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20 SEP 2024 · This podcast contains comments from College Station city councilman Dennis Maloney, mayor John Nichols, and city manager Bryan Woods.
The city of College Station files a lawsuit against the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC).
The lawsuit, filed in Travis County, seeks to reverse a PUC order for the city of College Station to refund over $26 million dollars in electric transmission revenue.
City officials say the revenue, dating back to 1996, was approved by prior PUC board members.
And city officials say the current PUC board ignored most of the recommendations made in an opinion by an administrative judge from the state office of administrative hearings (SOAH).
https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/CSpucLawsuit090324OriginalPetition.pdf
https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/CSpucSOAHruling122123.pdf
https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/CSpuc_CitySummary091924.pdf
At the next College Station city council meeting (September 26), the agenda will include approve paying the refund ordered by the PUC.Â
City officials say that is to avoid paying an additional $7 million dollars in interest and to allow their lawsuit against the PUC to proceed.The refund, while ordered by the PUC, will go to 34 other electric companies.
City officials also say this will not change current electric rates. If the city loses the lawsuit, then it will have an impact on future electric department projects.
College Station mayor John Nichols and city manager Bryan Woods says College Station is the first of what could be multiple city owned electric companies who could face similar monetary penalties from the public utility commission.
PUC members are appointed by the governor.Â
Woods says the PUC order being contested in court has been communicated to the governor's office, the state senator representing Brazos County who chairs a committee that oversees the PUC, and those running for the two Texas House seats representing Brazos County.
As of September 20, the PUC has not filed a response to the city of College Station's lawsuit.
Transcribed
20 SEP 2024 · This podcast contains comments from the September 17, 2024 College Station ISD school board meeting.
September's meeting of the College Station ISD school board included comments to support teachers.
The first speaker was CSISD board member Darin Paine.
After announcing he would be absent for the next six to seven months while he is deployed with the Texas Air National Guard, Paine called on residents to support teachers by contacting state school board members and state lawmakers to increase basic state aid for the first time in five years.
That was followed by three residents who called on CSISD administrators to reverse decisions which is making teacher's daily work more difficult.
Transcribed
20 SEP 2024 · Councilman Dennis Maloney visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about his council career, the Texas Public Utility Commission judgment, interlocal agreements with Bryan, the possibility of a recreation center and a convention center, Post Oak Mall, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.
Transcribed
19 SEP 2024 · Bryan Councilman Paul Torres visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about issues in his district, redevelopment, Downtown Bryan, getting his constituents more involved, the boards he serves on, the reopening of the LaSalle Hotel, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.
Transcribed
18 SEP 2024 · This podcast is a visit with Bob Colwell of the TxDOT Bryan district office and WTAW's Bill Oliver.
Seven and a half years of road construction on Harvey Mitchell Parkway in College Station is coming to an end.
The TxDOT Bryan district office announces Thursday (September 19) after the morning commute, left turn lanes at several intersections will be opened.
Thursday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., there will be intermittent traffic stoppages on Harvey Mitchell to allow construction workers to move traffic devices to open left turn lanes at George Bush, Luther, and Holleman.
The TxDOT news release says this is the final configuration of the $47.6 million dollar highway project between Raymond Stotzer Parkway and Wellborn Road, which began in March 2017.
News release from the TxDOT Bryan district office:
The ongoing Harvey Mitchell Parkway (FM 2818) improvement project has reached another construction milestone which will result in a change to traffic patterns.
Thursday, September 19th, the intersections will undergo a change in operations where the left turn lanes that were previously under construction will be opened at George Bush, Luther and Holleman. The necessary changes will be accomplished after morning peak starting around 9 am and completing by 3 pm.
This is the final configuration of the FM 2818 project.Drivers should avoid travel in this area, if possible, during these time periods.Â
Those who must travel through the work zone should expect delays and intermittent traffic stoppages as crews adjust traffic devices and make certain the route is ready to be opened to traffic.
TxDOT appreciates everyone’s cooperation and patience throughout this traffic change and the duration of the project.Â
This effort is part of the overall 3.2-mile project being constructed by TxDOT’s contractor, Knife River Corporation, at a total construction cost of $47.6 million.
