Crowley City Council committees on Dec. 16 moved to award a series of materials and supply contracts and approved multiple contractor payments while reserving retainage pending final inspections.

City Engineer Tim Mader presented a 30-page bid tabulation compiled jointly with the parish covering materials and supplies for a 12-month contract term beginning Feb. 1, 2026. "I'm gonna recommend that you award it all, award it all," Mader said, adding that awarding contracts does not obligate purchases and preserves the city's option to buy from awarded suppliers.

Council members put a motion on the floor to accept the engineer's recommendation and voted to approve the awards. The motion carried after discussion confirming that the city would not be required to purchase goods simply because a contract is awarded.

On separate action items, the council approved Partial Payment No. 1 for a near-complete project in the amount of $1,534,677.50; City Engineer Mader said the project is roughly 90% complete by cost while the city reserves retainage for final inspection and unresolved punch-list items. "We reserve labor material liens, and we also reserve some amount in case we see some things during the final inspection that need to be done that we don't want to pay for till they're done," Mader said.

Zoning and annexation approved a payment and minor time extension for Cody Construction to furnish and install about 40 feet of 21-inch corrugated metal pipe to replace a corroded culvert and add 15 calendar days to the contract. The public buildings committee approved Partial Payment No. 13 to Prestigious Construction Group for the parking pavilion project in the amount of $141,602.16.

Council also approved renewal paperwork for liquor licenses listed in the packet for 2025–2026 and discussed the timeline for any late applicants, noting that businesses that miss the next meeting must wait until January for consideration.

What happens next: retained funds and any final inspections or contract disputes will be resolved through the city's standard retainage and contract-review procedures; attorneys indicated they will review contract claims raised during discussion.

Votes and formal actions at a glance: award materials contracts per the engineer's 30-page tabulation (motion carried); Partial Payment No. 1 — $1,534,677.50 (approved); Cody Construction culvert work and time extension (approved); Partial Payment No. 13 to Prestigious Construction Group — $141,602.16 (approved); liquor-license renewals for listed establishments (approved).