Five things to watch at Thursday’s city council meetings

Here are five items to watch when the College Station City Council gathers Thursday at city hall for its workshop (6 p.m.) and regular (7 p.m.) meetings:

• Northgate Parking Rates: The full council will be briefed during the workshop meeting on rate changes developed through a partnership between city staff and the Northgate District Association that would allow the city’s parking lots, meters and garage to achieve full cost recovery. In addition, it’s recommended that free promenade lot parking be implemented during lunchtime on weekdays.

• Northgate Loading Zone & Parking Rates: Related to the previous item, the council will consider amending the city’s traffic code to include a designated commercial loading zone within the Northgate promenade parking lot. City staff, the Northgate District Association and other stakeholders worked together to identify this solution, which would designate about 30 spaces along the south end of the parking lot for loading/unloading Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-11 a.m.

• Economic Development Master Plan: A council-contracted consultant team already has worked on two phases of a study that identified existing conditions, opportunities, challenges and barriers to economic development in College Station, as well as a review of the city’s current systems that would foster development. On Thursday, the council will hear how data collected from Phases 1 and 2 have been used to craft Phase 3, which would serve as College Station’s formal Economic Master Plan and would identify specific strategic initiatives, strategies, goals and actions.

• Budget Amendment No. 3: This item, posted as a public hearing and for council action during the regular meeting, would amend the FY13 budget by about $1.96 million. This proposed budget amendment would increase the number of regular full-time positions by one, and would include three inter-fund transfers and a contingency transfer. A detailed listing of proposed items is found on Page 67 of the agenda packet.

• Allowing micro-industrial uses at Northgate: This item also is posted as a public hearing and for council action during the regular meeting, and would amend the Unified Development Ordinance to allow micro-winery or micro-brewery operations in certain areas of Northgate.

The meetings can be watched live on Suddenlink Ch. 19, or online. Previous council meetings are archived on the website. A detailed live blog from the meetings will be posted on this site and also can be accessed through the city’s Facebook page.

Related links:

Complete agendas and supporting materials