Fort Bend County Scope Oct 2012
Commute Solutions Month In Sugar Land
(L-R) Rick Conley, director of real estate and office services for Fluor Corporation; Ch’rese Jackson, H-GAC, senior telework planner; Alan Clark, H-GAC director of transportation planning; Mayor James Thompson; and Lisa Kocich-Meyer, city of Sugar Land principal planner.
Sugar Land Mayor James A. Thompson declared August as Commute Solutions Month in Sugar Land, one component of a broader effort to inform citizens about the Commute Solutions Program.
Commute Solutions is a program of the Houston-Galveston Area Council that provides a “one-stop” alternative transportation resource for commuters and businesses in the Houston region. Services include carpool or vanpool matching, teleworking assistance and the NuRide incentive program. The NuRide program provides rewards, such as discounts to local shops and restaurants to incentivize green trips such as walking, carpooling, taking transit or telecommuting. For information, visit sugarlandtx.gov/tlrp/transitservices.asp.
Solid Waste Rate Increase Avoided
A planned rate increase next year for solid waste collection has been avoided due to collection efficiencies and increased recycling throughout Sugar Land. Since the city implemented a new solid waste and recycling program in December, more than 31 percent of waste has been diverted from landfills.
Residents recycled more than 3,358 tons of materials from April through June, an increase of more than 2,906 tons from January through March. Prior to launching the new program, residents recycled 34 pounds per household per month. Residents are now recycling 80 pounds per household per month.
Sugar Land’s curbside recycling program was expanded last year to include all colors of glass bottles and jars. The addition of a green waste program ensures all green waste — grass clippings, leaves, brush, tree limbs, etc. — will be recycled rather than sent to a landfill.
Fort Bend County’s StormReady Designation
National Weather Service deemed Fort Bend County as “StormReady.” For months, the Office of Emergency Management, the office that writes emergency plans and coordinates in an emergency for the county, has been working to demonstrate that Fort Bend County is ready to handle even the most dangerous storms. The StormReady program measures several factors: communication, monitoring, warning, preparedness, planning and coordination.
Fort Bend Ranks No. 2 For Job Growth
Fort Bend County, sustaining a job growth rate of 78.1 percent from 2000-2011, ranks No. 2 on CNN/Money Magazine’s list of “Where the Jobs Are.” The publication cites a favorable tax structure, a strong school system, and easy access to the Greater Houston area as contributing factors to Fort Bend County’s high rating.
For more than two decades, Fort Bend has consistently ranked among the top in the nation for economic performance, job creation, and quality of life. The CNN/Money honor is complemented by another recent study that identifies the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro as the fastest-growing job creation area in the nation. (Comerica Regional Economic Update). For the list of top 25 counties, visit cnnmon.ie/SMqG0E.
