Nassau Bay Compass Rose - October 2022

C mpass

A monthly publication from the City

monthly publication from the City

HALLOWEEN IN THE PARK - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

The Special Events Committee is making plans for the City of Nassau Bay’s annual Halloween Carnival at David Braun Park on Saturday, October 22nd from 6-8PM. Come join the fun!

As in past years, there will be a costume contest. Start planning to dress up the family! This year, we will also be adding a category for four-legged family members! Judging will begin at 7PM. Prizes will be awarded according to age groups, the best group and pet costume! So, bring the princesses, angels, and heroes as well as those hot dogs! A hayride, games and a “trunk or treat trail” will thrill little ones. The ever-popular DJ, haunted trail and campfire s'mores will round out the evening.

We are in need of volunteers to help run the carnival games and the haunted trail, so if your teen is in need of volunteer hours, please email amy_mil@yahoo.com. In addition, we are inviting local businesses to join in the trunk or treat fun. Businesses should contact Erin Boyd (oian24@yahoo.com) or Kathy Prior (kathywhite1975@yahoo.com) for more information. Visit our Facebook event page, "Halloween in the Park - OFFICIAL," or the City's website, for more information!

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime/drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

JOIN THE FUN AT STREET EATZ

The City of Nassau Bay is excited to announce the return of Street Eatz, planned for Saturday, October 15 in the Town Square. The event will include live music, food trucks, beer and wine and lots of family-friendly fun. Just remember, BYOC –bring your own chair!

We would like to recognize our event sponsors including AMOCO Federal Credit Union (Gold sponsor) and b1Bank (Bronze sponsor) for their support!

Visit our Facebook event page, "Nassau Bay Fall Street Eatz Party - OFFICIAL," or the City's website, for more information!

On October 4, the Nassau Bay Police Department, the Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department, Nassau Bay EMS, City officials, and City staff will make their rounds to visit each registered event location. We want to bring the parties to the neighborhoods so there is a better opportunity for residents to meet those that live next to them. We look forward to spending this evening with our community!

Nassau Bay City Hall

Space Park Drive, Suite 200

THANK YOU RESIDENTS FOR YOUR $2 FIRE & EMS DONATIONS

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 a small drone, a generator with a sensor, a Stryker stair pro and a Motorola mobile radio.

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.

FAITH-BASED EVENTS

Gloria Dei Craft Show - October 14 & 15 | 10AM to 4PM

Plan to attend the Gloria Dei Craft Show, to include an extensive selection of homemade crafts and novelties from more than 50 vendors. It’s the perfect time to shop for Christmas presents for friends and family! Enjoy homemade baked items as well as lunch selections.

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church: Fall Festival

October 22 | 9AM to 2PM - Call 281-333-2384 for info.

This event will include activities for the whole family including a bouncy house, sumo suits, an inflatable obstacle course, a rock wall, ax throwing and more. The event will also include a book sale, live music, a craft show and lunch for purchase.

CANBE Corner

Nominations are now open for the 4th Quarter Beautification Award. If there’s a beautiful yard in Nassau Bay that you love, email the address to coleen@cammgroup.com. Send photos if you can. Previous winners are Steve and Diane Walls and Patty Henderson.

Join us for the 2022 Nassau Bay

NASSAU BAY GARDEN CLUB

The Nassau Bay Garden Club plans to learn about birds along the Texas Gulf Coast at its October 11 meeting, to be held in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting begins with social time at 9:30AM, followed with the program and business meeting at 10AM. It is open to members and guests.

Guest speaker Kristen Vale, Texas Coastal Program Director for American Bird Conservancy (ABC), has been studying shorebird ecology on Galveston Island since 2012. At ABC, Kristen helps coordinate protection, monitoring and outreach of imperiled beach-nesting birds and nonbreeding bird species along the Texas coast.

This milder fall weather should encourage gardening. It should be a perfect time to plant many types of landscape and vegetable plants. Don’t forget the pansies and other plants that flower through the winter and until the first frost.

OCTOBER FOOD DISTRIBUTION

On Saturday, October 1, St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Nassau Bay will again welcome the Galveston Food Bank to its parking lot for its September Food Distribution. This distribution is available to any individuals or families, regardless of where they live. At the last distribution, over 100 cars arrived seeking food assistance for 375 people. The program served these citizens fresh fruit, vegetables and sometimes meat and hygiene items. This event will begin in the St. Thomas parking lot (18300 Upper Bay Rd., Nassau Bay) from 8AM until about 9:30AM.

If you are interested in serving or leading in this effort, please email Mike Stone at rector@sttaec.org. Community members are always invited to serve in this ministry!

NASSAU BAY HOMES ASSOCIATION

KEEPNASSAUBAY

Beautiful!

