This is a live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, May 24. It is not the official minutes.
The workshop and regular meetings can be watched live on Suddenlink Ch. 19, or online. An archive of previous council meetings also is available on the site.
8:35 p.m.
After discussing the council calendar, future agenda items and receiving committee reports, the workshop meeting has been adjourned. The next council meeting is scheduled for June 14.
8:31 p.m.
The regular meeting has been adjourned. The council will now resume its workshop agenda.
8:30 p.m.
TCEQ Public Meeting Request
The council unanimously approved a request to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to schedule a public meeting to receive stakeholder comments about a proposed permit to operate a private landfill northwest of the intersection of Stewarts Meadow and Raymond Stotzer Parkway. The proposed private landfill would contain about 4.2 million cubic yards of material and will reach its capacity in 7.4 years. The scale of the proposed facility could significantly affect the quality of life for residents and property owners in College Station and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Here's the PowerPoint presentation received by the council:
8:17 p.m.
Budget Amendment No. 2
After a public hearing, the council voted 5-1 to approve a $1.5 million amendment to the 2011-2012 budget. Councilmember Jess Fields voted against the motion. For a complete list of items in the amendment, see pages 106-107 in the regular meeting packet, or page 3 in the PowerPoint presentation received by the council:
8:05 p.m.
Rezoning of 1405 University Dr.
The council unanimously approved the rezoning of about 0.2 acres at 1405 University Dr. to allow it to be incorporated into a previously approved development on adjacent property.
8:02 p.m.
Lick Creek Greenway Trail
The council heard a presentation about the Lick Creek Greenway Trail Project. In 2008, voters approved the project to build about 4 miles of multi-use paths along Lick Creek from Creek View/Westfield Park to Lick Creek Park to connect residential neighborhoods and CSISD property. The project is also part of the city’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan. A public hearing on the project is planned for a future council meeting.
The preferred route is based on such factors as pedestrian and user safety, project development costs, environmental concerns and connections to major thoroughfares and trail systems, along with feedback from the public and potential users. In September, a preliminary design and route analysis was conducted and several public meetings were held to gather input. Public meetings were conducted to get input on the trail alignment.
In April, a majority of the Springbrook Homeowners Association voted to allow its board to negotiate with the city to dedicate about 18 acres of common area owned by the HOA for the trail. More than $4.4 million is budgeted from the Streets Capital Projects Fund.
Here's the PowerPoint presentation received by the council:
7:31 p.m.
Consent Agenda
By a 6-0 vote, the council approved all the consent agenda items:
- An amendment to an Advance Funding Agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the College Main Plaza and Patricia/Lodge Street Improvements.
- A contract for $221,917.25 with HDR Engineering, Inc., for the University Drive Pedestrian Improvements Phase 2 Preliminary Engineering Report. The action also authorized the city manager to execute the contract on behalf of the council.
- An increase in the utility deposit for residential customers and the delinquent fee for commercial customers.
- A resolution denying Atmos Energy Corp., Mid-Tex Division's proposed rate increase.
- Acceptance of a grant from the Department of Homeland Security to update and improve the city’s fire station alerting system. The action also designated the fire chief as manager of the funds.
- Renewal of the Inter-local Agreement for the Community Emergency Operations Center, a collaborative effort by the cities of College Station and Bryan, Brazos County and Texas A&M.
- A professional services contract for $205,000 with PBK Sports for design of the Veteran's Park Synthetic Turf Fields Project. The action also authorized the city manager to execute the contract on behalf of the council.
- Revisions to the Naming Policy for City Facilities and Sub-facilities.
- Construction contracts of $117,219.25 to Vox Construction for sidewalks on Holleman Drive, Lassie Lane, and Pedernales Drive, and of $55,414 to Brazos Paving, Inc., for neighborhood sidewalks on Manuel Drive. Both projects are being paid for with Community Development Block Grant-Recovery funds.
7:18 p.m.
One person spoke during Hear Visitors against the item on the consent agenda that would raise the amount of utility deposits.
7:12 p.m.
The council presented Historical Marker No. 9 recognizing the home at 1009 Walton Drive.
7:11 p.m.
After Fire Chief R.B. Alley led the council in the Pledge of Allegiance and an opening prayer, the council watched a short video recapping the implosion of the old Plaza Hotel earlier in the day. Here's the video:
7:05 p.m.
The workshop meeting has been suspended so the council can move on to the regular meeting. The workshop will be finished at the end of the regular meeting.
7:04 p.m.
Arts Council of Brazos Valley
The council heard a presentation about the activities of the Arts Council of Brazos Valley.
6:46 p.m.
Research Valley Partnership
The council received an update on the the activities of the Research Valley Partnership.
6:06 p.m.
The workshop meeting has started. Absent is Councilmember Dave Ruesink, who is representing College Station on a trip to Salamanca, Mexico, as part of the Sister Cities Program.