Tomball City Council voted Feb. 2 to approve a professional services agreement with Engineered Utility Solutions Inc. for the design and construction oversight of “City Gas Gate 4,” a project officials said is needed to help ensure adequate natural gas supply as the city grows.
What this means
Public Works Director Drew Huffman told council the project—identified in the city’s 2025 gas master plan—aims to add a fourth “gas gate” to help ensure adequate natural gas supply as the city grows.
Documents list a tentative location on the south side of FM 2920 near Park Road, adjacent to an existing Si Energy station and a city-owned lift station.
The agreement covers design and construction-phase engineering, including coordination for a transmission-line connection—either tying into Si Energy’s line or exploring an alternate connection with Kinder Morgan—along with permitting, surveying/easement exhibits and bid-phase services.
A closer look
While the packet outlines an overall project budget estimate of $1.2 million—including $100,000 for land acquisition and roughly $1 million for construction—staff told council the final total could come in lower.
In the meeting discussion, staff said the city is looking at the possibility of purchasing an existing gas gate rather than building a brand-new one, calling the engineering contract a way to evaluate the option “like an appraisal.”
Staff said that that approach could be “much cheaper than developing a new” gate and could speed up delivery because it avoids parts of the process required to install a new gate connection.
