During Tuesday morning’s meeting, the Brownwood City Council approved a resolution determining that the design-build procurement method provides the best value to the City in procuring design and construction services for the new health department building to be located at 305 Booker, thus authorizing City Manager Emily Crawford to seek RFQs/RFPs for design-build services.

The City is in the process of renovating a building located at 305 Booker for use as the new Health Department facility. The City staff recommends that the design-build procurement method be used to procure design and construction services for the renovation of the building. As an alternate to the typical competitive bidding procurement method, the City Council, or its designee, is required to determine that the alternate procurement method of design-build provides the best value to the City before the City may issue a RFQ/RFP for design-build services. This resolution makes the requisite determination to use the design-build procurement method and also authorizes Crawford to make all future determinations as to best value.

Also Tuesday, Council authorized the supplementation of the capital equipment fund with the Code Enforcement Penalty fund to purchase an all-terrain track mower for the property maintenance mowing crew in the Planning and Development Department.

In preparation of the budget for 2022-23 budget year, $14,000 was approved for the capital budget expense to purchase a new brush mower that would replace a 13-year-old worn out brush mower. When preparing to order the new brush mower it was discovered the brand and model were no longer available in the U.S. which caused us to search for a mower that was comparable in performance.

A comparable Altoz Track Mower was located at Tri Star Fleet in San Angelo which are participants of Sourcewell Purchasing Corporation. The mower will not only cut heavy brush, but with the track rear drive, can mow slopes up to 30 degrees, and will aid in keeping our waterway banks maintained.

The cost of the Altoz mower is $21,000 leaving a shortage of $7,000 in the approved capital fund. The City will transfer the additional $7,000 from its Code Enforcement Penalty Fund to supplement the capital budget in order to purchase the new Altoz Track Mower.

Council also approved a resolution to declare a 2015 John Deere 700K dozer as surplus property and authorize City Staff to sell.

The Landfill Department budgeted for a new dozer with the intent of selling the old dozer to offset the new dozer purchase price. The actual cost of the new dozer is $244,875, the anticipated auction price of the old dozer is $35,918. If the old dozer sells at the anticipating amount the city will only finance $208,957 for the new dozer.

In other business, Council also authorized Crawford to sign a recredentialing contract with Superior Health Plan.

The Senior Citizens Center is currently contracted with Superior to provide meals to clients who they authorize and reside inside the city limits of Brownwood. The Senior Citizens Center has had that contract in place since 2010 after relocating to the current location on Greenleaf. As part of Superior Health Plan/Network Quality Management program it is required that the Senior Citizen Center recredential every 5 years to continue providing meals to its clients.

Council also ratified the Brownwood Municipal Development District Board’s Building Improvement Incentive Program (BIIP) grant in the amount of $22,500 to Brownwood Commerce, LLC for a property located at 305 W. Commerce – the site of the future Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers.

Renovations in excess of $800,000 are currently on going at the site, which qualified Freddy’s for the BIIP grant. No timetable was revealed on when Freddy’s intends to open.

Council also approved an election agreement for the Special Election to be held on June 10 with the Brown County Elections Office. Since this is a special election on a non-uniform date, the City will be responsible for the total cost estimated to be $3,900.87.

Jim Byars and Draco Miller Jr. are running for the vacant Ward 4 seat. The election will be held at the Brown County Elections Office located at 613 N. Fisk. Early voting will take place May 30-June 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and June 5-6 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day is Saturday, June 10 with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Following executive session, Council approved a sales offer to the Melwood Baptist Church for properties they own.

“They came to us asking if the City would be interested,” Crawford said. “They do have some plans of relocating, so it is a contingency contract and will only be executed should the existing property owner move and relocate.”

No additional information was made available.