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: 

• TxDOT Thoroughfare Transfer: The council will receive a workshop update on the Texas Department of Transportation’s proposal to transfer to cities the right-of-way and maintenance of state-owned thoroughfares that function as streets.
• Street Network and Block Lengths: the council will consider amending street network and block length requirements in the Unified Development Ordinance. For specific revisions, see page 112 in the regular meeting agenda packet.
• Economic Development Master Plan: The council will consider adopting the city’s Economic Development Master Plan, which was created in collaboration with local business leaders, a consultant team and regional economic development partners.
• Single-Family Parking Requirements: The council will consider revisions to single-family parking requirements in city neighborhoods, including increasing the standard to one parking space for each bedroom, with a maximum of four spaces. For specific revisions, see page 248 of the regular meeting agenda packet.
• Adoption of FY14 Budget, Tax Rate: The council will consider adopting the city’s proposed FY14 budget. The $255.4 million budget includes a property tax rate of .425958 per $100 of valuation, the city’s lowest rate since 1993.

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