BRENHAM CITY MANAGER ADVISES CONTINUED CAUTION AS COVID-19 CASES DECLINE LOCALLY

  

As life speeds back up in Brenham, City Manager James Fisher hopes the public can continue the work it has done to slow the spread of COVID-19 and avoid a resurgence in cases.

During his COVID-19 update at the Brenham City Council’s meeting this (Thursday) afternoon, Fisher said Washington County’s declining active cases—which stood at 70 as of Thursday afternoon, an increase of 14 cases from Wednesday—are indicative of the community being proactive and understanding the importance of wearing masks and socially distancing.

Fisher cautioned, however, that people need to “keep up the hard work” from the past few months with the return of school coming up, bringing an increase in social interaction.  He knows that people are likely burnt out with the continued restrictions, but said it remains as important as ever to stay vigilant.

 

Fisher said there is no “cookie-cutter plan or textbook” to refer to in situations like this, but the city continues to plan and make adjustments as needed.  He said nearly all city staff who have been out due to having COVID-19 or dealing with any related issues have come back to work, and hopes the city can start getting back into normal operations.

During regular session, the council approved an agreement amending the restrictive covenants governing the Brenham Oaks Apartments development to secure financing insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The council also approved the placement of a provision dictating that the apartment complex off Stringer Street work to get the city released from said restrictive covenants.

In 2002, according to a memo from City Attorney Cary Bovey, Brenham Oaks obtained Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to financially assist in the development of the apartment project.  As a condition of receiving the tax credits, the developer of Brenham Oaks was required to record certain restrictive covenants against the property used for the project.

In 2007, the city conveyed a 0.88 acre parcel of the property for public right-of-way.  The property is still subject to the TDHCA restrictive covenants, and as such, the city’s consent to the HUD amendment to the restrictive covenants was required for the developer to obtain the financing.

Bovey said the provision to the agreement states that the developer will pursue—at their cost—releasing the city from the restrictive covenants, so an issue like this does not happen again in the future.  Bovey believes this effort from Brenham Oaks is just for refinancing purposes, as he and Fisher said Brenham Oaks did not indicate any plans to develop any new units.

The council also approved a ground space lease agreement with Brent Nedbalek of Aviators Plus, LLC to construct an 80x100 foot hangar at the Brenham Municipal Airport, as well as an amended ground space lease agreement for fuel farm operation.

According to Assistant City Manager of Public Services and Utilities Donald Reese, the original agreement from May 7^th authorized Aviators Plus to operate a fuel farm specifically for Avgas at the leased location, but Nedbalek wanted to install a 3,000 Jet-A fuel tank as well.  According to Reese, Nedbalek actually installed the Jet-A tank before the city was aware of it, as he was under the impression that the existing agreement allowed for the installation of a Jet-A tank.

Also at today’s meeting, the council:

• Issued special recognition for the city receiving the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation award for the tenth consecutive year. Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Miller said she appreciates all the hard work and diligence from staff that went into receiving this award.
• Proclaimed September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
• Approved recommendations for appointments to various city boards and commissions. Artis Edwards will fulfill the unexpired term ending December 31^st of Leroy Jefferson on the Planning and Zoning Commission, while Carol Kiphart will fulfill the unexpired term ending December 31, 2021 of Fredericka DeBerry on the Library Advisory Board.
• Awarded a request for proposals for banking depository services to Bank of Brenham for a period beginning September 1^st and extending through August 31, 2025.
• Approved an audit engagement letter for Seidel Schroeder to perform an audit for the fiscal year ending September 30^th.
• Approved the proposed 2020-21 Fiscal Year budget for the Washington County Appraisal District.