Missouri City officials will soon vote on making Sienna Municipal Utility District 3 part of the city, officials announced in an Oct. 6 news release.

In a nutshell: The proposal follows a framework established in a 2001 Strategic Partnership Agreement between the City and Sienna MUD No. 3 that outlines conditions for annexation.

MUDs are a type of district that assist in financing road, utility, drainage and related infrastructure, per the city of Missouri City’s website. If a MUD is dissolved or annexed, the city takes over all its obligations and assets and gains control of new growth and development, per the website.

The details: The annexation would require residents to pay the city’s tax rate instead of the MUD rate and it would offer them city services.

Stay tuned: The vote is "tentatively scheduled” for the Dec. 7 City Council meeting in the Missouri City City Hall, per the news release. 

Staff is also hosting an informational town hall Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at 770 Waters Lake Blvd., Missouri City.

Sugar Land Regional Airport is set to see several changes beginning in 2027.

In a nutshell: At an Oct. 20 meeting, Sugar Land City Council unanimously approved a $39.21 million construction contract with Austin Bridge & Road, Inc and accepted $16.06 million in grants to reconstruct the runway at the Sugar Land Regional Airport.

Runway 17-35, the airport's only runway built in 1985, has reached the end of its useful life and relies on over 3,000 patches and daily maintenance to keep operating, Director of Aviation Mitchell Davies said. City staff have worked toward reconstruction for about 10 years.

The cost: The project is funded through $26.06 million in grants and $20.14 million in airport funds but it does not use any property taxes, Davies said.

What else: The council also approved an agreement with Lang Property Investments LLC for the design of a new hangar.

Looking ahead: Davies said construction on the runway is expected to start in early 2027 and finish by January 2028. 

Cirque du Soleil is scheduled to return to Houston this spring with its Mexico-inspired production LUZIA.

The details: Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca in association with Brigitte Poupart, the show features acrobatics and visual storytelling as it travels through landscapes inspired by the people, places, sights and sounds of Mexico.

Key details for the upcoming production include:

• The show will run from March 20 through May 9.

• It will take place at the Sam Houston Race Park, located at 7575 North Sam Houston Pkwy West in Houston.

• Featured acts include hoop diving, Cyr wheels, trapeze and hand balancing.

• Pre-sales for Club Cirque members and waitlist individuals begin Oct. 26.

• Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Nov. 2 through the Cirque du Soleil website.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out six trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Oct. 16-23.

• Race Rock breaks ground on $100M expansion in Brookshire 

• League City approves nearly $50M construction contract for Pat Hallisey Park 

• Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector Carmen P. Turner indicted

• Pearland reviews Flock camera use, data-sharing safeguards 

• New 5-year strategic plan aims to position Houston as a premier film destination

• Ronald McDonald House unveils new look, logo as part of worldwide rebranding

In July, Texas' top elected officials directed most state agencies, appellate courts and public universities to cut spending by 3% in their base budget requests for the next two years.

The overview: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said those reductions will help Texas hold a "strong fiscal position" by expanding property tax relief and maintaining public education funding when the legislature returns to Austin next year.

The issue: Dozens of agency leaders have warned that the cuts, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, are not sustainable. They would cause Texas residents to lose "essential" services and lead to losses in state revenue, leaders said at the capitol and in budget documents.

Government institutions protesting the budget reductions include the comptroller's office, the attorney general, Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, state criminal justice agencies and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.