If you run a red light in College Station and a police officer does not see you, do you still get a ticket? Depending on what red light you run the answer could be yes, and the city of College Station is attempting to increase the places in which that could happen. On February 18, 2008 cameras placed at four different locations in College Station began capturing video and photographic evidence of residents who ran red lights. The cameras have cause controversy and debate, and as the city prepare to place five more cameras in other locations residents have once again been voicing their opinions about the subject.
Even the purpose of the cameras is under discussion. Proponents of the cameras argue that the main purpose the cameras are to catch traffic violators and that a secondary purpose is to prevent traffic accidents. However, opponents of the cameras believe that the genuine motive for the cameras is to raise revenues. According to an article in The Eagle, College Station Traffic Engineer Troy Rother said that "the goal of the program is not to raise money."
There is strong public support for red light cameras. When asked if they supported red light cameras in the "most dangerous intersections" 69% supported the idea, according to a recent poll by Public Opinion Strategies (POS). The analysis of the poll by POS found that support for the cameras was strong through all demographics and political ideologies.
Councilwoman Lynn McIlhaney is running for reelection and being challenge by two other candidates in the campaign for College Station City Council Place 4.
Councilwoman McIlhaney, Mayor Pro Tem, is a long serving member of the local government, and has served as a city council member or mayor for 22 of the last 27 years. It should also be noted that McIlhaney is a member of the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, Keep Brazos Beautiful, and was a board member of the Brazos Valley Animal Shelter. McIlhaney is the only candidate for Place 4 who answers all of the Brazos Progressives candidate survey questions.
According to an article in The Eagle, McIlhaney supports building a convention center to foster tourism; however, she would also support allowing the voters to have the final word in a referendum. The councilwoman believes that the current City Hall "does not give us the space needed for future growth, it is not centrally located for our citizens and the cost to re-locate rather than renovate is a better investment for our citizens in the long term."
She supports the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement and noted that the city is in the "process of looking for a staff person to co-ordinate the Green City program." On her list of possible improvements are hybrid cars, energy efficient buildings, and continuing the wind watts program. Along with these the councilwoman also supports promoting the curb side recycling program, and ensuring that new programs are cost effective and achieve the goal of reducing waste.
Providing access to pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheel chair users is something that McIlhaney supports, and note that the city plans to address the issue of "connectivity through our transportation plan as part of the new Comprehensive Plan and our Greenways Plan." The councilwoman does not support funding for a permanent farmer's market. Although she supports public/private partnerships, she does not "support tax payers buying land, building a building" in order to create a permanent famer's market.
According to the article in the Eagle McIlhaney supports the current "conservative approach" to annexing land, and believes that the city should encourage "development within the existing city limits, in-fill development, zoning, building standards and pedestrian friendly infrastructure."
College Station City Council member Dave Ruesink is facing a challenge for the council seat in Place 6 from two Texas A&M University students: Cliff Eggers and Chandler Salome.
Ruesink has served on the on the city council for the last three years, and the Bryan-College Station newspaper The Eagle said in a recent editorial that he "has shown himself to be more than up to the challenge of the job."
Ruesink supports funding for a permanent farmers marker in a visible central locations, and noted that having a market in Central Park would be a step forward but that a better location should be found. Also, Ruesink supports "smart growth," as opposed to urban sprawl, and has proposed the possibility of rasping property taxes on undeveloped property within the city to "make it more attractive to sell than to hold onto the land."
The construction of a new city hall has been an issue of great concern, and Ruesink had the most thoughtful approach to the problem. While agreeing that the city needs to be expanded, he also noted that it might not be possible to expand the current city hall efficiently in its current location. Ruesink said that "it would be more effective to being a totally new building that could incorporation "green" methods for construction."
*Note: Ruesink did not respond to Brazos Progressives questions about the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, the curb side recycling program, or access for pedestrians, bicyclist, and wheel chair users.
Tonight the College Station City Council will vote on an amendment to a city ordinance that would ban smoking in bars and restaurants; however the amended ordinance will not affect smoking on bar patios.
Left of College Station will be live blogging during the College Station City Council meeting, and if you are unable to attend the meeting you can watch it online at the College Station Television Station, Channel 19 online.
