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January 2006 City ConnectionCity Connection January 2005 Volume 2, Number 4 www.huntsvilletx.gov Here we are “One More Time.” The last time the City of Hunts- ville had a new pool was in 1972 (34 years ago). Due to the dili- gence of volunteers led by Pon- cho Roberts (Good Will Ambas- sador) and Richie Harris (Treasurer) the City held a groundbreaking ceremony on December 14 for the new $2.1 million aquatic center. The new center will be a bathhouse, pump house and 2 pools with a surface area of 6,634 ft2 and 173,359 gallons of water. The heated competition style pool will have 8 lanes and the recrea- tional pool will have: • zero depth entry • water slide • bell sprayers • raining buckets • spray cannons • water tunnel • geysers magic mist. This effort began for Poncho Roberts in May 2001. At that time Poncho dedicated 5 years to doing what needed to be done for a new swimming pool. The construction contract is for 210 days with a few bad weather days already built in, so barring any excessive rain, Poncho will be helping to invite children of all ages to a new pool in mid-July or 5 years and 2 months after he and others began their effort. In ad- dition to the team of volunteers and the City, Poncho would like to thank HISD, Walker County, TDCJ, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Gulf Coast Trades Center, the local medical community, the Lakers and Hornets swim teams but most importantly the citizens of not only Huntsville but all of Walker County for the immense groundswell of support that made the effort possible in the first place. Apache Services from Pasadena, TX is the contractor for building the center. The construction and contract compliance is being han- dled by the city engineer and his staff. After the city engineer and inspectors are satisfied that the contract has been fulfilled, the pool will be turned over the Parks and Recreation Department for operation. sstacy@huntsvilletx.gov. Groundbreaking for the Aquatic Center—A Pool for Everyone Westridge Wastewater Project The final phases of divert- ing the McGary Creek Lift Station to the Robinson Creek Treatment Plant started in mid-December of 2005. The new lines will provide service in the High- way 30 West and FM 1791 area. Additionally, the Post Office Lift Station will be taken off-line and con- verted to a gravity line. The remaining phases of the project run through the Westridge and Sumac ar- eas. The construction will begin primarily in low-lying areas to take advantage of the dry weather. If condi- tions become wet work may move to other areas to provide a continuation of work and allow for a timely completion of the project. Work typically involves clearing the area within an easement, preparing the trench, preparing the bed, laying the pipe and backfill- ing. All work should take place within dedicated easements and along public rights-of-way. It will take approximately one year to complete the project. sstacy@huntsvilletx.gov Beautiful Huntsville Beautification Committee wants to make our city even more beautiful than it is naturally. The committee hopes this year’s tournament will raise over $10,000 for plants and trees to beautify the approaches to the heart of town. Everyone is en- couraged to partici- pate either as a golfer, a volunteer, or a sponsor. We will all benefit as we make our city B E A U T I F U L. Brochures contain- ing player and sponsorship informa- tion/registration forms can be downloaded from the City of Huntsville’s Website or may be picked up at any City of Huntsville office facility by the end of Janu- ary. In the event of rain, lunch will be served and rain checks issued. The tournament will not be re- scheduled. For Tournament Information Please Contact: Rose Kader Parks & Recreation Department City of Huntsville 936-294-5708 rkader@huntsvilletx.gov or visit www.huntsvilletx.gov Plans for the third annual Huntsville Beautification Golf Tournament on April 8th are in the works. The Beautification Committee, composed of Huntsville citizens, and City staff met with the staff of Ra- ven Nest Golf Course to work out details for the event. The event raises money to purchase trees and plants for the City to use in beautification pro- jects. From the pro- ceeds of the 2005 Tournament the City was able to plant over 600 trees, Live Oaks, Crape Myrtles, Pines and other hardwoods along Interstate 45 and State High- way 30. Trees were also planted around the Safety Town Playground. Flowers and shrubs were planted in the downtown area. Working with Keep Huntsville Beautiful and Keep Texas 3rd Annual Huntsville Beautification Golf Tournament views will be conducted with de- partmental