Sarah Denman Appointed to Keep Katy Beautiful Board of Directors

By George Slaughter

The Katy City Council appointed Sarah Denman to the Keep Katy Beautiful Board of Directors Monday night.

Keep Katy Beautiful also presented a Katy Proud Business Award to Dr. Dolores Mora of Smiles of Katy, 1419 Avenue D.

Denman, like other prospective candidates for the role, was interviewed by Mayor Chuck Brawner, Marketing Director Kayce Reina, and Marketing Assistant Jess Washburn. According to a council agenda request memorandum sent to the council, City Administrator Byron Hebert said that a rubric scoring system was used to evaluate applications and Denman was the choice for fill the seat.

Denman succeeds Debbie Berger on the board.

In another development, the council voted 4-1 to reject a resolution for Mayor Chuck Brawner to sign an agreement to development of cooperation between Katy and the city of Bobruisk, in the Republic of Belarus.

Belarus is in Eastern Europe and is bordered by Poland on the east and Russia on the west. Bobruisk has a population of approximately 215,000. It is 382 miles southwest of Moscow, 427 miles west of Warsaw, and 5,834 miles east of Katy.

Some citizens attending the meeting asked where Bobruisk was and why such an agreement was necessary. Brawner said that officials from Bobruisk visited city hall to pitch the idea, and he explained that the council had to authorize him to approve any agreement.

Brawner said the proposed agreement was similar to a sister city agreement in which cities from different countries sign an agreement to promote mutual commercial and cultural ties. Brawner said that Bobruisk officials had reached out to Houston officials and were also reaching out to their counterparts in San Antonio and Austin.

Ward B Council Member Jimmy Mendez thought it spoke well of Katy that officials would want to have such an agreement with the city, especially with Houston, San Antonio, and Austin in the mix. Ward A Council Member Gary Jones questioned the importance of such an agreement when the Katy city web site didn’t include information for the upcoming bond election.

Mendez was the only council member to vote for the resolution.

In other action, the council:

  • Recognized Angela Fleming for completion of Level III certification from the Texas Municipal Court Clerk’s Certification Program.
  • Reviewed city bank statements and check register through February 28.
  • Approved first extensions of final plat approvals for Kingsland Boulevard and West. Firethorn Road street dedications in the Young Ranch subdivision.
  • Approved second extensions of final plat approvals for five sections of the Young Ranch subdivision.
  • Authorized the mayor to sign an agreement with TXU Energy Retail Company to supply electricity for city of Katy city facilities. The city presently in the sixth year of a seven-year plan and the new agreement, for eight years, would go into effect after that.
  • Authorized Brawner to sign an interlocal agreement with Harris County and accept a grant award of equipment.
  • Authorized Brawner to sign a utility conveyance and security agreement with Waller County Improvement District #2.
  • Appointed Ted L. Morgan Jr. to the city’s social services advisory board.

Mayor Chuck Brawner congratulates Angela Fleming for completing Level III Certification from the Texas Municipal Court Clerks Certification Program. City Secretary Missy Bunch joins the applause. (George Slaughter photo)