Chron: Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion Update!--follow the title link for more--

Group wants landfill operator to yield more

January 28, 2010 2:11 pm Zen T.C. Zheng, Houston Chronicle

Here is an update on a grassroots group’s fight against the proposed expansion of the Blue Ridge Landfill on the east side of Fort Bend County.

Last week, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a revised application for a permit to pursue the project by BFI, which is now Republic Services after a corporate merger.

The revision reflects the terms and conditions in an agreement reached between the company and the city of Pearland last year, which includes what municipal officials regarded as “substantial compromise” by the trash disposer.

Previously, three television stations opposed to the project had all struck undisclosed deals with the company, leaving the Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion the lone party still in the fight...

http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/

Reiter Beats Hasty Exit Off Council Leaving District A Open To Challengers!

Reiter Decides To Vacate District A Position After Very Narrow Win In 2007!

MCC Exclusive:

Incumbent council member Eunice Reiter of district A made it official tonight and has decided not to seek re-election. After narrowly defeating her opponent in 2007 by just 3 votes, Rodney Griffin, she was reported to have said enough is enough.

The district A council woman was involved in several highly controversial votes over the last 3 years including supporting more apartments in the city and higher taxes on several occasions.

She took a great deal of criticism from the community during her 2007 run for accepting campaign contributions from Houston development companies and then voting on their projects when they came before council. Some credit her comments during 2005 & 2006 sessions and voting approval of up to 2700 apartments in the ETJ community of Sienna Plantation along with ex-council members Don Smith, Bob Burton and current mayor Allen Owen along with Buddy Jimerson as leading to one of her first challenges for her seat in the many years she sat on city council.

MCC endorsed her opponent in 2007 and wishes her well in retirement. The district A seat currently has two challengers with rumors of a third waiting in the wings. Filing closes soon for council and school board positions.

Pinnock Outlines Positions For Council Run In This FBN Piece

From FBN:

“It is far time for our city council to take a proactive interest in the quality of life of Missouri City residents because it is our local government that has a ‘direct’ impact on the quality of life that we are able to live,” said Pinnock. “It affects not only what we can do but also how we can do it. So much has been neglected in our city over the years, ranging from fleeting businesses, medical facilities, crumbling sidewalks, poor schools to increased taxes, crime, and home foreclosures.”

Pinnock, 34-years-old, is a resident of Quail Valley, along with his wife, Tiffany Pinnock, and his 10-year-old son, Noel Pinnock II. He has a master’s degree in public administration, with a focus on city planning and urban development, and is the e-TRAIN director, professional development services, at the Houston independent School District Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.

“I have attended many meetings throughout Missouri City and have had the fortunate opportunity to hear from citizens that have a since of uncertainty regarding our city’s future and its inability to compete among neighboring cities,” said Pinnock. “Many of these voices are dissatisfied with how our ‘elected’ city officials respond to concerns that residents bring before council. Some who possessed the courage to go before the council left with negative perceptions and a lost sense of hope. Our city employees are also feeling the pain, especially when one incumbent on the dais diagnosed them with having an ‘entitlement mentality,’ regarding their much-needed salary increases. Their morale is down and that is not fair to them or the residents that rely on them to provide city services.”

--Follow the title link above for the full story!

FBN: Early Voting Started Monday (Get out and vote)-

Early Voting Starts Today For City Councils, School Boards, Bond Issue
by Bob Dunn, Apr 30, 2007, 06 53 am

Early voting for the May 12 elections starts today in Fort Bend County, where a constitutional amendment, $156 million mobility bond and several city council and school board seats are at stake.

Anyone eligible to vote in the election is eligible to vote early. Locations around the county open Monday morning. Check at the Fort Bend County Elections web site for schedules and locations. Voters may check here to find their voting precinct and a sample ballot.

Citizens have the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment, Proposition 1, that would give senior citizens and disabled people the same property tax reductions that other Texas property owners received a year ago. Wording in the proposition is somewhat confusing, but voting “yes” for the measure means voting in favor of reducing the property tax rate for seniors and the disabled.

The only other county-wide issue on the ballot is a mobility bond election over the issuance of $156 million in general obligation bonds for roads and bridges throughout the county. A complete listing of the infrastructure project that would be funded through the bond issue, if passed, is available here.

