HomeMy WebLinkAbout1969 Regional Planning Program Set UpTHE BRYAN DAILY EAGLE
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Vol. 94— No. 31
Br mb- CoNege Siedm. Tw. Friday, August 8, 1969
5 Cents 14 Pages
BVDC Leaders, Regiona Planning
OK Resolution Program Set Up
The Brazos Valley Develop-
ment Council adopted a
resolution Thursday night under
which a regional planning
program will be started.
Under the resolution the
BVDC will provide $7,507 for the
first year of operation toward
the regional planning program.
The state receives both local
and federal funds, acting as a
holding agency. Once the plan-
ner is hired, the BVDC ,&_reim-
bursed $2,500 on the woeK he
does on the regional plan, Tom
Herrin of the state Department
of Health explained to members.
Action was taken after
discussion by representative of
the member counties and towns
of the added cost of regional
planning.
The council is made up seven
area counties, Brazos, Burleson;
Grimes, Leon, Madison. Robert-
son and Washington.
Local funding of the 'BVDU
is done on a population per-
centage basis. For the current
fiscal year the counties are
providing $4,620 toward the
BVDC's operation.
Other funds are provided by
the federal and state govern-
ments.
Glenn Cook, e x c u t i v e
director of the BVDC, told the
members that in order to get
federal funds four now on, they
must begin a regional planning
program.
The cost to the counties
would about double, he ex-
plained. Part of the additional
money would pay a planner's
salary.
Asked how much a regional
planner's salary would be, Cook
replied, "around $16,000.
"In order to get federal funds
from now on the BVDC must
certify the project meets the
requirements of the regional
plan.
"You must do your own
certifying and your own plan-
ning," he said. "As far as I
can tell regional planning is
here to stay. Everybody wants
you to do it to get funds."
Herrin told the group that a
planner would be "an employee
of the BVDC.
"If you need assistance, he
should help you out. One-half
of his salary is for regional
planning and one —half is for
local activities.
"We have a consultant who
will actually do the major
portion of the regional planning,
but he will act as liasion man.
"Then if you have a problem,
if it's'a Workable Program you
are working on, then it would be
his job to work out the prob-
lem," Herrin said.
Mayor D.A. Andy Anderson of
College Station said he was
` "strongly in favor of going
ahead with the planning. We
have found roadblocks in our
way already."
College Station is applying for
Workable Program cer-
tification from the Department
of Housing and Urban
Development.
Bryan City Commissioner
Mary Ann Parker asked how
many of the towns in the BVDC
had Workable Programs.
A. C. Johnson, assistant
director, said that College
Station, Franklin, Hearne,
Brenham, Caldwell and Cen-
terville were qualified.
The BVDC board of directors
also adopted the quarterly
report and postponed action on
the annual report until the next
meeting to give members an
opportunity to study it.