5 things to watch at Tuesday’s city council meetings
By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
The College Station City Council gathers Tuesday at city hall for its final workshop (about 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings of 2019.
Here are five items to watch:
- City Hall Exterior: In the workshop, the council will review the exterior design of the new city hall building.
- Special City Council Election: The consent item includes an ordinance authorizing a special election on Jan. 28 to fill the remaining two years for Place 4 on the city council. Elianor Vessali resigned last month to run for the U.S. Congressional District 17 seat.
- Wellborn Road Annexation: After a public hearing, the council will consider a property owner’s request for the city to annex about four acres on the east side of Wellborn Road between Barron Cut-Off and McCullough Road. The council will also consider an annexation service agreement.
- Wellborn Road Land Use and Rezoning: After a public hearing, the council will consider a request to change the land use and zoning for about 1.8 acres on the east side of Wellborn Road between Rock Prairie Road and Graham Road. The changes would align the property with existing uses in the area.
- NCO Process Handbook: The council will discuss the proposed Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Process Handbook, which was created to help neighborhoods through the overlay zoning process.
At a 3 p.m. ceremony before the workshop, the city will announce its 2019 employee of the year, followed by a short reception.
Related Links:
About the Blogger
Colin Killian 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.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Live Blog: Thursday’s city council meetings (Nov. 14)
By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, Nov. 14. It’s not the official minutes.
The meeting can be watched live on Suddenlink channel 19 or online. An archive of previous council meetings is available on the website.
4:04 p.m.
The workshop has started.
4:08 p.m.
Election Results
The council canvassed returns and declared the results of the Nov. 5 general election. John Crompton was elected to the Place 2 city council seat with 3,287 votes. Jerome Rektorik received 2,881 votes. Mayor Karl Mooney ran unopposed and was re-elected to a second term with 5,453 votes.
4:14 p.m.
Municipal Judge Ed Spillane administered the oath of office to Mayor Mooney. Councilman Crompton is absent and will take his oath on Monday.
4:24 p.m.
Council members offered their farewells and thank yous to outgoing Councilman Rektorik, which received gifts from city staff and the Police Department.
4:25 p.m.
Mayor Mooney adjourned the workshop. The regular meeting will start t 6 p.m. after a reception honoring Rektorik for his service.
5:00 p.m.
Here are some photos from the reception:
6:01 p.m.
The regular meeting has started.
6:10 p.m.
Historical Business Marker No. 13
The Historic Preservation Committee presented Historical Business Marker No. 13 to A&M United Methodist Church. We’ll post a photo here later.
6:16 p.m.
Hear Visitors
One person spoke during hear visitors, when citizens may address the council on any item that does not appear on the posted agenda.
Councilman Elianor Vessali recognized Army CW4 Clarence E. Boone as part of the Fallen Heroes Memorial program. The 50-year-old Boone was from Fort Worth and died Dec. 2, 2003, Kuwait City, Kuwait, of a heart attack.
6:17 p.m.
Consent Agenda
The council voted unanimously to approve these consent agenda items:
- A $296,971 contract with Stantec Consulting Services for the design and construction phase services for the Carters Creek Blower Buildings Nos. 2 & 3 Project.
- A master agreement not to exceed $150,000 with The Reynolds Company for Rockwell automation products and services for maintenance of Water Services Department SCADA infrastructure.
- A Groundwater Return Flow Option Agreement and a Groundwater Return Flow Purchase Agreement with Blanchard Refining Company.
- The third and final renewal of a $278,996.44 contract with Andrews Building Service for janitorial services at city facilities.
- The annual BVWACS operations, maintenance and capital budget.
This item was voted on separately:
- The council voted 6-0 to approve the first Restated Economic Development Agreement with StataCorp. Councilman Bob Brick abstained.
6:24 p.m.
Harvey Mitchell-Dartmouth Land Use
After a public hearing, the council voted unanimously to approve a request to change the land use from Urban to General Commercial for about 2.3 acres on the south side of Harvey Mitchell Parkway east of the Dartmouth Street intersection to allow for commercial development.
Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:
6:30 p.m.
Harvey Mitchell-Dartmouth Rezoning
After a public hearing, the council voted unanimously to approve a request to change the zoning from Townhouse to General Commercial with Corridor Overlay for the same property in the previous item.
Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:
6:38 p.m.
Graham-Longmire Rezoning
After a public hearing, the council voted unanimously to approve a request to change the zoning from Rural to Suburban Commercial with Natural Areas Protected for about 1.6 acres at the south corner of the Graham Road-Longmire Drive intersection. The applicant plans to build an optometry office.
Here’s the PowerPoint presentation:
6:41 p.m.
After the council discussed future agenda items, Mayor Mooney adjourned the meeting.
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.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
5 things to watch at Thursday’s city council meetings
By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
The College Station City Council gathers Thursday at city hall for its workshop (4 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings.
Here are five items to watch:
- Election Results: In the workshop, the council will canvass the returns and declare the results of the Nov. 5 general election for mayor and Place 2 on the city council.
- Rektorik Reception: After the workshop, the council will have a public reception for outgoing Councilman Jerome Rektorik to thank him for his service.
- Historical Marker: To start the regular meeting, the Historic Preservation Committee will present Historical Business Marker 13 to A&M United Methodist Church.
- Harvey Mitchell-Dartmouth Changes: After public hearings, the council will consider changing the land use and zoning for about 2.3 acres on the south side of Harvey Mitchell Parkway east of the Dartmouth Street intersection to allow for commercial development. The land use would change from Urban to General Commercial, and the zoning would go from Townhouse to General Commercial with Corridor Overlay.
- Graham-Longmire Rezoning: After a public hearing, the council will consider a request to change the zoning from Rural to Suburban Commercial with Natural Areas Protected for about 1.6 acres at the south corner of the Graham Road-Longmire Drive intersection. The applicant plans to build an optometry office.
Related Links:
About the Blogger
Colin Killian has been with the City of College Station since 2010 after serving 23 years as an 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.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Live Blog: 2019 City Council Election
By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
Welcome to our live election blog from the Brazos Center. The results are also available on the City of College Station’s Twitter and Facebook pages.
All 25 voting centers reporting and early/absentee votes (8:52 p.m.)
Although the totals don’t include provisional, military and late mail-in ballots, those numbers are not sufficient to affect the outcome. The vote will be officially canvassed and Crompton will be sworn into office at the Nov. 14 city council meeting.
Voter turnout in Brazos County was about 14 percent.
Thanks for following us tonight!
About the Blogger
Colin Killian 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.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
5 things to watch at Monday’s city council meetings
By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
The College Station City Council gathers Monday at city hall for its workshop (4 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings.
Here are five items to watch:
- Canvassing of Election Returns: The council will canvass returns and declare results from the Nov. 6 election for places 4 and 6 on the city council and five city charter amendments.
- Vessali Takes Oath of Office: Place 4 Councilwoman-elect Elianor Vessali will take the oath of office, followed by a short reception bidding farewell to outgoing Councilman Barry Moore. Place 6 will be decided in a Dec. 11 run-off between Elizabeth Cunha and Dennis Maloney.
- Open Storage: On the consent agenda is an amendment that eliminates the open storage of commodities for sale, lease or inventory in areas zoned rural and allows the storage of materials for private use that are not visible from the public right-of-way.
- Accessory Living Quarters: After a public hearing, the council will consider amending the city’s Unified Development Ordinance regarding off-street parking and the rental of accessory living quarters.
- Single-Family Height Protection: After a public hearing, the council will consider amending the city’s Unified Development Ordinance regarding single-family height protection and building height.
The meetings can be watched live on Suddenlink Channel 19 or online. Please note that we won’t be doing a live blog from this meeting.
Related Links:
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.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
A closer look at the proposed city charter amendments
By Tanya Smith, City Secretary
If you plan to vote in the November election, you probably have a pretty good idea about how you are voting to fill national, state and local offices, but you may not have thoroughly examined the proposed changes to College Station’s City Charter.
