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VOL 6 No. 9
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Second Mile Mission moves to new facility in Missouri City
Second Mile Mission Center on Tuesday celebrated the grand opening of its new Missouri City facility at 1135 Highway 90A. Second Mile pioneers, elected officials and other community members gathered to officially dedicate the building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Board Chairman Jamey Webster led a special dedication for Second Mile’s health clinic, which has been renamed Pat McWaters Health Clinic. Pat McWaters volunteered in almost every area of Second Mile for more than 10
years, with a particular passion for the clinic. She passed away in April after fighting heroically against stage IV breast cancer. The decision to move was announced April 2012 and construction began in the summer. The facility opened for services Feb. 1. At 15,000 square-feet, the building is an expanded version of Second Mile’s previous facilities and includes a warehouse to store donated goods, a food pantry, clothing room, medical and dental clinic and counseling offices. Second
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
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Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
Mile will continue to serve Fort Bend County residents in need. “This is an incredible time for Second Mile as we open this new facility and continue to meet critical needs of our neighbors. At the same time, we are expanding our programs that go directly into the neediest neighborhoods to get to know and help our neighbors in need,” said Executive Director Sarah White. Second Mile has served Fort Bend County 23 years providing food, clothing, health care and other basic needs for individuals in crisis. “The Murphy Road location served Second Mile and the community very well,” said Board Chairman Jamey Webster. “As the years passed by, it was time to make serious renovations or look at options for a new facility. We looked at what Second Mile could afford to pay, and with a great deal of research and prayer, we were able to lease a new facility built from the ground up with our needs in mind.”
City feels heat over incendiary report BY BARBARA FULENWIDER Misinformation about Missouri City’s charging a fee for fire equipment used in rare circumstances has Mayor Allen Owen and city councilmen fired up. At the Feb. 4 council meeting, city council unanimously approved a fee schedule to help the city recover costs for such expensive work as a gasoline tanker fire or rescuing someone pinned in their vehicle after a crash. Since Feb. 4, Owen said, “There are all kinds of misinformation out there in the media about this issue. People are saying we are going to charge for police calls and everything else. “These fees are strictly for wrecks that involve fire engines called to the scene and used for unusual services. It’s similar to someone having to pay much more for emergency room services compared to going to a doctor’s office. In the ER you get special equipment, special staff, etc. “We are not the first city to do this -- more and more are doing it. They charge and have been,” Owen said. The city ordinance, which becomes effective on March 1, is the result of a staff presentation to council in September 2011 after multiple city fire trucks and emergency vehicles responded
to a major gasoline tanker fire in front of city hall. Because the city was unable to recuperate all of the emergency service costs it incurred, council began reviewing proactive ways to keep from being in the red for such again. The result was a fee schedule for fire and rescue services with the police department involved only if an accident requires the city’s dive team. It is made up of members from both the fire and police departments. No fee will be charged if a fire truck is called and after arriving at the scene it’s determined that it isn’t needed. Another mainstay of the program to recuperate costs for certain fire services is it won’t impact residents. City council mandated that citizens will never get a bill but their insurance company will. Paying for such emergency services is part of insurance policies but if the insurance company refuses to pay the city, Missouri City will not pursue the fee for services rendered. Also, if an individual at fault does not have insurance or a provider does not pay the city’s bill in full, the city will not pursue the matter, according to Owen. The insurance provider of any motorist at fault in an accident, vehicle fire or illegal burning
would be assessed the fees only if a claim is opened by a motorist or a company. If the insurance provider does not pay the fees, the individual will not be billed. Research from various insurance companies shows that insurance providers historically have not increased premiums based on the programs that charge fees for extraordinary services. Other Texas towns that have instituted a fee schedule for such include Bellaire, Channelview, Georgetown, San Angelo, Marshal, Bryan and College Station. City spokeswoman Stacy Walker said there are other towns in the state that charge fees for extraordinary emergency services, but “we used these towns because they compare in terms of how these cities have helped recoup these types of costs and also why it would be beneficial to homeowners and visitors to have such a program in place. With this in place, the onus won’t fall on the back of the taxpayer,” she said. Walker said there’s no estimate of how much the fees may bring in and anything anyone has read or heard regarding such would be “simply a guess. The overall impetus here is trying to be proactive in terms of cost recovery in the event we have another gas tanker fire.”
