Aubrey joins nine other cities, including Pilot Point, in being recognized as an ElectriCity by the Independent Alliance of Electrical Industry.
Amanda Wozniak, the public policy specialist for IAEI, shared the organizations congratulations for the work Aubrey has done to earn the distinction.
'This designation isn't simply symbolic,' she said. 'It refl ects your leardership's decision to invest in the skills and capabilities of your inspection team, to align your permitting and inspection practices with nationally recognized pathways, and to put the safety of your residents and businesses front and center.'
She complimented the people who directly participated in the training and implementation of the practices.
'You guys have rock stars of an inspection team, and they really deserve the gratitude that you guys have and from the entire city,' Wozniak said.
The Aubrey City Council also approved agreements for engineering for several city projects at the Jan. 21 City Council meeting.
Those projects include for the Main Street Phase II Capital Improvement Project for $420,100, the 2025-26 Downtown Drainage Capital Improvement Plan Projects for $598,804, and the Blackjack and Magnolia Street Reconstruction Project for $510,565.
'We'll definitely need input from city council, from property owners and city staff as we design this improvement,' Assistant City Manager Leanne Wilson said of the Main Street project.
That will including parking, drainage, pedestrian access and landscaping.
For the drainage study, Wilson specified, the work will focus on public drainage and 'will not address any issues on private property.'
The Blackjack and Magnolia project 'schedule would be coordinated with the surface water delivery pump station and the sports complex.'
The council also approved a change order to the tune of $245,689.93 for the waste water treatment plant expansion project.
Director of Public Works Dean Rylant said the change will allow operators to have a switch at the grip chambers.
'See you got a fuel switch like you have at gas pumps and stuff for safety and operation,' he said.
It will also include the monorail crane and canopy as well as conveyor openings in the main water building.
The members also voted to accept a bid from VEC Services Group of $225,919.26 plus $1,200.00 for each replacement beam for two ground storage tanks, one on Hill Street and one on FM 428.
The crews won't know all of the beams that need to be replaced until they work on cleaning and painting the existing ones.
'Instead of getting the bid to replace all of them and then we don't have to, we have an item [for each individual one],' Rylant said.
The council also voted to reject the sole, overbudget and nonresponsive bid it received for the FM 428 sewer lift station improvements.
'This project was bid around the holidays, so taht could have had something to do with only receiving one bid,' Wilson said. In addition, the council approved the request from the Aubrey Municipal Development District to pay up to $70,000 to CSL for an MDD Hotel Product Development and Amateur Sports Facility Feasibility Study.
'The results of these studies will provide the MDD with necessary information and analysis to make informed decisions regarding a hotel product and amateur sports facility development, and provide strategic and informed approach to growing these markets and the most likely and suitable targets,' Aubrey MDD Executive Director Christine Gossett said.
A final plat and a site plan for office space use at 403 S. Main St. , which is on about seven acres, were also approved at the meeting.
The owner plans to 'convert the single family home into office space,' Wilson said.
Following an executive session, the council returned to a public session and voted unanimously to 'approve the terms of a 380 agreement for Project Anchor,' as well as 'the municipal utilities Tyler Technology Contract item from closed session, a motion to direct the City Manager to remove the contractual 3% transaction fee from the city’s fee schedule and bring an Ordinance back in February,' and to 'approve the purchase of downtown property for an amount within the range discussed in closed session,' City Secretary Jenny Hicks said.
