C mpass Rose AUGUST 2018
COMMITMENT TO RESIDENTS: WATER AND SEWER REHABILITATION The Council’s pledge to the City’s strategic priorities is the driving force for the water and sewer line rehabilitation project, and when complete, will positively impact the residents and businesses of Nassau Bay for decades to come. Council began addressing the underground infrastructure in the early 2000’s, with a heavy focus on updating the wastewater treatment plant and miles of the accompanying sewer lines. Now that sewer line backup reports have dwindled to minimal levels, a largescale effort is planned to address more than 15 miles of water lines and the remaining sewer lines, which is still north of seven miles. Council approved the first phase of this five-phase project and will begin implementation of approximately five miles of water and sewer lines in January 2019. To fund the first phase of the project, new water and sewer rates were adopted on June 11, 2018, and will be effective for the November 2018 utility bill. The average residential utility bill in Nassau Bay will increase approximately $3.00 per month, but remains at or below average when compared to neighboring cities. The City’s website is the primary host for all information regarding the water and sewer line rehabilitation project. Please visit our website to find maps of the proposed infrastructure enhancements, a complete list of water rates, comparable utility rate benchmarks, and a project summary. In addition, the website will be updated quarterly to show money inflows/outflows and give updates on rehabilitation. To learn more, please visit our website at www.nassaubay.com/WaterRehab.
Mark A. Denman Mayor, City of Nassau Bay
The purple lines depict the planned water/sewer line replacements for Phase 1 of this project, while the green lines represent infrastructure recently replaced. The first phase will begin in November 2018 and is planned to be completed in one year.
Nassau Bay water/sewer rates will be increased to account for the proposed Phase 1 of the project. Rates are based off usage and calculated to incentivize water conservation for residential and commercial properties.
Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281.333.4211
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR August 2018 Coffee with the City Manager.......................... Aug 3, 9am Joint Budget Workshop / EDC . ..................... Aug 6, 7pm Planning Commission (if needed)....................... Aug 7, 6pm Coffee with the City Manager....................... Aug 10, 9am City Council Meeting.........................................Aug 13, 7pm Parks & Rec Committee Meeting (if needed).......... Aug 15 Coffee with the City Manager....................... Aug 17, 9am Coffee with the City Manager....................... Aug 24, 9am Coffee with the City Manager....................... Aug 31, 9am
September 2018
City Hall Closed (Labor Day)....................................... Sept 3 Planning Commission (if needed).................................. Sept 4 Coffee with the City Manager......................... Sept 7, 9am City Council Meeting....................................... Sept 10, 7pm Garden Club Social / Program............... Sept 11, 9:30am Coffee with the City Manager...................... Sept 14, 9am Parks & Rec Committee Meeting (if needed)......... Sept 19 Coffee with the City Manager...................... Sept 21, 9am Coffee with the City Manager...................... Sept 28, 9am For more information about these events and a complete list of community events, please visit: www.nassaubay.com/calendar.
JOIN US FOR NASSAU BAY 101
Want to know more about the ins and outs of city government? The City of Nassau Bay is offering a six-week program that will give residents a behind-the-scenes look of the City. What is Nassau Bay 101? Nassau Bay 101 provides a unique opportunity to get an up-close and in-depth look at the inner workings of your municipal government. It is designed to equip and encourage citizens to become more engaged and assume a leadership role within the community. Participants will meet City Staff and Elected Officials and learn all about each department of our City through facility tours, interactive sessions and demonstrations. When Are the Classes? Classes will be held Thursday evenings from 6:00pm to 8:00pm for six weeks starting on September 13, 2018. Who Can Participate? This program is open to Nassau Bay residents and business owners. Participants must be registered voters and at least 18 years old. The class is limited to a maximum of 20 participants that will be selected based on their submitted applications. How Do I Apply? The Nassau Bay 101 application is available at City Hall or online at www.nassaubay.com/NB101. Submit the application by August 31st to Mary Chambers at mary.chambers@nassaubay.com.
