Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281-333-4211
MAY 2015
CITY NEWS LETTER FROM THE CITY MANAGER With a sense of excitement and a bit of apprehension, I announce my intention to retire from my position as City Manager effective January 2, 2016. I have made this decision after considerable deliberation and this choice comes with mixed emotions. While there are many things that I will miss upon leaving my daily involvement with the City, I will miss my interaction with the staff, Council and residents the most. This month marks my 28th anniversary as a public servant, 6 years of which have been here in Nassau Bay. I believe this is a good time in the life of the organization for this transition to take place. My first two years as Nassau Bay’s City Manager were challenging for our community. We were faced with the reality of the nation’s economic woes, revenue shortfalls, and aging infrastructure. Additionally we were concerned with weakened property values as a result of Hurricane Ike. As a City surrounded by water that was in recovery mode from Hurricane Ike, we only had 22 days of Reserve Funds in the event of another catastrophe. By 2014, we ended the year with 133 days of Reserves. We achieved this increase with a committed staff who found innovative ways to increase revenues through grants and cut spending while still maintaining expected levels of service. Our goal has been to continue providing the same quality services to which residents have been accustomed but using methods and resources that are more efficient and effective. I am proud to have been at the helm of this organization at a time when we were able to achieve so much at such a difficult time. Of the many accomplishments we have achieved during my tenure, some of the highlights include: •Implementing Coffee with the City Manager in an effort to share information with the citizens •Establishing Vision 2020, our Comprehensive Plan •Improving Nassau Bay Town Square through business partnerships and a $2.5 million Economic Development Grant •Repairing and improving infrastructure damaged as a result of Hurricane Ike from over $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds •Repairing and improving the Waste Water Treatment Plant totaling $2.3 million to increase the capacity and to fix major sewer problems the City and residents had been dealing with •Improving and repairing city roads including $2 million in funds from Harris County •Constructing the Dog Park in Lake Nassau Park •Completing the Peninsula Nature Trail through a grant of $160,000 from Texas Parks and Wildlife •Building the new state of the art city hall complex, the Donald C. Matter Municipal Building. The 24,000 sq. ft. facility includes over 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space with a long-term tenant providing a long term source of revenue •Securing a total of over $7.2 million in grants for a variety of city projects to supplement our budget Any success, for which I may be recognized, is directly attributable to the City staff members who have worked hard and have never lost focus on the importance of their work. Due to their service, the City of Nassau Bay was named one of the Best and Brightest Places To Work four years in a row. The Finance Department has received the Distinguished Budget Award three years consecutively and we have received multiple awards for Government Transparency from the State Comptroller’s office. My goal has been to continually improve the city with each step we took and I believe we have done that. I must admit that the weekly coffee that began at Gloria Dei Church and later moved to Texas Citizens Bank serves as a highlight in my week. The people who come to the coffee are eager to share information that otherwise would take weeks or months to research. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity I have had to work with the City of Nassau Bay. The substantial support I have consistently received from staff, Council, and residents contributed immensely to the many productive and prosperous years here. Nassau Bay has become my home and my family and I are looking forward to many more years as active members of this community. In the coming months til my retirement date, I will maintain our forward momentum, help in the selection of my successor, and assist staff and Council during this transition. I am confident that the team we now have in place will continue to do great things for our community. Your Neighbor,
Chris Reed
CITY NEWS
MAY 15
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HURRICANE SEASON Are You Prepared?
Those who were here for Ike need few reminders of the devastation, but regardless of how many storms you have lived and endured, it is always important to be prepared. Hurricanes like Ike emphasize the need for every citizen to have a well thought out personal and/or family plan and remember “If you fail to plan, then plan to fail.” The following are some basics that should be part of your plan:
BY THE NUMBERS POLICE
Statistics for March 2015
Total Service Calls................................................................. 316 Total Reports Taken................................................................35 Protect your past - focus on personal records and special Total Patrol Miles...............................................................5,762 items. Crimes Against Persons...........................................................7 Protect your present - BUY FLOOD INSURANCE! Protect your Peace of Mind - focus on planning and Property Crimes......................................................................... 11 Arrests..........................................................................................19 communications. Protect yourself and others - NEVER drive on flooded roads. Average Response Times (in minutes)......................... 3.06
Protect from the Dangers of Inland Flooding • • • •
Remember: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”
Prepare a Disaster Survival Kit - Have enough non-perishable food, water and supplies for family and pets to last at least (5) five days.
