Sugar Land will increase several fees and create new fees for services previously paid by taxpayers.

In a nutshell: At a Sept. 15 meeting, Sugar Land City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to raise fees for city services as part of its yearly adjustment for inflation.

Most fees will increase by 3.77% based on the 5-year, Houston-area consumer price index, which measures the change in prices over time, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

Several other fees were updated this year, beyond the annual CPI adjustment, to better align with the cost of services, Steadman previously said.

What else: The city will also charge new fees for some services to better align the cost with the person using the service rather than with taxpayers overall.

Looking forward: The fees will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, per agenda documents.

Sugar Land Baptist Church broke ground in early August on a renovation and expansion of its facility, officials announced in an Aug. 27 news release.

About the project: The renovation will provide expanded space for the children's ministry, fellowship, adult Bible study, community events and volunteer initiatives, per the release.

The $10.5 million project will be primarily funded by gifts from Sugar Land Baptist Church members and will be supplemented with financing through the Baptist Church Loan Corporation, officials said.

In their own words: “We are thrilled for this incredible expansion of our ministry,” Senior Pastor Taylor Sandlin said. “We're grateful for the support we've received to help make this project a  reality. Our prayer is that this space will be a place where lives are transformed, relationships are  strengthened and our community continues to flourish.”

• 16755 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land

Houston City College students can soon participate in virtual, employer-sponsored programs to advance career goals, officials announced in a Sept. 1 news release.

In a nutshell: HCC was one of 15 community colleges selected to participate in the Workforce Futures Accelerator Project, a three-year initiative led by the Association of Community College Trustees with support from Google, per the news release.

The initiative will focus on high-demand workforce fields such as technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and business operations, per the association’s news release.

Notable quote: “Participation by HCC will strengthen how we provide students with career-connected learning experiences that complement their classroom education and align with the needs of employers,” Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher said in the news release.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out these trending stories across the southern portion of the Greater Houston area from Sept. 14-18.

1. Tesla considers Fort Bend County for solar manufacturing project

2. New Paris Baguette bakery coming to Missouri City

3. House of Pies coming soon to Webster

4. New steak, seafood restaurant opens in Friendswood

5. Houston ISD deputy superintendent leaves district

6. Shipley Donuts celebrates 90th birthday with limited-time ‘favorites box,’ value deals