OFFICIALS TALK BRENHAM’S PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS, FUTURE GOALS IN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DISCUSSION

  

Several Brenham representatives met this (Thursday) morning to plan for and discuss the city’s future.

Members of Brenham City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Board of Adjustment spoke with officials from Kendig Keast Collaborative (KKC), to begin updating the city’s comprehensive plan. The city approved an agreement with the planning consultant based out of Sugarland in September.

Gary Mitchell and Meredith Dang, respective President and Senior Associate of KKC, addressed the group, asking them what their priorities are for the city moving forward.

The two stated this meeting would serve to establish a big picture, and the context for the plan.  Future meetings, which are planned through early to mid-2019, will work on the smaller details.

Through the meeting, the group spent time talking about how Brenham has both changed and stayed the same over the years. They also discussed how it has improved, what needs improvement, and some of the top strategic goals of the city.

The city also discussed some of its strengths. Several members spoke of Brenham’s improvements in tourism, a sense of belonging in the community, stability of government, and frequent involvement of the public in community events.  In addition, they mentioned the building of several new facilities over recent years, such as the Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library and animal shelter.

The group also spoke on some of the city’s goals that it felt have not been reached. These included the lack of downtown hotels and an inability to retain younger citizens in Brenham.  Some members stated that people would be born and raised in Brenham, would then leave for places like Houston for higher-paying jobs, then come back to Brenham to retire.  They said the city needs to work to shed its appearance of a “retirement-town”.

KKC Senior Associate Meredith Dang speaks with council and board members about Brenham's comprehensive plan.

A majority of the group present said the city’s top priority should be maintaining the “small-town feel” of Brenham, while also allowing for retail and industrial expansion.

Other topics mentioned included managing commuter traffic, the further development of schools, exploring other energy options, and maintaining smart growth by planning for situations rather than reacting to them.

City Manager James Fisher said he was excited to hear all of the discussion. He also stated that the group needed to make sure it was on the same page when talking about “small-town feel”, as he felt that point could often be subjective.

Assistant Development Services Director Stephanie Doland said this meeting is one of the first steps in a process expected to take 9-12 months.

Setting a timeline, Dang said this month through February would act as the early input stage, outlining a plan direction and receiving input from citizens in town hall meetings.

Dang said the first of the town hall meetings will be targeted with January 10th, with a second joint workshop planned for February.   From March through June, the city will work with KKC at more specific ideas for the future, and host several more joint workshops and town hall meetings.

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

14 Comments

  1. several good points were listed here……downtown is growing, but only for the rich. Have you tried to go to any of the places and have a drink? At one of the establishments, I paid $7 and $10 per glass of beer. Some places I have yet to step foot in because I know that I cannot afford their prices. Contrary to what many folks think, we do not make a fortune here. I am a native Brenhamite but am looking to move because I cannot find a job that pays a decent salary. It’s sad that we, born and raised folks, have to give up our town because the cost of living is so high but yet the wages are so low. I can make more by driving somewhere else than I can here! The city is so intent on bringing in specialized businesses that have to bring in their own workers to work. Just like the facility on the South end of town; everyone is so worried that it will take the workers away from the SSLC; hopefully it does, have you looked at the salaries of the people that work at the SSLC? Not just the direct care staff, look at what the accounting department and the admin staff on the homes make….it’s just sad!

  2. What the Brenham area needs is more options for the locals to shop at for clothing so that we do not need to take our money to the larger towns. If we had options to put our money into our local economy we would. Right now, our biggest clothing option is Palais Royal & their site is threatened with closure from HEB I’m assuming. What downtown needs is for one of the community parking lots to be turned into a paid parking garage. During the work week, you can hardly find a parking space because of the courthouse employee parking and during the weekend, space is very limited by those who are enjoying Brenham’s wonderful night life. We cannot stay “small town” forever. We must change with the times to get the things we need to help fund the things we want.

  3. Taxpayer. Amen, and thank you expressing so well how many city residents feel about the lack of professionalism and abilities in decades of city management. I see no end or solution in sight, but our current city manager appears to be taking some positive steps. Hopefully he won’t receive too much blowback from old guard. Transformations of this magnitude won’t happen overnight.

    1. I can see using a consultant on rare occasions, especially dealing with technical issues. but what can a consultant tell you about what the local citizens want *& do not want) that cannot be learned from canvassing a fair representation of the citizens with a legal pad and a # 2 pencil? I know a company that p[aid $7,000.000 to a consultant. The consultant took a legal pad and interviewed company employees in every department. He asked what the company was doing right, what they would change, etc. He wrote up his report, complete with recommendations. The company followed the recommendations and things improved dramatically. All along, the answers to the company problems were right in front of them, free for the asking.

  4. As a local city tax payer all I see is another inexperienced city government that is hiring another consultant. For the taxes that I pay Brenham for their inflated and over staffed management. I would think that I am paying them to do the job. This is paying for consultants instead of supposed educated managers and directors. This same management hired a flood consultant to recoupe flood damage costs too. Last report is Brenham hasn’t received a dime for damages and Brenham management still paid flood consultant. Tax payers deserve educated managers directors engineer and planners that can do their jobs without tax payers paying others to do their jobs for them. This process only tncreases our citizen tax payers taxes.

    1. Tax Payer,

      Directing a comment toward the city planner is falling on deaf ears since there is no planner at the city. I was told the planner moved to another city.

        1. The only people retiring are those high paid city employees that benefit from my high city taxes. I’m old enough for SS but got to work to pay my taxes and health insurance. I’ll have to sell the house I built forty years ago and live in a trailer just to survive. Local government has driven me to the poor house

  5. It’s sad that people that are not from around here and they tell you what they think should be done to the city. Then you pay them a lot of money to.

  6. So many things are right here. In all honesty the city government is very good. The downtown initiative is bearing fruit. But there are some major problems as well. Wages are stagnant and taxes keep their unending rise. Shopping has become awful. This is a departure from 15 years ago when the square was populated by local clothing stores. We need retailers to come here. Why are the not here? Because workers here don’t have the disposable income to support them. We will become semi suburban in time, but do we want to be a desirable location or an impoverished area? Our local governments can influence the direction we travel

    1. The downtown initiative is bearing fruit? How so? Have you counted the empty buildings within 2 blocks of the courthouse lately? There aren’t any retailers for the same reason they left in the first place — NO PARKING.

      1. Yes parking is tough right now because there is actually a lot of activity downtown. The city should aggressively try to secure the parking lots. Perhaps wear the old Henry building is would be a good parking lot. Last time I went to H-E-B or Walmart morning with the b last time I went to H-E-B or Walmart parking was difficult also. The population is growing And infrastructure will have to grow with it

  7. Brenham is a small town and all of the hotels are a stones throw from anywhere in the city of Brenham. The local hotel owners have fully invested their private dollars in their hotel business. Now, the private businesses will have to compete with a government built and government supported hotel facility. This sounds like something a foreign country would do. A free democracy would not have a government business that competes with American free business and enterprise.

  8. How are the young expected to stay in Brenham when there are very few places to work here that pay sufficient salaries to support a family…… maybe if Brenham provided more jobs we wouldn’t need so much low income housing!! Also, where in this town are there any decent stores to go shopping!! And now they are talking about closing labor and delivery at the hospital……how SAD to think they are trying to stop new births in this county and cut out more jobs!! I in no way want to be like Houston but I do think we need to grow some to keep the young a part of this town!!

Back to top button