C mpass Rose JUNE 2020
BE A RESPONSIBLE BOATER
Please work with the City of Nassau Bay to keep our marine community safe, healthy, and open. Following a few simple rules will keep you safe, the City’s Marine Patrol Division safe, and allow you to enjoy your boat, jet ski, or other water vessels. For our boating community who will be out on the water this summer, here are some guidelines for being a responsible boater. General guidelines for friendly, safe boating: Do not create excessive wakes. • Be careful not to swamp floating docks or other boats. • Don’t wash water over a swimmer or other person in the water. • Don’t cause severe rocking of another boat or vessel. • Avoid speeds and wakes that would cause other floating docks or boats to collide into another fixed or floating object. Only travel at headway speed when coming within 50 feet of any other vessel, person, stationary platform, bulkhead, or the shore. No loud music – music or sound should not be heard more than 10 feet from your boat. Be courteous and thoughtful of the nearby homes. DO NOT operate a boat, jet ski, or other vessel while drinking or intoxicated. Guidelines for social distance boating during COVID-19: DO NOT raft up with other boats or vessels. ONLY boat with persons from your immediate household. Maintain a safe distance at docks and boat ramps. The City of Nassau Bay asks that you respect our residents who live along the water, as well as your fellow boaters. Remember to keep the wakes and the music volume to a minimum. Be courteous and enjoy the water. Thank you for doing your part to keep our boating community healthy and safe with these general boating guidelines.
CITY HALL OPENS JUNE 1ST The City of Nassau Bay will reopen City administrative offices to the public on Monday, June 1st. Although offices will be open, residents and customers will be encouraged to conduct business online or by phone, if possible. Social distancing and face coverings will be encouraged, and hand sanitizer will be available in the City Hall lobby. Although City Hall will be open, we will continue to invite our residents to access our online resources for City Service needs. Below are the most commonly accessed services: Utility Bill Payments: Online access is available for all utility accounts at www.nassaubay.com/waterbill. Citizens can also pay by phone by calling 1-844-234-9886 or drop off their payment at the utility drop box. Court Fines & Court Dates: Municipal court will resume on June 1st. For questions on court fines and court dates, please contact the court via e-mail at municipal.court@nassaubay.com. City Issued Permits: A variety of Cityissued permits can be applied for with our digital application. For more information, visit the City's website at www.nassaubay.com/buildingpermits. Nassau Bay Police Department: The Nassau Bay Police Department continues to operate normal patrol and emergency operations. For nonemergency services or to make a report, please call 281-333-2212. Public Works: The Public Works Office is closed to the public until further notice. Please call the Public Works Office at 281-333-2944 with any Public Works concerns or service needs. For Nassau Bay's full City directory, please visit www.nassaubay.com/contactus.
NASSAU BAY GARDEN CLUB
The Nassau Bay Garden Club will be on hiatus this summer until the Club's opening meeting of the 2020-2021 year on Tuesday, September 8th at 9:30am. As the Club cautiously monitors COVID-19, it is hoped meetings will resume in the Council Chambers at City Hall. This summer the Garden Club hopes to refurbish the Tranquility Arbor garden at the corner of Upper Bay Road and Martinique Drive. The Club will continue to maintain their five other gardens in the City. Discussions are ongoing about the Club's big fundraiser that was scheduled for April 17th event – stay tuned for more information. This has been a great winter and spring for plants and critters in the community. People are spending more time at home and enjoying their gardens and furry family members. It's a great time to add compost to your soil – you can buy compost and/or make your own. There are small compost containers that you can buy or that you can make. Gardeners can have organic rich-in-nutrients garden compost all year long with no added cost. This practice, along with rainwater collection, is a great means of conservation. Please take time when you are out walking or riding around to appreciate our beautiful and safe community. Enjoy our beautiful parks and wildlife, and say thanks to our City workers, volunteers, and first responders. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy summer.
MONTHLY FRESH-FOOD DISTRIBUTION
On Saturday, June 6th, St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church will offer the third of its monthly fresh food distribution to neighbors in need throughout Nassau Bay, Webster, and Pasadena. This distribution is in coordination with the Galveston Food Bank. A truck will be parked in the St. Thomas parking lot at 8:00am for volunteers to help package pallets of food into serviceable quantities of fresh fruits, vegetables and (sometimes) meat. Distribution begins almost immediately. Each month St. Thomas will distribute at least eight different types of food to those in need. On May 2nd, volunteers assisted 102 cars with 462 people. Volunteers registered cars and people who walked up and placed bags of fresh produce in their cars. If you are interested in serving or leading, please email Mike Stone at rector@sttaec.org. Nonparishioners are always invited to serve with St. Thomas. The next food distribution will be on Saturday, July 4th.
