At its regularly scheduled meeting held on May 21, City Council elected a new Mayor Pro Tem, approved a tax abatement agreement for a major bottling company moving to Missouri City and awarded a contract for the new animal shelter.

Here are some actions Council Members took during the meeting:

• Judge James Shoemake administered the oath of office to Mayor Allen Owen, Council Member at Large Position 1 Jerry Wyatt and Council Member at Large Position 2 Danny Nguyen. They were unopposed for office. Each thanked the residents for the opportunity to serve the City.


• Re-elected Jerry Wyatt as Mayor Pro Tem to serve as Mayor during the absence of the Mayor. The Mayor Pro Tem is elected at the first Council meeting following each regular City election.


• Authorized a lease agreement for a police mini-station on Texas Parkway at an initial cost of $2,400 for the first and last month’s lease and deposit. Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said the new mini-station will serve as a “visible symbol of the department’s established commitment of partnership with residents and business owners in the City.”


• Recognized the Finance Department for receiving the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for the 24th consecutive year for sound financial management and fiscal responsibility. The department scored a 94 percent efficiency rating in all 31 areas that were reviewed.


• Held a public hearing and approved on the second and final reading the creation of Reinvestment Zone #10, which is required in order for the City to give tax abatements to a business locating in Lakeview Business Park.


• Approved a tax abatement agreement and an economic development agreement between Missouri City and Niagara Bottling LLC, which is purchasing approximately 25.85 acres in Lakeview Business Park for its 350,000 square foot facility. The bottling plant expects to start production in the first quarter of 2013.


• Adopted a new redistricting plan on the second and final reading in response to the 2010 Census data, which required revising City Council member district boundaries to comply with the “one-person, one-vote” principle established by the U.S. Constitution. The redistricting documentation will be sent to the Department of Justice for review.


• Awarded a contract for the construction of the City’s new Animal Control Facility to LS & A Group of Houston for $593,703. The City of Stafford has agreed to contribute $166,790.25 as its part of the cost of design and construction of the new shelter, plus a monthly fee of $1,600.


• The new facility includes the following:
  1. 2,660-square-foot, one-story building
  
  
  2. 24 dog kennels
  
  
  3. 12 cat kennels
  
  
  4. Dog quarantine area
  
  
  5. Office space
  
  
  6. Fenced in yard for walking dogs
• Held a public hearing on proposed amendments to the City zoning ordinance and approved on the second and final reading to allow residents in the following large lot subdivisions to store up to three trash containers (cans, carts or bags) beside the house without regard to storing them out of public view:
  1. Newpoint Estates
  
  
  2. Westpoint Estates
  
  
  3. Estates of Silver Ridge
  
  
  4. Black Creek Village
  
  
  5. Manors of Silver Ridge
  
  
  6. Silver Ridge
  
  
  7. Waterbrook
  
  
  8. Waterbrook West
  
  
  9. Oakwick Forest Estates
  
  
  10. Oyster Creek Farms
  
  
  11. Flamingo Estates at Lake Olympia
  
  
  12. Rustler’s Crossing
• Adopted the 2012 Annual Action Plan outlining the planned expenditures of Community Development Block Grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The allocation for Missouri City in 2012 is $292,001.68. The funds will be used to build a playground in Buffalo Run Park, repair fencing around the tennis court and a practice backboard at McLain Park and provide several $1,000 post-secondary scholarships.


• Held a public hearing and approved a request on the second and final reading to rezone about five acres of land on Highway 90A from LC- Retail district to PD- Planned development district to locate a mixed use complex that will include retail, a storage and service yard and warehouse space. The site is located in the former Tang City Plaza.


• Held a public hearing to receive comments and approved on the second and final reading the proposed levy of assessments on residential lots in Section 4 of Lakeshore Harbour subdivision for improvements in Public Improvement District No. 2. The annual assessment in Section 4 is $1,400.


• Approved selling a small parcel of land to the Lake Dwellers Association for a private well site to obtain water to fill an amenity lake that was depleted due to the drought.


• Approved a resolution approving cooperation with the Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities to review a request from CenterPoint Energy for an adjustment to its energy efficiency cost recovery factor and determine if the filing complies with law and if so, to determine what further action will be taken.