BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES OPEN SPACE MASTER PARKS PLAN

  

The Brenham City Council discussed the City of Brenham Park, Recreation, and Open Spaces Master Plan for 2015-2025. The presentation by Dr. Jo An Zimmerman Ph.D of Texas State University and Wende Ragonis, Director of Community Services guided the Parks Advisory and City staff throughout the process as the parks and recreation expert. Funding for this project was provided by the Brenham Community Development at their January 23, 2014, meeting with one of the goals to guide the parks system for the next ten years while incorporating flexibility in responding to changing needs.

Data for the Plan was collected from city administrators and staff, the Parks Advisory Board, and the Brenham Community Development Corporation. Public meetings and focus groups were conducted as well as a community interest survey. Also taken into consideration were the age and racial makeup of the County

Some of the items mentioned by public meetings and focus groups were the need for more nature trails, and programs for seniors, programs for teens, a tennis league and visual arts programs.

One of the highlights mentioned that the City of Brenham was one of the very few towns with a population under 35,000 with an indoor aquatics pool.

By completing the master planning process, the City of Brenham has a compliant master plan document, and City staff has access to detailed demographic data for them to make the community programming and park facility planning.

The planning document is posted on the city’s website at http://cityofbrenham.org

Also approved on the Second Reading was the ordering of a Special Election on May 9 for the purpose of Amending the Existing Charter of the City of Brenham. Some minor changes were made to some of the 23 charter items, one of them a fiscal change in favor of the City.

The Council also approved a temporary closure to a State Right-of Way in connection to a kickoff to the 125^th Maifest on Saturday, March 28^th,  from 6pm to 11pm, and approved a noise variance for the same celebration.

Also approved was the purchase of Four Pick-up trucks for various City of Brenham Departments. Approved were two ½ ton crew cabs for the Police Department. The older units will be sold at auction.

One ½ ton crew cab for Animal Control, the older one to be sold at auction, and one ½ ton extended cab for Water Construction, which will allow cres to be dispatched to more than one site for more efficient assignment of work.

A new fee schedule for the Antique Carousel located at Fireman’s Park was also adopted. The Carousel will be open to the public for set hours of operation on Saturday and Sundays from March 1,2015 through October 31, 2015 at $1 per rider and will be available for reservation year around Monday through Friday from 10:00 am-4pm. The Carousel fee for a reservation during the week will be $1 per rider, with a minimum fee set at $40 for the reservation. Also discussed was staffing for workers at the carousel possibly be a part-time city worker.

Finally, a Grant Application to the Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs was authorized to fund the Church Street Water Towner Rehabilitation Project, which will involve removing exterior lead pain, recoating and repair of some ladders, estimated to cost between $305,000 and $513,000.