City of College Station Blog

By Colin Killian, Public Communications Director

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26. 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#. 

Mable named Employee of the Year

Before the meeting, CSPD Detective Andree Mable was named the City of College Station’s 2025 Employee of the Year in a ceremony at City Hall. The City Manager’s Office presented the City Impact Award to Assistant Director of Water Services Stephen Maldonado, Jr., and the Leadership Award to Director of Public Works Emily Fisher. 

Blog: CSPD Detective Andree Mable named City’s 2025 Employee of the Year

6:16 p.m.

The meeting has started. The Council took no action after its executive session.

6:41 p.m.

Hear Visitors

Six people spoke during Hear Visitors, when citizens may address the Council on any item not on the posted agenda.

• Linda Harvell asked the Council to crack down on those who don’t follow the city’s trash collection ordinances and suggested a marketing campaign to reach residents who may not know or understand the rules.
• Dr. Cheryl Ann Peterson and Noor Shaikh spoke about the lack of warming centers in College Station during freezing weather conditions.
• Kody Fox complained about license-reading cameras, citing privacy concerns, and asked the Council to reconsider their use.
• Chuck Elliott spoke in support of extending Pebble Creek Parkway, citing public safety concerns and how even an extra minute of response time could risk lives.
• Robert Rose spoke about ways City planners could help reduce water usage during drought conditions and how to better cool our community.

6:42 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The Council unanimously approved the entire consent agenda:

• A $117,093 contract with FW Walton for the Utility Customer Service building envelope repair and maintenance project. The City’s contingency of $23,419 makes the total appropriation $140,512.
• The $474,128 contract with BH Harris Construction for a shade shelter, paving, and infrastructure for a pre-purchased, pre-manufactured restroom building for the Lincoln Center Area Improvements Project, approved by voters in the 2022 bond election. The City’s contingency of $47,412 makes the total appropriation $521,540
• A contract not to exceed $225,000 with Digitech Computer for EMS billing services, accounts receivable, delinquent accounts collection, medical records requests, fire billing, and other related fire and EMS billing and records services.
• Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding the award of a contract to Brazos Paving, Inc. for base failure repairs and pavement reconstruction treatments in an amount not to exceed $6,000,000. This item is for contracted equipment, labor, and materials for standard maintenance activities associated with asphalt streets.
• An annual price agreement with Prime Seventy Real Estate for Type D hot mix asphalt, cement-treated base, recycled crushed concrete base, and cement-stabilized sand. The amount is not to exceed $3.6 million for asphalt, $1.07 million for base, and $51,000 for sand.
• A $398,482 contract with Fun Abounds for playground replacement projects at Bee Creek Park and W.A. Tarrow Park. The City’s contingency of $39,848 makes the total appropriation $438,330.
• Three annual not-to-exceed price agreements totaling $2.2 million for electric warehouse inventory items with KBS Electrical Distributors ($1.4 million), Techline ($729,655), and Priester-Mell and Nicholson ($52,750).
• An annual blanket purchase order not to exceed $250,000 for repair parts and repair labor from Siddons-Martin Emergency Group through the BuyBoard.
• Annual tire purchases and retread services not to exceed $310,000 from Southern Tire Mart through the BuyBoard.
• The removal of on-street parking along sections of Stasney Street and Cross Street, and permitting on-street parking along sections of Stasney Street located near 550 Cross Street and 401 Stasney Street.
• A $439,500 contract with Mongan Painting for the Carters Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Clarifiers 2A, 2B, and 3A Rehabilitation Project. The City’s contingency of $43,950 makes the total appropriation $483,450.
• An amendment to the real estate contract with The Corinth Group to provide additional time to work through the negotiations with the developer on prospective retailers, the development agreement, and restrictive covenants.
• Authorized the chief of police to execute documents to apply for grant funds for a Safe Shield Armored Tahoe for the SWAT team from the Office of the Governor-Homeland Security Division.

7:12 p.m.

Midtown Engagement Summary Report

The Council reviewed recent public engagement about the future of the Midtown area, including the City-owned business park. About 75 participants attended a community workshop in November, engaging in an interactive mapping exercise, submitting written comments, and asking staff questions.

The overall engagement showed strong internal consistency across participants and methods. Community input demonstrated clear alignment on several priorities, including investment in parks and recreation, preservation of wooded areas and neighborhood buffers, improved trail and pedestrian connectivity, and support for growth when well-located and compatible with surrounding neighborhoods.

While some topics generated differing opinions, most notably the location and design of baseball facilities, areas of disagreement were localized and place-specific rather than widespread. Those areas reflected competing but valid community goals, such as balancing recreation, development intensity, and neighborhood protection.

