BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL CONTINUES TALKS ON OUTSOURCING SANITATION SERVICES, SWEARS IN WINKELMANN
The Brenham City Council received further information today (Thursday) on the city’s plans to outsource its sanitation operations to Brannon Industrial Group (BIG).
Councilmembers met in work session to discuss an agreement in the works between the city and BIG for municipal solid waste collection, disposal, and recycling services. Public Works Director Dane Rau said the city is “really close” to finalizing the agreement with BIG, and explained some of what the agreement will mean for City of Brenham residents and businesses.
As per the agreement, BIG will use 96-gallon carts for curbside solid waste collection and curbside single-stream recycling, with pickup once every week and once every other week respectively.
Single-stream recycling refers to customers not having to separate their recycling when they drop it off. BIG will sort the recycling when it takes it to its sorting station in College Station.
The city will continue to bill citizens for residential sanitation services, and BIG will invoice the city for residential sanitation and recycling services. For commercial customers, the city will bill them for recycling services, and BIG will provide 8-yard dumpsters for once-a-week pickup.
Other parts of the agreement dictate that BIG will lease the collection/transfer station, with Rau saying the company is planning to purchase some of the city’s fleet equipment. BIG will assume full responsibility for all non-fleet equipment and fixtures currently in place at the facility. It will also continue to perform city and county spring cleanup events at no charge, pick up community recycling trailers one time per month at local schools and in locations throughout the county. In addition, Rau said BIG will be able to provide sanitation services on more days throughout the year, due to it having fewer holidays.
Rau said Washington County residents have expressed concern that recycling services would be discontinued with this decision. Rau said that will not be a problem, as BIG will provide recycling drop-off points at the collection/transfer station.
Rau said this decision to outsource sanitation services was made to allow the city to keep those services operating at a high level, while letting it pursue other endeavors.
When asked how city employees would be affected, City Manager James Fisher said both the city and BIG have spoken with employees, and reassured that they would be “taken care of”, whether they transition into BIG or somewhere else within the city.
Fisher said a workshop on the agreement will be held next week, with the first portion of the agreement coming to councilmembers at their meeting February 20th. He said the item may be broken up into several pieces over the course of several meetings, in order to ensure everyone involved has time to review all the facets of the agreement. He said he hopes this will be a great partnership with BIG, adding the company has assured him it will surpass all expectations.
Also in session today, John D. Winkelmann was sworn in as Brenham Municipal Court’s new presiding judge, after being appointed to the position last month. Winkelmann will fill the term of previous presiding judge Bill Kendall, who was removed from his office in October. Winkelmann’s term expires December 31st.
The council then adjourned into executive session to consult with the city attorney and hold discussion regarding the Barnhill Center. No action was taken.
Also in regular session, the council:
- Tabled a resolution providing for support for Trinity Brenham Trails, LP’s submission of an application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs requesting 2020 housing tax credits for the Brenham Trails Development. It also tabled a resolution providing support for Brazos Trace, LLC’s submission of an application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, requesting 2020 competitive 9 percent housing tax credits for the Fairview Terrace Development. In addition, it deferred confirmation that Fairview Terrace LP, Brazos Trace Brenham, LLC, and the Brenham Housing Authority’s development, Fairview Terrace, located at 700 Eleanor Drive, contributes to concerted revitalization efforts within Brenham city limits.
- Repealed a resolution related to the adoption of a commercial tax phase-in agreement with Valmont Coatings, Inc., and approved the mutual cancellation of said agreement.
- Paid off JPMorgan Chase Bank for the Diamond Z tub grinder in the amount of $466,879.
- Authorized submission of a grant application through the criminal justice division of the Office of the Governor, for the rifle-resistant body armor grant program.
- Approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, for acceptance of a grant for travel expenses and academy program implementation at the Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library.
- Approved recommendations for appointments and reappointments to various city boards and committees, including the Airport Advisory Board, Animal Advisory Board, Board of Adjustments, Brenham Community Development Corporation, Brenham Housing Authority, Brenham-Washington County Hotel Occupancy Tax Board, Building Standards Commission, Library Advisory Board, Main Street Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and Planning and Zoning Commission.
- Reviewed the Fiscal Year 2018-19 Fourth Quarter Financial Report.
