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Resident urges replacement of "City of Enchantment" wording; council discusses $2.2 million in mowing and maintenance costs
Summary
During visitors comments, resident Pilar Guerrero urged the council to remove the word "enchantment" from the city water tower and promote faith and neighborliness; later council and staff discussed mowing responsibilities and disclosed the city spends roughly $2.2 million annually on mowing and related contracts.
Pilar Guerrero, a long-time Lake Jackson resident and former teacher, told the City Council during the visitors comment period on Sept. 15 that she objects to the word "enchantment" on a city water tower and asked the council to consider replacing it with a phrasing she said better reflects faith and neighborliness.
"I don't want these kids to think they live in a city of enchantment," Guerrero said. "I want them to know that they live in a city where people still believe in God ... and to love our neighbors as ourselves." Guerrero said she planned to speak with city officials about the matter and offered to help as a citizen.
Later in the meeting, the mayor and staff addressed recurring citizen complaints about grass, mowing and maintenance. The mayor said heavy rains had delayed mowing schedules and provided line-item figures for recent mowing and maintenance spending: drainage department contractors $140,000; remaining drainage budget $761,000 (67% remaining); code enforcement $10,000; parks contractors $485,000 (50% remaining); utilities contractors $51,000; downtown contract up to $130,000; total mowing-related spending noted as $2,200,000.
The mayor also explained TxDOT is responsible for mowing certain state rights-of-way (notably on Highway 332) but has reduced its routine mowing; Lake Jackson supplements that work. "We do a very good job," the mayor said, but added the city subsidizes mowing on some state property and that additional mowing would require reallocating tax dollars.
Council members and staff said weather and contractor schedules have contributed to delays and that crews cannot safely work in muddy conditions. No formal action was taken on the water tower wording or on changing mowing funding during the meeting.
