[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6511297,"mediaKeyId","5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a","parentId",5332764,"title","Council reviews outside organizations' budget requests; EAC, museum, volunteer fire department and chamber highlighted","audioSeconds",957,"startMs",1197580,"endMs",2154605,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a&start=1197&end=2154","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a/thumbnail_1197580.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6511297/Bay-City/Matagorda-County/Texas/Council-reviews-outside-organizations-budget-requests-EAC-museum-volunteer-fire-department-and-chamber-highlighted","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511297-977a6fcac8b7b28fb7472c11db183dd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178610&Signature=UqK8NtpWWvNxElbe3ilbG-C1-nXV~5URE4gKkpi98fRRhJ1jnD4yh9AGsyjmOeUxFOWQxq51c6KzHwAZTiPXXmBNfDAQn8bTXB-QpAsvRBg3wkq-fZo81jYQygVaDLITARz5wuimjxkYs7~e93o6EBHa00weFRTuekvA~i5bJBmK8UZj0uB0MFKDuwm17C08x9o~fdAxL8PbIJgmmlGdeQyVCjEwUVBata8zhtpzRXGpcQ-Tgd8PviLB3jcyDryLekPvbjQDdFDtpkbYYCNxsT28QwYwS2uHOOc-Kg-lwhDSxqo3ff6H16GyFhLJN675McPP3T05emISHBDl02w6zQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bay City","date","2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","article","Council reviewed requests from outside organizations as part of the FY2026 budget workshop.

Economic Action Committee (EAC): staff said the EAC requested $87,000 but the draft budget holds the city contribution at $50,000 (broken into $15,000 for operations and $35,000 earmarked as a match for exterior building improvements). Staff said the EAC is applying for other grants and a Tribune donation of $10,000 has already been received. Staff said they would know more about outside grant results in July and that any city match could be adjusted before budget adoption.

Matagorda County Museum: the museum sought $25,000; staff explained the city\u0000s support is split between the general fund (operational support) and the hotel-motel fund under historic-preservation reimbursements. Staff also noted a $3,600 kiosk rental arrangement that helps provide a visitor-center presence; additional museum expenditures that meet hotel-motel historic-preservation rules could be reimbursed through the tourism sponsorship application process.

Volunteer Fire Department: the volunteer department historically receives $48,000 annually from the city plus approximately $16,000 from Bay City Gas Company, for a total of about $64,000. The department asked for an increase; staff recommended raising the city\u0000s portion to $51,000 based on updated volunteer counts and recent expenditures, and asked staff to contact Bay City Gas Company about their contribution.

Bay City Chamber: the chamber contract that supports civic-center operations is historically funded through the hotel-motel fund. The chamber requested an increase from $65,000 to $70,000 to offset personnel costs; staff noted that the contract figure is set during the budget process rather than by separate contract amendments.

Staff emphasized that these numbers are draft budget positions and that council can alter amounts during the formal budget process before adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bay City - City Council Workshop - Jul 08, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council reviewed requests from outside organizations as part of the FY2026 budget workshop.","taxTitle","Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas","taxId",69557,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6511302,"Civic Center manager reports steady bookings, requests modest capital and lighting upgrades",988,2187580,3175895,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a&start=2187&end=3175","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a/thumbnail_2187580.jpg","/articles/6511302/Bay-City/Matagorda-County/Texas/Civic-Center-manager-reports-steady-bookings-requests-modest-capital-and-lighting-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511302-f65016f20c709f38a546cc941199e6cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178610&Signature=WpHNzy3BO~KrdfG4mmlwM09sYa1b9w8vUsaGVgwLEYFplD80tBW9Ghodm7gOCNIVrgU6Yw7P11gD63eV8yfQdl8nhFYL-anIWuOv6fnm9Pi-8icEh9nzLBBG7b~oe0vs3rpbu7yTDP3UYQyQlQbGyAM-xZj7-0dnQppkCq03kBwCjMZpYpehW0iHvJmQjAQq5abf1jZumkYGpcDWUx0cIT1bYY1rUSI41pWSWlL8gBxP8ZdV9A5OWwK5SKsQEaiqqV~UvG8oFRnXQmYxLUgH~caHsUvWIGOpRQbKk5OPs~gzSy0GAzxeIpkASfhBrOB8bJBDcu7tQSgA-uw1O5~o7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mitch Stange, speaking for the civic center, told the council the facility continues to have steady rentals and is becoming a regional option for small conventions and community events. Stange said weekends are heavily booked (many dates reserved a year in advance) and weekday business is a target for new marketing.

