VOL 8 No. 41
email: editor@ independent.com
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Army Sergeant surprises daughters at school
Caitlyn, David and Camryn Blalock. What some thought would be a typical Friday morning at Baines Middle School turned into a morning of elation as U.S. Army Sergeant David Blalock surprised his daughters, Caitlyn and Camryn, with his return home from Afghanistan. The girls, in grades 6 and 7, had no idea their dad had returned home after a year-long deployment. Sergeant Blalock contacted Principal Jennifer Roberts to share his plan for reuniting with his daughters. He wanted to surprise them but needed help in working out the details. Roberts thought it was a great idea. She and Blalock solicited the help of the girls’ mother, Jennifer Snyder, and Broadcast teacher Angie Roberts in devising the perfect plan to reunite the girls with their father. “It was my honor and the least I could do for his service to our country,” said Roberts. “When Sergeant Blalock called, I told him I was all in. However he wanted to do it, we would make it work.” Together, Roberts and her staff devised a plan to have Sergeant Blalock sneak into the school and deliver morning announcements while the girls watched from the school’s library. The morning of the reunion, Roberts and her “secret agents”
put the plan into motion. Only a few key people were aware of what was happening. As the first bell sounded and the hallways were cleared, Sergeant Blalock stood in position outside the broadcast studio where he knew his daughter Caitlyn would be. As he waited outside one door, Caitlyn was escorted out the other, just a few feet from her father. Broadcast teacher, Angie Roberts, quickly led Caitlyn to the library for a “special assignment.” Once there, Caitlyn joined her sister, Camryn, who was sitting with her sixth-grade orchestra class in front of a projection screen. To buy time while the Blalock girls were led to their designated areas, Principal Roberts made announcements on the PA system, one of which was a reminder of early dismissal. “Just remember that even though you’re here for only half a day, there’s still classroom work to do,” she said. “And I don’t know what some of you were thinking with your choice of clothing. The dress code still applies on half days.” Following Principal Robert’s announcements, the school’s Stampede Studios production team host introduced the special guest who would lead the Pledge See DAD, Page 3
Newspaper sues sheriff for information By SESHADRI KUMAR Hartman Publications, publishers of the Fort Bend Herald in Rosenberg, have filed a writ petition against Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls demanding that the sheriff disclose the name of the person who filed a criminal complaint alleging bribery as stated by two trustees of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District at a board meeting on June 18. Following the statement by the trustees of the attempted bribery, the sheriff’s department initiated a criminal investigation, based on a complaint filed with the department. Managing Editor of the newspaper Scott Reese Willey filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act on July 31. Willey specifically wanted to know who filed the complaint which led the sheriff to begin the investigation. On Aug. 13, Assistant County Attorney Matthew L. Grove informed Willey that information sought cannot be disclosed as it
is “exempt” from disclosure under the law. The newspaper argued that the name of the complainant can be withheld only under certain circumstances where the complainant is a victim of sexual assault or an informer. The country’s claim of exemption is untenable because it dealt with an arrested person, an arrest or a crime, the newspaper’s attorney Richard Tate argued in the petition. The allegations of bribery were raised in a public meeting. The sheriff is disregarding his public duty, the newspaper said. Both under case law and prior opinion of the Texas Attorney general, certain basic information regarding the commission of a crime is available to the public. So the sheriff should be compelled to disclose the information, the newspaper maintained. On Sept. 16 Sheriff Nehls filed a general denial in response to the petition. Commissioners court is set to discuss the case in a closed session this week.
Sugar Land offers lucrative incentives for Schlumberger to move national headquarters By SESHADRI KUMAR Schlumberger has announced plans to consolidate the company’s U.S. headquarters to the City of Sugar Land as part of its long-term resource management and consolidation strategy. As part of this headquartersconsolidation project, the Fortune Global 500 company will reposition more than 500 jobs to its Sugar Land campus. The company will also be investing more than $200 million in capital improvements at its existing 200-acre Sugar Land campus along US Highway 90A to accommodate the move. “As our second largest employer and consistently one of our top property tax and sales tax payers, Schlumberger has been an extremely important part of the City of Sugar Land’s economy for over a half century,
Early voting begins Monday Anywhere!
Early voting begins across Texas on Monday, Oct. 19, including 17 locations within Fort Bend County. Early Voting sites are scattered throughout the county and are near to the major commuter routes used by Fort Bend County residents. Eligible voters of Fort Bend County may vote at any of the 17 early voting sites, and, unlike absentee voting by mail, no reason need be given for voting early. Fort Bend County Elections Administrator, John Oldham emphasizes the advantages of casting an early ballot. “By voting early, you can vote at any time most convenient, including Saturday and Sunday.” Early voting will end at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, but each of the 17 sites will re-open for voting on Election Day. On Nov. 3, Fort Bend County will be implementing a countywide polling place program which will allow voters to cast a ballot at any of 78 polling places throughout the county. Photo Identification is required in order to vote early or on Election Day. Fort Bend County voters will have bond propositions on the ballot. 1. Proposition 1 includes funding for parks and community center facilities in the amount of $9,900,000. 2. Proposition 2 includes the issuance of $6,000,000 in bonds for buildings, parking and other improvements at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds. 3. Proposition 3 includes $19,800,000 for county library facilities. 4. Proposition 4 provides $62,900,000 in funding for the construction, acquisition of, and improvements to county facilities. Commissioners Court unanimously voted to bring a $98.6 million Facilities Bond to the voters of Fort Bend County. County Judge Bob Hebert said, “Commissioners Court has worked diligently to pare its original wish list down to those facilities necessary to meet the needs of our rapidly increasing population. Approval of these four propositions will allow the court to move forward without an increase in the county’s ad valorem tax rate.”
