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Navasota City Council approves engineering contract to pursue nearly $7 million water-infrastructure grant
Summary
The council voted to approve resolution 836-26 selecting an engineering firm to prepare a Texas Water Development Board grant application for roughly $6.97 million in water projects and authorized a professional services agreement not to exceed $234,700. Staff warned delaying could jeopardize the grant deadline at the end of July.
The Navasota City Council on a 2026 regular meeting approved resolution 836-26 to select an engineering firm and authorize a professional services agreement to prepare and pursue a Water Supply and Infrastructure grant from the Texas Water Development Board.
Development staff described a package of projects they plan to submit together — including a County Road 424 water main extension, water-rights-acquisition reimbursement, upgrades at the east side water plant, and a water main extension along State Highway 90 — that total about $6.97 million. Staff said the professional services agreement for grant preparation and, if awarded, project administration would be a not-to-exceed $234,700 fee.
City staff told council the program requires ready-to-proceed projects and that the city must bundle desired projects into a single application. A staff speaker cautioned that tabling the item could put the opportunity at risk because the application deadline is at the end of July: "we might lose 10 potentially up to $10 million for our community," the staff speaker said.
Council members discussed the timing and the fact that the contract form in the packet is the city's standard engineering contract. A motion to table failed, and Councilmember Gestner moved to approve resolution 836-26; Councilmember Miller seconded the motion. The council approved the resolution and directed staff to proceed with the application and associated contract execution.
What happens next: staff said they will finalize the application materials, work with the selected engineering firm on the scope and exhibits, and meet the July application deadline. The city also approved a related administrative resolution (838-26) later in the meeting to designate the mayor and signers for the application process.
Notes and context: staff said there is no local match for the TWDB program as explained in the meeting. The packet contained references to an engineering firm name that appears inconsistently in the meeting materials; staff stated the firm included in the packet has signed the city's standard contract form and will be engaged for grant preparations.
