BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO SWEAR IN KOLBY, DISCUSS PURCHASE OF RADIOS AND POLICE VEHICLES

  

The Brenham City Council and its newest member could sign off on the purchase of new police vehicles and public safety radios at its meeting tomorrow (Thursday).

Clint Kolby, former Project Manager for Brenham’s Economic Development Foundation, will be sworn in to the Position Five seat formerly held by Charlie Pyle, who resigned in August because of ongoing health issues.

On the agenda, the Brenham Police Department is looking to order ten vehicles for the new fiscal year with LaRoche Chevrolet, through the General Motors Competitive Equalization Program for Political Subdivisions. Of the ten vehicles, police are asking for four patrol vehicle replacements, two new patrol vehicles for new lieutenant positions, and four administrative vehicle replacements.

The purchase price of the ten vehicles from LaRoche Chevrolet is above $368,000, which includes equipment installation for the six patrol vehicles. The City normally budgets around $300,000 a year for police vehicle replacements.

The council is amending its 2018-19 budget to allow for a transfer of $425,000 from the city’s general fund to the equipment fund. General fund reserves are considered to be adequate for the vehicles.

The council will also look at purchasing public safety replacement radios for the police and fire departments, through the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

Councilmembers are looking to purchase replacements for the radios that were purchased when the city joined the Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System in 2008. The radios being purchased are a newer model, and will be under warranty.

The council will consider one of three equipment financing proposals for the purchase, which comes out to over $576,000. The council is viewing repayment schedules from Bank of Brenham, JP Morgan Chase, and Motorola.  It is considering approval of Bank of Brenham’s proposal, based on lower interest and the city’s past experience with the bank in equipment financing.

Bank of Brenham’s proposal comes out to $596,000 on three annual payments, at a 3.5 percent interest rate. The first annual payment is included in the 2018-19 fiscal year’s debt service fund.

Also at the agenda, the council will:

• Hold public hearing and issue first reading of an ordinance to create a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ).
• Look at adopting new policies and procedures for Brenham boards and commissions, including addition of term limits (3 consecutive terms), and reduction of term length to two years for all boards and commissions.
• Meet in executive session to discuss the possible acquisition of real property in the downtown area, to enter into contract negotiations with the property owner, and to receive updates on various economic projects in the city.
• Hold discussion and receive updates from the Tax Phase-In Compliance Review Committee.
• Act on appointment and compensation for the Brenham Municipal Court presiding and associate judges, both for a two-year term ending December 31, 2020.
• Issue final payment to VML Construction Services, for repairs at Henderson Park from the flooding of May 2016.
• Act upon a multi-year maintenance contract with Presidio Networked Solutions Group, LLC, and a payment agreement with Presidio Technology Capital, for Brenham’s Cisco SmartNet phone system and critical network hardware.
• Look at a request to move the 25-foot minimum building setback requirement for lots that border a collector or arterial street, from subdivision ordinance to zoning ordinance.
• Address a pair of zoning district changes for property at 1008 Burleson Street and 2834 Industrial Boulevard.  These changes were recently approved at the latest Board of Adjustment meeting.

The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m., at City Hall.