Annexation proceedings
City Council approved an ordinance to annex Greatwood and New Territory on its first reading Tuesday, with the date of effective annexation set for Dec. 12, 2017.
Sugar Land will being providing the communities with city services on the first day of effective annexation, which staff said would require expanding services beforehand. Sugar Land Finance Director Jennifer Brown said at a pair of annexation budget workshops on Oct. 13 and 24 that expanding city services would mean an additional $5.4 million for the general fund for operating expenses and nearly $4.2 million more in fiscal year 2018-19 to operate utility systems.
Brown said the funds would come from Sugar Land’s debt reduction fund and would not require the city to raise additional revenue for annexation purposes.
“I just want to tell you and everybody that enormous planning has gone into this exercise,” Council Member Harish Jajoo said. “[I] appreciate it very much.”
Animal shelter expansion
After gathering the council’s feedback from a workshop in June, Assistant City Manager Jessie Li gave a presentation on options for expanding the city’s overcrowded animal shelter. Li said six city-owned sites were being considered for building a new 17,000-square-foot shelter, compared to the existing 4,300-square-foot facility.
City staff’s top pick is the site next to the Sugar Land Police Department and municipal court buildings.
“This site provides high visibility, easy public access and room for [potential] expansion,” Li said.
Next, Li said council would need to approve a design contract for the new shelter. Council Member Amy Mitchell said she was concerned about safety for animals who may run away from the shelter at the recommended site.
“That’s my only real concern is the traffic element of it,” Mitchell said.
International film festival in Sugar Land
Lindsay Davis, Sugar Land cultural arts manager, proposed the idea of a new Italian film festival for the city in 2017 called Umbria in Sugar Land. The event would be held in partnership with the Region of Umbria—in central Italy—and the International Film Festival of Spello.
Sugar Land resident Tiziana Triolo pitched the idea to Davis, who said the Sugar Land festival could screen Italian-language films, as well as Italy-centric English-language films over multiple days as well as offer lectures. Davis said the maximum cost of the festival for Sugar Land would be $40,000, which could come from hotel occupancy tax revenue.
“I have always been interested in having a film festival [in Sugar Land],” Council Member Bridget Yeung said.