personnel, City ad- ministration, local criminal jus- tice related agencies and Huntsville citizens. The as- sessment findings will be util- ized to constructively evaluate the present effectiveness of the department and to assist in determining the future direc- tion and needs of the HPD. jsanders@huntsvilletx.gov The Huntsville Police Department has begun work on a Quality As- sessment to be conducted of the department. Chief Jean Sanders received authorization from the City Council to go forward with the assessment which will assess the overall quality of perform- ance of the administration, sworn officers, and civilian per- sonal of the HPD. A committee of local citizens has been assem- bled to conduct the assessment. The committee members are: Joe Fernald, Nancy Gaertner, Rosemary Heinsohn, and Dr. Helen King. Questionnaires, in- dividual and small group inter- JANUARY 2005 CITY CONNECTION Quality Assessment of Huntsville Police Department PAGE 2 The City of Huntsville will hold a Regu- lar Election on the 13th day of May, 2006, for the purpose of electing four at-large council members; places one, two, three and four. The filing period for these officers will begin on February 11, 2006 at 8:00 am and end on March 13, 2006 at 5:00 pm. [Note: Febru- ary 11 falls on a Saturday. City offices will be closed. The next business day will be on Monday, February 13, 2006.] Early voting by mail applications will be accepted beginning on March 14, 2006 through 5:00 pm on May 5, 2006. To request an early voting by mail application, please call the City Secretary at 936-291-5403. Early voting in person will begin on May 1, 2006 at 8:00 am at City Hall and continue through May 9, 2006 at 5:00 pm. Weekend voting on May 6 and 7 will also be available with voting on Saturday from 8:00 am – Noon and on Sunday from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Candidate kits for potential applicants will be available at City Hall in the City Secretary’s office on Wednesday, Febru- ary 8, 2006. For any questions regarding this upcom- ing election, please call 936-291-5403 or e-mail at dwelter@huntsvilletx.gov 2006 City Election News We issue burning permits to people wishing to burn yard debris at their home. This clearing has to be done by hand, and can not be done with heavy machinery such as dozers. Our pro- gram only applies to residents who want to burn small amounts of brush. You must burn only during the day…all fire has to be out before nightfall. An adult must be visible at all times when the fire is going. Our Fire Department permits are en- dorsed by City Ordinance…If you are found burning a brush pile without a permit, or during a burn ban, a fine may be given. If your home is your most valuable investment, then let us help you protect it… if you are going to burn yard waste, then allow Fire Marshal Tom Grisham to tell you the safest times to burn. jjanuary@huntsvilletx.gov If you do not like the weather in Texas, wait 10 minutes…it will change. This could not be more true for East Texas. Our area fire departments have been overwhelmed this year with weather re- lated emergencies. One of the most visible result from our arid climate this year is the implementation of our burn bans, which have been put into effect by the City of Huntsville Fire Marshal, Tom Grisham, and Judge Pierce. The Huntsville Fire Department ex- perienced an estimated 20 percent increase in calls for ser- vice in 2005. We ask that you help us help you, by obtaining a burning permit for land inside the City Limits, and calling before you burn each day. Burning permits are free, and will last for 60 days. JANUARY 2005 CITY CONNECTION PAGE 3 Our area fire de- partments have been overwhelmed this year with Please...Call Before You Burn A Great Christmas on the Square and a new restaurant to boot ... Downtown Huntsville is alive and well after having enjoyed a prosper- ous Christmas and Holiday Season. This years Christmas season kicked off on December 3rd. with the Sam Houston Family Christmas Festival with over 40 food and crafts vend- ers, train rides and a petting zoo for the kids. All if the downtown shops were open and many were offering festival day specials and as always the Cabin on the Square open and filled with Walker County handmade crafts and gifts for children of all ages. Once the sun set low it was time for The Loins Club’s annual Christmas pride and the Train of Lights and Santa lighting the Christmas tree and all of downtown. The word from the Lions Club and Santa is that this years Christmas pride was the big- gest ever. Among all of this seasonal celebra- tion carpenters, plumbers, artists and other workers are converting what once was Coronelli’s