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By HOLLI L. ESTRIDGE
Bryan and College Station officials continued meeting late Friday in court-ordered mediation and indicated that they were making progress toward resolving their differences over the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency.
The cities also moved forward with plans for a joint open meeting of the Bryan and College Station city councils Monday. City leaders will meet at 3 p.m. in the Brazos Valley Council of Governments Center for Regional Services boardroom.
Bryan and College Station officials have been in mediation since Thursday, negotiating an agreement that would temporarily stop College Station from accepting bids on a proposed $10 million landfill in Grimes County.
The Twin Oaks Landfill, a joint project of the cities under BVSWMA, would replace the Rock Prairie Landfill, which is nearing capacity.
The cities created BVSWMA in 1990 to merge their solid waste management functions. Under an agreement between the cities, College Station is responsible for providing the agency's administrative staff and directing its day-to-day operations.
On July 1, Bryan officials filed suit against the city of College Station, saying city leaders had overstepped their bounds as the agency's operator by issuing bid documents without listing Bryan as a party to them and making major purchasing decisions without Bryan's consent.
College Station officials have said they were operating the agency in accordance with the two cities' partnership agreement.
Last week, District Judge Travis Bryan ordered the cities into mediation, directing officials to try to reach an agreement prior to a court hearing set for Wednesday at 9 a.m.
College Station officials have already pushed their bid deadline date back to mid-September, giving the city councils time to discuss their differences beforehand.
Officials from both cities couldn't be reached Friday to comment on the ongoing meetings. Citing confidentiality orders, they instead issued a joint statement on the proceedings.
"The negotiations are confidential," officials said in the statement. "The cities have met and worked hard. They've made a lot of progress."
City officials will issue another statement Monday after the 3 p.m. meeting, Bryan spokeswoman April Avison said.
College Station council members met Friday night at City Hall to hear a legal briefing on BVSWMA but took no action.
Leaders from both cities then reconvened the mediation session.
Bryan City Council members scheduled a special closed meeting for 1:30 p.m. Monday to discuss the suit.
