City of College Station Blog

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By Colin Killian, Public Communications Director

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24. The meeting starts after 6 p.m. and is streamed live on Optimum Channel 19, cstx.gov/cstv19and YouTube. It’s not the official minutes.

Due to technical difficulties, tonight’s City Council meeting livestream on YouTube has been interrupted and will not resume. You can watch the meeting live at cstx.gov/cstv19 or on Optimum Channel 19. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

You can participate online via  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#.  

6:00 p.m.

The meeting has started. The Council took no action from executive session. Mayor John Nichols is absent tonight.

6:06 p.m.

Texas A&M’s 150^th Anniversary

The 2026–27 academic year marks Texas A&M’s Sesquicentennial, celebrating 150 years of excellence in education, leadership, public service, and economic drive. The City of College Station celebrates this historic anniversary and our shared commitment to future collaboration as we officially recognize and honor the 2026–27 academic year as Texas A&M’s 150th Anniversary.

In 1876, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas opened as the state’s first land-grant institution with just 40 students and six faculty members. Today, Texas A&M University has expanded into a premier Tier 1 research institution with land, sea, and space grants, serving over 81,000 students and boasting a global network of more than 630,000 former students.

>> Read the Proclamation

6:08 p.m.

Community Planning Month

Mayor Pro Tem Wright proclaimed October as Community Planning Month, aligning with the national celebration that highlights planning’s role in guiding local growth and helping residents make informed decisions about how they live and work.

The City Council expressed its sincere gratitude to both the appointed planning commission members and professional city planners for their dedicated public service to College Station. Joining Mayor Pro Tem Wright for the presentation were Planning and Development Services Director Anthony Armstrong and members of his staff.

>> Read the Proclamation

6:10 p.m.

Hear Visitors

One person spoke during Hear Visitors, when citizens may address the Council on any item not on the posted agenda. Tre Watson spoke about the upcoming crosstown showdown football game between A&M Consolidated and College Station High School.

6:13 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The Council unanimously approved the entire consent agenda:

• A resolution regarding the City’s investment policy, reviewing and recording changes to the policy and strategy, and on a collateral policy, and designating investment officers for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, stating that the City Council has reviewed and approved the City’s investment policy, broker-dealer list and investment strategy.
• A resolution authorizing a $419,054 expenditure to the Aggieland Humane Society.
• A $35,000 FY27 funding agreement with the Arts Center of Brazos Valley.
• A $600,908 FY27 funding agreement from the Hotel Tax Fund with the Arts Center of Brazos Valley.
• A $400,800 FY27 funding agreement with the Brazos Transit District.
• A $350,000 FY27 funding agreement with the Greater Brazos Partnership.
• A $136,000 contract with Site Utilities and Construction for multiple drainage repairs to pipe infrastructure on Finfeather Road, Southern Plantation Drive, Hunter Creek Drive and at 1501 Wolf Run.
• A contract award not to exceed $190,469 to C.F. McDonald Electric for emergency generator removal and replacement.
• A three-year contract not to exceed $599,499.69 with Computer Solutions for cloud migration of the City’s phone system to Cisco’s Webex system.
• A construction contract amendment with Skanska Construction adding grant funding requirements for two Texas Parks and Wildlife grants awarded to the City for the Texas Independence Park Project.
• A contract award not to exceed $10.75 million to GridTech for the construction of the new Northwest Substation.
• A resolution authorizing the city manager to file, execute and direct actions related to an application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to amend Water Use Permit No. 5913.
• A resolution repealing and replacing Resolution No. 7-10-25-7.8, which accepted $500,000 in CDBG-MIT funding from the Texas General Land Office and authorized the City Manager to execute post-award grant and program documents and act on the City’s behalf on any issues arising with the program.

6:35 p.m.

Texas A&M 150 Celebration

The Council heard a presentation from Texas A&M representatives about the events planned for the 2026-27 academic year to commemorate the university’s 150th anniversary.

6:43 p.m.

Texas A&M SGA Representatives

The Council heard an update from representatives of Texas A&M’s Student Government Association and their priorities for the 2026-27 academic year.

The SGA appoints two City liaisons each year – one from the executive branch and one from the student senate. City staff meet with the representatives twice monthly. The representatives attend and speak at council meetings when topics concerning the student body arise.

6:57 p.m.

Historic Preservation Committee

The Council heard an update from the City’s Historic Preservation Committee.

7:06 p.m.

Budget Amendment

The Council unanimously approved a $12.7 million amendment to the FY 26 budget, mostly due to the timing of electric utility capital expenditures and Adamson Lagoon slide improvements. The amendment also includes interfund transfers and an Internal Service Fund increase to cover increased health insurance claims costs.

7:23 p.m.

Midtown Business Park Agreements

The Council unanimously approved real estate contracts and Chapter 380 economic development agreements with Bass Pro Outdoor World and The Corinth Group for a 28-acre development in the Midtown Business Park. The combined purchase of the City-owned properties is about $10.84 million.

Under the current arrangement, Bass Pro Shops will purchase about 14 acres from the City, while Corinth will purchase the remaining 14 acres.  The post-approval inspection period is 180 days after the agreement’s effective date.

The 28-acre property was part of 339 acres the City purchased in 2000 for $11,250 per acre for the Midtown Business Park. That makes the original purchase price of the 28 acres about $315,000.

