Missouri City, Texas—Tennis anyone? The recreational options available to residents will expand with the purchase of eight acres of land at the site of the former Quail Valley Tennis and Fitness Center.

At its Nov. 16 meeting, City Council approved authorizing the $1.076 million land purchase, located at 2701 Cypress Point, near the intersection with Cartwright Road. Acquisition and development will be partly financed through a $1 million matching grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The City is currently accepting statements of qualifications from interested firms to renovate or construct a new facility that will serve the entire community’s fitness, leisure and recreation needs.

The property, purchased from Reliance Trust Company, has been vacant since May, 2007. “We have just taken possession of the property, and a time frame for use of the tennis courts has not been finalized,” said City Manager Frank Simpson. “Staff will be inspecting the facility to determine when residents may be able to play on the tennis courts.”

A sign has been posted on the property informing residents of the new ownership. And, City officials say a company could be contracted to assess the property around the first of the year, with public input hearings to be held early next year to determine residents’ opinions and ideas for the recreation center.

Missouri City has earned a “very good” Community Rating System Score of 7 from the National Flood Insurance Program, placing residents in a strong position to secure lower flood insurance premiums.

Director of Public Works Scott Elmer emphasized the significance of this first-time rating, saying at the Nov. 16 City Council meeting, that “most communities receive an eight or a nine.”

Missouri City applied for participation in the federal flood management program in August and received its preliminary score based “on the City’s documentation of existing practices and on existing improvements that have been made since then,” Elmer said. NFIP, an arm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, rates U.S. cities on their efforts to implement preventive floodplain management measures and these standards are called the Community Rating System. The CRS program rates cities’ flood management practices through a 1 to 10 point system that rewards them for implementing organized and proactive measures (1 is the best score and 10 the worst).

For Missouri City residents who live in a floodplain, the “7″ rating means that the average homeowner of a $150,000 house with a $50,000 content coverage, could see an $86 a year insurance discount by the end of next year.

Elmer also stressed that residents living outside of the City’s floodplain should purchase flood insurance, too. Using a memorable Texas storm to illustrate the importance, he explained that “seventy percent of areas that flooded in Tropical Storm Allison were not in the floodplain.” With the City’s current CRS score, residents who live outside of the floodplain would have their insurance policies discounted by about 5 percent under current guidelines.

The next step in the annual process is for FEMA to officially admit Missouri City into the CRS program, which is expected to happen in April or May. After that, insurance companies will be notified of the City’s rating and residents should see a rollback in their rates toward the end of 2010. With additional improvements such as an updated flood ordinance, the City could be classified as a “6″ in the next year or two.

Also on the agenda for Elmer’s presentation were digital flood insurance rate maps. The City and Fort Bend County are updating the area’s floodplain maps to define flood zones more accurately by ensuring that they reflect the current physical landscape. The map modernization process began in August, 2004 and the visuals were recently released to City and County officials for review.

Results from the preliminary new maps created with “better data and new technology”, according to Elmer, show the total number of structures in the City’s floodplain down from 150 to 30. The reduction is attributable to such factors as the construction of a vast number of drainage projects and the creation of master watershed plans, Elmer said.

Next in the process, FEMA will schedule a formal coordination meeting with the City and other affected agencies in the area. Then, the maps will be officially released to the public for a 90-day comment period and valid inquires will be investigated and resolved before the maps go into effect. The process could take from 90 days to two years.

In the meantime, City officials encourage residents to view the new maps at: http://fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodplainmap/ and http://fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodmaptool/. For more information about Missouri City’s flood plain program, visit www.missouricitytx.gov

“It will be in the homeowners’ best interest to look at the new maps on the Fort Bend County website,” Elmer said, adding that “we’ll have a link from our websites for homeowners to tell if they are in or out of a floodplain by entering an address on the interactive map. We will notify residents when the 90-day comment period begins on the new maps and when the maps come out.”

1. Council approved the purchase of the Quail Valley Tennis and Fitness Center. Once the City takes possession, Council requested that staff provide information regarding what repairs need to be made and a time frame for getting some of the courts open.

2. The Mayor swore in the Mayor’s Youth Commission.

3. Director of Public Works, Scott Elmer, gave a short presentation on preliminary results from FEMA’s Community Rating System and new digital insurance rate maps. Under the new proposed flood plain maps, the City now only has 30 structures in flood plains, down from 150 on the old maps. Missouri City has a rating of 7 from FEMA, which means, once these new maps are accepted by FEMA, residents may possibly see some savings in their flood insurance rates. More information is available at the Fort Bend County Drainage District site: http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/getsitepage.asp?sitepage=3229.

4. Council approved the consent agenda which included meeting minutes, authorized an inter-local agreement with Fort Bend County for the housing of city prisoners, authorized a memorandum of understanding with the County and the City of Rosenberg relating to the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force and considered awarding a bid for pavement markings supply and installation.

5. Zoning changes and deviations were approved for the La Quinta Hotel which is planned to be built near Wal Mart, commercial strip center in front of Lowes and expansion of the Fort Bend County - Missouri City annex.