FOURTH OF JULY NOTICE
Keep your eyes out for more information about the City's Fourth of July celebration in the July Compass Rose Newsletter. There will be some new changes to the parade, park activities, and fireworks. You can also find more information on the City's website at www.nassaubay.com/SpecialEvents.
NOVEMBER ELECTION INFORMATION
Possible July Election Cancelled, Nassau Bay Will Continue Forward with the November 3rd Election
CONSIDERATIONS FOR POSSIBLE JULY ELECTION
In response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, the City Council of Nassau Bay officially postponed the May 2020 General Election. As previously noted, City Council discussed the ability to consider dates prior to November 3rd if options were available. Currently, Governor Greg Abbott has only authorized cities to move their election to November 3rd – there is no authority for a city to move an election to any other date without permission from the Governor's Office. Petitioning Governor Abbott to allow an election date change, Nassau Bay approved a preparatory measure to order a July 14th City election to coincide with the July primary run-offs. It was important to City Council to consider all date options, as there were concerns that ballots would be so large and overwhelming in November (Nassau Bay's ballot would be placed at the bottom in November). Additionally, Councilmembers only serve two-year terms, so in effect Councilmembers lose six months of their term due to the delay. After many efforts, Nassau Bay did not receive approval from Governor Abbott to hold an earlier election. The order approved at the Special City Council meeting is automatically cancelled, and the election will continue to be held in November as previously scheduled.
NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION INFORMATION
As the City was not authorized to conduct an earlier election, Nassau Bay will move forward with the November 3, 2020 election date. Nassau Bay residents will be asked to vote for the positions of Mayor, and Council Position 2, 4 and 6. Councilmembers who currently hold office (that were scheduled to be on the May ballot) will continue to exercise their duties until November. Residents will also be asked to vote on twenty-two propositions amending the City Charter. To vote in Nassau Bay's election, a resident must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election date. Citizens can register to vote until October 5, 2020 for the November election. To change your name or address, a completed and signed application is also required. Voter registration cards are available at the Harris County Clerk's Office. Applications for ballot by mail (ABBMs) can be requested by calling the Harris County Elections Division at 713.755.6965. Applications can also be obtained online at www.harrisvotes.com. All applications for a ballot by mail that were filed for the May 2nd election and marked annual are valid for the November 3rd election. Additionally, single use ABBMs submitted for reasons of age or disability remain valid for the November 3rd election. A single use ABBM submitted due to absence from the county is NOT valid as the election date has changed. The deadline to submit an Application for Ballot by Mail is October 23, 2020. Governor Abbott's order also requires Harris County to conduct the City's election. Early voting will be conducted October 19th through October 30th. For more information on the City's November 3rd election, please contact City Secretary Sandra Ham at sandra. ham@nassaubay.com or by phone at 281-336-6281.
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 April 2019
POLICE
Total Service Calls............................ 296 Total Reports Taken........................... 27 Total Patrol Miles......................... 4,384 Crimes Against Persons...................... 3 Property Crimes................................... 12 Arrests.................................................... 3 Avg Response Times (minutes)..... 3.52
HAVE YOU SEEN IT?
Nassau Bay's new art monument is scheduled to be installed on NASA 1 this year, across from the Hilton NASA Clear Lake. The conceptual idea came about in 2016, and the City is happy to announce the monument will be lit in June of this year. The monument was designed and constructed to honor the relationship between NASA Johnson Space Center and the City of Nassau Bay. The City's origin story is centered around developing a community for the professionals that were moving across the country to work at NASA. The monument's light will shine into the sky as a celebratory beacon for many more years of space exploration. This is a joint project with NASA's Johnson Space Center, TxDOT, Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Texas Representative Dennis Paul, SWA Group, and the City of Nassau Bay. This art monument was funded with revenue from the hotel occupancy tax fund. This dedicated revenue can only be used to promote tourism and the arts within the City.
YOUR $2 FIRE & EMS DONATIONS AT WORK The City of Nassau Bay Utility Department provides residents with the opportunity to make a voluntary $2.00 donation to the Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department (NBVFD) and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) with the payment of each water bill. Donations are used by these departments for tools, resources, and capital items to better provide emergency services to our residents. During the past year, the Volunteer Fire Department was able to use this money to purchase audio visual equipment for the new Fire & EMS Station, a floor scrubber for the new station, an X-Carve machine, and repaired and equipped a Chevy Tahoe that was transferred from the Police Department to EMS. Residents interested in donating to the NBVFD and EMS may simply add $2.00 to their payment when paying the “Total Due” amount on their water bill. Your donation may be considered a tax-deductible charitable donation because the City is a qualified entity and the donation is being used for a restricted public purpose. Please contact your tax professional for more information about tax deductible charitable donations. For more information about the NBVFD, please visit www.nassaubayfd.com.
