WTAW - Interviews

State Representative Paul Dyson of Bryan (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about committee hearings, orphan wells, judicial pay, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the February 27, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

College Station city council members get a consultant's report that says there is enough business for a convention center with a connected hotel of 275 to 400 rooms.

The hotel would be part of a complex that is recommended to have an exhibit hall, an event floor, two ballrooms, and meeting rooms.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials shown during the February 27, 2025 College Station city council meeting by the council's consultant.

A unanimous council agreed at its last meeting (February 27) to pay the consultant to get a cost estimate, funding sources, and determine possible sites.Site selection was part of the council's 50 minute discussion.

The consultant's report stated "Texas A&M event space is hard to market to outside groups". 

That's despite a 2013 preferred access agreement the city signed with the Texas A&M system, where the city is supposed to get discounted rates on meeting facilities in exchange for the city giving $14 million dollars in hotel occupancy tax money towards the expansion of Kyle Field.

The council also heard from the developer of College Station's Midtown neighborhood. James Murr made a pitch to host and help pay for building the hotel.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials shown by James Murr at the February 27, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

As for revenue sources of what mayor John Nichols estimated to be a $250 million dollar project, councilman Bob Yancy said he had a letter of support from departing Texas A&M system chancellor John Sharp. 

Yancy also suggested approaching the city of Bryan and the local school districts for financial support.

The consultant's recommendations followed 20 meetings with stakeholders, contact with 12 associations, event planners, and user groups, and contact with two regional convention centers.

The council, which spent $40,000 dollars for the report that was given at their February 27th meeting, was told it would cost another $40,000 for the additional information.

This podcast contains comments from a March 4, 2025 Brazos County commission public hearing.

Brazos County commissioners hold a public hearing on a proposed ordinance that would declare county owned land near Millican as the only place where a landfill could be located. 

County judge Duane Peters repeated that the intent of the ordinance is to prevent a private landfill to be built anywhere else without anyone's knowledge.

That was confirmed by an attorney hired by the commission. Eric McGee says he knows of at least 50 other counties that have taken the same action. 

There were four public speakers, all from the Millican area. One was in support, two had questions, and one was concerned their property values would drop as the result of the designation.

Commissioners plan to take a vote on the proposed ordinance next Tuesday (March 11).

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about keeping chickens in your backyard, a future recreation center and convention center, staff research, the Amazon drones, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the February 27, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

For the first time since Texas A&M turned over fire protection services to the city of College Station, the university will pay the city a share of those costs.

That's after the city council approved a five year agreement at their last meeting.

Fire chief Richard Mann was congratulated for leading the negotiations.

The agreement calls for A&M to pay no more than $750,000 dollars in year one, and no more than $1.5 million in the fifth year.

Mann said the city took over fire services from A&M in 1971.

Click HERE to read and download the agreement that was approved at the February 27, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

This podcast contains comments from Brazos County emergency management coordinator Jason Ware during the March 4, 2025 county commission meeting.

Brazos County's emergency management director told county commissioners that Tuesday morning rainfall (March 4) was not enough to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Jason Ware is also asking landowners outside of city limits to not conduct outdoor burning. That's due to an elevated fire danger with the prediction of high winds.

Ware said last weekend, Brazos County firefighters responded to seven fires. Most were unattended controlled burns that threatened structures.

As of Tuesday morning, Ware said three of the county's fire chiefs wanted a burn ban and the fourth would support it. A possible burn ban will be added to the agenda for next Tuesday's (March 11) commission meeting agenda.

WTAW's Chelsea Reber visits with Peggi Ondrasek, United Way of the Brazos Valley President/CEO, and Jonathan Mitchell from Adult & Teen Challenge Brazos Valley.

This podcast contains comments from the February 27, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Another generation of College Station city council members are educated about the decades old problem of more than four unrelated residents living under the same roof.

Takeaways from a two and a half hour discussion at Thursday's council meeting (February 27) included staff being directed to increase enforcement efforts and investigate options for parking restrictions in affected neighborhoods.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the city of College Station.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the group "Occupancy Enforcement Alliance".

A council majority believes some Texas A&M students are violating the Aggie Code of Honor by knowingly violating the ordinance. That was based in part on an affected homeowner telling the council she overheard a group of students and their presumed parents laugh about the overoccupancy ordinance.

There was also discussion about proposed state legislation that would do away with most of a city's power to regulate overoccupancy.

Councilwoman Melissa McIlhaney said the staff of the author of Senate Bill 1567 thought cities were entering homes "counting toothbrushes", while local residents "think we're not doing enough".

Mayor John Nichols was also interested in prosecuting owners of rental properties who violate the portion of the city's rental registration agreement that says they will abide by occupancy limits.

This podcast contains the reading of a resolution adopted by the Texas A&M system board of regents banning drag shows at the system's 11 universities. Reading the resolution is the regents executive director, Vickie Spillers.

A special meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents on Friday (February 28) led to adopting a resolution banning drag shows at all 11 universities.

Click HERE to read and download the resolution that was adopted by the Texas A&M system board of regents on February 28, 2025.

The resolution acknowledges an executive order from the president and a directive from the governor supporting the president's order.

The resolution also acknowledges the system and its universities "receive significant federal funding" and on campus drag shows "may be considered promotion of gender ideology in violation of the Executive Order and the Governor’s directive".

There were no comments from any regents members before their unanimous vote.

This podcast contains comments from the February 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Presentations at the February 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting included 2024 calendar year activity at the police department.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the February 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Police chief Billy Couch reported making his goal for the second straight year of officers responding to the most urgent calls...involving lights and sirens...within six minutes.

There were 4,000 fewer calls for service compared with 2023, despite an increasing population. Couch said it was hard to give a reason for the decline.

The number of aggravated assaults went up from 97 to 118. Couch said that number went up in part due to gang activity that also contributed to thefts of guns from unlocked vehicles, homes and apartments.

Among other statistics, Couch said the one of eight categories that increased in 2024 over 2023 was the number of patrol officer initiated "focus calls".

In the Northgate bar district last year, Couch said there were 631 arrests and diverting at least an equal number from being taken to jail.And out of CSPD's 24,000 traffic stops last year, Couch said more than 60 percent of drivers received a warning.

The chief also talked about the second year of CSPD using drones. Currently, the department has 11 drones that are used in a variety of functions.

As for staffing, Couch said 24 officers are currently in training and a consultant says CSPD could use another 14. The chief added he is happy with the staffing of 9-1-1 dispatchers following pay increases approved by the council.