BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES DRAINAGE FEE, APPROVES DETENTION POND PROJECTS
The Brenham City Council had a full day’s worth of discussion at its two meetings today (Thursday).
The council first met in work session to discuss implementing a drainage utility fee. The new fee would be used to establish a dedicated and sustainable funding source, providing for operation, improvement and maintenance of the city’s drainage infrastructure.
Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Miller said the city devotes roughly $300,000 annually to drainage maintenance, but that amount is not enough to fund all the needed capital improvements and upgrades for drainage infrastructure. This fund would dedicate monies for long-term improvements and ongoing maintenance of drainage facilities.
The proposed drainage fee is $3.75 a month for residential utility customers, or $45 a year. The charge is based on the cost of drainage services and the contribution of stormwater runoff by residential and non-residential properties. The maximum monthly charge for a non-residential property, based on impervious area of the parcel, is $300.
The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the drainage fee at a town hall meeting on November 12th. If approved, the monthly charge would begin on the January 2020 utility bill.
The council then met for its regular meeting at 1 p.m., where it accepted bids for detention pond projects in the city’s Southwest Industrial Park and Brenham Business Center.
The council accepted a $269,245 bid from South Central Texas Excavation and Construction, for rehabilitation of the pond in the Southwest Industrial Park.
The scope of work includes excavation of the current detention pond, vegetation removal, outfall improvements, and sloped concrete additions. Public Works Director Dane Rau said these improvements will allow the pond to handle growth on the horizon at the park. The project will be funded by the Brenham Community Development Corporation (BCDC).
The winning bid for the Brenham Business Center pond project was from Lonnie Lischka Company, for $382,916. Rau said the project, also being funded by the BCDC, should improve stormwater runoff for current and future development in the Brenham Business Center.
The work includes building a large regional detention pond for the area north of Woodward Creek. It involves excavation, installation of concrete pipe, wingwalls, sloped paving, soil retention blankets, seeding, and sediment control fencing. Rau added that the project bid came in below estimated construction costs, which were projected at $659,533.
Construction for both projects is expected to begin near the first of the new year.
The council also:
- Approved a resolution expressing the city’s official intent to reimburse certain costs, related to street rebuild and reconstruction projects. Included in the 2019-20 budget is the issuance of certificates of obligation for various capital projects, one of which is $625,000 for street reconstruction. About 2.8 miles of roadway, or 20 streets, have been identified to be reconstructed in the budget.
- Accepted a $321,885 bid from Barclays Premier Utility Services, for storm damage repairs to Industrial Boulevard. Construction for the project will begin early next year. Public Works Director Dane Rau said travelers will be alerted before work begins, as the roadway will need to be shut down while under construction.
- Revised rates for ground space leases and city-owned T-Hangar leases at the Brenham Municipal Airport. The new rates will go into effect January 1, 2020.
The council then met in executive session to discuss matters regarding the city manager’s employment agreement, and continued discussion on matters concerning Brenham Municipal Court Judge Bill Kendall.