HomeMy WebLinkAboutMunicipal Plan - Blanche BrickMunicipal Plan – Workshop May 25, 2017
I requested this plan because I have not seen such a plan since I have been on the Council. We have a master plan for water/wastewater, for Bikes, Pedestrians and Greenways and for
Thoroughfares, but not for municipal property. When the city purchased a significant amount of property back in 1995, there was a broad statement made as to the uses for this property
but no plan was developed.
Texas A&M has just issued a master plan for its campus due to the growth it is experiencing.
I believe it is important for the city to have such a plan especially given the growth we are experiencing.
I also believe it is important to develop a process that will allow both the Council members and the citizens to have meaningful input into the location and the design of future municipal
buildings.
While I have been on the Council, the city has been engaged in the following municipal building projects:
Library expansion – with an advisory committee
Lick Creek Park Nature Center – with an advisory committee
Police Station – no advisory committee – The Council approved the funds for the design for this building which will be our largest municipal building. There was never a Council discussion,
however, on different locations of the station until two weeks before the final vote. And once the design funds were approved, there was no Council or citizen input on the design of
the building.
The police station was approved by a CIP committee that was established to determine priorities for a general obligation bond issue. Before this process could go forward, however, the
previous legislature passed legislation that stated that any project that was not approved in a bond election, could not be funded with certificates of obligation and could not be voted
on for a three year period. Thus, it was decided by many cities, including CS not to hold bond elections. While the intent of this legislation was to protect citizen input, it had
the effect of limiting that input. Thus, we need to establish a process that will, once again, give both the Council and the citizens the opportunity to be engaged in this process.