Leander to consider awarding Mel Mathis Avenue construction contract

Leander City Council plans to consider granting a multimillion-dollar construction bid for work on Mel Mathis Avenue and San Gabriel Parkway at its Aug. 16 meeting.

Capital Excavation Co. came in at the lowest of four base bids at $5.41 million, according to city documents. The estimate includes work only on Mel Mathis Avenue and not San Gabriel Parkway.

Leander city staff have recommended approving Capital's bid. DNT Construction came in at the next lowest bid ($5.48 million), followed by RGM Constructors of Texas ($5.81 million), Klotz Associates ($5.83 million) and Smith Contracting ($6.09 million), records indicate.

A majority of the project—$4.03 million—will be funded by the Texas Department of Transportation. City officials previously estimated construction on Mel Mathis Avenue will take 10 months to complete. No one was available to further elaborate on the project.

City Council is also scheduled to consider the following items at the Aug. 16 meeting:

The council will host its first public hearing on the 2012-13 city budget and proposed residential tax rate, which Mayor Chris Fielder and the council approved at the Aug. 2 meeting to remain at $0.658507 per $100 of property valuation.

Concept plans for Connelly's Crossing, a 51.89-acre mixed-residential development site behind the Leander Public Library on Bagdad and Old Quarry roads, will be brought before City Council for a public hearing. The Leander Planning and Zoning Commission approved the plan unanimously at its Aug. 9 meeting.

Final public hearings on three annexation cases will be held, including two instances of properties along CR 179 near the site of the new Stiles Middle School. The third annexation includes 10.191 acres at 10820 E. Crystal Falls Parkway.