Pearland - Friendswood Edition | April 2023

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 APRIL 18MAY 15, 2023

CITYON THE RISE The city of Manvel is building a town center anchored by its rst H-E-B, alongside other major projects. City ocials said the new developments compliment the city’s rapid population growth.

Several businesses slated for Hobby Airport LOCAL VOTER GUIDE 2023

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INCOMING TOWN CENTER

Houston native wins Miss Universe 2022

RENDERING COURTESY CITY OF MANVEL

COURTESY CITY OF MANVEL

Manvel focuses on infrastructure growth as population soars

BY DANIEL WEEKS

Population boom The city of Manvel has seen a 137.7% population growth in the past decade. In 2010, the U.S. Cen- sus Bureau’s American Community Survey data showed a population of 11,432 in 2020 versus 4,810 in 2010. Manvel City Manager Kyle Jung said keeping up with population projections and meeting citizen demands for new infrastructure and utilities can be a challenge. He said in 2007 the city did a CONTINUED ON 18

City ocials said they believe the major developments are laying the groundwork for the future continued success of the city and accommodat- ing its growing population. “I believe that the reason why we have so many people wanting to join this community is because they want to be a part of what the future holds,” Council Member and may- oral candidate Lorraine Hehn said. “All the other cities have to ght to get people at the table. Here, we’ve never had to for a long time.”

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The city of Manvel is undergoing signicant expansions to its commer- cial and residential infrastructure as the small town rapidly expands. Some of the key new develop- ments making headway this year include a nearly 1,000-home hous- ing development from real estate developer Hillwood Communities in the heart of the city, a new shopping center anchored by popular grocery chain HEB, and plans for a munici- pal center and an athletic center.

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THIS ISSUE

MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Papar Faircloth SENIOR EDITOR Jake Magee REPORTERS Rachel Leland, Daniel Weeks GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jesus Verastegui METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Jason Culpepper MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Schafler COPY EDITOR Adrian Gandara SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Kaitlin Schmidt CONTACT US 16300 Northwest Freeway Jersey Village, TX 77040 • 281-469-6181 CI CAREERS communityimpact.com/careers PRESS RELEASES plfnews@communityimpact.com ADVERTISING plfads@communityimpact.com Learn more at communityimpact.com/advertising EMAIL NEWSLETTERS communityimpact.com/newsletter SUPPORT US Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron ABOUT US Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today. We have expanded to include hundreds of team members and have created our own software platform and printing facility. CI delivers 35+ localized editions across Texas to more than 2.5 million residential mailboxes.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH

FROM PAPAR: If you didn’t know, our coverage area is Pearland, Friendswood and parts of Manvel. Though Friendswood has maintained its population since its boom in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Pearland area has been in fast-growth mode for the last 20 years, though the pace has slowed as the available open land in the area gets developed. Manvel considers itself the city on the rise with incoming master-planned communities, commercial development and additional schools being built for the population increases there. Our front-page story this month covers our neighbor just to the south and where their community is headed. Papar Faircloth, GENERAL MANAGER

CORRECTION: Volume 9, Issue 4 For Grappling Zone in the Camp Guide, the ages are 4-12; the dates are May 29-Aug. 18; the cost is $200 weekly with a $50 registration; and the phone number is 713-340-1100. FROM JAKE: It feels like election season just ended, but it has returned in the form of local elections—some of the most important elections residents can vote in. Check out our Voter Guide (see Page 11) to learn about the local seats up for election and who is vying for them. Don’t forget to find detailed Q&As with candidates on our website! Jake Magee, SENIOR EDITOR

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2023

IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

MCHARDRD.

SHADOW CREEK

MCHARDRD.

PEARLAND

521

W. BROA D W A

288

518

WALNUTST.

FRIENDSWOOD

BAYBROOK MALL DR.

AGNOLIA PKWY.

BAILEY A V E .

MCKEEVER RD.

