Council approves CIP for streets and utilities

Following a workshop at the March 9 Navasota City Council Meeting, council moved to approve a $10 million Capital Improvement Project for Navasota’s aging streets and utilities. With approval to move forward, City Manager Brad Stafford will work with Bleyl Engineering and U.S. Capital Advisors to find “the most advantageous financing” for the project.

Instead of a tax rate increase, the cost of infrastructure rehabilitation will be reflected on customer’s monthly utility bill, and according to Stafford, 90% of residents will pay the minimum. Customers will see a fee increase to $4 each for residential water and wastewater.

Addressing debt and needs for the fire station, Stafford said, “This is based off utility users, not tax. The fire station will be based off tax. Lance (Lance Hall, Finance Director) and I worked this through so it would not affect the tax rate to do this part of the project because it’s all utilities, streets and drainage and we have funding mechanisms to pay for those.”

Phase 2, option of choice

Council was presented with two options, Phase 1, an $8 million project or Phase 2, a $10 million project.

The project scope for Phase 1 included 582,127 square feet of pavement rehabilitation, 14,020 linear feet of curb and gutter replacement, 14,516 linear feet of water main rehabilitation and 16,502 linear feet of sanitary sewer rehabilitation and water/wastewater rehabilitation. Most residents would have seen fees increase to $2.80 each for residential wastewater and water utilities.

Phase 2 includes 596,328 square feet of pavement rehabilitation, 9,567 linear feet of curb and gutter replacement, 20,988 linear feet of water main rehabilitation and 18,112 linear feet of sanitary sewer rehabilitation, water/wastewater rehabilitation and the addition of stormwater improvements.

Grant ineligible

While the majority of work will take place in the northeast part of the city, it was noted that $12 million in projects have been funded citywide in the last five years. Of that, about $4.4 million was performed in lower income areas with community development grant funding.

Stafford said, “Part of what we did was to remove projects that would qualify for community development funds. These projects you are looking at will not qualify because of income levels or beneficiaries.”

Stafford said, “A lot of the work is concentrated in the high traffic area of John C. Webb.”

He added, “And that wastewater treatment plant has to be done because if the wastewater plant breaks down, we’re all in trouble.”

Stafford advised that a series of townhall meetings will be scheduled with staff and financial advisors available to answer resident’s questions.