Prepare for Hurricane Season • • • • •
• •
Know if you live in a designated evacuation zone. Nassau Bay is in Zone ‘A’, not to be confused with flood insurance zones. Plan ahead for where you will go and when you will leave. Familiarize yourself with your children’s school and your workplace evacuation plans. Learn how to shut off your utilities and know the emergency numbers to call. Protect your property - board up windows; secure outside furniture, etc.; secure boats, trailers and other items. Perform an Inventory - make copies of important insurance documents (Property, Life, Health, etc) along with credit and ID cards. Make a video or take pictures of your property and belongings for insurance purposes. Store important documents in a secure place away from your home. Keep some cash in a safe place that can easily be accessed during an evacuation. ATM’s are useless during power outages.
Plan for Those with Functional Needs - hearing, speech or
mobility impaired; the critically ill, people without vehicles or those with special dietary needs should call 211, the State Transportation Evacuation Assistance Registry, to register for assistance.
Plan for Pets and Shelter of Livestock Plan for Taking Care of Your Boat or Motor Home When a Hurricane Threatens - frequently monitor TV, radio (KTRH 740 AM), NOAA weather radio, internet and hurricane help lines. • Fuel your vehicles and keep them topped off.
Register Your Phone & Email with the City’s Blackboard Connect - we will keep you informed in bad weather or other
emergency situations. Register on-line at www.nassaubay.com click on the Blackboard Connect link under helpful links then the Blackboard Connect Logo.
Planning for personal hurricane protection takes time and serious thought. Please join us for a Citizen Hurricane Preparedness Seminar on Thursday, May 28th from 6:30 8:30pm at City Hall. For more information, visit www.nassaubay.com or call the City’s Emergency Management Offices at (281) 333-4211.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Total Calls..................................................................................29 Fires*............................................................................................. 2 Cooking Fire............................................................................... 0 Rescue.......................................................................................... 3 HAZMAT....................................................................................... 0 Motor Vehicle Accident........................................................... 2 Hazardous Conditions............................................................. 4 Fire Alarm...................................................................................10 EMS Assist................................................................................... 4 Canceled in Route/Other........................................................ 4 *Assisted Seabrook FD with structure fire. *Assisted Webster FD with structure fire.
EMS
Total Calls................................................................................... 74 Total Patients in Nassau Bay................................................43
THANKFUL We are thankful to have such wonderful staff and supportive community members and organizations that help us make Nassau Bay the best place to live and work! • The City of Nassau Bay was named one of Houston's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. (Nassau Bay's 4th consecutive year!) • The City of Nassau Bay has received the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Award. This award reflects our commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. • The Police Department received a grant in the amount of $9,000 from the Friends of the NRA that will cover the cost of 11 new ballistic vests and covers for our officers. • The Police Department received a grant from the 100 Club of Houston in the amount of $89,799.40 which will cover the cost of replacing all 20 handheld radios and 7 mobile radios in the Police Department and Fire Marshal's Office.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
We had to cancel the original date due to the rainy weather, but we have rescheduled and hope you can join us Friday, May 8th!
MAY 2015 Coffee with City Manager.....................May 1, 9am Keels & Wheels..................................... May 2, 10am Cinco de Mayo.................................................. May 5 Planning Commission Mtg (if needed)..... May 5, 6pm Coffee with City Manager....................May 8, 9am Spring Fling - Party on the Square...May 8, 7pm Mother's Day.....................................................May 10 City Council Meeting.............................May 11, 7pm Board of Adjustment Mtg (if needed)..... May 14, 6pm Coffee with City Manager.................. May 15, 9am Coffee with City Manager................. May 22, 9am Memorial Day..................................................May 25 Parks & Recreation Committee..................May 25 Hurricane Preparedness Seminar............May 28 Coffee with City Manager................. May 29, 9am For more information about these events and a complete list of community events, visit www.nassaubay.com/events
2015 EGG HUNT
We had a great time at the Annual Easter Egg Hunt! Thank you to our wonderful Special Events Committee for hosting this fun event!
