By Colin Killian, Public Communications Director
Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22. It’s not the official minutes.
The meeting starts after 6 p.m. and is streamed live on Optimum Channel 19 and cstx.gov/cstv19. You can participate online through Microsoft Teams by entering Meeting ID 287 987 474 175 and Passcode gZw5cS. You can also call 469-480-7460 and enter Conference Number 168 564 318#.
6:40 p.m.
The meeting has started. The Council took no action after its executive session.
The resolution supporting a proposal to develop affordable housing through a state low-income housing credit (item 9.3 on the agenda) has been moved to the Feb. 12 Council meeting.
6:50 p.m.
Texas A&M Volleyball Day
Mayor John Nichols proclaimed Texas A&M Women’s Volleyball Day in recognition of the Aggies winning the national championship in December.
The Aggies defeated three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament on their way to winning the title, finishing with a 29-4 record and a No. 1 national ranking, the highest in the program’s history.
6:51 p.m.
Hear Visitors
No one spoke during Hear Visitors, when citizens may address the Council on any item not on the posted agenda.
6:54 p.m.
Consent Agenda
The Council unanimously approved the entire consent agenda:
- Annual contract awards for vehicle painting and body repair services to Corn’s Collision Center ($200,000), George’s Paint and Body ($150,000) and BDS Body Works ($50,000).
- Contract awards for temporary staffing services to Spherion Staffing ($200,000) and The Reserves Network ($100,000) for a combined annual expenditure not to exceed $300,000 based on projected service needs.
- A $311,322 subscription agreement with Kudelski Security for Palo Alto Networks firewall systems, hardware and support.
- A contract award not to exceed $1.54 million for electric underground distribution bore projects to Sterling Global Industries.
7:26 p.m.
Water Services Update
The Council received an annual update from the Water Services Department, including an overview of operations, key priorities, planned actions, and water conservation initiatives.
In 2025, the City maintained its Superior water rating while delivering over 5 billion gallons of safe, reliable drinking water and treating over 3.5 billion gallons of wastewater. The City also reduced its water use to 117 gallons per capita per day (GPCD), well below the State’s target of 140 GPCD.
Other highlights included successfully resolving a major groundwater export dispute and initiating the design and construction of three new water wells.
7:44 p.m.
Traffic Congestion and Mobility Analysis Study
The Council reviewed the Traffic Congestion and Mobility Analysis Study, which assessed 50 intersections based on existing traffic conditions and 2035 projections. The City began developing the analysis in 2024, and an initial presentation was provided to the Council in August.
The study identifies intersections with an existing or anticipated operational deficiency. Funding for improvements at these intersections has not been budgeted, except for a few where a capital project is already underway. Planning & Development Services and Public Works’ Traffic Engineering Division worked with a consultant, TJKM, to assess the intersections.
The 50 intersections in the study included 25 TxDOT roadways and 25 City streets. The analysis did not include roadways under construction or in design. 10 intersections were rated as failing under the Levels of Service (LOS), including 8 TxDOT roadways and 2 City streets.
The two City intersections are in the design stage for improvements – a signal at Willam D. Fitch Parkway and Pebble Creek Parkway, and a roundabout at Holleman Drive South and North Dowling Road. The Brazos County Transportation Bond from 2022 includes a project on Fitch Parkway at Arrington Road to State Highway 6.
Project conditions for 2035 are for 24 intersections with failing Levels of Service, including 14 TxDOT roadways and 10 City streets. The TxDOT corridors include Texas Avenue (Business SH 6), Harvey Mitchell Parkway (FM 2818), Wellborn Road (FM 2154), and William Fitch Parkway (SH 40). The City streets are mostly on collector corridors such as Longmire Drive, Holleman Drive, Deacon Drive, Victoria Avenue, and Welsh Avenue.
Minor strategies include signal optimization, and adding, extending or reconfiguring turn lanes. Major strategies are adding traffic signals or roundabouts and significant intersection redesigns, such as grade separations and configurations.
7:49 p.m.
Family Definition in UDO
After a public hearing, the Council unanimously approved an amendment to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance to define a family as “any number of persons occupying a single dwelling unit, including but not limited to those related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship or dependency. The term family shall not be construed to mean a club, a lodge, or a fraternity/sorority house.”
9:38 p.m.
Roadway Impact Fees
After considering reducing roadway impact fee collection rates to zero, the Council voted 5-2 to maintain the existing rates. Councilmen Bob Yancy and David White voted against the motion.
Impact fees are a tool used by political subdivisions to recover the costs of expanded infrastructure needed to support new development. They cover only the cost of the additional capacity required for new development and do not reflect the full expense of constructing the projects included in the impact fee capital improvement plan. The fees fund projects identified in the impact fee capital improvement plan, which outlines infrastructure improvements necessitated by growth.
The Roadway Impact Fee Service Area is defined by the city limits and divided into four roadway zones, each with a 4-mile boundary to comply with the Local Government Code’s maximum 6-mile limit. Impact fees collected in each zone can only be spent on Impact Fee Capital Improvement Projects in the corresponding zone.
Impact fee summary tables, including impact fee amounts for other benchmark cities in Texas and building permit data from 2010-2025 is on pages 340-349 in the meeting packet. The PowerPoint presentation below includes some insightful data about local home values and compares College Station and Bryan.
9:57 p.m.
Citizen Committee Appointments
The Council made the following citizen appointments:
- Construction Board of Adjustments: Mark Hill
- Zoning Board of Adjustments: Andrew Arizpe, Justin Collins, Brittany Mendizabal, Brian Yung, Allison Drouilhet, James Hutchins
- Aggieland Humane Society: Dianne Marrow, Sean Dwyer
- Architectural Advisory Committee: Jeff Lednicky
- Audit Committee: Danielle Carlson
- B/CS Library Board: Janice Epstein, Sharron Rosedahl
- Design Review Board: Nicole Gallucci, Susanne Krueger
Complete descriptions of each committee are available at cstx.gov/committees.
10:01 p.m.
Mayor Nichols adjourned the meeting after the Council discussed its calendar, items of community interest, committee and board reports, and future agenda items.
The Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 12.
About the Blogger
Colin Killian has been with the City of College Station since 2010, following a 23-year tenure as 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.
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