CITY & COUNTY
News from Katy, Harris County & Fort Bend County
QUOTE OF NOTE
HIGHLIGHTS FORT BEND COUNTY A
City of Katy to impose new regulations for rentals
Harris County targets jail officer retention
ESPN wrestling contract secured at Fort Bend EpiCenter
Fort Bend EpiCenter
“THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT COULD GRANT ME 1,000 MORE POSITIONS TODAY, BUT I COULD NOT FILL THEM BECAUSE THERE JUST AREN’T ENOUGH PERSONS WILLING TO DO THIS WORK FOR THE PAY WE OFFER.” ED GONZALEZ, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF Katy City Council will meet May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at 910 Ave. C, Katy. 281-391-4800. www.cityofkaty.com Harris County Commissioners Court MEETINGS WE COVER will meet next on May 16 at 1001 Preston Ave., Ste. 934, Houston. 713-755-5000. www.harriscountytx.gov Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meets next on May 9 at 1 p.m. at 401 Jackson St., Richmond. 281-342-3411. www.fortbendcountytx.gov
Commissioners Court resolution encouraged the Texas Department of Transportation to continue progress on the Hwy. 36A Corridor project after delays, according to agenda documents. On April 11, county commissioners conveyed its support for the continuance of the 36A Corridor environmental impact study, a project that encompasses transportation infrastructure in Fort Bend, Brazoria and Waller counties. The study is for a proposed Hwy. 36A that would act as a “transportation corridor” between Hwy. 59/I-69 and Hwy. 290/Hwy. 6 near Hempstead Road. HARRIS COUNTY The Westfield Pines and Westfield Village subdivision improvement projects are expected to start in May, according to a Harris County Precinct 4 news release. During Hurricane Harvey, 33 single- family homes were flooded in the subdivisions, according to the release. The scope of the project includes upgraded storm sewer systems, driveway and street repair, waterline adjustments, and constructing a detention pond. The project originates from a 2018 county bond program.
CALLENDER ST.
BY ASIA ARMOUR
ACTIVE RENTALS BREAKDOWN AirDNA, an analytics company that tracks short-term rental properties, reported well over 500 active rental properties in the Katy area as of March 28.
KATY After a public hearing and discussion among coun- cil members, officials passed an ordinance to implement an additional 7% tax from the city, permitting require- ments and a $500 fine for noncompliance on short-term rentals, such as listings found on Airbnb and Vrbo. The ordinance passed with a 4-1 vote at the March 27 meeting, with Council Member Gina Hicks dissenting. She said it was not the job of the local government to impose these regulations. “I think it is overreach,” Hicks said. “I think that this is the responsibility of our [homeowners associations]. We have been creating so many ordinances lately based off of complaints that should be handled within neighborhoods.” With the updated regulations, owners of these short- term properties would need to obtain an operation permit; submit an application with a list of owners and information regarding safety; prohibit certain conduct at the property; and allow initial and renewal inspections of the premises. In addition, owners must notify the city’s planning department, building official and fire marshal of any complaints and abide by standards for parking, advertising, occupancy and insurance. Don Rao, a homeowner in the Magnolia neighborhood, said his quality of life has been greatly reduced since a prop- erty near his home was listed on Airbnb in November. He
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BY EMILY LINCKE
HARRIS COUNTY Employee retention bonuses and new body cameras for detention officers are key components of the $7.4 mil- lion initiative approved by Harris County commissioners March 14 to improve jail operations. The $7.4 million package—to be funded by the county’s general fund and American Rescue Plan Act money—will pay for retention incentives for all detention officers, new body cameras, new leadership positions for the jail and the hiring of a third-party expert to improve retention efforts for the sheriff’s office. According to a March 14 presentation from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, one-third of the county’s detention staff leave their jobs annually.
BY ASIA ARMOUR
MARCH 28 STATS: 558 active rentals
FORT BEND COUNTY The Fort Bend EpiCenter—a multi- purpose, 10,000-seat venue in Rosenberg—has secured a contract with ESPN wrestling, according to county officials. This contract was announced by development firm Stonehenge Holdings LLC President Kevin Matocha on March 16 at Fort Bend County Judge KP George’s first Fort Bend Forward event, a quarterly panel where officials hold talks with community members. Matocha declined to comment on the details of the contract, such as which ESPN wrestling organiza- tion entered into the deal, but he acknowledged the discussions in a later email.
$204 average daily rate, 5.2% increase from December
$2.2K* median monthly rental income
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The $120 million EpiCenter project was initiated through a pub- lic-private partnership between the county and Stonehenge Holdings LLC in 2021. The venue is on track to complete construction in August. Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales, although he could not go into detail, said the 52-acre venue will take Fort Bend County “to the next level” economically. “[The EpiCenter] is way ahead of bookings,” Morales said. “They are getting national firms wanting naming rights to the tune of $30 [million] to $50 million.”
*CALCULATED BY COMBINING THE NIGHTLY RATE AND CLEANING FEES AND EXCLUDING TAXES, SERVICE FEES AND ADDITIONAL GUEST FEES. SOURCE: AIRDNA/COMMUNITY IMPACT
said he hopes the ordinance will address safety and security and enhance property values for all residents of Katy. Debbie and Charles Dowdle, who have operated their short-term rental property since 2019, said they would comply with the new regulations. Debbie said they ran the property as a long-term rental prior to listing it on Airbnb. “What we found was the long-term rentals were a whole lot less considerate of neighbors and the property, and that was stressful to us,” she said. “It matters to us very much that it’s a plus for the community and not a negative, because we care about Katy.”
FRY ROAD 1743 Fry Rd (281) 579-7004 KATY MILLS 24417 Katy Fwy (281) 394-5780
FRY ROAD NORTH 3811 N Fry Rd (281) 578-0916 FULSHEAR 24940 FM 1093 (281) 391-4008
MASON ROAD 1640 S Mason Rd (281) 395-6262
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