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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/09/2026 - Regular Minutes - City CouncilCCM 070926 Minutes Page 1 MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN-PERSON WITH TELECONFERENCE PARTICIPATION CITY OF COLLEGE STATION JULY 9, 2026 STATE OF TEXAS § § COUNTY OF BRAZOS § Presiding: John Nichols, Mayor Council: Mark Smith William Wright, Mayor ProTem David White Melissa McIlhaney Bob Yancy Scott Shafer City Staff: Bryan Woods, City Manager Jeff Kersten, Assistant City Manager Adam Falco, City Attorney Leslie Whitten, Deputy City Attorney Tanya Smith, City Secretary Ian Whittenton, Deputy City Secretary 1. Call to Order and Announce a Quorum is Present . With a quorum present, the meeting of the College Station City Council was called to order by Mayor Nichols via In-Person and Teleconference at 4:00 p.m. on July 9, 2026, in the Council Chambers of the City of College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas 77840. 2. Executive Session Agenda. In accordance with the Texas Government Code §551.071-Consultation with Attorney, §551.072-Real Estate, §551.074-Personnel, and §551.087-Economic Development, and the College Station City Council convened into Executive Session at 4:00 p.m. on July 9, 2026, to continue discussing matters pertaining to: 2.1. Consultation with Attorney to seek advice regarding pending or contemplated litigation, to wit: • The City of College Station v. The Public Utility Commission of Texas, Cause No. D -1-GN- 24-005680 in the 200th District Court, Travis County, Texas. • Hopkins v. City of College Station, et al., Civil Action No. 4:25-CV-00473, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. • Legal advice regarding the process to acquire property needed for the Rock Prairie Road East Widening Project. CCM 070926 Minutes Page 2 2.2. Deliberation on the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property; to wit: • Approximately 8 acres of land located at 1508 Harvey Road. • Approximately 28 acres of land generally located at Midtown Drive and Corporate Parkway in the Midtown Business Park. • Property located within the Midtown Business Park. 2.3. Deliberation on the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer; to wit: • City Manager • Council Self-Evaluation 2.4. Deliberation on an offer of financial or other incentives for a business prospect that the Council seeks to have locate, stay or expand in or near the City; to wit: • Economic development agreement for a development on the 28 acres of land generally located at Midtown Drive and Corporate Parkway in the Midtown Business Park. • Economic development agreement for a development within the Midtown Business Park relating to baseball fields. • Economic development agreement with College Station Town Center, LP. • Funding agreement with Greater Brazos Partnership for services related to Plug and Play. 3. The Open Meeting Will Reconvene No Earlier than 6:00 PM from Executive Session and City Council will take action, if any. Executive Session recessed at 6:08 p.m. 4. Pledge of Allegiance, Invocation, consider absence request . Invocation given by City Councilmember David White. MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilmember White and a second by Councilmember Wright, the City Council voted seven (7) for and none (0) opposed, to approve absence request from Councilmember Melissa McIlhaney for the July 6, 2026 City Council Meeting. The motion carried unanimously. 5. PRESENTATION - PROCLAMATIONS, AWARDS, AND RECOGNITIONS. 5.1. Presentation of a proclamation recognizing July 2026 as "Parks and Recreation Month." Mayor Nichols presented a proclamation to Kelsey Heiden, Parks Director, and Staff, proclaiming July 2026 as "Parks and Recreation Month." 6. Hear Visitors Comments. Rob Santarsiero from College Station addressed the Council regarding the courts having consistently ruled there is no right to privacy in public spaces, and that license plate readers are legal when used responsibly, clarifying misconceptions about ALPR systems and their compliance with the Fourth Amendment. He recommended that the Council set clear policies, conduct regular audits, and provide oversight into ALPR contracts like Flock, emphasizing the importance of understanding contract and technology's implications before adoption. CCM 070926 Minutes Page 3 Ivan Svrcek from Bryan addressed the Council regarding the risks of ALPR data misuse, citing incidents where law enforcement databases were used improperly, and highlighted that College Station and Bryan share Flock data with other jurisdictions, raising concerns about liability and surveillance. Mr. Svrcek argued that ALPR networks can chill First Amendment rights and have been used to monitor protests, referencing local records and historical examples where ALPR systems were used to track citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. Shannon R. Brubaker from Boise, Idaho, addressed the Council as a frequent visitor to College Station, expressing appreciation for the community and its amenities. She shared positive experiences in Mission Ridge, Lick Creek Park, Century Square, Wolf Pen Creek, and other local attractions, and noted admiration for the city’s traditions and welcoming environment. Ms. Brubaker thanked the City Manager, planners, and the Council for their work in making College Station a vibrant and enjoyable place to visit. Lloyd Davis from College Station congratulated the City Council and staff on securing an upgraded Aa1 credit rating from Moody's, while also cautioning about the implications of increased debt and urging careful consideration of capital spending and future flexibility. Mr. Davis explained that the Aa1 rating reflects the city's taxing power and rising property values but warned that the