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City Connection January 2019 CITY CONNECTION Volume 15, Issue 4 January 2019 Calendar January 2019 1 - New Year’s Day - City offices closed Garbage service will run as normal. 2 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 3 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 9 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 16 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 17 - Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. 23 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 30 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection February 2019 5 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 6 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 7 - Planning Commission at 12:00 p.m. 13 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 19 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 20 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 21 - Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. 27 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up before noon on Wednesday, the week prior to pick-up, at 294-5796. Learn more about City events at www.huntsvilletx.gov Howard wins runoff; McCaffety thanked for service Newly elected Huntsville City Councilmember At-Large, Position 2, Dee Howard Mullins, was sworn in on Thursday, January 3. Former member Tyler McCaffety chose not to run again. Howard Mullins and McCaffety were honored with a reception prior to the Council meeting. Walker County Judge Danny Pierce ad- ministered the oath of office to Howard Mullins and re-elected Councilmember At-Large, Clyde D. Loll. City volunteers recognized at Statue The Sam Houston Statue Visitor Center held its annual holiday open house on Thursday, December 6, to the delight of all attendees. The event was open to the public, who shared a lovely lunch while the Huntsville High School Jazz Band fes- tively performed seasonal standards, and visitors received 25% discounts in the Gift Shop all day. During the meal, special recognition was made of the staff and volunteers who make a difference all year at the Visitor Center and the Wynne Home Arts Center. Tourism Manager Kimm Thomas said they are an extension of the Tourism Division and that the staff's work would be impossible without them. City Horticulturalist David Zellar was named the Visitor Center Tourism Part- ner for 2018 for all of his help and assis- tance with the grounds and his consistent promotion of Huntsville as a tourist desti- nation in his personal travels. Thomas said he brings back information on groups and ideas that he encounters and often serves as an ambassador by assist- ing with guests, and telling the story of Huntsville and its offerings. Thomas also highlighted the work of Visitor Center and Gift Shop staff, includ- ing recent intern Emily Jones. Volunteers Jeanine Jacoby, Paul Culp, Lynn Alexan- der, Carl Overton, and Georgeanne Chris- topher were lauded for their generous contributions of time and energy. (For this story, Thomas later shared that residents typically serve in two main capacities at the Center: as Guest Services Volunteers who greet each guest and tell them about the Statue and all that Huntsville has to offer and encourage them to visit points of interest in our community, or as Adven- ture Guides who get on visiting buses and travel throughout Huntsville with tour groups, pointing out unique venues while telling fun stories of local color and shar- ing the history of Huntsville.) Wynne Home Arts Center Coordinator Linda Pease then took the podium to rec- ognize all who help in her arena, noting that volunteers are crucial to the effective operation of the Center. Tamara Chasteen was named the Continued on Page 4 CITY CONNECTION Page 2 The Huntsville City Council adopted Ordi- nance 2019-02 on November 20, 2018, amending the Buildings and Building Regula- tions Code in Chapter 12 of the City Code of Ordinances. The changes address the stor- age of tires within the City limits, impacting an estimated 19 businesses. Director of Development Services and Building Official for the City of Huntsville Kevin Byal explained how these changes will affect citizens and companies. “The ordinance applies to both residential and commercial properties and is applicable to tires stored outdoors,” Byal said. “All tire- related businesses have six months to take whatever steps are necessary to store tires in a manner, so they are not prone to collect- ing water and/or debris.” Byal said that tires stored outside are re- quired to be screened from public view, meaning collections cannot be seen from the public right-of-way. “This