[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-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],{"_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",6509259,"mediaKeyId","5442481-751d629ca0b9f13899477e1c5952140f","parentId",5442481,"title","Bay City council approves schematic design and $20 million max budget for public safety center","audioSeconds",3553,"startMs",617000,"endMs",4170000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442481-751d629ca0b9f13899477e1c5952140f&start=617&end=4170","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442481-751d629ca0b9f13899477e1c5952140f/thumbnail_617000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6509259/Bay-City/Matagorda-County/Texas/Bay-City-council-approves-schematic-design-and-20-million-max-budget-for-public-safety-center","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509259-57feb134142a0ee7905eaf232c64b7b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136197&Signature=F8nVwSlx0CKS9MiuFVRk7FazP5W9IojhucNXFJmy5BNZqCqgyC1ofqGNo9UHNVOTg6bv7aD3DIrX8akkKOO3gfE8UwRoZHIb844uweKYsvXFM3RdR-gI-YMaSp2El5w59IalYEpLqqITvCDtHFwE5YMQjt-09VusRSJc6iKKNIKaDU5uu0QUM8JuC~AYNLyKxMobxVx3hccJHhUZVTfCgPCiU4a446120qCx4CTgWBOAsz03pQqhxaTOqB~joDirBSzEXL276x9IBrP4DPFmCYW0NPUu8jEjtFNcklzd7UPR9adcGOKv5o6XsDtbad9CQHx5QE4K~5Uk59VvqMcjvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bay City","date","2025-07-22T00:00:00Z","article","Bay City Council voted to approve schematic design option B for a proposed public safety center and to set a maximum total project budget of $20 million that includes the municipal court as an included alternate the council can later remove. The approval allows the city's architects to proceed to full design and prepare construction bid documents.

City staff presented the project and recommended design option B, which removes a central courtyard and reduces some exterior and parking scope to lower costs. Scotty, a city staff member leading the project presentation, said the design would reuse the former Kmart building, produce about 40,000 square feet of space and leave roughly \"just under 8,000\" square feet of blank space for future use.

Scotty described the financing context and cost ranges. The presentation listed a hard-construction cost range near $16.5 million to $18 million, soft costs around $2 million, and an all-in project estimate that staff described at different points as mid/high $18 million up to about $20 million; a later consolidated range presented to council was about $19.1 million to $20.9 million when municipal court build-out is included. Scotty said site acquisition was not included in the all-in total; staff said the community development corporation contributed $1,000,000 toward acquisition and the city's contribution was about $750,000.

Architects from Weaver and Jacobs (present remotely) and city staff said the municipal court could be bid as an alternate so that, if bids come back high, the council could remove the court build-out before final bonding. Scotty told council the municipal court build-out would reduce the project cost by roughly $1.5 million if removed as an alternate.

Scotty and Donald Coronado (Texas Health Benefits) appeared earlier in the meeting; for the public safety item, the council heard from architects (identified as Bridal/Brendan and Brian) and a project finance discussion involving staff and council members. The architect noted that a 100% design-development cost estimate is expected to tighten the cost range later in the fall; staff said a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and final contractor recommendation would return to council after bidding, with bids currently targeted for March 2026 and a GMP to follow.

Council discussed funding options including grants, new market tax credits and sponsorships. Scotty said the project may be eligible for new market tax credits and that a conservative estimate of potential new market tax credit funding was roughly $2.5 million, subject to securing appropriate partners and agreements. Staff stressed the timing uncertainty for grants and tax-credit proceeds and said any outside funds realized before bonding could reduce the bond amount; funds realized afterward could be used to pay down debt or support other projects.

On financing, staff said the city previously issued $7 million in bonds in February 2024 and discussed a $5 million issue referenced in the meeting record; staff also stated that with current maturities and interest assumptions the city could borrow up to about $17 million without raising the city's interest-and-sinking (I&S) tax rate. Several council members voiced discomfort with the project price but agreed delaying further would likely increase costs; one council member summarized the choice as moving forward now or paying more later.