Saturday, December 10, 8 am David Braun Park Register soon for T-Shirt & Antlers

Register at NassauBayCANBE.org

The Nassau Bay Home Association Board of Trustees would like to invite residents to join the annual budget hearing to be held on Thursday, October 6 at 6PM in the cafe board room at 1322 Space Park Drive. As a friendly reminder, the 2023 annual assessments will be mailed out at the end of October and payments are due by January 1st. Residents can make payments online by creating an HOA account at https://app.payhoa.com/auth/join/8350-nassau-bayhomes-association.

RECOGNIZING OUR OUTSTANDING PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

We would like to recognize our Public Works Department for their dedicated work, especially over the last several months.

Led by Public Works Director Paul Lopez, the department is currently overseeing the largest water and sewer line project in history of Nassau Bay, and also managing a street rehabilitation project addressing 15 roadways, which will be followed by another street rehabilitation project addressing 26 roadways.

These efforts have continued despite significant drought conditions that have contributed to an average of 10 water leaks each month, where the typical number of water repairs per year is typically between 10 and 12.

“I am incredibly proud of my entire staff,” Lopez said. “In addition to maintaining their regular areas of responsibility, every single team member has gone above and beyond this year as we have tackled new and challenging projects.

We also want to thank our residents, because with all of the major projects on top of unexpected water leaks, they have continued to support us and demonstrate patience while work is completed.”

Under normal circumstances, the department manages six divisions with a staff of 15 employees.

Public Works Administration oversees daily operations as well

as the Capital Improvement budget, and Director Lopez is a member of three City boards/committees.

The Animal Control division manages a fully-functional animal rescue and holding facility, conducts wildlife trapping and operates the dog park.

The Parks and Recreation division maintains and operates David Braun Park. Swan Lagoon Park, and Howard Ward Park, totaling 30.7 acres. As well, the division manages the 33.3-acre Lake Nassau, city medians and 43 flower beds.

The Street/Drainage division operates nine stormwater pump stations, stormwater drainage lines, 331 stormwater catch basins, 16 miles of streets, curbs, and street signs, erosion control management and 1,000 feet of boardwalk.

The Line Repair division oversees maintenance and repair of 15 miles of water line and 15 miles of sanitary sewer line as well as 209 fire hydrants.

Finally, the Water and Sewer Operations division manages the Water Plant, the Wastewater Plant and four sanitary sewer lift stations.

When you see our Public Works staff in the community, please stop and say thank you.

MEET CURLY, NOW AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!

The Nassau Bay Animal Shelter is pleased to introduce Curly, a White Labrador Retriever who is about five or six years old. Curly is neutered, current on all of his vaccinations and microchipped.

“Curly is a great dog – when he’s outside he loves to play, and when he’s inside he loves to relax. He is also house-trained,” Animal Control Supervisor Troy Bradfield said. "He's about 50 pounds right now but shouldn't gain more than five to 10 pounds."

Meet Curly today! The Shelter is open Monday-Thursday from 7:30AM to 4PM and Friday from 7:30AM-11AM. The Shelter is also open from 8:30AM-10:30AM on weekends and holidays by appointment.

Follow the Shelter on Facebook @NassauBayAnimalShelter.

NBPD CORPORAL RECOGNIZED FOR BRAVERY

BY THE NUMBERS

Statistics for August 2022

POLICE

Total Service Calls

Total Reports Taken

Total Patrol Miles

Crimes Against Persons

Property Crimes

Arrests

Avg Response Times (minutes)

297

59

10,554

9

17

16

2.70

FIRE AND EMS STATISTICS FOR AUGUST 2022 WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE NOVEMBER COMPASS ROSE.

During the September 12 City Council meeting, Corporal Mike Cavazos with the Nassau Bay Police Department received a special recognition for bravery from Police Chief Tim Cromie.

On July 16, Cpl. Cavazos was dispatched to a local hotel in reference to a male in the lobby who appeared to be intoxicated and in possession of a firearm, and was threatening to harm himself. Cpl. Cavazos was initially advised the subject was in his room, but later learned the subject had returned to the lobby. Cpl. Cavazos made a tactical approach utilizing a secondary door to the lobby and observing the male through a small window in the door prior to entering the lobby. The male had a handgun sitting on a table next to him and was watching the main front door to the hotel. Cpl. Cavazos was able to quickly approach the subject from behind and disarm him as he reached for the handgun. The male was transported to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Due to Cpl. Cavazos’ quick action on that day, by displaying officer awareness and bravery, he was able to prevent the male from harming himself or others.

Corporal Mike Cavazos and Chief Tim Cromie, Nassau Bay PD.

GET YOUR NBVFD COOKBOOK TODAY!

You can now purchase the Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department Cookbooks via PayPal or invoice! Simply pay online and you can pick up your book at City Hall. Remember, all sales directly benefit the NBVFD Ed Newton Scholarship Fund. In addition to commemorative pictures of the history of the NBVFD, these very special publications include a collection of the department’s favorite dishes, from breakfast dishes to appetizers - even desserts!

Those interested can send an email to cookbooks@ nassaubayfd.org to request an invoice be sent to an email address to pay from. Citizens can also request assistance with PayPal. Please do not send your credit card information via email!

