By George Slaughter
Keep Katy Beautiful and the City of Katy honored the Friendship Garden Club Monday at City Hall. Pictured are, left to right: Ruth Ann Casci, Myra Jones, Sherry Hunter, Kay Callender, Lisa Hinks, Club President Flora Tiedt, Mayor Chuck Brawner, Jean Bays, Pat Williamson, Jamie Wolman, and Kathy Wiesner – George Slaughter photo
The Katy City Council Monday night honored the Friendship Garden Club for its 60 years of work in promoting the environment and volunteering in the Katy community.
In a brief presentation citing the club’s work, Keep Katy Beautiful board member Jamie Wolman said the club encourages civic beautification and recycling activities and has, in the past, brought educational programs by horticulture professionals.
Wolman said that today, club volunteers are involved in presenting environmental books and reading events in Katy elementary schools.
The club was established as the “Busy Bee Garden Club” in 1957 and reorganized as the Friendship Garden Club in 1960.
The club accepted a proclamation by Mayor Chuck Brawner citing its accomplishments and service.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, the council accepted “payment” on a good-natured football bet.
Last week, Fulshear Mayor Groff and Katy City Council Member-at-Large made a bet on the Tompkins Falcons-Katy Tigers game. If the Falcons won, then Harris, or perhaps Mayor Pro Tem Durran Dowdle or new Ward A Council Member Frank Carroll, would wear a crimson shirt and say nice things about the Falcons team during the public comments portion of the next Fulshear City Council meeting.
If, however, Katy won by 10 or more points, Groff would wear a red shirt and say nice things about the Tigers during the public comments portion of Monday’s Katy City Council meeting.
Groff said many students at Tompkins live in Fulshear, even though the school itself is outside that city’s limits.
Katy won the game, 66-13. And while Groff wore an orange shirt Monday, Brawner, all in good fun, presented Groff with a Tigers hat and expressed the hope that Groff would wear it to next year’s game.
In other action, the council:
- Approved the 2019 city holiday schedule.
- Canceled the November 12 and December 24 council meetings.
- Approved a $16,000 convention and tourism bureau hotel occupancy tax grant to Texan Live for sports video streaming.
- Approved a $12,000 convention and tourism bureau hotel occupancy tax grant to the Texas Sports Radio Network for radio and TV/Internet advertising.
- Accepted a $32,520 convention and tourism bureau hotel occupancy tax grant to KUBE channel 57 for television advertising.
- Adopted a resolution appointing a local mitigation planning team to develop and maintain emergency plans and strategies for the city. On the team are: Greg Goedecker, emergency management coordinator; Jason Rivera, assistant public works director; Elaine Lutringer, public works director; Cindy Kuykendall, code enforcement officer; Anas Garfoai, city planner, and David Leyndecker, city engineer. Goedecker and Rivera are the primary points of contact.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a letter of intent to participate in the Harris County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Action Plan.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing a $69,278 payment from the general fund for the city’s portion of the Harris County 2016 Community Development Block Grant grant allocation for work on Patna Drive.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing a $647,886 payment from the reserve enterprise funds for the city’s portion of the Fort Bend County 2016 Community Development Block Grant grant application for work on the berm at the sewer plant, 25839 I-10.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a revised equipment rental agreement with Spectrum VOIP for additional lines and locations in the citywide phone system.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the use of up to $10,000 municipal court technology funds for network and desktop computer upgrades. The resolution also authorizes using up to $10,000 in municipal court security funds for access control equipment.
- Adopted a resolution to authorizing bid advertisements for rehabilitation and painting of the elevated and ground storage tanks at Water Plant No. 4, 6850 Franz Rd., and the use of reserve enterprise funds to pay for the work.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a manufacturing contact with Lonestar Tactical Buildings/Firehouse Rods and Customs to provide a forcible entry training prop for the Katy Fire Department.