2014/01/31
City news,
features
and
updates
January 31,
2014
Th
i
s
W
e
e
k
i
n
H
u
n
t
s
v
i
l
l
e
Over 100 Huntsville residents came to Kate Barr Ross Park on Wednesday, January 22 to welcome
the 2014 Astros caravan and make the city an official part of “Astros Country.”
The caravan included current players Robbie Grossman, L.J. Hoes, and Michael Foltynewicz, as well
as team alumni Kevin Bass.
The local attendees, which included youths from the Huntsville Family YMCA and the Huntsville
Hornet Baseball team, also had the special opportunity to take group photos with the players
present and even get autographs.
For more information on the Astros franchise, visit http://houston.astros.mlb.com/ or follow the
team on Twitter at twitter.com/astros.
City of
Huntsville
now an
official
part of
“Astros
Country”
The Wynne Home Arts
Center presents
The Art Guys:
Scattershot
The exhibit will be available at the Wynne Home
Arts Center through April 30, 2014.
Admission is free—donations are welcomed.
Thoughts from City Manager Matt Benoit
At the January 21 City Council meeting, the Mayor and City Council heard a report on one of our aging wastewater (sewer)
treatment plants. As the Council listened to the presentation and asked very probing and thoughtful questions, I believe they
collectively came to understand Huntsville is not immune from such concerns, nor is aging infrastructure a unique problem. Cities
all over the nation are facing this issue, and Huntsville’s challenges are no more or less daunting than those in other cities.
In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers (the professional organization that largely takes care of or designs fixes to America’s
infrastructure) rated America’s infrastructure in 2013 with a “D+” and further estimated an investment of $3.6 trillion nationwide
by 2020 would be necessary to restore our nation’s infrastructure. While this reinforces the fact that our infrastructure problems
are not unusual, the bad news is that we – like so many of our neighboring communities – probably have needs that exceed our
resources.
The following is very rare for me to say, but I think it appropriate in this case: when it comes to infrastructure, it’s just money, and
it’s worth every cent.
I do not want to be understood to be using scare tactics or pushing a threat of gloom and doom. However, it is as simple as this:
quality infrastructure you can count on costs money. When you want water in your faucets, toilets to flush, roads to drive on and
trash picked up, each of those basic needs requires comparatively significant financial support. If your priority is lower taxes and
lower rates, you are accepting some inherent risk when it comes to infrastructure. If you wish not to risk infrastructure failures,
lower taxes and lower rates are likely the tradeoff. Fortunately (or unfortunately) there is not a lot of room for creativity in
infrastructure. Money solves most problems.
I’ll leave you this…the Council was quick to point on January 21 that the City staff are the ones holding a lot of this together. Rest
assured, whatever the will of the community is, we will adapt and adjust. As we continue to bring wastewater treatment plant
needs to light, as well as our other facility-related needs, it is the taxpayers and rate payers who will ultimately decide.
City Council considers wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation
During the regular City Council meeting on January 21, City of
Huntsville Public Utilities Director Carol Reed addressed the
N.B. Davidson Wastewater Treatment Plant and the need for
potential rehabilitation measures over the next several years.
The rehabilitation – one of several options Reed said was
investigated for the plant – would address several aging
elements of the facility and increase its life expectancy by over
20 years.
“The N.B. Davidson Wastewater Treatment Plant has been
maintained very well since it was originally constructed 40
years ago – staff has done an incredible job keeping up with
day-to-day concerns and replacing various parts as necessary,”
Reed said. “However, when [Wastewater Superintendent]
Mark Reed and I surveyed the plant last year, we noticed
issues of concern that were due strictly to the age of the
facility.”
Because the aging plant presented an increased risk of
catastrophic failure, as well as possible Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality violations, Reed worked with Public
Works and Engineering staff to develop three potential options
for addressing the concerns.
“We considered and broadly discussed three options for N.B.
Davidson - Option A was to reconstruct the plant, Option B was
to completely close down the facility and divert all wastewater
to the Robinson Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, and
Option C was to rehabilitate the existing plant,” Reed said.
“After careful study, Options A and B were not considered for
further exploration due to high cost factors, permitting issues,
potential limits on production, and an overall longer time
period for implementation.
“With these factors in mind, Schaumburg & Polk, Inc. (SPI)
was hired to study in detail Option C, rehabilitating the
plant.”
Specifically, the engineering evaluation was carried out to
assess the condition of each individual plant unit and its
accessories, compile the initial installation period and time
frame of upgrades and expansions, identify the type of
rehabilitation of units needing repair or replacement, and
prioritize the time frame and cost for rehabilitation of units
based on severity of deterioration.
During the January 21 City Council meeting, Reed was
joined by Mark Mann – a Project Manager with
Schaumburg & Polk – who addressed the firm’s final
recommendations as well as cost estimates for the
rehabilitation.
“At this point, we’re looking at conducting the
rehabilitation of the plant in four phases and re-assessing
after each phase,” Reed said. “We definitely want to look
at our aeration system, because the current technology we
have was installed in the 1970s and is becoming difficult
to maintain. Our main goal is to be as proactive as
possible and continuing to meet TCEQ requirements.”
Reed said further cost estimates and implementation
could be integrated into the FY 2014-15 budget.
For more information, contact Reed at (936) 294-5768.
Engineering firm assessment of N. B. Davidson Wastewater Treatment Plant yields phased improvement plan
Expert in the Field
Time employed with City of Huntsville: 3 years
Licenses: Through the International Code Council, Joyner is licensed
as a Residential Building Inspector, Mechanical Inspector and
Plumbing Inspector.
