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2015/07/29 City news, features, and updates July 29, 2015 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e Wynne Home Summer Art Classes - Page 4 In this issu e . . . City Council Election Filing - Page 4 911 Addressing Guidelines- Page 2 City Welcomes New Risk/Safety Specialist Telissa Murillo On the 23rd of June, Telissa Murillo rejoined the City of Huntsville as its new Risk/Safety Specialist in the Human Resources Department. She comes to the City from Chaparral Laboratories, Inc., of Hunts- ville, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Sam Houston State University. Murillo is a returning employee with the City of Huntsville, having previously worked as a Lab Analyst in the Environmental Services Division in 2001. In 2004, Murillo left the City of Huntsville to follow her husband, Michael Guerrero, to Oregon, so he could pursue a law degree. While in Oregon, she worked at the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services. Once her husband completed his degree, the couple returned to Texas to begin a family. In 2008, Murillo worked for North Water District Laboratory Services in The Woodlands, as a Quality Assurance Officer, until she was recruited by the Brazos River Authority in Round Rock, to serve as their Environmental Laboratory Manager, where she remained for the next five years. Murillo and her husband patiently waited for the right opportunity to allow for a return to Huntsville and their families, and to raise their three young children here (David, 6; Lily, 4; and Benjamin, 17 months). In July 2013 everything fell into place, as Murillo took a position at Chaparral Labs and her husband began his career as an attorney for the State Counsel for Offenders with the Texas Department of Crim- inal Justice. “It is incredibly fulfilling to come back and resume my career with the City of Huntsville; something I never foresaw happening,” said Murillo. “I look forward to being able to bring the skills I’ve learned throughout my career back to the City and create an effective program that will assist our employees be safe and productive.” “We are very excited about having Telissa join our HR/City team,” said Human Resources Director Julie O’Connell. “We’re all looking forward to her contributions to our risk programs.” Risk management’s aim is seeing all the employees ar- rive home safely to their fam- ilies every day, and ensuring that City facilities and proper- ties are properly maintained, as well as overseeing the protection of City assets. Murillo works with all City departments on the City’s comprehensive risk manage- ment program, including safety training and oversight for claims. Posting your address - Can 911 find you? A 911 address is the unique physical location of your home or business as as- signed by and on record with the city or county, depending on your location. To verify your 911 address: Within the city limits City of Huntsville - (936) 294-5783 Outside the city limits Walker County - (936) 436-4939 Addressing Guidelines Both New and Existing Businesses and Residences 1) Must be posted on: a building, house, mailbox or other clearly visible monu- ment, pole, or sign. 2) At least 4 inches tall. 3) At least ½ inch stroke width. 4) Contrasting with background. 5) Visible from street. 6) Visible at night. 7) Plainly legible position. 8) Free of all plant growth. Why is a 911 address important? When you dial 911, some information pops up on the dispatcher’s screen, but neither directions to your house nor a de- scription of your house is available to the dispatcher. 911 addressing is required by the Interna- tional Fire Code, which is presently adopted by the City of Huntsville as well as the State of Texas. Just as your phone number gives others a way to get in touch with you, your address is the primary means for others to find you. When 911 sends any emergency service to your residence or business and you need them immediately, having your ad- dress properly posted and visible enables the responders to help you more quickly. Frances Sprott Goforth Memorial Genealogy Weekend, July 31-August 1 Huntsville Public Library and the Walker County Genealogical Society (WCGS) will host the annual Frances Sprott Goforth Memorial Genealogy Weekend on Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, in the Library’s Community Room. Fri- day’s session is from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday’s session is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free “lock-in” event will feature presentations on Immigration and Emigra- tion Records, African-American Research, Spanish and Mexican Archives, Czech Heritage, and Hints on Writing Your Family History. A light supper will be served on Friday by WCGS members. There will also be a silent auction begin- ning on Thursday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. and ending on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. For more information or to register online go to www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com, or contact Mary Kokot, Adult Services Coordinator, at 936-291-5471. Wynne Home Summer Art Class Participants Have Their Hands Full! This summer’s Early Bird Art Camp at the Wynne Home Arts Center has been busy