NASSAU BAY GARDEN CLUB
A Ghostly Appearance in Summer? Nassau Bay homeowners are walking around their yards only to be shocked by a mysterious, silvery web covering their trees. This has homeowners rushing to call master gardeners and nearby stores to try to find a pesticide that will save the trees! The webbing is not caused by webworms or tent catapillars, but by a harmless insect that is known as barklice. This insect’s name is very misleading as it is not lice. Barklice are very small (less than 1/8 inch long), so it does not look like lice at all. This species of barklice is commonly found in the greater Houston and Galveston region. Barklice live together under the protection of silvery, silken layers of webbing. This ghostly looking webbing provides protection from predators while the barklice feed. The webbing usually appears in late summer and can completely cover the trunk and large branches of a tree in what seems like overnight. This web usually appears after long periods of high humidity. Although the silvery webbing gives the tree a ghostly appearance, the silky webbing and the insects are harmless and will disappear as quickly as they came, in time with less humid weather. Barklice live on the rough bark of live oak trees, pecan trees and even crêpe myrtles. This is one instance where the “ghosts” are friendly and helpful! New Season to Join the Garden Club The Nassau Bay Garden Club will kick off its new season on Tuesday, September 11th at 9:30 am in the Council Chambers of City Hall. All meetings are open to any interested residents and their guests. Join the Garden Club for scrumptious goodies and coffee as you settle in to hear the State of Nassau Bay – all about the exciting things going on in our City. We hope to see you!
CITY STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Officer Gino Gallegos started his career with the University of Houston Police Department on October 29, 2015, before becoming an officer with the Nassau Bay Police Department on September 12, 2017. Officer Gallegos' duties consist of investigating misdemeanor and felony cases, as well as investigating all drug related offenses. Officer Gallegos' continuous will and determination earned him a promotion to the Criminal Investigations Division, where he then earned the rank of Detective on May 21st, 2018. Congratulations on your recent promotion Detective Gallegos!
ANOTHER GREAT FOURTH OF JULY!
Thank you for joining us for the July 4th celebration! A special thanks goes to our Special Events Committee and all those that assisted in making this such a wonderful day in Nassau Bay! View all of the event photos on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nassaubay.
Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281.333.4211
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BY THE NUMBERS Statistics for June 2017
HELP! DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT?
POLICE
Total Service Calls............................... 328 Total Reports Taken............................. 29 Total Patrol Miles............................ 6,294 Crimes Against Persons........................ 6 Property Crimes.................................... 16 Arrests......................................................... 2 Avg Response Times (minutes)....... 3.56
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Total Calls................................................ 29 Fires.............................................................. 1 Rescue......................................................... 1 Motor Vehicle Accident........................ 2 Hazardous Conditions/Hazmat......... 2 Fire Alarm................................................... 8 EMS Assist.................................................. 9 Cancelled in Route/Other.................... 6
EMS
Total Calls................................................ 89 Total Patients in Nassau Bay............ 35
NBHA REMINDER
The Nassau Bay Homes Association recently completed a survey of the Association in regards to yard lights. If you live in NBHA and do not have a functioning yard light on a pole in your front yard, the Assocation will be sending a letter to correct this matter within 30 days, or the Association will take action to bill you. The light must be white with a color of 3500K and a brightness of 550 to 600 lumens, which is the same as a 60 watt light bulb. For more information, contact the Association at 281-333-2570.
CANBE CORNER
The first official Legacy Bench is now on display at David Braun Park. Take a trip to the park to see the new look of our Legacy Benches and contact Gayle Nelson at gaylenelson2016@gmail.com today for sponsoring a Legacy Bench in honor of your favorite person! Our Legacy Bricks are also on display at David Braun Park and can be ordered anytime day or night through our website at www. NassauBayCANBE.org. Always available with your sponsorship are fabulous goodies such as I NB hats, aprons and more!
A building permit requires that a contractor use safe methods and materials. Inspections assure you the contractor does. The question of when a permit is needed is baffling for most everyone. Let’s start with new construction. New construction always requires a building permit, whether you’re putting up a building or a major part of a building like a new addition. This permit can cover everything from the footings below the foundation to the roofing materials overhead. Here’s a list of items that typically require a permit. If you are having work done and it’s not on the list, contact the City to be sure you are in compliance. Failure to obtain a permit for work that requires a permit will result in a fine and sometimes require that the work be torn out or the building removed. A permit is required for:
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Demolitions • Roof replacement Room additions • Signs Garages • Driveways & driveway replacements Enclosures or covers of porch or • Plumbing, electrical & mechanical patio work • All detached accessory structures • Wall removal or relocation due to structural requirements • Fences • Window or exterior doors • Retaining walls
This is not an all-inclusive list, but intended to provide guidance on when a building permit is needed. Once you know you need a building permit, actually getting one may seem like a hassle. But it will be worth it in the end and we are here to help every step of the way. The Nassau Bay Building Inspection Department is currently reviewing processes and procedures in an effort to provide customers a more user friendly experience. Thank you in advance for your patience in this endeavor. As a note, permits are issued on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 7:30am to 5:30pm. For more information, contact Building Permit Technician Catrina Maxwell at 281-336-6292 or at catrina.maxwell@nassaubay.com.