Italian Restaurant and TW’s Bar in down- town Huntsville into a first-rate Texas Styled restaurant and South- ern pub. The Stardust Room is owned and operated by Sandra and Ben Bell and they promise it will offer culinary diversity and eclectic ambiance, with live music and food that both stand out as fun and up-beat. The restau- rant is set to open in mid January. “Come on down and Circle the Square.” hhutcheson@huntsvilletx.gov NEED MULCH??? Please visit the City of Hunts- ville Solid Waste Disposal Facility located at 590 I-45 North Mulch is Free to the Public!!! Please come prepared to load the mulch yourself. cblaylock@huntsvilletx.gov This publication is brought to you by the City of Huntsville Com- munications Committee. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this newsletter, please contact the City Sec- retary’s Office at 291-5413 or City Hall, 1212 Ave M, Huntsville, TX 77340. seating the plumbing fix- tures; hanging the lighting fixtures; repairing some windows and hardware; and putting the final finish on the wood floors. The floors are made of oak, birch, and pine in various rooms in the home. Then it will be time to move in – setting up offices and fur- nishing with the proper equipment to operate the arts center, where there will be classes, workshops, art gallery, ceramics studio, gift shop, administrative offices — and plenty of room for volunteers. As you know, this community NEWS FROM THE WYNNE HOME arts center belongs to us all to enjoy and to share. Toward that end, many volunteers are already working to prepare for the upcoming opening of the Wynne Home Arts Center. Art pieces are being framed for the first exhibit which will be an exhi- bition of art by self-taught Texas artists. Also, historic photographs of the Wynne family and home will be displayed. Several fasci- nating arti- facts were found during the recon- struction, and folks will enjoy seeing them on display. In the next City Connection issue, watch this space to read about the National Gar- den Club grant received by the Huntsville Garden Club for landscaping historical gar- dens at the Wynne. lpease@huntsvilletx.gov Work is now progressing at the Wynne Home after a brief delay. Yesterday, workers put into place again the beautiful carved front doors of the house. The double doors will now swing outward to meet building codes -- and to welcome visitors. Inside, principal work that remains to be completed is the interior painting, al- ready begun; wallpapering several downstairs spaces; This publication is now available for viewing on-line… Please go to http://www.huntsvilletx.gov Effective February 1, 2006, the City of Huntsville Passport Acceptance Office will transition to a “by appointment only” facility. At that time we will begin asking that our passport cus- tomers call or e- mail to schedule an appointment prior to coming in to apply for their U.S. Pass- port. This will allow our acceptance agents the opportu- nity to schedule more effectively to insure that an agent will be available when the customer arrives and avoid back logs when nu- merous customers arrive at the same time. The hours of opera- tion for the City of Huntsville Passport Acceptance Office will remain as 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. , Monday through Fri- day, excluding City Holidays. Please call 936-291- 5461 or e-mail us at passports @ huntsvil- letx.gov to request an appointment. The passport accep- tance process takes approximately 15-30 minutes per cus- tomer. We ask that the customer com- plete but not sign the application prior to coming in for the appointment to fur- ther expedite the process. PAGE 4 CITY CONNECTION JANUARY 2005 January 16 City Offices Closed—Observe Martin Luther King Day 17 City Council Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. at City Hall 18 Beautification Advisory Board @ 3:00 p.m. at City Hall 19 Cemetery Advisory Board @ 1:30 p.m. at City Hall 23 Planning & Zoning @ 12:00 p.m. at City Hall 27 Zoning Board of Adj. @ 12:00 p.m. at City Hall February 06 Planning & Zoning @ 12:00 p.m. at City Hall 07 City Council Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. at City Hall 13 Parks Advisory Board @12:00 p.m. at City Hall 15 Beautification Committee @ 3:00 p.m. at City Hall 16 Communications Committee @ 2:00 p.m. at City Hall 20 Planning & Zoning @ 12:00 p.m. at City Hall 21 City Council Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. at City Hall 24 Zoning Board of Adj. @ 12:00 p.m. at City Hall CHANGES IN PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURES City Calendar Before After Several fasci- nating arti- facts were found during the recon- struction, and folks will en- joy seeing