BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR SALEM ROAD UPGRADES

  

The Brenham City Council will consider signing off on a professional services agreement calling for major improvements to Salem Road at its meeting Thursday.

The council will look at an agreement with Strand Associates, Inc., who upon approval would design, coordinate, and prepare plans for the improvements, which are estimated at $1.4 million.

Public Works Director Dane Rau said city staff have targeted Salem Road for major improvements over the last five to seven years, but the city now has dedicated funding to reconstruct Salem Road from Highway 36 South to the railroad tracks at the city limits.

Reconstruction will involve widening of the current roadway, addition of storm sewer, and concrete surface with curb and gutter. It will also involve making a better transition when entering or exiting Salem Road from Highway 36 South.

Rau said the major costs for the project are taking the road from asphalt to concrete and adding storm sewer. He said an all-concrete design for the roadway was chosen due to the amount of heavy trucks that use it for pickup and deliveries to several of the businesses on Salem Road.

The agreement with Strand Associates is valued at $185,000. Once it is signed, Strand will begin design and get the project ready to go out for bid.  Design is expected to take three to four months, with construction beginning in early summer.  The project is funded with 2020 certificates of obligation.

The council will also meet in executive session to discuss the appointment, employment, evaluation and duties of the city’s police chief. The city’s former chief, Allwin Barrow, retired in November.  City Manager James Fisher said no action is expected to be taken on the item at this meeting.

Also in session, councilmembers will consider:

• Approval of a lease agreement between the city and Brenham Heritage Museum, Inc., for the lease of real property located at 105 South Market Street.  Fisher said the city has been in negotiations regarding the lease agreement for over two years.  According to Fisher, the new lease has placed some performance measures that will help with the opening of the museum on or before October 1, 2022.
• Awarding a contract for storm damage repairs at Jackson Street Park.
• Awarding a contract for the Hohlt Park stream restoration project.
• Re-adopting guidelines and criteria for granting tax phase-in in a reinvestment zone.
• Approving a resolution in support of the establishment of a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Program in Washington County.
• Authorizing city staff to engage in contract negotiations with the Brannon Industrial Group for the provision of municipal solid waste collection, transfer, removal, disposal, and recycling services to the city.  The city solicited sanitation proposals this fall for the outsourcing of residential collection, curbside recycling, collection station operation and transfer station operations.
• Approving an ordinance authorizing the placing of stop signs on Cantey Street at the intersection with Gun and Rod Road.
• Accepting a bid for the resurfacing of the Blue Bell Aquatic Center leisure deck.
• An amendment to the city’s non-consent tow contract, for participation in the city’s rotation log for non-consent tows.

The council will meet Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m., at Brenham City Hall.