and we are very proud that they have chosen Sugar Land as the location for their consolidated headquarters facilities,” said Mayor James Thompson. “We know that Sugar Land provides world-class amenities for its businesses and citizens, and we look forward to serving the company’s employees and the thousands of visitors that will travel to their new facilities in Sugar Land for business.” A multi-faceted incentive package was created by the City’s Office of Economic Development in partnership with the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council and was approved by both the Sugar Land City Council and the Sugar Land Development Corporation to secure the retention and expansion of the company in Sugar Land. The company decided to centralize its national headquarters in Sugar Land after a comprehensive evaluation of other opportunities with their national site selection and incentive advisor, Duff & Phelps. Fort Bend County is expected to approve their portion of the incentive package later this month. The incentive package includes a direct incentive from the Sugar Land Development Corporation (SLDC), a tax abatement from the City of Sugar Land in the amount of 100%
Deal shifts burden to residents. See Page 4 per year over 10 years on the associated new real improvements and personal property, and the completion of the widening of Industrial Boulevard by the City and Fort Bend County. The proposed direct incentive will be paid over 10 years, with each payment upon the completion of performance obligations for new improvements and job creation. Based on the Sugar Land Development Corporation’s Incentive Policy and the Company’s impact to the community, the Company qualifies for a direct incentive of $2,500,000 to be paid per a schedule of 10 annual payments as each performance obligation is successfully achieved. Additionally, a one-time construction-related sales tax reimbursement grant in an amount not to exceed $750,000 will be paid upon project completion, depending upon the amount generated by the project. The tax revenue impact of the abatement is reflected in the following one-year tax impact snapshot based on 2015tax rates and a conservative estimate of 70% of the capital improvements value. The value is estimated at $168 million and the annual tax
abated will be $530,796 a year and $5.30 million in 10 years. “Schlumberger has been a valued member of the Fort Bend County community for years, and their decision to consolidate their national headquarters in Sugar Land assures that our relationship will last for many years to come,” said Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert. “It’s a great day for Fort Bend County!” Asked to explain specific benefits for the citizens from granting the incentives to Schlumberger, a city spokesman said: “In addition to helping strengthen the City’s secondlargest employer and provide security for the more-than 2,000 jobs already in Sugar Land, this project will provide a significant number of new jobs within the City and further our reputation as a premier location for corporate headquarters. “The City is not losing anything through the value-added tax abatement, as the development would not have occurred without the tax abatement – and the project will result in significant property tax value and revenue to the City after the abatement expires. “Further, the estimated total 10-year direct and indirect / induced benefits over the first ten years are over $4M, which exSee BENEFIT, Page 2
YARD OF THE MONTH. Quail Valley Garden Club, October Yard of the Month goes to Peter and Nancy Dawson of 3102 Robinson Rd. Pictured is Nancy and their family dog, Bloomer. The Dawson’s have a lush St. Augustine lawn with symmetrical landscaping, using shrubs like Loropetalum, Japonica, Dwarf Yaupon and the Variegated Pittosporum. They brought in height and color with the Crape Myrtles, Savannah Holly Tree, and Irises. Finally, everything is bordered by Liriopes. They received a Certificate of Appreciation and a lovely plant by Flowers by Adela. Please visit QuailValleyGardenClub.org.
State Bar’s disciplinary petition against District Attorney dismissed Disciplinary Petitions filed by the Texas State Bar against Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey and his Chief Narcotics Prosecutor, Mark Hanna, were dismissed by Judge Jonathan Bailey, 431st District Court, on Friday, Oct. 9. Judge Bailey, assigned by the Texas Supreme Court to preside over the petitions filed in the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, said in his order in both Healey and Hanna’s case, that their previously filed Motion to Dismiss the (State Bar’s) Petition “should be and is hereby Granted as to the cause(s) of action having no basis in law.” “This rarely granted motion, which disposed of both cases
at the earliest opportunity after the cases were filed, is in essence saying that neither Mark nor I violated the rule which the State Bar claimed we violated”, said Healey, who has been doing the job of District Attorney for Fort Bend County for nearly 23 years. The State Bar’s Petition was based on a complaint filed by Jacob Estrada, aided by his attorney, Michael Elliott. Healey questioned the motivations of Elliott, noting that “Elliott has supported candidates against me each election since I fired him in 2009. Having failed in these efforts, he became involved in the filing of each of six ethics complaints filed in rapid
succession against members of my office and myself. Each one of the complaints have been resolved in our favor, but at a cost of approximately $120,000 of taxpayer money. Elliott has wasted this money while pursuing his political vendetta. He further wasted taxpayer money by filing two civil suits against Mark and me. Each was dismissed by Federal Judge Nancy Atlas, not once but twice.” The lawsuits were successfully defended by an Assistant County Attorney. “I said from the beginning of these baseless attacks against my office that we would be vindicated, and we have” noted Healey.