Following discussions during the Jan. 17 meeting, Sachse City Council received an amended plan for Bailey Road, moving one step closer to a final design in the process.

That 2021 bond project and the 2022 audit were the lone non-consent agenda items considered by councilmembers during their Monday, March 6, meeting.

Director of CIP and Public Works Corey Nesbit presented an amended design that accounted for several suggestions made by residents and council during the Jan. 17 meeting. The new plan moved the proposed road five feet west, meaning that it is on average 50 feet away from homes on the west side of the street and 55 feet away from those on the east side.

The new road will also have sidewalks running along both sides, a center median to help keep traffic slower and an expanded width to 29 feet from the 24 feet in its current state, said Nesbit. The original proposal had a width of  37 feet.

David Teasdale, a resident living along Bailey Road, said he was impressed with the feedback implemented by staff in the new proposal.

“I want to thank you for listening,” Teasdale said. “The proposed changes show a substantial amount of compromise.”

Several councilmembers indicated that they were comfortable moving forward with the project, citing the potential for increased cost and the need to act quickly on fixing a road that has become well-known for its poor condition at times.

In other business, the city’s finance department was recognized with a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting before the presentation of the 2022 audit results. 

The city’s auditing manager, Louis Breedlove, said the city has about $15.9 million in unassigned fund balance, which would cover 81% of the city’s operating expenses in the event revenues dried up. Standard practice calls for cities to maintain around 25% to 30%, which is enough to cover nearly three months of expenditures without revenue.

For the full story, see the March 16 issue of The Sachse News.