Lago Vista council approves $217,690 GIS mapping contract after water-leak lessons

The Lago Vista City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to execute a $217,690 service agreement with LJV Engineering to complete quadrant 3 of the city's GIS mapping project.

Public-works staff presented the proposal, saying quadrant 3 covers a densely served area where up-to-date maps would help crews locate water lines, valves and other assets quickly. "This project will increase efficiency in our department to locate water lines...and one of the progress items we made is quadrant 1 and 2 are completed," a public-works presenter said, adding the maps include pipe sizes, valve ages and maintenance histories.

Councilors tied the vote to a water emergency over the previous weekend, during which crews spent extra time locating a valve and sending a public notice. "At that time on Sunday, we had immediately put out an emergency notice because we knew that the Viking tank was down and the golf ball was down," Mayor Fatima Owen said. She and others said more-accurate mapping could reduce response time and the need for emergency alerts.

Staff said the city's mapping hub can be integrated with its maintenance portal (Beehive) so crews can see assets and track repairs on tablets or phones. The presenter acknowledged a modest price increase from earlier estimates but said the work had been budgeted.

Councilor Prince moved to authorize the agreement; the motion was seconded and passed 7–0. City staff said quadrant 3 will improve asset tracking, help plan maintenance and reduce contractor damage risks while supporting long-term infrastructure management.