RIGHT OF WAY MAINTENANCE

  

Brenham City Public Works Director Dane Rau told the City Council at  (Thursday’s) meeting, that unsightly weeds, grass and other forms of vegetation are growing alongside the highways, railroad tracks and city streets.  He said, during a workshop session of the City Council meeting that the vegetation is beginning to grow in the right of ways that are either maintained by TxDot, the BNSF Railroad or the City of Brenham.

BNSF and TxDot cut or control this vegetation only at certain times of the year.  Some of the areas both groups do not mow or weed eat due to the smaller spaces of area between driveways and property boundaries.  Rau hoped the city would maintain these right of way more frequently.  He said TxDot does not have a problem with the city maintaining these areas.  

Currently the City of Brenham spends an estimated $140,000 on vegetation management but he said they also need to engage in litter control.  City Council member Mary Barnes Tilley asked if community groups could take a more active part in such actions, making the costs of upkeep of city right of ways cheaper, and more of a community project.  Rau says, to some degree they are already doing that, working with the Chamber of Commerce sponsored ‘Keep Washington County Beautiful’ under the leadership of Page Michel.

Rau said the city staff will see if the mowing can all be done either well before the wildflower blooming season, or just after, to ensure the flowers come in.

The City Council will further consider the idea.