Reporting By Amy Meyer / Mineral Wells Area News
The Palo Pinto County Municipal Water District No. 1 approved necessary road repairs on Farm Road 4 during its Friday meeting, with construction scheduled to begin October 28 on a deteriorating stretch of roadway the district inherited from the state.
The board authorized a contract of $12,990 to repair damaged sections near the 10,400 block of FM 4 north of Santo, including $4,000 for traffic control personnel who will direct one-way traffic during the work. The southbound lane will be closed during repairs.
The project required the board to deviate from its purchasing policy, which mandates competitive bidding for contracts over $10,000. District Manager Howard Huffman told board members only one contractor is currently available to handle the specialized repairs.
“We only have one contractor on the loop right now to do these kinds of repairs,” Huffman said, explaining the timing of the project.
The repairs highlight ongoing challenges since the district acquired FM 4 from the Texas Department of Transportation. According to records Huffman obtained through an open records request, TxDOT last spent money maintaining the stretch of FM 4 from Palo Pinto to the Interstate 20 in 2015 a total of $49,000.
“So yeah, there’s pieces of that road that have been neglected,” Huffman said.
Huffman explaned this repair is part of an overall plan devised when planning the 2026 budget after the district met with County Commissioners in August to identify, prioritize and develop a repair and maintenance schedule for the road.
Huffman said he is creating a comprehensive prioritization list for additional road repairs to identify the most critical sections. Future repair projects, some likely exceeding $10,000, will be brought before the board as funding becomes available.
Board President David Turk noted TxDOT had set aside $13 million for repairs in 2022 but never completed the work before transferring the road to the district.
Drought Concerns Return
In other business, Huffman warned directors that Stage 1 drought restrictions could be triggered as early as Nov. 11, though the timeline could extend further depending on rainfall. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts average precipitation chances for November and December.
“Stage one is not earth-shattering. It’s the first trigger point to draw a contingency plan, but we have an obligation to follow that plan,” Huffman said.
Utilities Superintendent David Morgan reported water usage has increased to approximately 2.75 million gallons daily from the Hilltop facility. In anticipation of recent rainfall, the district closed valves at Palo Pinto Lake and shut down pumps at the Brazos River pump station.
Lake Safety Measures
The board also addressed missing navigation buoys on Palo Pinto Lake, with Huffman reporting that four buoys disappeared during high water events in May and June. The district has ordered replacements and will add 20-foot drag chains to prevent future losses.
Huffman said he contacted game wardens after receiving reports of boats illegally tying up to regulatory buoys. The six missing buoys will cost approximately $3,000 to replace.
“That is a state law that cannot tie up to a regulatory buoy,” Huffman said.
An additional buoy will be installed near the Bluff Creek boat ramp at citizens’ request to help control boat wakes in the area.
The board also received updates on water infrastructure projects, including pressure testing of water lines at a new housing development called The Wells and utility installation at Blackbird Estates, a 48-home development off FM 379 near the airport.
The district’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 21.