Visit Fortbendweb.com for more county news and discussions (Click this title link)-

To get other perspectives from a county-wide site available in FBC since '99 click the title link above for FortBendWeb.



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FB Star Reports: Blue Ridge Landfill & Brazoria County Opposition (Why No Fort Bend County Support?)

Brazoria County expands opposition to Blue Ridge Landfill expansion

By Cheryl Skinner
Last week neighboring Brazoria County gave authority to the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office to participate in the county’s opposition to the proposed expansion of Blue Ridge Landfill, which is located in Fort Bend County. While Brazoria County and the city of Pearland have joined a number of individual residents who live in Fort Bend County in the battle, Fort Bend County officials and Missouri City officials have given the green light to the project.

The Facts newspaper, which covers Brazoria County news, featured a story revealing that Brazoria County Commissioners approved a resolution allowing the DA’s office to get involved last week.

Blue Ridge Landfill is located at 2200 F.M. 521, about a mile north of Fresno in Fort Bend County. Because of the landfills near proximity to Pearland and Brazoria County, those two entities have expressed concerns about traffic problems, water contamination and air quality being affected by a burgeoning landfill. . . .

Fort Bend County and Missouri City entered into an agreement with the landfill’s owners prior to the request for expansion, which included a stipulation that they would not officially oppose future expansion plans. The two entities also began receiving a “tipping fee” from the landfill’s operation. While local officials contend this money has allowed them to help the economically depressed Fresno area, opponents maintain the payment is nothing more than a million dollar payoff. . .

(Click the title link above for the entire story)
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Comment: Still no support from our own elected officials here in Missouri City and our Fort Bend County Commissioners.



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A FortBendNow.com Exclusive: Sienna Plantation Resident (Will Perry, son of Bob Perry--Perry Homes) Sues Mayor Dave Wallace of Sugar Land!

Click the title link to get the full story from FortBendNow.com, the counties online newspaper! The FBN site allows comments on all its stories. . .


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SOS: Rezoning Plan To Be Finalized--

Rezoning Plan to be finalized Feb. 12

The administration will provide additional data to the trustees in the next few days and on Feb. 12 (at its next regular meeting), the board is expected to finalize the zoning plan. A final vote on zoning is likely on Feb. 26.

The District has provided maps and additional information on the proposals as they currently exist here.

The administration will present the final zoning plan to the public at three public hearings:

Feb. 13 at Dulles High School;
Feb. 15 at Hightower High School; and
Feb. 22 at Austin High School.

All the presentations will begin at 6 p.m. and the presentations will be identical.


--Stay informed and keep in touch!

Something Different (A break from the news Nickelback's "If Everyone Cared" -- Click title link)

You will need a media plug-in to play this (Quicktime works).

Chronicle Coverage: Sienna Area Residents Shook By Missouri City Explosion

On the Chronicle front page today:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4497976.html

Woman survives blast that levels Missouri City home

By KEVIN MORAN and ERIC HANSON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle


A 69-year-old Missouri City woman miraculously survived an apparent natural gas explosion early today that destroyed her home and was felt miles away.

Ann Patterson Smith was in an intensive care unit in an area this hospital this morning but her brother said he had visited her and she seemed to be in good shape, escaping the blast at her 3404 Covey Trail home with only minor injuries.

"Her survival is unbelievable,'' said James Patterson, the woman's brother and Precinct Four County Commissioner. "God must be watching over her.'' He said his sister could not recall what exactly happened. . .(click title link above for Chronicle coverage).

ABC13 & Streaming Video On Mo-City Explosion In Quail Valley (click title link)-

Elderly woman survives house explosion in Missouri City
Eric James

(1/25/07 - KTRK/MISSOURI CITY, TX) - A huge explosion completely leveled a home in Missouri City. The blast could be felt for miles. Amazingly, the woman who lived there survived the explosion. . . (click title link for more and streaming video)

See KHOU.com coverage too at http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070125_ac_explosion.19abe5d8.html

and these FortBendWeb.com reports at: http://www.fortbendweb.com/webapp/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=722#topcomment
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Many Sienna area residents felt this explosion and called it in that took place in Quail Valley.

