Resident urges renegotiation of ITS contract, cites transparency and traffic-forecast concerns

Adam Purdue, a Precinct 2 resident, urged the Brazos County Commissioners Court to reopen negotiations on a contract with ITS, saying the county signed terms that run "in perpetuity" despite prior promises of stepped payment reductions tied to project completion. "We were promised that in January we would see a new contract discussed that would lower ITS's payments," Purdue said during public comment, and he asked the court to explain which part of the forecasting, MPO distribution or engineering analysis the court believes was incorrect in projecting traffic impacts for eastern Brazos County.

Purdue said the process should use the State Demographer's office forecast and that the MPO should spatially distribute that forecast across Brazos County. He described a disconnect between those forecast assumptions and engineering work, saying those assumptions led consultants to conclude that the Inner East Loop would not impact traffic in eastern parts of the county. Purdue asked the court to identify which element of that multistep process—demography, MPO distribution or engineering—was the court disputing.

The court did not respond to the substance of Purdue's accusations during the comment period, noting routine policy that commissioners do not engage during public comment. No related agenda item addressing ITS contract renegotiation appeared on Jan. 27. Purdue's remarks therefore stand as an unresolved request for transparency and possible renegotiation.

The exchange places a spotlight on three distinct issues: the contractual term Purdue described as perpetual, the county's use of population and traffic forecasting in project justification, and the request for open disclosure of contract terms and promised step-downs. The court may choose to place the matter on a future agenda for staff or legal review; no motion or vote on the ITS contract occurred at the Jan. 27 meeting.