BURTON CITY COUNCIL DECLINES ANNEXATION OF BURTON SAUSAGE
The Burton City Council will not move forward with annexing Burton Sausage Company into the city.
The council on Tuesday unanimously voted to decline annexation of Burton Sausage and rerouting city utilities to the company.
Burton Mayor David Zajicek said the proposal would be too expensive for the city to handle on its own.
Councilmember Paul McLaughlin agreed with Zajicek, saying the annexation would provide “no advantage to the city whatsoever.” He said the city would be taking the company in and paying a lot of money to have utilities run out to its plant east of Burton on Highway 290, but taxes would be deferred for “quite some time.”
Last month, the council tabled a proposal to spend up to $20,000 on a study to determine the cost of providing services to the company. Brenham | Washington County Economic Development Director Susan Cates elaborated on the company’s plans at last month’s meeting, but was not present on Tuesday because, according to Zajicek, she was “unaware” that the item would be discussed at this meeting and needed more information.
Burton’s utility contractor, Dustin Lozano, said Cates reached out to him to discuss the project, but he did not feel comfortable talking about the specifics of the project without the city’s authorization.
Other options Zajicek said the city could have pursued included meeting in a joint workshop with Burton Sausage representatives and Washington County Commissioners in early January, authorizing Lozano to talk with Zajicek about the capacity for the project, or authorizing the city attorney to discuss options for annexation.
During Zajicek’s monthly report, he announced the 2022 Texas MS 150 bike ride is scheduled to come through Burton on May 1, 2022. The fundraiser for multiple sclerosis was set to come through Burton the last two years, but was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 and this year because of heavy rain.
Also on Tuesday, the council:
- Selected 24/7 Tree Service to trim trees and brush along Navasota Street and Texas and Burton Streets from the bridge area to Nueces Street for $3,000.
- Tabled action on conveying property at the end of East Branch Street and the road formerly known as South Colorado Street to American Kinetics Inc.
- Approved a request to close Live Oak Street between North Main and Railroad Streets from 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 23rd. The road is being closed for a wedding the day of the Cotton Gin Festival.