Stay informed and keep in touch!

FBN Report: Explosion Rocks Quail Valley Master-planned Community in Missouri City

Mo. City Woman Survives Blast That Destroys Home, Shakes Neighborhood

A Missouri City woman was hospitalized early Thursday morning after surviving an explosion that destroyed her home, shaking the ground and rattling windows for blocks around.

Ann Patterson Smith, 68, is in the Memorial Hermann intensive care unit, but apparently is doing remarkably well. Her house, at 3403 Covey Trail in Quail Valley, was destroyed by fire after the blast, a Missouri City Police Department spokesman said.

“When we got there, it was gone,” Missouri City Fire Department spokesman Lee Atchison said of the house. Police officers and a neighbor found Smith in the back yard of her property and called for an ambulance, he said.

Smith is the sister of Precinct 4 Fort Bend County Commissioner James Patterson. A spokeswoman at Patterson’ s office said the commissioner visited his sister and “she’s doing fine. She has some burns, but she’s doing fine.”

Windows in neighboring houses broke during the explosion, which rocked the neighborhood. One Quail Valley resident, who lives less than 2,000 feet from Smith, said his family was awakened by the blast at about 12:15 a.m. . .(click title link above for the rest of the story)

***Comment: Several Sienna area residents have contacted MCC and reported they heard and felt this explosion last night in the Sienna Plantation & surrounding communities.

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Stay informed and keep in touch!

County Commission Still Not Keeping Arcola City Officials In The Loop On Post Oak Extension Public Gift (click title link)-

Post Oak Road Proposal Pits Arcola Officials Against Airport Owner - Again
by Bob Dunn, Jan 23, 2007, 03 28 pm

An on-again, off-again controversy between a group of Arcola residents and Houston Southwest Airport’s owner has heated up again, fueled by plans to build a new road through the airport, and to provide water and sewer access along that road before some city residents receive such service.

Plans calling for the City of Arcola to extend water and sewer lines outside city limits, in a loop along the as-yet-unbuilt road through the airport, surfaced a few days ago at an Arcola City Council meeting. They were brought up by the city’s engineer, Dave Scholler, of Brown & Gay Engineers Inc. of Houston, according to people present at the meeting.

Arcola Mayor Tom Tuffly said he isn’t sure why those plans came up, but “we want to find out where they got the idea of running that loop. Jamie Griffith’s property is not in the city limits. Running it into an unincorporated area isn’t going to help us at all.” Griffith did not return a phone call seeking comment. . .


Comment: This EDC backed airport expansion project won't go away.

FB Sun: Lower Appraisal Property Tax Cap Avoided By Special Committee (click title link for more)-

Appraisal task force backs off lower cap
By: MICHAEL REED, Examiner Staff


A task force charged by the governor with addressing mounting property taxes is not recommending a lower cap on home appraisals as it had suggested in an earlier draft of its report.


Dated Jan. 8, the final package of suggested reforms contradicts the Task Force on Appraisal Reform's initial position that it would push for a reduction in the current cap to 5 percent from 10 percent a year. Instead, the 15-member committee's report urged that local spending that increases by more than 5 percent over the previous year require voter approval. Under the plan, there would also be an optional half-cent sales tax local entities could set aside for property tax relief. "Property taxes are neither simple nor transparent. . . (click title link for more above).

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Comment: Looks like the local county and municipal government officials won on this one against home and property owners. Was the lower appraisal cap promise just another election time tactic?


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EDC Is Concerned About Over-development of Apartments (click title link for more)-

With recent mega-apartment developments (which can have a negative impact on schools via land taxing disparity and other quality of life issues) going on in Brazos Town Center, Rosenberg, Sienna Plantation and many other areas of the county, Jeff Wiley, President of the Fort Bend County Economic Development Council made the following assessment in this recent Fort Bend Herald piece (Click the title link for more):

"New homes versus apartment growth provides another challenge for the EDC, said Wiley, as his organization would like to maintain apartment growth at no more than10 percent of the housing market. While apartments provide housing opportunities for young professionals, "owner-occupied housing is instrumental twoard the long-term development of the community," he said.

