BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS UNDERGROUND UTILITY REQUIREMENT, CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT

  

The Brenham City Council will meet Thursday to consider a recommendation that all utilities for development go underground.

Following unanimous approval by the Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission last month, the council will take up action on an amendment to the city’s Code of Ordinances which would require commercial development, not just residential development, to place all utilities underground.  The amendment would also change the assurances for completion of improvements.

Development Services Director Stephanie Doland said at the Planning and Zoning Commission’s meeting that this amendment would not completely get rid of overhead electric lines.  She stated if a company was delivering power in a multi-phase format to a residential, retail, or industrial customer, overhead lines could still be used, with only the last line of the system going directly to the customer needing to be buried underground.

The ordinance amendment would also include a rewrite of the fiscal security provisions section of the ordinance, which details the required processes for a private developer to build public infrastructure within a subdivision.  This rewrite would allow for additional clarification about the required processes and fiscal security options available.

Before the council’s regular meeting, it will hold an executive session to discuss personnel matters, including City Manager James Fisher’s employment agreement and related issues.  Any action on the matter will be taken at the council’s regular meeting.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the council will:

• Hold workshop discussion on City of Brenham Parks and Recreation projects.
• Consider a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) for the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program.
• Discuss an ordinance on its first reading providing for increased prior and current service annuities in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) for retirees and beneficiaries of deceased retirees of the City of Brenham and electing to make current service and prior service contributions to the city’s TMRS benefit accumulation fund at the actuarially determined rate of total employee compensation.
• Consider an amendment to the gas sales contract between the city and WTG Gas Marketing, Inc.
• Discuss an amendment to the system water availability agreement between the city and Brazos River Authority (BRA).

The council will meet at 11 a.m. for the executive session and at 1 p.m. for the regular meeting.  Both meetings will be held at Brenham City Hall.