Job description: As a building inspector for the City, Joyner works to
make sure that all buildings and construction meet the minimum
David Joyner
Building Inspector
(936) 294-5714
requirements set forth in the International Building Code.
This work requires extensive knowledge of residential,
electrical, fuel and gas, plumbing and mechanical provisions,
as well as the interpersonal skills to interact in a professional
manner with homeowners, contractors and business owners.
The best part of working for the City of Huntsville: “I take my
job as an inspector very seriously. Every day, we work to
enforce the laws of the International Building Code and
safeguard the health and safety of the citizens of Huntsville.
You might sum it up by saying we are a second pair of eyes to
make sure all requirements are met in a safe manner.”
Colleague perspective:
Bart Davis, Partner, Davis Construction Management —
“David is very easy to work with, and he understands the
contractor side of construction, which makes going through
the inspection process much easier on both sides. Obviously,
he is a very nice man, and we could not be more pleased to
have him as an asset in Huntsville.”
Tree Sale scheduled for
Saturday, February 1
For over 18 years, the Walker County
Proud Communities (WCPC)
organization consisting of members
from Walker County, City of Huntsville
Solid Waste and Recycling, Texas
Forest Service, Master Gardeners and
multiple local businesses have
sponsored an annual Tree Sale.
Traditionally an outdoor event, the Tree
Sale has been relocated to the Walker
County Storm Shelter, located at 455
State Highway 75 North, across the
street from the City Service Center.
During the event, Master Gardeners
provide expert information on the
seedlings from planting to watering.
“We are so excited for this year’s Tree
Sale,” said Esther Herklotz, Solid
Waste and Recycling Superintendent.
“We hope to see all of our residents
come out, learn from the Master
Gardeners and do their part to make
Huntsville even more beautiful.”
Walker County Commissioners provide
the bagged mulch which is sold for a
$1.00 donation or one free bag with
five trees purchased.
The purpose of the Tree Sale is to
promote green space and cleaner air.
For more information, contact Herklotz
at (936) 291-5724.
Since 2009, the Huntsville Public Library and the Sam Houston State University Political
Science Department have partnered to offer a citizenship preparatory course. The
course, which lasts between four and five weeks, helps legal immigrants learn more
about the citizenship process and the material covered on the Naturalization Exam.
In the four years the program has been offered, more than 100 immigrants from between
15 and 20 countries have participated. Although a precise total is difficult to maintain, at
least 25 of those participants have achieved their citizenship after taking the course.
“Our 2014 class will kick off within the coming months, and we are so excited to partner
with the City to offer this valuable service to local individuals,” said Mike Yawn, SHSU
Political Science professor. “During the course, immigrants and SHSU volunteers meet at
the Huntsville Public Library for one night a week for four to five weeks. Each session is
around two and a half hours, which includes a presentation on the Naturalization Exam
and time for students to work in small groups and on their own.
“The final week, we invite an immigration lawyer to attend, and she goes over the legal
process of citizenship. We also hold our own Thanksgiving celebration, during which each
participant brings a food dish indigenous to their native country.”
Sandra Cuevas with the City Human Resources Department (left) has a special
connection to the citizenship preparatory course.
Her husband, 30-year-old Paco Cuevas (center), completed the course in 2013, and in January 2014, received his official
documentation as a U.S. citizen.
“My husband really liked the class – he said many of the examples used helped him retain specific information,” she said. “With
immigration laws changing so often, it just made sense for him to become a U.S. citizen and not have to worry about renewing other
documentation every few years. I’m happy for him to have his residency. With my husband here permanently, we have more stability
and security as a family.”
For more information, questions, or to register for the class, please contact Tosha Gibbs, at 936-291-5481 or
tgibbs@huntsvilletx.gov, or contact Yawn at 936-294-1456.
Huntsville Public Library, SHSU to offer citizenship classes
Stop by the Sam Houston Statue Visitor’s Center and Gift Shop to welcome
the newly hired administrative assistant, Deanna Tyler!
A recent Sam Houston State University graduate, Tyler assists with all of the
functions of the facility, serving as one of the first representatives of
Huntsville, Texas to any number of daily visitors from around the world.
“One of my favorite parts of this job so far is helping visitors pinpoint all of the
historic sites Huntsville has to offer,” Tyler said. “We help them figure out
where everything is located, where to eat, and how to make the most of their
trip.
“People love to hear about the Wynne Home Art Center, all of our city parks
and the downtown area, and it’s really great to be able to point them in the
right direction.”
Tyler is in a unique position to assist visitors to Huntsville – prior to working
at the Statue Visitors Center, she worked as an intern first at the Main Street
program in Fall 2011 and then at the Wynne Home in Summer 2012.
“I didn’t really know what serving the community was until I worked for the
City, and I love that I work for an organization that focuses on that,” she said.
“I’m also really excited to help with our budget, learn about how our gift shop
operates and offer tours.”
Jamie Matthews, Visitor’s Services Manager, said the Statue staff is very
grateful to have a new addition with City experience.
“We are extremely excited to have Deanna – she has jumped right in and is
quickly learning everything necessary to succeed at the Statue,” she said.
“With her experience from Main Street and the Wynne Home, she has very
important insight for visitors coming to Huntsville for the first time, and we’re
very glad to have her on board.” Deanna Tyler, Administrative Assistant
Statue welcomes new administrative assistant