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Lubbock council votes down alley-paving assessment ordinance after debate over costs, liens and staff workload
Summary
On second reading the council rejected an ordinance to establish a citizen-initiated petition and assessment process for paving unimproved alleys. Councilors raised concerns about a low 30% upfront threshold, potential liens on reluctant homeowners and the city’s staffing and funding responsibilities; the ordinance failed on a 6–1 vote.
The Lubbock City Council on June 9 rejected on second reading an ordinance to establish a petition-driven assessment process for paving unimproved alleys, after extended debate over financing, potential property liens and staff workload.
Staff member Eric Reino presented the ordinance, which would allow residents to initiate a petition to pave an unimproved alley and trigger an assessment if thresholds are met (two-thirds of abutting owners and 51% of linear frontage). Reino said the draft requires a petition fee, an engineering feasibility study, 30% of residents’ assessed funds up front, and a 12-month payment window; state law limits municipal cost recovery to 90% of eligible expenses, Reino said.
"This is a citizen-initiated process for pavement in an alley, not a city-initiated one," Reino told the council, explaining staff would perform engineering and contract the work if the petition thresholds and feasibility review were satisfied.
Council members questioned the level of upfront cash required and the risk to homeowners who do not want to participate. Councilman David Bugal said he preferred residents provide a larger upfront share — potentially the 90% recoverable portion — so the city would not carry long-term receivables.
"We just want them to come up with the vast majority of the cost upfront," Bugal said, adding he did not object to the city managing design and construction if residents supply most of the funding.
Several members, including Councilwoman Christy Martinez Garcia and Councilman Tim Collins, raised concerns about taking staff away from other projects and about placing a lien on properties when some owners oppose an assessment. Dr. Jennifer Wilson (Mayor Pro Tem) suggested a hybrid alternative: residents pay the bulk of costs up front while the city provides engineering oversight and administrative coordination.
Staff told council that if the ordinance were rejected, they could return with alternative language — for example, a code amendment to allow residents who collect funds to hand them to the city for city-managed construction rather than creating an assessment and lien mechanism.
A motion to approve the redlined ordinance on second reading failed on a voice vote, the mayor announced, with the ordinance defeated 6–1. Council directed staff to consider alternatives and bring options back to a future meeting.
The council also noted typical alley paving cost estimates presented by staff: a high-density block example was roughly $71,000 (about $3,700 per lot); a low-density block example was about $101,000 (about $8,400 per lot). Staff said the city currently maintains dirt alleys and estimated a 31-year payback for the assessed portion under certain assumptions.