Key requests and updates included audiovisual upgrades, replacement of two air-conditioning/heating units (two others already repaired), continued replacement of aging tables and chairs (Stange cited roughly $20,000 of periodic replacements), and replacement of an exterior light pole (a planning estimate of about $7,000 was cited). Stange said the civic center works to remain a mid-priced option and takes steps to control wear-and-tear, including a $500 deposit for ceiling-hanging decorations and a $500 alcohol deposit to cover additional cleaning when required.

Technology and services: the chamber currently pays for building Wi-Fi (a 100-meg connection); staff described how bigger events can strain that service and said they are evaluating technology upgrades. Stange said the civic center and tourism staff are coordinating brochure distribution and marketing to attract midweek events; he reported a recent event drew about 300 regional attendees.

Finances: Stange said the civic center aims to recover credit-card convenience fees and expects the city and chamber to implement a convenience fee at the same time. He also noted the civic center contributes materially to the chamber\u0000s finances and that facility management remains an important revenue source for the chamber.

Stange invited councilmembers to tour the facility and said staff will include lighting and risk-management items in future work.","The civic center\u0000s manager briefed council on operations and a budget that includes audiovisual upgrades, two HVAC replacements, light-pole replacement and modest furniture replacement; bookings and revenue are reported as steady or up.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6511307,"Bay City tourism staff outlines marketing plan as advisory council member says manager post is missing from budget",1186,35200,1221945,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a&start=35&end=1221","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a/thumbnail_35200.jpg","/articles/6511307/Bay-City/Matagorda-County/Texas/Bay-City-tourism-staff-outlines-marketing-plan-as-advisory-council-member-says-manager-post-is-missing-from-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511307-3f6228e8f1cf9cdb60a4b6df17ca9c1e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178610&Signature=S6bm684-HJK7WgKJSesDH~SMmJ51LhZ-IIqBtg0ADUvjT6vkJoCFyiakTp0gklVhY9hwlrOrEiH8B3G0RLcpFBfGnC~mXPzw1HX-gyifG9xZcQWUz96brTtjJijuLKF69d0mmMRz6SVra7atcWxGiFg~fbx5a2p~n6p3KFPBsAEeHWY1~4J5WCsk3OaVEsaD32MpfKf5MW~kLb83Ozx1kXGl6c2NjA7Jb2VP3I8wamsMQ2C6lOO3VJfw5NpGkCVJWwEd-MhZzzW85adAB4sg7lcD2Oq-CmIxL0~aa7bf73xOLdUiRPGIoN0EgI8CbAGtvicWeRT2Ql98RXlKGxQuTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A tourism advisory council member told the Bay City council at a workshop that the tourism board was not briefed on the draft hotel-motel budget and that the budget presented contains no funding for a promised tourism manager. ‘‘We were told that we were considering a new tourism manager, and it was in the budget...If you look at the budget...there is no budget for a tourism manager,’’ Jessica Shepherd said during public comment, adding that the current arrangement leaves tourism duties split across multiple staff and volunteers.

City tourism staff presented planned uses for the hotel-motel fund, noting the fund is a special revenue account and that the city projects about $785,000 in hotel-tax revenue for the coming year. Staff said the fund has a healthy reserve (staff cited roughly $800,000 in fund balance after the latest audit) and that chapter 351 of the city\u0000s tax code limits allowable expenditures to defined tourism-related categories.

Planned initiatives: tourism presenter Samantha described several projects in the work plan, including producing a film series focused on downtown rehabilitation, distributing a new pocket visitor guide, hosting a hotelier roundtable, developing visitor itineraries, researching a larger marquee for the civic center, beginning a wayfinding project (contingent on city branding), expanding public-art displays, reestablishing ecotourism and arts subcommittees, hosting two art walks annually, and pursuing a travel influencer campaign. Samantha also said staff had contracted for market-data services to develop tourist personas and track where visitors come from and which points of interest they visit.

Short-term rentals and collections: staff said the city currently has only one short-term rental remitting hotel tax and that education and voluntary remittance agreements are part of a proposed outreach task force. Samantha noted platforms such as Airbnb can voluntarily collect and remit taxes; staff described outreach and potential audit options to increase compliance.

Other items: tourism staff said the city had seven sponsorship applicants approved for the October\u0010September year (eight total approvals including a prior meeting) and is expanding advertising into digital billboards, Texas Monthly digital placements and an expedition-television spotlight. Staff also noted Matagorda County received designation as the official \"birding capital of Texas,\" and the tourism office is developing a birding guide.

