ISSUE 3 · SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2026 · LIFE BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND This Week |
Monday is a double header at City Hall. At 4 p.m., council and Planning & Zoning sit down together to rewrite the rules for how the city tells you about rezoning near your home. At 6:30, council takes up a five-year Thanksgiving race permit, about $720,000 in fire department purchases, and one zoning hearing.
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Liberty Watch |
4 p.m. joint UDC workshop Mon | 6:30 p.m. council meets Mon | ~$720K fire dept purchases | 3,500 Turkey Trot runners expected |
Monday, October 12, 4 p.m. — City Council and Planning & Zoning joint workshop, Council Chambers, City Hall, 3519 Liberty Dr. Discussion only, no vote. The topic is the 75% draft of the new Unified Development Code: which plats staff can approve without P&Z, a two-tier “PD Light” and “PD Heavy” planned-development process, and how far out mailed notices should reach. More below.
Monday, October 12, 6:30 p.m. — City Council, same room. On the consent agenda:
- Turkey Trot moves to Bailey Road under a five-year permit (2026–2030). Start and finish at the Recreation Center, 4141 Bailey Rd. On Thanksgiving morning the inside lanes of Bailey Road between Veterans Drive and Allen Road close at 7 a.m.; every intersection on the route except FM 1128 and Harkey closes until about 10 a.m.
- Fire department purchases: medical supplies from two vendors, uniforms, firefighter equipment, and ventilators and defibrillators — about $720,000 across five items, most of it annual estimates.
- An amended city investment policy, and the city’s vote in the Texas Municipal League Region 14 board election.
One public hearing: a conditional use permit for a tattoo studio in a 1,216-square-foot lease space at 1331 E. Broadway. P&Z recommended approval 5–0 on Sept. 21. A second hearing, to rezone 15 acres north of Magnolia Parkway and west of Manvel Road for apartments, was pulled from the agenda. Council also meets in closed session on economic development negotiations and real estate.
Also this week: the Visit Pearland Advisory Board is listed for Wednesday, Oct 14, 10 a.m.; its agenda was not posted as of Sunday afternoon. The Library Board meets Oct 16, 7 p.m. (the date on its posted agenda), at the Tom Reid Library, 3502 Liberty Dr., with the FY 2027 library budget on the agenda. P&Z’s next regular meeting is Oct 19; that agenda isn’t posted yet.
| Your move: live off Bailey Road between Veterans and Allen? Monday is when council decides whether your Thanksgiving morning has a race outside the door for the next five years. Citizen comments come first. |
Sources: Oct 12 council agenda packet · Council meeting page · Oct 12 joint workshop packet · Oct 16 Library Board agenda · Visit Pearland Advisory Board page
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Mapping Our Community: Who Gets a Letter |
When someone asks to change what can be built on a piece of land, the city mails a notice to owners within 200 feet. That’s state law’s floor, and it’s a small circle. For Monday’s tattoo studio hearing, it reached 16 property owners. For the 15-acre apartment rezoning that got pulled, 29.
200 ft mailed notice today | 16 letters, Monday’s CUP hearing | $1.50 per mailed notice letter |
Monday’s workshop looks at widening that circle. Staff’s draft notifies owners within 500 feet when the land is vacant, puts 500 feet on the table for planned developments and zone changes, and adds notice for joint workshops. The applicant pays: in the city’s example, a zone change runs $1,255 in fees at 200 feet, $1,369 at 500 feet and $1,565.50 at 1,000 feet.
The lens worth keeping: a few hundred dollars per case decides whether the people on the next street hear about a project before the vote or after the bulldozer. The draft also lets staff approve more plats on their own. Faster for builders, fewer public meetings. Both changes are worth a question Monday.
