Mineral Wells Area News

Reporting By Gary Norman | Mineral Wells Area News

The Mineral Wells City Council received an update on a proposed $120 million water treatment plant project, reviewed the city’s financial position, and canceled the upcoming May election due to unopposed candidates during its March 3 meeting.

Engineers with HDR Engineering presented an early design update on the Hilltop Water Treatment Plant Improvement Project, which is funded through the Texas Water Development Board and is intended to modernize and expand the city’s water treatment capacity.

The plant currently produces about 3 million gallons of drinking water per day. Earlier projections estimated Mineral Wells would require production capacity of 16 million gallons per day by 2040 to meet peak demand and regulatory requirements. After further evaluation, that estimate has been revised to 12 million gallons per day as a cost-saving measure.

Cory Shockley and Ashley Eastman of HDR Engineering said the project remains in the early conceptual design phase, where three options are being considered: expanding the existing plant, developing a hybrid system combining the current plant with a new facility, or constructing an entirely new plant.

After reviewing cost and operational factors such as water quality targets, reliability, expandability and ease of maintenance, HDR recommended reconstruction of the existing plant.

The conceptual estimate places construction costs at approximately $120.8 million for a facility capable of producing 12 million gallons per day, assuming the city uses a Construction Manager At Risk delivery method. Under that approach, the construction manager assumes much of the risk associated with cost escalation.

Because the project remains in the conceptual stage, engineers said the estimate could vary widely, with a potential range from 35 percent below the projected cost to as much as 60 percent above it.

Council Member Charles Ramsey questioned the wide estimate range.

“Obviously there is a huge, almost ninety-five percent range there; how can we trust this?” Ramsey asked.

Shockley said the estimate will become more accurate as the design progresses.

“So, as you get further into design, and as those things are formed up, then you can get closer to what it is going to be,” Shockley said. “But we don’t know what that is yet because we haven’t designed it.”

City Manager Jason Weeks asked whether firmer estimates could be developed sooner. Shockley said more reliable projections should be available later this year when the project reaches the 30 percent design phase.

Palo Pinto County Municipal Water District No. 1 General Manager Howard Huffman also encouraged city leaders not to rush the planning process.

“It is not something we rush,” Huffman said. “We push for the best schedule possible, but getting too far out ahead of our skis could be a bad idea.”

The presentation also addressed the related Brazos Pump Station and Pipeline Project, which will upgrade the raw water conveyance system supplying the treatment plant. Those improvements are currently estimated to cost about $39.4 million.

The council also received a financial update from Chief Financial Officer and Assistant City Manager Aaron Bovos comparing budget projections to actual results from the city’s recently released Fiscal Year 2025 audit.

Bovos said the city measures financial health through fund balance in the General Fund and cash and investments in the Water and Sewer Fund.

For FY 2025, the General Fund had been projected to experience a deficit of $943,858 with an ending fund balance of $7.19 million. Actual results were stronger than expected, with a deficit of $437,562 and an ending balance of $7.71 million.

Looking ahead to FY 2026, the city’s budget anticipates using $1.54 million in fund balance, resulting in an estimated ending balance of $6.17 million. Bovos noted that about $1 million of that planned spending is allocated toward park improvements.

The Water and Sewer Fund also performed better than expected. While the budget projected a $551,218 net cash deficit with an ending balance of $940,507, the actual results showed a net positive of $2.32 million and an ending balance of $3.81 million.

Bovos said the improvement was largely due to the $8.1 million received from Palo Pinto County Municipal Water District No. 1 related to the reverse osmosis plant.

The FY 2026 budget projects a net positive of $7.27 million in the Water and Sewer Fund with an ending balance of $8.69 million. Bovos said a mid-year budget adjustment will be required to account for timing differences between budget reporting and accounting reporting related to the $8.1 million payment.

In other business, the council approved participation in the Local Government Investment Cooperative, a State of Texas-sponsored program that allows municipalities to invest public funds in investment pools designed to provide safety, liquidity and competitive returns.

The council also adopted two financial policies: an Expense and Expenditure Policy establishing procedures for spending controls and financial oversight, and a Grant Management Policy outlining processes for identifying, applying for and administering grant funding.

City Council also approved an ordinance canceling the May 2 city election because all candidates were unopposed. The ordinance declared Mayor Regan Johnson, Ward 1 Council Member Beth Watson and Ward 3 Council Member Jonathon Rusher elected. The oath of office ceremony will take place during the May 5 city council meeting.

Council members later convened in executive session to discuss sixteen potential business prospects. No action was taken after returning to open session, and the meeting was adjourned.

During the meeting, the council also recognized the Mineral Wells Police Department’s 2025 year-end award recipients:

• Supervisor of the Year — Lieutenant Brian Boetz

• Officer of the Year — Detective Melissa Patino

• Rookie of the Year — Officer Travis Adkins

• Dispatcher of the Year — Shoney Rollins

• Civilian Employee of the Year — ACO Nathan Groce

• Citizen of the Year — DJ Juan Saucedo

• Business of the Year — La Estrella Mexican Restaurant

To view a recording of the meeting, visit the City of Mineral Wells CivicClerk meeting page.

To review the agenda and supporting documents, visit the City’s CivicClerk portal.

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