During Katy City Council’s first in-person meeting since early 2020, council members approved the promotion of City Planner Anas Garfaoui to assistant city administrator as well as an ordinance …
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During Katy City Council’s first in-person meeting since early 2020, council members approved the promotion of City Planner Anas Garfaoui to assistant city administrator as well as an ordinance establishing new truck routes in the city to reduce accidents and wear and tear on city roadways.
“On the ordinance implementation, it will be effective upon (council’s) approval,” Garfaoui said. “There will be a notification period. We’ll be sending out notices to the trucking companies and that will give staff ample time to order and install the signs (designating the routes). During that time, we will also remove the existing signage that’s in place where it doesn’t apply and the ordinance will become enforceable Oct. 1, 2021.”
Katy Police Chief Noe Diaz said he would have his staff visit trucking companies in the area that are known to use the roads such as Avenue D, Katy Hockley, Morton and Clay roads to distribute flyers explaining the new rules and to answer any questions the transportation companies may have regarding the routes and enforcement.
Council members noted that accidents at intersections in the northern portion of the city caused by 18-wheelers and cargo trucks have become commonplace in the last few years, with accidents sometimes occurring three or four times a week.
Traffic will now be kept on I-10, Highway 90 and Katy Fort Bend Road/Katy Hockley Cut Off Road, Garfaoui said. The new Katy Court Planned Development District at the intersection of Clay and Katy Hockley Cut Off roads is expected to also lead to the improvement of Katy Hockley Cut Off Road which will help accommodate the new traffic, he said.
Violations of the ordinance may result in up to a $200 fine, City Attorney Art Pertile III said.
“Council member Harris and I sat with some families on Katy Hockley (Road), not the (Katy Hockley Cut Off Road) but Katy Hockley, and this will be good news for them,” Council Member Rory Robertson said.
Garfaoui’s promotion to assistant city administrator comes after he has served since 2017 as city planner. Prior to that, he served as the city’s planning technician for a little over three years. He was named the city’s employee of the year in 2019.
Garfaoui holds a bachelor of arts in Public Administration and a certified public manager certificate from the University of Houston.
Each member of council and the Mayor Bill Hastings praised Garfaoui for his dedication to the city and his expertise.
“Mayor, this is very exciting for (Garfaoui). He has been a great leader before when I was on council and he was a planning tech and he did a great job with our Katy Development Authority, and he has saved me many times on giving the wrong answer by correcting me. He’s definitely is not the person that tells you what you want to hear,” Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris said. “He tells you straightforward on what the issue is and that’s a great thing for this position.”
Council also: