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2014/03/18 City news, features and updates March 14, 2014 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e High attendance at 2014 Trade Expo Over 1,000 area residents and around 100 local businesses attended the 2014 Trade Expo in March, sponsored by the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce. The City of Huntsville brought 11 departments to the event, giving representatives an opportunity to interface with the public. City receives additional FEMA funding for Tornado Safety Room Building to double as Boys and Girls Club facility The Huntsville City Council took a critical step in April 2013 toward the completion of a Tornado Safety Room, which is designed to double as a facility for use by the Boys and Girls Club of Walker County. According to Neighborhood Resources Director Sherry McKibben, the City initially applied for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in December 2009. Since that time, City staff has worked with representatives from the Texas Department of Emergency Management, FEMA, the Boys and Girls Club, and the selected architect for the project to submit a project that meets FEMA requirements for the building. As FEMA requires a secondary use of the facility, the design also incorporates functions for the Boys and Girls Club. “We are so excited to move forward on this project,” McKibben said. “The grant funding we have received is part of the Texas Safe Shelter Initiative. We are so grateful to be part of a project that serves the community in so many ways, and if all goes as planned, construction may begin as early as October.” Four years of effort According to McKibben, the City has worked to secure funding for the Tornado Safety Room and Boys and Girls Club facility since 2009. “When we initially applied for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant in 2009, we did not receive it, but we were awarded a $1.6 million grant for the project in 2010 after re-applying,” McKibben said. “We hired Fitzpatrick Architects to work with us and quickly realized we would need additional funds to complete the project.” A preliminary design was presented to the City Council in April 2013, and necessitated a request to FEMA for additional grant funds totaling $327,700.00 (the “Cost Overrun”), bringing the total grant request to $1,574,569.00 with a 25% match from the City. “In May 2013, Council approved appealing a previous overrun application so we could complete the project,” McKibben said. “In February 2014, we received word from FEMA that our request had been approved.” An associated benefit with the additional time required to identify a design FEMA would approve is the Boys and Girls Club has raised a total of $407,630.00, which will cover most of the required match for the grant. The remainder of the match, $117,226.00, will be covered by the City’s in-kind contributions, including grant administrative requirement and completing the plan review, permitting and inspection at no cost. Increased safety According to Emergency Management Coordinator John Waldo, the Tornado Safety Room will serve a critical purpose during disaster events. “The safe room is designed to withstand 200 mph winds and provide shelter for up to 1,000 individuals,” he said. “As this facility is earmarked for local residents, it will greatly enhance our ability to protect the citizens of Huntsville.” For more information, contact McKibben at (936) 291-5428. Expert in Every Office Time employed with City of Huntsville: 6 years - prior to serving at the Huntsville Police Department, Vasquez served as the Budget Manager. This experience afforded her a working knowledge of the functions of each City departments. Education: Bachelor of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University Job description: The Evidence Technician is responsible for maintaining and disposing of evidentiary, lost/found or abandoned property. She also maintains, inventories and audits property and addresses chain of custody of evidentiary property. Work responsibilities include following up on court documents, seizure and disposal of evidence, and forwarding items for outside lab analysis. The evidence technician will testify in court as deemed necessary. The technician must also match items received to those reported stolen by searching local theft reports or through the National Crime Information Centers database (NCIC). Certifications/Memberships: Vasquez has earned the Forensic Investigator I designation as well as her Property and Evidence Management Certificate through the Texas A&M Engineering Carla Vasquez Property Room Manager/ Crime Scene Technician (936) 291-5480 Extension Service (TEEX). She is also a member of the Texas Association of Property and Evidence Inventory Technicians and the International Association for Identification, which represents a diverse, knowledgeable and experienced membership assembled to educate, share, critique and publish methods, techniques and research in the physical forensic science disciplines. Recent training: Through TEEX, Vasquez has taken part in training courses pertaining to blood stain pattern analysis, latent print processing, crime scene investigation, forensic photography and more. She has also completed training for search/recovery of human remains through the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility at SHSU. Colleague perspective: Christine Ramirez, Coordinator Texas Forensic Science Academy, TEEX Carla is an example of professional commitment. She chose a profession through which she affects lives, and she has chosen to enhance her skills and learn new skills in support of her profession. Carla has demonstrated her commitment by immersing herself in the technical training that is necessary to positively impact cases and the community in which those cases occur. Through the Texas Forensic Science Academy of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), Carla earned her Forensic Investigator I certificate, which required 200 hours of specialized training, and she is on the cusp of earning her Forensic Investigator II certificate which is an additional 200 hours of specialized training. I instructed several of the courses Carla attended, and I witnessed her earnest interest, stellar motivation, and exceptional work ethic. She is an asset to her agency and a credit to her profession. On Thursday, March 6, 2014 the Huntsville Police Department was presented with a $3,000.00 check from the Texas Department of Transportation, as part of the Impaired Driving Mobilization Program in 2013. HPD Chief Kevin