CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HEAR HOUSING AUTHORITY MODERNIZATION PROJECT PRESENTATION
Discussion and presentation of the Brenham Housing Authority’s Modernization Project was one of the top discussions on the agenda of the next City Council when they met this afternoon.
The Housing Authority Executive Director Vince Michel briefed the Council on the modernization project involves upgrading their facilities, but under new structure, changing from traditional public housing, to a public-private partnership. This does not require Council approval.
HUD has already approved the Brenham Housing Authority’s request to enter into what is called the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program. The Housing Authority Board selected Marvalette Hunter and Huntjon LLC to serve as the private side of the public-private partnership for this venture. Ms. Hunter’s group is currently developing the senior multifamily project on North Market.
There are three hundred units involved between the four Brenham public Housing units, including Sunnyside, with 100 units, Crestview, with 70 units, Fairview, 60 units, and Northview, 70 units. Most of the units were built in the early 70’s.
The Housing Authority requested the City to take ownership of their utility systems beyond the master metering point. That part of the request will require Council action. The Authority will discuss this request with Lowell Ogle, and then present the request to the Council at a later date.
Also discussed was a presentation of the 2-1-1 Texas Information and Referral Network.
The 2-1-1 Texas Information and Referral Network is a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2695 in 1997 establishing this program as the single point of coordination for state wide information and referrals pertaining to health and human services. Since that time there have been additional legislative actions to the program to keep it responsive to the needs of Texans. The 2-1-1 Texas program is serviced through contractors with regional boundaries.
The City of Brenham is in the Bryan/College Station Region which is serviced by the United Way of the Brazos Valley. Missee Mora, the 2-1-1 Manager representing that agency presented the 2-1-1 Texas program and the call intake data for City of Brenham.
The purpose of the 2-1-1 system is to cut down on calls to the 9-1-1 system, with the majority of the users at this time being between the ages of 21 and 40. The system will provide callers with information on items such as help with utility payments, and provide a registry for the disabled, provide information to military service members, and other public information. They will be an informational service only.
The Council also viewed a presentation regarding several parcels of land located along Old Mill Creek. Two commercial lots are also included, one at the intersection of Old Mill Creek Road and Highway 290 frontage road and Old Mill Creek Road and Saeger Street.
As discussed in previous Council meeting, the City intends to sell the former railroad right-of-way along Old Mill Creek Road. The majority of the property will be subdivided into single-family residential lots.
The development of the lots will require the extension of Dixie Street, Cornish Street, and Hampshire Drive. These streets will be extended and as cul-de-sacs and will not be connected to Old Mill Creek Road. The cost of the extensions are estimated at approximately $100,000 to $150,000.
The expected revenue from the sale of the lots is approximately $3000, $350,000, and this will be used to offset the cost of the street construction, which will begin later this summer.
The Council then went into Executive Session to deliberate regarding a Real Property agreement with Roy Burger, DBA RB Film Productions, for the lease of approximately 108.9 acres of the old landfill property.
When the council reconvened, the results of the Executive Session, the Council announced there would be no action on this item at this time. Mayor Milton Tate announced the Council was still in negotiations with the owner of the land, and he hoped there would be a decision made during the next Council meeting, but that the outlook was positive for them at this time.
The City Council proclaimed July being “Buy Local, Be Local” month.
No No No. The housing project is a federal government organization. I don’t live in the city either, and I have enough sense to say No. This is not our debt. Also, heard that the housing project took bids to do the work themselves with a private contractor, the housing project did not like the price. Now they want local tax dollars. I say “No !!!”