[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6299521,"mediaKeyId","2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9","parentId",2496844,"title","City attorney, independent ethics board outline recommended revisions to Sugar Land code of ethical conduct","audioSeconds",1925,"startMs",2814000,"endMs",4739000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9&start=2814&end=4739","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9/thumbnail_2814000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6299521/Sugar-Land/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/City-attorney-independent-ethics-board-outline-recommended-revisions-to-Sugar-Land-code-of-ethical-conduct","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6299521-d4fbb51fef9002a16ec0693687ab42c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137016&Signature=ONd-mqv38-AbRP9QjBIABe8r2XPh8QyJaJRrRFk6E6NKth6jIkPhZ27Pz7jZbdRhLY~RMqXTbykcIfS46sTVoB7fnfkCz7EEvaFrWnKKphsLLv0nYr~9ep8Uh5392GeJk74NmNymcvyk8dhW9imXZWyagJdyK7zII-iDvnSNXZnKSGnWirRoIPr4XT5xjianodofmq8JTiQfei59yBpCOKA4bMbmVAuv8HNhoJFK3BK6MWjzx2~6CtrV7tzyXQmly1nSze4TA1Blu~iL-jwPz3oIj0urj~MDQGzSz769aKecMZbP0BHe~xJNk1RI7Qb4lhIkn0OgEeFxW-OJsjQ~lA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Sugar Land TX","date","2025-03-04T22:19:02Z","article","City Attorney Meredith Reid and representatives of the Independent Ethics Review Board on Tuesday presented proposed revisions to the City of Sugar Land’s code of ethical conduct, describing four substantial changes, several minor edits and clarifications for council review.

Reid introduced members of the Independent Ethics Review Board and summarized the board’s work: the panel met 11 times, reviewed other municipal experiences and prepared a redline of recommended changes. \"There are four substantial revisions we’re going to discuss,\" Reid said, asking the board representatives to outline their recommendations.

Major proposals discussed included a new section prohibiting ex parte communications (sought to require public discussion rather than private conversations on matters before the city), a new retaliation prohibition that would bar retaliatory actions against people reporting or participating in investigations, and a reconsideration provision allowing new evidence to be presented within 14 days. Staff also described a revamp of name‑clearing procedures so that in some cases the board could issue a public statement that an official was not found to have violated the code.

The board recommended adding a definition of de minimis gifts to clarify that low‑value promotional items (for example, small items distributed at conferences) do not require disclosure. They also proposed tightening campaign contribution‑related abstention rules: the board’s draft would require officials to disclose and recuse when they have received $2,500 or more from a single contributor on matters where a conflict is present (the existing rule the board cited applies to legal actions of $25,000 or more). The board proposed lengthening the post‑employment restriction on entering significant city contracts from 13 months to 24 months; staff said a \"significant contract\" remained defined at $1,000 or more in the draft language presented.

Procedural changes for the Independent Ethics Review Board were also recommended, including allowing the board to dismiss frivolous complaints or those whose complainants refuse to cooperate, and clarifying hearing and administrative procedures.

Councilmembers asked procedural and timing questions. Reid confirmed the item is a workshop and non‑action item; staff plan to return proposed ordinance language to a future council meeting for first reading. \"It’ll be on your April… council agenda for first reading,\" Reid said. Several councilmembers praised the board’s work and said they would like the recommended changes to return for formal consideration.

No formal vote was taken during the workshop; the presentation will be placed on a future agenda for council action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Sugar Land: City Council Meeting - March 4 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Attorney Meredith Reid and representatives of the Independent Ethics Review Board on Tuesday presented proposed revisions to the City of Sugar Land’s code of ethical conduct, including prohibitions on ex parte communications and retaliation and other procedural changes.","taxTitle","Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas","taxId",2793,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6299525,"Sugar Land Police present 2024 annual report highlighting technology, training and response metrics",2600,3361000,5961000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9&start=3361&end=5961","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9/thumbnail_3361000.jpg","/articles/6299525/Sugar-Land/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/Sugar-Land-Police-present-2024-annual-report-highlighting-technology-training-and-response-metrics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6299525-c12557ed29e35ee071857c2a52cfc6f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137016&Signature=Bh~g9foMSG1-3lM4OYuvWgA9-0sZGy6dgDPmGMgu3ZgfyMDXbqna-od1usPwJAwY-IBQoM4hARe2j0NWPSfdh5Ozkc9W0RLpfS2eFPM-wZXxG9QNNxVEorTePtvt052NLUG-q-w-z7X0ef~-DzxIUJ-sg9YcdF7R25mTR-ZOCa1L9xCqVFESYbc-Ml4A8xXtMxSJw4uFUSufmAuLalrE5OnXTqf20u0Cx3yBqL-TaBnVwU2rpsJ4RyWsEr5KCdGbVJUSGqyANqIIkqh8qrfTmhE89leQAUPjhap8b-2uGg1Ya4USgFYlYrsaY59rj42dXYvyS4VtP9esT1AwO82ueA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sugar Land Police Department on Tuesday presented its 2024 annual report to City Council, emphasizing investments in technology and training, expanded crisis response work and a series of performance snapshots.

