MeKnowNot said:

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HWY6_RunsBothWays said:

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Throwing hand grenades doesn't help.

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Scht made the claim that the area had been used as a borrow pit.

Just asking to back-up this claim as the City apparently did not know this prior to design/construction.

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Understood. But "Why didn't you sound the alarm before we spent $5M?" is throwing a hand grenade at the wrong person.

The mayor even eluded to it in his interview on wtaw. Stop yelling at me, I'm just a tax payer

Perfect place for an off road park. Doesn't matter what soil is there as long as it's wet.

Do it. Build it.

I would think if it was a borrow pit and people then decided they were going to use the site to build a project on, they would have made sure they knew what fill material was used and what the compaction specs were after being filled and compacted. Every post geotech report I have ever seen from a civil engineer on a site that needs to be filled prior to construction has spelled out very specific specs on the type of fill to be used, and how it must be compacted. As for the 10 bore holes on a site of this size, that doesn't smell right either. I recently had a geotech performed on a 27 acre tract that included 30 bore holes. This is all just very frustrating to look at as a taxpayer, especially when I know how difficult the city makes everything on private developers once a project is submitted to planning and development.

RafterAg223 said:

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This is all just very frustrating to look at as a taxpayer, especially when I know how difficult the city makes everything on private developers once a project is submitted to planning and development.

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1000% this. I get put through the ringer to get a project off the tarmac let alone in the air!

I understand those thoughts 100% and I'm frustrated by it too. Speaking only for myself (as always), not going to rest on this until we identify and repurpose every single usable tax dollar spent, from the existing slab that's there now, to the utilities in the ground. That was my priority Thursday night and it remains so.

I want accountability from the responsible parties and they need to step forward and take ownership and do everything possible to make it right.

I formally apologize to the taxpayers. I'm sorry this happened. It's unacceptable.

This is a legacy project but that's no excuse. It's this council and staff's time now to fix it. I'm deeply hopeful we can work hard to turn this sow's ear to a silk purse. This situation demands feedback from taxpayers on what we should do. Maybe we can define a list of "Plan B's" and put it to a FlashVote to determine preferences going forward.

If anyone has any real, constructive repurpose ideas, the time is now to speak up. So far I've heard dog park, transfer the trees via tree spade from the bypass to the Rock Prairie site, and frisbee course. I'm all ears.

Again, I apologize.

Respectfully

Bob Yancy said:

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I understand those thoughts 100% and I'm frustrated by it too. Speaking only for myself (as always), not going to rest on this until we identify and repurpose every single usable tax dollar spent, from the existing slab that's there now, to the utilities in the ground. That was my priority Thursday night and it remains so.

I want accountability from the responsible parties and they need to step forward and take ownership and do everything possible to make it right.

I formally apologize to the taxpayers. I'm sorry this happened. It's unacceptable.

This is a legacy project but that's no excuse. It's this council and staff's time now to fix it. I'm deeply hopeful we can work hard to turn this sow's ear to a silk purse. This situation demands feedback from taxpayers on what we should do. Maybe we can define a list of "Plan B's" and put it to a FlashVote to determine preferences going forward.

If anyone has any real, constructive repurpose ideas, the time is now to speak up. So far I've heard dog park, transfer the trees via tree spade from the bypass to the Rock Prairie site, and frisbee course. I'm all ears.

Again, I apologize.

Respectfully

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I hear all this and I appreciate your response. My biggest issue is this. The development community in this town has been called in on multiple occasions over the years by the city to hold sessions for feedback on how staff can work better and more efficiently with developers in an effort to provide a better experience for those of us putting our capital at risk to try and add tax base and quality product to the city's inventory. All these meetings have turned out to be nothing but empty calories. Planning and Development makes it just as hard to do a project in this city as they always have. PAC meetings are brain damage. No one seems to want to answer a real question during a PAC meeting, almost as if they either lack command of the subject matter at hand or fear for being reprimanded for saying the "wrong thing". Comments on submittals still take forever, and the number of rounds of comments back and forth is still way too high. Furthermore, staff still either doesn't want to or just doesn't have the latitude to think outside the box on anything. Staff turnover is also still incredibly too high. I just wish staff held themselves to the same standard on projects like these as they do the taxpayers paying their salaries that come in to try and get their own projects done.

Bob Yancy said:

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I understand those thoughts 100% and I'm frustrated by it too. Speaking only for myself (as always), not going to rest on this until we identify and repurpose every single usable tax dollar spent, from the existing slab that's there now, to the utilities in the ground. That was my priority Thursday night and it remains so.

I want accountability from the responsible parties and they need to step forward and take ownership and do everything possible to make it right.

I formally apologize to the taxpayers. I'm sorry this happened. It's unacceptable.

