Crockett city administrator outlines $12 million in projects, details water‑main, road and pool work
February 07, 2023 | Crockett, Houston County, Texas
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The city administrator gave the City of Crockett City Council a broad update on municipal projects Tuesday, saying the city expects roughly $12,000,000 in construction work over the coming year and outlining timelines for water‑main replacements, street reconstructions and several grant applications.
“We're putting in 8 inch water mains where where we currently have 4 inch cast iron water mains,” the administrator said, describing Texas Water Development Board projects on East Goliad and East Houston that will be bid after the board approves the city’s surveys and engineering. Officials said work will be phased, could require lane closures and that temporary above‑ground water lines will be used to maintain service for homeowners during construction.
The administrator said surveying is complete and the city expects to advertise for bids within about a month of TWDB approval. “So we hope to do that within the next couple of months,” he said, adding that construction on the East Houston and East Goliad corridors will be significant and managed in segments.
Council members pressed staff about related drainage and road reconstruction. The administrator said TxDOT has placed the Tenth Street reconstruction in its preliminary 2024 construction budget and that TxDOT work would follow the city’s water‑line work so the pavement can be milled back to its designed profile.
On downtown and nearby streets, staff said a pending downtown revitalization grant will be resubmitted and described U.S. Economic Development Administration work the city previously completed on South Fourth Street. The administrator warned that soil and subgrade issues on South Fifth Street were severe: engineers and forensic analysts are performing core samples after contractors reported swelling and large lifts in the pavement. The city is treating the worst section as a temporary closure and routing traffic around the site while bonded contractors address repairs.
The administrator also reviewed State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) projects the city has advanced for construction this summer, naming South and North Grace, South Tenth, South Seventh, East Bell, West Houston, Cedar and MLK. He said the MLK segment’s score improved and the city expects grant and SIB funding to cover different stretches of the corridor: a CDBG grant will fund the roughest 3,000 feet while SIB funding will cover the remainder.
On recreation and facilities, the city reported the new swimming pool is in the sealed‑bid process and staff reduced some design elements (removing a concrete deck) to lower cost; officials expect a mid‑summer completion if bids and construction proceed on schedule. Work underway at the Williams Pavilion includes structural beams for a 40‑by‑60 steel pavilion, and interior and exterior roof and gutter repairs are being estimated for City Hall, the Civic Center and the library.
Staff briefed the council on a hazard mitigation grant that would install tornado sirens and fund creek restoration near the old jail. A pending application for a fire truck remains under review, and staff said the animal shelter is relocating to property on the loop, with a projected move‑out date of March 1 to free up the old shelter site for city work.
The administrator also said the city has Water Development Board grant applications for a water well and for wastewater‑plant reconstruction; depending on the city’s ranking in the program, the award could include loan forgiveness or low‑interest financing. “We have right at $12,000,000 in construction projects in the works for this year,” he said, noting that figure excludes projects still awaiting grant approvals.
Council and staff agreed to pursue easements or property purchases to formalize locations for “Welcome to Crockett” signs that historically rested on handshake agreements. They also told staff to coordinate with TxDOT on road reconstruction timing and to continue diagnostic work and contractor oversight on failing pavement segments.
The administrator said staff will proceed with bid advertising on several projects after securing grant approvals or final engineering packages; council did not take formal votes on the individual projects during the update.
“We're putting in 8 inch water mains where where we currently have 4 inch cast iron water mains,” the administrator said, describing Texas Water Development Board projects on East Goliad and East Houston that will be bid after the board approves the city’s surveys and engineering. Officials said work will be phased, could require lane closures and that temporary above‑ground water lines will be used to maintain service for homeowners during construction.
The administrator said surveying is complete and the city expects to advertise for bids within about a month of TWDB approval. “So we hope to do that within the next couple of months,” he said, adding that construction on the East Houston and East Goliad corridors will be significant and managed in segments.
Council members pressed staff about related drainage and road reconstruction. The administrator said TxDOT has placed the Tenth Street reconstruction in its preliminary 2024 construction budget and that TxDOT work would follow the city’s water‑line work so the pavement can be milled back to its designed profile.
On downtown and nearby streets, staff said a pending downtown revitalization grant will be resubmitted and described U.S. Economic Development Administration work the city previously completed on South Fourth Street. The administrator warned that soil and subgrade issues on South Fifth Street were severe: engineers and forensic analysts are performing core samples after contractors reported swelling and large lifts in the pavement. The city is treating the worst section as a temporary closure and routing traffic around the site while bonded contractors address repairs.
The administrator also reviewed State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) projects the city has advanced for construction this summer, naming South and North Grace, South Tenth, South Seventh, East Bell, West Houston, Cedar and MLK. He said the MLK segment’s score improved and the city expects grant and SIB funding to cover different stretches of the corridor: a CDBG grant will fund the roughest 3,000 feet while SIB funding will cover the remainder.
On recreation and facilities, the city reported the new swimming pool is in the sealed‑bid process and staff reduced some design elements (removing a concrete deck) to lower cost; officials expect a mid‑summer completion if bids and construction proceed on schedule. Work underway at the Williams Pavilion includes structural beams for a 40‑by‑60 steel pavilion, and interior and exterior roof and gutter repairs are being estimated for City Hall, the Civic Center and the library.
Staff briefed the council on a hazard mitigation grant that would install tornado sirens and fund creek restoration near the old jail. A pending application for a fire truck remains under review, and staff said the animal shelter is relocating to property on the loop, with a projected move‑out date of March 1 to free up the old shelter site for city work.
The administrator also said the city has Water Development Board grant applications for a water well and for wastewater‑plant reconstruction; depending on the city’s ranking in the program, the award could include loan forgiveness or low‑interest financing. “We have right at $12,000,000 in construction projects in the works for this year,” he said, noting that figure excludes projects still awaiting grant approvals.
Council and staff agreed to pursue easements or property purchases to formalize locations for “Welcome to Crockett” signs that historically rested on handshake agreements. They also told staff to coordinate with TxDOT on road reconstruction timing and to continue diagnostic work and contractor oversight on failing pavement segments.
The administrator said staff will proceed with bid advertising on several projects after securing grant approvals or final engineering packages; council did not take formal votes on the individual projects during the update.
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