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2014/04/11 City news, features and updates April 11, 2014 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e In this issue... Success at 7th annual E-Waste Recycling event - page 2 Downtown Music Series continues tonight - page 3 City holds Ward 4 Town Hall meeting - page 4 Cityworks technology to improve City services - page 3 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., and winners will be announced at the conclusion of the event. “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. “This is going to be a really fun event not only for our competitors but for their families as a whole. Come out and play baseball with us!” The competition divides male and female participants City to host Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit, Run Competition Saturday, April 12 - Registration begins at 9 a.m. 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. During the April 8 Finance Committee meeting, Council members Keith Olson, Don Johnson, Joe Emmett and Andy Brauninger heard a detailed review of the City’s Capital Improvement Projects. City Engineer Y.S. Ramachandra and CIP Manager Mike Goebel presented the committee with a presentation dividing the projects into three categories – those with staff support to move forward, projects staff recommended removing from the CIP plan, and projects which required additional direction from Council. In total, 57 Water, Wastewater/Drainage, Street, Sidewalk and general projects were discussed. Ramachandra and Goebel – with input from City Manager Matt Benoit – provided the committee with detailed project descriptions and rationales, historical information surrounding the items, and cost estimates. According to Benoit, any funding recovered from discontinued projects would be placed into their respective CIP accounts – such as the CIP Water account – for use in future projects, cost overruns on current projects, or other related needs. Prior to their regular meeting on April 15, City Council will participate in a workshop to discuss Capital Improvement Project scheduling, disposition and planning, as well as a discussion on monument entry and a way- finding signage consultant. For the full April 15 City Council agenda and packet information, visit the City’s Web site at www.huntsvilletx.gov. Finance Committee hears CIP presentation City Council presentation to follow during April 15 workshop City commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Full house of victim advocates, first responders in attendance The City of Huntsville Police Department hosted a special breakfast April 4 in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Law enforcement personnel from multiple jurisdictions, medical and legal professionals, representatives from women’s and children’s shelters and more were in attendance. During the program, Mayor Mac Woodward and Police Chief Kevin Lunsford expressed their thanks to those in the room, and guest speaker Tracy Sheeks - former law enforcement and a crime survivor - addressed the group about the importance of maintaining their relationships and communication. Lisa Anderson-DuPaul, the Victims Services coordinator for the City, also expressed her admiration. “We want you all to understand how important you are, not only to the victims you serve but to your community,” she said. “Without any of those present here today, this system wouldn’t work.” Mayor Mac Woodward addresses the audience at the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week commemorative breakfast event. Nearly 200 attend 7th annual E-Waste Recycling Day The City of Huntsville held a successful E-Waste Recycling Day event April 5, where 162 visitors from within the City of Huntsville, Walker County and other areas flocked to safely dispose of electronic items. The event, held by the City’s Solid Waste and Recycling division and sponsored by Technocycle of Houston, also included the assistance of volunteers from the Community Supervision and Corrections Department (Adult Probation) and Boy Scout Troop # 98. Technocycle also brought 15 employees to participate. According to Esther Herklotz, Solid Waste Superintendent, the most common items brought to the event for recycling were computer towers and monitors, though one visitor brought an 8-Track player. An exact amount of tonnage recycled will be available at a later date, Herklotz said. Photos submitted by Esther Herklotz Downtown Music Series continues tonight! All citizens are invited to join the City of Huntsville Main Street Program tonight in Rather Park for the second of four downtown music series events. According to Lindsay Lauher, Main Street Coordinator, Sugar Skull Sweets and Hail's Kitchen will also be on site selling food and beverages, and the Sam Houston State University Satellite Gallery will be open for visitors. “We had a great turnout for our first Main Street Music Series performance on April 4, and we’re looking forward to welcoming our residents back to Rather Park for another great show,” Lauher said. “The City will continue to provide limited bleacher seating, but don’t forget to bring your blankets and jackets. “Main Street will also have commemorative t-shirts and band merchandise available, so stop by and visit!” Logan McCune (right) and Mary Brett (left) will perform from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. McCune is a songwriter from Marquez, Texas who is currently recording his first solo album, and Brett is an acoustic performer whose music