OPAS Season 53 Preview

The Infomaniacs Interviews July 8th – July 10th

Missed The Infomaniacs this week? Catch up with our interviews from the past few days. Wednesday: John Nichols Listen to “College Station Mayor John Nichols on The Infomaniacs” on Spreaker. Thursday: Hayden Johnson Listen to “Bryan Aquatics Coordinator Hayden Johnson on The Infomaniacs” on Spreaker. Friday: Jeff Kersten Listen to “College Station Assistant City Manager Jeff Kersten on WTAW” on Spreaker.

College Station City Council July 9, 2026 Meeting Wrap-Up

The College Station City Council met for almost 3 hours Thursday night, convening at 6:00pm and adjourning just before 9:00pm. All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion or objection: Contract with D.I.J. Construction Inc. for annual traffic pavement striping and markings services, not-to-exceed $500,000 for maintenance activities associated with pavement marking applications on all street types. Contract with Jaco Roofing & Construction, Inc. in the amount of $128,400 for the roof replacements at 304 Holleman Drive East (Fire Station #1), 1015 Colgate Drive (Wolf Pen Creek Park green room), and 1600 Rock Prairie Drive (Bachmann Park Community Center), plus contingency in the amount of $12,840 for a total appropriation of $141,240. 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. Franchise agreement ordinance with United Site Solutions, LLC for the collection of recyclables from commercial businesses and multi-family locations. 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. 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. The workshop agenda took the majority of the evening, specifically the presentation and discussion on incentives to increase housing density. The conversation looped back many times to “impact fees,” and whether or not the fees could be waived for a developer. They cannot. The buzzwords of the night were “middle housing.” You could sense that the council wanted to make an impact that would allow for more people to own homes within the city. They weren’t looking for more multi-family housing, although they acknowledged that an increase in the number of available apartments could likely cause rents to drop. What was decided upon is a pilot program to encourage townhome development. Townhomes require a smaller footprint than the traditional single family home, allowing for more living quarters utilizing less acreage. While townhomes can be purchased by companies as investments, they’re hoping that the residences will be owner-occupied. The council unanimously voted 7-0 in favor of changing the land use designation for the 7.2 acres on Harvey Mitchell South between Dartmouth Street and the Earl Rudder Freeway from General Commercial to Urban Residential. The council again voted unanimously in favor of changing zoning for that area from GC (General Commercial) & OV (Corridor Overlay) to MF (Multi-Family) & NAP (Natural Areas Protected). The final regular agenda item was an ordinance amendment in the Wolf Pen Creek Zoning District. This area extends from Texas Avenue to the Earl Rudder Freeway. It’s tricky, though. West of Dartmouth Street, it extends from Harvey Road to Holleman Drive. On the east side of Dartmouth Street, it extends south from Holleman Drive, but not all the way to Southwest Parkway. Clear as mud, right? Please see the graphic I have attached at the bottom of this story. The WPC Zoning District is shaded in gray. The reason there was a request to change to ordinance was to allow for a micro-mobility retailer to display vehicles in front of their business. The council was split on this one, but as Councilman Bob Yancy said, “Let ’em do business!” The ordinance change was approved 4-3. If you would like to view the packets for any of tonight’s presentation, you can do so by clicking on the title of the item you wish to view. Parks Update Housing Density Harvey-Dartmouth Land Use-Rezoning WPC UDO Amendment

Blinn College Vocational Nursing Director to Serve on Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board

The head of the Vocational Nursing Program at Blinn College has been tapped for serve on the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board. Dr. Michelle Marburger is the Program Director for Vocational Nursing at the Blinn College District, and is one of 13 appointees to the board. The TWC Advisory Board is a statewide panel created to address healthcare workforce shortages and strengthen partnerships between healthcare providers and higher education institutions. “I am honored to serve on the Texas Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board and contribute to statewide efforts that strengthen and advance Texas’s healthcare workforce,” Marburger said. “I am committed to leveraging my experience in nursing education to support innovative, data-informed solutions and foster collaboration among healthcare providers, workforce partners, and educational institutions.” Marburger has been with Blinn since 1998. She became a full-time faculty member in 2002 and the Program Director in 2005. She also serves as the president of the Texas Association of Vocational Nurse Educators Board of Directors. She has extensive nursing and leadership experience across acute care, home health, long-term care, and education, including service to the Brenham and La Grange areas. Michelle Trubenstein, Dean of Health Sciences at Blinn, said Marburger’s experience as a nurse educator and program leader will make her a valuable voice on the advisory board. “Dr. Marburger will bring a breadth and depth of information and perspective to this board,” Trubenstein said. “I am excited that she was selected to serve.” TWC Executive Director Steve Pier said the new advisory board reflects the state’s commitment to developing solutions that meet local healthcare workforce needs. “The Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board marks a significant milestone in our commitment to strengthening the Texas healthcare workforce,” he said. “Bringing together leaders from education, hospital systems, and community health centers will help us provide localized, data-driven strategies to support the professionals who care for our communities.” To address challenges facing the healthcare industry, the advisory board will develop a collaboration toolkit and resource guide. These tools are designed to facilitate local partnerships between healthcare providers, workforce boards, and institutions of higher education. The partnerships will help communities more effectively identify and address healthcare workforce needs, said Pier. Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program consists of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Clinical rotations are held at hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the area. Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination of Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination, and are considered licensed vocational nurses after passing both exams. Over the last three years, almost 98% of program graduates have found jobs in the profession. The application for spring 2027 admission to the Vocational Nursing at Blinn College opens on Sept. 17. Applications for fall 2027 open on March 4, 2027. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.