Is This A Thing? What’s coming to CS and what’s not (Episode 2)
By Jay Socol, Public Communications Director
In our second episode of “Is This A Thing?,” City of College Station Economic Development Director Natalie Ruiz shares the latest info on restaurants, retail and more that appear to be legitimate “things” for the city:
- 1:49 – UNIVERSITY DRIVE: OshKosh/Carter’s, Pappadeaux, Chimney Hill, Dunkin’ Donuts, Century Square, new high-rise and much more.
- 12:32 – TEXAS AVENUE: Windham TRYP and new retail/restaurants, Haverty’s.
- 14:30 – ROCK PRAIRIE ROAD: Planned retail + Smoothie King and four pad sites for casual dining.
- 16:27 – TOWER POINT: Carp’s Bar & Grill, Freddy’s, Bahama Buck’s, PetSmart, Gold’s Gym, Jimmy Changa’s.
- 17:13 – CAPROCK: Zaxby’s, Blue Baker, Mad Taco, Brazilian Steakhouse.
- 18:30 – New Academy vs. old Academy.
- 20:47 – Proliferation of walk-in emergency rooms.
- 23:14 – What Nat hopes to talk about next time.
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Click below to listen. If Soundcloud doesn’t play in your older version of Internet Explorer, click here to hear to the audio file from your system.
About the Author
Jay Socol (@jaysocol) is in his seventh year as College Station’s public communications director. A 1991 graduate of Texas A&M. Jay has also been communications director for the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, public information officer for the City of Bryan, and news director at several Bryan-College Station area radio stations. He’s a native of Breckenridge.
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Reporting issues to city as easy as See-Click-Fix
By Julie Caler, Code Enforcement Supervisor
“There’s an app for that!”
Just because that statement has become trite doesn’t mean it’s not accurate. Most of us are constantly looking for the next great app to enrich and add convenience to our lives.
SeeClickFix is not a new app, but it has proven to be one of the most useful. And it’s free.
The City of College Station has used the app since 2011 as a handy way for citizens to report potholes, broken street lights or code enforcement issues. The result has been more than 4,700 resolved problems.
SeeClickFix allows anyone with internet access to report on issues that concern them. You can access the program with desktop computers or mobile devices, including smartphones. It’s easy to use, and it creates a higher level of accountability for city staff through better communication.
When you enter an issue into the system, we are notified by email and route the message to the appropriate department or division. We even let outside agencies such as the Texas Department of Transportation know if the reported issue is within their areas of responsibility.
When an update is available, we post it on SeeClickFix and you receive a notification.
The most frequent reported issues are overgrown weeds and grass, followed by large accumulations of trash, overflowing trash containers, potholes, and broken street lights or signs. Other common issues include malfunctioning water fountains in parks, property maintenance issues, junk motor vehicles, and parking in yards.
How to sign up
Create a user name and password, log on, and you’re ready to report a problem and make your community a better place. When you submit an issue, provide as much information as you can, such as an address or the identification number on a street light pole. You can even include a photo.
If you don’t have access to a computer or mobile device, you can report issues by calling 979-764-6363. We’ll enter the problem into SeeClickFix for you so we can accurately count the numbers and types of reported cases.
SeeClickFix has proven to be a valuable tool for our citizens and has helped make the city more efficient and effective at resolving everyday issues. For more information, contact Code Enforcement at 979-764-6363 or codeenforcement@cstx.gov.
About the Author
Code Enforcement Supervisor Julie Caler has been with the City of College Station for 17 years.
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Is this a thing? What’s coming to town, and what’s not
By Jay Socol, Public Communications Director
Everyone wants to know what’s coming to town: new restaurants, stores and other interesting destinations. But what’s rumor and what’s real?
In a new twist to College Station’s podcast, we quiz Economic Development Director Natalie Ruiz about a variety of possible projects across the city. The overarching question: Is this a thing?
Click below to listen. If Soundcloud doesn’t play in your older version of Internet Explorer, click here to hear to the audio file from your system.
About the Author
Jay Socol (@jaysocol) is in his seventh year as College Station’s public communications director. A 1991 graduate of Texas A&M. Jay has also been communications director for the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, public information officer for the City of Bryan, and news director at several Bryan-College Station area radio stations. He’s a native of Breckenridge.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Guess who’s the fastest-growing non-suburb in Texas?
By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
Population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show that College Station was the 18th fastest-growing city in the country from 2014 to 2015 when our population grew by 4.1 percent.
In that period, the Census says we added 4,253 new residents for a current population of 107,889. Texas cities dominate the list, with seven growing even faster than College Station. Georgetown led the nation with 7.8 percent growth, followed by New Braunfels at 6.6 percent.
College Station is the only non-suburb to rank among the state’s 10 fastest-growing cities.
Here’s the chart:
10 Fastest-Growing Texas Cities (2014-15)
| City (national rank) | New Residents |
Growth Pct. |
|
| 1. | Georgetown (1) | 4,611 | 7.8% |
| 2. | New Braunfels (2) | 4,339 | 6.6% |
| 3. | Frisco (4) | 9,218 | 6.3% |
| 4. | Pearland (7) | 5,473 | 5.3% |
| 5. | Pflugerville (11) | 2,450 | 4.5% |
| 6. | Allen (16) | 3,881 | 4.1% |
| 7. | League City (17) | 3,877 | 4.1% |
| 8. | College Station (18) | 4,253 | 4.1% |
| 9. | Conroe (19) | 2,693 | 4.1% |
| 10. | McKinney (21) | 6,000 | 3.8% |
About the Author
Colin Killian (@ColinKillian)has been with the City of College Station since 2010. He previously served 23 years as associate media relations director for the Texas A&M Athletics Department. Killian has also done extensive volunteer work for the U.S. Olympic Committee and worked as a reporter and editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Lewisville News. A native of Hobbs, N.M., he graduated from Texas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in journalism/political science.
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Community grants have made College Station better
By David Brower, Community Development Analyst
Since 2011, College Station has received about $7.2 million in federal community development grants. As part of National Community Development Week, it’s informative and enlightening to look at the positive impact these funds have had on our city.
Our Community Services Department coordinates with other city departments, social service agencies, businesses and other governmental entities to ensure the grants are used in the most effective way to address our most pressing needs.
Podcast: Faster internet will enhance our economy, quality of life
By Jay Socol, Public Communications Director
The College Station City Council recently inked an agreement allowing an ultra-high-speed internet provider to lease available city-owned fiber strands.
In this edition of the podcast, our guest is Place-6 City Councilman James Benham, who not only makes his living in the world of technology, but is committed to expanding College Station’s tech infrastructure and quality of life.