Add your event to the Community Calendar. Email event information to kristi.sykora@nassaubay.com
HOLIDAY FLAGS
Boy Scout Troop 1513 is conducting their annual Flag Holiday Subscription Drive. Troop 1513 will place an all-weather 3'x5' American flag on a 10' pole curbside your front yard on the following holidays: Memorial Day (5/25) Flag Day (6/14) Independence Day (7/4) Patriots Day (9/11) Veterans Day (11/11) The annual cost for this service is $50 which helps support the Boy Scouts. For more information about a flag subscription, please contact Andy Schaber at jaschaber@yahoo.com.
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GREEN THUMB
GARDEN CLUB
We want to help you keep your lawn green and gardens thriving!
The Nassau Bay Garden Club invites residents to join their monthly meetings. All residents are welcome, no need to sign up, just show up to join the fun.
The City of Nassau Bay provides Microlife 6-2-4 All Organic Biological Fertilizer for residents to purchase at cost. This fertilizer reduces the need for watering your lawn helps maintain your lawn year round. It can be used on grass, ornamentals, perennials, flowers, and vegetables. It provides over 100+ nutrients, minerals, vitamins, natural plant hormones, natural plant stimulators, essential sugars/amino acids/carbon/protein and billions of beneficial microbes representing 76 species. What’s in it? Fish, Kelp, Molasses, Emery Humates, Bat Guano, Rock Phosphate, Wheat Middling’s, Soy Meal, Cottonseed Meal, Alfalfa, Corn Meal, Kmag, Potassium Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, 18 select Amino Acids, Vitamins, plus the MicroGro Supreme Bio-Inoculate package which contains billions of beneficial microorganisms including Endo & Ecto Mycorrhizal fungi. When to repeat application? Grass: 3 – 4 months Ornamentals, Flowers, Vegetables and Fruit: 3 – 4 months Cost? $24.00 for a 40lb bag For more information or to purchase, please call us at 281333-2944 or visit the Public Works Department at 18295 Upper Bay Road in Nassau Bay.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 12 9:30am Nasssau Bay City Hall
CITY FINANCES City of Nassau Bay has a new financial analysis tool that provides residents, elected officials and staff unprecedented access to the city’s financial information. The software transforms volumes of raw financial data into an interactive, digital format, enabling better analysis and understanding of the city’s finances and making it easy for everyone to learn about the City’s revenues and expenditures. Users can view historical revenue and expenditure trends over time and explore multiple views of budget data, including by fund, department, expense or revenue type. Users can search for specific information or simply click on the links to get answers to frequently asked questions such as “What did the city spend on wages over the past five years?” Additionally, the Checkbook feature enables visitors to quickly view and search thousands of expenditure transactions dating back to 2011. The data can be quickly searched and filtered according to specific detail such as vendor name, date, description, and dollar amount. The City of Nassau Bay is one of fifteen governments in Texas utilizing OpenGov technology to improve their financial transparency. View the software online: www.nassaubay.com/opengov
NASSAU BAY HOA As required by the By-Laws of the Nassau Bay Homes Association, Inc. (NBHA), the annual election for Trustees for its Board of Directors will be held on Friday, May 22, 2015, at the NBHA office (1120 NASA Parkway, Suite 109.) Early voting will begin the week before the election date on Tuesday, May 12 through Friday, May 15 from 8am to 4pm. Three seats are open for election. Any resident property owner who pays into the Nassau Bay Homes Association, Inc. Maintenance Fund is eligible to file for office. Those desiring to run for a Trustees position must complete an application and return it to the NBHA office. For more information please call 281-333-2570 or email nbha1@ verizon.net. Information is also available online at www. nbhaweb.com.
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ADOPTABLE PETS OF THE MONTH BEAUFORD
ZOEY
Male, 2 Years Old
Female, 4 Months Old
Beauford is very sweet, laid back, and would fit good in any loving home.
Zoey was a little shy at first, but each day she improves. She just needs a forever family to warm up to.
For more information, please visit the Nassau Bay Animal Shelter 281-333-2944 www.nassaubay.com/animalshelter 18900 Upper Bay Rd. Nassau Bay, TX Hours: Mon-Thurs 7:30am-5:30pm & Fri 7:30am-11:30am
OPOSSUM 101 Opossums are nocturnal animals; however, during the spring and summer months female opossums laden with young spend more time foraging for food and may be seen during the day. Opossums are beneficial, they eat harmful, unwanted pests around your home such as snails, slugs, spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice, and snakes. Many refer to the opossum as "Nature's Little Sanitation Engineer." Opossums, in general, are docile, non-aggressive animals, but prefer to avoid confrontations and can show teeth or bite in self-defense as any animal would. It is extremely rare for an opossum to have rabies due to their low body temperature making it difficult for the virus to survive in their body.