528

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MANVEL

NOW OPEN 1 Charlie Mike’s Pearland Podcast Studio held its grand opening March 1 at 5720 W. Broadway St., Ste. 102. The studio special- izes in helping clients record and edit pro- fessional audio, including businesses and individuals looking to create podcasts and other audio-based content. Pearland Pod- cast Studio oers services in concept de- velopment, scriptwriting, recording, edit- ing and post-production. On the business’s ocial website, the space can be rented out for recording purposes, and sta oer a free consultation of their services. 281-372-6694. www.pearlandpodcaststudio.com 2 Crumbl Cookies opened a new location March 10 in Pearland at 2550 Pearland Parkway, Ste. 160. The popular Utah-based cookie chain has several loca- tions across the country, including another store in west Pearland at 11041 Shadow

Creek Parkway, Ste. 115. The store oers a rotating menu of unique cookie avors and toppings. A press release stated deliv- ery, curbside pickup and catering became available after March 15. 281-816-9550. www.crumblcookies.com 3 A new Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming location opened March 11 in Friendswood at 3141 FM 528, Ste. 336. The store is a one-stop shop for pet lovers, oering grooming sessions, pet accessories and various treats baked in-house. Woof Gang has several locations across the country, including 16 in the Houston area. 281-993-4280. www.woofgangbakery.com COMING SOON 4 The Dolly Llama Wae Master is expected to open in late April at 3569

Business Center Drive, Ste. 140. The loca- tion was slated to open April 1, but delays with CenterPoint Energy pushed the opening back, an associated employee said. The Los Angeles-based dessert shop oers a variety of eccentric ice cream and wae concoctions. Some of the treats oered at Dolly Llama locations include various toppings, milkshakes, Belgian wae ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches and more. 832-295-3876. www.thedollyllamaus.com 5 Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe is expected to open late summer at 212 S. Friendswood Drive, Ste. D, according to a release from local owner Tim Neal. The bakery will serve a variety of fresh- baked bread avors, including whole honey wheat, cinnamon chip and other regulars. In addition to seasonal and specialty breads paired with holidays, the location will oer sandwiches,

salads, soups, baked sweets and more. Great Harvest is a franchise part of Fresh Bread Bakery & Cafes. 832-513-5544. www.greatharvestfriendswood.com 6 The Crack Shack is coming to the Shops at Baybrook at I-45 and Bay Area Boulevard in Webster at the end of the year. The restaurant serves fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, salads and desserts with ingredients sourced from farmers and purveyors in the markets in which the restaurants are based. The Shops at Baybrook is planning a late 2023 opening. www.crackshack.com 7 Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is planned to open inside Shops at Baybrook at I-45 and Bay Area Boulevard in Webster at the end of the year. The restaurant will feature a conveyor belt that will deliver to custom- ers authentic Japanese cuisine, such as nigiri, rolls, ramen, dumplings and mochi. www.kurasushi.com

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8 Mango , one of the world’s larg- est fast-fashion retailers, will open a new location at Baybrook Mall, 500 Baybrook Mall Drive, Friendswood, later this year in partnership with Brookeld Properties. Beginning with the opening of its U.S. agship store in New York in 2022, the Spanish fashion retail- er is growing its U.S. footprint with more locations to open in Frisco, San Antonio and California later this year. www.shop.mango.com 9 Shake Shack is coming to Shops at Baybrook at I-45 and Bay Area Boulevard in Webster at the end of the year. The casual restaurant, which has locations across the U.S., sells burgers, hot dogs, specialty fries and drinks, and shakes and custard. www.shakeshack.com 10 Velvet Taco will open at the Shops at Baybrook at I-45 and Bay Area Boule- vard in Webster at the end of the year. Velvet Taco, which has several locations across Texas and beyond, serves unusual tacos, including chicken and wae, ba- con burger, and rotisserie chicken tacos. www.velvettaco.com 11 Via 313 Pizzeria is one of the restau- rants set to open at the Shops at Bay- brook at I-45 and Bay Area Boulevard in Webster at the end of the year. Founded in Detroit in 2011, Via 313 oers authen- tic, Detroit-style pizza. The restaurant has locations around San Antonio, Austin and Salt Lake City. www.via313.com 12 Wild Fork is planning to open at the incoming Shops at Baybrook at I-45 and Bay Area Boulevard in Webster at the end of the year. Wild Fork is a food market that oers a large selection of meat and seafood. Wild Fork freezes its meat at minus 40 to maintain fresh avors longer. www.wildforkfoods.com Cafe Petra , a Greek and Lebanese food restaurant, is expected to open a new location soon in Pearland, according to the restaurant’s website and Facebook posts. The address for the location is yet to be announced. Cafe Petra has four other locations, including ones in League City and Texas City, the others being in Louisiana. The restaurant oers a mix of traditional and contemporary dishes, including gyros, shawarma and moussaka. 281-532-6196. www.cafe-petra.com

Crumbl Cookies

COURTESY CRUMBL COOKIES

Killen's Barbecue and more local icons are coming to William P. Hobby Airport.

