At Montgomery City Council’s regular Tuesday meeting, council members took action on numerous agenda items, including street closures for a downtown festival. Public hearings were also conducted during the regular meeting related to the city’s proposed tax rate and budget for fiscal year 2017-18.

Here is what you missed at Tuesday’s Montgomery City Council meeting on Aug. 22:

Street closures approved for 12th annual Wine and Music Festival

Council members approved the designated street closures for Montgomery’s annual Wine and Music Festival, which is in historic downtown Montgomery on Sept. 16. Portions of College, McCown, Maiden, Caroline and John A. Butler streets will be closed from 5 p.m. Sept. 15-16.

TXDOT FM 149 project delayed until May 2018

Montgomery city officials and downtown business owners were “surprised” when the Texas Department of Transportation recently announced that an FM 149 widening project would go out for bid in November, said City Administrator Jack Yates. TXDOT proposes expanding FM 149 between FM 1097 and Hwy. 105 to add a center left-turn lane, sidewalks and landscaping and underground drainage improvements.

While construction on FM 149 has been discussed for many years, Yates claims business owners along Liberty Street and city officials were shocked to hear the project would go out for bid in November.

“They proposed this project without discussion from us or property owners,” Yates said. “[The project] basically eliminated any front parking on 149, and that was a surprise to downtown property owners.”

Concerned business owners reached out to local representative Will Metcalf, who sent a letter to TXDOT expressing concern about the fast-moving project, Yates said.

Yates told council members that TXDOT has agreed to temporarily delay the project timeline, allowing the project to go out for a contractor bid in May 2018 rather than November. Council members on Tuesday approved a resolution to TXDOT reiterating the decision to delay the project and asking for communication to be open between all involved parties.

Buffalo Springs Drive bridge repair to be completed in February 2018

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is partially funding $1.8 million for the Buffalo Springs Drive bridge repair, which was damaged by floods in spring 2016. FEMA is funding roughly $1.4 million in repairs, while the remaining cost will be funded by grants from the Community Development Block Grant disaster relief program and Texas General Land Office, Montgomery city officials said.

Cozy Grape Wine Bar and Bistro to serve mixed alcoholic beverages

Following a public hearing, council members unanimously authorized a change of location for a mixed alcoholic beverage permit to be moved from the Cozy Supper Club and Annex to the Cozy Grape Wine Bar and Bistro. Owner Tom Cronin requested moving the mixed alcohol permit to his other location because the Supper Club and Annex closed its doors in late July.