Voters living within the Fort Bend Independent School District can vote on a board of trustees race that pits incumbent Lisa Rickert against Bob Broxson for Position 3, and incumbent Ken Bryant against Ann Hopkins, Noel Pinnock and David Reitz for Position 7. Daniel Mendendez’s name also appears on on the ballot, however, he withdrew from the race and is no longer a candidate. . .

. . .In Arcola, three council seats are up for grabs in a five-way race between Rosie Rojas, Lizzie Pitts, Tom Hilton, James DeVoge and Greg Abarr.

. . .Missouri City: District A City Council incumbent Eunice Reiter faces Rodney Griffin; District B incumbent Don Smith faces Louis Hunter and Cynthia Lenton-Gary; and Barbara Gibson and Kevin Tunstall are challenging for District C.


Comments--These are the races impacting our area given the airport expansion project and other development issues (including school over-crowding).

FBStar Reports On Landfill & Election Impact--

State grants Blue Ridge Landfill expansion permit
Residents say they will continue to fight

By Cheryl Skinner
Opponents of the Blue Ridge Landfill near Fresno say they will continue the fight to oppose expanding the facility, despite the revelation that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says the company meets all the requirements of law and will be granted the permit for expansion.

The TCEQ sent out letters to those who had opposed the expansion in writing saying the entity had reviewed public comments about the controversial application to expand Blue Ridge Landfill near Fresno, and concluded the owner, Allied Waste, meets the requirements of applicable law.

Blue Ridge Landfill plans to expand the “waste footprint” from 302 to 784 acres, and to increase the maximum height waste can be piled from the current 58 to 170 feet.

Opponents say the fight isn’t over. The Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, a grassroots organization made up primarily of residents living near the site, say they will file for a contested hearing.

If TCEQ grants that request for the hearing, an independent judge would determine if the landfill application really does comply with the law.

Residents living near the facility have been very vocal about their opposition. The proposal to expand the landfill which is located at 2200 F.M. 521 near the town of Fresno has brought opposition from some government entities as well. Officially opposing the landfill are Brazoria County and the City of Pearland, however Fort Bend County and Missouri City have not opposed the plan to increase the size of the landfill. This is primarily due to the fact that both entities entered into an agreement some years ago that said they would not oppose future expansion plans. Allied agreed to pay a “tipping fee” to local governments and those funds can be used for improvements to the area. Local officials say the nearly $1 million a year in tipping fees has been allocated to the Fresno area. Opponents say the fee is nothing more than a legal bribe to keep officials from opposing expansion plans. . .

. . . While Allied previously acknowledged that, in November 2005 there was barium detected that was deemed “a statistically significant exceedance of barium.” But, company officials said, they felt the barium was a naturally occurring event. Opponents say this event, regardless of what caused it, could be a detriment to water wells located near the site. Some county officials have pointed out that the area will be converting from groundwater within the next few years and that should eliminate or at least reduce concerns. . .

. . . The landfill has turned into a political issue and those in opposition to the expansion are promoting a group of candidates who are running for Missouri City council slots.



Stay tuned as we update this controversy near Missouri City.

ABC13 Covers Landfill Proposal--

Landfill is a tall concern for some residents
By Miya Shay
(4/02/07 - KTRK/FORT BEND COUNTY, TX) - A trash company is looking at expanding a landfill from the current 40 feet limit height to a proposed 170 feet.

Also on ABC13.com:

The landfill expansion proposal would happen on FM 521, just south of McHard Road, but it's not just the extra landfill that's a concern.

The landfill sits inside the Fort Bend County lines, but it's just across the street from a major Pearland neighborhood. Besides worries about the environmental impact, there is a new concern. Will a bigger and higher landfill affect how you get your weather information?

Along the fort bend and Brazoria County lines, the Blue Ridge Landfill is already in operation, but plans to expand the dump site is causing nearby Pearland city officials plenty of concern. That's especially with the growing Shadow Creek Ranch subdivision just across FM 521.

"It's right across the street from the fastest growing master planned community in the Houston area," said Kevin Cole of the Pearland City Council. "We have a lot of concerns from the people across the street from here."
For the people who live in the area, it's not just the sight and smell that worries them. If the landfill expansion is approved, it could eventually grow to 230 feet high. That level is much higher than the Doppler radar towers of several TV stations, situated nearby.