This is a legacy project but that's no excuse. It's this council and staff's time now to fix it. I'm deeply hopeful we can work hard to turn this sow's ear to a silk purse. This situation demands feedback from taxpayers on what we should do. Maybe we can define a list of "Plan B's" and put it to a FlashVote to determine preferences going forward.

If anyone has any real, constructive repurpose ideas, the time is now to speak up. So far I've heard dog park, transfer the trees via tree spade from the bypass to the Rock Prairie site, and frisbee course. I'm all ears.

Again, I apologize.

Respectfully

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To a certain degree, I feel that the council wasn't given all the correct information from the city when they pitched it.

Two things I would like to see happen:

1. City staff who were involved be held accountable. If they can get away with this, who is to say they won't try again later. Not to mention how many times in the past this might of happened but swept under the rug.

2. Develop/utilize some type of accountability system with city staff projects so when issues arise there are more eyes/ears aware of the problem and not just the contractors/city staff.

Communication is key to rebuild the trust that has been broken from this situation

You bring in a different topic here but I'll respond. I've been in 3 PAC meetings as the applicant. One before they were called PAC meetings, and two in the last couple of years. I've always found staff to be courteous and professional. Yes, there are a lot of rules and I'll admit that some of them make me scratch my head. Most of them make sense to me. College Station has developed in an orderly manner and this is a huge reason why, but I'll agree it shouldn't be any harder, or take longer, than necessary.

I'll start sitting in and taking notes on builder developer meetings on processes and procedures and hear feedback. Not to participate but to listen only. If you and any colleagues want to meet with me separately (many have) I'm always available. Just email me at byancy@cstx.gov and we'll set it up.

I commit to you I'll collect all concerns confidentially and run them down, one by one, and circle back with an answer. Fair? I hope you think so. Put me to work. It's why I'm here.

Respectfully

I agree communication is key. Pretty sure no one was trying to get away with anything here. In fact these folks take a lot of pride in their management of projects and I guarantee if they could rewind the clock on this one they would. No excuses, but it bears mentioning this project was originally pitched in 2017 I think. That's going way back…6 years. A lot of folks inherited this project that had nothing to do with its inception. No excuses though. We own it now and will do everything possible to fix it.

Bob Yancy said:

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. We own it now and will do everything possible to fix it.

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Thank you for being involved on this platform and, specifically, on this thread. This quoted text is what we need to hear though…and I do not think it has been said as plainly as this to the public. It needs to. A public statement needs to be made that the COCS messed up and how they messed up. If that cannot be communicated, and, rather avoided/swept under the rug, or brushed off as "not necessary", then it is not a matter of IF it will happen again, it is a matter of WHEN.

It is not like this project necessitated a whole of depth into soils. Whatever was found during the process of construction could have been discovered with greater soil due diligence: boring depth increase, more borings, more feedback from structural engineers per the geotech report, etc. As a developer, Whenever I have had geotech analysis done, I instruct the geotech outfit the depth I want and how many borings I want. If I do not know, then I consult structural engineering counsel.

I ask you to please keep it about policy, and not personal. I cannot participate in these platforms if it gets personal. I believe social media can be a constructive public square where we arrive at better outcomes knowing what you, our bosses, think about process, procedure and policy. It breaks down if it becomes about the people that work so hard and so many hours in public service on our behalf.

Respectfully

RafterAg223 said:

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Bob Yancy said:

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I understand those thoughts 100% and I'm frustrated by it too. Speaking only for myself (as always), not going to rest on this until we identify and repurpose every single usable tax dollar spent, from the existing slab that's there now, to the utilities in the ground. That was my priority Thursday night and it remains so.

I want accountability from the responsible parties and they need to step forward and take ownership and do everything possible to make it right.

I formally apologize to the taxpayers. I'm sorry this happened. It's unacceptable.

This is a legacy project but that's no excuse. It's this council and staff's time now to fix it. I'm deeply hopeful we can work hard to turn this sow's ear to a silk purse. This situation demands feedback from taxpayers on what we should do. Maybe we can define a list of "Plan B's" and put it to a FlashVote to determine preferences going forward.

If anyone has any real, constructive repurpose ideas, the time is now to speak up. So far I've heard dog park, transfer the trees via tree spade from the bypass to the Rock Prairie site, and frisbee course. I'm all ears.

Again, I apologize.

Respectfully

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I hear all this and I appreciate your response. My biggest issue is this. The development community in this town has been called in on multiple occasions over the years by the city to hold sessions for feedback on how staff can work better and more efficiently with developers in an effort to provide a better experience for those of us putting our capital at risk to try and add tax base and quality product to the city's inventory. All these meetings have turned out to be nothing but empty calories. Planning and Development makes it just as hard to do a project in this city as they always have. PAC meetings are brain damage. No one seems to want to answer a real question during a PAC meeting, almost as if they either lack command of the subject matter at hand or fear for being reprimanded for saying the "wrong thing". Comments on submittals still take forever, and the number of rounds of comments back and forth is still way too high. Furthermore, staff still either doesn't want to or just doesn't have the latitude to think outside the box on anything. Staff turnover is also still incredibly too high. I just wish staff held themselves to the same standard on projects like these as they do the taxpayers paying their salaries that come in to try and get their own projects done.