ordinance does not address tires used for planters and such,” Byal added. “The goal is to remove the health hazard related to insects and rodents associated with improperly stored tires, as well as to eliminate the visual blight that piles of tires can create.” For more information, contact Byal at KByal@HuntsvilleTX.gov or call 936-291- 5700. The following excerpt is the official wording of the new Code: Chapter 12 - BUILDINGS AND BUILDING REGULATIONS ARTICLE II. - BUILDING CODES Sec. 12-27. - Amendments to International Property Maintenance Code. The International Property Maintenance Code shall be amended as follows: (11) Add Section 302.11. Section 302.11 Tire Storage and Disposal All used tires, scrap tires and tire pieces stored within the city must be kept in a man- ner which limits their exposure to and collec- tion of the elements of nature. Tires must not be allowed to hold water, dirt. rubbish or other foreign materials. Monitoring and con- trol measures are to be implemented as necessary to eliminate the presence of mos- quito breeding and rodent harborage. Used tires, scrap tires and tire pieces shall be stored separately. Used tires, scrap tires and tire pieces stored outside shall be: screened from public view by a permanent fence or other structure: properly stored: on racks or neatly stacked not in excess of ten (10) feet in height; or in a roll-off container, front-load dumpster, or other metal storage container, including a trailer not exceeding 55 ft x 8 ft by 13 ft. No more than four (4) containers may be stored at any one (1) tire facility location; and in compliance with all applicable fire code provisions. A person or business subject to Section 302.11 at the time Section 302.11 becomes effective shall have a period of six months from the effective date in which to comply with the screening requirements set forth in the above section 302.11(2)(a). Enforcement of the ordinance is expected to begin approximately May 20, 2019. Did you know Development Services de- molished 17 abandoned and/or unsafe structures in 2017? The department oper- ates at the City of Huntsville Service Center, 448 State Highway 75 North. New tire ordinance allows for six-month grace period Money raised by City staff helps community The City of Huntsville staff recently present- ed checks totaling $14,975 to local chari- ties. The funds were raised in the City’s 6th Annual Charity Bowling Tournament. In total, staff has raised over $76,000 since 2013. Donations were made to SAAFE House, Senior Center of Walker County, C.O.M.E. Center, and the Care Center of Huntsville in the amount of $3,650. Staff also collected non-perishable food items and $375 in Brookshire Bros. Turkey Bucks that were donated to the Good Shepherd Mission. Director Dave Smith said it is be- cause of donations like these that the or- ganization rarely has to buy food to give to the less fortunate. He said thousands of people are touched through donations. Staff honored for years of service with City CITY CONNECTION Page 3 CoH Employee Division/Department Years Hobbs, John HFD 30 Hurst, Lane HPD 30 Matthews, Kyle Public Works Water Distribution 30 Davis, Broderick HPD 25 Valles, Jose HPD 25 Fedrick, Andrew Public Works Streets 25 Houston, Quentin Public Works Solid Waste 25 Waldo, John HFD 20 Marek, Raymond Engineering 20 Wiggins, Jay Survey 20 Shepherd, Lonnie Public Works Streets 20 Givens, Andre Public Works Solid Waste 20 Woods, Leonard Survey 15 Dunaway, Joyce HPD 15 Gann, Gavin Public Works Wastewater Collection 15 Ferguson, James Public Works Water Distribution 15 Kembro, Kimberly Public Works Environmental Services 15 Gonzalez, James Public Works Streets 15 Kulhavy, Aron City Manager 10 Mickens, Geri Finance 10 Friederich, Sabrina Utility Billing 10 Langwell, Norman Jr HFD 10 Wheeler, Kristy Development Services Health Inspections 10 Joiner, Penny Parks & Leisure Administration 10 DeBose, Isaac Parks & Leisure Maintenance 10 Mills, Eric Parks & Leisure Maintenance 10 Duer, Zachary HPD School Resource Officer 10 Smith, Stacey HPD School Resource Officer 10 Tullar, Aaron HPD 10 Lamb, William III HFD 5 Parker, Darren HFD 5 Mathis, Jessie Development Services Permitting 5 Carroll, Jeremy HPD 5 Wilkins, Taylor HPD 5 Ramirez, Yoselin HPD 5 Roberts, Wade HPD 5 Perkins, Cody HPD 5 The City of Huntsville held its annual Holiday Luncheon on Wednesday, December 12. Staff with anniversaries in increments of five years were honored. Mayor Andy Braun- inger offered warm thanks and “job well done” for staff. City Manager Aron Kulhavy acknowledged each employee as they received their awards. Employees’ names are listed below, along with their depart- ments