Missouri City City Council authorized agreements Monday for the reconstruction of Independence Boulevard Segment 1 and Staffordshire Road, and for contracted veterinarian services for the city’s animal shelter. The city also authorized a tax abatement agreement with telecommunications company Comcast of Houston, which may bring 255 new job opportunities to the region. 1) Animal shelter updates City Council approved an agreement with Sree Venkateswara Pet Clinic to provide health services to the animals in the city’s shelter. “We’re contracting with a vet to visit the shelter on a regular basis—at least once a week,” said Public Works Director Shashi Kumar said. Staff is also in the midst of interviewing candidates for the animal shelter managerial position to begin in June, City Manager Anthony Snipes said. To pay for additional personnel and enhanced services, Kumar said total costs is expected to increase from $219,562 for fiscal year 2017-18 to $428,135 for fiscal year 2018-19. Measures such as budget transfers will be taken to cover expenditure, but long-term solutions require action by city council and will be determined as officials continue the budget planning process in the coming months, said Cory Stottlemyer, media relations specialist for Missouri City. “We’re continuing to promote adoptions and striving to keep euthanasia rates lower,” Kumar said. 2) Capital projects City Council approved a $7.05 million contract with Durwood Green Construction Company for the reconstruction of Independence Boulevard Segment 1 and Staffordshire Road. The project consists of reconstructing the existing Independence Boulevard, a two-lane concrete roadway, into a four-lane divided roadway and aligning it to meet the intersection at Staffordshire Road, which would be reconstructed from a two-lane asphalt roadway to a two-lane concrete roadway, according to meeting documents. Engineers estimate the project to take approximately 420 days to complete. Construction is anticipated to begin in June or July, Stottlemyer said. The project to reconstruct Independence Boulevard Segment 2 is set to bid in the fall, Kumar said. Fort Bend County will fund 50 percent of each project. Other capital improvement projects slated for bids in the coming months include the reconstruction of Waterfall Drive and extension of Knight Road. Economic development Council members voted in favor of a tax abatement agreement to allow Comcast of Houston to establish a service center in the Park 8Ninety commercial subdivision in Reinvestment Zone 16. The proposed project features at least 32,000 square feet in facility space and is anticipated to provide 255 new jobs with an average annual wage of $50,000, excluding benefits, according to city documents. It is also expected to exceed $10 million in total capital investment. The city will abate 50 percent of assessed value on real and personal property after investment for a period of 10 years, according to city documents. It does not affect tax revenue currently being collected by the city.