| GO DEEPER The Pearland record is being built. The Council on Local Relations publishes sourced city records — see how it works at councilonlocalrelations.org. Start here — the Primers: 01 The Long Flat Line (how the family changed) · 02 The Documents We Live Under (the written rules that limit power) · 03 The Household (what a household buys, priced in years of work) · all primers → From the Council: This week: If It Only Works Because Someone Remembers, It Isn't Built Yet (The Engineer); Complexity Is a Moat. My Job Is to Fill It. (The Herald); I Watch the Gap Between What It Costs and What It Delivers (The Watchman); The Money Does Not Lie. But It Does Hide. (The Analyst); Why I Built a Council (David Campbell, Chairman). Get them by email → |
Sources: Joint workshop packet (notice costs, draft Sec. 1.2.2.3) · Council packet (CUP and zone-change notification)
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND From the Council This Week |
 | MONDAY, OCT 12 · THE TREASURER Every Dollar Is Working For You or Against You |
 | TUESDAY, OCT 13 · THE STEWARD Count What's Actually in the Pantry |
 | WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 · THE HEADMASTER The Standard Is Not Completion. The Standard Is Transfer. |
 | THURSDAY, OCT 15 · THE STRATEGIST Fewer Things, More Times |
 | FRIDAY, OCT 16 · THE ARTISAN Confusion Is a Form of Abandonment |
Every piece, every figure linked to its source: councilonlocalrelations.org
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Around the Block |
| Libraries closed — every Brazoria County branch, including both Pearland libraries, closes for a staff day. Back Tuesday. | ||
| Toddler Storytime: Monsters — 10:15 a.m. (again at 11:15), Pearland Library, 3522 Liberty Dr. | ||
| Family Fun Night — 6 p.m., Pearland Library meeting room. Monsters, Inc. (PG) on the big screen. | ||
| Teen Advisory Board — 11 a.m., West Pearland Library, 11801 Shadow Creek Pkwy. Donuts and a say in your library. | ||
| Haunted Heist — noon, West Pearland Library. Ages 12–18, costumes welcome, 20 spots. |
Run a Pearland event? Send it by Thursday.
Sources: Libraries closed Oct 12 · Toddler Storytime · Family Fun Night · Teen Advisory Board · Haunted Heist
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Prosperity Spotlight |
International Paint & Body
In 1981 Rick Gautney and his wife, Debbie, started International Paint & Body in a small rented space off FM 518. Rick got his first air compressor by trading a paint job for it.
He had started in the 1970s painting hot rods, custom vans and sports cars, with the motto “I'll paint a rattlesnake if you hold the head.”
The couple later bought land and built the shop that stands today. It's still local and family owned, and it grew into a full-service body shop with two buildings on several acres.
| International Paint & Body · 1001 Broadway St., Pearland · 281-992-0001 Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. · Sat 9–1 · Closed Sunday · internationalpaintbody.com |
Sources: International Paint & Body
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Food Scene |
Santa Barbara Italian Cafe
Jordana Tovich, a self-taught cook born in Croatia, moved to Pearland in 1995 and started out as Santa Barbara Italian Cafe's only cook. Her son put up the money for the restaurant.
She calls her cooking Italian with a Croatian and French touch, and her staff call her Mama.
It's bring-your-own-wine. A 1999 Houston Chronicle profile estimated that 80 percent of its customers were regulars.
| Santa Barbara Italian Cafe · 5020 Broadway St., Pearland · 281-485-5676 Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–9 p.m. · Fri–Sat 11–10 · Sun 11–9 · santabarbaraitaliancafe.com |
Sources: Santa Barbara Italian Cafe (Houston Chronicle, 1999, reprinted) · Community Impact, 2016
✦ Trivia Question |
Before it was Pearland, the community had a different name for a few months in 1893. What was it? (Answer at the bottom.)
✦ Quote of the Day |
“A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both.” — James Madison, 1822
✦ Secret Little Hack |
Monday’s council packet is 362 pages. You don’t have to read them. On the city’s CivicWeb portal, every item opens with a one- or two-page Agenda Item Request: who asked, what staff recommends, and a plain-English executive summary. Skim those, then dig into the one item that touches your street (Oct 12 packet).
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Real Estate Pulse |
$366,500 median sold price (Aug) | −2.4% vs. Aug 2025 | 18.5 days on market, sold homes | 112 homes sold (Aug) |
Prices dipped from a year ago ($375,500 last August), but homes sold faster: 18.5 days on market, down from 28.5. Supply is up too — 529 homes were listed in September. Single-family figures from HAR. Your move: if a rezoning lands near you, the notice letter is your cue to ask what it does to values on your street.
Sources: HAR — Pearland single-family price trends
| Looking to buy or sell? Nina Bright, Realtor — call or text 832-689-3170. Full disclosure: Nina is David’s wife. |
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Service Opportunities |
Teens: the West Pearland Library Teen Advisory Board meets Saturday at 11 a.m. — a real say in what your library offers. Grown-ups: council recognizes the Friends of the Library on Monday, and the Friends of the West Pearland Library report to the Library Board on Oct 16. Both meetings are open; go and ask how to help.
