A new agency that would take over operations at Bryan and College Station landfills is a step closer to reality after the Bryan City Council on Tuesday signed off on the basic procedures under which the agency would operate.
The College Station City Council will consider the as-yet unnamed agency's articles of incorporation on Thursday.
The articles of incorporation define the corporation's purpose and how its board of directors will be selected and covers liability issues, among other things.
The new entity will replace the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency, which is a joint partnership between Bryan and College Station. The cities agreed to create a new agency during mediation of a lawsuit brought by Bryan against College Station in 2008. Bryan officials said the city was left out of important decisions regarding the construction of the 610-acre Twin Oaks Landfill in Grimes County. The landfill will replace the Rock Prairie Road Landfill, which is nearing capacity.
The new agency will have a seven-member board, with three representatives from each city who will then select the seventh member.
Bryan Mayor Mark Conlee said the attorney mediating the dispute has been fair to both cities and has forced city leaders to settle their differences.
"I think he's one of the reasons we made it this fast and this far," Conlee said.
Bryan Deputy City Manager Hugh Walker said if the College Station City Council approves the articles of incorporation on Thursday, both councils will then have to approve the agency's bylaws. The final step will be transferring assets to the new corporation, he said.
The establishment of the new agency will result in the dismissal of the lawsuits related to BVSWMA.
Also on Tuesday, the City Council heard a presentation from a consultant who analyzed Bryan Police Department statistics for evidence of racial profiling.
Alex del Carmen, founder of Del Carmen Consulting, said the department received two racial profiling complaints last year; one was determined to be unfounded, and the department was cleared of wrongdoing in the other. He said the Police Department is following all state laws regarding racial profiling, including collecting and reporting data. He said it's difficult to derive strictly from figures whether there are indicators that suggest whether a particular officer is racially profiling.
Del Carmen recommended that the department commission quarterly data audits to determine the validity and reliability of figures collected and do a study in the coming months to determine the nature of searches performed on minorities. He said it's also important to provide advanced training on racial profiling to all officers and enhance recruiting efforts of minorities, particularly African-Americans and Hispanics.
Despite the recommendations, del Carmen said, the Police Department has gone beyond what is required. He said he deals with a lot of police departments across the state, and Bryan's is above the norm.
Chief Eric Buske said the department will continue to analyze its data for evidence of racial profiling.
"We expect high level of professionalism from our Police Department, and I've think we've got it," he said.
Also at the meeting Tuesday, the Council:
* Approved the second and final reading of an expansion of a tax increment reinvestment zone to include a 42-acre development between Briarcrest Drive, North Earl Rudder Freeway and Boonville Road. The development will include retail space, restaurants, offices, entertainment venues and may include multi-family housing.
A tax increment reinvestment zone allows the city to divert money from rising property taxes to a fund used to invest in projects in the area. Officials said the "Highland Hills" project will be worth about $53 million once it's completed.
* Approved an agreement to give beds discarded during renovations of the LaSalle Hotel to the Twin City Mission. All furniture, fixtures and equipment that will not be reused will be sold at a public auction. The contract allows the homeless shelter to use the beds or resell them.
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