Kevin O’Connor Kommentary September 26

Brazos County Commission And Bryan City Council Approves Offering Property Tax Breaks To A Prospective $10 Billion Dollar, 1800 Employee Manufacturing Plant

Brazos County commissioners and Bryan city council members unanimously approve offering property tax breaks to a prospective $10 billion dollar, 1,800 employee manufacturing plant that would be built on the Texas A&M system’s RELLIS campus. Click HERE to read and download the tax abatement agreement that was approved during the July 9, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting. Click HERE to read and download the tax abatement agreement that was approved at the July 9, 2024 Bryan city council meeting. Click HERE to read and download additional information from the city of Bryan about the tax abatement agreement. Speaking at Tuesday’s (July 9) county commission and city council meetings was system chancellor John Sharp. He told the Bryan council that the company, identified only as Delaware based “America’s Foundry Bryan LLC”, is considering 16 locations. Sharp told council members and county commission members that this project would double the taxable valuation of the city of Bryan. Click below to hear comments from the July 7, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting. Listen to “Brazos County commission approves offering property tax breaks to land a $10 billion dollar, 1,800 employee manufacturing plant” on Spreaker. Click below to hear comments from the July 7, 2024 Bryan city council meeting. Listen to “Bryan city council approves offering property tax breaks to land a $10 billion dollar, 1,800 employee manufacturing plant” on Spreaker. Original story July 7, 2024: More steps are being taken to attract a $10 billion dollar, 1,800 employee manufacturing plant to the Texas A&M system’s RELLIS campus. The system’s board of regents approved during a special meeting on Wednesday (July 3), authorization for administrators to “negotiate and execute a development agreement, ground lease, and other related agreements regarding a manufacturing facility” that remains unidentified. Chancellor John Sharp told reporters after the regents meeting that he remains under a non-disclosure agreement. Before the regents meeting, Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez said on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs that he is also bound by the non-disclosure agreement. But he said Bryan was a finalist for something that could be built anywhere in the world. Friday afternoon (July 5), the city of Bryan and Brazos County released the agenda for the July 9th meetings of the city council and county commission. Both agendas includes a proposed ten year tax abatement agreement for what was described as a “high technology manufacturing plant”. Click HERE to read and download the proposed tax abatement agreement with the Bryan city council. Click HERE to read and download the proposed tax abatement agreement with the Brazos County commission. The agreement proposes the applicant would receive from both Bryan and Brazos County, an 80 percent break on property taxes in the first five years and a 50 percent abatement in the sixth through tenth years. Background information from the city of Bryan says even with the tax abatement, the city estimates collecting more than $164 million dollars in property tax revenue during the ten year period. The background information also says during the tax abatement period, the applicant would give the city five percent of what is being abated towards “the enhancement of the quality of life of Bryan citizens” that includes but are not limited “to infrastructure or programs for parks, recreation and exercise; libraries; aesthetic enhancements to public spaces; public education; senior citizen services; youth services; and healthy lifestyles.” Click HERE to read and download additional information from the city of Bryan about the proposed tax abatement agreement. Brazos County’s agenda did not provide additional information. Click below to hear comments from John Sharp and Bobby Gutierrez. Listen to “More steps are taken to attract a $10 billion dollar, 1800 employee manufacturing plant to the RELLIS campus” on Spreaker.  

Texas A&M’s Interim Chief Operations Officer Is Named To The Post On A Permanent Basis

