Government
BY KELLY SCHAFLER & AUBREY VOGEL
Wisk Aero to soar into Sugar Land Regional Airport
Missouri City updates police, re ghter hiring incentives Missouri City City Council approved new ordinances March 18 that revisited its incentive payment schedule for police and re departments. The change rewards employee hires after they complete all or portions of their eld training and after their one-year anniversary. Quote of note “This change puts us in line with other civil services agencies in the area,” Police Chief Brandon Harris said at the March 4 meeting when the ordinances were introduced. What else The department also now allows o cers 120 days to complete their Texas Commis- sion on Law Enforcement’s peace o cer certi cation and receive the bonus instead of 45 days, Harris said. The ordinance took e ect April 1.
Self- ying aircraft could land in Sugar Land by 2030, o ering an electric “air taxi service” for passengers to travel across the Houston area. Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman and City Manager Michael Goodrum announced the city’s partnership with Wisk Aero, an autonomous aircraft company, at Sugar Land’s State of the City event Feb. 23. “We are reimagining what mobility looks like in Sugar Land through a micro-transit pilot program,” Goodrum said. The details The California-based Advanced Air Mobility company, or AAM, will develop infrastructure at the Sugar Land Regional Airport to operate self- ying airplanes, according to a Feb. 21 news release on the Wisk Aero website. Wisk sta will pilot the uncrewed airplanes from the ground, taking passengers to various Houston-area locations. Zooming out Sugar Land is the rst local entity Wisk is part- nering with in the Houston area, Goodrum said in an interview. However, the company has plans to Legislative task force applications open Applications close April 10 for Sugar Land’s new Legislative Citizen Task Force for the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025. The volunteer-based task force will have 13 members, Intergovernmental Relations Manager Rick Ramirez said. They can apply on the city’s online volunteer portal. The committee will be appointed June 4 at a City Council meeting. Get involved Task force members will be responsible for: • Giving feedback on the city’s legislative position statements • Providing a citizen perspective in discussions • Making recommendations on the state agenda for City Council consideration • Serving as a community advocate
Wisk Aero’s Gen 6 model is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
create a network of roughly 28 ports in the region, providing more destinations for passengers. Next steps Goodrum said city sta decided to partner with Wisk because they wanted the city to be part of the autonomous growth happening, such as with self-driving cars and drone deliveries. “It’s really looking like it’s the future, so we want to be a part of that and be on the forefront of it,” he said. Foundation sells 1,500 acres of George Ranch The George Foundation’s board of trustees voted to sell a 1,500-acre parcel of George Ranch to Johnson Development for a master-planned community, according to a March 18 news release from the foundation. The land purchase will help the foundation continue donating to Fort Bend County nonpro ts and providing scholarships, The George Founda- tion CEO Roger Adamson said. Details on Johnson Development’s new commu- nity near FM 2977 at Koeblen Road haven’t been shared, and a timeline for build-out isn’t available, according to the release. The history Several properties in the county make up George Ranch, which was roughly 21,000 acres before the land sale. Of that, 475 acres at 10215 FM 762, Richmond, are reserved for the historic area known as The George Ranch, formerly called the
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JOHNSON DEVELOPMENT TRACT
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George Ranch Historical Park, Adamson said. The land sale won’t a ect this property. The George Ranch o ers tours and educational opportunities where visitors can learn about the ranch’s history, according to the website. What’s next While this is the most signi cant land sale in the foundation’s 80-year history, it might not be its last, Adamson said. “I think ... [monetizing] The George Founda- tion’s real estate assets is a signi cant part of our nancial strategy for the future,” he said.
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SUGAR LAND MISSOURI CITY EDITION
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