Cookbooks can be picked up at City Hall during normal business hours. Note: Payment must be made online at least 24 hours prior to pick up. No payments will be accepted in person. Questions? Email cookbooks@nassaubayfd.org.

COUNCIL

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

∙ Presented a Proclamation to Michie Coldwell for over 50 Years of Service to the Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department.

∙ Held a Public Hearing and tabled Ordinance O2022-826 adopting the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Budget.

∙ Approved the first reading of Ordinance O2022-825 amending Chapter 20, Utilities and Services, establishing water and sewer rates.

∙ Accepted the proposal of the Tax Year 2022 (Fiscal Year 2023) ad valorem tax rate of $0.648979.

∙ Approved a resolution adopting a new fee schedule for fees charged by the Building Department.

∙ Authorization of the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Jeffrey S. Ward & Associates for Consulting Services for grant project development, administration, and management for RFQ 2022-02.

∙ Approved placement of a new sundial in Reflection Garden.

∙ Authorization of the City Manager to approve and sign a contract for the services of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in the event litigation is threatened, filed, required or called for in the enforcement action regarding a residential structure in a state of disrepair at 18410 Kingstown Court in Nassau Bay.

∙ Approved a resolution appointing John Haugen and Kyle Rone as Regular Members and Harv Hartman, Bryce Klug, and Paul Bird as Alternate Members to the Board of Adjustment.

∙ Approved a resolution appointing Chairman Michelle Weller, Lara Forde, Mike Barrett, Raven Moser, April Schneider, and Chase Waterwall to the Parks & Recreation Committee.

∙ Approved a resolution appointing Lucie Johannes Sommer and Janet Thayer to the Special Events Committee.

Join us for next month's Council Meeting on Monday, October 10, 2022. Visit www.nassaubay.com/CityCouncil for more details on the meeting.

CONTACT YOUR CITY OFFICIALS

Mayor Phil Johnson 281.734.1074

phil.johnson@nassaubay.com

Mayor Pro Tem Don Matter, Position 1 832.260.4626

don.matter@nassaubay.com

Councilmember Lucie Johannes Sommer, Position 2 832.338.1828

lucie.johannes.sommer@nassaubay.com Councilmember Ashley Graves, Position 3 281.330.5413

ashley.graves@nassaubay.com Councilmember James Abbey, Position 4 979.422.2383

james.abbey@nassaubay.com

Councilmember Sandra Mossman, Position 5 281.333.2194

sandra.mossman@nassaubay.com

Councilmember Michelle Weller, Position 6 832.868.8663

michelle.weller@nassaubay.com

C mpass Rose

Special AnnouncementSpecial Announcement

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES FISCAL YEAR 2023 ANNUAL BUDGET

The City of Nassau Bay passed a new budget in accordance with the City’s Financial Principles that achieves three main objectives: Increased funds for reinvestment into our community for beautification, maintenance, and infrastructure; lower taxes and tax rates for our citizens; and increased pay to keep our employees protected from inflation.

This year’s General Fund (maintenance and operations) budget is $6,377,280 and the total budget for all funds is $20,736,670. The adopted Tax Rate is $0.648979 per $100 valuation, which will provide the Property Tax Revenue for Tax Year 2022 and provide a portion of the funding for the FY2023 Annual Budget.

“Our Council worked hard to create an outstanding budget for Fiscal Year 2023,” Mayor Phil Johnson said. “This is a very different budget than what has been passed over the last decade. The General Fund was relieved of the burden of subsidizing other areas in the budget, which has allowed us to protect our finances and begin to reinvest back into our City. It will be great to see your tax dollars at work.

“We also approved a 7.3 cent (10.1%) tax rate decrease, the lowest Nassau Bay tax rate in the last 10 years. This means the taxes due on the average home will decrease $76 per year with the new tax rate. I am very proud of this Council and our City’s leadership for structurally changing the budget and developing a plan that meets the changing needs of our community while covering inflation.”

Per Mayor Johnson, the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Budget funds a total of $1.9 million in capital projects, which includes a $560,000 war chest to help beautify the City. These projects include several improvements and rehabilitation projects to the water and wastewater system, street paving, parks projects, public safety and more.

The budget also includes the $1.5 million of fiscal reserves to operate our City in case of an emergency.

The budget also begins a five-year plan to pay back funds transferred from the General Fund to the Water & Sewer Fund for capital projects. This year marks the first of five $200,000 transfers from the Water & Sewer Fund back to the General Fund.

In addition, utility rates have been set to fund the remaining water and sewer infrastructure in need of replacement (approximately $8 million). These levy rates have been shifted primarily to the largest water consumers in the business community.

“I’m pleased to announce that Council approved cost-of-living adjustments for all staff and we are also looking at an improved performance appraisal process for staff, as well,” City Manager Paul McLarty said. “These efforts will lead to a merit compensation program by the end of FY 2023.”

For additional information on the budget, tax rates, and upcoming capital projects, visit the City website at www.nassaubay.com/budget.