Five things to watch at Thursday’s city council meetings

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

1. Rental Registration Changes: In the workshop, the council will discuss recommended changes to the rental registration program and related code enforcement efforts. This is not a public hearing and the council will not vote on the proposed changes. For more detail on the recommendations, see pages 9-14 of the workshop packet.
2. Free Parking on Boyett Street: The council will consider establishing four free parking spaces on the west side of Boyett from Patricia Street to Church Avenue, which would bring to 17 the total number of free on-street parking spaces in the Northgate District.
3. Water Conservation Grant: The council will consider an inter-local agreement that includes a $57,500 grant from the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District to create a system to help residents avoid overwatering their landscapes and lawns. The system would include a weather station and rain gauges that auto-report to a database and website created by Texas A&M Agri-Life.
4. Emergency Management Plan: The council will consider approving the 2014 Emergency Management Plan, which outlines the approach of local government entities to emergency operations and provides general guidance for emergency management activities.
5. Budget Amendment No. 3: After a public hearing, the council will consider amending the Fiscal Year 2014 budget to provide $46,327 in additional hotel tax funds for the Bryan-College Station Convention and Visitors Bureau’s grant program.

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