C mpass Rose SEPTEMBER 2020
VOTING BY MAIL FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION If you are eligible, voting by mail is a secure and convenient way to vote in the upcoming November 3, 2020 election.
AM I ELIGIBLE TO VOTE BY MAIL?
The Texas Secretary of State says you must meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for a mail-in ballot: • you are 65 years or older; • you are disabled; • you will be out of the county on Election Day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or • you are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible. If you meet one of these conditions, you can apply for a mail-in ballot.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR A MAIL IN BALLOT?
Voters may obtain an application for a mail-in ballot by downloading it from www.HarrisVotes.com, calling 713.755.6965, or sending a message to BBM@cco.hctx.net. Nassau Bay residents can also contact City Secretary Sandra Ham at sandra.ham@nassaubay.com or (281) 336-6281 and she can assist you in obtaining an application.
WHERE DO I SEND THE APPLICATION?
Once you receive the application, you will need to fill it out completely and mail, email or fax it to the county elections administrator. In Nassau Bay, our elections administrator for the November 3rd election is Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. You will mail your application to Chris Hollins, Harris County Clerk, Attn: Elections Division, P.O. Box 1148, Houston, TX 77251. You can also fax it to Harris County at (713) 755-4983. Or, you can email a scanned copy of the application to BBM@cco.hctx.net. IMPORTANT: If you fax or email your application, you MUST also mail in the original copy of the application — and it MUST be received by the County by the fourth business day after you emailed or faxed it.
WHAT'S THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR A MAIL-IN BALLOT?
You must apply for a mail-in ballot by the 11th day before an election — in the case of the November 3rd election, the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is October 23rd. Harris County must RECEIVE your application by this date (not postmarked by this date).
OK... NOW THE GOOD PART...VOTING!
You should receive your mail-in ballot within seven days of the County Clerk accepting your application (or once they are actually available for mailing). Now, you vote! Make your selections on the ballot and return it to the County Elections office. Your ballot MUST be received by 7:00pm on Election Day if it’s not postmarked. If it is postmarked on or before Election Day, it must be received by 5:00pm on the day after the election.
50TH ANNIVERSARY BINGO!
Let's Play BINGO Nassau Bay! Join in some bingo fun to celebrate Nassau Bay's 50th anniversary! The Nassau Bay Special Events Committee has created a FUN bingo game to help us continue the 50th Anniversary celebration. The bingo cards have been tailored to the different age groups: kids, teens, and adults. For added fun, these groups will be competing against each other in a special competition. Choose a bingo card to complete and then email your card and photo proof to NassauBayTX@gmail.com. Committee members will distribute prizes to your doorstep. You have until September 19th to play and complete your bingo. Options for completing the bingo card: • 5 Space Bingo: Choice of Plastic Cup or 50th Commemorative Pin • 10 Space Bingo (2 lines): Choice of Sunglasses or Water Bottle • Blackout Bingo: Hat or Beach Towel Visit www.nassaubay.com/NBBingo to choose your bingo card and to get more information about the game, including how to play, prizes, and how to submit your completed card. A special thanks to Stacey Amdur, Kate Amdur, Sara Barton, Erin Boyd, and Janet Thayer for their efforts with this game!
NASSAU BAY HOMES ASSOCIATION
Public Notice: As required by the By-Laws of the Nassau Bay Homes Association, Inc. (NBHA), the annual election for Trustees for it’s Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at the NBHA Office located at 1322 Space Park Drive, Suite C119, from 7:00 am-7:00 pm. Early voting will be held at the NBHA office the week prior to the election date on Saturday, October 24th and Monday, October 26th through Thursday, October 29th, from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Two seats are open this year, with each seat a term of two years. Any resident property owner who pays into the Nassau Bay Owners Association Inc. Lot Assessment Fund, and is current on their payments, is eligible to vote. Architectural Review Application (ARA): The Nassau Bay Homes Association would like to thank its neighbors who continue working hard on their homes to keep the community looking beautiful. A friendly reminder for each NBHOA Resident: An Architectural Review Application (ARA) needs to be submitted for any change to the exterior of the property. Examples of changes include, but are not limited, to new windows, added/ replacing driveways and fences, exterior painting, new roofs, and home raising projects. While the NBHA tries to respond to every ARA as quickly as possible, some ARAs are more complicated than others. The committee has many to review, and the process takes time. Please read the ARA application closely, provide all required documents to expedite your review, as well as good contact information as there is often follow up communication required for quick processing. NBHA looks forward to being of assistance. An ARA can be acquired on the HOA website at www.nbhaweb. com. For additional info, please contact NBHA at 281-333-2570.