RENDERING COURTESY HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM

FEATURED IMPACT COMING SOON Several new restaurants are slated to be added to the William P. Hobby Airport, 7800 Airport Blvd., Houston, in the coming months. The airport’s expansion of its concessions is part of a 10-year agreement that is projected to generate over $100 million in revenue for the Houston Airport System, according to a press release. Over 200 sta are expected to be hired for all the new concession locations. Pappas Restaurants, which has operated in Hobby Airport for over 20 years and is slated to close its Hobby restaurants due to the new deal, protested the decision March 13. Killen’s Barbecue , a staple local barbecue restaurant with a location in Pearland, is expected to open a Hobby Airport location. Killen’s Barbecue serves classic Texas barbecue, including brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage and turkey available by the pound, on plates or on sandwiches. Executive Chef Ronnie Killen also has other Killen’s restaurants, including Tex Mex, steakhouses and a burger joint. SpindleTap Brewery , which gets its

namesake from the original Spindletop gusher in Beaumont that began the state’s oil boom, will be opening a second location at Hobby Airport by November 2024. Guests to the new location can enjoy SpindleTap’s lineup of brews including Boomtown Blonde Ale and Toolpusher Pale Ale. The Spot , Galveston’s beachfront island kitchen, will be opening a second location at the Hobby Airport in late 2024. Guests to the new Hobby Airport location will be able to enjoy a smaller menu of guest favorites made entirely from scratch daily. www.killensbarbecue.com www.spindletap.com www.islandfamous.com/thespot

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2023

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Houston-Galveston Area Council to spend more on transit plans as population grows

COMPILED BY RENEE FARMER & DANIEL WEEKS

ONGOING PROJECTS

CORRIDOR INVESTMENTS H-GAC is expected to invest more funds into transit.

RODEO PALMS PKWY.

INVESTMENT BY CORRIDOR

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With the Houston region estimated to double its population by 2045, the Houston-Galveston Area Council has laid out its plans to accommodate growing transportation needs with its 2045 Regional Transportation Plan Update, or RTP. Following a public comment period from March 15 to April 17, H-GAC’s Transportation Policy Council will approve and adopt the RTP on April 28. The agency held the last of its public meetings on the plan March 21. H-GAC updates its 20-year RTP every four years with new objectives. “The RTP allows for us to bring down federal and state funds into our eight-county region. It helps us pri- oritize and understand what projects should be funded, where we need to fund projects and how to move forward,” H-GAC Regional Planning Manager Anita Hollmann-Matijcio said in a March 15 press release. By 2045, the agency anticipates

collecting $141 billion in revenue from federal and state allocations and tolls. It recommends $109 billion in expenditures for investments in transit, operations and intersection improvements, a 24% increase from the 2040 update. The plan addresses a number of transportation concerns gathered from surveys held from April to July 2022. Survey participants overwhelmingly prefer to travel safer and not necessar- ily faster, Hollmann-Matijcio noted. Those inside of Beltway 8 wanted better quality roads and a variety of travel options. Respondents outside of Beltway 8 wanted shorter commutes, reliable travel times, less congestion and better transit options. “We did hear during our outreach that those outside the Beltway did not have convenient access to public transportation, and that’s noted in the RTP Update,” Hollmann-Matijcio said during the March 21 meeting.

I-45 S.

$1.46B

Hwy. 288

$1.53B

Beltway 8

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF MARCH 27. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT PLFNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. as the city looks to improve ease of access to Hwy. 288 from its new residential developments. TxDOT held a public hearing for the project in March 2022. Timeline: late 2022-September 2024 Cost: $50.8 million Funding source: TxDOT Manvel Hwy. 288 expansion The Texas Department of Transporta- tion entered into an agreement with James Construction Group in August to construct a southbound frontage road on Hwy. 288 between Hwy. 6 and Rodeo Palms Parkway, according to TxDOT Public Information Officer Danny Perez. The project is one of the several thoroughfare improve- ments coming to the city of Manvel

$1.86B

I-69 S.

$12.78B

I-10

$2.3B

U.S. 90

$200M

I-69 N.

$211M

Grand Parkway

$3.94B

I-45 N.

$4.23B

Hwy. 249

$487M

Downtown Houston

$6.94B

Loop 610

$641M

I-10 W.

