TAB 2021 Reporter WTAW Bill Oliver

Bryan City Council Joins Local Partnership With A California Based Economic Development Recruiting Company

The Bryan city council joins the Texas A&M system and the local economic development corporation to hire a business that recruits technology start up companies in the defense and aerospace industries. The council at Tuesday’s meeting (November 12), unanimously agreed to give $350,000 dollars each of the next three years to a company called Plug and Play. Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said Plug and Play “will be able to go around the world and bring in different companies to potentially locate here, develop here, and grow here”. Gutierrez said they learned about Plug and Play during an economic development trip to California, where they “looked at some of their success stories that they’ve had.”, adding “They were the start up with Google. They were the start up with PayPal. They were the start up with truly some incredible stuff that these guys have done.” What used to be called the Brazos Valley economic development corporation, which has changed its name to Greater Brazos Partnership, will also give $350,000 dollars. And a Texas A&M system division will spend $800,000 each of the next three years. Plug and Play will relocate its corporate office to Bryan, hire four fulltime employees, and create a four member advisory committee of which two members will be appointed by the council. Click HERE to read and download background information from the city of Bryan. Click HERE to read and download the agreement that was approved at the November 12, 2024 Bryan city council meeting. Click HERE to read and download the agreement between Plug And Play and the Greater Brazos Partnership that was provided by the city of Bryan. Click below to hear comments from Bobby Gutierrez during the November 12, 2024 Bryan city council meeting.  

Bryan And College Station Councils Approve Interlocal Agreement On Sewer Services In Both Cities

Action at last week’s Bryan and College Station city council meetings included approving an interlocal agreement (ILA) on sewer services in both cities. The origin of the ILA began with homeowner opposition in south Bryan neighborhoods to the construction of a College Station sewer trunkline. The ILA means instead of building a gravity sewer line in Bryan along Rosemary Drive, the trunkline, necessitating a lift station, will be built along College Station’s Chimney Hill Drive and Cooner Street. The city of College Station estimates an additional cost of between $5 million and $10 million dollars. What will be College Station’s fourth phase of their northeast trunkline project will expand sewer capacity in College Station’s northern service areas, including Northgate, with upgrades to the Hensel Park Lift Station, the force main, and a large-diameter trunkline. A statement on the city of College Station’s blog says “The agreement ensures College Station has the approval to proceed with the infrastructure in those areas. The ILA also outlines the cities’ willingness to decommission College Station’s Valley Park Lift Station near FM 2818 and FM 60.” The College Station blog post also says “Under the agreement, the City of Bryan will contribute up to $200,000 toward a future project to redirect sanitary sewer flow and transfer the affected service area to the City of Bryan. It also includes provisions for Bryan to potentially provide sewer service to areas north of Highway 30 between Elmo Weedon Road and Cole Lane after its proposed eastside wastewater treatment plant is completed.” The College Station council unanimously approved the ILA, then without opposition approved paying another $1 million dollars to make design changes to the trunkline associated with the relocation. Comments before last Thursday’s (November 14) College Station council unanimous vote came from mayor John Nichols and city manager Bryan Woods. There were no public comments by Bryan council members at last Tuesday’s meeting (November 12) prior to their unanimous vote. Click HERE to read and download the College Station version of the interlocal agreement approved by the College Station council on November 14, 2024 and the Bryan city council on November 12, 2024. Click HERE to read and download the amendment to the northeast sewer trunkline design contract that was approved during the November 14, 2024 College Station council meeting. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials seen during the November 14, 2024 College Station council meeting. Click below to hear some comments from the November 14, 2024 College Station city council meeting.  

Gunfire Arrest In Bryan And DWI Arrests Following Crashes North Of Bryan And Near Easterwood Airport

Bryan police respond to a report of gunfire inside and outside a home near Austin’s Colony Park Sunday (November 17) at three in the morning. Seven people who were inside the home were not struck. A 17 year old occupant, Alexander Espinoza, was taken to jail on charges of firing the gun and two counts of child endangerment. The BPD arrest report stated officers had made prior visits to the home and the homeowner required a search warrant for officers to enter. Espinoza told officers he has carried a gun since being shot last August. And he fired the gun after getting in an argument with his girlfriend. As for November 18, Espinoza remained in jail in lieu of bonds totaling $65,000 dollars. College Station police respond to a report Saturday during the midnight hour (November 16) of a witness reporting a car going 100 miles per hour flip over and going down the embankment at the interchange of Raymond Stotzer and Harvey Mitchell Parkway. The CSPD arrest report says the driver and passenger both refused transport to the hospital after being checked by medics at the scene. The driver, who identified himself as a Blinn College baseball player, was arrested for DWI. The CSPD arrest report does not say if a blood or breath alcohol test was done on 20 year old Lane Bledsoe, who was released from jail after posting a $3,000 dollar bond. A crash Friday (November 15) on Mumford Road north of Bryan where a pickup towing a trailer overturned and landed in a ditch resulted in the driver’s arrest for DWI and obstructing a highway. The arrest report from the Texas Department of Public Safety says results of the driver’s breath alcohol tests were around two and a half times the legal limit at .199 and .208. 31 year old Jorge Montecinos of Hearne remained in jail as of November 18 in lieu of bonds totaling $6,000 dollars. Online jail records also shows Montecinos is being held for immigration authorities.