Annexation details discussed

Sugar Land City Council members were updated Tuesday on preparations the city is making for the annexation of Greatwood and New Territory next year, including deciding how to redraw voting districts, handle garbage collection and communicate with new residents. With adding about 30,000 new residents through annexation, the city will need to redraw its voting map to keep districts evenly weighted by population, City Attorney Meredith Reide told the council. The tentative schedule is to begin discussions in May 2018, hold public hearings that fall and have the new districts made official in early 2019, she said. Dawn Steph, director of environmental and neighborhood services reviewed with council members the garbage collection contracts the three cities have in place with their respective waste management companies. Steph said New Territory’s contract runs until shortly before annexation, and staff is recommending the city extend it until the date of annexation, when Sugar Land’s provider will begin hauling their trash as well. Greatwood’s waste management contract runs through 2020, and staff plan to use money from a debt reduction fund to cover deficits incurred in paying that contract. In a report to the council, Communications Director Pat Pollicoff detailed the city’s plans for ensuring current and future residents understand how the annexation will affect them. The city plans to begin creating informational materials this winter, and will hold open house meetings about the annexation in the spring, Pollicoff said. Mailers will be sent to homes and social media will be used to communicate as well, she said.

Service contracts approved

The council approved a nearly $1 million construction contract with Allgood Construction to replace concrete and water lines as part of the Covington Woods-Ivymount Drainage Improvement Project. Work is slated to begin in January. The council also approved a $414,000 contract with Encore Lawn and Landscape to provide maintenance of the city’s rights of way. Both companies were the lowest bidders on their respective projects.

Public art plan approved

The council approved a plan to install a number of public art projects around the city. As part of the plan outlined by Cultural Arts Manager Lindsay Davis a permanent sculpture will be installed at the entrance of the Sugar Land Regional Airport, while a number of sculptures will be rotated in and out at space adjacent to the soon-to-open Smart Financial Centre. The plan also calls for pieces of art to be installed at the city’s festival site overlook and along hike-and-bike trails. The projects’ cost of $250,000 is to be funded from restricted revenue sources, such as the hotel occupancy tax. Himesh Gandhi was absent from the meeting.