Foster Street contract awarded
The Navasota City Council met in Regular Session Monday, April 22, and immediately swore in Navasota’s new municipal judge, Pat Gruner. Gruner was one of four applicants who applied for the position vacated by retiring Judge John LeFlore. Gruner has lived in Navasota for 43 years and served the Navasota community as mayor from 2002-2006 and as a trustee on the Navasota ISD school board in the 1990s.
Foster Street drainage
City council awarded the Foster Street Drainage Improvement Project contract to Larry Young Paving whose bid was $815,835.76. Young was one of six companies bidding on the project.
City Manager Brad Stafford told council, “This is the grant for the 2015 flooding for our Hazard Mitigation Disaster Recovery Grant. We took bids and did receive multiple bids. It came in below our projections.”
The 2015 GLO CDBG-DR (General Land Office Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery) project includes installation of an underground storm drain system along Willie and Wright Streets between Foster Street and the Roosevelt Street drainage channel. It also includes reconstruction of the Willie and Wright Street intersections at Foster where grate inlets will be installed as well as reconstruction of a portion of the SH 105-Foster Street intersection to improve drainage. The grant award was $999,000 with a city match of $9,900 for a combined total of $1,008,990.
Young has provided satisfactory work for the city previously and routinely performs similar work for Bryan and College Station.
Change orders
Council approved Change Order No. 3 for the Alleyway Reconstruction Project between Railroad and Farquhar Streets in the amount of $6,645. The 4.29 percent increase brings the D&S Contracting contract total to $193,547.30.
This change order includes the extension of 4-inch electrical conduit out of the right of way, an additional 2-inch gas line for future use at a proposed hotel and the addition of plumbing lines in the courtyard area. In addition, during construction a large cistern was discovered that had to be filled.
Council also approved Change Order No. 2 for an additional $50,390 for the 2017 Texas Capital Fund/Downtown Revitalization sidewalk project on W. Washington.
Palomares Construction will furnish and install eight Amerilux light fixtures, poles, wiring, conduit and photocells. According to Stafford, work had already begun when Entergy advised they could not match the existing light fixtures and poles.
Annexation
Legal counsel, Cary Bovey, gave an update on House Bill 347 regarding annexation. Legislation enacted in 2017 requires the consent of landowners/voters in areas with 500,000-plus population.
Bovey said, “HB 347 would apply same the standard to all cities throughout Texas, no matter the population. The idea of unilateral annexation…essentially would go away.”
The Senate version would make it effective immediately but would not affect annexations in process and Bovey suggested if there was an area under consideration, Navasota might be wise to act on it.
The legislation would not affect requests from landowners to be annexed and Stafford stated most recent annexations have been at landowner request. Council saw no need to move forward with annexations.
Meece to serve on NHA
Council filled the last vacancy on the Navasota Housing Authority with the appointment of Lara Meece. Meece has a master’s degree in Health Administration and is the Executive Director of the Grimes Health Resource Center.
Other council action:
•Approved extending the solid waste collection contract with Republic Services for one year at the same rates.
•Approved canceling the May 27, 2019, council meeting due to the Memorial Day holiday.
•Received the City of Navasota Quarterly Investment Report for quarter ending 3-31-19.
•Approved the first reading of Ordinance 887-19 denying the distribution cost recovery factor rate increase by Entergy Texas, Inc. to allow further review for accuracy by the Lawton Law Firm.
•Approved consent agenda item, the second reading of Ordinance 885-19, rezoning in the Piedmont/SH 6 area.
•Tabled for further study the second reading of Ordinance 886-19 regarding the prohibition of metal siding.
Staff reports:
•NPD Lt. Mike Mize reported that all NPD officers are uniformly outfitted with duty belts/ gear furnished by NPD. The equipment costs about $1,000 per officer and was paid for with funds from drug seizures.
•Stafford reported that repair/ replacement of the Navasota entrance monument is being rebid.
•Stafford reported that Tx-DOT is eager to partner with the city on the Farquhar/Washington Avenue crosswalk project pending additional information and a design that meets TxDOT standards.
•Marketing Coordinator Emily Gainey announced Kid Fish will be held at Patout Pond May 11 from 9 a.m. – noon. The event is free, fishing equipment will be provided, and the first 100 participants will receive a T-shirt.
•Community Relations Specialist Kris Gruver announced the Keep Navasota Beautiful Trash Off will be held Saturday, April 27, at the Navasota Center from 8 a.m. to noon.
•Councilman Geoff Horn, quarterly liaison to the Library Advisory Board reported that replacement of the microfilm machine was the primary topic of the board meeting.
•Stafford reported that the material’s testing company pumped water out of the groundwater storage tank last week and has begun testing.
Upcoming events:
•April 26, Friday – Fourth Friday in Downtown Navasota.
•April 27, Saturday – Keep Navasota Beautiful 18th Annual Trash Off, Navasota Center, 8 a.m. – noon.
•April 27, Saturday – Take Back Drugs, Navasota Police Dept. on Holland at McAlpine, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
•April 27, Saturday – Household Hazardous Waste Saturday, Veterans Memorial Park between Harvey/SH 30 and University Dr., College Station, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
•May 2, Thursday – National Day of Prayer, VFW Post 4006, SH 105 West, 7 a.m.