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VOL 11 No. 5
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
Sugar Land Heritage Museum is Missouri City hosts impressive now open at the Sugar mill site Black History Month celebration
Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman, councilmembers, and members of Sugar Land Heritage Foundation held a Ribbon cutting and confetti launch on Jan. 27 marking the grand opening of the new museum and visitor center. The center, slated to become the city’s official location for “All Things Sugar Land,” will colorfully document Sugar Land’s rich history and highlight the region’s tourism attractions. See Page 2.
TxDOT grants $600,000 for BrazoriaFort Bend freight rail study By SESHADRI KUMAR The Texas Transportation Commission last week approved a $600,000 federal grant to the Brazoria Fort Bend Rural Rail District to study the economics of a new 65 mile rail line connecting the Port of Freeport with a proposed railway logistics facility near Rosenberg. The Brazoria-Fort Bend Rural Rail District was formed in January 2015. The same year, Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, and Port Freeport funded a SH 36A Rail Development Corridor, Business Plan: Feasibility Study. That study forecast waterborne freight entering the Port of Freeport would increase from 1.1 million containers in 2014 to 3.2 million in 2035. The study also identified the need for additional inland rail and highway infrastructure to efficiently handle the projected increase in traffic. The Texas Department of Transportation has recognized the need for expansion of Texas State Highway 36 and 36A Corridor and has begun a $2 million Preliminary Engineering Study of the Corridor. The BFBRD is charged with providing an adequate freight movement system (rail and/or rail alternative)
The grand opening of the state-of-the-art Visitors Center on Feb. 9 and the commemoration of the Fourth Annual Black History Month Celebration of Culture & Music on Feb. 10 will mark two milestones in Missouri City. The festivities will launch with City Council and staff showcasing the Visitors Center on Friday, Feb. 9 at a 5 p.m. grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Following the ceremony, City officials will kick-off the Fourth Annual Black History Month Celebration of Culture & Music with an Artists & Authors Exhibition at 6 p.m. in the
Community Center, 1522 Texas Pkwy. Then, on Saturday, Feb. 10 in the same facility, the formal event program will feature an inaugural panel on Education & the Economy with Dr. Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, President of the Missouri City Houston Community College Campus, Dr. Charles Dupre, Fort Bend ISD Superintendent and Dr. Robert Bostic, Stafford MSD Superintendent. Featuring performances by Theresa Grayson, Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws, and the Fort Bend Academy of Arts & Dance, the event will be held See HISTORY, Page 3
By SESHADRI KUMAR Responding to the flooding during Hurricane Harvey, especially 232 flooded homes in Sugar Land within the boundaries of Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 2, the LID board has decided to construct a third pump station. While the project may cost several million dollars, the LID has approached the First Colony Community Association for land to build the pump station and offered to pay $100,000 for the land. After acquiring the land, the district will authorize a project design at an estimated cost of $1 million. Meanwhile, Dave Presutti, a resident of Austin Meadow subdivision in Sugar Land, whose home will back up to the proposed pump station, after
analyzing the LID consultant’s report, has concluded that the proposed multi-million dollar pump station is not the right solution or not the only solution. His analysis suggests that the LID could have activated the pump earlier than it actually did and the delayed pumping of the water from Ditch A was mainly responsible for the flooding of homes. While the existing pump capacity was not fully utilized, what is the use of additional pumping capacity, Presutti asks. “I have reviewed the Drainage Analysis done by the engineering firm Freese and Nichols. I understand that this is the report that is driving the new Pump Station initiative that the Levee District says it needs,” Presutti says. See PUMP, Page 3
Post-Harvey: Multi-milion dollar pump proposed
Fort Bend County Pct. 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers speaks at the Texas Transportation Commission meeting in Austin on Jan. 25. between Freeport and the rail 4% comes through Savannah, hub in Rosenberg/Kendleton, Georgia. and potentially on to Caldwell, “That is not acceptable,” Texas. Meyers said. A deep-water Fort Bend County Com- port on the Texas Gulf Coast, missioner Andy Meyers, who Freeport, could capture 36% or is also the founding chairman more of the D/FW Asian Conof the 36A coalition and Sean tainer Market, a sharp increase Stockard, Chair/CEO Brazoria from the current 2%, he said. No Port on the U.S. Gulf County EDA and chair of the rail district, spoke at the Texas Coast is deep enough (50+ feet) Transportation Commission to accommodate the larger NeoPanamax Container Ships that meeting. Meyers told the commission now traverse the expanded Panthat currently only 2% of the ama Canal. The competitive balance Dallas/Fort Worth Asian container market comes through will change dramatically if a Texas ports, 71% comes South Texas port is capable of through Los Angeles/Long receiving ships in 55 feet of Beach, 7% comes through water and if Texas builds an efNew York/New Jersey, and See RAIL, Page 3