Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Jul 2009: Fort Bend County and Sugar Land News 1

Future Leaders Complete

Sugar Land 101

A group of citizens were recognized by city council for completing a course designed to better prepare participants for leadership roles in the community.

Sugar Land 101 is a 10-week course that offers an in-depth look at how Sugar Land operates. By the end of the course, citizens have a good understanding of the structure and functioning of one of the most successful municipal governments in the country.

The curriculum includes presentations by city department heads and field trips to several sites, such as a water plant, a fire station, the Sugar Land Regional Airport and the traffic center.

The purpose of the course is to better equip and encourage residents to assume leadership roles within the community. Many graduates of Sugar Land 101 go on to serve on a board or commission.

The next class is scheduled for February 2010. Applications will be available in August. For more information or to register, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov and select “City Services,” and then click on “Sugar Land 101.”

Applications will also be available at City Hall.

Opportunity to Become a Permanent Part of Sugar Land’s History

A commemorative artwork is being designed by renowned sculpture Joe Kenney as part of the city ’s yearlong celebration leading up to its 50th Anniversary on Dec. 29.

Corporate and individual sponsorships are being made available to help underwrite the project, which is planned as a permanent and elegant tribute to Sugar Land ’s collective history. Citizens and other contributors will have the opportunity to become a part of the city ’s permanent history with their names prominently displayed near the sculpture.

Six bronze panels forming a hexagon will convey the values and themes of the city ’s history, with a focus on the city’s Imperial Sugar company town roots, strong economy, diverse and safe community and the transformation of the area into one of America ’s best cities.

The artwork will be unveiled at a special final New Year’s Eve event to which the entire city will be invited.

The sponsorship levels and recognition opportunities are tax deductible and will help preserve and celebrate the city ’s unique history and provide a lasting legacy for years to come.

Contributions of $500 or more will have their names engraved on a bronze plaque that will be permanently installed in City Hall near the commemorative sculpture. Sponsorship levels include Sugar Cane, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum and range from $100-$5,000.

The deadline for all donation levels is Nov. 1. For more information, contact Sugar Land Communications at 281-275-2328 or go to www.sugarlandtx.gov.

City Opens Duhacsek Park

The city of Sugar Land’s newest park, known as Duhacsek Park, is officially open. The 50-acre Duhacsek Park was donated to the city by Walter and Virginia Duhacsek, who moved there in 1956 to enjoy life away from urban development. In their later years, the Duhacsek ’s chose to donate their land and home to Sugar Land for others to enjoy as they had done.

Parks and Recreation Director Jim Browne described the park as a great place for organizations, clubs and businesses to hold their field trips, day camps, picnics and retreats.

In preparation for its use as a park, the city added a quarter-acre pond, baseball and volleyball facilities, a pavilion with barbecues, a parking lot and restrooms.

People will also be able to reserve the Duhacsek’s house, which remains on the property and includes a fully equipped kitchen and several rooms suitable for small group activities.

Duhacsek Park is located at the intersection of Richmond Road and Voss Road and is available for use by reservation only.

Reservations can be made by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 281-275-2885.

Sugar Land Begins Process to Update Comprehensive Plan

Sugar Land has begun a process to update its Comprehensive Plan, a document that creates a blueprint for the city ’s future.

The last Comprehensive Plan update was completed in 2005 and was based on guiding principles adopted by the city council in 2001. The comprehensive plan includes goals, objectives and strategies to guide the city for the next 10-20 years, with objectives and strategies to be accomplished within the next five years.

The plan forms the basis for decisions and policies relating to the physical development of the city. Sugar Land City Council ’s recent retreat was the first step toward strategic goals that focus on outcome-based objectives and potential actions for the next five years; and value-based principles that describe Sugar Land ’s preferred future in 15 years.

Council’s work and future efforts will focus on several key areas, including personal livability (why an individual makes a decision to live in the city), environmental stewardship (preserving the community ’s natural resources and assets), economic opportunity (a diverse tax base that provides revenues to the city), community building (engaging residents in problem solving and policy development) and sustainable city (striving to balance all four elements).

As part of the process, community leaders selected by city council members were invited to participate in a Community Summit where group discussion and activities were led by a professional facilitator. Public input obtained during the summit will be an important part of city council ’s work
to approve an update to the Comprehensive Plan.

Sugar Land Named Among
Nations Best Towns

Sugar Land is among 25 American towns included on Forbes’ list of Top Towns to Live Well. Forbes says cities on the list “boast cultural amenities, pro-business environments, highly educated workforces and enviable salaries. ”

Sugar Land received high scores for a competitive cost of living where a six figure salary goes far and statistics showing the city has $132 of venture capital per capita. The city ’s patents per capita were the highest in the southwest area.

According to Forbes, data comes from ZoomProspector.com, a San Francisco-based consulting firm specializing in corporate relocation. It evaluated areas of the country with less than 100,000 people —small towns with the amenities of big cities.

Characteristics like the number of museums, parks, bars and restaurants, and cultural institutions per capita were considered, as were factors indicative of a favorable business environment. These include patents, venture capital funding, sole-proprietorships, start-ups and small businesses per capita.

A sampling of cities joining Sugar Land on the list included Boulder, Colo., Santa Fe, N.M., Columbia, Md., and Fairfax, Va. They were all recognized as places with strong environments for start-ups and better suited than other cities to recover from economic downtimes.

Other factors considered included the quality of the labor force, median income levels, commuting time, distance to highways and airports and the share of professional level workers as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

ZoomProspector.com gave increased emphasis to towns like Sugar Land with higher percentages of foreign-born workers and percentages of people aged 25-34 with bachelor ’s degrees or higher.

First Step to Creating Pedestrian,
Bicycle Plan for Missouri City

Missouri City, in partnership with the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments, is now hosting an online survey about pedestrian and bicycle needs on select roadways in Missouri City. The five- to 10-minute survey asks residents to offer quick feedback on their use of existing walking and bike paths, potential opportunities to improve pathways and opinions on pedestrian and bicycle access in Missouri City.

HGAC selected Missouri City for its Pedestrian and Bicycle Special Districts’ Study because of the city’s potential to enhance walking and biking opportunities along four roadways in the HGAC study area: Texas Parkway, Cartwright Road, Murphy Road and State Highway 6.

Responses to the online survey, which is comprised of about 25 questions, will be used to shape a conceptual plan that will support safe pedestrian and bicycle mobility within the study area.

To take the survey, go to www.missouri—citytx.gov and click on the “Tell Us What You Think” link beneath the Missouri City Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan icon, located on the right hand side of the city ’s home page.