Apartments today comprise about 10 percent of housing growth, but Wiley expressed concern that their share could edge to 14 percent over 2007."

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Comment: With school over-crowding a factor in the current school bond drive and rezoning efforts, do we want to encourage more high density housing in this county?


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(c) c.calvin/MCC

FortBendNow.com Updates Blue Ridge Landfill Controversy (Why are Mo-City & Our Commissioners Not Supporting the Voters???)--click title link for more!

-Stay informed and keep in touch!

"thefacts" Newspaper Reports Brazoria DA Involvement on Landfill Expansion (Mo-City & Fort Bend County Officials Are Silent On The Issue)--click here-

By John Tompkins
The Facts
Published January 19, 2007

ANGLETON — The projected expansion of the Blue Ridge Landfill in Fort Bend County just received another voice at the table.

Brazoria County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution during their meeting Thursday granting the district attorney’s office permission to participate in proceedings regarding the proposed expansion of the landfill. The facility, located along the Fort Bend-Brazoria County line west of Pearland, almost would triple in size if the expansion proceeds.

The county approved a resolution during its last meeting to oppose the expansion.

“They’re doubling their surface,” said Mary Shine, assistant district attorney in the civil division.

The proposed expansion includes an increase of surface from the current 302 acres to 784 acres and an increase in the height of the landfill from 56 feet to 170 feet, Shine said.

The county opposes the expansion because it could strain highways in the area and add to congestion.

“If we could obtain some concessions, it behooves us to be involved,” said Pct. 4 Commissioner Mary Ruth Rhodenbaugh.

Pearland City Council already has announced its opposition to the proposed expansion because of fears of contamination to its water supply, Shine said. The proposed enlargement of the site, would go on both sides of the American Canal, which Pearland uses for water. . .

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Comment: Still nothing but silence from Fort Bend County & Missouri City Officials after agreeing to large tipping fees from the landfill company. We here at CRD/MCC applaud Brazoria County and the City of Pearland for defending their citizens and stepping up to the plate!

Visit http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/ for updates on this environmental and quality of life concern for residents here in the Sienna Plantation and surrounding community.

Texas Cable News Covers Crime In Sienna Plantation (click title link for more)-

Follow the title link above for the full story.

*****
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FB Star Report: Mayor Owen Explains How No Hospital In Missouri City Will Really Benefit Our Tax Base???

Comment (OP/ED): You all remember how this blog broke the information that Christus Hospital construction was being indefinitely post-poned and how Hermann was closing at the end of '06? Well now in this FB Star piece Mayor Owen (Who also isn't getting involved in fighting the Blue Ridge Landfill near our area after fairly recent Barium leaks) is explaining to us how no hospital in our city is actually a benefit to his tax reduction plan (you see according to the article/interview he says we can get a Lowes or Whole Foods instead of health care. . . . isn't that great???) Remember Owen's is the one who pushed the up to 2700 apartment units on our community against popular consent in several '05 city council meetings and later determined that there was no need to investigate ethics complaints filed against him through the city for not recusing himself from the voting when it was found he was accepting campaign contributions from the corporation selling the land for the project.

Read on for more tidbits (Actual Story):

Some 20 acres in mid-city
Missouri City’s Memorial-Hermann property to be sold

By Barbara Fulenwider
When Memorial-Hermann Hospital decided to move from Missouri City to Sugar Land it was Missouri City’s loss but now may be its gain.

Memorial-Hermann put the facility up for sale and according to Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen, Lowe’s was interested in buying the prime acreage at the northeast corner of Hwy. 6 and FM 1092. When that prospect went away, Memorial-Hermann studied the feasibility of turning the facility into a long-term acute care center.