proposed capital improvement plan would significantly increase debt and limit future borrowing capacity, recommending reduced capital spending to maintain financial flexibility. Kody Fox from College Station questioned Flock's transparency, noting discrepancies between public statements and actual camera capabilities, including live video models and facial recognition patents. He also cited error reports from other cities showing frequent false positives and, in his opinion, a lack of meaningful crime-solving impact. Shelby Behm from College Station addressed the Council regarding the proposed capital budget increase for Midtown, citing feedback from small area planning and the necessity for traffic flow during major events, and encouraged the Council to prioritize this project in upcoming budget discussions. John Hamilton from College Station expressed concerns regarding the reliability of Flock camera systems citing error reports from the City of Oak Park, Illinois showing no meaningful investigative benefit and frequent inaccuracies leading to improper traffic stops. He also referenced national incidents where ALPR errors resulted in the detainment of innocent individuals and noted that the City’s contract with Flock provides no guarantee of data accuracy and limits the company’s liability, urging the Council to review available reports and reconsider the contract. 7. CONSENT ITEMS Presentation, discussion, and possible action on consent items which consist of ministerial, or "housekeeping" items as allowed by law: A Councilmember may request additional information at this time. Any Councilmember may remove an item from the Consent A genda for a separate vote. No items were pulled for clarification. 7.1. Presentation, discussion, and possible action of minutes for: • June 25, 2026 Council Meeting CCM 070926 Minutes Page 4 7.2. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on a contract with D.I.J. Construction Inc. for annual traffic pavement striping and marking services, not-to-exceed $500,000 for maintenance activities associated with pavement marking applications on all street types. 7.3. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on a contract with Jaco Roofing & Construction, Inc. in the amount of $128,400 for the roof replacements at 304 Holleman Drive, 1015 Colgate Drive, and 1600 Rock Prairie Drive, plus contingency in the amount of $12,840 for a total appropriation of $141,240. 7.4. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on a sponsorship agreement with Athletes Unlimited Softball League for the AUSL Championship Series on July 23 -27, 2026 for an amount not to exceed $160,743. 7.5. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on the first reading of a franchise agreement ordinance with United Site Solutions, LLC for the collection of recyclables from commercial businesses and multi-family locations. 7.6. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on annual clothing and miscellaneous items price agreements with C.C. Creations for $195,000 and M&M Apparel for $80,000 for a total estimated annual expenditure not to exceed $275,000. 7.7. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on a contract award to Renegade Group, LLC for an electrical overhead crossing relocation and improvement related to the Hwy 6 widening project, for an amount not to exceed $145,583.72. MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilmember Wright and a second by Councilmember Smith, the City Council voted seven (7) for and none (0) opposed, to approve the Consent agenda. The motion carried unanimously. 8. WORKSHOP ITEMS 8.1. Presentation, discussion, and possible action related to a Parks and Recreation Department update. Kelsey Heiden, Parks and Recreation Director, provided the City Council with a semiannual Parks and Recreation Department update. She reported key annual statistics, including 23 tournaments with a total of over 100,000 visitors, maintenance of 57 parks and 42 miles of trails, and receipt of the Tree City USA Growth Award and CAPRA (Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies) accreditation. Mrs. Heiden highlighted completed and ongoing projects such as playground replacements, feasibility studies, park master plans, the John Crompton Playground replacement, Adamson Lagoon slide, columbarium additions, and redevelopment of Mabel Claire Thomas Park. She described expanded community engagement through pop-up events, playground surveys, and a new volunteer and community engagement coordinator was added to staff resulting in 17 events with more than 500 volunteers along with increased social media engagement. The department managed major community events including the Starlight Music Series, Christmas in the Park, and the I Heart America celebration, and announced the upcoming hosting of the Games of Texas in partnership with Bryan. Mrs. Heiden also provided an update on cemetery management, covering sales data, columbarium CCM 070926 Minutes Page 5 expansion, benchmarking of fee structures, and potential policy changes, noting that recommendations will be brought to a future workshop. 