Another leadership position at Texas A&M has been filled with the naming of a permanent chief operating officer. Filling that post is interim C-O-O Peter Lange. After 13 years directing A&M transportation services as part of a 21 year career at A&M, Lange was named interim C-O-O last March. A&M’s prior C-O-O, Greg Hartman, left to become chief executive officer of the new Texas Alliance of YMCA’s. A&M continues three dean searches, at the school of architecture, the school of performance, visualization and fine arts, and the graduate and professional school. The search also continues for A&M’s next vice provost of faculty affairs. News release from Texas A&M: Texas A&M University announced today that Peter Lange will assume the helm over operations as chief operating officer (COO) and senior vice president, effective immediately. Lange most recently served as the interim chief operating officer since March. Previous to the interim role, he served as the associate vice president for Transportation Services, leading one of the largest university transportation operations in the nation. “With nearly 21 years of service at Texas A&M University, Peter possesses a deep knowledge and understanding of the business operations and people that make this university such a great place to live, work and learn,” said Gen. (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M. “This experience and understanding, combined with his commitment to respectful collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders, make Peter an excellent fit for the important work ahead. Lange started at Texas A&M in July 2003, and prior to that was a systems support specialist and an acting assistant director at the Georgia Institute of Technology for four years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Under his leadership, Texas A&M Transportation Services has received numerous honors, including: International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI) Accredited Parking Organization “With Distinction” (2023) Silver-level status as a “Bicycle Friendly University,” League of American Bicyclists (2023) IPMI Marketing Award (2017, 2018, 2019) Texas Parking and Transportation Association Award of Excellence – Gameday Experience (2014) Innovative Organization of the Year, National Parking Association (2012) Among Lange’s professional awards and distinctions are: Current university representative, Bryan-College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board Past co-chair, IPMI Technology Committee (2012-2022) Past president, Board of Directors for the Texas Parking and Transportation Association (2014-2023) Visionary Award, Texas A&M Division of Finance and Operations, Awards in Excellence (2019) Hindu Society of the Brazos Valley, Support in Time of Crisis (2018) Texas A&M Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Partner of Excellence (2018) IPMI James M. Hunnicutt, CAPP, Parking Professional of the Year (2015) IPMI Chairman’s Award (2013) Texas A&M University, Division of Administration, Interdepartmental Team Award (2013) Texas A&M University, President’s Meritorious Service Award (2009) Distinguished Service Award, Texas Parking and Transportation Association (2009) Lange assumes the permanent role after a national search following the departure of Greg Hartman, who accepted a position as the charter chief executive officer of the new Texas Alliance of YMCAs earlier this year.

Arrests After A Truck Hits A House, Possessing More Than One Pound Of Meth, And Wanted On Five Warrants

A 17 year old is accused of driving his pickup truck into a house. The Bryan police arrest report does not say anyone was hurt from the crash Sunday (July 7) around 3:30 in the morning. Breath alcohol tests indicated the driver, Christopher Martinez of Bryan, was around twice the legal intoxication limit at .170 and .164. Martinez is out of jail after posting bonds totaling $4,215 dollars after being arrested July 7 for DWI and not having a license. Bryan police seize more than one pound of methamphetamine as the result of a traffic stop. The BPD arrest report says the stop was in part due to an officer seeing a car using the left turn signal to make a right turn. The driver, who was wanted on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance, was removed from the car. A small plastic bag in the driver’s pocket tested positive for meth. That led to a search of the car, where officers found in the trunk a container with 21 ounces of meth that a BPD spokesman says has a street value of more than $1,200 dollars. 43 year old Cuauhtemoc Deleon, who was arrested July 6 on new charges of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possessing drug paraphernalia, not having a license, and not having vehicle insurance, remains jailed as of July 9 in lieu of bonds totaling $57,000 dollars. Brazos County sheriff’s deputies responding to a verbal disturbance at a home west of College Station last Saturday (July 6) resulted in a man’s arrest on multiple charges. Deputies learned one of the residents was wanted on five warrants. In addition to those warrants, 45 year old Joshua Balboa Trevino was taken to jail for resisting arrest. The deputy’s arrest report says after Trevino was placed in handcuffs and leg restraints, it took three deputies to carry him to a patrol vehicle. Four of the five warrants charged Trevino with failing to pay fines and court costs totaling $3,068 dollars. Online court records show Trevino was given credit for the unpaid fines and costs by serving jail time. The fifth warrant, accuses Trevino of criminal trespassing last January. Bond on that charge was set at $4,000 dollars. Bond for resisting arrest was set at $4,000 dollars.