Three Brazos County Commissioners Approve What Will And Won’t Receive Federal Pandemic Grant Money

Screen shot from the agenda of the October 11, 2022 Brazos County commission meeting.
Screen shot from the agenda of the October 11, 2022 Brazos County commission meeting.

Three Brazos County commissioners who attended Tuesday’s meeting approved without discussion, the list of projects that will and won’t receive a portion of more than $42 million dollars in federal pandemic grant money.

County judge Duane Peters visited with WTAW’s Bill Oliver on September 26 about $2 million being designated for what is described as a “community recreation center-multi purpose facility”. Peters says commissioner Irma Cauley promoted the center that will be located in north Bryan between the city cemetery and Sadie Thomas Park on Waco Street at the site of the G.W. Williams Tabernacle church.

Click below to hear comments from Duane Peters, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver:

 

Cauley and Nancy Berry joined Peters in approving the list of what will and will not receive money given to Brazos County from ARPA, the American Rescue Plan Act.

From the county commission’s agenda for the October 11 meeting, here is the list of projects receiving ARPA money given to Brazos County:

  • a. Medical Examiner’s Office – $24,000,000
  • b. Broadband Initiative – $1,000,000
  • c. Feasibility Study – Brazos County Administration Building Sanctuary Remodel – $100,000
  • d. Community Recreation Center – Multi Purpose Facility – $2,000,000
  • e. HVAC / Air Purification Systems for Jail, Juvenile Detention Center, Health Dept., and/or other mass congregant sites in County Buildings – $1,500,000
  • f. Elder Care / R U OK? Call program – $50,000
  • g. Feasibility Study – Brazos County Administration Building North Wing Renovation – $100,000
  • h. Brazos Valley Community Action Programs (Meals on Wheels) – $500,000
  • i. Unlimited Potential – $2,000,000
  • j. Friends for Life – $16,200
  • k. Scotty’s House – $25,000
  • l. Housing Assistance Programs (Area Agency on Aging of the Brazos Valley) – $250,000
  • m. Brazos County Administration Building North Wing Renovation – $1,500,000
  • n. Former Bryan ISD Building Renovation (Now owned by Brazos County) – $9,367,741

From the county commission’s agenda for the October 11 meeting, here is the list of projects that did not receive ARPA money:

  • 1. Emergency Operations/ 9-1-1 Center
  • 2. Brazos County Emergency Service District #1
  • 3. Elmo Weedon Phase 2 with bridge
  • 4. Elmo Weedon Phase 2 without bridge
  • 5. Fawn Meadows HOA
  • 6. 361st Court remodel
  • 7. Brazos Valley Food Bank
  • 8. Greenleaf Lane Culvert Crossing Replacement
  • 9. Harpers Ferry Road (Arrington to Nantucket Dr.)
  • 10. Harris Lane at Mathis Creek Bridge Repair
  • 11. I&GN Road Wellborn Water Waterline Replacement & Realignment
  • 12. I&GN Stousland Straub (Green Prairie Trail to Saddle Creek)
  • 13. Brazos WiFi Heritage Lakes – KOR School Extension
  • 14. Brazos WiFi Kurten Bank – Still Creek School
  • 15. Mental Health Facility
  • 16. Old Reliance (Andert to Cemetery to Morgan)
  • 17. Old Reliance (Carrabba to Andert)
  • 18. Old Reliance (City Limits to Wallis Winery)
  • 19. Old Reliance (Morgan to FM 2038)
  • 20. Road & Bridge Department Building Expansion (Hwy 21)
  • 21. Brazos County Administration Building Sanctuary Remodel
  • 22. Saxon Road at Bowman Creek Bridge Repair
  • 23. Sidewalk Construction – Sandy Point Apartments
  • 24. Smetana Road (Railroad tracks to end of road)
  • 25. St. Joseph Health System/Baylor Scott & White
  • 26. Weedon Loop at Wickson Creek Bridge Repair
  • 27. Wickson Creek SUD
  • 28. Wilcox Lane Bridge at Little Wickson Creek Repair
  • 29. Wilcox Lane Bridge at Wickson Creek Repair

 

Original story, October 11, 2022

The October 11 meeting of the Brazos County commission will be the second time in three weeks there will be possible action on where to spend more than $42 million dollars in federal pandemic grant money.