8.2. Presentation, discussion and possible direction regarding incentives for increasing housing density. David Brower, Planning and Development, provided an overview of tools and considerations for incentivizing higher housing density. He stated that the item was brought forward in response to a Council-requested future agenda item related to housing density bonuses and impact fee discussions. Brower clarified that the discussion was not centered on affordability based on Area Median Income (AMI) percentages but rather on expanding overall housing supply in alignment with the City’s Housing Action Plan, which identifies increased unit production as a strategy to stabilize or lower prices through market demand. Mr. Brower outlined several categories of potential incentives for Council consideration, including: • Fee-based tools, such as building permit fee waivers or reductions for townhome projects and exploration of additional fee strategies including impact fees, demolition fees, and parkland dedication. • Regulatory tools, including potential UDO amendments to lot sizes, setbacks, and parking requirements to reduce development barriers, as well as targeted proactive rezoning to allow townhomes by right where appropriate. • Economic development tools, such as Chapter 380 participation agreements tailored to attached single-family housing. • Process incentives, including priority review for qualifying townhome projects. Mr. Brower noted key considerations, including the need for an economic development study to appropriately calibrate incentives; potential fiscal impacts to the General Fund and enterprise revenues; and required legal coordination regarding Chapter 380 structures and their interaction with CDBG requirements. He requested Council’s direction on priorities among fee-based tools, regulatory reforms, or a blend of approaches; geographic areas where incentives should be focused or avoided; interest in time-bound pilot programs versus system-wide changes; and authorization to proceed with capacity study and economic incentive modeling. The Council directed staff to bring back a pilot program with clear density criteria and incentive standards (e.g., Chapter 380 agreements) for townhome development in targeted redevelopment areas and consult with industry representatives for input. 9. REGULAR ITEMS 9.1. Public Hearing, presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding Ordinance No. 2026- 4692 amending the Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use & Character Map from General Commercial to Urban Residential for approximately 7.2 acres generally located on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South between Dartmouth Street and Earl Rudder Freeway South. Regular Items No. 9.1 and 9.2 were presented together. 9.2. Public Hearing, presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding Ordinance No. 2026- 4693 amending Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance, “Article 4, “Zoning Districts,” Section 4.2 “Official Zoning Map,” of the Code of Ordinances of the City of College Station, Texas by changing the zoning district boundaries from GC General Commercial & O V Corridor CCM 070926 Minutes Page 6 Overlay to MF Multi-Family (7.20 acres) & NAP Natural Areas Protected (0.829 acres) for approximately 8.029 acres generally located on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South between Dartmouth Street and Earl Rudder Freeway South. Jeff Howell, Planning and Development, provided an overview of the applicant’s request concerning the property located on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South between Dartmouth Street and Earl Rudder Freeway South. The applicant is seeking an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use and Character Map, proposing a change from the current General Commercial designation to Urban Residential for approximately 7.2 acres. The Urban Residential designation is intended to support a variety of high-density multifamily and attached residential developments. In addition to the Comprehensive Plan amendment, the applicant also requested a rezoning of approximately 8.029 acres. The proposed rezoning would change the property’s classification from GC General Commercial and OV Corridor Overlay to MF Multi-Family and NAP Natural Areas Protected. The property in question is un-platted and currently vacant, with its original zoning established in 2017 as General Commercial with a corridor overlay and Natural Areas Protected. The purpose of these requests is to facilitate additional residential development along the corridor by allowing for the construction of multi-family units, which are not permitted under the current General Commercial zoning. Furthermore, the applicant is requesting a rezoning to NAP Natural Areas Protected for a portion of the property to correct a previous error in the zoning map. The applicant also seeks the remo val of the OV Corridor Overlay designation from the entire property. This item was considered at the June 18th Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, where the Commission voted 4-2 to recommend approval. City staff recommended denial of the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use and Character Map amendment, citing concerns that amending the entire property to Urban Residential does not align with the established character of the area or previous municipal planning efforts. Specifically, staff noted the lack of preservation of the commercial corridor along Harvey Mitchell Parkway South, particularly toward Earl Rudder Freeway South. Staff further recommend denial of this rezoning request, as it is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan and incompatible with the surrounding land uses. At approximately 8:19 p.m., Mayor Nichols opened the Public Hearing. There being no further comments, the Public Hearing was closed at 8:20 p.m. MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilmember Yancy and a second by Councilmember Shafer, the City Council voted seven (7) for and none (0) opposed, to adopt Ordinance No. 2026-4692, amending the Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use & Character Map from General Commercial to Urban Residential for approximately 7.2 acres generally located on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South between Dartmouth Street and Earl Rudder Freeway South. The motion carried unanimously. MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilmember Smith and a second by Councilmember