The Whitesboro City Council moved forward with a long-awaited infrastructure project Tuesday, Jan. 14 when they awarded $7.2 million to begin construction of a new elevated water tower.
On May 1, 2021, Whitesboro citizens voted to approve the expenditure of WEDCO/WIDCO sales tax funds for the construction of the elevated water storage tank to be located on East Main Street, outside of the city limits, across from Oakwood Cemetery.
The project has been in the works since then.
Tuesday’s unanimous vote awarded $7,278,000 to Landmark Structures of Fort Worth.
According to city officials, they hope to break ground on the project in February.
The bid was one of three received for the project. It was the mid-cost of the three.
Other bids received for the same project included a $5.7 million bid from Gerard Tank Steel and an $8.3 million bid from Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
Interim Whitesboro City Administrator Phil Harris said the company that provided the lower bid did not meet some of the minimum requirements outlined in the bid process.
“Landmark is a North Texas company,” public works director Bradley Williams told the council. “They are from Fort Worth. They do great work. We know them. They are going to do us a great job.”
Council also entered a lease agreement with WEDCO/WIDCO for office space at City Hall.
For more than 15 years, WEDCO/WIDCO has occupied an office at City Hall. Harris told the council that Economic Development Director Lynda Anderson recently discovered that it is not recommended for cities to provide free space to EDC/IDC offices.
Harris said it is preferable for lease agreements to be in place.
So, the council agreed to lease office space currently occupied by Anderson to the EDC/IDC for $600 a month.
It will be paid annually in the amount of $7,200.
Council also amended the current governance policy as it refers to boards and commissions.
They struck down a caveat in the existing policy that prohibits members of the Parks and Recreation Board from “holding any other office or position within the municipality.”
According to Mayor Dave Blaylock, Harris currently sits on the Parks and Recreation Board.
They also amended the policy to allow one alderman to request an item be placed on a meeting agenda instead of by a consensus of three aldermen.
“Requiring three aldermen to bring an item to the agenda together is inherently flawed,” Harris said.
Among other business Tuesday night, the council:
-Tabled public hearing about implementing city- wide impact fees.
-Denied multiple zoning change requests to multiple lots on US 377.
-Okayed Harris enter agreements with Tyler Technologies for software to streamline the HR process at City Hall.