City administrator's letter lays out Hilltop Ranch deal, water tower plan and street rebuilds

Howe's city administrator used the first day of the new budget year to send residents a three-page rundown of where the town's growth, streets and water system stand.

In a letter dated Oct. 1 and posted on the city's website, City Administrator Monte Walker said the council had approved a larger budget while lowering the tax rate.

He wrote that the city has not taken on new debt affecting the tax rate since he started in late September 2023, but that borrowing will eventually be needed and the city has begun planning for it.

Developments in the pipeline

Walker listed projects at several stages:

• An amended development agreement with Hilltop Ranch, a 1,376-home development at Blythe Road between U.S. 75 and Texas 5, is in its final stages. A major convenience store has also held an initial meeting with the city about that location.
• The council recently approved an agreement with Astra Development for a 365-lot neighborhood along Texas 5 between Curtis Lane and Howe High School.
• Taco Bell has been approved to build, and grading is under way for Blue Spruce Market, which Walker noted is the name of a strip center on Ponderosa Road, not a grocery.
• Bane Machinery has started building next to Southwest Auction on the west side of U.S. 75. The first of 65 homes is going up at Talbott Estates on Old Highway 6, and Grace Meadows has infrastructure in for 51 lots on Rodeo Loop.
• Talks continue with Centurion American on later phases of Noble Ridge and with Impression Homes on a 700-home project on Smith Road near Clegg Street. A 350-home development with commercial space along FM 902, and a possible annexation on Enloe Road, are in early discussion.

Water and streets

Walker addressed complaints about water that turns yellowish when the city switches to surface water from the Greater Texoma Utility Authority.

The treated water and Howe's well water do not blend cleanly, he wrote, and the chemical levels set in McKinney have changed by the time the water reaches Howe, so Public Works adjusts them by hand daily and flushes hydrants when levels arrive off target. He said the water is tested daily and meets state standards.

The city is discussing a 1-million-gallon elevated storage tower on Old Patterson Road, which Walker said he expects to be funded through developer agreements rather than new debt. A partnership with BVRT-II is meant to handle sewer needs for new development, and he expects a short-term sewer contract with Sherman until that system is fully running.

Since 2023 the city has fully rebuilt streets including Duke Street, Blythe Road, Hall Cemetery Road and Swanner Drive rather than overlaying them, Walker wrote. After adding three police units, he said, the next priority is replacing fire department apparatus in phases.

Sources

cityofhowetx.gov

cityofhowetx.gov