Now that possibility is off the table because the study showed the conversion would be prohibitively expensive, so that prime track of commercial land in Missouri City’s center will be for sale again.

Why this is likely to be the best case scenario for the city is Memorial-Hermann is a non-profit, so paid Missouri City between 15 and 20 percent of the total taxable value -- most likely from the medical professional building -- and no sales taxes. Property taxes and sales taxes pay for city services and city council has been bent on attracting more commercial that generates more sales taxes in order to reduce property taxes.

A new commercial interest on the Memorial-Hermann site would pay 100 percent of the property taxes and, depending on the business or businesses, also pay sales taxes. Owen said the same 20 acres Hermann owns is not much larger than the Township, located on FM 1092 north of the former hospital site. . . (click title link above to get the full story).

And stay tuned as MCC has gathered the financial reports & disclosures on all of our city council members and will share them in coming releases!!!


(c) c. calvin/MCC

McKeever Rd & Arcola Airport Back in the News (Click title link for more)-

Post Oak To Be Extended Through Houston Southwest Airport Land
by Bob Dunn, Jan 17, 2007, 09 37 am

One project on the $104 million county list of road projects to be included in a bond referendum would extend South Post Oak Boulevard from McKeever Road to State Highway 6, at a cost of $2.5 million to the county, with another $500,000 contributed by Jamie Griffith, owner of Houston Southwest Airport.

A similar proposal stirred controversy in Arcola a year ago, as residents reacted angrily to plans calling for diversion of McKeever Road north of a drainage canal running parallel to airport property – which would have required acquisition of land from four private parcels in the Newpoint Estates residential community.

Commissioners Court members pulled the plug on that plan in February 2006, and Hebert said the current Post Oak project won’t be an attempt to resurrect last year’s plans. . .(get entire story by clicking title above).

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Comment: Here we go again!

Visit CABRLE Site For Updates On This Growing Community Concern (Click title link for more)-

Stay informed and keep in touch on Sienna/Mo-City area issues and becareful travelling today (see Ice warnings)!

Sienna Area Schools Projected To Continue Over-crowding (Click title link for full FBISD Report)-

Baines MS on Sienna Ranch Road is projected to grow to 104% of functional capacity in 2007 with increases expected through 2010.

See full FBISD report in .pdf format at http://www.fortbend.k12.tx.us/cmf/var/tidbits/Tidbits_parentlinks_20070109_1529.pdf

Sienna Crossing Elem. is currently projected to reach 145% functional capacity for 2007 according to FBISD figures.

See full report at: http://www.fortbend.k12.tx.us/cmf/var/tidbits/Tidbits_parentlinks_20070110_1458.pdf

Scanlon Oaks Elementary projections from FBISD are close to 170% for 2007. See: http://www.fortbend.k12.tx.us/cmf/var/tidbits/Tidbits_parentlinks_20070110_1458.pdf

(These projections above exclude the up to 2700 apartments approved by Missouri City Council in '05 and the Hightower HS projections. Actual capacity may exceed these numbers.)

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Comment: Rezoning workshops and school board meetings are being held to discuss the current population issues and the need for additional schools (via another bond election) as well as fair enrollment practices (click title link above for more info). These meetings may be a good place to bring up the need for land contributions by large Houston development companies that benefit in home sales by the districts reputation and placement of schools in their communities as amenities. Current practice is for the developers to sell the land to the district rather than donate or sell the land at costs, as is the practice in many areas of the U.S.


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AHRC Creates National Board for Pro-Homeowner Advisory Group (Click title link for more)-

The American Homeowners Resource Center (AHRC), with affiliates in all 50 U.S. states and several countries, active in homeowner and property rights issues has formed a National Advisory Group that will address a multitude of home and property rights issues. AHRC along with many other regional, local and national advocacy groups were recently successful in securing negative reports from two Texas legislative committees on an industry insider lobby effort by the TCREA/CAI's TUPCA sponsored bill, which would have severely hurt home & property owners rights in their respective associations.