Chief Mark Poland, who led the first portion of the presentation, said the department handled more than 77,000 calls for service in 2024 and met its priority‑one response goal—responding to 80% of priority‑one calls within seven minutes—by recording 83% inside that target window. \"This is a snapshot,\" Poland said, adding that department leaders pared the briefing down from a larger slide set to highlight key measures.

The report cited a mix of proactive and reactive work: staff noted roughly 90 weapons-related arrests, about 211 drug arrest cases and an itemized figure described in the presentation as 320 DWI arrests across the department for the year. Chief Poland singled out Officer Washington for enforcement work; Poland said Officer Washington recorded 60 DWI arrests personally for the year and was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The department detailed technology and unit developments: the Motorola CAD/records/dispatch upgrade is set to go live, the drone unit logged approximately 1,300 flights and the forensic services unit processed more than 5,000 pieces of evidence and assisted numerous outside agencies. Police said their forensic services team is the only accredited forensic services unit in Fort Bend County and reported processing more than 108 phones of digital evidence during the year.

Detectives filed roughly 1,200 cases with the district attorney’s office and the unit reported a clearance rate of 32%, which the presentation compared favorably to a cited national average of about 23%.

The report also highlighted community and prevention programs: the department’s Project Lifesaver program grew to seven clients; the Citizens Police Academy graduated two classes; the department launched a teen academy and an internship program with George Ranch High School that staff said aided investigations and procurement of a facial‑analysis/open‑source tool. The motor unit reported nearly 27,000 traffic stops across the calendar year and accounted for roughly 60% of issued citations in the slides presented.

Chief Pete Laura delivered a second portion of the report that focused on crime suppression, mental health response and staffing. Laura cited a new crime suppression team, expansion of the crisis intervention team (CIT) and the appointment of two full‑time CIT officers to provide sustained coverage. \"As we dove into mental health,\" Laura said, the department worked with local partners including Texana and area hospitals to identify service gaps and improve emergency‑detention, transportation and care coordination.

Policing leaders also discussed recruiting and training: a lateral hiring program produced 18 new hires from 776 applicants and saved an estimated $390,000 compared with recruiting all academy recruits; the department reported 73 days of internal and 57 days of external training for officers during the year, and staff said they are pursuing regional training‑provider status.

No formal council action was required during the presentation. Councilmembers thanked the department for its report and asked follow‑up questions about drug trends, school outreach, response time benchmarks and victim services. The department said it would continue its focus on technology, interagency partnerships and training as it implements its 2025 priorities.","Chiefs Mark Poland and Pete Laura summarized 2024 operations: roughly 77,000 calls for service, priority‑one response performance above target, expanded technology and training programs, new crime‑suppression and mental‑health initiatives, and continued investments in forensic and drone capabilities. No council action required.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6299530,"Council adopts ordinance moving hotel tax debt payments to Type A sales tax fund",72,1658000,1730000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9&start=1658&end=1730","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9/thumbnail_1658000.jpg","/articles/6299530/Sugar-Land/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/Council-adopts-ordinance-moving-hotel-tax-debt-payments-to-Type-A-sales-tax-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6299530-a2f2f8de96a3a41299f1f418cfc233ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137016&Signature=YWqb~tvLdAcM38yauVD9UDNh-fvE1D3cs7ewbPe9r~fssh84O6m-GKiRxctTHtLJOPGkaRFaKVq7rcfddEkgWFydrw76cVUtfXPfvPlw-39kCThWLLDQGvhMCe~-xnFv6S-pQYf26w5sxE7JjwCq4z62KZadeLu24MKrHymtZbbW6Zr9pUBLxEI-7Zuk3dpRHpZSMxOGDfFbAYNE8ATvfvpVv26cF1UJrN2iQ-NgQg-8yD9p5exwiKBwIAlpBaXjdk03qIlXLWURmldQPcMWKoaBLda2wSNdxjaiUSPhfDAYjVE53AhMMSZlPFfB0HwalG9MfsqczIBAEbXeGmpfTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Sugar Land on Tuesday approved Ordinance No. 23‑70, moving certain debt payments from hotel occupancy tax revenues to the Sugar Land Development Corporation Type A sales tax fund.

Shalei Steadman, the city’s director of budget, explained the change briefly during the meeting: \"We’re just taking the funds that we are using to pay for the bonds we created when we started Smart Financial and moving them to our...\" Steadman did not provide specific dollar figures in the presentation recorded in the meeting transcript.

The measure was considered on first and final reading and passed unanimously, 7–0. The ordinance language in the agenda describes the action as an amendment to the fiscal year 2025 budget to provide for a transfer of those debt payments to the Type A sales tax fund and to adopt the amended amounts as budgeted for the affected funds.

Why it matters: the ordinance reallocates the revenue source used to cover debt service tied to bonds referenced by staff as related to the Smart Financial Center. The council did not discuss additional implementation steps during the item. No public comment or fiscal detail beyond the description above was recorded in the transcript.