$7.14B

U.S. 290

$8.47B

SOURCE: HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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GOVERNMENT House bill inspired by Pearland aims to allow tax worksheet recalculations

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW After irst being proposed by a member of the Texas House of Representatives or Senate, bills must go through several layers of revisions.

Bill introduced to the Legislature

BY DANIEL WEEKS

corrected before municipalities move forward with their budgeting process, forcing the city of Pearland to seek out a corrected sheet through other entities. The city eventually received a corrected worksheet from the Brazoria County tax assessor-collector. Thompson said he hopes the bill can allow cities facing any similar circumstances in the future to “cure” the problem themselves. “I’m not going to point ngers at anyone really, but it certainly wasn’t the city of Pearland’s fault that they were given some information that they relied on,” Thompson said. “We want cities to be able to provide the services that the citizens need ... within a reasonable tax rate.” The bill was rst read March 13, where it was then moved to the Ways and Means Committee, which deals in bills relating to changes to the state’s tax code or how local municipalities collect or levy taxes.

Bill begins process in House

Bill begins process in Senate

A Texas House bill led in February aims to allow municipalities to rework already-certied property values after Pearland sta encountered an incorrect tax worksheet that brought the city a $10.3 million decit. State House Rep. Ed Thompson, RPearland, on Feb. 23 led House Bill 2714. Thompson’s Chief of Sta Benjamin Williams said the bill would allow municipalities to recalculate their property tax worksheets after the rolls have been certied. Tax rolls give information on the value of properties. In Pearland’s situation, city sta said they received incorrectly assessed property values in a part of the city that resides in Harris County. The city discovered the incorrect value, which sta said was provided to Brazoria County by Harris County, after the values were already certied. The current law does not require the tax worksheets in question to be

Bill referred to committee. Vote held

Approved bill, possibly with changes, goes to Calendars Committee for scheduling

Approved bill, possibly with changes, brought to Senate oor for debate

Bill brought to House oor for debate

Approved bill moves to opposite chamber and begins process again

Bill may be passed to conference committees of select House and Senate members when chambers disagree on portions of their content

Bill approved by both chambers is sent to the governor

Governor signs bill into law or vetoes bill

SOURCES: TEXAS ADVOCACY PLAYBOOK, LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY OF TEXAS, TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINECOMMUNITY IMPACT

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2023

EDUCATION BRIEFS

News from Pearland & Clear Creek ISDs

Pearland ISD superintendent talks financial challenges at district event PEARLAND ISD Superintendent Larry Berger addressed the state of public education in Texas at a State of the District event March 23, saying the district is in a difficult situation due to low state funding, teacher shortages and other com- pounding issues. and paying for 100% of students and staff at each facility. “That is millions of dollars we are not receiving through ADA,” he said. $20.26M CURRENT AND FUTURE PEARLAND ISD BUDGET DEFICITS PROJECTED DEFICITS Pearland ISD is projecting budget deficits in the coming years. BY DANIEL WEEKS

Berger called for a change to enrollment-based funding over the attendance-based system and changes to how mandatory pre-K is funded. He said these topics were discussed with state House and Senate chairs and the Texas Education Agency. “Not all of this is going to happen; I understand that,” Berger said. The district and the state continue to face a teacher shortage, with Berger saying that 77% of current teachers in the state have considered leaving their profession. Additionally, he said the district no longer being a “fast-growing” district contributed to plateaued funding from the state. Berger addressed a bill currently going through the Texas congress that is co-written by District 11 Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Wallisville, among other senators. The bill, Senate Bill 8, aims to empower parents’ ability to choose schools and bolster private education by offering families $8,000 per-student to help pay for private school tuition through an “education savings account program.” Berger said a focus on teacher retention would help keep students and families enrolled at PISD.

$17.01M

Berger highlighted the causes of a prospective budget deficit in the coming school year. He said the district, which spends 85% of its budget on personnel, is running short on spending to cut. “We can’t make those cuts in the classroom,” Berger said. “It’s a difficult proposition.” The district faces a $15.1 million deficit going into the next school year and beyond. State legis- lative actions may address the method with which school districts are funded, including increasing the basic per-student allotment or de-emphasizing reliance on property taxes. The per-student funding allotment from the state is based on average daily attendance, or ADA, which is a system Berger criticized. Texas is one of the six states that uses the ADA system and is 39th in the nation for per-people funding, according to Berger. Berger said the ADA system allocates about 94% of funding to PISD despite the district budgeting

$15.12M

$7.37M

FY 2022-23

FY 2023-24*

FY 2024-25*

FY 2025-26*

SOURCE: PEARLAND ISD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

*FY 2023-26 AMOUNTS ARE PROJECTED ESTIMATES

“We may lose funds, but we can’t lose quality educators. We have to figure out how to keep them in the classroom. And when we keep quality educators in the classroom and we keep showing results like this, nobody’s leaving,” Berger said. The state went into this year’s legislative ses- sion with a surplus of $32.7 billion. Berger said he looks forward to seeing how much of the surplus will be invested into public education.

