City News
City News
Annually the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau hosts and sponsors events designed to draw visitors to the City including the Pearland Art & Crafts on the Pavilion in its fourth year held at the Pearland Town Center in addition to Fusion of the Arts, the Pearland International Festival and King’s Oktoberfest to name a few. Currently in the planning stages, the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau in collaboration with the City of Pearland Parks & Recreation Department will host the upcoming Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) Winter Games of Texas in 2018 and 2019 during Martin Luther King Jr., weekends. This major citywide amateur athletic event will draw visitors from across the state of Texas. In addition to creating seasonal packages to promote Pearland as a Gulf Coast destination, the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes events and special offers occurring in the City on its visitpearland.com website. To contact the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 281-997-5970 , email pearlandcvb@pearlandtx.gov or go to visitpearland.com . COUNTY BREAKS GROUND OF BRAZORIA COUNTY EXPRESSWAY Portion of 288 improvements from Pearland area to downtown Houston, Texas Medical Center Brazoria County broke ground at the Brazoria County Expressway Groundbreaking Ceremony, which will begin a series of improvements in the corridor in the City of Pearland. The event symbolized the beginning of construction work for the $97 million toll project. The Brazoria County Expressway will be the first toll road for the Brazoria County Toll Road Authority and is part of a large initiative to help relieve traffic and congestion along the SH 288 corridor. The City of Pearland has been working with the County for many years to advocate for the development of the Expressway to ease congestion in the SH 288 corridor to improve mobility for the City’s residents. The expressway includes a five mile 4-lane toll road down the median of SH 288 from Clear Creek located just north of McHard Road to County Road 58 which is south of Bailey Road. The Brazoria County Expressway will connect with the Texas Department of Transportation’s SH 288 Toll Lanes Project in Harris County extending access from north of Clear Creek to the Texas Medical Center and downtown Houston and includes 8 direct connector ramps to the Sam Houston Tollway and two to the Texas Medical Center.
CITY RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY EFFORTS The City of Pearland has been recognized by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar for achieving transparency goals set by the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars program. The City was awarded a star in the area of Traditional Finances, which recognizes entities for their outstanding efforts in making their spending and revenue information available. “By providing meaningful financial data with visual tools and analysis of its revenues and expenditures, the City of Pearland has shown a true commitment to Texas taxpayers,” Hegar said. “I am pleased to award the City of Pearland a star for its accomplishments.” The City maintains 50 funds with a total budget of $387 million and maintains a credit rating of Aa2 from Moody’s and AA from both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch.
CITY OF PEARLAND DEPARTMENT ATTRACTS VISITORS, IMPACTS LOCAL ECONOMY Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau offers array of services aimed at drawing visitors to the City The Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau is a department of the City of Pearland whose primary purpose is to expand Pearland’s economy by attracting visitors to the City. Each year millions of dollars from visitor spending generate increased business and the enhancement of Pearland’s image. In 2015, the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau attracted visitors annually, who put $129 million directly into the local economy with $4.6 million in local tax revenue including sales and occupancy tax while sustaining 1,200 jobs for area citizens according to the Dean Runyan report prepared for the Texas Tourism Office of the Governor. Since inception in 2013, executive director Kim Sinistore leads a three-person team operating from the Visitor Center location at the Pearland Town Center, 11200 Broadway Street, Suite 1390. The Visitor Center, which doubles as an art gallery showcasing local art, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers a variety of tools to assist visitors and residents including a Visitor Map, Antiques & Boutiques Guide, an Event Venue Guide and a selection of other area guides and brochures. “Pearland’s easy access to Houston area amenities just off Texas highways paired with more affordable hotel stays at eleven, name-brand hotels add to Pearland’s appeal as a destination,” according to Sinistore. Part of Pearland’s attraction to visitors includes its 80,000+ total square feet of meeting space, 175 acres of parkland for indoor and outdoor gatherings plus shopping and recreational activities. Quickly becoming known as a culinary town, Pearland is trending with several notable restaurants – Killen’s Restaurants, King’s Biergarten, Grazia Italian Restaurant, Emma’s Mex Grill, and Floyd’s Seafood. The Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau team supports visitors and residents with several services including referral services and planning assistance with family reunions, weddings, sports events, team-building efforts and corporate meetings in Pearland.
LONGTIME PEARLAND STAFF MEMBER NAMED CHIEF OF POLICE
As Police Chief, Spires will be responsible for the department’s $25.5 million budget, 17 divisions and more than 200 City employees in various areas of the police department some of which include, patrol, traffic, criminal investigations, K-9, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, school resource, internal affairs, training, telecommunications, animal services, jail operations, records, community outreach, bike patrol, SWAT and honor guard. He will also spearhead the implementation of the Berkshire Study which provides recommendations for the Department to address the realities of Pearland’s expanding geography and police staffing and utilization. The study focuses on improvements to operational effectiveness and efficiency through retooling staffing and assessing the differing policing needs of areas of Pearland. Spires has a Master Peace Officer Certification, Instructor Proficiency and SWAT Crime Prevention Inspector Certifications from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. He is a member of the International Chief of Police Association, International City/County Management Association, Southeast Texas Chief of Police Association, Texas Chief of Police Association, Texas Tactical Police Officers Association and a lifetime member of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. In addition to his work experience, Spires is a member of the Lion’s Club of Pearland and a mentor in the Pearland ISD RISE Mentoring Program.
City Manager Clay Pearson officially appointed Johnny Spires, a law enforcement executive with more than 27 years of experience, to the position of police chief for the City of Pearland, Texas. A longtime member of the City of Pearland staff, Spires has served as a police officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant and Assistant Chief of Police.
“We’ve known about Johnny’s strengths for some time. In his tenure as Assistant Chief of Police, he has implemented a system which integrated Computer Aided Dispatch and Jail and Records Management in the Police Department, providing residents with access to real-time data regarding incidents and incarcerated individuals. He also began a program to ensure the certification of all Pearland Police Officers as Mental Health Officers to meet the needs of our ever-changing City. It is that kind of forward thinking that will further strengthen our police/community ties and ensure the continued safety of residents,” said Clay Pearson, City Manager.
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Your complete guide to City of Pearland programs, services and recreational activities.
Pearland in Motion Fall 2017 Issue
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