CITY & COUNTY
News from Sugar Land & Fort Bend County
HIGHLIGHTS SUGAR LAND Residents who want to be a city planner can now practice balancing the city’s general fund with Sugar Land’s new budget simulator. Per a Feb. 8 news release, the program aims to educate residents on the impact of incremental increases and decreases in funding for various departments. Sugar Land’s website says the program is an educational tool, but adds that comments and trends may be used to help the city understand budgeting priorities. Sugar Land City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. March 21 at 2700 Town Center Blvd. N., Sugar Land. Meetings are livestreamed and in person. 281-275-2900. www.sugarlandtx.gov Missouri City City Council will meet at 7 p.m. March 20 at 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City. Meetings are livestreamed and in person. 281-403-8500. www.missouricitytx.gov Fort Bend County Commissioners Court will meet at 1 p.m. March 14 and 28 at 401 Jackson MEETINGS WE COVER
Sugar Land approves, opens applications for Great Homes pilot program
County begins strategic plan for economic opportunity, development
Sugar Land approves deal with fiber-optic internet company
BY JACK DOWLING
eligible for a reimbursement of up to $10,000 for a portion of their exterior home improvement costs. The minimum total project cost to be eligible is $4,000. Homes built before 1994 are eligible for up to a 25% reimbursement, while those built after 1994 are only eligible for a 10% reimbursement. A total of $500,000 has been set aside from the city’s general fund to pay for the Great Homes Update program, which city officials said will be able to help fund approximately $2 million to $5 million in residential improvements, assuming the average project costs around $15,000 to $20,000. Prior to casting the sole vote against the program, Council Member William Ferguson voiced his con- cern at the meeting about the feasibility of the Great Homes Design program. “Even though it may be in line for what we want to do, the [homeowners associations] really need to kind of build their programs around what we’re trying to do,” Ferguson said. The Great Homes program is a one-year pilot pro- gram city officials said will be re-evaluated in 2024. “This initiative is just one example of Sugar Land’s commitment to trailblazing and evolving our community to build a life for our residents that is better than they can even imagine,” Communications Director Doug Adolph said in the news release.
Pilot parameters Sugar Land residents are now eligible
SUGAR LAND Residents are now eligible to register for Sugar Land’s Great Homes program. The pilot initiative empowers homeowners to invest in their community by preserving, protecting and enhancing their neighborhoods, the city said in a Feb. 8 news release. The Great Homes program, which was approved in a 6-1 vote during the Feb. 7 City Council meeting, comprises two components: the Great Homes Design program and the Great Homes Update program. The Great Homes Design program offers a $500 rebate for homeowners who implement at least one qualifying exterior improvement on their home within six months of receiving a design through the program, according to the city’s news release. Resi- dents apply on the city’s website and if approved will receive a voucher for one of two design companies: Brick & Batten or Dzinly. Additionally, $120,000 has been set aside from the city’s general fund for the design program’s pilot, which the city said will go toward funding 250 home designs as well as potentially 40 home projects. Likewise, the Great Homes Update program is a reimbursement incentive encouraging rehabilitation and refurbishments of the exterior of single-family houses. Through the program, homeowners may be
BY ASIA ARMOUR
collected by the Fort Bend EDC from The Cannon, an entrepreneurial networking organization. The plan will also consider the county’s fast-growing population and the role of both the Greater Fort Bend EDC and the county’s eco- nomic development department. “There is a role for the [Fort Bend] EDC to continue what they do, but with the creation of this depart- ment, how can we maximize [our] resources?” Guzman said. “THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE [FORT BEND] EDC TO CONTINUE WHAT THEY DO, BUT WITH THE CREATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT, HOW CAN WE MAXIMIZE [OUR] RESOURCES?” CARLOS GUZMAN, FORT BEND COUNTY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
FORT BEND COUNTY Fort Bend County’s Economic Development Department and the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Coun- cil have taken the initial steps for an economic strategic plan, which officials expect will be completed by late summer. At a Feb. 7 Commissioners Court meeting, the governing body of the county transferred $265,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act budget into the General Fund Revenue Replacement budget to pay for the Economic Opportunity and Development contract. Carlos Guzman, Fort Bend County’s economic development director, said the plan will be executed in six to seven months. Guzman said Austin-based planning firm TIP Strategies will begin by examining economic data from the county—some of which was recently
to register for the Great Homes program, which includes a design program and update program. Each program has their own requirements and budget.
BY JACK DOWLING
SUGAR LAND SiFi Networks, a New Jersey-based telecommunications company, was approved for a 30-year agreement with Sugar Land to estab- lish fiber-optic infrastructure during a City Council meeting Feb. 7. Design and construction are expected to take a combined two years. The privately funded network is purported to be open-access, meaning any internet service provider can sell internet via the company’s infrastruc- ture once they have purchased the wholesale data access. While council members agreed the project is a strong proposition, several council members voiced concerns, including that the contract was much too binding in favor of the company and how lines would impact trees. The City Council approved the contract in a 5-2 vote.
Design program
Update program
$120,000 set aside from general fund
$500,000 set aside from general fund
Will fund 250 home designs , possible 40 home projects $500 rebate for homeowners who implement at least one qualifying exterior improvement within six months of receiving a design in the program
Can be reimbursed up to $10,000 for exterior improvement costs Homes built before 1994 are eligible for up to a 25% reimbursement. Homes built after 1994 are eligible for a 10% reimbursement.
St., Richmond. Meetings are livestreamed. 281-342-3411. www.fortbendcountytx.gov
If design is approved, they receive a voucher
Minimum project cost must be $4,000
SOURCE: CITY OF SUGAR LAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SUGAR LAND 3335 Hwy 6 S (281) 313-4446 MISSOURI CITY 5418 Hwy 6 (281) 403-0400
SUGAR CREEK 13827 Southwest Fwy (281) 491-8628 SIENNA PLANTATION 9034 Sienna Crossing Dr (281) 778-9959
NEW TERRITORY 5720 New Territory Blvd (281) 491-0811
Powered by FlippingBook