Schertz City Council approved a $513,900 construction contract with RL Jones for the construction of the Bell North Drive Sewer Project on Feb. 17.

The details: Although the construction contract is $513,900, the council authorized an expenditure of up to $575,000 for the project. The construction contract is being funded through the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, and Sewer Reserves will fund the project, according to agenda documents.

The Bell North Drive Sewer Project will eliminate individual grinder pumps at each business in that area and allow for a gravity collection system. This will be more efficient and easier for public works crews to maintain, agenda documents state.

The city's goal is to complete construction ahead of a proposed street surface improvement project, which supports council's strategic objective of maintaining wastewater and transportation infrastructure, agenda documents state.

A local healthcare agency is recognizing a big milestone this year in Northeast San Antonio.

What’s happening: Schertz-based Quality Response Medical Staffing, or QRMS, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 7.

The event will take place from 3-9 p.m. at 628 South Santa Rosa Ave. in downtown San Antonio, according to The Chamber (Schertz-Cibolo-Selma Area) website.

Diving deeper: QRMS is a medical staffing agency founded by Flora Elizabeth Hooks, which helps connect prospective healthcare workers with local area hospitals, according to its website.

QRMS was established in March 2016 after Hooks saw a need for a more compassionate and caring staffing agency in South Central Texas.

• 17460 N. I-35 frontage road, Ste. 430-318, Schertz

On Feb. 11, VIA Metropolitan Transit briefed the San Antonio City Council on the current status of the transit system’s multifaceted upgrade, including an update on the Better Bus Plan, the Advanced Rapid Transit Green and Silver lines, and technology and safety upgrades.

Two-minute impact: Presented by VIA leadership, including VIA board Chair Laura Cabanilla and Jon Gary Herrera, VIA president and CEO, the progress report touched upon funding, competition, the use of the new sales tax, planning and ridership.

“What you are seeing is a generational shift in how this agency operates, how we serve our riders and how we compete for the future of the mobility of the region, forever changing the way we are moving San Antonio forward,” Cabanilla said.

A closer look: The Better Bus Plan is a six-year plan designed to create a faster, more direct service on traditional bus routes. Currently, 65% of the plan is estimated to be implemented by the end of 2026.

The focus of a national initiative to build climate resilience at the local level in Central Texas will focus on three specific climate hazards, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions announced in February.

What you need to know: The Feb. 18 announcement states that the triple threat of extreme heat, wildfires and flooding in the area will be the focus of the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator hub in the area. This comes after months of meetings with area leaders, assessment of area disasters and other information gathering.

What they're saying: This accelerator program will be the first through the CCES to include flooding, according the news release.  

"Although the harmful impacts of any of these hazards alone can be very significant, the compounding impacts when they overlap can be devastating," the release states. "Extreme heat can amplify wildfire risk, and heavy rainfall immediately following wildfire can increase erosion and flooding due to soil and vegetation changes."