Katy Times PAGE 6

KATY TURNS FOSTER, OUT FOR CONNER TO WREATHS CONTINUE ACROSS CAREERS AT AMERICA A&M, TEXAS PAGE 2 Katy Times PAGE 6 VOLUME 108, ISSUE 52 THE GREATER KATY AREA'S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1912 n katytimes.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 FORT BEND COUNTY BACK AT IT Commissioners approve more CARES Act grants By R. HANS MILLER NEWS EDITOR Fort Bend County Com- missioners approved a second round of grant funding for small businesses through CARES Act funds allocated to the county at the governing body’s Dec. 8 meeting. The forgivable grants are available to Fort Bend businesses in amounts up to $25,000 COLE MCNANNA depending on the company’s annual sales reported for Katy junior linebacker Ty Kana brings down a Lamar ballcarrier during Katy’s Class 6A Division II area playoff win COURTESY FORT BEND COUNTY/SWAGIT on Dec. 18 at Rhodes Stadium. 2019. “The case management Fort Bend County Auditor Ed Sturdivant discusses the availability of funding for CARES team is aggressively pursuing Act grants to help businesses in Fort Bend County adversely impacted by the COVID-19 the grantees for submission pandemic during the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting held Dec. 8. Tigers start playoff journey, roll to area win of their documentation because we have right at 1,700 Initial funding was avail- back to work and mortgage By DENNIS SILVA II bye for the first round, finally got back that are eligible for a second able in the amount of more assistance. SPORTS EDITOR on the field on Friday, Dec. 18. It then grant,” County Auditor Ed than $47 million, though it Applicants’ principal place dominated, thoroughly, as it eased its Sturdivant said during the was unclear how much fund- of business must be in Fort No. 9 state-ranked Katy had to wait way to a breezy 60-7 win over Lamar in meeting. ing remained available. Bend County and reported a week longer than most other teams their Class 6A Division II area playoff Sturdivant said at the According to county annual 2019 revenue must be to initiate its playoff journey. But once game at Rhodes Stadium. time the Auditor’s Office had documents, funding from the at least $25,000 and no more they did, the Tigers, per their ways, put The Tigers (9-1) advanced to play No. only been able to help a little grants may be used to pay for than $5 million to be eligible. everyone on notice that they will be no 21 Shadow Creek (6-3), the 2019 Class less than 10% of the original personal protective equip- Additional requirements easy out. 5A Division I state champion, in the re- grantees receive a second ment, reopening supplies, include having between one After its bi-district game against gional semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 26, grant. Grant funding is avail- equipment and renovations, and 50 full time employees, Elkins on Dec. 11 was canceled due at 1 p.m. at Freedom Field in Alvin. able for expenses incurred inventory, utilities, remote the business must be for prof- to COVID-19 cases in the Knights’ through the end of Decem- working expenses, leases, program, Katy, which was awarded a See TIGERS, page 10 ber, he said. payroll to bring employees See GRANTS, page 5 FULSHEAR City adopts water fee, OKs development agreement By R. HANS MILLER gallons of groundwater and $4.30 per 1,000 gallons of NEWS EDITOR surface water. The water authority pumpage fees apply to all Municipal Utility Districts and cities within the Fulshear City Council adopted a development boundaries of the North Fort Bend Water Authority agreement with DR Horton for about 1,300 acres including the Cinco Ranch area and the city of Katy. to be developed into residential housing. They also Funds raised through the fees are required to be used adopted, as required by state law, an increase to the for projects that educate the public on water conserva- North Fort Bend Regional Water Authority fees that tion or convert the region from groundwater to surface are passed through the city to residents through water usage, according to the NFBWA website. water bills at their Dec. 15 meeting. Council Member Debra Cates said she felt it was “Unfortunately, while staff recommends (accepting important that the city explain to residents that, while the fee increase), I also know that we have no choice but they have no choice but to accept the water authority’s to recommend (it) and we’re going to continue to fight fee increase due to legislation, they are not necessarily that – at least, that’s my promise to you all – through in favor of the increase which is a continuation of the legislation and conversations,” Mayor Aaron Groff said. fees increasing annually for the past several years. Council Member Joel