In April, the city council asked the city attorney and city secretary to review the charter and propose changes. After discussion and debate, the council unanimously voted to add five propositions to the November ballot.
If you wait until you vote, you may find the ballot language a bit confusing, so it’s important to know what you are voting for – or against – before you head to your voting place.
Let’s take a closer look at each proposition and what it means to vote for or against it.
Proposition No. 1: Expansion of Council Terms
Shall Article III (The City Council), Section 17 (Number, Selection, Term) of the College Station City Charter be amended to provide for the regular election of the Mayor and City Council Members to be held in even-numbered years, for four (4) year term lengths for the Mayor and Council Members, and that the Mayor and Council Members be eligible to serve consecutive regular terms totaling no more than eight (8) years?
If you vote FOR the amendment, it means you want the terms of offices for the mayor and city council members to change from three to four-year terms. The term limit would also expand from six to eight years.
Voting for this proposition also allows city elections to remain in November, but elections would only be conducted in even-numbered years. If this proposition carries, the next general election for the council and mayor would still take place in November 2019 to keep the terms staggered.
If you vote AGAINST the amendment, it means you want the mayor and council members to continue serving three-year terms with term limits of six consecutive years. You also want elections every November.
Proposition No. 2: City Attorney’s Residency
Shall Article III (The City Council), Section 29 (City Attorney) of the College Station City Charter be amended to permit the City Attorney to reside either within the City or within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City?
If you vote FOR the amendment, you want to allow the city attorney to live within the city limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which extends five miles past the city limits. If you vote AGAINST the amendment, you want to require the city attorney to live only within the city limits.
Proposition No. 3: Mandatory City Internal Auditor
Shall Article III (The City Council), Section 30 (City Internal Auditor) of the College Station City Charter be amended to make the appointment of the City Internal Auditor mandatory and to remove the reference to contracting for the duties of City Internal Auditor?
If you vote FOR the amendment, you want the appointment of an internal city auditor to be mandatory. The city has had an internal auditor for several years.
If you vote AGAINST the amendment, you want the city council to have the authority to either appoint an internal auditor, hire an outside firm to fulfill those duties, or leave the position vacant.
Proposition No. 4: City Manager’s Residency
Shall Article IV (The City Manager), Section 40 (Qualifications) of the College Station City Charter be amended to permit the City Manager to reside either within the City or within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City?
If you vote FOR the amendment, you want to allow the city manager to live within the city limits or its ETJ, which extends five miles past the city limits.
If you vote AGAINST the amendment, you want to require the city manager to live only within the city limits.
Proposition No. 5: Competitive Purchasing Notices
Shall Article VII (Finance Administration), Section 68 (Contracts for Improvements) of the College Station City Charter be amended to allow the City to determine by ordinance the methods to be used to satisfy notice requirements for competitive purchasing?
If you vote FOR the amendment, then you want language permitting the city to specify the method of notice for competitive bids and competitive proposals to be set by ordinance to the extent allowed by state law. This change would allow – but not require – the council to adopt an ordinance providing for alternative methods of publicizing notice of bids and proposals.
If you vote AGAINST the amendment, then you want notice of the time and place that competitive bids are publicly opened to be published at least weekly for two consecutive weeks in the newspaper with no alternative method of public notice per state law.
Don’t Miss the Bottom of the Ballot!
When you vote, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the ballot to participate in your local elections. Since municipal elections are non-partisan, a straight-party vote will not include these critical items. You must vote for these issues separately.
Election Day is Nov. 6. Early voting starts Oct. 22 and runs through Nov. 2.
For complete voter information, go to cstx.gov/elections or brazosvotes.org.
About the Blogger
A certified Texas municipal clerk, Tanya Smith is in her second year as College Station’s city secretary after serving 10 years as deputy city secretary. She was city secretary in Madisonville from 1998-2008.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
