Four months after Blinn College became the owner of a former Bryan church, the board of trustees publicly approve the purchase.
On May 3, WTAW News submitted an open records request to Blinn about details of the college receiving the deed last January to four parcels totaling four acres at Villa Maria and Nash from Rivergate Church.
On May 17, WTAW News received Blinn’s response to our open records request. Blinn’s chancellor, following board policy, authorized spending $2.1 million dollars from the college’s capital projects and deferred maintenance reserve fund.
The following night, Blinn trustees unanimously ratified the purchase. That was after vice chancellor Richard Cervantes reviewed the purchasing process taken by administrators.
Cervantes also told the trustees that administrators “would intend to expand on that process if need be. We have some ideas to make it even more transparent. And we’re willing to do that in the future.”
The trustees newly elected chairman, Jim Kolkhorst of Brenham, told Cervantes “I know most of you guys remember all the discussion that surrounded the Bryan property purchase, and I am open for a motion”. That motion was unanimously approved.
There was no record of the purchase in minutes of Blinn board of trustees meetings from September 2020 through January 2021.
Click below for comments from Richard Cervantes and Jim Kolkhorst from the May 18, 2021 Blinn College trustees meeting.
Click HERE to read and download the minutes of the September 2020 Blinn board of trustees meeting.
Click HERE to read and download the minutes of the November 2020 Blinn board of trustees meeting.
Click HERE to read and download the minutes of the December 2020 Blinn board of trustees meeting.
Click HERE to read and download the minutes of the January 2021 Blinn board of trustees meeting.
Screen shots below are from Rivergate church’s website about negotiating the sale of their property to Blinn.