Keep Katy Beautiful brought home multiple honors at the recent 43rd annual Keep Texas Beautiful conference, and those awards were showcased during Monday night’s city council meeting.
KEEPING KATY BEAUTIFUL – Katy Mayor Don Elder, Jr., second from right, poses with members of Keep Katy Beautiful to show off the organization’s third Keep Texas Beautiful Governor’s Community Achievement Award.
Among the awards highlighted was Keep Katy Beautiful’s third win of the Governor’s Community Achievement Award for cities with a population of between 15,001 – 25,000 residents.
That award came with a check for $180,000 to be used for a beautification project within the city along state right-of-way.
The first win funded the landscaping project along FM 1462 and U.S. Hwy. 90 near Katy High School.
Bids were recently approved for the beautification project funded by the second Governor’s Award win. That project will include a new entrance sign and a bronze sculpture at the corner of Katy Mills Drive and the Katy Freeway.
Keep Katy Beautiful was also recognized with the Sustained Excellence Award and was named a Keep Texas Beautiful Gold Star Affiliate.
Katy was one of only 53 cities statewide to earn the Gold Star Affiliate recognition, the highest status any of the 350 Keep Texas Beautiful affiliate cities can earn.
In achieving the honor, Katy was recognized for implementing programs to prevent litter, reduce waste, beautify community areas and educate citizens.
In addition, Absolutely! Katy magazine was the first place award winner in the media category, while Morton Ranch High School student Amy Sesar brought home the first place prize in the youth individual category for implementing a school recycling project.
Katy’s “Festivitrees” project during last year’s holiday season was also honored.
