Mayor’s Column
AUGUST 2015
A little more than a year ago, the City of Heath issued the second round of bonds to fund the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) adopted by City Council in January 2014. The 2014 CIP includes over $20 million in trails, parks, streets and utilities projects that benefit the entire community.
This is an investment that we as Heath citizens are making together in our community, and I thought it would be a good time to provide a progress report. The good news is that under the 2014 CIP, seven projects have already been completed and include the Shepherds Glen Force Main and Gravity Sewer, the Woodbridge lift station, the Country Club Drive rehabilitation, the Amy Parks Driveway (Towne Center Park) and the Stoneleigh Pedestrian Crossing. The big task of relocating City utilities for the next phase of the TXDOT FM-740 reconstruction project has also been finished.
The even better news is that this has been accomplished so far with a savings of approximately $1 million from the original budget. The City Council works hard to be good stewards of our taxpayers’ dollars, and we will continue to be diligent in our efforts to deliver results with the best possible financial outcome. Thanks to the City’s prudent financial management through the years, the bonds issued last April were done so at a very favorable interest rate that extended our purchasing power.
This savings of approximately $1 million will allow us to further extend our ability to invest in the community by enabling us to complete other projects that were needed, but not included in the original CIP. This includes lighting for the City Hall parking lot, which has increased safety and convenience for citizens visiting Towne Center Park or attending evening meetings at City Hall, and additional improvements for the baseball field at Towne Center Park.
We have also seen significant savingd in the 1st phase of the Citywide Paving Repair program, which is included in the 2014 CIP. Thanks to a construction bid coming in less than anticipated, we will be able to add more streets to the list to be improved in the second phase of the project, which is scheduled to begin construction later this year.
These 2014 CIP projects completed and funded by the $20 million in bonds or cost savings are in addition to five CIP projects completed within the last year that were financed by previous funding. These accomplishments include our new Safe Routes to School Trails, the Buffalo Creek Trail repair along Horizon Road, a new lake wall at Terry Park, and several utility improvements needed to facilitate current and future residential and commercial development.
Learn more about each CIP project by viewing the interactive map offering details on all of the work completed, underway or in the design and planning stages.
I want to personally thank the City Council for having the foresight and fortitude to embark on an ambitious CIP in 2014 that benefits all of our citizens. While construction can present some inconvenience over the short term, we are all extremely excited about the long-term benefits these projects will bring as we improve Heath’s roads, parks, trails and water and sanitary sewer systems.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you during this exciting time of progress.
May God bless you and your family, and God bless Heath!
Lorne Liechty
City of Heath Mayor
