AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2025-147R, approving an Interlocal Agreement with Hays County providing the cost sharing in the amount of $6,150.00 each for professional services to prepare an Operation and Maintenance Plan for Five Mile Dam as part of the transfer of ownership from Hays County to the City; authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, to execute the agreement on behalf of the City; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: August 19, 2025
Department: Parks and Recreation
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: $6,150
Account Number: 10003172.52230
Funds Available: Yes
Account Name: Professional Services
Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: City Council approved Resolution 2024-229R approving a sales contract with Hays County for the City’s purchase of the Five Mile Dam Park property on November 19, 2024.
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Background Information:
The City Council and Hays County have entered into a Sales Contract for the City’s purchase of the Five Mile Dam Park area. This area specifically includes the Five Mile Dam soccer fields (43 acres), Dudley Connaly Jay Park (16.5 acres), and Randall Wade Vetter Park (18 acres of riverfront property). The use of these properties shall remain dedicated to recreational park and open space purposes in perpetuity.
Five Mile Dam was constructed in 1931 by the State Game, Fish and Oyster Commission (now known as Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) to impound the Blanco River. The dam’s intended purposes included supporting fish propagation, enhancing the scenic character of the area, contributing to soil conservation, and expanding recreational opportunities for the public. According to the National Inventory of Dams, the structure underwent its most recent documented modification or rehabilitation in 1964; however, the specific nature and extent of those improvements are not clearly documented.
During the due diligence period, Hays County ordered an inspection of Five Mile Dam, which was completed by Freese and Nichols. The inspection did not recommend any repairs, either minor or major, to the structure but did recommend the creation of an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Plan.
The O&M Plan will outline the guidelines for the operation and maintenance of Five Mile Dam. Its purpose is to provide standard procedures for the proper care of the dam during routine operations and regular maintenance. The plan will be developed in accordance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) dam safety guidelines. Proper O&M is essential for the dam to function as designed and to continue providing protection to downstream residents.
While the Sales Contract requires Hays County to make any necessary repairs identified in the Inspection Report, it does not obligate the County to fund any additional items related to the dam. Since the O&M Plan is mutually beneficial for the ongoing care and operation of the dam, cost-sharing in the development of the plan is being requested by staff.
The Hays County Commissioner’s Court approved the attached Interlocal Agreement related to the preparation of the O&M Plan for Five Mile Dam on July 29, 2025. The plan will be developed by Freese and Nichols at a total cost of $12,300. The City’s participation is $6,150, which is currently available within the Parks and Recreation Department’s Professional Services budget.
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