Patterson said that, given Costly water his experience in geology and associated issues with The NFBRWA is a regional water authority created subsidence, he would like the city to push to get its by the 79th Texas Legislature in May of 2005 with the own individual membership on the Harris-Galveston purpose of reducing subsidence – the sinking of land Subsidence District which oversees the water authori- due to water being pumped out from beneath it – and ties in the Greater Houston area. encourage water conservation practices as well as a Groff said he would continue to push for representa- move to surface water. The fees on residents’ water tion on that board and would work to ensure represen- Fulshear Mayor Aaron Groff explains that Fulshear is required under state legislation to accept an bills will be set at $4.25 per 1,000 gallons of ground- tation for the city at all levels associated with the fees, increase in water pumpage fees established by the North Fort Bend Regional Water Authority. water pumped or $4.60 per 1,000 gallons of surface especially given what he felt was a lack of progress on Essentially, he said, for the first 5,000 gallons of water used by a resident, about $4 goes to the city water pumped per business or household. This is an while about $20 goes to the water authority. increase from the prior year’s rate of $3.95 per 1,000 See FULSHEAR, page 5 HAVE A NEWS TIP? WALLER COUNTY [email protected] SUBSCRIBE TODAY 281-391-3141 Commissioners move ahead with renovation December 24, 2020 By R. HANS MILLER 10 pages | $1 NEWS EDITOR Waller County commissioners approved next steps in the county’s plans to revitalize county-op- erated buildings at their Dec. 16 meeting by approving and agreement with Sedalco Construction Services to and the purchase of a new heating system for the Waller County Courthouse. “As you might have noticed, it’s a little chilly in here,” County Judge Trey Duhon said when opening discussions regarding replacing the heating and cool- ing system for the courthouse. “Because we have (no heat) in the courthouse at this time. The FILE PHOTO BY R. HANS MILLER boiler has finally come to its final The Waller County Courthouse will see a great deal of activity in the near future as work crews replace its roughly 70-year-old boiler system which demise.” recently broke down beyond repair and assess the building for an internal redesign and remodel that will modernize the structure. Waller County Construction Manager Danny Rothe said the boiler, which county officials “(Maintenance staff) do a lot to the county courthouse to be “I appreciate the committee said was about 70 years old, had of plumbing and a lot of electrical removed. that got together and looked at broken to the point that it is no and a lot of AC systems, but this Commissioners approved the those things that came up with longer repairable. Replacement is a boiler that’s going to be about agreement with Sedalco for as- the scoring (of the bids),” Duhon of the boiler system was approved the size of (the tables in the court- sessment of the county courthouse said. “I appreciate your time. I through the BuyBoard group room),” Rothe said. “It has to be after county staff recommended mean, just based on our expe- purchasing agreement which brought in. We’ve already cleared the organization citing a good rience in this with the justice an area in the maintenance room working relationship with the firm Waller County participates in. center and working with those Collective purchasing platforms upstairs on the fourth floor for it.” which also completed the county’s firms, I think that’s great. I have such as BuyBoard help small Air-Tech Brazos Valley out of new justice center on time and municipalities such as counties College Station will perform the on budget, which commissioners no problems with those firms and cities negotiate better prices heating system replacement. noted is an uncommon occur- whatsoever.” by operating collaboratively. The old system will not be rence. Sedalco was the top-recom- An exact cost for the assess- Replacement of the system will removed from the building at mended bid out of five the county ment, redesign and remodel cost about $56,000, Rothe said this time, Rothe said, but rather received, Rothe said. Sedalco will of the building is not set as yet and will need to be installed by will wait until more is known work with BSW Architects on the because final negotiations on the an outside vendor. about upcoming renovations design portion of the project. proposal are ongoing. THE KATY TIMES 2 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 COMMUNITY KATYTIMES.COM Katy turns out for Wreaths Across America By R.

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