Lunsford stated that the department participated in the program through the submission of enforcement statistics for DWI enforcement during a two week period surrounding the Labor Day Holiday. The funds will be utilized within the next calendar year for equipment to enhance traffic enforcement. Representatives from the Huntsville City Council, the Huntsville Police Department and the Texas Department of Transportation came together March 6 at City Hall for a special check presentation. HPD receives $3,000 check from TxDOT SHSU, City join forces for All Paws In volunteer events At the Spring Clean event alone, more than 30 volunteers representing several student organizations contributed their time to clean up the downtown area and several surrounding parks. Photos by Lindsay Lauher, Main Street Coordinator The City of Huntsville would like to extend its thanks to all of the student volunteers who went out into the community on Saturday, March 1 to volunteer their time. Several City efforts, including the Main Street Program’s Spring Clean event and the annual Trash Bash, sponsored by the Solid Waste and Recycling division, benefited greatly from the efforts of student volunteers. E-Waste Recycling event - April 8 The City of Huntsville Solid Waste and Recycling Services is hosting the 7th Annual Electronics Recycling Day on Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the City’s Disposal and Recycling Facility. According to Esther Herklotz, Solid Waste and Recycling Superintendent, Technocycle of Houston has graciously sponsored the last four events and provided the staff, trucks and packing supplies to haul the electronics. “Recycling events could cost from $4,000 to $10,000 without Technocyle’s continued support,” Herklotz said. “Volunteers from the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, Walker County Community Supervision and Corrections, the Walker County Master Gardeners, Try 2 Recycle and City of Huntsville Disposal and Recycling staff assist during this one day event.” Items accepted include laptops, notebooks, printers, scanners, copiers, projectors, plasma/LCD/LED screens, computer accessories, stereos, radios, cellphones, pagers, cameras, palm pilots, PDAs, rechargeable batteries and vehicle batteries. After the event, Technocycle provides a report with the number of pallets and weights of materials collected and recycled. Try 2 Recycle also provides a report of the number of vehicle batteries collected and recycled. “In 2013, 180 vehicles dropped off electronics with 9.58 tons collected by the end of the event,” Herklotz said. “The purpose for Electronics Recycling is to divert recyclable electronics from the waste stream and avoid landfilling items which can be recycled and remanufactured into other products.” The Recycling Center is located at 448 State Highway 75 North. For more information, contact Herklotz at (936) 294-5724. The City of Huntsville will host a free Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit and Run Competition for local youth on April 12 beginning at 10 a.m. at Kate Barr Ross Park. According to Natalie Reid, Recreation Services coordinator, the program will give local youth in four different age categories a chance to gauge their skills and potentially reach a national competition. Registration will be held the day of the event from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. “The Pitch, Hit and Run Competition is a grassroots effort designed to provide youth baseball and softball players with an opportunity to compete free of charge in an arena that recognizes individual excellence in core skills,” Reid said. The competition divides male and female participants into four age divisions: 7/8, 9/10, 11/12 and 13/14 years of age. Champions in each age and gender group at the Local Competition level will be awarded and advanced to the Sectional Level of Competition. “Participants who perform at the highest level locally will advance to the next phase of the competition, and maybe even reach the National Finals at the 2014 MLB All-Star Game,” Reid said. “We certainly want to see all of our local, age-appropriate baseball and softball players take advantage of this unique opportunity to showcase their skills and get a shot at the national game.” All participants must bring a copy of their birth certificate and have their parent or guardian fill out a registration/waiver form prior to the start of the competition. For questions concerning the competition, contact Reid at (936) 294-5725. City to host Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit, Run Competition - April 12 The return of the Main Street Music Series - Free musical performances in the downtown area from April - May The City of Huntsville Main Street Program’s Downtown Music Series is back! Beginning in April and continuing through May 2, citizens are invited to John Henry “Rather” Park for free musical performances from rock, folk and country artists. According to Lindsay Lauher, Main Street Coordinator, the events will be held on April 4, April 11, April 25 and May 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and there will be exciting new features added to the events this year. Rather Park is located at 1223 University Avenue. “We are so excited to bring the Downtown Music Series to our residents this year,” Lauher said. “As in previous music series, we plan to feature two bands each night that will represent several musical genres. “Residents are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to the park. We hope to see many Huntsville residents and families take part in this one-of-a-kind series.” To add variety to the event, Lauher said several food vendors have been integrated into the event, as compared to previous years where only light refreshments were available. “We have invited food trucks and vendors from around the city to provide snacks for the music series,” Lauher said. “We’d like to create a kind of neighborhood block party feel for the event, where guests can enjoy great music, delicious local food choices and a fun atmosphere.” The Main Street Program staff will also be on hand throughout the event with band merchandise, T-shirts and more. For more information, contact Lauher at (936) 291-5920. Check future issues of “This Week in Huntsville,” the City Connection newsletter and press releases posted to the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, for more information about each of the performers. Mark your calendars for the Fridays below! May 2 The Pickets Zachary Keane Croker April 4 JB Barnett April 11 Logan McCune Mary Brett April 25 SingleWide Billy May