A councilmember moved to approve a maximum project budget of $20,000,000 including the municipal court (with authority to remove the court as an alternate later); another councilmember seconded. The council voted in favor and the motion carried. Staff stressed the vote authorized Phase 2 (full design) work and did not authorize final bonding or a guaranteed maximum price; those items will return to council after design and bidding work narrows costs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bay City - City Council Workshop - Jul 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved schematic design option B and set a $20 million maximum project budget to allow full design and bidding; municipal court inclusion was approved as an alternate that can be removed when bids return.","taxTitle","Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas","taxId",69557,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6509265,"Bay City council approves 3% renewal for employee medical plans",0,883000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442481-751d629ca0b9f13899477e1c5952140f&start=883&end=883","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442481-751d629ca0b9f13899477e1c5952140f/thumbnail_883000.jpg","/articles/6509265/Bay-City/Matagorda-County/Texas/Bay-City-council-approves-3-renewal-for-employee-medical-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509265-45648ae27ad513cd3f2cfa5a891fa95c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136197&Signature=h6qu4dJzWx6JWnQ0lx-mu2wssdQ8QkIUrmF1QAS5lT8fF3zFQVZd0c-ZiIaPSazrRFC8wv07wCAqtduUvFHX7WqAqgl4qQmGeIHdngcqAHyfRa2UL7Kx7wQ95cRVBrgjo5nMLTetKXWklHeEWXhW9TiSJmindsL~d8QuCh5V4XqhfpZuZYhXfKfQTPlcJfbEEbnu~n42dwhrUaNdP~h-fGoZpJF3m~IIFXmF3FcqFTD3OYm0vXNjVqdcRJULpVW16BfxY55QfcXfli5u7jilXy69I7DkPXNFaYSQxK33huHMbuWmM45IfZCExOxHDx1XOFgnT40C~KhTaP9d9OZ65w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bay City Council approved a 3% renewal for the city's medical plans on a motion and second during its meeting. The council voted to continue with the city's employer pool for medical coverage and to keep dental, vision and life insurance premiums unchanged.

City staff presented the recommendation. Rhonda Clay, a city staff member, told the council the pool delivered earlier renewals and lower volatility than prior fully insured renewals, saying, \"No hassle. No back and forth. It was actually quite refreshing.\" The staff packet recommended remaining with the pool and approving a 3% increase in medical plan rates.

The renewal will increase the city's medical plan costs by about $43,000 in total; staff estimated roughly a 60/40 split between the general fund and the utility fund, or about $26,000 to the general fund and $13,000 to the utility fund. Clay said the ancillary benefits'dental, vision and life'will have no premium changes.

Donald Coronado, a Texas Health Benefits representative, explained how the pool spreads large claims across a bigger membership and reduces year-to-year swings. He said the city's 12-month loss ratio was about 113% and that placing large claimants in the pool helped bring renewal rates down: \"the pool really grabbed that and brought it back down to the plus 3. Really helped you guys out.\" Coronado described the pool mechanism as absorbing high-cost claim shocks that could otherwise cause large single-year increases.

Staff also read monthly premium changes for employees and dependents. For the HMO plan, staff reported no change to employee-only premiums; approximate monthly increases for dependents were $4.62 for spouse coverage, $4.00 for employee + child and $6.71 for family coverage. For the PPO plan, staff reported approximate monthly increases of $4.70 for employee-only, $9.54 for employee + spouse, $8.27 for employee + child and about $13.87 for family coverage. Staff characterized the per-employee changes as small.

Council members asked about employee satisfaction and the split of the increased cost between funds; staff and the Texas Health representative answered questions on loss ratios, pool mechanics and premium amounts. The council moved, seconded and voted to approve the recommendation to renew the city's participation in the pool and the 3% medical increase.

The approval directs staff to implement the renewed benefits plan and to continue ancillary plans at current premiums. Staff did not present a separate ordinance or further conditions at the time of the vote.","Council approved renewal of the city's employee benefits plan, keeping ancillary coverage unchanged; staff said the pool reduced volatility and limited the city's increase to about $43,000 total.","actionData","errors"]

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Bay City council approves schematic design and $20 million max budget for public safety center

Bay City council approves 3% renewal for employee medical plans