By George Slaughter
Greg Goedecker – George Slaughter photo
Greg Goedecker has been appointed the city’s new emergency management coordinator.
In a memo to the Katy City Council urging his appointment, Fire Chief Russell Wilson cited Goedecker’s experience as an emergency management specialist and planner with the City of Irving, as well as his experience during the 2009 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
In his role, Goedecker will be working with the city’s Office of Emergency Management and its committees on hazard management and local emergency planning. He will work with city officials to maintain the city’s emergency action plan.
Mayor Chuck Brawner appoints both the hazard management and local emergency planning committees, and they are appointed by the council.
Before joining the City of Irving, Goedecker was a consultant and later an incident action plan specialist and team lead with The Response Group, a provider of response planning and support services, in Cypress.
Goedecker joined the city earlier this month and his appointment was made official at Monday night’s council meeting.
Council Adopts Development Guidelines for Subdivisions in Reservoirs
The council passed an ordinance Monday to accept the Harris County Flood Control District’s supplemental guidelines for developing in the Addicks Reservoir Watershed, Barker Reservoir Watershed, and Cypress Creek Watershed.
Stephen Wilcox, an engineer with Costello, Inc., said the guidelines would affect future subdivision development in those areas. Costello is the firm hired to make recommendations for reducing future flooding.
In a memo to the council urging approval, Wilcox wrote that the supplemental guidelines would require higher minimum water detention rates and the addition of a retention volume component above the detention volume.
“The majority of the City of Katy city limits and extra-jurisdictional territory lies within the Barker and Addicks Reservoir watersheds, with significant portions in both Fort Bend and Waller counties,” Wilcox wrote. “To ensure consistent development regulations and that developments provide the necessary mitigation volume amounts as part of the development planning, it is recommended that all developments within Barker and Addicks reservoirs adhere to the supplemental guidelines regardless of the county boundary. Where a conflict may arise between the supplemental guidelines and other entities criteria (i.e. Fort Bend, BKDD), the more restrictive would apply.”
The flood control districted adopted the guidelines in 2016. The council’s adoption of the guidelines Monday means the guidelines will be added to the city code and are effective immediately.
The city’s planning and zoning commission approved the guidelines at its August 14 meeting.
Other Actions Taken
Keep Katy Beautiful awarded the Katy Proud Business Award to Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union. Pictured are, from left, Jacalyn Warner, Sandy Schmidt, Patty Hanson, Jamie Wolman, Mayor Chuck Brawner, Yvonne Kershner, Stacy King, Jennifer Stence, Diane Davis, Sharon Rhoads, Albert Thompson, and Kathy Wiesner – George Slaughter photo
In other action, the council:
- Recognized Abril Lamb for completing the Level III certification from the Texas Municipal Court Clerk’s Certification Program.
- Watched the Keep Katy Beautiful presentation of the Katy Proud Business Award to Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union, 25425 Kingsland Blvd.
- Announced a public hearing on the proposed city budget. The hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. September 24, at the regular city council meeting.
- Discussed the proposed $0.486720 per $100 property valuation tax rate and scheduled two public hearings on the issue. The first hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. September 10, and the second hearing is set for 3 p.m. September 14.
- Closed selected streets for the 2018 Katy Rice Festival Parade. The streets will be closed from 8-11 a.m. October 13. Streets to be closed include 10th Street between Avenue D and Drexel Drive; Drexel Drive between 10th Street and 5th Street; 5th Street between Drexel Drive and Avenue C, and Avenue C between 5th Street and 10th Street.
- Blocked selected streets to create a no parking zone from 7 a.m. October 12 through October 14 for the 2018 Katy Rice Festival. Streets to be blocked starting at 7 a.m. October 12 include a portion of Avenue C between 2nd Street & 3rd Street; a portion of 3rd Street between Avenue A and Avenue C, and a portion of Avenue B between 2nd Street and 4th Street. Streets to be closed from 5 p.m. October 12 through 10 p.m. October 14 include 2nd Street between Avenue A and Avenue D; 3rd Street between Avenue A and Avenue D; 4th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B; a portion of Avenue C between 1st Street and 4th Street, and a portion of Avenue B between 1st Street and 4th Street.
- Approved a 10.80-acre and 14.29-acre final plats for the Cane Island subdivision.
- Approved a 5.15-acre final plat for the Woodcreek Reserve subdivision.
- Approved three streetlight layouts for the Young Ranch subdivision.
- Awarded a $154,185 sewer line replacement bid to Barclays Premier Utility Services of Houston. Total project cost is $189,463.85, which includes the bid amount, contingencies engineering, surveying, and inspections.
- Awarded a $254,452 water line replacement project bid to Canyon Construction of Huffman. Total project cost is $309,986.92, which includes the bid amount, contingencies engineering, surveying, and inspections.
- Authorized up to $3.9 million in METRO funds by the Katy Development Authority for the First Street Mobility Project. Total project cost is $4.5 million, which includes the bid amount, contingencies engineering, surveying, inspection, drainage study, and bid advertisement.
- Adopted a resolution declaring certain vehicles, parts, and miscellaneous equipment as surplus and authorizing their sale or disposal.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the application for the 2016 Community Development Block Grant from the Texas General Land Office. The amount being sought is approximately $408,000.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing Mayor Chuck Brawner to sign a mutual aid agreement with the Fort Bend County Emergency Services District #2, also known as the Willowfork Fire Department, for fire protection, rescue, and first responder services.
- Passed an ordinance to add a No Left Turn sign during school zone times on Avenue A at its intersection with George Bush Drive facing northbound traffic.