WTAW - Interviews

Councilman William Wright visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the sewer lift station project, his takeaways from the strategic retreat, Wolf Pen Creek, affordable housing, a future recreation center, the former Macy's store building, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez and WTAW's Scott DeLucia, visiting about downtown Bryan parking issues on The Infomaniacs February 14, 2024.

The following day, Gutierrez announced creating a committee to study downtown Bryan's parking issues.

Gutierrez issued the following statement:

For more than 25 years now, Bryan citizens and City Councils have made sustained long-term investments in infrastructure and economic development activities to revitalize our historic downtown from an empty and run-down blight to the flourishing cultural district that we all enjoy today. This exciting growth and success has resulted in dozens of new retail establishments, residential projects, and business offices.

Over the past several years, the momentum we’ve all enjoyed in our downtown has led to some changes. We have been working to address those as quickly as possible and in the best interest of all visitors who work, eat, live and play in our downtown.

The City of Bryan has invested time and money to improve parking in downtown over the years. We’ve been working on options with Destination Bryan, downtown merchants, residents and office owners, but the reality is, each stakeholder has different needs and feelings, and in some cases, one stakeholder’s preferred approach may directly counter the approach of another stakeholder. I do not believe we have parking problem in downtown, I believe we have a walking problem. Any successful downtown urban area involve some form of walking to desired destinations.

I have decided to appoint an ad hoc Downtown Parking Committee with members comprised of each stakeholder group between visitors, residents, retail merchants and business offices. In the coming days, I plan to announce committee members from each stakeholder group. I’ve asked former Mayor Andrew Nelson to Chair this committee and he has agreed to volunteer his time to help us. Andrew represents the needs of our visitors through his service on the Destination Bryan board and his distinguished service as our former Mayor. His extensive global travel and experience in various parking environments around the world will bring us a broad perspective.

As we continue to seek creative solutions to our latest challenges, I want to thank all of those who continue to invest in Downtown Bryan. Thank you for believing in us, including our most recent large-scale investments with the Varisco building, Hush & Whisper Distillery, Kimball Building, BCS Modern’s new project, Gessner Engineering’s Bowie building, the Renovation Wrangler’s projects, and the La Salle Hotel which is transforming into a Marriott tribute hotel.

Finally, I want to especially thank Texas A&M University for its longstanding and growing presence in downtown, not only faculty of the College of Architecture in the Parker and Perry buildings, but also the amazing A&M staff members who now call the Varisco building their home. I want to welcome students and employees to enjoy all that our historic downtown Bryan has to offer. We have all looked forward to this day! When our downtown returned to being a vibrant, thriving business and cultural district. Where downtown merchants, offices, and residents happily learn to accommodate our growing crowds and abundant customers. Many merchants and community members have expressed to me that this is a wonderful situation have.

I look forward to working with this committee and all other stakeholders as we expand options to accommodate the continued growth and success of our Historic Downtown Bryan.

This podcast is a visit with the chief appraiser of the Brazos Central Appraisal District, Dana Horton, and WTAW's Scott DeLucia.

Last November, Texas voters approved an amendment to the state constitution giving appraisal districts with populations of 75,000 or more three elected seats on those board of directors.

That includes the Brazos Central Appraisal District (BCAD).

Three people will be elected May 4th and start serving July 1st for a term that ends December 31st of 2026.

BCAD chief appraiser Dana Horton says Friday (February 16) is the filing deadline.Applicants have to file a campaign treasurer document at the BCAD office, and file as a candidate at the county judge's office.

Qualifications to serve as a BCAD member include, but are not limited to, being a resident of the county for at least two years preceding the date you take office and you may not have appraised property or represented property owners for compensation for at least three years.

Board members are not involved in setting property values or hearing appeals.

Board members appoint the chief appraiser, adopt the annual budget and biennial reappraisal plan, approve litigation settlements, and approve contract services.

Click HERE for more information from the BCAD website.

Click HERE for more information from the Texas secretary of state's website.

This podcast is a visit with College Station police officer David Simmons and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

College Station police is asking some residents in the neighborhood south of the Texas A&M campus to report finding any property that does not belong to them.

CSPD social media says there is the possibility that someone running away from officers on Monday just before noon may have thrown away narcotics.

Officer David Simmons says they do not want any person or pet coming in contact with any illegal drugs.

Simmons says officers, including both of CSPD's K-9 teams, will be contacting residents Wednesday along the route of the foot chase.

CSPD arrest reports say 30 year old Shon Notter of Bryan, who jumped out of a moving car near Holleman and Welsh, was arrested for evading and possessing methamphetamine.

Simmons says with the help of neighborhood residents, Notter was caught about a half mile away on Hereford Street a block south of Brison Park.

Notter is also being held on a parole violation and forfeiting bond following two arrests for stealing vehicles, another arrest for evading, and for felony theft.

The foot chase followed an officer's attempt to stop the car after witnessing the driver violating College Station's hands free ordinance. The officer said he saw the driver holding a cell phone to the right side of her face and talking into the phone.

The car stopped almost one mile after Notter jumped out. The driver, 35 year old Jessica Priesner of Madisonville, was arrested for fleeing from the officer and for driving with an invalid license with prior convictions. Priesner is out of jail after posting bonds totaling $6,000 dollars.

Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about planning and zoning changes, his frustrations about Texas Avenue, working with TxDOT, parking in Downtown Bryan, the solution to the sewer lift stations, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast is a visit with musician and Texas A&M class of 1979 alumnus Lyle Lovett and local reporters on February 13, 2024.

Musician and Texas A&M class of 1979 almunus Lyle Lovett spent parts of two days on campus this week, visiting with students in the two year old school of performance, visualization, and fine arts.

In between classes, Lovett met with local reporters to share his interaction with students, his experience as a student, his current touring and songwriting activities, and his family life.

This podcast contains comments from the February 12, 2024 College Station city council meeting.

In 2023, the College Station city council changed its firefighting agreement with the city of Bryan to reduce costs.

During the last College Station council meeting (February 8), councilman Bob Yancy asked about getting some sort of payment from Texas A&M for providing firefighting services.

Yancy brought up the university providing fire service for 33 years before the city took over that responsibility in 1971.

Fire chief Richard Mann showed a graph that CSFD responded to 534 fire alarms on the A&M campus during 2023.

Yancy cited a city auditor's report that the value of CSFD services to A&M was $3 million dollars, and that 70 percent of multi-story buildings in College Station are on the A&M campus.

Deputy city manager Jeff Capps says he and the city manager have been meeting with A&M officials over the last couple of years.

This podcast contains comments from Brazos County commission precinct one candidates Steve Aldrich, Karl Mooney, and Bentley Nettles at the Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce candidates forum on February 12, 2024. The forum moderator is WTAW's Scott DeLucia.

This podcast contains comments from Brazos County commission precinct three candidates Fred Brown and Nancy Berry at the Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce candidates forum on February 12, 2024. The forum moderator is WTAW's Scott DeLucia.

This podcast contains comments from Texas house district 12 candidates Trey Wharton, John Harvey Slocum, and Ben Bius at the Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce candidates forum on February 12, 2024. The forum moderator is WTAW's Scott DeLucia.