By Colin Killian, Public Communications Director
The College Station City Council meets at City Hall after 6 p.m. on Thursday. The meeting will be streamed live on Optimum Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19.
You can participate online through Microsoft Teams by entering Meeting ID 223 427 023 174 and Passcode MvPmTr. You can also call 469-480-7460 and enter Conference Number 952 310 468#.
We also encourage you to follow our live meeting blog here at blog.cstx.gov.
To address the council about any item on the workshop or regular agenda, register with the city secretary by 4 p.m. or call 979-764-3500 and provide your name and phone number. Written comments will be provided to the council members.
Here are five items to watch:
1. General Election
The council will consider ordering a general election for Nov. 5 to elect four members of the College Station City Council (Places 3, 4, 5, and 6). The ordinance also establishes early voting locations and polling places. The council will also consider an agreement for Brazos County to manage the election. The estimated $95,000 cost will be split among the entities on the ballot.
2. Parks Grant Application
The council will consider authorizing a $750,000 Local Parks Grant application to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to dedicate the future Texas Independence Park for permanent public park and recreational purposes. If the grant is awarded, the City will match the grant through an assigned fund balance in the FY 25 budget.
3. BVSWMA Budget
The council will consider the FY 25 BVSWMA, Inc. budget. BVSMWA’s total revenue is $13.34 million, with total expenses of $9.36 million and capital expenses of $5.46 million. The budget also reduces the City’s gate rate from $9 to $0 per ton, saving about $500,000 annually.
4. FY 25 Budget Public Hearing
The council will conduct a public hearing on the city’s $540.5 million FY 25 proposed budget, presented to the council on July 8. The operations and maintenance part of the budget is $366.1 million, a less-than-inflation 2.5% increase from FY 24. The proposed property tax rate is unchanged. The council reviewed the budget during 12 hours of workshops on July 15-16. Budget adoption is set for Aug. 22.
5. Bond Issuance
The council will consider authorizing the issuance of up to $30.3 million in general obligation bonds and $43.3 million in certificates of obligation for FY 24.
The GO bonds include $13.2 million in principal for four park improvement projects approved by voters in 2022 and $17.1 million in principal for re-funding certificates of obligation issued in 2024, saving the City nearly $1.2 million. The COs include $16.5 million in utility projects and $26.8 million in governmental projects.
About the Blogger
Colin Killian has been with the City of College Station since 2010 after serving 23 years as the associate media relations director for the Texas A&M Athletics Department. He has also worked as a reporter and editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Lewisville News. A native of Hobbs, N.M., Killian graduated from Texas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in journalism/political science.
If you liked this post, share it with the buttons below!
