At an Aug. 17 meeting, Bellaire City Council unanimously approved a $120,000 amendment to its contract with Southwest Signal Supply, Inc., for services related to on-call and regular maintenance of the city’s traffic signalization during fiscal year 2025-26.
The amended amount is double what the council initially awarded the contractor company in 2025 due to increased associated costs of replacement parts and electrical components, according to agenda documents.
The overview
In January 2025, Bellaire officials adopted the ordinance that greenlit Southwest Signal Supply’s original provision of general upkeep services for the city’s traffic signals and school zone flashers. The terms of this contract included an option of annual renewal for up to four years in an amount not exceeding $60,000, per agenda details.
However, at the Aug. 17 session, council members re-examined the allotted funds under recommendation by Public Works Director Mark Velasquez.
Documents from the City Council meeting show that the cost of traffic-related hardware has risen as a result of inflation and limited part availability.
To ensure that the city’s transportation assets remain properly maintained, city staff ultimately requested that the annual contract amount be increased to $120,000 to meet community needs.
The conditions
Aside from financially covering the regular inspection of Bellaire’s traffic infrastructure, the now-amended funds will grant city officials the additional bandwidth to:
- Schedule additional on-call traffic signalization repairs
- Replace aged or outdated equipment of controller panels and boxes
- Program and adjust roadway timing devices
- Install traffic signal signage, triggering cameras, stoplights, school zone flashers and electrical wiring and conduit
The amended amount is set for fiscal year 2025-26 and will continue in each renewal year alongside an annual renewal price adjustment not exceeding the lesser of the Consumer Price Index, all items category, or 5%, per agenda details.