Public comment and questions: Shepherd said she and other tourism-advisory members had not been briefed as historically expected, and warned that countywide proposals for a separate tax could affect local tourism dollars. Councilmembers and staff discussed hotel-tax rules (staff said there are nine categories and a two-part test: the expenditure must benefit the hotel/convention industry and fit into an enumerated category).","Tourism staff presented a draft hotel-motel budget and marketing initiatives including a pocket guide, digital advertising, birding promotion and short-term-rental outreach; a tourism advisory council member said the budget lacks funding for a promised tourism manager.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6511312,"Bay City approves engineering design for Fifth Street waterline replacement",1053,3162185,4215445,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a&start=3162&end=4215","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5332764-1526ffa690d7fe11bee16f28c83bc41a/thumbnail_3162185.jpg","/articles/6511312/Bay-City/Matagorda-County/Texas/Bay-City-approves-engineering-design-for-Fifth-Street-waterline-replacement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511312-f60a1892596f0aa7718bdfe466340fe0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178610&Signature=LvE0hPHnFlsTDFpiYaT2SStppcslGXeiT95mkjyBOvnLfl1DLGdD5PVRy26h084NXdZkpsd1HJPWQ-~7pTjPGUsJXjvUE5PtduVbflPaDKNUR5LlN6JDS0ItBD0ctwi~QocOLqTs7BMGXpITCwX1DP6IccddThnOg8KTKldLs0X3rxjdNbUUJvmvXapUUhEaMeBEQ8owVBeIqELQRIz5sQrJKwUQMyUzCWeqqmEy0WQXnbPphkADaY2kPdJ3dhujXMLp92EqGIDYJgtEQXFELy99wcrW7plAOelG8HJEeZN72d8B4wjjmrU7lCTm7nODsWrRozCxsDcTtlE5c8Pmqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bay City council at a workshop meeting approved a scope of services with engineering firm Garber not to exceed $384,293 to design the full replacement of the 12-inch Fifth Street waterline between Avenue G and Norville Avenue.

The move follows a condition assessment that found widespread wall-thickness loss in the line. Jared Sinkowitz of Garber said the HydroMax inspection showed “more than 80% of the existing Fifth Street waterline has lost more than 25% of the original pipe material,” and recommended complete replacement rather than piecemeal repairs.

The recommendation rests in part on available state loan funding. City staff said $4,285,000 remains available from the 2023 Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) drinking-water SRF allocation for related projects. Garber\u0000s design-phase fee in the approved scope is $241,230, construction-phase services are estimated at $62,265, and additional local survey and geotechnical work was budgeted at $80,798, for a combined total not to exceed $384,293.

Why it matters: the line is a critical transmission corridor, and staff said a full replacement would reduce recurring repairs and simplify future upgrades. Garber\u0000s planning estimate for complete replacement of the 12-inch ductile-iron main is $2,283,000; a selective/partial replacement was estimated at roughly $1.9 million.

Design and schedule details: staff described a streamlined design-review process (30% and 90% reviews rather than a 60% step) to shorten the schedule. The city hopes to put the project out to bid in March–April 2026. Garber estimated construction duration at about 300 days; staff said the contractor would sequence work so that water service remains active and ties and fire plugs are addressed segment-by-segment. The presentation said the proposed replacement pipe would be PVC or HDPE, with an expected useful life on the order of decades (presentation cited about 100 years for modern plastic pipe).

Permits and coordination: presenters said the design team will coordinate early with the railroad, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and TxDOT where crossings and permits are required. Staff cautioned that agreements with third parties could require additional work once agency responses are known; any significant additional costs would be brought back to council.

Council action: a councilmember moved to approve the scope as presented by staff; a second followed. The council approved the scope by voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript; staff recorded the motion as carried.

Next steps: with council approval, Garber will begin the detailed design tasks in their scope and start contacting permitting agencies. Staff said they will return to council if coordination with external agencies creates material new costs or scope changes.","Council approved Garber\u0000s scope of work not to exceed $384,293 to design the full replacement of the deteriorated 12-inch Fifth Street waterline, using available Texas Water Development Board funding; construction is expected to be bid in early 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council reviews outside organizations' budget requests; EAC, museum, volunteer fire department and chamber highlighted

Civic Center manager reports steady bookings, requests modest capital and lighting upgrades

Bay City tourism staff outlines marketing plan as advisory council member says manager post is missing from budget

Bay City approves engineering design for Fifth Street waterline replacement