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The Bryan City Council on Tuesday hired a law firm to create a corporation to replace the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency.
The College Station City Council postponed a similar vote last month that would have allowed for the creation of a new government agency to manage both cities' solid waste operations, including the Twin Oaks Landfill, which is under construction in Grimes County and being managed by BVSWMA.
The cities operate BVSWMA jointly, but the partnership has been strained for more than a year. The cities agreed to create a new agency in place of BVSWMA in an effort to resolve their differences.
College Station Mayor Ben White said the council delayed a vote on the contract because of concerns regarding the language. The law firm that had been negotiating with the cities is no longer in the running for the contract, Bryan City Manager David Watkins said Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the Bryan City Council hired Nichols, Jackson, Dillard, Hager & Smith. College Station will vote on a contract with the company at its next meeting.
The cost of the contract had not yet been determined, Watkins said, and the new entity could be created by the end of the year.
"This is something that we've always thought is a good thing," Watkins said about having a third party operate the landfills.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, the Bryan City Council voted unanimously to review its policies regarding ethics, city credit card use, city-sponsored meetings and alcohol use during a January retreat.
Councilman Mike Southerland requested the discussion after The Eagle reported last month that Mayor Mark Conlee used a city procurement card to pay a bar tab of nearly $400. Conlee said he used the card instead of his personal credit card by mistake and reimbursed the city after the paper asked for documents related to the Sept. 16 expense.
Southerland originally requested the item be brought up sooner, but Councilman Jason Bienski asked that the matter wait until every council member was in attendance.
Also Tuesday, Deputy City Manager Joey Dunn announced that next year's main entertainer for the Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival will be country star Kevin Fowler.
The event is set for June 18 and 19. The Tejas Brothers, Big Otis and Karen Chavis will also perform.
Dunn said this year's third annual event was the most successful yet, with more than 50 sponsors, 94 grape-stomping teams, 57 vendors, 23 cook-off teams, more than 3,600 steaks cooked, and more than 60 Texas wines and 20 state wineries participating.
About 25,000 people attended the event, which grew 40 percent from the prior year's festival, Dunn said.
Dunn said the city spent about $483,000 on the festival and generated more than $274,000 in revenue. In 2008, the festival cost $419,000 and generated about $181,700, he said.
For future festivals, he said, it will be important for the city to increase the amount of cash donations.
