Circle your calendars for Tuesday, January 12, for the presentation of findings and park development options for the former Executive Nine property, part of the Quail Valley Parks Project. The community will have the opportunity to comment following the remarks.

The meeting will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at the Community Center in the City Hall Complex at 1522 Texas Parkway.

For the past two years, citizens have offered their opinion through committees and at public meetings on recreation uses of the Quail Valley Parks Project. Most recently, citizens focused their comments on the 38-acre former Executive Nine property at a public meeting held last September.

Three potential priority elements for the property have been identified. They are:
Water features,
Open/passive area for trails, paths, green space and benches, and
Limited activity areas not adjacent to homes potentially for playground, fitness equipment, pavilion and parking.

Following the September meeting, an engineering consultant conducted a water availability assessment, including drainage, to assure the water features are sustainable.

Based on this water analysis and citizen feedback, preliminary information will be presented on trail layout, parks amenities and water drainage and capacity.

The final park plan that is developed will be reviewed by the Missouri City Parks Board prior to its review and approval by City Council. The plan will be implemented in phases, with work on the first phase beginning as early as the spring 2010. Funding will come from the November 2008 bond program.

1. City Manager Frank Simpson gave a short update on the condition of the Tennis Center. There are lighting and drainage issues that staff is starting to address and of the 22 courts, some will require resurfacing. The building (old fitness center) needs major improvements. Staff will continue to assess the property and continue to determine what improvements are needed and will report back additional findings in January. Requests for architectural services are out and once that provider has been determined, public meetings will be held for input. . Staff was also directed to start researching fee structures for league and individual play.

2. Council ratified its previous resolution and actions regarding the acquisition of the Quail Valley Country Club which was adopted on March 3, 2008.

3. Consent agenda was approved which included approving of meeting minutes, awarding a contract for the construction of a deck for the Freedom Tree, lighting for Hunter’s Glen Park and accepting a report concerning impact fees for capital improvements. It was mentioned specifically that the majority of the costs of the deck construction for the Freedom Tree were covered by donations from Quail Valley Proud, Lake Olympia Homeowner’s Association and HEB. The lighting project for Hunter’s Glen is being covered by Community Block Grant Funds; the CBGF committee had allocated $140,000 for this project over a three year period and actual costs to implement are coming in under $72,000.

4. Scott Elmer and Valeria Ruda have been reappointed as MC’s members to the Transportation Policy Council and Technical Advisory Committee for the Houston Galveston Area Council.

5. Council authorized the purchase of property for the surface water treatment plant from Sienna Plantation Levee Improvement District.

6. Council approved an ordinance for hotel/motel room tax.

7. Council approved an ordinance regarding flood plain management; the ordinance reflects updated FEMA flood plain guidelines, transfers flood plain management responsibilities from the Building Officer to the City Engineer and addresses flood plain practices for the community rating system.

8. Council approved amending an ordinance which requires the Parks Board to have a Secretary. It was discussed that staff is always at the meetings taking minutes, so the position of Secretary was not necessary.

Are you ready for some football? Youths between the ages of 6 and 13 can now register for Missouri City’s Youth Flag Football Program. Two Divisions are playing this year, one for 6- to 9-year-olds and the second for 10- to 13-year-olds.

A $100 fee per child covers team shirts, trophies and other costs. Teams play an eight-game season as well as play-off and championship games for each division.

The football games will begin January 16 at Hunters Glen Park, 1340 Independence Blvd. Games will be played on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with no more than two games per week. Practices will start on January 11.

In order to participate, parents must present a copy of their child’s birth certificate. Coaches are needed. If you are interested, please contact Kyle Frye with the Missouri City Parks and Recreation Department at 281-403-8637 or kfrye@missouricitytx.gov for more information.

When: January 11-February 27, 2010
Where: Hunters Glen Park, 1340 Independence Blvd., Missouri City, TX 77489
Cost: $100 per child, ages 6-13
Registration is in progress and ends December 31, 2009

Missouri City, Texas—Firefighter Michelle Braswell is one of Missouri City’s bravest and she’s also one of the best.

After a rigorous promotional assessment, she was recently promoted to Battalion Chief for Missouri City Fire & Rescue Service’s C-shift. Braswell, whose new role requires her to develop plans of action for City firefighters when working at fire and rescue emergencies, is excited about her new challenge as a shift commander. “I work with a great group of professionals and we have a very good Administration and I’m happy to be a part of that,” Braswell said. She is one of three Battalion Chiefs for the City (the other two supervise the A- and B-shifts) and she supervises a staff of 18.

Fire Chief Russell Sander praised her and said, “I am confident that Chief Braswell will perform well in her new role with the department and continue to be a productive member of our team.”

The Nebraska native has always had a desire to help others and chose firefighting as a career to realize her dream. Braswell learned the ropes as a volunteer in the Cy-Fair area from 1991 to 1995; then she got her start with the Rosenberg Fire Department in 1996 and two years later she was hired in Missouri City. Her strong work ethic, perseverance and talent were evident immediately and within a year, she was promoted to lieutenant.

Battalion Chief Braswell has experience working in all four of the City’s fire stations and is proud to be a part of a fire force that has a great safety legacy with residents. Recent response statistics from 2008 show she and her colleagues responded to 5,067 calls that year, a 3.4% increase from 2007.

“My fellow firefighters and I work hard, you never know what each day is going to bring,” said Braswell, who works out of Station 1 at Public Safety Headquarters on Cartwright Road. The veteran noted that because their jobs are so mentally and physically demanding, the fire and rescue service members have developed a strong bond that serves as inspiration to sustain them through the tragedies they face. “[I appreciate the great] camaraderie we share,” she said.

Braswell, who is also a Paramedic, is certified as a master firefighter through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. She regularly takes courses to update her skills and training and recently earned her Associate’s Degree in Fire Science Technology.

Braswell is also helping to prepare the next generation of firefighters by teaching at the Lone Star College Fire Academy. In an industry that has traditionally been dominated by men, Braswell said she sees being in the classroom as an opportunity to reach “women at the basic level so they can see where I started and that it is possible to succeed.”