with a variety of experiences and projects. Participants expressed their artistic sides through papier-mâché construction. During week one of Early Bird Art Camp students created animals using papier-mâché techniques. Next, the Texas Thyme Unit taught children the art of composting, sharing their tips on building a compost pile and disposing of organic waste. Stu- dents also completed various craft and gardening activities each day. Sculpture in Clay has been the most recent venture for the children. Each created animal forms such as fish, snails, and owls. On the last day of the session, students painted their pieces and readied them to be fired in the kiln. The Wynne Home Arts Center offers an exciting schedule of classes, public events, and volunteer opportunities year round. Visit them at www.The WynneHome.com. Outdoor Explorer Join the City’s Recreation Services Division at the Huntsville State Park as they partner with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to learn basic safety for biking, hiking and kayaking. Then enjoy the rest of the day exploring the State Park with backpacks, bikes and kayaks provided for use. Class size is limited to twenty partic- ipants and pre-registration is required. Classes are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Youth ages 12 - 17 can register with an attending parent or guardian. Upcoming program dates are August 15th and September 19th. There is no charge for the program but there is a $5 admission fee into the park for each participating adult (no cost for those 12 and under). For more information call 936-294-5725 or visit the web- site at http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/category/subcategory.php?categoryid =12 or on Facebook at COHrecservices. Water Aerobics Join the City of Huntsville at the Huntsville Frank D. “Poncho” Roberts Aquatic Center for the return of Water Aerobics. Classes will be Monday through Wednesday mornings from 8 - 9 a.m., and Monday through Thursday evenings from 8 - 9 p.m. Participants must be 18 years or older and are required to complete a registration form and pay a fee of $55.00 for the year or purchase a day pass for $4. Registration is available at the City of Huntsville Service Center or before class at the Huntsville Aquatic Center. For more information, call 936-294-5725 or visit the website at http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/departments/community_servi ces/recreation.htm. 2015 City Council Candidate Filing Opens Candidate Packets for the 2015 City of Huntsville General Election are available through the office of the City Secretary at City Hall, 1212 Avenue M, or on the City web site at http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/Elections. The City Council seats for the Mayor (an at-large position) and the four Ward Councilmembers will be on the No- vember 3, 2015 ballot. Filing for the positions opened July 25 and will continue through August 24, 2015 at 5 p.m. in the office of the City Secretary. The City of Huntsville application fee is one dollar, per City Charter mandate. City Secretary Lee Woodward acknowledged members of the public may have questions about the responsibilities of Councilmembers. “The City Secretary’s office provides the candidate packets, which include general information, a brief of the state election calendar, and references for guidelines and statutes,” Woodward said. “Anyone is welcome to learn more about the duties of Councilmembers and how the election process is conducted, even if they have no desire to run for office. The steps to becoming and the obligations of an elected Councilmember are many and varied.” For more information, email citysecretary@huntsvilletx.gov, call 936-291-5403, or visit the City's Elections page at http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/Elections. Miss last night’s budget session? You can view live streamed and archived video on the City web site! Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov and look for the blue buttons below the main picture on the home page. Click on the one titled Meeting Video, and you’re there! (Don’t forget the Stay Notified button, ei- ther - where you can subscribe to be noti- fied of meeting agendas, events, emer- gencies, and more!) Town Creek Grant Awarded! Notification is culmination of six years of effort The City of Huntsville was pleased to receive notification this week that it has received the award letter from the Texas Dep art- ment of Emergency Management (TDEM), approving a scope of work for “Improvements along approximately 1.5 miles of Town Creek between 7th Street and Bearkat Boulevard in downtown Huntsville…” Acceptance of this $8,763,910.00 amount from TDEM and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to be combined with a City match of $2,921,302.00, is the cul- mination of over six years of work to secure the funds. Dr. Sherry McKibben, Director of Neighborhood Services, was elated and relieved by the letter. “We have been expecting this for some time,” McKibben said. “Knowing that the application had met all the anticipated ap- provals and that the monies had been allocated left only this formality to be met in order to move ahead with the entire pro- ject.” The original timeline for completion was 24 months, but FEMA and