Title
Conduct a public hearing to approve a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pflugerville, Texas finding there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of a portion of the City of Austin Southern Walnut Creek Trail of the Walnut Creek Greenbelt for the construction of a new pipeline as part of the Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line project and finding that all reasonable planning has been done to minimize harm to said parkland.
Summary
The Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line Project requires property acquisition, including the acquisition of a temporary and permanent construction easement necessary to construct the project. The pipeline is routed through City of Pflugerville, Travis County and City of Austin with numerous crossings of streets, creeks, waterways, parks and trails. Easement acquisitions for the Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line Project includes both private and public lands. The new 42-inch diameter pipeline will be installed parallel and adjacent to the existing 30-inch pipeline within the existing permanent utility easement. The consultant team has evaluated alternate routes and it has been determined that parallel construction within the existing easement is most feasible and prudent. This item supports the Infrastructure pillar of the City's Strategic Plan for robust and resilient infrastructure.
The City submitted the design plans for the project to the City of Austin for permit review and the Park staff stipulated that the project be submitted to comply with the State's Chapter 26 process. The process is based in the State of Texas Statute for Parks and Wildlife Code, Title, 3. Parks; Chapter 26 - Protection of Parks and Recreational Land; which stipulates the process and hearing requirements to protect park lands, recreational area, recreation area, scientific area, wildlife refuge, or historic site. The Statute applies to the Secondary Colorado River Raw Waterline project for the pipeline segments routed through the City of Austin Southern Walnut Creek Trail of the Walnut Creek Greenbelt.
The provisions included in Chapter 26 are to ensure protection of the public parklands. Staff continues to coordinate with the City of Austin, Travis County, property acquisition agent, in addition to hosting monthly coordination meetings with the engineering design team for the Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line Project.
The City will send this resolution with its petition filing and anticipates that an agreement will be reached without proceeding to condemnation.
Prior City Council Action
City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Freese and Nichols, Inc., in the amount of $7,309,766 for design of the Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line project on February 2022.
City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Seven Arrows Land Staff, LLC., in the amount of $618,750 for right-of-way services for Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line Project on February 28, 2021.
City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with CP&Y, Inc. dba STV for professional Services associated with the Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line Project in the amount $1,430,440 on May 26, 2022
Deadline for City Council Action
Augusts 22, 2023.
Supporting documents attached:
Draft Resolution
Recommended Action
Approving a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pflugerville, Texas finding there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of a portion of the City of Austin Southern Walnut Creek Trail of the Walnut Creek Greenbelt for the construction of a new pipeline as part of the Secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line project and finding that all reasonable planning has been done to minimize harm to said parkland.