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Pearland ISD will meet at 5 p.m. May 16 at 1928 N. Main St., Pearland. Meetings are streamed at www.youtube.com/user/ thepearlandisd. Clear Creek ISD will meet at 6 p.m. April 24 at 2425 E. Main St., League City. Regular meetings are streamed at www.ccisd.net/thestream. MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS CLEAR CREEK ISD The board of trustees approved the district’s Vision 2030 plan at a March 27 meeting. As part of the plan, the district is considering expanding its tuition-based prekindergarten offerings, scaling up its Leader in Me program to a districtwide level, modifying learning spaces and expanding student programming, according to a presentation by Superintendent Karen Engle. Following the approval, the district will now begin to develop action plans, and the CCISD Facility Advisory Committee will consider necessary facility modifications throughout meetings in the spring. The district will also seek legislative support to fully fund prekindergarten for each 4-year-old.

PISD to reconsider agreement with city for natatorium use

Brazoria County, PISD planning to protest property value study

BY DANIEL WEEKS

PEARLAND ISD Members of the board of trustees seek a new agree- ment with the city of Pearland over the usage of the city’s natatorium and recreation center as its mainte- nance costs rise. The city and the school district entered into a 25-year interlocal agreement in 2007 to construct and use the natatorium and split the cost. The terms of the agreement required PISD to pay for half of all maintenance costs that exceed $15,000, among other costs. Superintendent Larry Berger said the facility has scheduled “sig- nificant repairs” that will end up costing about $7 million, of which the school district is required to pay half, per the agreement. He referred to the current agreement as “poor,” saying the district pays

PEARLAND ISD The district plans to protest the results of a property value study within its boundaries that could cost it some state funding. Pearland ISD says the study falls outside the margin of error. The board voted March 7 to desig- nate Brazoria County as its agent in filing a protest against the state comp- troller’s 2022 property value study. Property values in the school district must be assessed as close to market value as possible, or the state could assign its own values for determining funding rather than using local values. The values were assessed at 90.03% of market values, which is under the target range of 95-100% while staying barely above the 10% threshold that would have caused the district to lose about $11.2 million in state funding, officials say.

The natatorium is currently being used by Pearland ISD’s aquatic sports programs.

50% of maintenance costs while getting “only 20% of the facility.” PISD uses the facility to host aquatic sports events. According to plans for the new agreement, the district could pay an annual “all-in fee” of $450,000 for the remaining 10 years of the interlocal agreement with the city instead of footing the bill for half of maintenance costs. Alternatively, the district could buy out of the agreement by paying the city half of the natatorium’s major repairs, or $3.5 million, up front. Buying out of the agreement would forgo district privileges for use of the space.

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2023

CITY & COUNTY

News from Pearland & Friendswood

Pearland City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. April 24 for a regular meeting at 3519 Liberty Drive, Pearland. Meetings can be streamed on the city’s official YouTube page. MEETINGS WE COVER Friendswood City Council will meet at 6 p.m. May 1 at 910 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood. Meeting recordings are posted to the city’s YouTube channel. PEARLAND City Council on March 27 unanimously approved a sanitary sewer rehabilitation contract in the Old Town Site and Barry Rose area for a $2.88 million bid from Texas Pride Utilities. The construction contract includes over 20,000 linear feet of sewer rehabilitation in existing sanitary sewer pipes that caused inflow and infiltration issues, Deputy City Manager Trent Epperson said. Inflow refers to stormwater that quickly flows into sewers through roof drain downspouts, while infiltration refers to groundwater that seeps into sewer pipes through holes and faulty connections. Some of the main reasons for the rehabilitation are to reduce inflow and infiltration while reducing the size of the plant needed to handle normal wet weather conditions, Epperson said. The project to replace the failing infrastructure also includes the rehabilitation of existing maintenance hole rings, cones, covers, lining and service reconnections. Construction is proposed to begin in May and be completed by February, according to the agenda. NUMBER TO KNOW is the total cost for the Friendswood Regional Stormwater Detention Basin. The Harris County Flood Control District will contribute $13.5 million, $8 million will come from the city of Friendswood, $7.5 million will come from Galveston County, and $3.5 million from the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District. $32.5M MEETING HIGHLIGHTS PEARLAND By its April 24 meeting, City Council anticipates having the city manager search narrowed down to an unspecified number of finalists, Mayor Kevin Cole said. Pearland City Council held a special meeting before its regular March 27 meeting where its consultant provided an update on the ongoing city manager search after applications closed March 19. The council narrowed the pool of 42 candidates down to semifinalists, according to Cole, who did not specify the number of semifinalist candidates. Deputy City Manager Trent Epperson previously said he applied for the open role.