NASSAU BAY GARDEN CLUB Memorial Granite Benches:
Have you ever seen this wood and granite bench at Howard Ward Park in Tranquility Arbor? Have you ever seen the teak bench in the 2nd floor Council Chambers at City Hall? Both of these were purchased by the Nassau Bay Garden Club in honor of deceased members. The memorial granite bench in Tranquility Arbor (at Upper Bay Road and Martinique Drive) replaced the teak bench when it was moved to City Hall in 2012. The bench was moved to preserve its beauty and make it available for all to see. Please look sometime at all the plaques on the bench and remember those deceased who have done so much to beautify our City. Plan for Fall: Now that the weather will be a little cooler and the ground will be a little more workable, it's time to plan for fall with soil, compost, mulch and flowers. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies will soon come by heading south. Good plants for fall color and all of these critters are Asters, Chrysanthemums, Bee Balm, Salvia, Russian Sage, Lantana, Marigolds, Honeysuckle, Verbena, and on and on! Don't forget to put your hummingbird feeders out – 1 part sugar to 4 parts water and remember to change the water every three days. Upcoming Garden Club Meetings: The Garden Club is not sure of the fall schedule yet, so please keep checking their website at www. nassaubaygc.org, Facebook, or Instagram for updates and information about meetings and happenings. Everyone is welcome! Garden Club Scholarship: The Club is still taking applications for the Garden Club Scholarship – information is available on the website.
PROTECTING OUR WILDLIFE Many people enjoy feeding
wildlife because it allows them to have closer contact with the animals. Often they think they are helping the animals to survive by providing food, but the effects of this seemingly generous act can be very harmful. If you care about the animals, please stop feeding them. Wild animals, such as the ducks at Lake Nassau Park could live a much healthier life if they were not given bread and could feed on their natural diet found in their habitat. Food fed to animals by humans is often nutritionally inadequate and can cause health problems for the animals, especially when they are young and still developing. The animals also can begin to depend on humans for food and lose their fear of people and/or vehicles – as you may have noticed at the park when the ducks waddle towards vehicles instead of away. Please help take care of our ducks and other wildlife in Nassau Bay by refraining from feeding them. Please inform and encourage others to stop feeding them so we can enjoy seeing them for years to come.
NON-PERISHABLES DRIVE
St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church is collecting bottled water and snack items for the homeless neighbors of Lord of the Streets (LOTS) in downtown Houston. LOTS, a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, serves Houston’s homeless and formerly homeless population on a daily basis with health services, hygiene products, nutrition, clothing, postal services, and a thriving spiritual community. The following items are in high demand and can be offered to LOTS via the blessing box just outside the church entrance. St. Thomas will be collecting non-perishables to aid LOTS through the rest of the summer and into the fall: • WATER (in great need!) • Individual sausage stick (e.g. Slim Jim) • Individual cheese stick • Small can of Vienna Sausage • Fruit cups (e.g. apple sauce, peaches, pears, fruit cocktail, Mandarin oranges, etc) • Package of peanut butter or cheese cracker sandwiches • Granola/energy bar • Bag of cookies or animal crackers • No chips, please Each week LOTS, gives out 1,000 snack packs in addition to 150 hot meals per day. St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church is located at 18300 Upper Bay Rd., Nassau Bay, TX 77058. If you can help, please drop off items at the blessing box by the front door or contact Rev. Mike Stone at rector@sttaec.org. Thank you. We can do more together.
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 July 2019
POLICE
Total Service Calls............................ 349 Total Reports Taken........................... 30 Total Patrol Miles.......................... 5,031 Crimes Against Persons...................... 3 Property Crimes................................... 12 Arrests.................................................... 2 PD Code Enforcement........................ 4 Avg Response Times (minutes)..... 3.30
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Total Calls............................................. 26 Fires......................................................... 4 Rescues................................................... 3 Motor Vehicle Accident...................... 0 Hazardous Conditions........................ 5 Fire Alarm .............................................. 1 EMS Assist............................................. 6 Cancelled in Route/Other................... 7
EMS
Total Calls............................................. 69 Total Patients in Nassau Bay........... 43
GLORIA DEI IMPACT WEEK
The City of Nassau Bay would like to say THANK YOU to the Student Impact Group from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church! As part of Impact Week, these students volunteered to help wash the City's First Responder vehicles and picked up trash and debris from an estimated 4,000 linear feet of shoreline. This cleanup was particularly needed after the fringe effects of Hurricane Hanna, which blew trash into David Braun Park and along the shoreline. Not only does this benefit Nassau Bay, but Galveston Bay as well. Great job and well done!
