The Woodlands Edition - November 2019

NEWS BRIEFS

BY VANESSA HOLT AND EVA VIGH

Howard Hughes Corp. plans to move headquarters The Howard Hughes Corp.

Water rate dispute goes to Texas Supreme Court An ongoing lawsuit between the San Jacinto River Authority and the city of Conroe over a surface water rate dispute went to the Texas Supreme Court in October, according to an SJRA news release. The Texas Supreme Court has now voted to hear the appeal and will now decide whether the SJRA can settle the validity of all GRP contracts on an expedited schedule, according to the SJRA. Other GRP participants, including The Woodlands Water Agency, which manages 10 Woodlands area

announced Oct. 21 it will move its headquarters from Dallas to The Woodlands as part of its cost-saving transformation plan. According to a news release from the company, the plan is aimed to reduce overhead expenses by about $45 million to $50 million per year. The Howard Hughes Corp.’s regional office in The Woodlands is currently located at 2 Hughes Landing Blvd., The Woodlands. “The Woodlands is a natural choice for the relocation of our corporate headquarters—it is our largest regional office and is one of our most successful master-planned communities,” Chief Financial Officer David O’Reilly said in an interview. The company also announced new leadership, with Paul Layne as the new CEO, replacing David R. Weinreb. The company’s organizational struc- ture will change from a holding-com- pany type to a more decentralized, regional management system, according to a Howard Hughes Corp.

The case before the Supreme Court comes after the Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas’ August 2018 ruling in favor of the SJRA on three issues in a lawsuit related to the agency’s groundwater reduction plan, or GRP, contracts, according to the SJRA. The SJRA sells surface water from Lake Conroe to select entities— including in The Woodlands—as a part of its GRP to comply with groundwater regulations in Mont- gomery County set by the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District. The city of Conroe entered into the GRP contract in May 2010, but the city approved a resolution in 2016 stating that the SJRA was overcharging and the city would refuse to pay surface water rates, Community Impact News- paper previously reported.

news release. The new plan will create a more lean company built around mas- ter-planned communities, such as The Woodlands, according to the company. It will also bring more employees to the area, O’Reilly said. According to The Woodlands Area Economic Development Corp., Howard Hughes Corp. employed 104 people in The Woodlands in 2018. “We know that we will need additional space to accommodate the increased number of employees who will be working at our new headquar- ters,” he said. The Howard Hughes Corp. offices in The Woodlands are currently on Hughes Landing Boulevard.

municipal utility districts, must make up $3.5 million in unpaid rates as a result, according to Heather Ramsey Cook, director of communications and public affairs for SJRA. Cook said the unpaid portion led to rate increases for fiscal year 2019-20 being passed on to entities it serves. “GRP fiscal reserves are projected to be reduced to approximately $1 million ... by the end of the fiscal year if the short payments continue. This ... makes it more difficult to fund unexpected repairs like the recent GRP water line break in The Woodlands,” Cook said in an email. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Jan. 9.

Surprisingly Simple Healthcare

25144 Grogans Park Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380

Here’s what First Primary Care Membership offers... • Unlimited, no-wait access for questions or doctor visits—in person, by text, or video chat • No crowded waiting rooms full of sick patients • No co-pays, no deductables, no B.S. • Improved health with fewer prescriptions All for one, lowmonthly fee and a 60-daymoney-back guarantee. coverage, and insane waiting room times? YEAH, SO ARE WE. Tired of expensive premiums, lousy

That’s why we’re taking a new approach to healthcare In TheWoodlands.

visit.FirstPrimaryCare.com | 346-220-5400 Request A Free Health Coverage Review Today.

31

The Woodlands edition • November 2019

Powered by