Sugar Land launches residential reinvestment program

Staff Reports

The Sugar Land City Council recently approved a new residential reinvestment initiative that empowers Sugar Land homeowners to invest in their community by preserving, protecting and enhancing their neighborhoods.

The Great Homes Design program provides Sugar Land homeowners and homeowners associations with a re-envisioned exterior home design at a cost exclusive to Sugar Land residents, according to a news release.

Under the Design program, a $500 rebate may be available for homeowners who substantially implement at least one qualifying exterior improvement on their home within six months of receiving a design through the program.

The Great Homes Update Program is a reimbursement incentive encouraging rehabilitation and refurbishments of the exterior of single-fami- ly houses. Through the Update program, homeowners may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $10,000 for a portion of their exterior home improvement costs. Eligibility requirements for both programs must be met to qualify for program participation and reimbursement. Applications for the programs will be available starting Feb. 15 at www.SugarLandEcoDev.com/Great-Homes.

“This is an incredible opportunity for residents who own single-family homes to update their homes and invest in the community they already call home,”

Jonathan Soriano, Sugar Land community development program strategist, said in the news release.

“Investing in older homes and neighborhoods is vital to pushing Sugar Land to the next stage of its success and provides the chance for residents to finally do those home improvements they’ve been putting off.”

More than 70 percent of single-family homes in Sugar Land were built before 2000. The Great Homes program is meant to ensure the city keeps pace with new housing options within the region, according to the release. All single-family homeowners with properties within the Sugar Land city limits are potentially eligible and encouraged to participate in the program.

Great Homes is a one-year pilot program funded with existing one-time sales tax capacity available in the general fund and will be re-evaluated in 2024. For more information and to apply for the Great Homes program, visit www.SugarLandEcoDev. com/Great-Homes.

Bible Study 9:30 am

Sunday Worship 10:45 am 6:00 pm

Wednesday 7:00 pm AWANA/Youth www.hbctx.org

BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH

BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH - 979.553.3049

22311 FM 762 RD.-Needville, TX 77461

Dr. Doug Brooks- Pastor

Sunday School/Bible Study - 9:30am

Sunday Worship Service - 10:30am

Wednesday (Team Kids) - 7:00pm

Wednesday (Bible Study) - 7:00pm away on a plot of land surrounded by homes of the Lake Olympia neighborhood. That portion will be renovated and new amenities will be built on a much larger property directly across Misty Hollow Drive.

Boney said an ad hoc committee was formed to develop the project design involving city officials, business owners, residents and other stakeholder. The effort is also led by Mayor Pro Tem Floyd Emery, on the impact scenarios would have if the district were to have to use its fund balance to cover some costs, and how that might impact the district's stellar bond rating. At the outset of the meeting, more than 30 people spoke in the open session, with the majority speaking on the other major piece of whose District D includes Lake Olympia and Freedom Tree Park. (Emery was not available for comment by press time for this story.) While the project design has been moving apace, but there was one major sticking point. The larger piece of property includes an easement held by the Houston-based Phllips 66 energy company. At the beginning of the February 6 City Council meeting, Boney announced that after discussions between city officials and Philips 66 representatives, business of the meeting, the vote to alter the district's feeder pattern boundaries. That has been the subject of numerous meetings of the district's School Bond Oversight Committee since last fall.

Many parents, and a few students, voiced opposition to the scenarios presented for approval, particularly as it concerned busing students to new schools rather than the ones closest to their homes. Others expressed a facilitated in part by U.S. Rep. Al Green, including a visit to the park site, the company has agreed to forgo the easement.

Boney told the Fort Bend Star that will allow the city to move forward with its current design without major modifications that might have delayed construction.

The proposed design includes new vegetation to act as a buffer from the traffic of surrounding streets, a pergola, two children's playgrounds, a performance stage, and off-street parking. Expect- need for equity across the entire district.

Some members of the SBOC also were critical of the process by which they were presented with various proposals, saying that it gave a false impression of consensus among the committee members.

Among those who spoke on behalf of the bond proposal were Jeffrey Willey, president and CEO of the Fort Bend Economic Development Council, and Sugar ed to begin next year. As an African-American who has lived in Missouri City for decades, Boney said the enhancement of Freedom Tree Park is important to him not only personally, but as a recognition of residents of the history of the area and the need for education.

