The Sugar Land City Council on Tuesday approved contracts, enacted an ordinance governing the use of the plaza at Smart Financial Centre, and approved a list of road construction projects to possibly be funded with county bond proceeds. Council members Amy Mitchell and Steve Porter were absent.
Rules set for Smart Financial Centre plaza rentals
The council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that sets rules and guidelines for the rental use of the plaza outside Smart Finance Centre. The approved ordinance sets rental fees at $100 per hour for free events open to the public, and $200 per hour for events that are private, or in which admission fees will be charged.
6 road projects make list for potential county funding
Council members unanimously approved a list of six road construction projects it will submit to Fort Bend County for possible inclusion among projects to be funded with bond proceeds if county voters approve a bond issue in November.
The six road projects that made the list include:
- Construction of Owens Road
- University Boulevard widening
- Williams Trace Boulevard improvements
- Adaptive traffic signal timing on Hwy. 90
- Reconstruction of Ransom Road
- Improvements to the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Reed Road
Meter reading contract approved
Council members approved a $410,000 contract with Olameter Corporation to provide water meter reading services to the city.
Council members were unhappy the company did not send a representative to answer questions from council members.
“If you’re going to be awarded a contract, you send a representative,” Mayor Joe Zimmerman said. “That’s a basic expectation.”
Zimmerman suggested pushing back the vote until a later date, but Director of Finance Jennifer Brown warned council members the city had already provided notification of its intention to not renew its current water meter reading contract, which ends in early June.
After Council Member Himesh Gandhi noted the contract under consideration includes a clause allowing the city to terminate it in the first 30 days, Council Member Harish Jajoo motioned to approve the contact, seconded by Gandhi.
The contract was approved 4-1, with Zimmerman voting against.
The one-year contract includes the water meters in New Territory and Greatwood, which will both be annexed in December.
Money approved for new City Hall A/V equipment
Council members unanimously approved the purchase of $366,909.21 worth of new audio/video equipment from Ford Audio-Video Systems for meeting rooms in Sugar Land City Hall, including city council chambers and the Cane meeting room.
The new equipment will replace the microphones, displays, recording gear and other electronic equipment that has begun to fail due to age.
“The equipment is aged out, and the system is fragile,” Assistant City Secretary Thomas Harris told council members during a discussion last week.
Ford will remove the old equipment and will install the new equipment, according to the terms of the contract. The installation process will take a total of 15 weeks, according to the contract.
The money to purchase the equipment will come from user fees paid by cable TV customers.
