This podcast contains comments from the July 1, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners hear about upcoming changes in how elections are conducted.

Elections administrator Trudy Hancock reviewed at this week's meeting (July 1), the impact of state lawmakers enacting Senate Bill 2753, which she says "will fundamentally change the timeline that Texas has used since 1987."

Hancock says voting will begin voting 12 days before election day (a Wednesday), and voting will continue through election day. "Here in Brazos County we will open our 5 early voting locations, being open for 2 weekends including Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday hours being increased from 6 to 9, then we open the other 23 location for election day."

"By voting through the weekend", Hancock said SB 2753 "will increase overtime pay for election workers and comp hours for my staff" and she is "concerned about fatigue for those workers (because) the median age for an election worker in 79." Hancock said election workers who "in the past would have Saturday, Sunday and Monday to rest and prepare for election day", "there will be no break for them", raising the concern of losing election day workers.

Hancock also said there will be an increased cost because she will have to move the early voting ballot board from the elections office because early voting will be taking place in that building. The additional cost includes the state requirement that any time the early voting board meets, that has to be live streamed.

And another consequence of SB 2753 is that there will be no early results on election night. Since the equipment from early voting will be deployed through election day the only results released at 7:00 p.m. on election night will be ballot by mail results.

Hancock also said the final version of SB 2753 does not include eliminating voting centers, which allows Brazos County voters to continue voting at any location.

County commissioners were also given an update on a federal executive order regarding elections. Hancock said she is waiting for the Texas secretary of state's office, which is waiting for federal agencies, to finalize changes mandated by the order.

The executive order also addresses voting systems should not be used where the vote is contained in a bar code or a Q-R code. Hancock said more than once that the manufacturer of Brazos County's voting system does not use that technology.

This podcast contains comments during the June 26, 2025 College Station city council from parks and recreation director Kelsey Heiden.

The College Station city council receives annual review of operations in the city's parks and recreation department.

Director Kelsey Heiden says they recently finished an inspection of all 56 parks in College Station.

She said data is being collected for the department's first master plan update in five years by surveying residents at city parks and department events.

Heiden also said the council will be asked to make what she calls re-investments in College Station's parks, paid for by a new $2.5 million dollar account.

There was also an update on projects paid for by a November 2022 bond issue. Heiden highlighted the first month of activity at Anderson Park, where the $1.7 million dollar project drew 7,500 visitors to pickleball and multi-use courts and fields.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the June 26, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the July 1, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

In 2017, new air conditioning was part of Brazos County's conversion of the former tax office building across the street from the courthouse to the new elections office and employee health clinic.

This week (July 1), county commissioners approved spending $230,000 dollars to replace equipment and inspect the building's climate control system to determine if there are any additional problems.

Chuck Konderla called the expense a "band-aid" to return air conditioning at the start of sustained summertime heat.

Fred Brown, who was part of a unanimous vote, was not happy with buying the same type of air conditioning system.

The parts and labor cost is $190,000 dollars. 

Another $40,000 is being spent on "commissioning", which the county's project manager Trevor Lansdown says involves hiring a third party to inspect the work of those installing the replacement parts.

The commissioning contract also calls for inspecting the rest of the building's mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to identify any other issues related to operating the air conditioning system.

Background information about the purchase said the air conditioning system required recharging compressors with refrigerant on a bi-weekly basis.

Click HERE to read and download background information about the air conditioning proposal that was approved at the July 1, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the budget amendment that was approved at the July 1, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Lina Adams of the Destination Bryan tourism office visits with WTAW's Bill Oliver about downtown Bryan's First Friday activities being rescheduled to July 11th due to the July 4th holiday.

She also previews the July 4th fireworks and drone show on the RELLIS campus where the agency and WTAW are co-sponsors.

Meagan Brown, Division Manager of Customer Solutions at BTU, visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia about Lake Bryan, power consumption numbers, takeaways from the legislative session, power sources, future challenges, BTU's 2026 budget, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the June 26, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council approves rezoning land at Old Wellborn Road and Graham Road North for the future construction of an outdoor entertainment venue.

Documents provided by the developer shows what is nicknamed "The Range" will have a driving range, eight pickleball courts and a courtyard with 12 cornhole stations.

Mayor John Nichols, who was part of the council's unanimous vote, said "We wish them good luck on the project and we're excited about you bringing another experiential opportunity to the city".

No information was presented as to when construction might begin.

Staff planner Bekha Blasingame said one opponent to the project was concerned about lighting and drainage. Blasingame said those issues will be addressed as the developer submits their preliminary plan, the final plat, and the site plan.

Click HERE to read and download the developer's conceptual drawings for "The Range".

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

Click HERE to read and download the rezoning information that was approved at the June 26, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the June 17, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.



Brazos County commissioners have entered a dispute among property owners in a subdivision west of Easterwood Airport.

Twice during June, homeowners in Oak Hills were able to stop the owner of an adjacent RV park from replatting property that he owns in the subdivision.

During the commission's June 17th meeting, general counsel Bruce Erratt said the RV park owner met the county's subdivision requirements for the replatting.

Erratt said opposition from the homeowners was a private matter between the Oak Hills homeowners association and the RV park owner that could be addressed in district court.

Multiple homeowners disagreed with Erratt's opinion and said if the replatting was approved, this would allow the park owner to proceed.

Commissioner Chuck Konderla received support from Wanda Watson and Fred Brown to delay action until after a meeting between the RV park owner and the Oak Hills HOA. County judge Duane Peters and commissioner Bentley Nettles did not attend the June 17th meeting.

This was the second attempt by the RV park owner to replat the property. His first request was denied during the commission's June 3rd meeting by commissioners Konderla, Watson, and Brown. 

The owner was not present at either commission meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the map of the proposed replatting that was part of the June 17, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Click HERE to read and download minutes of the June 17, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting on this subject.

Click HERE to read and download minutes of the June 3, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting on this subject.

Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the recent legislative session, water rights, using local companies, Texas A&M's new chancellor, upcoming events, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the June 26, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

The process of drilling more water wells continues in Bryan and College Station.

The College Station city council at its last meeting (June 26) awarded a $3.5 million dollar contract for the next phase of drilling three more water wells.

This portion of an overall $69 million dollar project involves clearing land and building internal access roads and the concrete pads where the wells will be built.

Assistant water services director Steven Maldonado said the wells, which will be running before August of 2028, will provide water on high demand days.

Click HERE to read and download background information related to the College Station city council awarding a contract at its June 26, 2025 meeting.

The process in Bryan is slower. That's after the city council at a special meeting last week (June 24) without public comment rejected three bids for drilling two more wells. Background information with the agenda item did not say why staff recommended rejecting bids. 

Another round of bidding is underway with a deadline of July 10th. If the council awards a bid, construction is scheduled to start at the end of August with a targeted completion of October of 2026.

Click HERE to read and download background information from the Bryan city council's June 24, 2025 meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the June 26, 2025 Texas board of criminal justice meeting in Bryan.

June's meeting of the state prison board in Bryan included a presentation from the parole division of the Texas department of criminal justice.

Bryan district parole officer Shawn Noorlun introduced parolee Matthew Kelley of Caldwell.

The chairman of the state prison board, Eric Nichols of Austin, thanked Kelley "for having the courage to come forward and tell your very important story".

The photo from this podcast shows (L-R) Matthew Kelley and Shawn Noorlun.