New Pearland surface water plant expected to be completed by fall

PROJECTED RATE HIKES The city is projecting future increases in utility rates to pay for its major water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

+19%

15% 10% 5% 20% 0%

+16%

+15%

+13%

+9%

BY DANIEL WEEKS

PEARLAND A new surface water treatment plant that will provide independence from the city of Houston for sourcing clean drinking water is expected to reach “substantial completion” in August. City staff presented Pearland City Council with the city’s capital improvement plan going into the fiscal year 2023-24 budget planning process. Each year, the city also puts together a five-year capital improvement program that details many of the city’s major developments in the design and construction phases. According to the March 20 presentation, the $175 million water treatment plant is expected to undergo final commissioning in October. In May, the city will have submitted all necessary paperwork and will then await state approval before distributing water. Pearland Director of Communications Joshua Lee previously told Community Impact the plant, which

FY 2024-25

FY 2026-27

FY 2022-23*

SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLAND/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

*REFLECTS CURRENT UTILITY RATES

has been in the works for over 20 years, will be able to process about 10 million gallons of raw water per day. The new plant is one of the city’s several large-scale water improvement projects, including the expansion of the Barry Rose wastewater facility, among others. City officials project the slew of major water and wastewater projects will cause future hikes in utility rates. Rate increases depend on meter size and help the city pay for the new infrastructure, according to officials. Lee previously said the 2022-23 water rate increase is primarily to help pay for the new plant.

Harris County provides update on detention basin in Friendswood

Pearland City Council presents strategic budgetary priorities

BY RENEE FARMER

BY RACHEL LELAND

FRIENDSWOOD The Harris County Flood Control District laid out a timeline and process for constructing a new stormwater detention basin in the city. The district held a public meeting March 28 to gather feedback on the Friendswood Regional Stormwater Detention Basin project. The district began the prelimi- nary engineering phase involving a detailed evaluation of the site, developing three alternative basin design concepts and recommending one in its preliminary engineering report. The report will detail the downstream benefit of the project. This stage began in December and is anticipated to be complete this fall. The district will also host another community engagement meeting by the end of 2023 to share the recommended design. Design and construction bids will follow. The project, located in the Clear Creek watershed, sits on a 105-acre tract owned by Harris County and the district. It was identified from

PEARLAND On March 27, City Council set new priorities to create greater transparency, allow businesses to thrive and enhance Pearland’s quality of life. Council voted 7-0 to affirm the priorities, including building a trusted government, strong econ- omy, safe community, sustainable infrastructure, resilient finances and a whole community. For each priority, council chose milestones, including building a foundation for water, transportation and flooding infrastructure and drawing business investments. The decision follows council’s attendance of a Feb. 18 strategic visioning retreat that discussed the priorities. City staff plans to create mea- surable tasks for each milestone to ensure progress. “When we do our budget, if our budgeted item does not tag back to one of these items, we question whether or not it’s needed,” Cole said.

CLEAR CREEK

the Lower Clear Creek and Dickin- son Bayou Watershed Study. The district aims to reduce the impact of flooding in the Lower Clear Creek watershed by constructing this stormwater retention basin, which will serve as a first step by providing mitigation for future flood reduction projects. Stormwater detention basins pro- vide temporary storage for runoff of floodwaters, district Department Manager Jonathan St. Romain said. The basin will provide 1,000-1,700 acre-feet in storage. One acre-foot holds 325,851 gallons. “If we’re improving flooding in this area, we’re not just flooding another area,” St. Romain said.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

2023

LOCAL VOTER GUIDE GUIDE Candidates and information for local elections LOCAL VOTER GUIDE