White, the City Council voted seven (7) for and none (0) opposed, to adopt Ordinance No. 2026-4693, amending Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance, “Article 4, “Zoning Districts,” Section 4.2 “Official Zoning Map,” of the Code of Ordinances of the City of College Station, Texas by changing the zoning district boundaries from GC General Commercial & OV Corridor Overlay to MF Multi- Family (7.20 acres) & NAP Natural Areas Protected (0.829 acres) for approximately 8.029 acres generally located on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South between Dartmouth Street and Earl Rudder Freeway South. The motion carried unanimously. CCM 070926 Minutes Page 7 9.3. Public Hearing, presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding Ordinance No. 2026- 4694 amending Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance, Article 6 “Use Regulations”, Section 6.3.C “Use Table” and Section 6.4.AC “Vehicular Sales, Rental, Repair, and Service” of the Code of Ordinances of the City of College Station, Texas, by amending certa in sections relating to use requirements and specific standards for Vehicular Sales within the WPC Wolf Pen Creek District. Gabriel Schrum, Planning and Development, presented the ordinance amendment, which modifies the use table to permit vehicular sales, rental, repair, and service in Wolf Pen Creek with specific standards: sales must occur within an enclosed structure, limited outdoor display is allowed adjacent to the principal building, and display areas are restricted in size and location. Staff and Economic Development teams worked with the end user to ensure the amendment would allow for micro mobility sales while preserving district requirements. Site plan approval is required for outdoor display areas, and code enforcement will monitor compliance. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 against recommending approval, citing concerns that vehicular sales do not fit the character of the Wolf Pen Creek district. At approximately 8:40 p.m., Mayor Nichols opened the Public Hearing. There being no further comments, the Public Hearing was closed at 8:40 p.m. MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilmember Yancy and a second by Councilmember White, the City Council voted four (4) for and three (3) opposed, with Councilmember Smith, Wright and Shafer voting against, to adopt Ordinance No. 2026-4694, amending Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance, Article 6 “Use Regulations”, Section 6.3.C “Use Table” and Section 6.4.AC “Vehicular Sales, Rental, Repair, and Service” of the Code of Ordinances of the City of College Station, Texas, by amending certain sections relating to use requirements and specific standards for Vehicular Sales within the WPC Wolf Pen Creek District. The motion carried unanimously. 10. Items of Community Interest and Council Calendar: The Council may discuss upcoming events and receive reports from a Council Member or City Staff about items of community interest for which notice has not been given, including: expressions of thanks, congr atulations or condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; honorary or salutary recognitions of a public official, public employee, or other citizen; reminders of upcoming events organized or sponsored by the City of College Station; informatio n about a social, ceremonial or community event organized or sponsored by an entity other than the City of College Station that is scheduled to be attended by a Council Member, another city official or staff of the City of College Station; and announcements involving an imminent threat to the public health and safety of people in the City of College Station that has arisen after the posting of the agenda. Councilmember Wright reported on “I Heart College Station” and spoke at the 19th annual Foxfire 4th of July parade. Councilmember Yancy congratulated the city manager and finance team for achieving a Aa1 bond rating, which will save the city money on future bond issuances and serve as an economic development tool for attracting investors. Mayor Nichols reported on the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial “Independence Day Signing” event. Councilmember Smith reporting on throwing out the first pitch at the Bombers game. CCM 070926 Minutes Page 8 11. Council Reports on Committees, Boards, and Commission: A Council Member may make a report regarding meetings of City Council boards and commissions or meetings of boards and committees on which a Council Member serves as a representative that have met sinc e the last council meeting. (Committees listed in Coversheet) Nothing to report at this time. 12. Future Agenda Items and Review of Standing List of Council Generated Future Agenda Items: A Council Member may make a request to City Council to place an item for which no notice has been given on a future agenda or may inquire about the status of an item on the standing list of council generated future agenda items. A Council Member’s or City Staff’s response to the request or inquiry will be limited to a statement of specific factual information related to the request or inquiry or the recitation of existing policy in response to the request or inquiry. Any deliberation of our decision about the subject of a request will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on the agenda for a subsequent meeting. Councilmember Yancy requested a future agenda item to address public safety coverage and changes related to fire station 4 and Texas A&M University’s plans. 13. Adjournment. There being no further business, Mayor Nichols adjourned the meeting of the City Council at 8:52 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2026. ________________________ John P. Nichols, Mayor ATTEST: Tanya Smith, City Secretary ________________________