WELCOME NASSAU BAY POLICE OFFICERS On August 10th, the Nassau Bay Police Department welcomed two new officers. Officer Jacob Arnesen and Officer Randy Reyna were sworn in by City Secretary Sandra Ham during a small ceremony at City Hall. Officer Arneson is starting out his law enforcement career here with the NBPD. He has an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from San Jacinto Community College. Jacob graduated from the Alvin Community College Law Enforcement Academy in July of this year. Officer Reyna comes to the NBPD with 15 years of training and management experience in the field of physical fitness. Randy has an Associate of Arts Degree in Business from Lone Star College System and a Bachelor of Business Administration Management Degree from the University of Houston. He graduated from the Houston Community College Police Academy in April of this year. Both officers will complete a Field Training Program over the next three months, where they are paired with an experienced training officer. During the training program, officers are instructed and evaluated on the skills they learned in the police academy, as well as learning the policies and procedures of the Nassau Bay Police Department.
COFFEE WITH THE CITY MANAGER EVERY FRIDAY
Did you know that every Friday morning City Manager Jason Reynolds hosts Coffee with the City Manager? In an effort to promote citizen engagement and transparency in government, City Manager Reynolds hosts a weekly Coffee with the City Manager on Friday mornings at 9:00am. This program is aimed at enabling a relaxed conversation in a comfortable environment with residents and business owners to discuss topics of their choice. In addition to topics brought up by residents and business owners, City Manager Reynolds also provides updates on key city initiatives such capital projects, pending issues being discussed by City Council, and a variety of other topics. As COVID has changed the way we meet, City Manager Reynolds joins citizens via Zoom teleconference. All Nassau Bay residents are invited to join! You can join the meeting with Zoom at zoom.us/j/85620778297 or listen over the phone (audio only) at (346) 248-7799. Please use Meeting ID # 856 2077 8297 and Password # 319849 – this online meeting link is valid through October 30th. We hope to see you there!
CANBE CORNER
Legacy Brick SALE! For the month of September CANBE will be offering Legacy Bricks at just $75 each when you buy two or more. This is the perfect way to celebrate a special person or event in your life and give back to our wonderful community. Legacy Bricks and Legacy Benches can be purchased online at www.NassauBayCANBE.org. For more info about CANBE or to place any specialty orders, please contact Ashley Graves at AFGravesNB@gmail.com. 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 MERICA
COUNCIL MEETING RECAP
AUGUST 10, 2020 - REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Meet sweet Merica, who was abandoned at David Braun Park on July 4th. Merica is looking for new fur-parents to love. Help find loving forever homes for Merica 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
KUDOS FOR PUBLIC WORKS
Kudos to Nassau Bay Public Works member James Green, who received extra recognition from residents Annette and John Handley for all his hard work around the City! All of our employees work tirelessly day in and day out, and we always appreciate a nice gesture – such as this thank you card from the Handleys – recognizing their efforts. "James, every time we see you in Nassau Bay you are always working hard. You are so talented to be able to do all the different jobs that you do. We watched you take apart the old street light on our street by yourself using the lift on the back of your truck. We were very impressed at your talent. Thank you so much for taking care of our City. We appreciate you very much!" – Annette and John Handley
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
The City of Nassau Bay held the August 10th City Council meeting via Zoom teleconference. The meeting was also streamed live on Facebook.
Presented a Proclamation to the Impact Week Youth Volunteers of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Presented a Proclamation to Jett Poskey in honor of earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Introduced Police Officers Randy Reyna and Jacob Arnesen. Heard presentation and held a Public Hearing of the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2021. Approved a written proposal for professional services from ARKK Engineers LLC for the design, bidding, management, and construction phases of the water line replacement and sanitary sewer line rehabilitation project in the total amount of $329,964. Received the Certified Tax Year 2020 Anticipated Collection Rate, the Tax Year 2019 Excess Debt amount, and the Tax Year 2019 Prior Year Tax Refunds amount from Ann Harris Bennett, Harris County Tax Assessor/Collector. Received the estimated taxable value required by Texas Tax Code Sec. 26.01(a-1) for Tax Year 2020. Received the Tax Year 2020 No-New-Revenue-Rate and the Voter-Approval-Rate calculations. Approved the draft proposal of the Tax Year 2020 (Fiscal Year 2021) ad valorem tax rate of $0.705187. Approved first and only reading of an ordinance calling the November 3, 2020 City General Election for the purpose of electing a Mayor and three Councilmembers, Positions 2, 4 & 6 and for the purpose of presenting propositions to the voters pertaining to twenty-two amendments to the City Charter. Tabled an ordinance authorizing and allowing, under the Act governing the Texas Municipal Retirement System, “Updated Service Credits” in said system for service performed by qualifying members of such system who presently are members of the City of Nassau Bay; providing for increased prior and current service annuities for retirees and beneficiaries of deceased retirees of the City. Appointed members Phil Johnson (Chairman), Bob Warters, Ashley Graves, Cindy Harreld DeWease, Roscoe Lee, and a Master Gardener to the Palm Tree Landscape Plan Task Force, as discussed in Executive Session. Join us for next month's Council Meeting on Monday, September 14, 2020. Visit www.nassaubay.com/CityCouncil for more details on the meeting.
Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281.333.4211
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