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Rafter, sounds like we need to get lunch/coffee because it appears you are local. I just had to terminate a contract that staff was denying me on and I was needing another 90 days on to get to Council (after spending 120 already). Seller wouldn't give it to me. But 40% or more of that time spent and that I need is waiting on City. It's brutal.

Bob Yancy said:

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If anyone has any real, constructive repurpose ideas, the time is now to speak up. So far I've heard dog park, transfer the trees via tree spade from the bypass to the Rock Prairie site, and frisbee course. I'm all ears.

Again, I apologize.
Respectfully

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Dig World should be considered as an option to pursue. I've had a birthday party there for my toddler son at the one in Katy. And, one of their corporate partners is Texas A&M. All the more reason it needs to be looked at and considered. https://www.digworldtx.com/

I appreciate your owning this and engaging in this forum. While there are many issues at hand with this project, many seem to point to the overall age and broad range of people involved over the years. This is because the need for these ballparks somehow continues to be ignored, even in the wake of this situation. The primary goal is to now determine how to redirect this land use and salvage funds. I get that, but what will be done to address the need for baseball fields?

College Station hasn't developed new baseball fields in approximately 40 years. There are only two baseball parks in town with a total of 6 t-ball fields, 7 youth fields and only 2 fields for players over the age of 12. CSLL has nearly 1000 kids in their spring season (over 80 teams). There are several travel baseball organizations who are forced to travel outside of town to play in weekend tournaments, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and shop. This project has been proposed, approved and redirected a couple of times now with no solution in site, and our kids deserve better.

Respectfully.

Thank you. You're one of few, maybe the first person I've heard from advocating for the baseball fields. Been curious why. This helps. I wasn't there when the need for this was discussed.

Bob Yancy said:

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I ask you to please keep it about policy, and not personal. I cannot participate in these platforms if it gets personal. I believe social media can be a constructive public square where we arrive at better outcomes knowing what you, our bosses, think about process, procedure and policy. It breaks down if it becomes about the people that work so hard and so many hours in public service on our behalf.

Respectfully

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Respectfully, people make policy. Policy failure is due to people's poor understanding of the problem, biases, ineptitude, and/or lack of clear goals.
If you can't bear for someone's name to be mentioned about their decisions then maybe being an elected official isn't for you?

Respectfully

That's your decision to make on Election Day. As a former enlisted man, an NCO, an employee, a CEO, and a chairman of the board, I have been held personally accountable and I have held my charges personally accountable- just never in a public social media platform where those casting judgement aren't privy to the facts and remain cloaked in anonymity.

I wouldn't presume to constrain your 1st amendment rights, and I am here because I want your feedback and criticism. I'm actually here, so I can defend myself or apologize when I get it wrong. So weapons free on my position. Fire away.

I'm just saying if you guys personally go after any of my colleagues on Council, or any staff at city hall, my own policy will be to cease interaction on that thread. That's fine too, I can just bow out.. I'm new to this platform anyway.

The reason is this: I've been able to move the needle on policy in the short time I've been there. That'll come to an abrupt halt if I participate in personal assertions and/or attacks about the very people I'm there to persuade, or be persuaded by, on our behalf.

And as for city staff, they have a boss that's accountable to us on Council, but his team is accountable to him. Not council. It is a direct violation of Council ethics policy for me to engage in that- not that I ever would have. If I have a problem with staff, I take it up with him. Chain of command. Make sense?

Respectfully

Copy that. And don't talk about my momma, neither.

Yancy out. :-)

HWY6_RunsBothWays said:

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Bob Yancy said:

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That's your decision to make on Election Day. As a former enlisted man, an NCO, an employee, a CEO, and a chairman of the board, I have been held personally accountable and I have held my charges personally accountable- just never in a public social media platform where those casting judgement aren't privy to the facts and remain cloaked in anonymity.

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Honestly, all the NCOs I know have a thicker skin.
I'm not "after you" but you use the shield of "I'm not going to talk about that" in order to avoid discussion.

I respect you choosing to run for office and be elected. I even more greatly respect you for being on this platform.

Again, let me restate: people create policy, people make decisions, people make mistakes. Why can't this discussion include people's names, that work for or elected by the city and you still stay engaged?

If we can't even mention people's name, what's the point of the discussion?

Humbly

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You appear not to be seeking an actual discussion of issues but are looking for Mr. Yancy to throw his colleagues at the city under the bus.