This podcast contains comments from the August 25, 2022 College Station city council meeting. Speakers included police chief Billy Couch, mayor Karl Mooney, councilwoman Elizabeth Cunha, and city manager Bryan Woods.

Click the following link to read and download presentation materials: https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CScoun082522northgateCouchPres.pdf

College Station's Northgate district includes 30 apartment complexes with 8,800 bedrooms and 31 bars with a combined capacity to hold more than 10,000 customers.

How that impacts the College Station police department's 12 member Northgate unit was discussed at the August 25, 2022 city council meeting.

Police chief Billy Couch said last year, CSPD responded to almost 11,000 calls in Northgate, resulting in 473 arrests.

Couch also reported College Station firefighters in the last three years responded to more than 1,100 medical emergencies. One-third of those calls were for overdoses and unconscious patients.

Couch said CSPD spent nearly $3 million dollars on Northgate enforcement last year, while combined tax revenue from the bars generated $242,000 dollars.

That led the police chief to make a series of recommendations at the Northgate district.

There is no timeline for when the council will consider formal action regarding local laws and regulations in the Northgate district.

City manager Bryan Woods said all stakeholders will be contacted about the enforcement proposals.

What the police chief described as short term recommendations included an ordinance to require cameras within bars, wanding required upon entry, removal of outdoor speakers, removal of dining boxes, and an earlier hour for last call of alcohol.

Medium term recommendations included one-way streets or complete road closures, speed Humps on College Main and Church Ave. to slow traffic, lighted or traditional crosswalks, complete unfinished sidewalks on both sides of University, additional bike lanes, and extending the wall along University separating vehicles from pedestrians on the sidewalk.

Long term recommendations included limiting the number of bars in the interim until a broader solution can be created, requiring conditional use permits "with legitimate conditions for all bars within the city", creating a system for maximum number of bars by district within the city, proximity ordinances for licensed establishments, begin entertainment district fees, and use existing city facilities, including surface parking lots, the promenade area, the city's parking garage, and city right of ways, "to stimulate quality and safe re-development".