is inspired by classic folk artists. Don’t forget - there will not be a music series event held next Friday, April 18, but shows will resume on April 25 with special guests SingleWide and Billy May. For more information, contact Lauher at (936) 291-5920. Multiple departments integrate Cityworks software Several City of Huntsville departments are now utilizing a new, GIS-centric software program designed to more efficiently manage both physical infrastructure and assets. Cityworks, a management tool integrated with Esri’s GIS technology, will be used to track citizen concerns and staff activities through a complex system of work orders and requests, playing an important role in the City’s ability to respond to maintenance needs. According to Chris Vasquez, IT Director, Cityworks has already been adopted by several City divisions including Water, Wastewater, Streets, Solid Waste, Parks and Leisure and GIS, and even greater application could follow after staff is familiarized with the program. “We are very pleased with the outcome of the Cityworks implementation,” Vasquez said. “Our plan is to allow staff time to familiarize themselves with the system and then to add functionality such as integration with our financial system, New World Systems.” Vasquez said the software manages specific work orders by associating each item with a valid address or location and later seamlessly updating the history. “Say a citizen calls the department of public works because there is a pothole in front of 1212 Avenue M,” he said. “Once a staff member enters a work order for this location, a public works Mark your calendars for the Fridays below! May 2 The Pickets Zachary Keane Croker TONIGHT April 11 Logan McCune Mary Brett April 25 SingleWide Billy May employee can go to the site, fill in the pothole, record the task in Cityworks, and close the work order. “A record will then be kept for the work done and the associated address, allowing staff to analyze the report and determine future construction or maintenance needs. In the long-term, map layers can also be created to display information such as all open requests, pavement conditions and repaired potholes.” According to Carol Reed, Director of Public Works, the system is already proving advantageous. “It is a huge benefit to have a centralized system to track our maintenance operations,” Reed said. “The system has enabled us to be more proactive in coordinating our activities and assists in identifying and avoiding conflicts or miscommunication.” GIS Defined According to Esri, a geographic information system (GIS) lets us visualize, question, analyze, interpret, and understand data to reveal relationships, patterns, and trends. High attendance at Ward 4 Town Hall meeting Highlights include City project updates City Council Ward 4 representative Joe Rodriquez hosted a Ward 4 Town Hall meeting on April 9 to provide residents an opportunity to gain information on City projects in their area. More than 70 citizens attended the event, taking the opportunity to converse with both Rodriquez and City staff on a number of items. In addition to Rodriquez, Mayor Mac Woodward and several other members of Council were present. During a series of brief informational presentations City Engineer Y.S. Ramachandra, Public Works Director Carol Reed and Deputy City Secretary Kristin Edwards provided information and answered questions pertaining to: (1) Installation of traffic calming devices on River Oaks Drive. (2) East Mosley Lane reconstruction project; (3) Rehabilitation of the lift station at the Elkins Lake Post Office; (4) Recycling efforts and tips; and (5) “This Week in Huntsville” digital newsletter. City hits 1,050 subscribers for “This Week in Huntsville” During the first week of April, the City reached a benchmark level of readership for its newest publication, This Week in Huntsville. As of April 7, the publication boasted a subscriber list of 1,050 email addresses, and it is thanks to you, the reader, that we have reached that point. Don’t let it stop here! Please spread the word to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, even friends and family from out of town who might be interested to know what’s happening in our City. Or, if you’ve been forwarded this message by a subscriber, sign up officially today! Signing up is easy - just visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, click on “e-News subscriptions,” enter your e-mail address, select “This Week in Huntsville,” and hit “Subcribe.” Email address information will not be utilized for any other purpose. Thanks to all of our readers for supporting the newsletter! Wynne Home Arts Center spring classes start strong Several of the Wynne Home Arts Center Spring classes met for the first time the week of April 7-11, and participants were already learning a great deal. Molly Campbell (left), the instructor for the Ceramic Mask Making course, allowed her students to gain inspiration from a wide variety of magazines, photos and other sources. For more information about Wynne Home classes and programs, call (936) 291-5424. Photo by Kristin Edwards A full house of Huntsville citizens - both from Ward 4 and other areas throughout Huntsville - attended the April 9 Town Hall meeting in the Elkins Lake Clubhouse. According to City Council member Joe Rodriquez, the ward-based meetings were a product of recent Strategic Planning efforts. For more information on Council initiatives and City projects, visit the City’s Web site at www.huntsvilletx.gov or call (936) 291-5400.