According to AHRC, this committee/board will work as "A group of of experienced homeowner advocates...working with AHRC to formalize an organization to work on housing issues."

This group reportedly will function as a pro-consumer group and may eventually endorse (or not) HOAs/POAs that engage in homeowner/property owner "best practices" in a consumer friendly manner. This endorsement could eventually act as an attractor to home buyers in a region much in the same way other consumer reports do.

Stay informed and keep in touch as MCC/CRD continues to network and report/discuss issues relevant to our home and property values as well as the quality of life here in Missouri City, TX (based out of the Sienna Plantation area).

From Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office: Aggravated Robbery in the Sienna Plantation Subdivision

On Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at approximately 8:44 p.m. deputies with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Sienna Plantation Subdivision regarding an Aggravated Robbery that occurred in the 3000 block of Cape Blanco, Missouri City, Fort Bend County.

According to the report, the two victims, 42 years of age and 10 years of age, just arrived home from the barber shop. As they headed inside their resident the victim heard the 10 year old holler that (2) unknown suspects were headed towards them. Immediately after seeing the suspects, the 10 year old took off running and yelled for help. A neighbor heard the victim cry for help and witnessed a suspect armed with an unknown type handgun, chasing the juvenile. The neighbor then called the juvenile to his residence and pushed him inside. That suspect, after observing the neighbor, fled on foot heading eastbound on Cape Blanco.

The second suspect, armed with an unknown type handgun, demanded the 42 year old victim hand over his money and property. The victim complied and the second suspect also fled east on Cape Blanco with an undisclosed amount of cash and a cell phone. . . (click title link for the full story).

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Comment: Why have crime watch signs been kept out of our community and by who? Ask your HOA today!

Late Night At FBISD Board Meeting Centers On Rezoning Efforts!

Fort Bend ISD trustees burned the midnight oil Monday to discuss attendance zones for new schools opening in August, but the proposed zoning plan still remains a work in progress.

After suggesting "natural boundaries, feeder pattern and neighborhood concept," as the criteria for drawing boundary lines, the board in December added "crowded schools" to the list.
Monday night, the board added "academic impact" as an additional criterion. . . (click on title link above for full story from SOS).


Stay informed and keep in touch!

Join The CABRLE Efforts (Click on this title link for more)-

Stay informed and keep in touch!

Important Meetings for the Sienna Area Coming Up-

Important FBISD School related (from SOS):

January 8 - Regular School Board Meeting & Board Zoning Workshop - 7 pm Agenda and information on agenda items available here.
January 22 - Board Zoning Workshop - 4:30 pm***
January 22 - Regular School Board Meeting - 7 pm
February 12 - Board Zoning Workshop - 5 pm***
February 12 - Regular School Board Meeting - 7 pm
February 26 - Regular School Board Meeting - 7 pm


***Sienna Developer Update Meeting Jan. 9th at Scanlon Oaks Elem.(6:30p) Get updates on water quality from August warning issued through TCEQ, increasing train traffic through Sienna as well as other dev. issues.


The coalition against the expansion of the nearby Blue Ridge Landfill (up to 170 ft high) is having a public organizational meeting at the Quail Run Community Center (16748 Quail Park Drive in Mo-City) on Tues. Jan 16th at 7p. Call 281-437-7500 for more info and to help.


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Stay informed and keep in touch!

Committee Report Unfavorable on TUPCA (Victory for Homeowners, for now)--

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS. THIS GOOD NEWS ON THE DEFEAT OF TUPCA AS CONVEYED TO US HERE AT MCC (A big thanks to all who wrote their state reps on this. Keep an eye out for new pro-TUPCA offensive in '07 from the lawyers/CAI group who crafted it). See the rest of the committee report by following the title link above:


"We learned then that neither the Senate nor the House would support TUPCA." -Adolph (Homeowner advocate meeting with HLRM Committee at the end of '06)

Recommendations from the House Land and Resource Management Committee:

When HOAs (which have taken on many of the attributes and functions of governmental entities) violate the spirit or the letter of the law regarding their duties and rights, then it becomes incumbent on government to rein in these abuses.