FILL A BACKPACK, FILL A NEED
St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church and School is providing backpacks to be filled with school supplies for McWhirter Elementary School in neighboring Webster, Texas. These filled backpacks will be delivered in mid-August to the Communities in Schools (CIS) office at McWhirter, to be given out to students who don't have the resources for a new backpack or new school supplies to start the school year. The backpacks are available for grades PreK-3 through 5th grade and have the supply list attached. CIS has also requested a pair of new tennis shoes for each backpack. Anyone in the community, school, or church is encouraged to come pick up a backpack to fill. The church is open from 7:00am until 6:00pm, Monday to Friday. Backpacks can be returned to St. Thomas anytime or on the last collection day of Wednesday, August 15th by 6:00pm. In closing out the backpack project, volunteers are invited to stay and enjoy bingo for the family and banana splits.
Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281.333.4211
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NASSAU BAY ANIMAL SHELTER
BANDERA
LT & NT
Nassau Bay Public Works Employee Kevin Mead is the newest fur-parent on the block, lovingly adopting "ST." Help find loving forever homes for Bandera, LT, and NT, and all of the dogs and cats at the shelter. Please call the Nassau Bay Animal Shelter at 281.333.2944 and schedule a time to meet one of our dogs or cats ready for adoption. www.nassaubay.com/animalshelter Hours: Mon-Thurs 7:30am-5:30pm Fri 7:30am-11:30am
Find us on Facebook @NassauBayAnimalPound
FROM SHELTER TO FOREVER HOME
Here is a story that will make your heart flutter, it's all about the love of a dog named Butter. Little did she know where her journey would end, ‘til she found a forever home with Betty and Phil, her two new best friends. It was a dream of Betty’s that she held onto for so long, God bless Butter for coming along. Suddenly Betty and Phil had a new love in their life, with Butter beside them, they were beaming inside. Phil could not walk far because of his knees, but now that they’re fixed he and Butter are free to walk to the mailbox and chase squirrels into trees. Betty’s prayers were answered and she is as happy as can be, while Phil smiles from ear to ear as anyone can see. With life in a shelter now at an end, Butter is where she belongs with her two best of friends. A poem written about Betty, who recently adopted Butter from the Nassau Bay Animal Shelter. Betty is 87 years old and struggles with dementia - since Butter’s adoption, Betty’s anxiety, agitation, irritability, and depression has significantly decreased.
BLAST FROM NASSAU BAY PAST
Enjoy this blast from our past, an article originally written ten years ago for the City's 2008 edition of Foghorn. This article is titled Remember When? and was written by Bob Mitchell. Remember When... When, the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Clear Lake City was only open 4 days a week because there wasn't enough business to be open 6-7 days a week. When the Gulf Freeway main pavement ended around the Almeda Mall Shopping Center and you drove on the service roads the rest of the way to Webster. When El Camino Real ended at NASA Road 1 (now NASA Parkway) and a gate closed off the area to the south where cows grazed. One could hear their moos in Nassau Bay across Cow Bayou. When the Sizzler Steak House (located at the site of the Hilton Hotel) served those good steak sandwiches. When Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby came to one of the Nassau Bay Civic Associations meetings at the Southwest Savings Association building (which is now the Pain Clinic). When they tore down the Nassau Bay Resort Motor Inn and the booth from which Walter Cronkite and Jules Bergman broadcasted. When they covered all those TRW/IBM office buildings with black glass. When Chuck Miller ran the Texaco gas station, now the Shell station, and Sakowitz II was "the" store in the Nassau Bay Shopping Center. When Tropical Storm Claudette (July 1979) dumped 43 inches of rain in Alvin in one day, and the water level in Cow Bayou rose to 11.6 feet above mean sea level on Nassau Bay Drive and 9.0 feet in Swan Lagoon. Thanks for the walk down memory lane Bob!
COUNCIL MEETING RECAP
JULY 9, 2018 - REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Nauticats Champ Meet Swimmers for leading the Pledges
Presented a Proclamation to the Texas Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Approved second and final reading of an ordinance amending Article 14 of the Zoning Ordinance, Property Development Regulations, Residential. Approved a resolution reappointing George Dempsey (Position 5), Gary Mossman (Position 7), and appointing Matt Prior (Position 3) to the Board of Directors for Reinvestment Zone Number One (TIRZ), for terms set to expire December 31, 2019. Additionally, appointed Mark Denman as Chair. Approved a resolution appointing Bob Warters, Sandra Mossman, Dick Gregg, III, Tuie Lee and Rena Bozak to the Charter Review Commission. Join us for next month's Council Meeting: Monday, August 13, 2018 @ 7:00pm - Nassau Bay City Hall
Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281.333.4211
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