By George Slaughter Mayor Bill Hastings Monday issued a proclamation of disaster for the city, and the city council voted to extend it, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The proclamation said the city will follow its emergency management plan and an executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott last month. Abbott’s order requires Texans to avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people and avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and […]
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Katy ISD School Board Postpones Election to November
By George Slaughter The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees Monday night voted to postpone its school board election until November. The vote came in response to a COVID-19-related proclamation issued by Gov. Greg Abbott on March 18. In that proclamation, Abbott gave local jurisdictions with elections in May, such as the school district, the option of postponing those elections until November. Abbott said he encourages postponement so communities can focus on addressing COVID-19 […]
COVID-19 Issues Compel City to Postpone Election
By George Slaughter Citing public safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Katy City Council Monday voted unanimously to postpone the Katy city election until November 3. The vote came in response to a COVID-19-related proclamation issued by Gov. Greg Abbott last Wednesday. In that proclamation, Abbott gave cities with upcoming elections, such as Katy, the option of postponing those elections until November. Abbott said last week that he encourages postponement so the focus can […]
Council to Decide Monday Whether to Postpone City Election
By George Slaughter The Katy City Council will vote Monday whether to postpone the municipal elections to November 3, in response to a COVID-19-related proclamation issued by Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday. Under the law, elections are held on uniform dates, meaning that the city can hold its election on May 2 as originally scheduled, or November 3, which would coincide with the presidential election. “I strongly encourage local election officials to take advantage of these […]
Katy Mills Mall to Close in Response to COVID-19 Concerns
By George Slaughter Katy Mills Mall will close at 7 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed through March 29 in response to the national COVID-19 pandemic, the mall’s owner said. “The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers, and employees is of paramount importance and we are taking this step to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” Simon Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President David Simon said in a statement. Simon, based in […]
COVID-19 Concerns Lead to Closing of City Facilities
NOTE: Story updated to reflect cancellation of reservations for city parks and recreation areas. By George Slaughter Katy city officials Wednesday cancelled reservations for city parks and recreations, another reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the city closed the Fussell Senior Center, Katy Visitor Center/Depot, and the Johnny Nelson Katy Heritage Museum until further notice. Last week the city cancelled or postponed community events through April in response to coronavirus concerns. Officials described these […]
Coronavirus Concerns Compel Early Houston Rodeo Cancellation
By George Slaughter The Houston Livestock and Rodeo announced Wednesday afternoon it would close on orders from the City of Houston and the Houston Health Department, citing coronavirus concerns. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a news conference that he would sign a community health declaration for the city that would impact the rodeo, which will cancel its remaining shows. Until yesterday, Turner said, cases in the greater Houston region were tied to individuals who […]
City to Participate in Great Texas Warrant Roundup
By George Slaughter Katy will be a participant in the 2020 Texas Great Warrant Roundup. The program is a statewide warrant enforcement effort to find and arrest citizens with outstanding warrants for not paying or resolving overdue their traffic tickets with any Texas state court. To encourage case resolution, the Katy Municipal Court has arranged a safe harbor court date to enable all individuals with outstanding warrants to clear their cases without fear of being […]
Council Approves Construction of New Cell Phone Tower
By George Slaughter Katy will soon get another cell phone tower, as the city council Monday approved a special use permit to enable construction of a 150-foot wireless communication facility issue at 5364 Franz Rd. The tower will be installed on land owned by the Katy Independent School District and is zoned R-1, single-family residential. The site sits between Hutsell Elementary School, 5360 Franz Road, and Katy Junior High School, 5350 Franz Road. Eco-Site II […]
Doyle, Three Other Candidates Withdraw from Katy ISD School Board Election
By George Slaughter Last Friday was the deadline to file for a place on the ballot in the upcoming Katy Independent School Board of Trustees election. The window for withdrawing from the race comes after that, and four people have done so. Positions 3, 4, and 5 are up for election May 2. Position 4 incumbent Courtney Doyle, who serves as the board president, is one of the four who chose not to seek reelection. […]