6. Council denied a rate request increase by Centerpoint; staff commented that even though Council denied the increase, it will really be decided by the State Railroad Commission.

7. Nominations and appointments for TIRZ3 board members were approved.

8. Council authorized staff to execute an engineering services agreement for sidewalks, drainage and intersection improvements on TXP at Buffalo Run.

9. The current ordinance that details non-golfing usage of La Quinta Course now includes the El Dorado Course, once it opens to the public.

10. Council voted to cast its 108 votes for the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District to Lee Dugan.

11. Staff has been authorized to submit a nomination to the TXDOT’s 2009 Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program for funding of a TXP and CW Road Beautification Project.

12. Council approved staff terminating an agreement for the construction of a biking and walking path along Oyster Creek (Cartwright to Dulles) because of costs. The planned 1.1 mile trail would now cost $3.2 million dollars due to federal regulations and the city would be responsible for 20%. These funds will be re-allocated to funding sidewalk repairs. This proposed trail will remain on the Trails Master Plan.

13. There was additional discussion regarding the new stripping on Mission Valley. It was shared that there have been 5 car-house collisions in this area, hence the additional stripping.

For those inquiring minds who are interested in the Court Case regarding the Quail Valley Golf Course, a resident who attended the hearing this week in County Court of Law #44 reported the following:

Below are the key timing issues that were agreed to by both parties and Judge Sandy Bielstein:

Thursday December 10, 2009 - 1:30 pm - A hearing in Court of Law #4 will be held on several motions by both parties

Wednesday December 23, 2009 - Deadline for all Discovery

Tuesday January 26, 2010 - Jury Trial begins - expected length - a couple weeks. THIS A FIRM DATE - the Judge said he will not consider any further continuances.

The City of Missouri City and the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (GFBEDC) announced today the sale of 6.2 acres in Trammell Crow Company’s new Lakeview Business Park where Lufkin Automation will construct a 40,000 sf company headquarters building. This new $4 million project will relocate an estimated 45 jobs to Missouri City when completed. The City of Missouri City and Fort Bend County Commissioners’ Court approved tax abatements for the project. Lufkin Automation currently is located on Beltway 8 in Houston. Dewayne Atwell, Lufkin Automation General Manager, remarked that “we look forward to working in our new facility. The Missouri City/Fort Bend County location we selected is accessible not only for our employees, but also for our customers and vendors. We anticipate that the Lakeview Business Park will provide Lufkin Automation with an excellent environment to conduct its business.”

“We are all very excited to welcome this growing company to our City,” said City of Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen. “Lakeview Business Park offers the ideal setting for their business. Its convenient access to Beltway 8, US Highway 90A and the Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road positions it to effectively and efficiently serve the entire Houston metro area. We have a great story to tell and welcome the opportunity for other companies like Lufkin to become a part of our growing city.” “The 157 acre Lakeview Business Park represents what companies expect to find in Fort Bend County—a pro business atmosphere, an amenity-rich environment, excellent access to all of Greater Houston, and a perfect answer to the question of how to maximize value without sacrificing quality,” commented Barkley Peschel, VP of Development/Operations at the Greater Ft. Bend Economic Development Council. “Lufkin Automation is a perfect fit for Lakeview and Fort Bend County.” Bob Graf, the City’s Economic Development Coordinator, further affirms that Lufkin is the type of growing company that the city looks to attract to Missouri City. “Lufkin’s project will be the catalyst for companies to take a look at relocating to this great new development with sites that are shovel-ready for development.” Lufkin Automation is a leader in the development, manufacturing, sales and service of technically advanced, electronic well automation equipment and the premier supplier of artificial lift optimization and training with emphasis on increasing profits for oil and gas producers through minimized operating costs and optimum production. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2010.

In this season of thanks, the “Show Me City” is offering residents an opportunity to help their neighbors in need.

The Missouri City Police Department is hosting its first annual “Operation Thanksgiving—Stuff the Squad Car” on Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 a.m. to noon at Public Safety Headquarters, 3849 Cartwright Road.

Residents are invited to “fill a black-and-white car with canned and nonperishable food items that will assist area families in need this Thanksgiving,” said Det. Sonny McClamrock, who is helping to organize the event. “The items will be donated to local food pantries that are in need during these difficult economic times.”

Donations will also be accepted at Police Department headquarters through Wednesday, Nov. 25. For more information, call Det. McClamrock at 281-403-8736.

Missouri City, Texas—The City’s Fire & Rescue Service, in collaboration with the U.S. Fire Administration, is reminding residents that two simple safety steps can help save thousands of lives:

Installing home smoke detectors and sprinkler systems
+Inspecting them to make sure they are properly working
=Protecting you and your family if an emergency occurs

The “Install. Inspect. Protect.” Campaign was recently launched by the USFA to help save lives through intervention. The national agency reports that each year more than 3,000 Americans perish in house fires and many of the deaths are attributed to people having no smoke alarms or units that are faulty.

