A near-capacity crowd – including many Katy Police Department officers and at least four former mayors – cheered as Katy city council members appointed Captain Bryon T. Woytek as the city’s chief of police in a 4-0 vote. Councilmember Janet Corte was not present at the meeting.

Woytek has served as interim chief for the department since mid-August, following the departure of Noe Diaz, who left Katy to become police chief for the City of Houston. Woytek, who has worked for the department since 1994, was sworn in by Municipal Court Judge Jeffrey Brashear.

Six speakers took the podium during public comments, with four individuals addressing the city’s takeover of the Katy Market Day event. Betsy Proctor, who has run the event for 30 years, told council that she had a petition with over 2,000 signatures opposing the move.

In other action, council also approved in unanimous votes:

· Awarding bids for drainage projects for two areas. The Heights-Airline-Drexel improvement project, estimated to cost $5,832,834.00, would start in January and take 13 months to complete, said city engineer David Kasper. A second project would expand the Pitts Road detention pond at a cost of $1,620,933.70.

· Engineering and construction phase services through ARRK Engineers, LLC were approved for an asphalt overlay project from East Avenue to Katyland Blvd., a striping improvement project at Franz and Cane Island Parkway, a waterline replacement project in Pinewood Terrace Phase 3, a sewer rehabilitation project affecting the Danover-Roberts-East Avenue area, and a sewer improvement project for Pine Meadow and Crystal Forest Trail.

Council also went into closed session to consider an amendment to a development agreement involving the proposed Katy Boardwalk hotel. After council came out of closed session, the amendment was approved with no discussion.

The next meeting of Katy’s city council will be January 13 at City Hall, 901 Avenue C. in Katy.