Below are the notes from last night’s Missouri City Council Meeting by Q. V. Fund Marketing Director Susan Fox:

1. Missouri City Police and Fire Auxiliary presented checks in the amount of $8000 each to the Police and Fire Chiefs. The Police Department will use their funds to continue outfitting their SWAT vehicle, which is used by the regional SWAT team and the Fire Department will use their funds to purchase additional equipment for water rescue.

2. New Police Captain Geneana Merritt was introduced. She recently joined the department after a nationwide search was conducted. She was most recently w/ the Philadelphia Police Department. She will be responsible for the Criminal Investigations Division.

3. October 5 – 9 has been proclaimed as Fire Prevention Week in Missouri City and the month of October proclaimed as National Planning Community Month.

4. Consent agenda was approved which included approval of previous meeting minutes, awarding a contract for the mass grading for the surface water treatment plant, executing an interlocal agreement w/ Fort Bend County for the purchases of goods and services, awarding a contract for traffic signal services, purchasing of email software through the Texas Department of Information Resources cooperative contract and approving a Community Event application for a High School Girls Softball Tournament.

5. Council considered the request for a Special Use Permit to locate an adult day care center in the old Foodarama shopping center. Council members had some concerns regarding the condition of that shopping center and the lack of upgrades. Council asked staff to have the property owner present at the next Council Meeting.

6. Council considered a request for zoning deviations from Auto Zone, which is wishing to place a store in the new Kroger shopping center. This request was postponed due to the deviations that were requested for the amount of parking spaces. Auto Zone wishes to have more parking spaces than what is currently allowed.

7. Council considered a zoning change request from the developers of the approximate 20 acre track that borders on FM 1092 and Hampton. The developers intent is to build an age restricted (55+) community w/ patio homes, independent living quarters and assisted living facilities. Some of the deviations being requested were density, reduction in greenbelts, use of hardy plank on interiors, asphalt shingles, parking screening, reductions in buffers and covered parking. Council members took issue w/ the covered parking and informed the developer that garages would need to be included in the independent living. Density of the patio homes was then discussed. The part of this track that is planned for the patio homes is currently zoned R5 (Townhomes), but it was determined that if patio homes were built, then the density would have to conform to the zoning requirements for patio homes, which is 6 dwellings per acre. The developer was uncertain as to actual density needs as a builder for the patio homes has yet to be selected. The issue of fencing was discussed, particularly in regards to common fencing with the homes within Quail Valley, and whether or not these fences would be on the property line and who would be responsible for maintaining the fence. The measure passed with changing the zoning of the tract slated for patio homes to R-4 zoning.

8. A resident of Pine Court addressed Council with concerns about the proposed above mentioned development. He raised concerns about traffic congestion, lot sizes and density of the patio homes, and the possible negative impact on property values of homes in Quail Valley. It was pointed out with the R-4 zoning, the density of the patio home development would be less than the current R-5 (town home) zoning.

9. Council authorized a tax rate of $.5284, a slight increase from the previous year of $.51724. City Manager Simpson gave short presentation, allowing how the City had already reduced its budget by $695,000, anticipating the economic downtown. In addition, staff is going to reduce the budget by an additional $750,000 by managing job vacancies (which will not include the Police or Fire Departments open positions), savings on employee medical benefits, reducing contingency funds and other small cuts in smaller line items. Simpson allowed that the City will slightly increase the percentage share of spending on debt service, because of the economic down turn: right now, it much cheaper to borrow money, meaning interest payments on bonds are much lower and construction costs are also down significantly. Simpson reiterated that the City is in sound financial condition, has excellent credit ratings with Moody and Standard and Poors, and was recently received an award ( for the 21st year in a row) for its excellent fiscal management. It was also noted that the tax rate remains below the $.53 cap that was promised with the 2003 bond election.

10. Council Bobby Marshall will be the City’s designee for the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC) for the remainder of this year and next year.

11. Council approved an advanced funding agreement with TXDOT for the construction of an intelligent transportation system. System will be installed on the traffic signals of these main arteries: Texas Parkway (TXP), Cartwright Road (CW), FM 1092 and HWY 6. This is a joint project and with funding from the state, the City saved $550,000.

Do you know why you can walk into City Hall and look at the pictures to the right of the steps and see the same familiar face in every picture? It isn’t because everything is wonderful. It isn’t even because everything is just ok. It is because no one wants to take a stand. Everyone wants someone else to do it for them.

Q: ‘Can you make it to a City Council meeting to show support?’
A: ‘Oh no… I am too busy feeding my face at that time.’

Q: ‘Can you write a letter to your council person?’
A: ‘I don’t write well.’

