Live Blog: Thursday’s city council meetings (July 12)

By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, July 12. It’s not the official minutes.

The meetings can be watched live on Suddenlink channel 19 or online. An archive of previous council meetings is available on the website.

• Complete agendas and background materials
• Previous city council meeting blogs

4:34 p.m.

The workshop has started. No action was taken out of executive session.

Councilman John Nichols is absent tonight.

4:55 p.m.

Consent Agenda Discussion

The council will vote on items listed on the consent agenda during tonight’s regular meeting. Councilmembers pulled these consent items for workshop discussion:

• Brazos County Health Director: The Brazos County Health Department Board has recommended appointing Santos Navarrette, Jr., as the next health department director.
• Parking Garage Control System: Staff determined that none of the five proposals received this spring for a parking access and revenue control system in the College Main Parking Garage would fulfill the requirements.
• Dockless Bike Share Ordinance: Texas A&M entered into an exclusive contract with Ofo for a bike share program in February and the program was launched in March with 850 yellow bikes. A&M plans to expand the fleet to at least 3,000 bikes this fall. The ordinance regulates how the bikes are used off campus.

5:15 p.m.

Community Development Budget and Annual Action Plan

The council reviewed the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Community Development budget and Program Year 2018 Annual Action Plan. The city is required each year to submit to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development an action plan describing projects and activities funded with community development grants.

The grants for PY18 include $1.1 million in Community Development Block Grant funds and $502,414 in HOME Investment Partnership Program funds.  The budget includes previously programmed but unspent grant funds of $627,616 (CDBG) and $281,579 (HOME).

Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:

5:57 p.m.

Middle Housing Zoning Districts

The consensus of the council was to support the creation of a middle housing zoning district as part of the Unified Development Ordinance. Middle housing is a variety of housing types that are between a detached single-family house and a traditional apartment complex.

Duplexes and townhomes are allowed within the existing zoning code, but other types such as patio homes, fourplex, and bungalow courts are also included in the middle housing district. Multiplexes will have a maximum of 12 units for a building and lot. Height will be limited to 3 stories and is subject to the UDO’s single-family height protection rules. 

Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:

7:15 p.m.

Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Districts

The consensus of the council was for staff to clarify the process regarding changes Neighborhood Conservation Overlay (NCO) Districts section in the city’s Unified Development Ordinance. The NCO allows neighborhoods to self-impose additional development standards on single-family properties from options that are generally more restrictive than the standard requirements.

Examples of categories that may be included are changes to minimum setbacks, maximum height, minimum lot size, tree preservation, and on-site parking.

Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:

7:18 p.m.

Mayor Mooney adjourned the workshop after the council discussed its calendar and received committee reports.

The regular meeting will start after a short break.

7:30 p.m.

The regular meeting has started.

7:41 p.m.

Hear Visitors

Three people spoke during Hear Visitors when citizens might address the council on any item that doesn’t appear on the posted agenda.

• Fred Dupriest spoke about neighborhood integrity issues.
• Shirley Dupriest asked for clarification on aspects of the homestead exemption recently passed by the council.
• Richard Woodward also spoke about neighborhood integrity issues.

7:43 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The council voted unanimously to approve the entire consent agenda:

• The appointment of Santos Navarette, Jr., as Brazos County Board of Health Director.
• Rejection of proposals for a parking access and revenue control system in the College Main Parking Garage.
• An $84,301.88 change order to the Greens Prairie Substation contract.
• Renewal of contracts totaling $290,000 with Spherion Staffing and Kelly Services for temporary personnel services.
• Extension of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction from 3½ miles to 5 miles beyond the city limits.
• An ordinance regulating dockless bike share services.

In a separate vote, the council unanimously approved the corrected minutes from the June 28 council meeting.

7:50 p.m.

Holleman Drive South Rezoning

After a public hearing, The council unanimously approved a request to change the zoning from Planned Development District to General Suburban for about five acres north of the Holleman Drive South-Deacon Drive West intersection. The change will allow for the development of a church.

Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:

7:55 p.m.

Harvey Mitchell Parkway Rezoning

After a public hearing, the council voted 5-0 to approve a request to change the zoning from Light Industrial to General Suburban and Natural Areas Protected for about 2½ acres at 1726 Harvey Mitchell Pkwy. Councilman Barry Moore recused himself from the vote, citing a conflict of interest.

Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:

7:56 p.m.

The council discussed and reviewed future agenda items.

Mayor Mooney adjourned the meeting. The council meets again on Thursday, July 26.

 

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About the Blogger

Colin Killian (@ColinKillian) has been with the City of College Station since 2010 after serving 23 years as associate media relations director for the Texas A&M Athletics Department. Killian has also 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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July 12, 2018 | Categories: City Council, Public Communications | Tags: action plan, bike share, community development, Community Development Block Grant, Council Meetings, federal grants, Health Department, Home Investment Partnership Program, middle housing, neighborhood conservation overall, neighborhood integrity, Northgate parking, rezoning, zoning districts | 1 Comment