Votes at a glance: Council approves contract amendment, IT purchase and sidewalk easement abandonment

College Station — The City Council approved several ministerial and land-use actions during its March 13 meeting, including a contract amendment that reduced an award amount, an information-technology equipment purchase and an ordinance vacating a small sidewalk easement.

On the consent agenda, council approved a deductive change order to an existing contract with LULAC Oak Hill Inc., which reduced the contract amount by $392,979.47. Joshua Brooks, who presented the item, told council the reduction was driven by lower material costs since the project scope was originally estimated in 2021 and by the decision not to select certain alternates.

Also on consent, council approved a purchase of door badge access replacement services from Personal Computer Store Inc., doing business as Avenue Next, in the amount of $372,532.71. Staff said the purchase is funded from the city’s IT capital funds and is budgeted in the current year.

Council approved the consent agenda by voice vote; the motion to approve was moved and seconded and the mayor recorded the item as approved with all present voting in favor.

Separately, on item 8.2 the council held a public hearing and approved an ordinance vacating and abandoning an approximately 872-square-foot, generally 5-foot-wide sidewalk easement crossing Lot 4, Block 9 of the W.C. Boyette Estate Partition, as described in the Brazos County records. Planner Lucas Harper said the applicant proposes to build an apartment building on the site, and will construct a new 10-foot-wide sidewalk built to current Northgate standards and dedicate a 10-foot access easement to replace the abandoned easement. No members of the public spoke in opposition. The ordinance passed unanimously.

No formal votes on policy changes beyond the listed items were taken at the meeting.