Q: ‘Can you invite some of your friends to an interest meeting at my house?’
A: ‘Sorry, I don’t want to be that involved and my friends might look at me funny.’

Q: ‘Are you mad about what is happening?’
A: ‘Very mad!’

Q: ‘Then why don’t you show up, instead of just complaining about it?’
A: ‘Oh, well, what will be, will be.’

You cannot complain about life, if life to you is just sitting around waiting for things to happen. You cannot complain about a City trampling over your property values if you don’t take the time to stand up and tell them, ‘STOP! NO MORE!’ You cannot complain about someone else taking a stand, when you won’t take a stand yourself.

“… a decrease in property value is the reason for Missouri City’s possible tax rate increase, and the city says the national mortgage crisis and Hurricane Ike are to blame.”

Really? Ike and mortgage issues… perhaps some of the issue of declining value is directly related, maybe even a large portion. But how much of this decrease in property value is directly related to poor decisions and mismanagement throughout the City? And why exactly are we (citizens) footing the bill for poor decisions, versus getting rid of the people who have created and enforced those bad decisions?

In business, when a publicly traded company takes a dive, the CEO or Board of Directors (or both) are ousted and new people are brought in. A new game plan is put in place in an attempt to regain the value lost.

Are we as citizens not all stakeholders in this City? Why do we sit here, year after year and wait for things to get better while continuing to keep the same people in office? Does this make sense to anyone?! I am tired of footing the bill for others mistakes. If that isn’t a true conservative view, then I don’t know what is. I am tired of footing the bill for pet projects around this City, while two feet beyond my own backyard, City owned property falls into disrepair. The more questions I ask, the more runaround I get. The more answers I provide, the more the City tells me I am out of my mind. The more I confront the City, the more they skirt the issue.

Don’t take my hard earned money and spend it on mistakes. Don’t take my hard earned money and gift it to others who do not deserve it. Don’t pee in my face and tell me it’s raining.

You want change? Get on board folks… Less than 220 days until the 2010 May elections.

In other words you need to get a life, other than serving as a toadie to the special interest and their politicians. By now I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t know your game. And no feeding the government vendors and going after peoples property IS NOT considered conservative fool. Now you like to bait responses out and make libelous statements repeatedly. How about you surprise us next time idiot.

And yes I am calling you charlieB an idiot (not your pseudos-”wadefishin/johnbernardbooks/ftbendconman”), YOU……and no I’m not laughing this time jerk!

PS Own up to your words and take responsibility for your actions since your criticize everyone else for not doing what you pretend to, JohnBernardBooks wrote on Monday, “Joe do you even know how to be positive? I’m sorry if life is so bad for you…maybe you’ll ened it all soon?”

Yep anyone who does make statements like those must be crazy in your world government vendor defender and corporate welfare queen apologist (and Allen Owen buddy)

“FtBendConservative says:
September 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pm (#) SillyAnthony don’t you have some little old ladies to kneecap?
« JohnBernardBooks wrote on Monday, Jun 30 at 06:45 AM »
Joe do you even know how to be positive? I’m sorry if life is so bad for you…maybe you’ll ened it all soon?”
« JohnBernardBooks wrote on Saturday, May 24 at 06:13 AM »

“please “know” that teaching is a professional career and teachers with college degrees are not to be treated as unskilled workers/laborers who blindly punch a clock and a boss can say, “Do as you are told, not as I do”.”…are teachers the biggest whiners are what….they have a cush job…very little stress and all they do is bitch. Try working in a real job where you actually have to produce a product…

FtBendConservative says:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:21 pm (#)

Joe are you on crack?

-Yep anyone who does make statements like those must be crazy in your world government vendor defender and corporate welfare queen apologist (and Allen Owen buddy)

69. “MEGABITE says:
October 5th, 2009 at 4:56 pm (#)

But I’ve given you enough attention for the day, Grandpa. It’s almost your bedtime anyway. haha”

crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony..crony.. I know it’s to high for you at this stage of your intellectual development…hahaha

17! Wow, he couldn’t have proven my point any better.

How am I a crony boy when I don’t work for the city or hold an elected position in any shape or form, liar? quit while you are WAYYYYY behind, Grandpa!

Explain this while you are at it:

“The S&P report stated: “In our view, the city’s high overlapping tax rates, combined with high overall debt burden from the overlapping school district and many inside-city municipal utility districts (MUDs), preclude a higher rating.”
The report noted that the city’s tax base was expanding and diversifying, and that its tax rate was “stable,” but that the overall tax burden can be “well in excess of $3.70 in some parts of the city.” Chronicle

It at least makes it look like you aren’t trying to derail another thread if you do jerk. LOL

PS Don’t miss bedtime now. ….=-}