Brownsboro bans Jake Brakes; looks into garage sale ordinance
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

An ordinance prohibiting the use of Jake Brakes was on the agenda of the Brownsboro City Council on Thursday, September 13. The meeting not only saw to the banning of these items for non-emergency uses, but also saw to several other points.

The brakes, Sonyia Foster, city secretary said, are used by 18- wheeler trucks to slow down.

"We were getting complaints about the noise," Foster said.

Jake Brakes work by causing the truck to change gears to slow down rather than simply braking. Apparently, changing gears causes quite a bit more noise on Highway 31 than braking normally.

In an emergency, such as an im- minent collision, vehicles will still be able to use Jake Brakes..

Another item on the agenda was the annexation of Kyle Bridges' house and lot on FM 607. However, Bridges was absent from the meeting and so no resolution could be passed at the time.

Also of note was Dennis Walker's work for the Meadow Creek subdivision. Walker, Foster said, wanted to have some sewer lines connected to his property. He was charged the permit fee and $100 for the sewer tap cost in order to finish the work.

Cummings Construction of Sulphur Springs, Texas, is building a Gravity Sewer System and informed Brownsboro of the cost. The final contract amount, accord- ing to the council's packet of paperwork, was $393,920.50. The contract was officially accepted.

No immediate changes were made to the city's zoning ordinance.

The garage sale revisions will be on next month's agenda, Foster said. However, the city has released details about the garage sale ordinance. The ordinance includes estate sales.

Foster also said the ordinance would limit the amount of sales a household could host, and how long the sale could proceed.

Under the ordinance, any person or household could not have more than three garage sales per year, and the sales could last no longer than four consecutive days between sunrise and sunset. In order to get a rain check, the City of Brownsboro will have to be notified within one business day of the cancelled sale.

As stated in the written ordinance, sales can't create a disturbance in the neighborhood, and a permit will be required.

"The permit costs $5," Foster said.

The city will provide one free sign to be placed at the location of the sale once the permit has been bought. Additional signs can be bought at $2.50 each, but the limit is four signs total, including the first.

Several other points about garage sales were included in the ordinance paperwork. Signs must be posted within 24 hours of the sale, and removed within three days after, and are to be posted on private property only. Permits will be sold from 7:30 am to noon, then from 1 pm to 4:30 pm on Monday-Friday.

Violations of the ordinance carry a penalty of $25-$200.