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2015/11/14 City news, features, and updates November 14 2015 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e In this issu e . . . Election information - page 2 Parade photos - pages 6-7 Wynne Home event tonight! - page 9 Mayoral Runoff Election December 12 The Huntsville City Council, at its November 10 special session, voted unanimous- ly to hold the runoff election for the mayor's race on Saturday, December 12, 2015. Voting for all precincts, during early voting and on election day, will be at the Walker County Annex on Sam Houston Avenue. The City Council voted to approve an Election Services Contract with Walker Coun- ty to conduct the runoff election. Early voting for all city voters will be conducted at the Walker County Annex from November 25 through December 8. There will be no early voting on Thanksgiving or the day after Thanksgiving. Councilmembers Andy Brauninger and Keith D. Olson garnered the two highest voting totals in the November 3 regular election, and will be the only names on the December 12 ballot. The mayor is an at-large position that may be voted on by any qualified voter of the city of Huntsville. City voters whose registration is valid on the day they vote (early voting or election day) may vote in this election, regardless of whether they voted on November 3. Questions about registration or voting by mail should be directed to Diana McRae, the Walker County Tax Assessor/Collector and Voter Registrar, at 936-436-4950. Voting by mail, curbside voting, and voter assistance, under the guidelines of the Texas Election Code, as in any election, will be availa- ble to eligible voters. The City Council will meet in another special session on Monday, November 16, at 6 p.m., to canvass the November 3 election results. Walker County Judge Danny Pierce will then swear in Ward 1 Councilmember Joe Emmett, Ward 2 Coun- cilmember Tish Humphrey, Ward 3 Councilmember Ronald Allen, and Ward 4 Councilmember Joe Rodriquez, each of whom was unopposed and re-elected. The City Council is expected to formally call the December 12 runoff election by ordinance at its November 17 regular meeting at 6 p.m. For continuing information, visit the City's election page at www.huntsvilletx.gov/Elections, or contact the City Secretary's office at 936 -291- 5403 or citysecretary@huntsvilletx.gov. December 12 Runoff Election EARLY VOTING INFORMATION VOTACION TEMPRANA POR ASPECTO PERSONAL Early voting will be conducted at the Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue, Suite 101 November 25th to December 8th, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (No early voting on Thanksgiving or day after) There will be two twelve-hour days during early voting: Tuesday, Dec. 1st and Tuesday, Dec. 8th Early Voting Hours 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. When is Election Day? Cuando es el Dia de Eleccion? Saturday, December 12, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. La Ciudad de Huntsville sostendran una eleccion unida el Sabado 12 de Diciembre del 2015 de 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Am I registered to vote? Estoy registrado para votar? In order to vote in this election, you must be a registered voter of the City. If you are not sure if your voter registration is current you may call (936) 436-4959 or visit: https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp. Para poder votar en esta eleccion tiene que ser un votante registrado de la ciudad de Hunts- ville. Si no esta seguro si su registracion para votar esta vigente puede llamar (936) 436-4959 o visite https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp. Where do I go for early voting? A donde voy para votar temprano? Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue, Suite 101, Huntsville, Texas Take a Hike! Have you noticed the fabulous fall weather? Thought about getting out- doors and mixing up your exercise regimen? Why not hit the trails at Eastham-Thomason Park? This wooded area is a wilderness oa- sis in the city. A little hilly, just like Huntsville, it offers serenity and natu- ral beauty. Pets love it, and it is easy to connect from the trails to the adja- cent dog park, playground, and fris- bee golf areas of Eastham - Thomason. The City’s Parks and Leisure Depar- ment does a great job of clearing and mulching along the trails, although there can be some muddy spots after a big rain. There’s a nice bench at the highest point of the park, and re- member to check your Geocaching app to see what else may be around! Richard Haas Exhibition Save the Date! The Huntsville Public Library and the Huntsville Arts Commission invite you to join them on Thursday, November 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to meet muralist artist Richard Haas and view his works in the Library’s Community Room. Haas, known for his architectural mural works, as well as his use of the trompe l’oeil style, will be making his remarks at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Cultural Services Coordinator Linda Pease said, “Last year, Haas donated his working drawings from the Huntsville Project to the City of Huntsville. We were very fortunate to have received more than 60 drawings which include sketches and some framed pieces of art. This is a treasure for the City of Huntsville. We are honored that he will travel from New York City, where he lives, to be present at the public reception. This is a great opportunity to meet Richard Haas and hear him speak about his work.” For more information, please contact the Huntsville Public Library at 936-291-5472. CITY SPOTLIGHT City to Build New Transfer Station What’s a transfer station, you ask? Good question! For municipalities that collect refuse/trash but don’t operate a landfil l of their own, residential and commercial vehicles pick up trash and recycling across the community in trucks and deliver it to the transfer station, where the trash is “tipped” out onto the station’s tipping floor. A solid rubber-tire front loader and a stationary knuckle boom are used to move the material across the floor and into a waiting 18-wheeler transfer trailer. The trailers are then hauled to contracted landfills. After closure of the City’s landfill in 1994, a 9,000-square foot metal transfer station building was designed and built for a capacity of 125 tons of trash per day. The amount received now exceeds that amount and is expected to continue to in- crease. The facility accepts all refuse from inside the city limits including SHSU and TDCJ, as well as areas surrounding the City of Huntsville (such as New Waverly and Bedias). This is done for a low fee based on the weight of debris brought in. Due to age and use, the concrete tipping floor is showing significant wear and is in need of replacement. The safe transfer of material from garbage trucks to the tipping floor has become an issue as the building and area have deteriorat- ed and been damaged over time. In March 2013, the City Council approved a feasibility study to be performed by J. R. Miller and Associates at the Solid Waste Transfer Station Facility ,to determine whether to rehabilitate the existing structure or replace it with a more effi- cient one, with increased space and more cost effective processing. Also located on the property are the recycling drop-off center, the TIPS (Trash Into Plowshares) Warehouse, the administration building, a welding shop, an area for repair of commercial containers, and parking for both employees and City vehicles. After review of Miller’s recommendations, the City Council approved an agreement in January 2015 with Anchor Construction to provide Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services to design and construct a new Solid Waste Transfer Station. The entire area will be re-planned and improved as part of the project, to meet the following aims: - all vehicles have adequate and well-marked traffic routes - non-municipal (public) drop offs are safe and efficient - building layout allows adequate area to store waste on the tipping floor and eliminates current blockages - current construction of exit ramp on load out tunnel which increases wear to transfer trailers is redesigned - office and break space for staff and drivers are appropriately located and facilities are brought up to proper standards Assistant Superintendent Natalie Mimms said, “The Solid Waste Department is ex- tremely pleased that a new building is in the near future. The new building will not only consolidate the work areas at the facility but will give staff the means to better track diverted materials. When the building is completed, it will increase efficiency in how refuse is collected and allow customers to unload inside a building, rather than out in the open weather.” So, what will a new transfer station mean to the City of Huntsville and Walker Coun- ty? The answer is clear. The City of Huntsville will be able to continue providing high-quality sanitation ser- vices to the area. Since everything funnels through the Transfer Station, it is arguably the single most im- portant facet of the community's trash pick-up and disposal system. As the greater Walker County area grows, so too must the Transfer Station’s ability to handle trash volume. Simply put, it is an investment in Huntsville’s fu- ture. Everyone loves a parade! Check out these pics from this year’s homecoming parades for HHS and SHSU! Everyone loves a parade! Check out these pics from this year’s homecoming parades for HHS and SHSU!