The Woodlands Township board Position 7 candidate Question & Answers
Laura Fillault
Homemaker [email protected] 832-340-4230
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
An inordinate amount of time and money has been spent by the current leadership of the township board on projects that do not benefit the heart of the community. The recent divisive road bond issue was openly supported by my opponent, while 86 percent of residents vigorously opposed this imposition on Woodlands Parkway and their quality of life. I will be a director who thinks of residents first and puts people above politics. We need to challenge overt moves by tree-cutting developers, special interest groups and county commissioners to change and commercialize the idyllic nature of The Woodlands. I will join other resident advocates in helping to form and manage a citizen-led style of government that will help to move us into an even brighter future for our special hometown.
What are some of the biggest challenges The Woodlands faces in the coming years?
There must be a stopping point at which we say, “No more new roads.” Continued clear-cutting for proposed widening of roads and for residential and commercial development destroys the natural beauty. If necessary, the township should consider legislation that will allow The Woodlands to have more planning and zoning control. Over-development, or developing too quickly, is another concern. How are our restaurants and other small businesses handling the increasing number of competitors in The Woodlands? What is the impact of a 22-story condominium on our already congested downtown area? This lends itself to the argument that The Woodlands seek more control over its planning and zoning authority.
What are some solutions the township could implement to help solve The Woodlands’ traffic issues?
The road to traffic improvement has been analyzed by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Department of Transportation. The South County Mobility Plan and other studies are readily available. We need to take a professional view beginning with existing studies and review them from a long-range perspective. We need our township board and county commissioners to focus on documented problems and solutions, not hodge-podge wish lists of commissioners making deals with developers and contractors. I will join in calling for an in-depth study that will provide this community with solid, professional, expert traffic analysis and engineering that one of the nation’s leading master-planned communities deserves. We hold public meetings to review details, costs, timetables and gain the consensus of the community.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
I am strongly in favor of incorporation for The Woodlands. Despite our lengthy time frame, incorporation of The Woodlands is eminent. It is vitally important The Woodlands begins taking responsible steps that will mitigate the associated cost of incorporation for the residents. Despite earlier “studies” that purport to make incorporation unaffordable, I side with the majority of residents that believe we can manage incorporation expenses while gaining control of our community’s future development. I’m interested in actively planning our future and taking necessary steps toward independence with the understanding that this process is a long one. It’s absolutely imperative we plan now and make all budget decisions with incorporation in mind.
Are you in favor of implementing bicycle and pedestrian lanes in The Woodlands? Why or why not?
The Woodlands hike and bike pathways are one of the cherished features of our community. Traffic in The Woodlands is already congested, and I am not in favor of taking a lane of traffic to create a bicycle lane. However, I agree that removing curbs along our roadways and adding shoulders will create safer passages for bicyclists on the roads as well as allowing our first responders a place to pull over if necessary. The township has commissioned a pedestrian/bicycle master plan. As director, I will work to keep our community abreast of the results and recommendations of this study and encourage our residents to tell us what they want and don’t want for pedestrian and bicycle enhanced trail ways as a result of the study.
Bruce Tough
Attorney, The Tough Law Firm [email protected] 936-321-2303
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
I have been involved in The Woodlands since its inception. My father, Coulson Tough, was hired by George Mitchell to develop and implement his long-term vision of the planned community called The Woodlands. I was able to have the opportunity to learn firsthand through my father and other visionaries that were hired to work with George Mitchell and create the perfect community. I worked on the first construction crew to build the [Woodlands] Resort and Conference Center, and I have attended every milestone event in The Woodlands since. I will continue to use my experience and skill to represent my fellow residents and maintain the superior quality of life we have come to expect.
What are some of the biggest challenges The Woodlands faces in the coming years?
Sustainability will be a big challenge because of the rapid growth and development that has made The Woodlands an economic engine. Three-quarters of the budget is derived from sales tax and hotel tax, which is from people who come outside The Woodlands. Once The Woodlands is built out the growth will not allow us to keep the tax rate at such a compressed level. It is paramount to continue planning for the future with reserves to pay off our debt and to maintain the exemplary services we have in The Woodlands through smart growth and redevelopment. Mobility will be a constant issue because of the rapid growth around The Woodlands, which is causing more traffic. We will need to find more transportation and mobility solutions and plan for the refurbishing of our roads.
What are some solutions the township could implement to help solve The Woodlands’ traffic issues?
Recently the board decided not to partner with Precincts 2 or 3 for intersection and road improvements and has withdrawn funding to participate in joint mobility solutions. The board will need to decide whether it wants to sit back and let the county provide all of the road intersections and mobility improvements or provide input in those areas. The WRUD has built all of the roads in The Woodlands, and they have done that at an accelerated rate, and then those roads were dedicated to the county. The WRUD also partnered with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to provide matching federal and state funds to maximize expenditures on road development. The Woodlands should adopt and study this plan because if we are incorporated, we inherit all the roads and the water and sewer obligations.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
Once all residential development is complete, only commercial development and redevelopment will remain. Our plan for incorporation must include the assumption that all the water and sewer services are provided by our Municipal Utility Districts and maintaining our roads serviced by the counties. The township must be strategic to accomplish our goals at the best time and at the lowest cost. We have maintained an enviable low tax rate for a community our size. The MUD rates will continue to stabilize and equalize throughout The Woodlands once the residential development is complete. I’m planning for our future. Specifically, I’ve proposed the creation of an incorporation fund to provide for maintaining and improving our roads and absorbing the cost of these additional services.
Are you in favor of implementing bicycle and pedestrian lanes in The Woodlands? Why or why not?
If you will notice on the pathways and bicycle lanes, we have a number of residents who are physically active. We need to plan for pedestrian and bike lanes. We need to do it in a safe and efficient manner, and not to interfere with traffic flow and not to have bike lanes on a more congested avenue. Right now, we have a consultant to generate recommendations for pedestrian and bike lanes that would minimize the impact of traffic but would maximize the access to amenities. We could put a path corridor in the open space reserves, which would be off our roadways allowing travel from the west side of The Woodlands to Town Center. I am in favor of bicycle and pedestrian lanes in The Woodlands.