ANIMAL SHELTER NEWS
On April 13, Nassau Bay Police Department and Animal Control seized 16 dogs and arrested the owner after finding the dogs in a parked vehicle at a local hotel with only the windows slightly opened. The temperature outside was 75°F and inside the vehicle was 118°F! One dog was also found inside the hotel room. A veterinarian has examined the dogs and found they were dehydrated, infested with fleas, and badly matted with fecal material in their fur. The owner in now facing criminal charges. Nassau Bay Animal Control is caring for these dogs while the charges are pending. We want to thank everyone that has so kindly brought us donations to help care for these dogs. From grooming to vaccinations to food, costs add up with this many dogs and any help we receive is greatly appreciated. If you want to make a monetary donation, please contact us at 281-333-2944. We will keep everyone updated on these dogs as the case proceeds.
If you see an opossum in your yard or neighborhood, please leave them alone and enjoy observing wildlife. If you believe the opossum is sick or injured, please contact Animal Control Officer Troy at 281-333-2944. Keep opossums outdoors: Remember to close outside doors and unscreened windows from dusk to dawn and put away pet food and other food items so the opossum will not be tempted to enter your home. Learn more about online at www.opossumsocietyus.org
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CONTACT US NASSAU BAY CITY HALL
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281.333.4211
VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT 911 or 281.333.3473 During Business Hours 281.333.2677 E-mail: fire.station@nassaubay.com ●
POLICE DEPARTMENT 911 or 281.333.4200 During Business Hours 281.333.2212 Vacation Check Requests 281.333.2212 ●
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ANIMAL CONTROL
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281.333.2944
281.333.2944
WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT During Business Hours 281.333.2944 Weekends/After Hours (Emergencies) 281.333.4200 MUNICIPAL COURT ELECTED OFFICIALS ●
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COUNCIL MEETING RECAP April 13 Regular Council Meeting Presented a Proclamation for Fair Housing Month to Mary Chambers. Presented a Proclamation to Marco W. Balletto, Jr. for achieving his Eagle Scout designation. (Braun) Presented a Proclamation to Andres Rey Contreras for achieving his Eagle Scout designation. (Mossman) Presented a Proclamation to Steven Mroski for achieving his Eagle Scout designation. (Mahon) Presented a Proclamation to Derek Kyle Bonner for achieving his Eagle Scout designation. (Klug)
281.336.6297 ●
281.333.4211
Fax 281.333.2301
Mayor Mark Denman [Home 281.333.9633] E-mail: mayor@nassaubay.com Councilmember Sandra Mossman [Home 281.333.2194] E-mail: sandra.mossman@nassaubay.com Councilmember John Mahon [Home 713.702.1185] E-mail: john.mahon@nassaubay.com Councilmember Bryce Klug [Home 832.474.5461] E-mail: bryce.klug@nassaubay.com Councilmember Jonathan Amdur [Home 281.333.3424] E-mail: jonathan.amdur@nassaubay.com Councilmember Bob Warters [Home 281.333.4750] E-mail: bob.warters@nassaubay.com Councilmember Angela Braun [Home 281.333.3331] E-mail: angela.braun@nassaubay.com
Presented a Proclamation to Gage Gischel for achieving his Eagle Scout designation. (Amdur) Presented a Proclamation to Tristan Partin for achieving his Eagle Scout designation. (Warters) Approved an ordinance on first reading amending the City’s Parking Ordinance. Scout Troop 957 conducted the Flag Ceremony at the April Council meeting. Mayor Denman presented a certificate of appreciation to the troop for the flag ceremony. Steven Mroski – April 17, 2015 Tristan Partin - October 26, 2015 Gage Gischel – November 8, 2015 William Ryan Zimmerman – November 24, 2015 Derek Kyle Bonner – December 5, 2015 Andres Rey Contreras – December 27, 2015 Marco W. Balletto, Jr. – February 1, 2016
View the digital newsletter at www.nassaubay.com/news
www.facebook.com/nassaubay
www.twitter.com/nassaubaytx
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