Author: City Secretary

July 14, 2024 in Emergency Managment General News Weather Incident

A Letter From Mayor Wall

To the Residents of Weston Lakes,

The city of Weston Lakes has been in constant communication with the Fort Bend County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (FBHSEM) since about a week before Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Following the storm, updates on debris removal were posted to the city’s website (https://westonlakestexas.gov/). The city is working on your behalf to make sure the subdivision of Weston Lakes is included in debris pickup.

There are four (4) steps to initiating a process for debris removal:
(1) The County contracted a company to collect the debris and to oversee its proper dumping.
(2) Several sites are being secured on which to dump the debris, which took approval from several agencies to ensure the environment was not negatively impacted.
(3) Gated communities like ours must receive special permission from FEMA in order to retrieve debris from the private streets inside our gates.
(4) Residents must be allowed enough time to collect debris from their property and get it to the approved pick-up area.

The City of Weston Lakes has been working with the county to make sure we are included in the debris collection, as such we have submitted the needed information to the proper authorities. The city is part of a chain of command that has to be followed and is in contact with FBHSEM.

Monday, July 15th is the day that county-wide debris collection will begin. We have not received a schedule as to where and when each community will be serviced. We will be sure to post that information on our website if and when we receive it from the county.

Relatedly, the City of Weston Lakes has a policy to communicate official information through the city’s website or through our newspaper of record, the Fort Bend Herald. This policy stems from the fact that several years ago there was so much negativity being pushed out on social media from different sides, that the pastors in our community felt the need to call for a city-wide prayer meeting at Riverwood Park. As mayor, I have followed the city policy and stayed off of social media. We do monitor local social media and have seen several residents that have taken it upon themselves to “communicate” because they feel the city is not doing an adequate job following Beryl. The information being posted is basically the same that is on the city’s web site.

Last year the city purchased a communications application through which the Council approved official communications. We respect our residents’ right to privacy, so rather than collecting contact information from all residents and allowing those who didn’t want to use the app an opportunity to opt out, instead the city chose to allow residents to opt in if they wanted to use the app to receive up-to-the-minute communications from the city. After a year, only a handful of residents opted in and the city decided it was not cost effective to continue to spend money on something utilized by so few.

The city web site address is published in the “From the Mayor” section of every monthly Country Club magazine and the city phone number is listed on the inside of the front cover. I have responded promptly to every email and phone call since taking office in 2021. Those who choose to go on social media to ask rhetorical questions, make suggestions that don’t apply to our unique community situation, or to serve as pseudo-authorities, certainly have the right to do so. I just ask that we all be careful when reposting “official information” and that we are careful to leave speculation and opinion out of it, because that has the effect of misinforming some.

Thank you to the Weston Lakes residents that have helped your neighbors not only during Beryl but daily. It was good to see so many of you who took advantage of the cooling/charging center at the club.

Please check the city web site at westonlakestexas.gov for the latest information.

Sincerely,
Bob Wall
Mayor – Weston Lakes

Mayors-Letter Download

July 9, 2024 in General News

Debris Pickup

7/12/2024 Update- Assesment crews will be in the area at some point soon. Documentation will then be submitted to FEMA and then FEMA will issue a determination on debris pickup in gated communities.

7/9/2024-

Due to the effects of Hurricane Beryl, Fort Bend County Road & Bridge is coordinating the collection and removal of disaster debris within Fort Bend County. Fort Bend County Road & Bridge will begin debris collection and removal beginning early next week. In order to recycle as many materials as possible, residents are asked to separate disaster debris into the following piles:

Construction and Demolition Materials
Electronic Waste
Household Hazardous Waste
White Goods
Vegetative materials (trees, limbs, brush, leaves, etc.)

DO NOT MIX OR PLACE NORMAL HOUSEHOLD TRASH WITH STORM DEBRIS CURBSIDE

Normal Household Trash – normal household waste, recyclables and bagged debris of any kind will not be collected with your storm debris. Please continue to follow the your normal garbage removal schedule.

Please note that this operation is ONLY for disaster debris. Please do not attempt to place garbage or other household refuse with the disaster debris, as it will not be accepted, and will delay your storm debris collections. Regular trash removal services in the community will continue as scheduled.

Please place the debris piles at the curb in the public right-of-way (not in ditches) in front of your home or business as soon as possible. Please do not block any public utility such as fire hydrants, water valves, road signs, etc. If properly separated, it will be picked up by crews.

THANK YOU.

Gated communities are still pending outside agency approval.

October 9, 2023 in General News

Selected November 7, 2023 Election Items

Weston Lakes voters have quite a few large items on the ballot this year. While the City office elections have been cancelled the State, County and School Board have quite a few important items that can affect our locality.

Texas

Texas will have 14 proposed constatutional amendments this year. A detailed analysis can be accessed here.

Proposition 1 The constitutional amendment protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management.

Proposition 2 The constitutional amendment authorizing a local option exemption from ad valorem taxation by a county or municipality of all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child-care facility.

Proposition 3 The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax, including a tax on the difference between the assets and liabilities of an individual or family.

Proposition 4 The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts.

Proposition 5 The constitutional amendment relating to the Texas University Fund, which provides funding to certain institutions of higher education to achieve national prominence as major research universities and drive the state economy.

Proposition 6 The constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state.

Proposition 7 The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the Texas energy fund to support the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric generating facilities.

Proposition 8 The constitutional amendment creating the broadband infrastructure fund to expand high-speed broadband access and assist in the financing of connectivity projects.

Proposition 9 The constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

Proposition 10 The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation equipment or inventory held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products to protect the Texas healthcare network and strengthen our medical supply chain.

Proposition 11 The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.

Proposition 12 The constitutional amendment providing for the abolition of the office of county treasurer in Galveston County.

Proposition 13 The constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory age of retirement for state justices and judges.

Proposition 14 The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund to be used for the creation and improvement of state parks.

Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County proposes landmark $712 million mobility bond for November ballot– An article from the Houston Chronicle

Texas

Fort Bend County

LCISD