Asking for a friend: Is it ok if I just leave that big old trash bin at the curb all week and just take my bag to it once per week? Is there an ordinance in place to say that I have to have it out of sight? What happens if the bin is stolen when it is at the curb? These are all questions I really need to have answered.
Haven’t seen it adressed in these stories but what is going to replace the collection points for batteries and used oils that are at the recycling center?
I do not agree with the city if they choose to go to a private sanitation company.
If it is not broken no need to fix it. As a super senior citizen, I disagree totally with city’s idea of going private with trash services, I do not look forward to pulling a large trash can to the curb weekly. Have the many senior citizen homeowners been considered in this? Trash bags are cleaner and easier. We are suppose to responsible for the cleaning of these trash cans !! I do agree with this decision.
Super senior citizen !
Numerous small towns in south Texas have this very same waste disposal program. My son lives in Dickinson and when visiting, this 73 year old senior with severe arthritis has no issues getting the same containers down his long drive and out to the street. I and my shrinking garage space will greatly appreciate this no sorting recycling container. When garbage is bagged properly before placing in container. there are few issues. And no more wild or stray animals making a mess at curbs when refuse is taken out the night before. Far to many current city residents let their county friends and relatives unlawfully add their refuse city collection to save a few bucks when they should pay. The city and their property taxpayers take the brunt of costs which provide services to county residents, and if they don’t like the accommodations they ask the county commissioners court to step up. Thank you city council and management.
I have back issues and will not be able to get a 96 gallon container to the street. How will that situation be handled?
OH MY GOODNESS !!! A lot of non-thought went into this one !! Once a week pick-up is ridiculous! Our summers are too hot to keep garbage for a full week. Maggots will take over the city ! Senior citizens cannot get these 96 or 65 gallon containers to the street and then back in at the end of the day. Then you have the homeowners that don’t care if the can stays out. Cans will end up on the street for days, especially with an eventual ??? ” not too stringent” ordinance. This is infuriating. I cannot see how there will be more service ( as mentioned in the Banner Press) and our fee will go up. As mentioned by, I OPPOSE THIS, what will happen to our leaf and yard debris pick-up ?
City Council, I think you should go back to the drawing board and re-think this whole idea. Also, perhaps you should have let the tax payers know about these changes in service, long before you entertained this contract. After all, it is our money that you are spending.
So how does the senior citizens of Brenham roll this cans to the curb???? Most have trouble with bags much less something that will probably weigh 15-20lbs alone….. When will the city council think of the citizens first instead of crazy ideas????
What will happen to the bags of trash, couches, TV’s, and broken refrigerators that get dumped at the county recycling trailers, especially out FM105?
What will happen is the amount of illegal dumping on county roads will increase. And the road and bridge department won’t pick it up for months.
I am completely opposed to the city outsourcing our garbage services. We have an excellent recycling center and the services the city has provided over the years have been extremely well run and managed. They have also been able to keep costs reasonable. We will now have to keep these 96 gallon eyesores on our property and settle for once a week pick up. We will have no place to properly recycle and what will happen to weekly leaf pick up and the ability to dispose of yard waste and other things. These services are important to use as citizens. I also suspect you will quickly see our costs increase as soon as a private service takes over. I appeal to our city council to stop this before we have something in place we cant reverse.
So residents will get trash picked up only once per week instead of twice per week? How many containers will everyone be provided? A weeks worth of trash bags may not fit in one bin! All of this will be of course done with no reduction in our utility bills in brenham, correct?
Bellville uses those plastic bins. On trash day blue cans line the city streets. Looks trashy. No pun intended.
Did I hear him correctly? Because I live in the county I will now have to pay to drop off my recyclables? It’s bad enough that they moved the trash collection to the transfer station; I always have to wait in line behind three trucks that need to use the scale just so I can drop off two bags of trash, and they doubled the price to $2 a bag, and the dumpsters are always placed in the mud that I have to walk through to throw my trash away, and now I’m going to get charged more for recycling? I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen: those recyclables are gonna get crammed into one of those two trash bags and thrown in the dumpster. Not a great decision City of Brenham.
So if read correctly, currently trash is collected twice a week for city residents, but it would now be once a week?
Will the reduction in services be reflected in the monthly utility bills sent to residents?
The election for mayor and city council is over, Those races were decided last year. It’s interesting that this unpopular idea was only dropped on the voters after the election.