STORM PUMPS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Nassau Bay's Infrastructure Committee and the Public Works Department's Street and Storm Water Division has been aggressively making improvements to the City's storm water pump stations over the past year. Many engineering design meetings were conducted, along with site meetings on a monthly basis. Funding for the project was provided by Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, the Nassau Bay Economic Development Corporation, and the Nassau Bay Redevelopment Authority. The project included the installation of seven new non-clog pumps, variable frequency drives, 10-inch discharge pipes, control panels and beacon pump indicator lights. All work was performed in-house by the Public Works Department, which was a tremendous cost savings to the residents. The Storm Pumps Improvement Project has proven to discharge more water from the streets, which provides passable streets for residents, Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles. A Storm Water and Sewer Survey was conducted by the City which indicated few street flooding concerns in the City. In follow up calls placed to residents, six residents that previously reported street flooding did not experience street flooding on May 15th when the City experienced 3.6 inches of rain. The Infrastructure Committee and the Public Works Department continue to improve drainage in the City and is now in the second phase for design and engineering of back-up pumps.
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
MOLLY IS A SWEET SENIOR CAT THAT IS LOOKING FOR HER FURR-EVER HOME.
Help find loving forever homes for Molly 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.
ST. PAUL'S SUMMER ENRICHMENT
Looking for something fun for your children to do this summer? St. Paul’s Early Childhood Program is actively working on putting together a safe and fun summer program for your little learners. Beginning June 2nd and ending July 31st, parents have the option of choosing one week of St. Paul's summer program, nine weeks of the program, or anywhere in between. Prices vary, so for more information, visit St. Paul's website (under the Early Childhood Program tab) at www.stpaulcatholic.org. Parents can also call directly at 281-333-0176. Stay Safe!
COUNCIL MEETING RECAP
MAY 11, 2020 - REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
www.nassaubay.com/animalshelter Hours: Mon-Thurs 7:30am-5:30pm Fri 7:30am-11:30am
Find us on Facebook @NassauBayAnimalPound
CANBE CORNER
Honor that special graduate with a Legacy Brick! Legacy Brick and Legacy Bench purchases can be made through CANBE's website at www.NassauBayCANBE.org. CANBE is looking for a new Junior Boardmember! Any upcoming high school junior or senior is encouraged to apply. Please reach out to Ashley Graves at Afgravesnb@gmail.com with the subject line “Junior CANBE” for an application or for more details.
HONORING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. From May 10th to 16th, the City of Nassau Bay remembered the tragic loss of Sergeant Kaila Sullivan last year on December 10, 2019, in addition to the 307 officers nationally and 19 Texas officers, who made the ultimate sacrifice. At the May 11th City Council meeting, Mayor Mark Denman proclaimed this week as National Police Week in honor of Sgt. Sullivan and our law enforcement communities.
The City of Nassau Bay held the May 11th City Council meeting via Zoom teleconference. The meeting was also streamed live on Facebook.
Approved an annual resolution updating the Investment Policy. Approved the second and final reading of Ordinance O2020-799 amending code by adopting an updated Drought Contingency Plan and updated Water Conservation Plan. Approved action to authorize the Mayor to sign the Engagement Letter with Belt Harris Pechacek, LLLP to provide a complete audit of all the City’s financial statements for Fiscal Years ending September 30, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Approved a request by Transitional Learning Center Galveston to extend their Special Use Permit to operate a hospital at 1275 Space Park.
CONTACT YOUR CITY OFFICIALS
Mayor Mark A. Denman 281.333.9633 | mayor@nassaubay.com Mayor Pro Tem Don Matter, Position 1 832.260.4626 | don.matter@nassaubay.com Councilmember Ashley Graves, Position 2 281.330.5413 | ashley.graves@nassaubay.com Councilmember John Mahon, Position 3 713.702.1185 | john.mahon@nassaubay.com Councilmember Bryce Klug, Position 4 832.474.5461 | bryce.klug@nassaubay.com Councilmember Bob Warters, Position 5 281.333.4750 | bob.warters@nassaubay.com Councilmember Matt Prior, Position 6 214.325.0520 | matt.prior@nassaubay.com
Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281.333.4211
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