City of Marble Falls eyes reserves to finish Lakeside Park
Connie Swinney/The Highlander
Workers deposited sand July 18 for the manmade beach area in Lakeside Park. Marble Falls City Council approved about $210,000 during the regular council meeting the evening prior for the private contractor to install an irrigation system and landscaping at the venue.
By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer
As crews tackled the finishing touches on the phase 1A portion of parks improvements, Marble Falls city officials approved over $212,000 on July 16 for the private contractor on site to install the landscaping and irrigation system at Lakeside Park.
The Marble Falls City Council took action by a vote of 6 to 1 for a $212,232 change order to pay Myers Concrete Construction – who is currently contracted for much of the phase 1A projects – for the additional work.
“It's bare dirt right now,” Parks and Recreation Director Robert Moss said of the park grounds. “With the soil, the erosion and the (man-made sandy) beach, there would be a lot of issues.
“We'd probably have a dust bowl and a sticker patch,” Moss added.
Prior to the request, city officials expected the landscaping and irrigation project to be handled in-house by the municipality. . . .
City Finance Director Margie Cardenas explained the process of the city utilizing reserve funds and then acquiring debt in the form of a tax note to re-pay the money back into reserves.
“We can do that. That would be a possibility. What we also plan to do is discuss it with council during our July 30 workshop,” Cardenas said. “If y'all are in favor of pursuing that plan, we come back on Aug. 20 and ask if you're ready to do a tax note.”
The budget workshop is at 9 a.m. July 30 at city hall, 800 Third St. . . .
Find the rest of this story in the Friday, July 19 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email connie@highlandernews.com. To subscribe to our publication or the E-edition online, call 830-693-4367.