He said he expects the park will attract visitors from around the Houston region, including school children, who will come to learn about and reflect on that history.

Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman.

In their discussions, board members showed evident doubt about how much the SBOC process had gathered a broad enough cross-section of input from the public. Some seemed ready to postpone all three rezoning proposals until a special called meeting on February 27. But Superintendent Christie Whitbeck urged the trustees to vote on the two materials. tack Poverty!, the George Foundation, Parks Youth Ranch, and the HendersonWessendorff Foundation.

Those organizations, which all do work involving low- and moderate-income people, are working on putting together a formal proposal to bring before the Court in a later workshop discussion.

Groff said one of the most critical issues facing the county is the lack of "diversified housing stock"

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- affordable places that working families can either rent or own. That is contributing to more homelessness in the county, with Fort Bend ISD and Lamar CISD reporting a combined 1,600 students without permanent housing in the 2021-2022 school year, he said.

The proposal would include providing both immediate and long-term assistance, as well as the creation of a family service center that would offer wrap-around services that would help people get on the path toward long-term stability. Rental assistance that was put in place during the early phase of the pandemic may be ending at the end of March, Groff noted, which will exacerbate the problem.

"In order to address these needs, we need to get to the root of the problem," he said.

When the actual item came up on the agenda, Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers noted that there had been no information on it in the meeting least contentious proposals so that the administration can make plans based on them as soon as possible.

County Judge KP George said that the item was only for discussion purposes, with no action to be taken on it. While county officials and business leaders, including himself, often tout Fort Bend's wealthy, he said, they sometimes miss part of the wider picture.

At the end of the meeting, following an executive session, the trustees voted 6-1 (with Danetta Williams the sole no vote) to approve updated attendance boundaries for the Travis High School, Austin High School, and Kempner High School feeder patterns' and to approve updated attendance boundaries to open

At times speaking emotionally, George referred to the school districts' figures.

As of November, he said, Fort Bend ISD reported it had 803 students who were homeless, 193 of which were unaccompanied by parents or legal guardians.

"How did we miss that?" he asked. "How did we miss

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Grizzly went on a doggy day out with a pal, and this is what they had to say: these children?"

Alyssa Ferguson Elementary School and to relieve Heritage Rose Elementary School.

The trustees voted 5-2 (with Hamilton and Angie Hanan voting against) to postpone the vote on a new attendance boundary to open Almeta Crawford High School and to update the Hightower High School attendance community to provide additional relief to Ridge Point High School.

"Knowing about it, it's time that we begin to address it," George said. With little other discussion, the item was tabled until it can be addressed in a workshop, expected in the next couple of weeks.

1. He rides well in the car. Knew what to do when I opened the car door… jumped right in and made himself comfortable

2. This guy LOVES to snuggle! ALWAYS wants to be near someone and slept on the couch snuggled up against my mom last night. Total lap dog. Loves to jump onto the couch or recliner if someone is sitting there. Will nudge your hand if you are petting him and suddenly stop.

3. He appears to be potty trained! No accidents in the house. Didn't try to lift his leg on anything, either.

4. Not a shy or scared dog….. confidently walked into the house and acted like he had lived there for years.

5. Loves walks and has a high level of energy so will need to be walked several times a day. Pulls on leash.

6. He's like a cat when it comes to jumping. He can jump high. Fearless… can even jump onto a bar stool.

7. Loiters near cook when dinner is being made and tries to wait for people food but doesn't whine or bark. He's a polite begger :-)

8. Likes toys that make crinkle sounds, can chew them up fast.

9. No biting incidents although he'll "play bite" a little when he's actively playing with someone on the floor. He wasn't nervous around men…No biting or growling when he was sitting with me and my dad walked up to pet him. Sat with my dad a lot, too.

10. Will not try to run out the door anytime I come into or out of the house.

11. Never heard him bark!

Grizzly will make a great addition to someone's family. I'd suggest a home with older kids and someone who is home a lot. He'd be a great work from home "coworker" because he liked to sit in a desk chair next to me while I was working and didn't make a peep.