TDEM have agreed to grant a 36-month timeline. In April 2009, the City applied for $11.1 million in funding to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program through the Texas Depart- ment of Emergency Management (TDEM) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to improve the drainage along Town Creek from Sycamore Avenue to 7th Street. Subsequently, FEMA issued a Request for Information in January 2010, and Klotz and Associates was hired to assist the City in responding. On December 13, 2010, TDEM and FEMA awarded the City $392,000, with a match of $130,668, for Phase I Design of the project which included bringing the project to 30% design. Klotz and Associates was selected as the engineering firm for the project and was awarded the contract. On October 2, 2012, the City Council amended the contract to include an additional $105,900, for a total fee of $497,900, to complete and secure the United States Army Corps of Engineers permit and finalize the Environmental Assessment that FEMA required but did not originally fund in Phase I. This additional funding is provided b y FEMA and is included as a cost overrun. The Corps of Engineers Permit was issued on December 23, 2014. The Environmental Assessment was approved and FEMA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact on May 14, 2015 which resulted in FEMA approval to award Phase II of the project. The City Council amended the contract with Klotz and Associates on May 5, 2015 for the Design and Engineering of Phase II. Due to the length of time working through FEMA’s requirements (six years), FEMA requested an updated project budget in Janu- ary 2015. The updated project budget is $12,207,880 and FEMA has agreed to increase the original request from 2009 to re- flect this amount. The $12,207,880 total project budget includes $753,003 of City “In-kind” match, leaving a cash budget of $11,454,877 needed for the project. On June 5, 2015, FEMA released funding for Phase II of the project and, on June 23, 2015, the City was informed FEMA sent a letter to TDEM indicating the funding was obligated and available to the State. On June 9, 2015, the City Manager provided formal Notice to Proceed with final de- sign to Klotz. As formal grant award was then imminent, the City Council authorized acceptance of the grant, signa- ture authority to the Mayor and City Manager, and ap- proved the requisite budget amendments on July 7, 2015. Original installation of decommissioned rail cars as a drainage solution in the 1960s. The Walker County Annex building (formerly Huntsville National Bank), its parking lots, and an adjacent red brick building with two other businesses sit atop this property now. Beginner’s Guide to Online Privacy Privacy in cyberspace is becoming an increasingly hot topic in the news as we learn of banks and department stores having cre dit rec- ords hacked. Concerns about tracking devices in cell phones and remote access of computers and other technologies from hundre ds of miles away call for increased knowledge and alertness. Learn the basics of how to protect your online privacy on Thursday, August 27, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Huntsville Public Libr ary. Students from the SHSU Student Net Alliance will be on hand to educate the public, demonstrate how to encrypt emails, and the installa tion and use of apps to protect privacy. Bring your laptop and flash drive to participate. Register now for this free event, as there is limited seating. Visit www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com or call Mary Kokot at (936)291-5471. AUGUST TEEN & CHILDREN’S EVENTS AT HPL We invite children of all ages to the library on August 4th at 2:00 p.m. for an afternoon with the Houston Museum of Natural Sci- ence Dome Show. This program will last approximately 30-45 minutes and is gener- ously sponsored by the Helen Wheat Fund. - Preschool Story Time is every Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. at the Huntsville Public Li- brary. Each week follows a theme with fun stories, songs, and crafts. August dates are the 5th, 12th, and 26th. - Monday, August 10th is the Pool Party for the end of the Summer Reading Program, to be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Frank D. “Poncho” Roberts Aquatics Center. Res- ervations are required and may be made by calling 936-291-5472. - Family Movie Night is Friday, August 14th, at 5:30 p.m. The movie is sponsored by The Texas Children’s Health Plan pro- gram. All movies are rated G or PG, and complimentary drinks and popcorn will be served. - August 15th is the Teen Wii tournament starting at 1:00 p.m. in the Community Room. For more information, contact Ashley Newsome at 936-291-5472. - The Lego Club is for ages 5-12 and meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Huntsville Public Library. August’s club date is Tuesday, August 18th, at 5:00 p.m. - The Texas Children’s Back to School Bash will be held on Wednesday, August 19th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Commu- nity Room. - Teen Duct Tape Craft time will be Friday, August 28th, at 5:00 p.m. For more infor- mation, contact Ashley Newsome at 936- 291-5472. For more information about any program- ming or events at the Huntsville Public Li- brary, contact 936-291-5472.