COMPILED BY JAKE MAGEE & DANIEL WEEKS

DATES TO KNOW

WHERE TO VOTE

Voting locations in Brazoria and Galveston counties can be found on each respective county’s website. Ballots in the city of Pearland will also include a proposed bond with four dierent propositions for drainage, streets and sidewalks, parks, and public safety. SOURCES: BRAZORIA COUNTY, GALVESTON COUNTY, CITY OF PEARLAND, CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD, PEARLAND ISD, ALVIN ISD, TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATECOMMUNITY IMPACT

May 6 Election day May 6 Last day to receive ballot by mail (or May 8 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election)

April 24 First day of early voting April 25 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) May 2 Last day of early voting

SAMPLE BALLOT

VOTER TURNOUT Galveston County

*Incumbent

Brazoria County

PEARLAND CITY COUNCIL Position 3 Alex Kamkar* Jai Daggett Position 7 Antonio Johnson Rushi Patel FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL Position 5 Joseph Matranga Adam Hill

ALVIN ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES Position 6 Craig Kettler Earl Humbird* PEARLAND ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES Position 2 Kristofer Schoeer* Steve Bumgardner

Turnout

Registered voters

Turnout

Registered voters

May 2022

23,008

229,389

18,080

228,226

May 2021

May 2021 City Council**

4,723

210,663

4,308

221,732

November 2020*

May 2021 Pearland ISD**

3,540

221,732

153,843 May 2019 11,065 May 2018

228,482

November 2020*

155,626

212,602

210,663

**LOCAL VOTERS MAY HAVE VOTED IN BOTH MAY 2021 ELECTIONS. NOT ALL BRAZORIA COUNTY VOTERS CAN PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.

9,922

207,560

Only candidates in contested elections are included.

*MAY 2020 ELECTION POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER DUE TO COVID19

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2023

CANDIDATE INFO

Get to know the candidates running in the election

COMPILED BY RENEE FARMER, SAAB SAHI & DANIEL WEEKS

2023 LOCAL VOTER GUIDE

Pearland City Council Position 3

Pearland City Council Position 7

Friendswood City Council Position 5

Clear Creek ISD board Position 2

Incumbent

ALEX KAMKAR Occupation: real estate Relevant experience: real estate manager, rst-term incumbent 346-367-2914 www.alexkamkar.com

ANTONIO JOHNSON Occupation: health care executive Relevant experience: Pearland Economic Development Corpo- ration Board, Pearland Prosperity Strategic Plan Implementation Committee 832-736-7703 www.antonioforpearland.com

JAI DAGGETT

RUSHI PATEL

JOE MATRANGA

JAMIESON MACKAY

Occupation: custom home builder Relevant experience: business owner, experience in city and county committees 281-850-6759 www.voteadamhill.com ADAM HILL

GLENCORA RODGERS

Occupation: business owner Relevant experience: Pearland Compre- hensive Planning and Action Commit- tee member, Keep Pearland Beautiful Board member 713-444-7932 www.jaidaggett.org

Occupation: hospitality executive Relevant experience: certied public accountant, chief nancial ocer

Occupation: educator, mom Relevant experience: master’s in educa-

Occupation: retired Relevant experience: senior executive, Planning & Zoning Commission chair, volunteer 281-996-1752 www.joematranga.com

Occupation: credit union executive Relevant experience: PTAs, various com- mittees, Clear Creek Education Founda- tion, Communities in Schools 832-788-3935 www.jamiesonmackay.org

tional administration, worked in education at multiple levels, PTA president, volunteer www.glencorarodgers4ccisd.com

www.patelforpearland.com

Pearland ISD board Position 2

Alvin ISD board Position 6

Clear Creek ISD board Position 3

Only candidates in contested elections are included. Go to county election websites for information on uncontested races. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

STEPHEN BUMGARDNER

KRISTOFER SCHOEFFLER

EARL HUMBIRD

CRAIG KETTLER

ARTURO SANCHEZ

PETER LAUZON

Occupation: nancial advisor Relevant experience: business owner, com- munity advocate 919-680-6767

Occupation: veterinar- ian, entrepreneur Relevant experience: Pearland Chamber of Commerce chairman, Northern Brazoria County Education Alliance Board 832-409-3248 www.electkris.com

Occupation: educator Relevant experience: teacher, Career and Technical Education

Occupation: retired Relevant experience: plant operator, incumbent

Occupation: director at Johnson Space Center Relevant experience: strategic partner in education and non- prots, CCISD board member since May 2017, various boards and committees 832-370-6850 www.electarturosanchez.com

Occupation: chemical engineer

Relevant experience: two children who at- tended CCISD schools, board experience, business background 979-320-9868 www.facebook.com/lauzon4ccisd

coordinator 281-217-7183

SHADOW CREEK 11023 Shadow Creek Pkwy (281) 977-1027

PEARLAND 10555 Pearland Pkwy (713) 987-9205

ALMEDA 11130 Gulf Fwy (713) 910-3941

FRIENDSWOOD 3126 FM 528 (281) 648-5473

Parents know their child’s education is more than just one high- stakes test on one day. Let’s prepare our students for the future, expand public school accountability, and Measure What Matters.

