General News

Just a reminder, our May City Council Meetings are always the 3rd Tuesday, due to the club being closed for the holiday.

See you next Tuesday, May 19th at 6:00pm in the ballroom!

Regular City Council Meeting next Tuesday at 6pm in the Weston Lakes Country Club ballroom!

We received the following link to see the progress tracker for Center Point Energy. Check it out by clicking below!

Action Center

March 3rd, 2026 – Democrat/Republican Primary Election

Monday, February 2nd, 2026  is the last day voters may register to vote, or update their address, prior to the start of Early Voting on February 17th, 2026. Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) Friday, February 20th, 2026 Last day of Early Voting Friday, February 27th, 2026. Persons already registered in Fort Bend County may update their address online at www.votetexas.gov. New registrants must submit their signed application in person at: 

3730 Bamore Rd
Rosenberg, TX 77471

Early Voting Schedule

At a last week’s City Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Linda Harnist brought to our attention the up and coming issue of Data Centers.

As of early 2026, the rapid expansion of AI-focused “hyperscale” data centers has shifted from a niche industrial trend to a major point of social and political friction. While they are critical for the digital economy, local communities often view them as “resource-extractive” projects that offer minimal local benefits in exchange for significant environmental and financial burdens.

The concerns generally fall into four primary categories:

1. Resource Strain (Power and Water)

• Grid Instability: Data centers consume an immense amount of electricity—a single AI hyperscale facility can use as much power as 100,000 homes. This strains aging power grids, leading to fears of brownouts and the reactivation of fossil-fuel plants to meet demand.
• Rising Utility Bills: In many regions, the cost of upgrading the grid to accommodate these facilities is being passed on to residential consumers. Projections from late 2025 suggest some residents could see their electric bills double over the next decade due to this infrastructure build-out.
• Water Scarcity: Data centers require millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. In drought-prone areas like Arizona and Nevada, communities worry that data centers are “drinking” the local water supply, potentially depleting aquifers and lowering water pressure for residents.

2. Environmental and Health Impacts

• Noise Pollution: The massive cooling fans and backup generators create a constant, low-frequency hum (often measured at 85–90 decibels). Neighbors in places like Northern Virginia describe it as living next to a “perpetually idling jet engine,” leading to sleep deprivation and chronic stress.
• Air Quality: To ensure “five-nines” uptime (99.999%), data centers maintain massive arrays of diesel backup generators. Regular testing of these generators releases nitrogen oxides ($NO_x$) and particulate matter, which are linked to respiratory issues and heart disease in nearby neighborhoods.

3. Economic Disparity

• The “Job Ratio” Issue: Unlike a manufacturing plant of similar size that might employ thousands, a data center the size of several football fields may only require 30 to 50 permanent staff.
• Tax Incentive Backlash: Many states offer massive tax abatements to attract Big Tech. Critics argue these subsidies are “giveaways” to trillion-dollar companies, depriving local schools and infrastructure of revenue while the facilities themselves create very little local economic “spin-off” (like foot traffic for local shops).

4. Land Use and “Techlash”

• Zoning Conflicts: Data centers are often built near residential zones or on former farmland/forests. This leads to the loss of local character and “viewshed” (the visual appeal of a landscape), replaced by windowless, high-security concrete boxes.
• Lack of Transparency: Many developments are negotiated under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), meaning residents only learn about a project after it has already been approved, fueling a sense of democratic exclusion.

You can go to www.datacenterwatch.org for more information.

Winter Storm Fern proved to thankfully be less impactful than anticipated. Emergency Operation status will return to routine readiness (Level IV) Tuesday, January 27th. Fort Bend County is closed today, but Fort Bend County Homeland Security and Emergency Management is beginning the demobilization process and is currently at Level III.

The week ahead will continue to be chilly, and your emergency management team will continue to monitor the weather.

Thank you to our Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Heslep and City Staff, Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, and all county agencies that actively communicated and ensured that all basis are covered.

Good morning!

This morning we continue to monitor the situation. We remain at a level three increased readiness. We have had a call with the state and Fort Bend County this morning. The county will be closed tomorrow except for essential personnel. All school districts in our area are closed as well. The Weston Lakes POA has informed us that they have salted the entrances to the neighborhood.

There have been reports of the bridges in our area icing. According to Fort Bend County OEM, FBC road and bridge and TxDOT are addressing treating those areas.

Officials are still encouraging everyone to stay put today. If you have to get out, you can check road conditions another winter storm related information by clicking the link below.

www.Fbcoem.org

See agenda HERE