and described ongoing manhole rehabilitation and wastewater‑treatment plant expansion work; projected rehab completion dates were discussed (rehab by late summer; expansion targeted by November 2026).

Council debated and then adopted a revised public information policy that updates the flow of open‑records requests, places the public‑records function under the city clerk’s office for certain requests, and clarifies charges for media or physical formats. Council approved the policy with a direction that staff return within six months with proposals for indigent/fee‑reduction criteria and clearer retention/availability rules for released video and body‑worn camera footage.

In new business the council approved an agreement with Adicor Engineering to provide architecture and design services for remodeling Annex A to support police administrative functions; the contract amount is estimated at $217,500 with a not‑to‑exceed cap of $250,000. Council and staff discussed site drainage, ADA reviews, and the difference in cost if a facility required full hardening versus a standard administrative build‑out.

During the meeting, the council heard more than a dozen public comments on parks maintenance, volunteer events, code enforcement, resident billing at a mobile‑home park, and several strongly worded allegations directed at an individual councilmember. Staff committed to follow‑ups on the Gulf Breeze Mobile Home Park meter question, additional park maintenance (including mulch and playground cleaning), project record keeping for change orders, and a comparative review of enforcement/collection models for illegal dumping.

Votes at a glance • Recruitment services agreement (item 6.2): approved with amendments; fixed fee clarified in discussion as $19,000; advertising costs to be pre‑approved if warranty search is triggered. Vote: approved (no roll‑call tally provided in the transcript). • Interlocal emergency‑response authorization (item 6.3): staff authorized to negotiate agreements and return with documents; council approved. Vote: approved (no roll‑call tally provided). • Waterline rehabilitation change order (item 6.4): approved. Staff cited original contract $2,930,985 and new total $3,433,505 under a grant ceiling of $4,165,000. Vote: approved (no roll‑call tally provided). • Sanitary sewer rehabilitation (item 6.5), Change Order No. 14: approved; staff reported savings on some work lines and provided schedule updates. Vote: approved (no roll‑call tally provided). • Public information policy (item 7.1): approved with direction to return in six months with indigent/waiver proposals and retention clarifications. Vote: approved (no roll‑call tally provided). • Architecture/design services for police Annex A (item 8): approved; contract not to exceed $250,000. Vote: approved (no roll‑call tally provided).

What happens next Staff were directed to return with: (1) more detailed documentation on change order history and project record‑keeping; (2) follow‑up on the Gulf Breeze Mobile Home Park meter and billing issue; (3) proposals for indigent waivers or fee reductions under the public‑records policy; and (4) comparative enforcement/collection models for illegal dumping and bulk pickup to reduce delays and improve responsiveness.

Source: Official meeting transcript of the City of La Marque City Council, April 1, 2026.