CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES BILLBOARD REMOVAL REQUIREMENT

  
City Engineer Lori Lakatos

A city ordinance requiring the removal of billboards before city water and sewer can be extended to properties outside the City Limits was discussed at City Council today (Thursday).  City Engineer Lori Lakatos said that several requests have been made by property owners asking for city services but that also had billboards on their property.  As currently written, the city ordinance would require the billboard removal.  The ordinance only deals with water and sewer service, as gas and electric service is routinely extended beyond the city limits.  Public Utilities Director Lowell Ogle said this was because it was easier to recover the cost of extending those services.

Mark Schulte, one of the property owners requesting service, spoke before the council.  He owns a small business park just west of the city that includes the Independence Coffee Company. He is looking to expand his operation, but several prospective business looking locate on his property require city water and sewer service.  Schulte said the current billboard on his property has a 15 year lease, but he is willing to take it down after the lease ends if it means he can receive city services.

Brenham Mayor Milton Tate said that the best solution would be to remove the current ordinance from the utilities extension requirements and move it to the billboard ordinances.  He instructed city staff to begin working on that and present it to council at a future meeting.

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