Work Session (August 4, 2026)

The Waco City Council held a work session on August 4, 2026, focusing extensively on infrastructure and budget matters. Key procurement-related discussions included updates on major capital improvement projects such as the Alice Martinez Rodriguez Park and the Eastbank Sanitary Sewer Line repair, which involves a complex and costly sewer pipe replacement and lining project with a projected completion in November 2026. The council also ratified contracts, including the award of the Crazy8s contract to TTG Utilities for pedestrian and utility upgrades in the Dallas Street Waco Carver neighborhood, funded largely by federal transportation alternative funds. The fiscal year 2027 budget was presented, highlighting a $733.3 million total budget with a nearly $30 million reduction from the previous year, maintaining the tax rate at 75.5 cents. The budget includes $112.5 million for 34 capital projects, with a focus on infrastructure services, public safety, and utilities, and emphasizes a strategic pause on new debt for street reconstruction while prioritizing execution of existing projects. Rate increases for water, wastewater, solid waste, and street maintenance were also discussed, with an average household impact of about $8 annually. Additionally, zoning ordinance amendments were reviewed to comply with state law regarding manufactured homes and to support new residential and industrial developments. No votes or motions were explicitly recorded in the transcript, but several contract awards and budget approvals were implied as part of the session's agenda.