Transcribed
18 SEP 2024 · This podcast contains comments from the September 17, 2024 Bryan city council meeting.
The Bryan city council approves going to condemnation to acquire easements to build a sewer line and lift station covering areas south and east of the RELLIS campus.
That action was taken during a special council meeting on Tuesday (September 17), along with awarding a $5.6 million dollar construction contract.
The project is time sensitive, according to city documents, because in order to use federal pandemic grant money there has to be a construction contract by the end of 2024.
https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BryCoun091724CondemnBkgd.pdf
https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BryCoun091724CondemnRez.pdf
https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BryCoun091724LiftStationBkgd.pdf
Before the council's unanimous votes, one of the property owners affected by the condemnation action tells the council that city staff is "dysfunctional".
Alfred Smith, who said he is in the land business and deals with easements, says he has attempted for four years to reach an agreement with the city.
The council or city staff did not respond to Smith saying that the city is not going to take care of controlling sewage odor and that the city plans to remove three oak trees that are 200 years old.Councilmembers had other questions.Â
Councilwoman Marca Ewers-Shurtleff asked public works director Jayson Barfknecht "Has your office made every good faith attempt that they can make to reach some kind of compromise in this case?" Barfknecht told Shurtleff "I think we've done a really good effort to try and meet with the property owners and meet with their attorneys to try to reach an agreement."
Transcribed
18 SEP 2024 · This podcast is a visit with Bryan police officer Seth Waller and WTAW's Bill Oliver.
The Bryan police department reminds residents to register for National Night Out (NNO) block parties.
Officer Seth Waller says the purpose of the annual event is for officers to meet neighborhood residents, and for the neighborhood residents to meet each other.
The city wide event is October 1st.Â
The registration deadline is September 23rd.
https://bryantx.gov/police
Transcribed
18 SEP 2024 · College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the Unlimited Potential groundbreaking, the upcoming election, the Brazos Transit District, the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.
Transcribed
17 SEP 2024 · This podcast is a recording of the Unlimited Potential groundbreaking on September 17, 2024, followed by visits with UP board president Jacque Flagg and College Station mayor John Nichols, interviewed by WTAW's Bill Oliver.
Three years in development and fundraising, the local non profit assisting those who are aging out of the foster care system breaks ground on their first building.
In December 2021, Unlimited Potential (UP) bought the site of a former nursing home complex in College Station on Anderson Street near Lemontree Park. A year later, the decision was made to clear the site instead of remodeling existing buildings.
At Tuesday's groundbreaking (September 17), UP board president Jacque Flagg said Doug French of Stylecraft Builders "magnanimously donated one of the buildings and is offering other buildings at cost."Â
Flagg also thanked the College Station city council for providing funding to demolish the nursing home buildings in the spring of 2023, Jim Singleton of SZS Architecture for donating a floor plan, Joe Schultz of Schultz Engineering for developing the campus infrastructure, and South Construction for building the infrastructure.
After the groundbreaking, Flagg told WTAW News fundraising continues. That includes a $10,000 dollar matching grant opportunity during the Brazos Valley Gives event.
She also says there are volunteer opportunities to assist the young men and women with transportation to and from appointments and helping move the young adults into new residences.
http://upbrazosvalley.org
College Station mayor John Nichols told WTAW News after the groundbreaking that he was "really impressed with the fact they found a building model that allows them to do this in phases." "For a non profit, it's not easy to raise money. And for them to be able get started with the donations from Stylecraft to start the first building and the build the second one. And then they can start having programming here. Once they have programming here, there will be more people interested and we'll see more funds flow."
Transcribed
16 SEP 2024 · This podcast contains some of the comments from Texas A&M president Mark Welsh's appearance at the A&M faculty senate meeting on September 9, 2024.
September's meeting of the Texas A&M faculty senate included an appearance from president Mark Welsh.
The 50 minute session opened with Welsh providing updates on committee work and upcoming initiatives that includes A&M's Vision 2040 plan, engaging new employees and students in what he called "Reembracing the Spirit of Aggieland", and launching a new student leadership program where students could get academic credit.
Welsh then answered faculty questions on topics ranging from paying student athletes to the university continuing to study employee pay, academic freedom, and transportation issues between the main campus, the west campus, and the health science center.
Newstalk Radio for the Brazos Valley
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Organization | Bryan Broadcasting |
Categories | Society & Culture |
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