WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the May 9, 2023 Brazos County commission meeting.

This week's Brazos County commission meeting included three proclamations recognizing employees in the sheriff's and juvenile services departments.

Sheriff Wayne Dicky and juvenile services director Linda Ricketson thanked their employees and commissioners following proclamations for national correctional officers and employees week, national nurses recognition week, and national law enforcement officers week.

A fourth proclamation was also issued, recognizing national child care providers.

This podcast contains comments from the general manager of the Brazos Valley groundwater conservation district, Alan Day, to Brazos County commissioners on May 2, 2023.

The annual report to Brazos County commissioners from the Brazos Valley groundwater conservation district (BVGCD) includes a discussion about water being exported out of Brazos and Robertson counties.

BVGCD's general manager Alan Day said the private company that has permits to export water to Travis, Williamson, Bell, and/or Milam counties has authority to pump more water than the combined total of the cities of Bryan and College Station and Texas A&M.

Day also said the permit holder, UW Brazos Valley Farm LLC, will be paying the groundwater district $7.5 million dollars to ensure water remains available from 300 existing wells belonging to other permit holders.

Asked about the chances of another application from another large water exporter, Day said that would not be economically feasible.

The BVGCD annual report also indicated 6,646 registered or permitted water wells as of December 31, 2022 and the district collecting more than $805,000 dollars in fees during 2022.

The district draws water from six aquifers in Brazos and Robertson counties.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from BVGCD general manager Alan Day during the May 2, 2023 Brazos County commission meeting.

Bryan Councilman Jared Salvato visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the future economic impact on the city, what he is hearing from his constituents, making Bryan more family-friendly, property taxes, Bryan ISD, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the Texas House higher education committee hearing on May 9, 2023.

Tuesday at 3:20 a.m., the chairman of the Texas House higher education committee left pending, a senate bill proposed to end diversion, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at state universities and community colleges.

144 had signed up to testify about Senate Bill 17. 71 spoke in opposition, five spoke in favor, and 68 who signed up were not present to testify.

The eight hour hearing included testimony from four Texas A&M professors and one A&M student.
One professor supported SB 17 and the others were opposed.

Other DEI supporters who spoke in opposition to SB 17 included professors and students at the University of Texas, the University of Houston, Texas State, and administrators at Lee College in Baytown.

In addition to not sending SB 17 to the House floor, the higher education committee chairman also left pending, Senate Bill 18, which would have eliminated tenure at state universities.

This podcast is a visit with Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce community liasion Royce Hickman and WTAW's Scott DeLucia.

Members of the Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce have returned to the nation's capitol to visit with federal officials.

Community liaison Royce Hickman presented the chamber's federal legislative agenda during a visit on WTAW's The Infomaniacs.

Topics includes economic development, fiscal responsibility, health care, education, and transportation issues specific to the Brazos Valley.

Hickman says meetings have been arranged with all 38 members of the Texas congressional delegation and the state's two U-S senators.

This podcast contains comments from the May 2, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

A specialized law enforcement tactical rescue vehicle will be shared by the cities of College Station and Bryan, Texas A&M, and Brazos County.

The Bryan city council was the last approval required in an interlocal agreement for the $320,000 dollar vehicle.Before the unanimous vote,

Bryan police chief Eric Buske was asked multiple questions.Buske described the custom built unit as a "pregnant S-U-V" that is covered with heavy armor to withstand rifle shots.

The chief said "the most common place it's going to be used is a standoff when there's bullets being fired, or you have a sniper that's trying to take shots", and "they've used to rescue an officer who has been trapped by gunfire."

The vehicle will be located in College Station.

Buske was asked about co-branding the vehicle with the participating agencies.

Click HERE to read and download background information from the May 2, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the interlocal agreement for the tactical rescue vehicle.

This podcast contains comments from the May 3, 2023 meeting of the Texas House transportation committee.

State lawmakers learn that the high speed passenger train project between Houston and Dallas is not dead.

But the status of where Texas Central is, remains unknown.

Three members of the House Transportation Committee were unsuccessful in getting answers from Texas Central CEO Michael Bui during a committee hearing on Wednesday.

Bui, who represents Texas Central through a Houston consulting company, was there to provide testimony opposing House Bill 2357, which would require high speed rail companies to give the state the same information they give to the federal government.

Click HERE to read and download House Bill 2357 as presented on May 3, 2023.

Bui said requiring the public release of proprietary and confidential information is unprecedented and is an attempt to stop the Texas Central project.

Bui did not answer requests for an update that came from three committee members, two landowners in the path of the railroad who are opposed to the project, and two county officials.

Committee chairman Terry Canales of Edinburg told Bui that "you've hung this over this community's head", "nobody knows what's going on, they've (landowners and local governments) been trying to contact you, you haven't responded", "and I think you at least as a good actor owe them some answers".

Grimes County judge Joe Fauth said "the simple questions are, who are we dealing with, what's the timeline for the project, does the project have money to even exist? If it doesn't, I need to quit wasting your (state lawmakers) time, they (Texas Central) needs to quit wasting out time. We need to move on with our lives in Grimes County."

Fauth said adding "Having access to regularly updated information would greatly benefit our ability in the county to plan for future growth. We would know what traffic patterns might be (and) routes for EMS, school buses, our sheriffs, (and) our volunteer fire departments."

Fauth says Texas Central owes Grimes County $180,000 dollars in property taxes and the company barely made last year's tax payment deadline.

As of Friday (May 5, 2023), the transportation committee recommended HB 2357 to be recommended to the calendars committee with a favorable report without amendments.