The results of the engagement provide a clear, community-informed foundation to guide future discussions about Midtown, helping identify areas of strong consensus and locations where additional design refinement or policy guidance may be needed.

8:01 p.m.

Police Department Update

The Council reviewed the College Station Police Department’s operations and activities, including trends and recent statistics.

Highlights include a substantial reduction in crime across nearly all categories in 2025 and a significant increase in arrests and citations in Northgate. Additionally, a large majority of arrests in College Station are of non-residents. Regarding traffic enforcement, CSPD made 27,471 traffic stops in 2025, resulting in 18,169 warnings and 8,540 citations. 

Police Chief Billy Couch’s PowerPoint presentation below includes the pertinent data, including a traffic contact analysis, towing procedures, and special operations activity.

9:12 p.m.

Economic Development Master Plan

After a public hearing, the Council unanimously adopted the updated Economic Development Master Plan as part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The plan provides a detailed roadmap for economic growth and development over the next five years, tailored to College Station’s unique needs and opportunities.

City staff engaged with TIP Strategies to design the plan and chart a course for long-term sustainability through close collaboration with key stakeholders. Through expansive engagement from community leaders across private, public, and nonprofit sectors, along with insights from baseline and competitive data analysis, TIP developed the planning document, which identifies four critical strategic focus areas:

• Establishing a distinct identity through dynamic districts.
• Building industry to diversify the tax base.
• Fostering innovation to establish College Station as a hub for business and entrepreneurship.
• Providing the ignition for the City to lead as a proactive convener.

The goal areas are reinforced through measures to track, achieve, and communicate implementation successes, and the plan outlines core strategic action items and associated tactics, as well as aspirational case studies. However, implementation of the master plan will require strategic investments.

The inaugural Economic Development Master Plan was adopted in 2013, with a more recent update in 2020.

9:13 p.m.

The council is taking a short break.

9:46 p.m.

Midtown Baseball/Softball Fields LOI

The Council unanimously approved a Letter of Intent with The Station Hospitality and Athletic Complex regarding a baseball and softball facility in the Midtown Business Park to expand the City’s recreational and sports tourism offerings. The proposed LOI serves as a framework for negotiations and outlines key terms for a future Chapter 380 Economic Development Agreement.

The concept involves a partnership with The Station to create a sports resort park featuring a state-of-the-art baseball and softball complex and complementary hospitality amenities. The complex would feature nine synthetic turf fields, including a championship-level field, designed to host tournaments and Brazos Valley Bombers home games. The hospitality component would include cabins, RV spaces, and recreational amenities to support visitors and tournament participants.

Based on the number of projected tournaments, the project could generate substantial economic benefits, including increased tourism, hotel occupancy, and local spending. Preliminary estimates suggest an annual economic impact of about $28 million, driven primarily by tournament activity and visitor spending.

No funds are expended under the Letter of Intent, but if the City moves forward with the project, the financial impact would be a $20 million cash incentive, land incentives, and infrastructure construction to service the site and the surrounding property.

The non-binding LOI does not obligate the City or the developer to proceed until a formal agreement is approved. It provides a basis for evaluating feasibility, defining roles and responsibilities, and establishing performance measures to ensure public benefit. If approved, the LOI would initiate a process where the developer submits detailed documentation, including a business plan, financial statements, and an independent market study, allowing the City to assess the project’s viability before committing to any formal agreement.

10:00 p.m.

Major Tourism Events

The Council unanimously authorized the City Manager to approve expenditures over $100,000 for major tourism events to stimulate the local economy. The authority would only be exercised when time is of the essence, and any agreements would still be presented to the City Council for ratification.

The existing authorization allows the City Manager to approve expenditures up to $100,000. While that limit has generally been sufficient for most tourism-related activities, large-scale events often require commitments that exceed that threshold. Some opportunities for major tourism events require rapid responses to secure participation or hosting rights, and the existing $100,000 cap can delay decision-making because additional approvals are needed for higher amounts.

The delay may result in missed opportunities to attract events that generate significant economic impact. Authorizing the city manager to approve expenditures exceeding $100,000 for large-scale tourism events when a quick turnaround is necessary will provide the flexibility needed to remain competitive and responsive.

Expenditures will be funded through the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund, and any commitments will be evaluated for return on investment and alignment with City goals.

10:01 p.m.

Zoning Board of Adjustments

The Council unanimously appointed Justin Collins as chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustments.

10:08 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 won’t meet the week of spring break, so its next meeting will be March 26.

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