Chief Russell Sander noted that “Missouri City Fire & Rescue Service knows that the risk of dying in a house fire is significantly reduced by having a working smoke detector installed. This is why we encourage all residents to have working smoke detectors and to ensure they are maintained.”

Sander added that “having a residential fire sprinkler system in a home will extinguish a fire quickly and cause less water damage than the fire hoses the firefighters use. In construction of a new home, a residential sprinkler systems costs about the same as upgraded cabinets or carpet. “

The local and national safety drive emphasizes that every residence needs smoke alarms or fire sprinklers and that the risk of residents dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent when they are installed. Investing in inexpensive smoke detectors can also help prevent the death and injury of firefighters, who often put their lives on the line trying to rescue residents who weren’t alerted to fires by the safety units.

“Smoke alarms and sprinklers give you and your family more time to get out, before firefighters have to come in to rescue you,” said the nation’s top firefighter, U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin J. Cochran.

As they work hard to save lives and educate the public, the USFA and Missouri City Fire and Rescue Services urge residents to remember these fire facts:
Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed by the manufacturer.
If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.
Avoid painting or covering your fire sprinklers or smoke detectors, because that will affect their sensitivity to heat.
To learn more about the USFA campaign, visit www.missouricitytx.gov, www.usfa.dhs.gov, or call (800) 561-3356.

Missouri City, Texas–Missouri City Police Detective Russell Terry recently received coveted local and national honors for his exemplary work in the line of duty.

Citing Terry’s role as lead investigator in solving two major crimes, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund selected him as its Officer of the Month for October. The organization praised Terry’s leadership role in securing the arrests of suspects in a bank robbery and a murder.

The veteran officer was also the recipient of another reward last month. Terry was presented with a flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The flag was a special award for his being honored last May as the Quail Valley Exchange Club’s 2008 Police Officer of the Year. Marc Schwartz, President of the Gulf Coast region of the Exchange Club, contacted U.S. Congressman John Culberson (R-Texas) to arrange for the flag to be flown in Terry’s honor.

Solving the crimes for which he was recognized “was a tireless effort on everyone’s behalf and I could not have achieved this honor without the help of other officers on the force who assisted in these investigations,” Terry said.

Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald noted the importance of the distinction coming from two organizations.

“Public safety always is our number one priority, and it is an honor for citizens to so formally recognize the acts of our officers in eradicating crime,” Fitzgerald said. “The hard work and dedication of all our officers serve the residents of Missouri City well on a daily basis.”

Terry was honored by the Exchange Club on May 3, which makes its annual award based on the prior year’s service. Terry, along with all of the Memorial Fund’s 2009 Officers of the Month, will be honored at an awards luncheon in Washington, D.C. in May 2010 during National Police Week. Their stories also will be featured in the Memorial Fund’s 2011 calendar.

Registration ends: December 31, 2009
Games begin: January 16, 2010
Cost: $100 per child (ages 6-13), plus a copy of birth certificate
COACHES NEEDED!

Please see the attached promotional flyer and registration forms for more information. If you have any specific questions, please email Kyle Frye at:
kfrye@missouricitytx.gov

. The Mayor proclaimed the following:
November 1 - 7, 2009 as National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week
November 2 - 6, 2009 as Municipal Court Week
November 8 - 14, 2009 as Perioperative Nurse Week

2. Consent agenda was approved which included approval of previous meeting minutes and authorizing a interlocal agreement between the City and Fort Bend County for police protection services.

3. Zoning change requests passed for the Auto Zone which will be located in the new Kroger Center and for a La Quinta Hotel, which will be located near the intersection of Township Lane and Williamsburg Lane, near the Walmart.

4. The zoning ordinance passed clarifying commercial vehicle traffic for Lowes and also made it consistent with TXDOT’s traffic configuration.

5. Council approved zoning deviations for the Fort Bend County Annex that is being constructed at Texas Parkway and 3rd street. The deviations will allow the County to enlarge the court room and add office space.

6. Council authorized to execute a contract for utility improvements w/ developers who are putting in a Firestone at HWY 6 and the Toll Road. The developer will pay the City for the necessary improvements.

7. Council authorized an inter local agreement with Harris County for Electronic Personal Accountability System equipment. This equipment keeps track of emergency personnel with GPS coordinates and can also alert emergency responders if they need to evacuate an area or building. The City will only have to supply the batteries and maintain the equipment.

8. Council authorized a professional services agreement for drainage and detention analysis at Middle Oyster Creek and Stafford Run.

9. Council authorized agreements with the City of Houston for the placement of radio communications equipment on the City’s antenna tower. City of Houston will be paying the City of Missouri City $1000 per month for usage.

10. Council ratified the notice for purchasing of bonds construction of the water treatment plant. These bonds will be paid for w/ the funds being collected for ground water reduction. Council also authorized the purchase of bonds to reimburse a TIRZ #2 developer for infrastructure improvements and refinancing of some older bonds. It is estimated that the refinancing of these older bonds to new bonds w/ lower interest rates will save the city $444,000.

11. Council approved establishing speed limits of 45mph on the new frontage roads of HWY 90.