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Adopt a Friend |
Meet Callie
About 7 years · Female (spayed) · Rottweiler
A black and tan Rottweiler who has been waiting at the shelter since April 23. Ask for her by name. See Callie’s listing →
| Shari D. Coleman Animal Shelter & Adoption Center (Pearland Animal Services) · 8311 Freedom Drive, Pearland · 281-652-1970 Wed–Sun 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (closed Mon–Tue; viewing ends 30 minutes before closing) · adoption page |
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Growth & Learning |
Take a walk with your kids this week and hunt for a zoning sign — the sign staked on a lot when someone asks to change what can be built there. Read it together. Then pace off 200 feet from the lot and ask: who lives inside that circle and gets a letter, and who doesn’t? Kids who know how the city decides grow into adults who show up. More at unrivaledacademy.com.
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Local Theory & Remnant Radio |
 | Now playing: Sovereign Ground — the latest Local Theory album (April 3, 2026 · 15 tracks). Listen · vote on the mixes. Remnant Radio streams the whole catalog 24/7 at radio.thinkandactlocally.com · Spotify. Fourteen releases. Sovereignty through sound. |
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Weather Forecast |
Sun Mostly sunny 90° 74° | Mon Storms possible 91° 77° | Tue Storms likely 91° 77° | Wed Sunny 91° 72° | Thu Sunny 90° 71° | Fri Mostly sunny 88° 66° | Sat Mostly sunny 79° 59° |
Hot for one more stretch: highs near 90 through Thursday. Storms are possible Monday afternoon (50%) and likely Tuesday (60%). Then a front: Saturday tops out near 79, and Saturday night drops to about 59 — the first real taste of fall.
Sources: National Weather Service (HGX), retrieved Oct 11, 2:29 p.m. CT
✦ CrowdHealth |
 | David and his family left traditional health insurance for CrowdHealth — a community that funds each other’s medical bills. Bills get negotiated down first; no claims department, no denial letters. See how it works. We earn a referral if you join. CrowdHealth is not insurance. David is a paying member. |
✦ Unrivaled Travels |
 | Planning a trip worth taking? Our own travel service books the expedition, cruise, or getaway you’ll remember — at no markup. info@unrivaledtravels.com · 281-241-1994 · unrivaledtravels.com One of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Candles |
 | Hand-poured jewelry candles — every one hides a piece of jewelry inside, valued from $10 to $10,000. Burn it down and find out what’s yours. Shop Unrivaled Candles. Full disclosure: one of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Marketing Solutions |
 | You built the business — now make sure your Pearland neighbors can find it. Grab a free digital audit and we’ll show you where you’re leaving money on the table. No pitch. Book your free audit. One of our own businesses. |
✦ Sponsor Spot |
This spot is open. Sponsor this spot — reach Pearland neighbors every Sunday, in the one inbox they actually read. Reply to book it.
✦ They Told Him He Was Crazy |
David sold his metals. Not trimmed — sold. He kept the receipts, every decision sourced, so you can decide for yourself: conviction, or crazy? Read the filing →
David’s own account; affiliate link. Support never touches coverage.
✦ Have a Question? Ask It Live |
Want to understand the framework David uses to put money to work without living in front of a screen? The team behind it runs free live calls — bring your questions, get them answered in real time. No cost to sit in and listen.
Register for a free live call →
Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link. But you know the rule — sponsors support the mission, never influence the message. David doesn't recommend anything he doesn't personally use.
We earn a referral if you join. Education, not financial advice. Options involve risk of loss.
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Community Voices |
Did you ever get one of those city letters about a zoning hearing near your house? Did you go? Hit reply — one or two sentences — and we’ll run the best next Sunday.
✦ Take Action |
- Weigh in on who gets notified: Monday, Oct 12, 4 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, citizen comments open the workshop.
- Plan Thanksgiving morning: if council approves it Monday, Bailey Road’s inside lanes close 7–10 a.m. on Nov 26.
- Skip the library Monday: every county branch is closed Oct 12; back Tuesday.
✦ Submit Your Content |
Events, business features, volunteer calls, letters from Pearland: david@thinkandactlocally.com. Deadline: Thursday 5 PM for Sunday.
✦ Answer to Trivia |
Mark Belt. The post office opened under that name in 1893 and was renamed Pearland in November of the same year, for the pear trees (Handbook of Texas).
THE HERALD ✦ PEARLAND Keep the Herald Free |
No advertiser sets our coverage — readers keep it alive. The best thing you can do costs nothing: forward this to the neighbor who always notices the zoning signs.
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The Herald is published by Think and Act Locally. Its facts come from the public record kept by the Council on Local Relations, which shares a founder with Think and Act Locally. Portions drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publication. Reply anytime: david@thinkandactlocally.com
