Code enforcement, grant funding and collaboration with schools were on the agenda at Monday’s regular and special agenda Missouri City City Council meetings. See what council members and city staff discussed:
Code enforcement update
During a special agenda meeting, city staff gave the council an update on city code enforcement efforts, including select cases of homes with multiple code violations. Code Enforcement Supervisor Cynthia Smith-Rex said the city implemented 10 targeted neighborhood sweeps of code violations since July.
The council asked about cases of homes with multiple violations, and Mayor Allen Owen said homeowners associations should be more aggressive in enforcing deed restrictions on residents.
“[HOAs] could help us a whole lot with our code enforcement where we’re not the heavy-handed person in this deal where there is a deed restriction,” Owen said.
Community Development Block Grant applications received
Missouri City will have a draft of its annual action plan of 2017 Community Development Block Grant recipients on display for public review until May 1. The grant money is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the purpose of projects in low- to middle-income communities, but the program could potentially be cut in the fiscal 2017-18 federal budget.
“HUD has required that the city include a continuation provision language in its action plan just to state that—how it will delegate the actual funding that comes down,” Missouri City Grants Coordinator LaToya Ricketts said.
Missouri City expects to have $281,265 for the grants this year, and applicants included Child Advocates of Fort Bend, Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, a city scholarship program, ACHIEVE Fort Bend County, Rhythmic Attitudes Hopes, and Family Life and Community Resource Center. Quail Green West Homeowner Association Inc.’s application was deemed ineligible.
Resolutions with school board ratified
The council also ratified two joint resolutions crafted with Fort Bend ISD. The documents acknowledge shared legislative priorities between the two entities and ask the state to repeal the Texas Education Agency’s A-F school ratings system.