COMMISSIONERS APPROVE ARCHITECT FOR NEW ROAD AND BRIDGE FACILITY

  

Washington County Commissioners approved an agreement with PlanNorth Architects for the design of the new Road and Bridge Facility.  The new facility will be built on 21 acres the county purchased on Highway 36 North of Brenham.  Commissioner Kirk Hanath pointed out that part of the agreement calls for a site review of the property.  He stated that the site review would put to rest some of the concerns about the flooding potential of the property.  County Judge John Brieden noted that PlanNorth has been easy to work in ajusting the agreement and that he was looking forward to working with them on the project.

Commissioners also approved a proclamation naming April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in Washington County.  Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Resource Center in Bryan, Martha Garcia Opersteny spoke to the commissioners.  She said that in 2016 the center has 566 clients and last year they had 811.  Opersteny said that when she started at the center in 2014, they had 1 part time counselor. She said they are now have 3 full time counselors, one of which travels to Washington County each week.

Commissioner Luther Hueske asked if the number of incidents was increasing or if more people were admitting to being sexually assaulted. Opersteny said that she felt that the recent coverage of the issue in the media has empowered a lot of people to come out.  She said the even people who were victims years ago and have tried to hide it, now are stepping up, knowing that help is available for them.

In other action, commissioners approved a bond for a Reserve Deputy Sheriff.  Joe Ellis, who is a retired Deputy from Harris County, will be serving as a Reserve Deputy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.