BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO REQUEST STATE RECOGNITION OF BRENHAM AS ‘ICE CREAM CAPITAL OF TEXAS’

  

The Brenham City Council will consider making a request to the Texas Legislature on Thursday to recognize Brenham as “The Ice Cream Capital of Texas” in the next legislative session. 

According to the agenda packet for Thursday’s meeting, the Visit Brenham Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) was recently approached regarding the marquee in the Visitor Center that reads “Now Showing: The Birthplace of Texas”. 

A councilmember from the City of Deer Park informed the DMO that Deer Park has “Birthplace of Texas” trademarked, as Deer Park is near the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas won its independence from Mexico. 

As a result, the DMO began discussing an alternative that made sense for Brenham, and given Brenham is the home of Blue Bell Creameries, “The Ice Cream Capital of Texas” was suggested.  The DMO met with Senator Lois Kolkhorst’s office and was told that the city needs to request the recognition from the state.

In other business on Thursday, the council will hold a work session to discuss several proposed updates to the city charter ahead of a possible charter amendment election in May.  There will also be a work session presentation on re-adopting guidelines and criteria for granting tax phase-in in a city reinvestment zone.

Also on the agenda, the council will consider:

• Several items pertaining to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.  They include a resolution regarding citizens’ participation and civil rights policies and procedures required to be adopted by grant recipients for the award of the CDBG program from the Texas General Land Office for street and drainage improvements to Lott Lane and Shepard Lane; a resolution designating authorized signatories for contractual documents and documents requesting funds for the CDBG program related to street and drainage improvements; and a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Texas Department of Agriculture for the CDBG program for street and drainage improvements.
• Resolutions for the submission of a grant application and the acceptance of grant funds through the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, Homeland Security Grants Division for the 2024 State Homeland Security program – Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA) projects.
• A project proposal from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) for a five-year electric engineering system study with electrical system visual inspection.
• The purchase of one Vermeer Hydrovac unit for the city’s Electric Department through BuyBoard for $65,900.  

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

Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.