BRENHAM, WASHINGTON CO. LEADERS SPEAK ON STATE OF COMMUNITY AT FORUM

  

Leaders from Brenham and Washington County hosted a luncheon Wednesday addressing the state of the community.

Brenham City Manager James Fisher, Washington County Judge John Durrenberger, and Bluebonnet Electric General Manager Matt Bentke met at Blinn College to cover current affairs in the city and the region.

The three discussed economic well-being, current concerns for the area, and plans for the future at the forum, hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

City Manager James Fisher spoke on the city’s financial status, referencing its strong double-A-minus bond rating recently received from Standard and Poor’s (S&P). Fisher also brought up the city’s economic development pursuits.  He maintained the need for discretion in “bringing in the businesses that help our community grow”, as well as “helping our existing businesses remain strong and viable in the community”.

Fisher also discussed the city’s tourism efforts, such as its plans to update the tourism master plan, and its work with the county on a strategic action plan for tourism.

In addition, he mentioned the city’s ongoing updates of the comprehensive and thoroughfare plans.

Fisher added that Brenham has “what so many communities are looking for”, with its unique location and strong downtown.

County Judge John Durrenberger talked on several of the county’s new and anticipated developments. He said construction has begun on the new Road and Bridge facility on Highway 36 North, and should be completed by the end of the year.  He also spoke on the county’s need for a new 911 Communications Center and Judicial Center.

Durrenberger said ever since he has taken office, county officials have been in “constant contact” with the Sheriff’s Office to address the turnover problem it has faced with deputies, jail personnel and medical staff.

Durrenberger also announced the creation of several committees to help with economic development and the 2020 census.

He said he will soon announce the appointments to a County Economic Development Advisory Council, which will “assist the county in understanding the pros and cons of potential businesses interested in moving to Washington County”.  In addition, he said county commissioners will soon be designating a Complete Count Committee to assist locally with the 2020 census.

Bluebonnet Electric GM Matt Bentke expressed his concerns on the Energy Reliability Council of Texas' (ERCOT) low reserve margins compared to what is preferred to ensure there is enough power for the state's needs during period of high demand for electricity.

A reserve margin is the number of generating capacity available within the ERCOT region, versus the amount of demand expected on a peak day.

A low reserve increases the chances of rolling outages if issues occur within the state’s collective grid.  He said this year’s forecasted margin for ERCOT is 7.4 percent, compared to ERCOT's preferred reserve margin of 13.75 percent

Bentke stated the cooperative would be hitting several milestones in the near future, like its 80th anniversary and surpassing 100,000 meters of coverage. He also talked about the region’s growing demand for power, as well as the new housing subdivisions and retail projects in the area.

The luncheon ended with a short question and answer segment, where the speakers answered questions from members of the audience.