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Navasota staff proposes debt package to speed repairs on miles of aging streets
Summary
City staff told the council June 29 that roughly 57 miles of paved roads include a significant backlog and proposed asking the city's financial adviser to model issuing $5–6 million in debt—using the city's $500,000 annual maintenance commitment as debt service—to make faster progress on resurfacing.
Navasota City Council staff on June 29 outlined a multi-million-dollar plan to accelerate repairs on a substantial portion of the city’s paved roads and asked the council for consensus to have the city’s financial adviser model a debt package.
Mr. Himmer, the staff presenter, told council members the city has 'a little over 57 miles of paved roadways' and cited a Nexco planning assessment that used photographs and artificial intelligence to score pavement condition. "Using that tool, roughly 44% of our system—over 25 miles—is rated poor or worse," he said, adding that the figure is intended to convey magnitude rather than precise yardage.
The recommendation Mr. Himmer floated would shift the city’s current annual street-maintenance commitment—about $500,000—into debt service and issue certificates of obligation over 10 to 15 years to fund a one-time project in the $5 million to $6 million range. He said that approach would allow the city to repair 20–30 streets in a single multi-year package rather than continuing smaller, year-to-year projects.
Why it matters: Mr. Himmer framed the plan as a way to address a backlog that residents visibly notice. He summarized typical industry lifecycles for asphalt roads at roughly 15–25 years (an average around 20 years) and said a maintenance program that resurfaces roughly 2½–3 miles per year is needed to maintain the system; using conservative per-foot cost estimates, he calculated that would equate to roughly $1.5 million per year, a level well above current spending.
Council reaction and next steps: Several council members voiced support for exploring the financing option and noted that improved streets are highly visible to residents. Council members also cautioned that a one-time debt-financed project would not remove the need for on-going maintenance funding. Mr. Himmer said he and staff (including Kent Laza) will compile a prioritized list of streets for inclusion in a package and asked the council to let him direct the city’s financial adviser to prepare financing scenarios. He asked the adviser to try to have a package ready for the July 27 meeting; if not available, the item would be returned in August.
Other funding avenues and trade-offs: The discussion covered grant opportunities. Staff said grants through the Texas Department of Agriculture and the General Land Office typically address flood mitigation or infrastructure work tied to other improvements rather than standalone resurfacing; Texas Parks and Wildlife grants exist but generally require local matching funds (often 50/50). Mr. Himmer also suggested the city could repurpose the existing $500,000 allotment for a visible parks project from the parks master plan while debt proceeds would fund the larger street package, giving different neighborhoods near-term improvements.
What was not decided: The council did not take a formal vote. Instead, members expressed general consensus for staff to pursue options with the financial adviser and bring specific financing scenarios and a street list back to council for consideration. No specific streets, dollar amounts beyond the illustrative $5–6 million, or a final financing schedule were approved at the meeting.
The council scheduled follow-up for July 27 (if the adviser can deliver) or for the August meeting if more time is required. The staff presenter invited further questions and indicated staff will return with both the adviser's modeling and a draft list of candidate streets.