Outcome: ordinance adopted, 7–0.","City Council gave first and final consideration to Ordinance No. 23‑70 to reassign debt payments from hotel occupancy tax to the Sugar Land Development Corporation (Type A) sales tax fund; the ordinance passed 7–0 with staff saying the transfer funds bonds issued for the Smart Financial Center.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":44,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6299534,"Sugar Land approves one-year microtransit pilot contract with RiverNorth Transit",1083,1731000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9&start=1731&end=2814","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2496844-aca6db94a43b13f5ae3ad10ff8d5fcb9/thumbnail_1731000.jpg","/articles/6299534/Sugar-Land/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/Sugar-Land-approves-one-year-microtransit-pilot-contract-with-RiverNorth-Transit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6299534-dd0e737f4fd2f4eefa72293d9cbe8e90/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137016&Signature=ceXZzozZTwkIyC~rxqUfpX1zrRooQYzSHLyh7U1rrFMwy3uvMpJ7bNpOyZ~4qyLrT73JqLwJDh-kEX3jSE449iLobxQohH1UcHmtTsQVyZ0o9M01poJIPyWtBooKAm23m3TGTAxx65DU7rHmQXydTxED16hi~QS0iKB5Fvh1BWai6RB8MOBtp3UwzxBXxZXTtjQwP-0mMTGDleM7eOrx4IrrwujBWFGI1HEN5qE6XzisxFRNeAeOFALywbGsEIHlu4X4vKrRj7O-2Hzy1Scmq~lV95c0kB-fINA411SfBMeTh95SgvnDbB3kMQGfCo3pEzvRkgbhE7hKNGTGfoezwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Sugar Land Council on Tuesday approved a one-year contract with RiverNorth Transit LLC to launch Sugar Land On Demand, an on‑demand shared microtransit pilot operating within an 18‑square‑mile zone of central Sugar Land.

Melanie Beeman, the city’s transportation and mobility manager, told the council the turnkey service will include vehicle operations, real‑time routing and scheduling software, a rider mobile app and a phone line for people without smartphones. \"The fleet will consist of three hybrid wheelchair‑accessible minivans and five fully electric sedans,\" Beeman said, adding fares will be $2 for a primary rider and $1 for each additional passenger.

The pilot’s initial term is 12 months starting with a planned launch on March 18; the council approved a not‑to‑exceed first‑year contract amount of $1,527,969 and a budget amendment to account for three years of funding. Beeman said federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAC) grant funds total $3,582,528 over three years, with a 20% local match of $895,632. Fort Bend County previously committed $1,500,000 from its mobility bond toward the project’s local match and potential service expansion.

Why it matters: the pilot is intended to provide same‑day shared rides for roughly 43,000 residents inside the service zone, connect to two park‑and‑rides and to local medical and shopping destinations, and offer wheelchair‑accessible vehicles and a low fare. \"We looked at where most people are trying to get to,\" Beeman said; she said census data guided the service area selection to include concentrations of elderly, disabled and lower‑income residents likely to use the service.

Councilmembers asked about costs, service design and equity. Councilmember Stuart sought clarification on the $5,082,528 budget amendment that the staff package covered across federal, county and local sources; Beeman pointed to the federal grant, county bond funds and the local match. Councilmember Nishaun asked whether riders could be picked up along a routed trip; Beeman said shared stops are part of the design \"so it’s more efficient.\" Councilmember Jennifer Lane asked how the city decided against contracting with Uber; Beeman answered that the CMAC grant requires electric vehicles and the program’s shared‑ride, federally vetted driver training and drug‑testing requirements differ from a standard ride‑hail service.

Councilmember Wadley moved approval of the four requested items: (1) execute a service contract with RiverNorth Transit LLC (maximum $1,527,969 for year one), (2) grant an exception to Resolution 10‑29 to allow limited use of the city logo for the project (vehicle wraps and marketing), (3) authorize the city manager to publish the Sugar Land On Demand app to the Google Play Store, and (4) authorize a $5,082,528 budget amendment in revenues and expenditures to cover three years of project funding. Councilmember McCutcheon seconded the motion. The council voted 7–0 in favor.

The city will begin the pilot with Monday–Friday service from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday service from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Beeman said the contract allows two additional one‑year extensions by mutual agreement and that the service scope could be adjusted in years two and three based on usage data.

What remains to come: staff said they will proceed with vehicle wraps, app publication, outreach to hospitals and other anchor destinations, and data reporting to evaluate whether to expand or adjust service zones or hours. The council did not set further conditions in the meeting minutes beyond the approvals recorded.","City Council approved a one-year, turnkey microtransit pilot—Sugar Land On Demand—contract with RiverNorth Transit LLC (Via affiliate), funded primarily by federal and county grants and a local match. The council also authorized limited use of the city logo, publication of the rider app, and a three-year budget amendment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City attorney, independent ethics board outline recommended revisions to Sugar Land code of ethical conduct

Sugar Land Police present 2024 annual report highlighting technology, training and response metrics

Council adopts ordinance moving hotel tax debt payments to Type A sales tax fund

Sugar Land approves one-year microtransit pilot contract with RiverNorth Transit