Buda Begins Implementation of 2021 Buda Bonds

Feb. 24, 2022

BUDA, TEXAS – Buda City officials have begun mobilizing to initiate the implementation of the November 2021 general obligations bond projects by forming a Buda Bond Oversight Committee (BBOC) that will be charged with establishing the scope of bond projects and monitoring progress. The first meeting of this committee will be held Monday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building. During the November 2021 election, voters in the City of Buda approved a

$89.66 million bond package designed to improve transportation and parks and recreation.

The Buda Oversight Committee comprises 17 Buda residents and five alternates

that Buda City Council appointed during a Jan. 18 regular meeting. This ad hoc committee will ensure that the 2021 bond projects are implemented timely, effectively, transparently, fairly, and with quality and equity. The BBOC will meet regularly to help track bond expenditures, review procurement methods and evaluate project designs. In addition, the committee will add a layer of transparency to the bond implementation process as the meetings will be open to the public, and the agenda and minutes will be posted on the Buda Bonds website at www.budabonds.com. The website will be available to the public in the coming days.

The City has also opened solicitations for Bond Program Management Services, an entity that will provide professional consulting to help the City support management and implementation of the 2021 bond projects.

Bond Program Management Services will help administer bond funds, work to keep the design teams on target and on time, perform quality assurance for design and construction methods, and help with the overall management of the bond program. Once a firm is selected, the City will issue solicitations for design packages. A number of design teams will be brought on to ensure that all projects receive the attention to advance. During the design phase, project stakeholders will be invited to participate in scoping the project and discussing the construction sequencing. Neighborhood

meetings will be held with neighborhoods adjacent to projects and bond project workshops to allow residents to provide feedback. There are more than 13 transportation projects and six park and recreation projects; some of these will take months or years to complete depending on the project's complexity. However, the City of Buda will work diligently to provide bond updates throughout the bond's lifetime. Below you will find a list of Buda residents appointed by City Council to serve in the Buda Bond Oversight Committee and five alternatives. *Buda Economic Development Corp.

1.David Nuckels

2.Lori Moya

3.Ricardo Garay

4.Sarah Miller

5.Keith Hester

6.Krista Phillips

7.Theo Kosub

8.Tia Pair

9.Tish Burlund

10.Brandy Vela

11.Jaime Romine

12.Kimberly Goodman

13.Terry Carroll

14.Wendy Scott

15.Jay Heinrich

16.Betsy Urban (*BEDC rep.)

Alternate #1 – Cody Clayton

Alternate #2 – Mary Davis

Alternate #3 – Shane Phillips

Alternate #4 – Bradley Smelley

Alternate #5 – Sheryl Barcenas

Currently, the City of Buda is in the process of completing the $55 million bond package passed by voters during the November 2014 election for facilities, parks, trails, streets, and drainage improvements. As of February 2022, about 90% of all projects have been completed, only a few projects remain.

Some of the 2014 bond projects remaining include Project Area 1A; this construction project is set to create a flood relief channel from west of the railroad tracks near Buda Mill & Grain across FM 2770 to Onion Creek. PA1A is scheduled to be completed in the next 30 days; Project Area 1B is another drainage improvement project underway. The City expects to begin construction for this project in the fall of 2022 as design reviews with Union Pacific, permits, subsurface utility locates/relocates, and land/easement acquisition remain the most critical activities in the project.

For bond updates and more information about workshops and Bond Oversight Committee meetings, visit www.budabonds.com. If you have specific questions about the 2021 bonds, please contact Deputy City Manager Micah Grau at mgrau@ci.buda.tx.us.

The City of Buda is home to about 18,000 residents and has earned designations as a “Texas Main Street City,” “Tree City USA,” “Bee City Affiliate” and “Platinum-Level Scenic City.” Buda is situated along the Interstate 35 corridor, has 14 parks and a historic downtown district where residents and visitors alike can shop, dine, relax, and breathe easy here.

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Buda Voters Give Major Support to Bond Package

Nov. 03, 2021

• Transportation and Parks Projects Pass

• Position 3 At-Large Headed to Runoff Election

BUDA, TEXAS – With 47 of 47 boxes reporting in an unofficial tally, Buda voters supported the Buda general obligation bond package totaling $89.66 million in a landslide.

Voters approved Proposition A, comprised of transportation and mobility projects, with 74.31% in favor of the bonds, while 25.69% of residents voted against it. Proposition B, comprised of parks and recreation projects, experienced significant support also with 63.39% of voters favoring the bonds and 36.61% opposed.

Additionally, two City Council candidates appear to be headed for a runoff election. Position 3 At Large candidate LaVonia Horne-Williams is leading two other candidates with 49.11% of the vote, followed by Emily Jones with 33.87% and Virginia Jurika with 17.01%. If official results show no candidate reaches 51%, a runoff election between the top two candidates (possibly Horne-Williams and Jones) will be held Dec. 7, 2021. Incumbent council member Paul Daugereau faced no opposition.

Vote tallies are unofficial until canvassing has been completed on Monday, Nov. 15.

“A win on the Buda Bond package is a win for the citizens of Buda. We needed these transportation projects so that we can begin alleviating some of the congestion the City is experiencing with this growth,” Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky said, adding, “The parks projects also will bring added value to the living experience Buda offers.”

“In the City’s recently adopted Strategic Plan, our mission includes ‘managed growth,’” City Manager Kenneth Williams said, adding, “We understand that Buda has become a sought-after destination, and we have to be prepared to manage the growth and maintain a quality-of-life environment that people have come to expect when they think about Buda. So, both of these bond propositions were very important to our community.”

The proposed transportation projects involve Old Black Colony Road reconstruction, West Goforth Road reconstruction, Overpass Road / FM 2001 intersection improvements, RM 967 acceleration and deceleration lanes and right turn onto FM 1626 expansion, Austin Street reconstruction, FM 2770 / Main Street / China Street pedestrian connection, Talley Loop rehabilitation, an I-35 to Old San Antonio Road connector, Middle Creek Drive rehabilitation, SH-45 / Bailey East-West Corridor, and other future small mobility improvements and to be “shovel ready” for potential grant funding with improvements for streets, roads, bridges, and intersections, including related utility relocation, sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, purchase of necessary rights-of-way, design and management costs, required equipment, and drainage, comprising about $73.57 million of the overall cost. Buda City Engineer John Nett said, “We are ready. Our staff is so excited to know that because our voters weighed in, we will have the resources to begin implementing the improvements necessary for safe and more efficient roadways in Buda!”

The remaining $16.09 million of the costs are related to parks and recreation projects for Garlic Creek Trail Phase II, Eastside Park, Onion Creek Trail, Green Meadows Park / Stoneridge Park, City Park parking and Garison Park Phase I, and includes land acquisition, design costs, required equipment and drainage. “The improvements and acquisitions that are being made possible by the passage of these bonds will really enhance Buda’s parks and trails system,” Buda Director of Parks and Recreation Greg Olmer said.

Projects that were considered for inclusion in the bond referendum were reviewed by a City Council-appointed Buda Bond Advisory Council (BBAC). The BBAC was charged with reviewing the City of Buda’s master plans, community surveys, capital improvement plans, and other documents; analyzing potential projects for consideration in a bond election for constructability, cost, and public benefit; and recommending a slate of projects to the City Council for consideration.

The City of Buda is home to about 18,000 residents and has earned designations as a “Texas Main Street City,” “Tree City USA,” “Bee City Affiliate” and “Platinum-Level Scenic City.” Buda is situated along the Interstate 35 corridor, has 14 parks and a historic downtown district where residents and visitors alike can shop, dine, relax, and breathe easy here.

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