Phone Line Failures in College Station Police Department:
In the city of College Station, the local police department’s non-emergency phone lines have experienced multiple instances of failure this year. This raised concerns among the public and led Elizabeth Cunha, a city councilwoman, to inquire about the situation.
Council Meeting:
The matter was brought up at the end of the City Council meeting on Monday night, May 13, 2024. The City Manager, Bryan Woods, was prompted to give an explanation in response to Councilwoman Cunha’s query. He informed the council that the phone systems, which are provided by Frontier Communications, have been facing several problems. He also brought to light that Monday marked the first instance where callers had been unable to reach the emergency number, 9-1-1.
Resolution Underway:
Woods assured that the city of College Station is actively working with its partners in Brazos County’s 9-1-1 service to address and rectify these issues. Further discussions and deliberations took place within the council members regarding the ongoing issue. He urged the public to be patient and understanding during this period.
Election Review by Brazos County Commissioners:
In related news, the Brazos County Commissioners conducted a thorough review of the May 4th elections. The review included a comprehensive look into election security and concluded with narratives about voters whose votes were not counted. Trudy Hancock, election administrator, revealed that some people inadvertently leave with their ballots instead of placing them into designated scanners. He further stressed the importance of partial manual recounts as part of the electoral process.
Continued Discussions on Parks and Recreation Fees:
In the same council meeting in College Station, the issue of parks and recreation program fees was revisited. There was agreement among the council members to further study potential fee increases. Much of the discussion revolved around the idea of non-residents paying more due to their lack of contribution towards property taxes. Further studies about future fee increases will be conducted by the city staff and the parks and recreation advisory board.
Police Chief’s Retirement:
Finally, the city of Bryan announced the retirement of its longtime Police Chief, Eric Buske. After a successful tenure of 15 years and a remarkable career spanning 40 years, he will be stepping down effective June 7. As a result, the city will again be looking for a new police chief. City Manager Kean Register praised Buske’s effective leadership, which helped significantly reduce crime rates by over 50% since 2009. As he steps down, the city hopes to find a suitable successor who can follow the same path of progress and provide optimal service to the community.