Sugar Land Bond Advisory Committee announced Sugar Land City Council appointed Jarvis Hollingsworth and Dr. Betty Baitland, both Sugar Land residents, to serve as co-chairs of a Citizen Bond Committee that will prioritize projects for a $50 million bond election in November. Hollingsworth and Baitland will lead an executive committee that will also include John Heineman, Terri Wang, Tim Stubenrouch, Michael Schiff, Mona Parikh, Rodney Vannerson, Mary Favre and Greg Stirman. Bond election projects being considered include: .parkland development along the Brazos River that could include kayak launches and other new active and passive amenities; .a network of hike and bike trails throughout the City that address recreational and mobility needs; .a festival site accommodating large-scale events like the City’s annual Fourth of July celebration and other cultural and entertainment events that benefit the local economy; and .a community sports park that could include a multi-use recreational facility and facilities for lacrosse, tennis, cricket and more. Baitland served as the superintendent of Fort Bend Independent School District from 2001 to 2006 and interim Stafford Municipal School District superintendent during 2011. She is the owner of Betty Baitland and Associates, Inc., a leadership consulting firm focusing on public education. She holds numerous leadership positions on community groups that include Achieve
Fort Bend County, Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse, Fort Bend Community Revitalization Projects, Child Advocates of Fort Bend and others. Hollingsworth is a partner in the law firm of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP and counsels boards of directors/trustees of public and private companies and government and educational entities on their duties, corporate governance and director liability matters. He was elected vice chair of the University of Houston (UH) System Board of Regents for fiscal year 2013. He has served as the board’s secretary, chair of the Finance and Administration Committee and as a member of the Executive and Compensation Committee. During his first two years on the board, Hollingsworth served as chair of the Endowment Management Committee. City Council also appointed members to sub-committees that will focus on the four quality-of-life projects, which include Brazos River Park, a community sports park, the festival grounds and hike/bike trails. Membership for these committees was chosen from online applications from citizens. Committee members are expected to meet every two to three weeks through May as they prioritize projects, consider phasing opportunities and evaluate funding. Final recommendations will be presented to City Council for consideration. Community input provided over years of public meetings, surveys and other forums has
shaped the proposed bond election and can be seen in the diversity of the offerings in each of the proposed projects - new parks, public spaces and recreational facilities that provide friends and neighbors opportunities to connect in new and unexpected ways.
Classic Chili Challenge The third Annual Classic Chili Challenge benefiting the Sugar Land Police Officer’s Association will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 11. “We are hoping to gain even more support from the community and exceed our record attendance and team entries from last year when we had 31 teams and 1500 people attend,” says Mark Kolon, General Sales Manage of Classic Chevrolet Sugar Land. “This year I am hoping for 50 teams and 2500 folks who want to taste some chili, raise some money and have a great family fun time,” Kolon says. This year Houston's own Archie Bell of Archie Bell and the Drells will perform live with his 1960's sound. Family entertainment will include Clowns, Face Painting, Bouncey House and games. We will also have a fire truck and the latest S.W.A.T vehicle from the Police Department. Cost to enter and taste as much chili as you want is only $2, a bargain in any economy! Sodas and Water will be for sale while Beer will be available for a donation. To register cooking team entries, contact Patty Werner at 281-969-4132.
Indian American Community of Greater Houston Day in State Capitol
A delegation of Indian Americans from the greater Houston area met with State Rep. Rick Miller, (R-Sugar Land) in Austin on Feb. 13. Gitesh Desai, left, Harish Narayanappa, Ramana Bomma Reddy, Sujeet Draksharam, Rick Miller, Karun Sreerama, Jagat Kamdar, Sanjay Ram and Jagdeep Ahluwalia. Texas House of Representatives on Feb. 13 considered House Resolution 371 moved by Rep. Mary Ann Perez and the house adopted the resolution recognizing Feb. 13, 2013, as Indo American Community of Greater Houston Day. On a motion of Rep. Rick Miller, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 371 as signers thereof. The delegation also met Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in his chamber. The Indo-American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston ( IAPAC) organized the trip to Austin to meet the Texas State elected representatives from the greater Houston area. This trip was coordinated by IAPAC president Sujeeth Draksharam and IAPAC Board Member Karun Sreerama. The delegation representing the Indo-Americans from Greater Houston area included board members from IAPAC, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, India Culture Center and Indo-American Charity Foundation.