Sugar Land City Council gave final approval on Tuesday to annex Municipal Utility District 113, which includes Avalon and Brazos Landing, a move that adds 3,147 residents to the city’s population.
“We are pleased to welcome the residents of Avalon and Brazos Landing,” said City Manager Allen Bogard. “This successful annexation is a result of efforts by city council, staff and MUD 113 directors during the past year. We feel this annexation benefits the community as a whole.”
The new residents will fall into City Council District 4, represented by Councilman Michael Schiff.
The annexation resulted from a strategic partnership agreement with MUD 113 adopted by the council in July. The agreement requires the annexation to be complete prior to Jan. 1, 2006. Dissolution of the MUD is required to occur within 90 days of the effective date of annexation.
According to a prepared statement by the City of Sugar Land, it’s city council policy that annexation not increase the cost of services to current residents, and that all annexations are voluntary.
Sugar Land is working with other municipal utility districts in its extraterritorial jurisdiction to develop strategic partnership agreements that would outline service and annexation terms. The MUDs contain the communities of Greatwood, New Territory, Riverpark and sections of Tara Colony and Tara Plantation.
The city’s first MUD annexation occurred in 1986 with Sugar Creek. In 1997 the city completed the annexation of the First Colony MUDs, which more than doubled the city’s population.
According to the City of Sugar Land, The annexation service plan for MUD 113 provides for full municipal services on Dec. 1. Before annexation, MUD 113 contracted with the Sugar Land Fire Department for “fire suppression” and emergency medical services. The city fire department now will provide the full array of fire services that other residents receive, including fire prevention, code enforcement and investigation.
Other city services provided upon annexation include police, animal control, building permits, street maintenance and water/wastewater.