During a workshop meeting September 29, commissioner Russ Ford opposed county judge Duane Peters proposal to include no money for extending broadband internet to the three percent of Brazos County without that service. The agenda for the October 11 meeting calls for broadband getting $1 million.

Commissioner Steve Aldrich opposed the county judge’s recommendation to include no grant money towards county road and bridge projects, specifically improvements to I&GN, Straub, and Stousland Roads. The list for the October 11 meeting does not propose grant money for road and bridge projects.

Commissioners also debated how much money to spend on the former Bryan ISD administration building in downtown Bryan, which the county purchased last November. The list for the October 11 meeting includes almost $9.4 million dollars to renovate or replace the one time bank building at Texas and William Joel Bryan.

Click below for comments from the September 29, 2022 Brazos County commission workshop meeting:

 

From the county commission’s agenda for the October 11 meeting, here is the list composed by the county judge of recommended expenditures using ARPA or federal pandemic grant money:

  • a. Medical Examiner’s Office – $24,000,000
  • b. Broadband Initiative – $1,000,000
  • c. Feasibility Study – Brazos County Administration Building Sanctuary Remodel – $100,000
  • d. Community Recreation Center – Multi Purpose Facility – $2,000,000
  • e. HVAC / Air Purification Systems for Jail, Juvenile Detention Center, Health Dept., and/or other mass congregant sites in County Buildings – $1,500,000
  • f. Elder Care / R U OK? Call program – $50,000
  • g. Feasibility Study – Brazos County Administration Building North Wing Renovation – $100,000
  • h. Brazos Valley Community Action Programs (Meals on Wheels) – $500,000
  • i. Unlimited Potential – $2,000,000
  • j. Friends for Life – $16,200
  • k. Scotty’s House – $25,000
  • l. Housing Assistance Programs (Area Agency on Aging of the Brazos Valley) – $250,000
  • m. Brazos County Administration Building North Wing Renovation – $1,500,000
  • n. Former Bryan ISD Building Renovation (Now owned by Brazos County) – $9,367,741

From the county commission’s agenda for the October 11 meeting, here is the county judge’s list of projects to not receive ARPA money:

  • 1. Emergency Operations/ 9-1-1 Center
  • 2. Brazos County Emergency Service District #1
  • 3. Elmo Weedon Phase 2 with bridge
  • 4. Elmo Weedon Phase 2 without bridge
  • 5. Fawn Meadows HOA
  • 6. 361st Court remodel
  • 7. Brazos Valley Food Bank
  • 8. Greenleaf Lane Culvert Crossing Replacement
  • 9. Harpers Ferry Road (Arrington to Nantucket Dr.)
  • 10. Harris Lane at Mathis Creek Bridge Repair
  • 11. I&GN Road Wellborn Water Waterline Replacement & Realignment
  • 12. I&GN Stousland Straub (Green Prairie Trail to Saddle Creek)
  • 13. Brazos WiFi Heritage Lakes – KOR School Extension
  • 14. Brazos WiFi Kurten Bank – Still Creek School
  • 15. Mental Health Facility
  • 16. Old Reliance (Andert to Cemetery to Morgan)
  • 17. Old Reliance (Carrabba to Andert)
  • 18. Old Reliance (City Limits to Wallis Winery)
  • 19. Old Reliance (Morgan to FM 2038)
  • 20. Road & Bridge Department Building Expansion (Hwy 21)
  • 21. Brazos County Administration Building Sanctuary Remodel
  • 22. Saxon Road at Bowman Creek Bridge Repair
  • 23. Sidewalk Construction – Sandy Point Apartments
  • 24. Smetana Road (Railroad tracks to end of road)
  • 25. St. Joseph Health System/Baylor Scott & White
  • 26. Weedon Loop at Wickson Creek Bridge Repair
  • 27. Wickson Creek SUD
  • 28. Wilcox Lane Bridge at Little Wickson Creek Repair
  • 29. Wilcox Lane Bridge at Wickson Creek Repair