VOL 10 No. 26
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2017
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
Stavinoha Bridge on Grand Parkway needs quick repair
Ring in the Fourth with patriotic concert
Jodie Stavinoha Birdge on the Grand Parkway over Brazos River between Riverpark and New Territory By SESHADRI KUMAR The Brazos River has eroded the north abutment of the Jodie Stavinoha Bridge on the Grand Parkway between Riverpark and New Territory. The erosion has been on the front burner with the Authority for the last 8 months or so. The Fort Bend Grand Parkway Toll Road Authority had Freese & Nichols perform an extensive Preliminary Engineering Study last year which was completed late in the fall of 2016 on what was occurring and how best to protect the Jodie Stavinoha Bridge. Mike Stone, Chief Operations Officer for FBGPTRA last week made a presentation to the Toll Road Authority on the erosion repair project. The solution from the study was to construct a “Tangent Wall” made up of large, heavily reinforced, concrete drill shafts, Stone told the TRA. The total estimated cost of the proposed repair project is
$17.2 million. Fort Bend County Levee Improvment District 7 also hired Freese & Nichols and requested that the Authority’s project be modified and extended to provide some protection to the nearest segments of the LID 7 levee. The Authority and LID 7 came to an agreement and the project being undertaken accomplishes the Authority’s need and is the first step of a much larger project LID 7 will undertake at a later date. LID 7 has been given a presentation concerning this project by Freese & Nichols at their most recent meeting. There is a limit of LID 7’s financial participation (approx.. $3.5 million), Stone said. “The rate of erosion has increased recently and the need to begin work has become urgent,” he said. Approximately 3’ of erosion is occurring per week during the last few weeks. In 3‐5 months the River will be
undermining the northern abutment at the current rate. Work will take approximately 8 months. The first 90 days will be spent constructing the walls on either side of the bridge. The second phase is excavating in front of the abutment and installing a temporary sheet pile wall and then constructing the portion of the tangent wall beneath the bridge. This phase will take a minimum of 4 months to construct. Due to the need to access two separate work sites, east and west of the bridge, one lane in both directions on SH-99 will have to be closed to safely have trucks and equipment enter and exit the work site. This closure will be in place for the duration of the project, Stone said. The Authority and LID 7 are both looking at all possible sources for any potential reimbursement for the repairs. The TRA is expected to award the contract for the project in the next 30 days.
YARD OF THE MONTH. Quail Valley Garden Club’s June Yard of the Month winner is Martha Heathcott at 3410 Kiamesha. Martha is a master of using texture and color in garden design. She uses a variety of roses, agapanthus, hydrangeas, caladiums, impatients, vincas, ferns, african iris and crape myrtles. A must see for gardening ideas! Martha Heathcott received a Certificate of Appreciation and a beautiful plant from Flowers by Adela. Visit www.quailvalleygardenclub.com .
Standing L-R: Stacey Tharalson, Patricia Kelley, Andrea Cope; Seated: Katherine Leskin. Photo credit: Susan Lynch Celebrate America’s birthday Sousa’s Stars and Stripes For- Hamilton, Wizard of Oz, Carwith an evening of fireworks ever and Liberty Bell March, as men, plus a salute to Cole Porter well as toe-tapping polkas and and Strike Up the Band. and patriotic music! Dominique Røyem, FBSO’s Bring the family to enjoy marches such as The Florentiner the Fort Bend Symphony’s In- March and The Boston Pops music director, will perform the lead role in Leroy Anderdependence Day performance, March. Independence Day wouldn’t son’s The Typewriter, a novelty part of the City of Stafford July 4th celebration at the Stafford be complete without The Na- instrumental piece that’s been tional Anthem, Armed Forces called one of “the wittiest and Centre. most clever pieces in the orchesThe Symphony concert pre- Salute, and the 1812 Overture. The audience will also enjoy tral repertoire.” cedes the fireworks show, which The concert is a Fort Bend selections from Broadway and begins at 9 p.m. The performance of patriotic American film scores, includ- County holiday tradition, and it favorites includes John Phillip ing selections for orchestra from is free of charge.
Missouri City adopts $48 million budget By BARBARA FULENWIDER The fiscal year 2018 budget for Missouri City was approved by council on June 19. The lower property tax rate is expected to raise more dollars than it did for last year’s budget by $1,773,544 or 5 percent. The county’s central appraisal district (CAD) does not release property values until July and sometimes August so it’s difficult for Missouri City to determine exactly how much revenue will be collected next January when property taxes are due. The increase in the city’s tax roll is estimated to be 12.6 percent. The city’s residential fouryear growth by tax year is 76.5 percent in 2012, 75.8 percent in 2013, 73.9 percent in 2014 and 74.2 percent in 2015 and 76.2 in 2016. The four year growth in commercial was 23.5 percent in 2012, 24.2 percent in 2013, 26.1 percent in 2014, 25.8 percent in
KIDPENDENCE DAY
Join Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty as you sign and proclaim your own Declaration of Kidpendence at Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center, Tuesday, July 4, beginning at 10 a.m. Don’t forget to wear your red,
white, and blue to pay tribute to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty Meet-and-Greet: Snap a pic with America’s beloved icons. Bring a camera. 1 to 4
p.m. (Various locations) Declaration of Kidpendence: Channel our forefathers and sign our Kidpendence Day declaration. Event Time: All Day at Junktion. Sparkle Wand: Design a sparkler to celebrate America’s birthday and show off your American pride. All Day at
Junktion. ON-GOING “SCI-FI SUMMER” ACTIVITIES: •The Dark Side: Channel Japan’s Nōtan art in a light and dark project at OcuSOFT® Art Academy. •Snowed In: See snow created right before your eyes, even in summer time at Science Station.
2015 and 23.8 percent in 2016. The proposed total tax rate, which combines operations and maintenance (O&M) and debt, was $0.5447 in 2016, $0.56010 in 2017 and is $0.5280 for 2018 -- a $0.03205 drop per $100 valuation. The debt service tax of $0.13740 decreased by $0.00104 for 2018. It will fund $9.33 million and leave a deficit of $1.38 million after expenditures of $10.71 million. The fund starts with a beginning balance of $5.1 million and ends the budget year with $3.7 million. Missouri City’s general obligation bonds total $5.7 million and debt interest totals $3.3 million. The general fund proposed for the FY 2018 budget is revenues of $47.35 million plus a beginning fund balance of $12.35 million. Total expenses are $47.34 million and fund balance will be
$11.55 million. General fund revenues not only come from property owners but also from sales and other taxes, franchise revenue, licenses and permits, fines/fees and forfeit, service charges, investment earnings, donations, etc. The 2018 budget includes a 1 percent lump sum raise for all full time employees, $15.7 million for general capital improvements and $30.9 million for utility construction. Personnel costs are 66.5 percent of general fund expenditures and operation costs and supplementals make up the rest. City Manager Anthony Snipes told council savings have been identified from the 2017 budget and will fund upcoming programs and projects. He noted significant achievements Missouri City made this past year and include a market compensation study that brings police and See BUDGET, Page 3
•Darth Vader and Storm Trooper Masks: Become the most infamous sci-fi villains at Junktion. •EX-TER-MI-NATE: Make a Dalek, the villainous droid from Doctor Who, at Junktion. ***Activities, events, and times subject to change. • HOURS: Tues. – Sat.: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.;
Sun: Noon – 6 p.m. •General Museum admission: $12 per person and $11 for seniors 65+ and for active duty military personnel. Children under one and Museum Members receive free admission. •For more information, visit www.childrensdiscoveryfb.org or call (832) 742-2800.