At the regularly scheduled City Council meeting held on Monday, Jan. 4, Councilmembers discussed the dangers of using cell phones while driving, received an update on the sidewalk repair program and endorsed a move to improve the Texas Parkway/Cartwright Road Corridor.

Here are some actions taken at the meeting:

ª Received a report from Public Works Director Scott Elmer on the City’s sidewalk repair plan, which was adopted in May 2007 with a budget of $150,000 a year. Presently, more than 300 work orders city-wide have been completed at a total cost of $386,740. Additional money for the repairs came from Operational dollars and Community Development Block Grant funding. For this fiscal year, $350,000 will be budgeted for sidewalk repairs and replacement. A new contract will begin around May and the contractor will focus solely on sidewalk repair, allowing for a quicker response time. Information also was presented on staff and First Colony Community Association coming to a common solution for street tree mitigation/replacement and the cost of sidewalk repair for Missouri City residents who are members of FCCA.

• After a lengthy discussion, Council agreed to postpone further debate on trash-can violations. Councilmembers Robin Elackatt, Cynthia Gary and Bobby Marshall will work with Director of Planning Ornita Green to determine what constitutes a violation and outline how violations should be handled. This will be presented at the Feb. 1 meeting.

• Agreed to postpone a proposed ban on the use of wireless communication devices by motorists, unless they were hands-free. After Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald discussed the difficulty of enforcing such an ordinance, the Council asked him to draft a binding decree, working with Director of Public Works Scott Elmer. The recommendation will be presented at the Jan. 19 Council meeting.

• Authorized a contract between the City and SWWC Services, Inc., for operation and maintenance of three wastewater treatment processes that are located on the Mustang Wastewater Treatment Plant site. The City approved an exemption from the competitive bid process to assure the facility operates smoothly during the time it changes from ownership by a municipal utility district to City control.

• Approved authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a professional service agreement for the design of Texas Parkway and Cartwright Road Corridor Landscape Improvements. The $40,600 agreement is with TBG Partners. Phase I of the project will be implemented over the next month with the planting of trees at street medians that intersect with Texas Parkway, including the entrance to City Hall.

• Approved the first of two readings to amend an ordinance on graffiti removal, allowing the graffiti to be removed at City expense. Under the current ordinance, homeowners are responsible for removing graffiti at their own expense.

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