BRENHAM CITY MANAGER TALKS REOPENING OF CITY FACILITIES, STATUS OF PROJECTS, CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD

  

Brenham City Manager James Fisher says the city is tightening its belt for the long haul, but is still heading in a “very forward direction”.

Fisher met with members of the local media this (Friday) morning to discuss several topics, including plans to reopen city facilities, the status of a pair of highly anticipated projects, and steps city officials are taking to prepare and move into a very different future.

Fisher first gave a rundown of the city’s facilities that have opened or will soon open for limited usage, which can be seen here.  Fisher said he is expecting to hear more details on the continued reopening efforts of the state in an announcement from Governor Greg Abbott Monday, the same day gyms, exercise facilities, non-essential manufacturers and office-based businesses can open up to limited capacity.

Fisher also discussed the city’s current financial situation, saying the city’s general fund is “extremely tight”.  He said about 55 percent of the city’s general fund revenue comes from property and sales taxes, with concerns about both becoming more and more prominent.  To address revenue concerns, the city is going to pull from its utility fund to cover some gaps, and is looking into funding opportunities available to local governments.  He said it has looked into “every nook and cranny” to close the gap, beyond requiring city employees in all departments to take unpaid leave.

 

In addition, Fisher gave updates on the status of the Baker Katz shopping center project and the Brenham Family Park.  He said the Baker Katz project is still moving forward, but the city will soon be presenting an amendment to the agreement with the developer that pushes back the deadline for the first wave of retailers and restaurants to arrive in the shopping center.  He said he is still in discussions with Baker Katz about how long the deadline will be pushed back, but expects it to be anywhere from one to two years beyond the summer of 2021.  He noted that, according to Baker Katz, none of the retailers the developer has been in conversations with have backed out of the project entirely.

For the Brenham Family Park, Fisher said plans have been halted, but not because of COVID-19.  Rather, the proposed placement of the recreation pond/detention pond within the park was not accepted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and after speaking with consultants, Fisher said the city will need to sit down and reevaluate how the park will work.  In addition, there was not money budgeted this year to have a consultant update the park’s concept drawings.  However, he said the plans for the project are still there, and the city still intends to move forward with it.

Fisher said the question he has received the most over the past six to eight weeks is if the virus is even real.

 

Fisher said the city will need to make some major changes to how it operates, but is still trying to figure out how things will be different from here on out, whether that be permanent social distancing measures or budgeting for personal protective equipment (PPE).  He said it is not a matter of panic, but rather a need to take this situation seriously.

Not everything has been doom and gloom for Fisher, though, as he said there are still positive things happening around the community, and it is just a matter of putting one’s focus in the right place.  He expressed appreciation for how well members of the community work with one another, along with how willing they are to help each other out during this time.  He was also appreciative of the city’s relationship with Washington County, saying while the two may have different viewpoints at times, they always share a vision of working together.

Fisher then shared some words of hope for the years to come.

 

Also on a positive note, Fisher mentioned the First Friday Farmer and Artisan Market in downtown Brenham will be back with the first Friday in June, with social distancing measures in place.