City of Bellaire Activity – Quick Updates

Items for various City proposals and meetings considered to be of importance will be posted, plus links to information on the City website when available.

7/26/2026: Fire at Pont Alba Apartments on Saturday, July 25, 2026 – KHOU website

Bellaire 2027 Proposed Budget – Presentation on July 20, 2026 to City Council – pgs 15-231 of the Agenda.

Please Take The Parks Survey

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6/25/2026: A New City Logo? What Do You Think?

Since the Cityseems determined to go with a Trolley Logo here are some suggestions from the Cultural Arts Board. What do you think? BTW, the Bellaire was founded in 1908. My vote goes to the bottom one, with the water tower, home, gazebo, etc.  The period to comment on the logos ended July 15, 2026.

6/15/2026: Over $21 Million In Bonds Approved By City Council on June 15, 2026

Per City Council on June 15, 2026 Meeting: The City of Bellaire is renovating the Glenmont property purchased in March 2025 for $6,897,788. It will be used for police impound operations, Parks and Recreation field crews, and Facilities Department storage. The purchase was funded in 2025 by $7 million in Certificates of Obligation (COs) COs do not require approval by Bellaire voters.

PGAL was contracted in June 2025 for architectural and engineering design services for the renovation for $630,000. The scope of work will be a new roof, updated MEP/IT systems, façade refresh, parking, fencing, lighting, and landscaping. About 10,000 sq ft of conditioned office space, the rest will be warehouse/storage. The cost is estimated at an additional $8,700,000, to be paid by more Certificates of Obligation. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 and final cost for the new location will run around $16.3 million. Debt service for the COs will be paid from ad valorem taxes and utility rates.

At the June 15, 2026 Council meeting Council also passed the sale of General Obligation Bonds, Series 2026 sale in the amount of $12,500,000 to fund improvements to the City’s drainage system. The requested issuance of $12,500,000 is a portion of the $70,000,000 General Obligation Bond authority, and will be used for projects, including demolition of the Bellaire Wastewater Plant and connection to the City of Houston plant.

1) Refund of previously funded contracts using enterprise fund balance: $1,028,520 (HDR work orders 3,4, and 5)
2) Engineering/professional services of decommissioning the wastewater treatment plant:
$1.7M
3) Lift station and force main connection to Houston: $5.5M
4) Demolition of PW laydown yard and buildings: $2M
5) FY 2027 CIP projects below: $1.9M
o SCADA software 
o Water storage tanks rehab
o Alternative analysis of Bellaire Lift Station
o Feld Park water plant generator

Outstanding debt in 2025 is $92.3 million. Find information on City Debt in Texas here: https://data.brb.texas.gov/local/city/

5/29/2026: Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher has been busy submitting requests fof 2027 appropriations in District 7:

For the City of Bellaire, $1,459,492 to purchase a fully equipped Metro Spartan Star Engine. For the City of Bellaire, $2,000,000 to support the design and construction of four storm sewer connections to the recently installed 10’x 8’ box storm sewer constructed by the Texas Department of Transportation along the I-610 Southbound Frontage Road from Terminal St. to Glenmont Dr.

5/9/2026: Catch Up With Bellaire’s Capital Projects Here

Not detailed in the Capital Projects items is the land swap between the city of Bellaire and the city of Houston for Bellaire’s portion of Ruffino Hills. In May of 2025 Council approved the exchange of Ruffino Hills, valued at over $10 million, to Houston in exchange for three (3) City of Houston Tracts (13.15 acres) to be used for future detention areas + Houston’s agreement to treat the City of Bellaire’s wastewater + a payment of $5,140,000 to Houston from the balance of the Ruffino Hills sale/swap.

5/7/2026: City of Bellaire Announces New Police Chief Jason D. Hester 

The City of Bellaire is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason D. Hester as the new Chief of Police. Chief Hester joins Bellaire from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), bringing with him nearly three decades of distinguished public service and leadership experience.

City of Bellaire Election Results  – May 2, 2026 for City Council: Todd Thurber.

4/12/2026: Evergreen Park – $10 Million?

A City Council Workshop will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026, in the BLIFE room in City Hall. Find the Agenda here, Item B2 concerns Evergreen Park.  Could $10 million cost be under discussion? Find some background below:

• More Costs? Renovate The New Public Works Relocation And Plans For Evergreen Park (from March, 2025)
• Evergreen Park Survey – 2024 – of interest are Complex Priority and Fundraising.
• P A R K S M A S T E R P L A N  – C I T Y O F B E L L A I R E – 2 0 1 5 – 2 0 2 5

9/30/2025: Where does Bellaire stand on bonded debt and annual debt service? Based on the 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for City of Bellaire,

• FY 2025 BELLAIRE BONDED DEBT  $ 95,898,689
• FY 2025 BELLAIRE DEBT SERVICE  $   9,742,901

Debt per the State of Texas website TEXAS BRB DATA CENTER.
Bellaire residents approved $70 million in bond issues in 2024, to be applied to the costs for Cypress Ditch and demolition of the Bellaire wastewater treatment plant. As of March, 2026, plans are in place to begin work on these projects, and some of the $70 mllion in bonds may be approved for sale. 

2/16/2026: City Council meeting of February 16, 2026 re the drainage project. Start about 1:10 into the meeting. And the WWTP is still planned for demolition. Of interest, Agenda item H.2.a.: Harris County Flood Control District’s (the District) contribution of $15,000,000 and 8.1 acft of stormwater detention mitigation to the City of Bellaire in support of the Cypress Ditch Regional Flood Mitigation Project (the Project).