"It's a flat area, it's got great visibility, so it happens to be where a lot of the TV stations have put up their radars," said ABC13 Chief Meteorologist Tim Heller. "Unfortunately the landfill is also in that same spot." . . . (get the full story and the streaming video by clicking the title link above).

Also get this FBN story and thread at: http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2754

Contribute or volunteer to CABRLE by seeking more info at: http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/

Get more on the MC candidates that oppose this landfill expansion proposal at: http://mcelectioninformation.blogspot.com/


Stay informed and keep in touch. This landfill shares waterways with our community!

TCEQ Director Rules In Favor of Landfill Expansion Near Missouri City!

Just in:

The executive director of the TCEQ has just entered a ruling against close to 1100 homeowners who participated actively on a petition drive against the expansion of the Blue Ridge Landfill near Missouri City. This story hit the local news and t.v. stations in November and December 2006 with coverage of the dozen or so neighborhoods from Sienna Plantation over to Shadow Creek Ranch, as well as the more established communities between.

Richard Morrison, an environmental attorney for CABRLE, reported at one hearing, the statistically significant levels of Barium released, which caught many by surprise here, given many of our streams pass on or near that facilities property. Later Pearland and Brazoria County would join the opposition, but Missouri City officials and Fort Bend County would refuse to help because they had already entered into an agreement not to contest the expansion a few years ago in lieu of $200k and 800k tipping fees respectively. This caused quite a stir in the local media with complaints to Mo-City council coming as late as the March 5th 2007 city council session by area residents.

The next step will be for those receiving responses from the TCEQ in favor of the landfill to request a contested hearing. Time is limited so responses must move quickly. Several council/district candidates here in MC have lined up in opposition to the contract and the expansion (Lou Hunter, Rodney Griffin, Noel Pinnock and Kevin Tunstall).


Stay informed and keep in touch!

FBSun: Missouri City Officials Debate Ordinance 46-4 Which Gives The City Lien Power Over Homeowners To Fix Public Infrastructure Near Their Property!

Missouri City sidewalk ordinance stirring controversy
By: DIANE TEZENO

What Missouri City residents don't know may hurt them, at least when it comes to a little known ordinance governing community sidewalks.

Although the ordinance has been on the books since June 1974, many residents have only recently become aware of provisions that require homeowners to maintain sidewalks in front of their homes.

An excerpt from Section 46-4 of the Missouri City Code of Ordinances reads, "It shall be the duty of every owner of real estate in the city, abutting on any public street or alley in the city in front of which real estate or along which street the building official may order the construction, reconstruction or repair (of) sidewalks, culvert pipes, curbs, gutters or other infrastructure, to cause such improvement to be constructed, reconstructed or repaired..."

Under the ordinance, a homeowner is given a timeframe to repair a noted defect in a sidewalk in front of his home, subject to obtaining a building permit.

If action is not taken , the city has the right to complete the work or advertise for bids at the homeowner's expense. The public works department then bills the building inspection division, and if the homeowner does not make arrangements to repay repair costs, a lien is issued against the homeowner's property for repairs.
"It really scares me to think that the city, under this administration, has more lien power to foreclose on our homes for something as small as a cracked sidewalk or gutter," said Sienna resident Chris Calvin.

He and, several other Fort Bend residents, are joining forces to repeal Section 46-4 of the ordinance, and consider the section of an issue of the city shifting liability to residents for its infrastructure rather than an issue of sidewalk repair.

Kevin Tunstall, a member of the informal group, became aware of the ordinance several days before a subcommittee chaired by Councilmember Jerry Wyatt met to address concerns.
"No member of this community should be forced to pay for the repair of property that they do not own. Not only would this be unfair, it could also be construed as a violation of our rights under the Texas Constitution," Tunstall told members of the committee. . .

Get the full story from the FB Sun at:

http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18029346&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=533228&rfi=6

and more background at:

http://www.fortbendweb.com/webapp/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=738#topcomment


*Comment--Should Missouri City officials have the right to place a lien against your home for broken public property that is near your home? How will this impact Sienna area residents? Follow this and other issues as the spring city council elections approach!