and years of service. Continued from Page 1 2018 Arts Center Partner of the year. Chasteen serves on the board of the Friends of the Wynne; volunteers to cook for special events; and creates, chairs, or supervises various special projects including Empty Bowls, Open Studios, grant activities, and the H-E-B Children's Community Pottery Pro- ject. Pease also highlighted a few of the many others who keep the Wynne Home running smoothly, saying some contributors are rec- ognized each year. Those recognized were Patty Davis, Anita Escobedo, Dalia Harrel- son, Jane Henderson, Betsy Maloney, Cindy Pipes, Roberta Plant, and Nancy Platzner. For more information on events or the open house recognitions, contact Thomas at KThomas@HuntsvilleTX.gov or Pease at LPease@HuntsvilleTX.gov. CITY CONNECTION Page 4 City Secretary Lee Woodward has served the City of Huntsville since Septem- ber 1, 2009, but her last day in the office at City Hall was January 4, 2019. Woodward has been selected as the next City Secretary for the City of La Porte, Texas. "It was a very hard decision," said Wood- ward of the move. "I was raised in Huntsville and then returned here in 2004. Working for the City as an organization and the city as a body of citizens has been a wonderful expe- rience that has passed in the blink of an eye. The Council has been supportive of edu- cation and training and been respectful of the statutory duties of a municipal clerk." Woodward has earned a number of accolades during her tenure: She is a Trus- tee for the Texas Municipal Clerks Associa- tion (TMCA) and an instructor at their annual Election Law Seminar, as well as for the an- nual Houston-Galveston Area Council (H- GAC) seminar on election law; a co-author of the tenth and eleventh editions of TMCA’s Texas Municipal Clerks Hand- book and was a nominee for the TMCA Clerk of the Year in 2016; in Houston-area TMCA chapter, Woodward has served in the officer positions and was selected as the Chapter's 2017 Clerk of the Year; Woodward earned her Texas Registered Municipal Clerk desig- nation in 2012, became a Certified Munici- pal Clerk through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) in 2013, and re- ceived the IIMC Master Municipal Clerk certi- fication in 2015; she is an IIMC Athenian Fellow and At h e n i a n D i a l o g u e Facilitator; Woodward has com- pleted the C e rt i f i e d Public Man- ager (CPM) P r o g r a m through the William P. Hobby Cen- ter, is a Pro- fessional Registered Parliamentarian with the National Associa- tion of Parliamentarians (NAP), has worked on and chaired several committees for the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians (TSAP), and is a member of the Texas Associ- ation of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO); as a member of the Texas City Man- agement Association (TCMA), Woodward serves as 2018 President for the Texas Women Leading Government's (TWLG) Gulf Coast Chapter and was nominated for the 2018 League of Women in Government's inaugural Leadership Trailblazer Award; she has been a presenter at the Texas Municipal League (TML) annual conference and for their annual Newly Elected Offi- cials seminars; she has earned numerous scholarships and reimbursements for contin- ued required training and development; Woodward is the current City of Huntsville representative on the Huntsville/Walker County Chamber of Commerce Board of Di- rectors and is a member of the Huntsville chapter of the DAR; she is a proud Huntsville Hornet and fightin' Texas Aggie. "I am so thankful for the Councilmembers, City staff, and community members I have known and worked with over the last nine and a half years," said Woodward. "No one could ask for more." The City Council approved contracting an interim city secretary while applications were accepted and reviewed for a permanent re- placement. Per the City Charter, the City Secretary is nominated by the Mayor and approved by the Council. The position is supervised by the full Council as one of four charter officer positions (others include the city manager, city attorney, and city judge). The primary duties include Council meetings and Council administrative support, elections (contracted with Walker County), records retention/ records management, liquor licensing, pub- lic information requests, communications/ media, board and commission management, and other duties as assigned. The City Secretary serves as the City's pub- lic information officer, elections official, rec- ords management officer, parliamentarian to the Council, and as a part of the manage- ment staff and emergency management team. Lee Woodward leaves City in January for La Porte