Bellaire approves 4 agenda items to move forward with several city projects

Bellaire City Council met June 1 for a regular meeting and approved several items to move forward with city projects related to transportation, drainage and the city's lift station.

The overview

Council members, except for Ross Gordon and Mayor Gus Pappas, who were absent, voted on four ordinances that will allow important city projects to continue with the next steps. Ordinances that were approved include:

• $87,724 for project management services for the Bellaire Lift Station and Texas Department of Transportation Highway Safety Improvements Capital Projects
• Amending the fiscal year 2025-26 budget to allow the city to hire a design consultant for the LED Traffic Signal Head Replacement project to improve traffic signals at 14 intersections across the city
• A $362,393 proposed contract to demolish two properties—4503 and 4300 Beechnut Street—to install stormwater assets for the Regional Drainage Improvement Program
• Purchasing a new police vehicle to not exceed $98,704 from Silsbee Ford to replace a vehicle that was lost due to a crash

Council members unanimously approved the four items with little to no discussion. However, council asked for some clarifications on the projects from city officials.

Zooming in

Council member Catherine White asked Director of Capital Projects Umer Khan what land city officials intended to move the Bellaire Lift Station to regarding agenda item 1C. The item involved approving a work order for project management services for the lift station.

Khan said the Engineers of Record are looking at alternatives to determine if the city can relocate the lift station to a separate tract of land north of Bellaire.

"Currently, the Bellaire Lift Station is in the median," Khan said. "The plan is to do a reevaluation and see if there are any other alternatives to either relocate the Bellaire Lift Station or is there another opportunity to do some other engineering work to take the wastewater and divert it to another facility. That's what is in the works."

Bellaire City Council's next meeting will occur June 8, according to its website.