County closer to acquiring garage

Brazos County commissioners took more steps Tuesday toward the county's takeover of the Roy Kelly Parking Garage off Texas Avenue between 26th and 27th streets in Bryan.

In a split vote, commissioners approved contracts for pest control, fire alarm monitoring, fire extinguishers and sprinkler system inspections, elevator maintenance and liability insurance.

Commissioner Fred Brown, who opposes the county taking management of the garage, voted against each item.

The garage was built by the Brazos Transit District (BTD) in 2011 on property donated by the county. Per an agreement between the county and the transit district, ownership of the garage will revert to the county at the end of 2044.

A $1 annual lease agreement the commissioners signed in January calls for the county to take over management of the garage on April 15 with the exception of the bus terminal, which the BTD will maintain.

Liability insurance will be provided by Kinsale Insurance Company via Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. for $14,743.34.

Brown told Peters that he did not like the county using a broker to get the insurance coverage.

"Every time that we hire a broker to place insurance for the county, it cost us additional taxpayer dollars that we shouldn't be having to spend," he said. "A broker is going to make 10%, 15%, 20% depending on what the insurance is. And I just hope that in the future we can quit going to a broker and just start advertising for bids from different insurance companies and not using the broker at all."

Resident Jody Quimby questioned the court about the agreement and said he was unsure who owned the garage and why the county was spending so much money on it.

"I'm not completely sure about what all the relationship is between the county and the parking garage, but I see you're spending money here on the garage," he said. "I was unaware that you had any operational duties there. I'm asking for an explanation of what the relationship is and why you have cost over there."

Peters explained the history of the agreement between the county and the BTD regarding the garage. He said the BTD was losing money on garage management and asked the county to take it over sooner than 2044 since the county is the primary user of the facility.

Brown added that the county does get to keep revenues generated from the garage.

"Whatever the revenue is, we get to keep the revenue so there is an offset there," he said.