WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS TO REVISIT PROJECT SILVER CRAYON

  

Washington County Commissioners will look to take additional steps forward with a large economic project at their virtual meeting Tuesday.

Commissioners will consider a resolution authorizing the submission of a 2020 Texas Capital Fund grant application to the Texas Department of Agriculture.  They will also consider a company/contractor agreement outlining the responsibilities of each party to the county’s Texas Capital Fund grant.

County Judge John Durrenberger said these items pertain to getting grant funding to extend a gas line from the city to the site of the project, dubbed Silver Crayon, which would be located on land outside of Brenham city limits.

The gas line project, according to Durrenberger, will cost $675,000, with getting the gas line to the site costing $500,000, engineering costs at $125,000 and grant administration costs at $50,000.  Durrenberger said all costs are reimbursable with the grant, and no local tax dollars will be involved.

Durrenberger said details of the economic development project are still confidential.  In March, Brenham Economic Developer Susan Cates told commissioners the project involves a company making a $50 million investment into the property they are looking at acquiring.  Phase I of the project, according to Cates, will call for the hiring of 30 employees, most of them local.  The average wage of these workers would be $90,000 a year.

Also in court, commissioners will consider approval of a resolution for the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program grant application.   The grant program, administered by the Texas Historical Commission, has provided county governments with funding to restore and preserve their courthouses.  Durrenberger said the Washington County Courthouse, which was built in 1940, “definitely needs” work done on the interior and exterior of the courthouse, while the courthouse grounds could also use some care.

Commissioners will also:

• Read a proclamation proclaiming the month of April 2020 as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
• Hear reports from several county departments.
• Consider approving a pay application to Collier Construction for the Road and Bridge facility.
• Consider a subdivision variance request for Lot 21 in the First of Brenham No. 1 Subdivision located in Precinct Three.

Commissioners will meet Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. via Zoom.  The public can access the meeting using the information below:

To join Zoom meeting, https://zoom.us/j/4689645016?pwd=Ui9KWE1lck9ZWFhBejgxNUQ3MGZHQT09, use meeting ID 468 964 5016 and password 2776200.

To join by phone, call 1-346-248-7799, use meeting ID 468 964 5016 and password 2776200.