BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PURCHASE OF FORENSIC SOFTWARE

  

The Brenham City Council met Thursday afternoon and decided to approve a proposed security software purchase by the Brenham Police Department.

Police Chief Rex Phelps is requesting that five thousand dollars in drug seizure money be used in a matching grant program for the forensics software.  The council was briefed on how the program will be used and what information it may obtain.

Police spokesperson Angela Hahn stated that the program would allow the department to do this type of investigating in-house instead of having to going to Houston or Austin to accomplish it.  She emphasized that this is not a wire-tapping or cell phone monitoring program, but did not want to go into more detail of its capabilities.

Council approved the authorization to purchase the equipment.

In Executive Session, there was discussion regarding the purchase of Security devices for the police department, which was approved when the public session reconvened.

Also approved on its first reading was the ordinance for a repeal of a stop sign at Chappell Hill Street at its intersection with Stringer Street, and also approved on its first reading for the placement of a stop sign on Stringer Street at its intersection S. Chappell Hill St.

There was also discussion of adding a traffic light to the intersection of Market St. and Chappell Hill St., and removing the light from Market St. and Becker Dr., along with removing the stop sign currently on S. Chappell Hill Street and Stringer, and placing it at the corner of Stringer St. and Chappell Hill.

Council also approved the final payment to Legacy Concrete Works, LLC for the construction work at the Ralston Creek Box Culvert at Gun and Rod Road. At the time of the emergency Council meeting called on December 4, there were no bids available, but once all the bids were reviewed, the lowest bid came in at $73,500. During the construction some modifications were made that decreased the length of the culvert, which decreased the cost by $3,800. The construction staff saw a need for additional headwalls to provide for a safer crossing. These headwalls added $6,000 to the cost. Accounting for the deduction of $3,800 and the addition of the $6,000, the final cost came to $75,500.

The Council also approved the one year extension of the janitorial services of Ambassador Higher Cleaning Standard. Dane Rau reported that they have adjusted the contract by removing the Library building and Central Communications Building, and adding two areas, Central Warehouse Building and the All Sports building.

The police department requested the cleaning service to have the police building cleaned Tuesday through Sunday, as to have the police building looking presentable on Monday morning. This will cause an increase in paying the cleaning company an additional $1200 a year for the police department, due to the cleaning crew having to come in on a weekend from Houston. Police Chief Phelps said that he was ok with this.

Service Recognition was given to Brett Church for 20 years of service in the Electric Department of City of Brenham.