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Divided Bryan City Council Is Not Interested In Considering A Health District Request To Regulate Public Swimming Pools

A divided Bryan city council decides to not consider a Brazos County health district (BCHD) request to enact an ordinance regulating public swimming pools. A proposed ordinance drafted by the health district was discussed at Tuesday’s (February 18) council workshop meeting. Click HERE to read and download the BCHD proposed swimming pool ordinance, which was provided to WTAW News by the city of Bryan. No one from the health district attended the meeting. Councilman Paul Torres said he was asked by an unidentified representative of the health district to present the request. Torres, Ray Arrington, and James Edge were interested in hearing from health district representatives. Edge, who represents the city on the BCHD board, said the board discussed the ordinance at length several times. Edge said public safety and public health is a responsibility of the city and the county. He also said “We don’t have the answers to the specifics to allow us to act on this at this time.” One of four councilmembers who did not want a health district presentation, Marca Ewers-Shurtleff, said “based on the brief amount of information we have”, “if an industry has been self-regulated and that has been successful, I don’t understand why the government needs to insert themselves.” Shurtleff pointed out what she described as “troubling language” in the ordinance (Section 2.2a) that “The regulatory authority may, without warning, notice, or hearing suspend any permit to operate a public swimming pool or spa”. She considered that as “a lot of overreach here that I’m very uncomfortable with”. Shurtleff added that “I still like that old adage ‘The scariest words in the English language is we’re from the government and we’re here to help.'” Councilman Jared Salvato said he was opposed to the city getting involved in what was considered a county matter. He also questioned why BCHD did not include private swimming pools in their proposed ordinance. And Salvato said “the court of public opinion is far superior than any government oversight. In the world we live in today with social media” “if a commercial pool operator is not taking care of their equipment or sanitary issues, they’ll be out of business quicker than any type of regulatory business”. Salvato also asked Torres, who Salvato identified as a health district employee, for more information regarding five cases of pool related water borne illnesses that were identified by the health district. Shurtleff added “we’re not sure with any kind of clarity if those have been traced to one pool, multiple pools”. When Torres brought up Salvato’s swim school business, Salvato told Torres “It’s not just my business, it’s everybody that has a business related to this.” “We’ve been around (the city) since 1871 and we have five cases of what could possibly be a water borne illness. I don’t understand the budget constraints that the county might have to go out hire new CPO’s and then they’re talking about fees that are going to be assessed for all these different companies (public pool owners) when they’re already self-monitoring.” Mayor Bobby Gutierrez added “This is a current time where we’re trying to do away with as much regulation. If the county health department wants to do this, why do we have to be involved?” Torres said “What I understand is the ordinance is to be able to enforce the ones that are not doing it properly, the ones that are not taking care of their pools and actually having the correct pH, the correct facilities”. Shurtleff, Salvato, and mayor Bobby Gutierrez were joined by councilman Kevin Boriskie and city manager Kean Register in opposing the proposed ordinance. Register, who expected the proposed ordinance would also apply to city pools, said “We take the cleanliness of our pools very important because there are two things that loom over our head with pools. One is a lawsuit if someone gets sick because of it. And two is the bad PR (public relations) that we’re going to get for the same reason. So those two things keep us on top of our act.” The council was told out of 22 health districts in the state, Brazos County is one of four that does not regulate public pools. Click below to hear comments from the February 18, 2025 Bryan city council meeting: Listen to “Divided Bryan city council is not interested in considering a health district request to regulate public swimming pools” on Spreaker.

65 Year Old Bryan Business Recognized With A State Award

Since 2005, the Texas Historical Commission has presented awards to local businesses that are at least 50 years old. A Bryan business that began in 1960 received the Texas Treasure Business Award at Tuesday’s (February 18) Brazos County commission meeting. Buddy’s Appliance owner Buddy Haney received the award from the vice chair of the Brazos County historical commission, Vicki Smith-Dicky. Dicky said Buddy’s has provided exceptional service and building enduring customer relationships. Click below to hear comments from the February 18, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting:  

Bryan Man On The DPS Most Wanted List Of Sex Offenders Is Found

A Bryan man placed on the department of public safety’s most wanted list of sex offenders last week (February 11) is in the hospital. The Waller County sheriff’s office, which announced the escape of 37 year old Salvador Saucedo Jr. from their custody, posted on their Facebook page that Saucedo was taken to the hospital yesterday Tuesday (February 18) after a self inflicted gunshot wound at his girlfriend’s home in the Grimes County town of Richards. The Facebook post also said there was a fire at the home, but did not give any information about the extent of damage. Saucedo was the subject of arrest warrants from Waller County related to his escape, in College Station on a harassment charge that took place in May 2024, and from Brazos County for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. Original story, February 11, 2025: A Bryan man has been added to the Texas department of public safety’s (DPS) most wanted list of sex offenders. 37 year old Salvador Saucedo Jr. escaped from custody January 23rd in Bellville. Saucedo has warrants for his arrest from Waller County related to the escape and four other charges. Brazos County has issued a warrant charging him with failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. That is associated with a 2022 conviction for indecency with a child by sexual contact that a spokeswoman in the Brazos County district attorney’s office told WTAW News took place in Gonzales County. Gonzales County has been looking for Saucedo since March 2024 for indecency with a child by sexual contact and by College Station police for a harassment charge that took place in May 2024. A DPS news release says Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 dollars for information leading to Saucedo’s arrest. News release from the Texas department of public safety: The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Salvador Saucedo Jr., to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous. Salvador Saucedo Jr., 37, a convicted sex offender from Bryan, has been wanted out of Gonzales Co. since March 2024 for indecency with a child by sexual contact. Additionally, in May 2024, a warrant for harassment was issued for his arrest by the College Station Police Department. On Jan. 23, 2025, Saucedo was arrested and escaped from custody while in Bellville, Texas. The following day, warrants were issued for his arrest out of Waller Co. for escape while arrested, assault on a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, failure to identify as a fugitive and resisting arrest. Then, on Jan. 27, a warrant was issued out of Brazos Co. for Saucedo’s arrest for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. In August 2022, Saucedo was convicted of indecency with a child by sexual contact following an incident with an 11-year-old girl. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years’ probation. Saucedo is 5 feet 11 inches tall, and he weighs about 190 pounds. He has tattoos on his face, neck, chest, both arms and both legs. More information about Saucedo or updates in the event of his arrest can be found here. Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. So far in 2025, DPS and other agencies have arrested seven Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including two sex offenders and two criminal illegal immigrants – with $10,000 in rewards being paid for tips that yielded arrests. To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods: Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture. Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section). All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name. DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website. Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.