The City entered a real estate agreement with The Corinth Group in January 2025 for 13 acres, with an option to purchase the remaining property. Multiple amendments have extended deadlines for due diligence, design work, and project refinements connected to the Bass Pro Shops development.

Corinth Project: The planned development includes over 100,000 square feet of commercial space, depending on future tenants, and features multiple buildings and a central plaza. The purchase price is $5.04 million, minus the acquisition reimbursement.

The exact amount will be determined once the land survey is finalized, based on a purchase price of $8 per square foot ($348,480 per acre). A maximum credit of $696,960 will be applied at closing for plaza area. Any additional financial contribution by the City to increase plaza amenities beyond the base plan would require a future amendment.

Bass Pro Shops Project: The project features a 98,000‑square‑foot Bass Pro Shops store on 14 acres. The purchase price is $5.8 million. The exact amount will be determined once the land survey is finalized, based on a purchase price of $9.59 per square foot ($417,740 per acre).

An operations reimbursement of $3.5 million is payable after construction. The store is projected to generate $35 million in annual sales, with at least $20 million locally taxable to support sales tax reimbursement calculations.

A sales tax reimbursement of 60% (average) on locally taxable sales for 10 years will be at a descending rate (80% to 35%). It also includes construction fee reimbursements of $167,105 for building permit and impact fees. The project also seeks incentives from Brazos County.

7:24 p.m.

BVSWMA Board

The Council unanimously appointed Bill Lartigue to the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency, Inc. Board of Directors.

10:05 p.m.

Flock ALPR Cameras

The Council voted 4-2 to approve an agreement not to exceed $158,000 with Flock Group for automatic license plate readers on Texas Department of Transportation roads and a $141,062 agreement for cameras on non-TxDOT roads. Councilmen Mark Smith and Bob Yancy voted against the motion.

The cameras help combat auto-theft crimes and assist with identifying vehicles linked to shootings, burglaries, robberies, kidnappings and other crimes. The solar-powered, LTE-connected cameras capture photos of the rear of passing vehicles during the day and night. The license plate image categorizes the vehicle’s make, model, and color, making the data searchable for criminal justice purposes.

The Texas Police Chiefs Association, representing 1,700 members in Texas, strongly supports the continued responsible use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology (the letter is embedded in the PowerPoint Presentation).

CSPD Policy Statement: A fundamental element of policing to reduce crime and the fear of crime consists of locating stolen vehicles or vehicles involved in other criminal acts. It shall be the policy of the Department to only use Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology as authorized for official use only and as directed by departmental policy, state, and federal law. We will ensure that we are cognizant of and respect the public’s privacy interests. The Department recognizes the use of ALPR as an effective law enforcement tool to identify vehicles that may be associated with criminal activity. The availability and use of ALPR provides an opportunity for enhancement of productivity, effectiveness, and officer safety.

In United States vs. Porter, police used ALPR data to locate a vehicle associated with Porter, who had an outstanding aggravated assault warrant. The officer independently verified through a computer check that the vehicle was associated with Porter.

The Fifth Circuit held that obtaining the LPR information was not a Fourth Amendment search because Porter had no reasonable expectation of privacy in his movements on public roads or with his license plate. The case reinforces the Fifth Circuit’s distinction between limited LPR data about vehicles on public roads and more comprehensive location tracking technologies that may implicate a reasonable expectation of privacy.

No search of the Flock system can be conducted without reasonable suspicion, the same level required for an officer to initiate a traffic stop. Steps required for a search include offense type, case number, the reason for the search, vehicle details, location and time.

CSPD controls the agencies that can search its network, and all searches are retained indefinitely.

The Flock Audit Assistant tool went live April 14 and detects most of the misuse cases highlighted in recent months, making it CSPD’s only crime-fighting tool with an integrated auditing feature that looks for misuse. Flock makes this tool mandatory for all its law enforcement customers.

The Flock Audit Assistant continuously watches system activity and flags search patterns or license plate lookups that fall outside an agency’s normal usage or policy guidelines. It helps system coordinators spot potential misuse without sorting through massive audit logs.

In Texas, 283 agencies are actively using Flock Safety cameras, with 41 others in the onboarding process. A total of 13 agencies have canceled their contracts, eight have not renewed, and four have paused. Three agencies moved forward with a partial reduction due to funding.

Flock Success Examples:

• Two men arrested for aggravated robbery through Facebook Marketplace.
• Police found a missing person from Georgia in College Station.
• Man wanted for aggravated sexual assault of a child was located and taken into custody.
• Missing child from College Station located in Tyler.
• After the shooting of multiple people at a house party, Flock was used to locate the suspect vehicle to identify shooters.
• Police identified and arrested suspects during a series of active catalytic converter thefts.
• A man threatened to kill his live-in girlfriend if she called the police after a domestic violence incident. She called, and he was later captured as he arrived at the hospital armed with multiple firearms.
• Flock was used to identify vehicles associated with two ATM thefts. A suspect was later identified as being associated with murders in Harris County.

The Flock cameras have also had a significant impact on local crime. Comparing March-September activity from 2025 to 2026, home burglaries are down 54% (63 to 29), car burglaries are down 84% (113 to 18), and firearm thefts are down 22% (23 to 18). This reduction in property crime offenses correlates with the introduction of Flock cameras.

10:10 p.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Wright adjourned the meeting after the Council discussed its calendar, items of community interest, committee and board reports, and future agenda items. The Council meets again on Thursday, Oct. 8.

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