WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE FUNDING REQUESTS FOR MUSEUM ON MAIN STREET PROGRAM, MEDIA MARKETING

  

Washington County Commissioners agreed today (Tuesday) to further support a traveling exhibit program coming soon to Brenham and back a media marketing initiative.

The court moved to contribute $45,000 from hotel occupancy tax (HOT) reserves to the Visit Brenham Destination Marketing Organization (DMO).  Of that, $25,000 is for continued planning of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program being hosted locally from December 7 – January 20, 2025.  The other $20,000 is for a major media press trip with Geiger & Associates Public Relations.

City of Brenham Tourism and Marketing Director Jennifer Eckermann said the museum program will feature several local exhibits, including one on Belle’s Alley and the county’s freedom colonies, a second that focuses on the Camptown community and has an audio tour component, and a third that celebrates 100 years of the Simon Theatre.  It will also update the county’s historical markers guide and incorporate school and group tours.

In addition, Eckermann said the DMO is working with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image to hold a film round-up, collecting and digitizing video tapes, home movies and other old video.  She said the round-up will occur during the last weekend of the museum program, and there are plans to hold a screening of the videos at the Simon. 

The county previously put $25,000 in HOT reserves toward the museum program in March.  The City of Brenham approved $50,000 in HOT funds in May. 

For the media press trip, Visit Brenham will work with Geiger & Associates on public relations outreach, inviting in travel journalists and publications in an effort to broaden the DMO’s reach outside of advertising and social media. 

The last press trip was done in 2018 at a cost of $40,000.  Eckermann said Geiger agreed to the same cost as last time, and it is being split with the City of Brenham after the council approved the DMO’s funding request in July.

In other business, commissioners approved reducing the speed limit on a 1.5 mile stretch of Bosse Road in Precinct 1, from FM 1155 to Krueger Road.  The new speed limit will be 45 mph, down from the unposted 60 mph.  The item came before commissioners after a petition from residents on Bosse Road, but no one spoke during a public hearing prior to approval. 

The court also signed off on a contract with PlanNorth, LLC for architectural services.  The contract relates to the old ATS Irrigation building at 2509 Highway 105 and the county’s plans to add office space, records storage and a centrally located network server room. 

According to the fee and scope proposal included in the agenda packet, compensation for architectural services will be a percentage fee based on the cost of the work, which will be determined at the completion of the feasibility phase.  Compensation for the feasibility phase will follow an hourly rate model and will not exceed $20,000.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners:

• Approved advertising for bids for the jail kitchen project.  Bids are due at 10:30 a.m. on November 7^th and will be considered during commissioners court on November 19^th at 9 a.m.
• Approved mass gathering and right-of-way permit applications for the 2024 Scarecrow Festival.
• Approved the yearly Statewide Automated Victim Notification Services (SAVNS) maintenance grant between the county and the Office of the Attorney General.  They also approved the SAVNS participating entity services agreement. 
• Read proclamations declaring the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Arteriovenous Malformation Month.
• Discussed a formal notice for overhead electric line installation by Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative in the Upshaw Road right-of-way in Precinct 4.  No action was needed.