March 2003

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to all who came to our Law Enforcement meeting March 4 at Bear Branch Elementary School. It was an extremely educational evening. Not only were we able to get updates on the expansion plans for FM 1488, but we were also able to discuss various issues with five area police officers. FM 1488 To see the posters giving an overview of the expansion plans as presented by TxDOT at the March 4 meeting, go to our web site. Webmaster Ken Jennings captured them with his digital camera and has posted them for all who couldn't attend. According to various engineers questioned, studies on FM1488 are proceeding as planned. The County has its 20% of the cost (from the last bond issue) and is waiting for the State and Federal funds that will get the construction started. Commissioner Doyal expects all the right-of-ways to be purchased within the next eighteen months. Estimates of when construction will begin vary from individual to individual. The most optimistic estimate is one year; the least optimistic is three to five years. The E. 1488 Community Association is trying to find out if there is anything we can do to speed up the process.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Police officers who attended the E. 1488 Community Association meeting included a Texas Ranger, two sheriff's representatives and two constables. Check out the March 4 minutes for full details of this very important meeting.

IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Things are moving ahead with the legislation for the planned Southwestern Montgomery County Improvement District. Barney Barnwell, Commissioner Craig Doyal, Magnolia City Councilwoman Patsy Williams and Vicky Rudy met with State legislators Todd Staples, Tommy Williams, Ruben Hope and Rob Eissler in Austin last week to introduce the proposed legislation to them and ask their help in formulating it properly.

MCCA

All five members of Commissioner's Court met with the public in Conroe on St. Patrick's Day at the monthly meeting of the Montgomery County Communities Association. A (very) few of the notable things mentioned during the evening follow: On law enforcement: The Commissioner's Court budgets the money to the Sheriff's Department and the Constables Department, but they have no say in how the money is used. Judge Sadler handed out a sheet of statistics showing budget amounts for law enforcement from 1994. Over that period, moneys budgeted for law enforcement have increase approximately 103%. He also distributed a pie chart showing the percentages of budgeted expenditures going to each area of County government for 2002. The largest amount of County expenditure, 30.50%, was for public safety. Scans of the charts the Judge distributed will be on the web site soon. Other miscellaneous comments of importance to our area made at the MCCA meeting: A new Animal Control facility has been built on Highway 242 near I-45. The number for Montgomery County Animal Control is: 936-538-8299. On the County budget: Judge Sadler invited anyone interested to attend the open budget meetings, held for a week in August, when 65 elected officials and department heads come before Commissioner's Court to present their budget requests. On Road maintenance: Commissioner Doyal said he had his office break down the amount of taxes received by the County from a $100,000 home (at 47cents taxation level that is $470), then broke that down into the percentages each of the four Precincts receives of that money. Each Precinct then divides that money between various agencies within the Precinct. Commissioner Doyal's office concluded that Precinct 2 receives only $20 per year for Road and Bridge maintenance from the taxes paid by the homeowner of a $100,000 home. The County receives NO sales tax. Its moneys come from ad valorem taxes on homes and businesses, from fees and fines and from recording taxes. As one Commissioner said, commercial and industrial businesses pay the bills in Montgomery County. That's how the County has been able to increase services and that's why it's so important to bring more business into Montgomery County. It was noted that the Commissioners work to keep the present tax rate low because it encourages businesses to relocate to the area.

SIGNS

Cheryl Meyer is chairing a Sign Committee for the E. 1488 Community Association. If you're interested in joining the fight against off-premise, bandit and illegal signs, please contact the Secretary at e1488communityassoc@charter.net. Meanwhile, it has been noted by various law officers and Commissioners that bandit signs (those often put up on the weekends) are illegal if placed on County or State highway right-of-ways and may be taken down by any individual so inclined. Signs placed on private property may not be taken down by the general public. Scenic Texas still needs our support. Please check out their information on our web site and link to theirs for more information.

Pet Crematorium

Many of you will have already received the notice that Vicky Rogers has withdrawn her pet crematory application. Just in case you didn't, her letter is posted, in full, on this web site. The E. 1488 Community Association was instrumental is bringing the two sides in this issue together. In this case, the Association didn't take sides but lived up to our mission of monitoring issues and bringing people together and encouraging the affected communities to work things out.

FYI

A "Day at the Capital" trip to Austin is set for April 8. Cost is $60 per person and includes the bus trip, lunch and snacks. If you'd like to go meet with our representatives and see how the legislature works, call Anne Sundquest at Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce immediately for more information (281-356-1488).

General Board Meeting

A meeting of the General Board of the E. 1488 Community Association (two voting members from each subdivision) will be held April 9 at 7 p.m. in the library of Bear Branch Junior High School. The meeting is to elect three new members of the Executive Board and discuss and decide on issues the Association should pursue in the future. The general public is not invited to this meeting.

Open Quarterly Meeting

The next open meeting of the E. 1488 Community Association will be May 8 at 7 p.m. at Bear Branch Junior High School. The speaker will be Margaret Lloyd of Scenic Texas. She will be discussing present legislation concerning signage. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this meeting. Meanwhile, enjoy Spring. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have information that could affect the1488 corridor.

Regards, Ann K Anderson, Secretary