Council Appoints Anas Garfaoui Assistant City Administrator

By George Slaughter

Katy City Administrator Byron Hebert, left, and Mayor Bill Hastings flank new Assistant City Administrator Anas Garfaoui (George Slaughter photo)

The Katy City Council Monday appointed Anas Garfaoui as assistant city administrator.

Garfaoui, who had been city planner, has worked with the city since earning a public administration degree in 2012 at Stephen F. Austin State University. He began his public service as a part-time administrative assistant and has worked his way up the city ranks, culminating in Monday’s appointment.

Ward B Council Member Rory Robertson said he was excited about Garfaoui’s appointment, and other council members were enthusiastic also.

Mayor Pro Tem and Council Member-at-Large Chris Harris said Garfaoui “would be great for this position” and praised his leadership, which goes back before Harris’s 2018 election to the council.

Ward A Council Member Janet Corte praised Garfaoui’s good advice on city issues.

“He always gets back in a timely manner,” Corte said.

That City Administrator Byron Hebert would have an assistant administrator wasn’t lost on the council. Ward B Council Member Gina Hicks said she was happy for Hebert.

Mayor Bill Hastings also praised Garfaoui, calling him “one of the finest young men I have ever met.”

Garfaoui grew up in the Katy area and graduated from Mayde Creek High School.

City Designates Roads for Continuous Truck Traffic

As Katy grows, one can expect to see commercial motor vehicles, called CMVs, on the streets. CMVs include concrete trucks, construction trucks, dump trucks, and 18-wheelers. However, not all roads and bridges are graded for these trucks. In other cases, trucks can be overloaded and spill debris. Roads get damaged and other safety issues might arise.

The council Monday designed these roads as suitable for continuous truck traffic:

  • Katy Hockley Cut-Off Road between Clay Road and Morton Road.
  • Katy Fort-Bend Road between Morton Road and Interstate 10.
  • Interstate 10 from Katy Fort-Bend Road to US Highway 90.
  • Interstate 10 from Katy Fort-Bend Road to the western boundary of the city limits.
  • S. Highway 90 from Interstate 10 frontage to the western boundary of the city limits.
  • Pin Oak Road from Interstate 10 to US Highway 90.
  • FM 1463 from Interstate 10 to US Highway 90.
  • Cane Island Parkway from Interstate 10 to US Highway 90.
  • Pederson Road from Interstate 10 to US Highway 90.
  • Igloo Road from Interstate 10 to US Highway 90.

The city in 2019 worked with the Texas Legislature to authorize a Katy police officer to get CMV certification. The officer, David Cornelius, addresses hazardous materials, motor safety, and weight issues for those vehicles.

Other Actions Taken

In other action Monday, the council:

  • Approved the minutes for its meetings of April 5, 12, and 26.
  • Approved the Katy Triathlon at Cane Island, set for September 5.
  • Approved a $525 membership dues payment to the Texas Economic Development Council.
  • Authorized a $10,000 change order for the waterline design for the Fortuna Drive project.
  • Released 2.67 acres from extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston in Fort Bend County as requested by Stony Creek Center, Ltd.
  • Issued $2.86 million in unlimited tax road bonds by Harris-Waller County’s Municipal Utility District No. 2.
  • Approved a $6,566.13 10/20 write-off of property taxes for 2021. The “10/20” means personal property after 10 years is uncollectable and real property after 20 years is uncollectable unless a tax suit is filed or a tax deferral is issued.
  • Granted a petition from Owl Partner Group, LP for the annexation of 15.58 acres in Waller County into Fort Bend-Waller County’s Municipal Utility District No. 2.
  • Updated the classifications, compensation, and job descriptions of city planner, geographic information systems professional, and planning technician, and added job descriptions of assistant building official and assistant city administrator.
  • Passed an ordinance permitting the city to appoint to the Convention and Tourism Bureau a nonresident of the city. The nonresident may own or be an officer or director of a business, other than a hotel or motel, with offices within the city limits. The ordinance prohibits no more than one two CTB member qualifying solely under this subsection shall be appointed.
  • Appointed members to various city boards and commissions. Click here to see the list.
  • Created a new classification for structures in Katy Heritage Park. The classification amends technical codes, construction standards, and building regulations for these buildings.