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

PEOPLE R’Bonney Gabriel Houston native wins Miss Universe 2022

BY SIERRA ROZEN

Houston native R’Bonney Gabriel is the reigning Miss Universe 2022 after winning on Jan. 14, 2023. She made history when she became the rst Filipina American to win Miss Texas USA in July 2022. Gabriel grew up in Missouri City in her middle and high school years and later attended Elkins High School in Fort Bend ISD. She has collected numerous titles since she began competing in pageants in 2020. During her recent homecoming tour March 18, Gabriel sat down with Community Impact to discuss her road to Miss Universe and what she plans to do with her title. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Houston native R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe 2022 on Jan. 14, 2023.

COURTESY QUY NGO

THE ROAD TO MISS UNIVERSE

MISS UNIVERSE HASN’T BEEN WON BY MISS USA IN A DECADE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO WIN THAT TITLE? For me, it was about time Miss USA won Miss Universe. It has been 10 years, so I think it’s a really momen- tous time to win after a decade. It’s not only a win for USA and our country, but my community, the Asian Amer- ican community, Filipino American community, as well as my state and my hometown, Houston. When I won, it wasn’t just me; it was all my trainers and the people that have supported me and the places I’ve grown up. WHAT DOES TRAINING LOOK LIKE FOR THESE KIND OF MAJOR HIGHSTAKES PAGEANTS? I trained every day for the last two and a half years, and it’s like a sport. It’s very demanding. It’s really intense, and it takes a lot of discipline if you want to go far—or for me, that was my formula. It was a lot of watching the news and just being up to date on current events. You need to speak about that to understand how you can make a dierence in your community and understand what’s going on. I’m a

designer, so I would be designing my pieces. I would always make outts for the competition, and that took a long time. Outt planning, hair lessons, makeup lessons. It all didn’t sound like a lot when I rst started, and then I realized the dedication it really took and the team behind me and coaches that have really helped me get here. MISSOURI CITY IS A SMALLER TOWN. HOW DID THAT AFFECT YOU GROWING UP? Missouri City is a suburb of Hous- ton, so I feel like even though I grew up in Missouri City, it was very diverse, like how Houston is diverse. We had somebody from every culture in our class, and everybody hung out with everybody. I think that’s a reection of Houston as well. We’re so diverse, and I think it really shaped me to be who I am. We have a lot of successful people from Houston, which is very inspiring. THE NIGHT OF MISS UNIVERSE, WHAT’S GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND BEFORE THEY ANNOUNCED YOU WON? It’s all happening so fast, right? Top three, and then one of the girls gets out. So then it’s top two, and I’m

promoting sustainability, expanding on my sewing workshops and working with underserved communities to teach them sewing skills, because when you plant those seeds of education, that’s really unique, and it fosters growth. MISS KEMAH 2020 Placed rst runner up MISS HOUSTON 2021 Placed rst runner up MISS TEXAS USA 2021 Placed rst runner up MISS TEXAS USA 2022 Won MISS USA 2022 Won MISS UNIVERSE 2022 Won SOURCE: R’BONNEY GABRIELCOMMUNITY IMPACT Unlike some contestants, R’Bonney Gabriel only started competing in pageants during the last few years, starting in 2020 after a hairstylist on a photo shoot was convinced she would be great at them.

Gabriel grew up in Missouri City.

SIERRA ROZENCOMMUNITY IMPACT

thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I really made it here.’ I was so thankful to even just be in top ve. It was the most euphoric feeling before they even called my name. I was so happy on stage, and then when they actually called my name, it was just complete shock. I feel like I blacked out. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR AS MISS UNIVERSE? We’re focused on women empow- erment, but I’ve always known that I want to use my passion for fashion design and how I’ve been sewing for years and use that for the greater good in this world. That looks like

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2023

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