A new chapter in the Texas Property Code, with state-wide and general application, should be enacted that addresses the creation, governance, obligations, and rights of property owners' associations.

Current provisions in law regarding property owners' associations should be repealed to the extent that they are duplicative or inconsistent with the new chapter.

The new chapter should generally be directed at protecting the interests of homeowners, with the balance of power and presumptions in their favor and not that of the associations that represent them.

The new chapter should include provisions that encourage, to the greatest extent possible, member participation in the discussions and actions of the association as a whole.

The new chapter should include provisions that encourage non-legal and inexpensive resolutions to the conflicts that occur between the association and its members.

The new chapter should limit remedies allowed to associations to the least extreme necessary to enforce obligations due to it.

Non-judicial foreclosure by HOAs should be prohibited by law.

Judicial foreclosure by HOAs, if continued in law, should be authorized only under limited circumstances and in accordance with procedure allowed by law.

Foreclosure proceedings by HOAs, if continued in law, should be allowed to be instituted only when a homeowner owes the association an amount that surpasses a high threshold dollar amount.

If the legislature determines that foreclosure should be a remedy available to HOAs, a meaningful right of redemption should be authorized.

The new chapter should take into account the ever-changing nature of HOAs and the various stakeholders, in addition to associations and homeowners, that will be affected by any new law.


Committee Report Summary (from http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/commit/c520/c520.htm#Reports):


1. The committee does not recommend adoption of TUPCA at this time.
2. The committee recommends notice to buyers advising the number and nature of lawsuits
3. Ability to amend its declaration by 2/3 of its homeowners
4. Must provide payment plans
5. Payment prioritization schedule
6. Capping of fines
7. Subdivision plats must show location of utility infrastructure and specify amenities
8. Need for information balanced with privacy interests of INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS
9. An association cannot exercise "right of refusal" to purchase property
10. Homeowners can choose judicial or non-judicial foreclosure
11. Legislature should examine title problems
12. Disinterested party is to COUNT VOTES predicated upon a request by a certain percent of members.



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FB Star Column Covers BRLF Expansion Fight (Attention residents of Fresno, Missouri City, Arcola, Pearland, etc...)--Click title link for more

2006 in review (Cheryl Skinner)

OK—I started to do one of those year in review things that all media outlets do each year to take up space and to allow reporters a day off for Christmas and New Year celebrations. But as I reviewed my stories for the year, I figured instead of 200 inches of copy, I could sum it up right here.

Year in review: primary elections; Congressman Tom DeLay chosen as Republican candidate; DeLay announces he will retire someday; DeLay announces he will probably retire in May or June; District 22 goes to court; District 22 falls apart; DeLay finally makes it official; District 22 falls apart—big time; Shelly whoever chosen as write-in candidate; Lampson wins real election; Shelly goes to Washington—for a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, residents of Richmond fight jail noise; residents of Fresno fight landfill expansion plans and prices for housing inmates out of county rise. That and tons of crime captured the headlines throughout the year. So, there it is in a nutshell. . . (click title link for more)

Keep up with Sienna area updates county-wide at FortBendWeb.com (click the title link here)-

See how the Texas-Trans Corridor will impact out area at:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2372/san-antonio-company-would-widen-highway-36-run-it-as-a-toll-road#c008646

and

http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2378/highway-36-expansion-would-be-paid-for-by-txdot-shadow-toll-not-from-motorists-pockets#c008663

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Stay informed and keep in touch!

Happy New Year From MCC: Click on this title link for an editorial on the BRLF near Missouri City from "thefacts" newspaper-

Stay informed and keep in touch and visit http://www.fortbendweb.com to discuss recent county issues. Also see this recent trans-star effort by local officials at the FBN news site: http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2372/san-antonio-company-would-widen-highway-36-run-it-as-a-toll-road .