2014/06/12
City news,
features
and
updates
June 12,
2014
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City, Chamber to
take part in SHSU
Orientation- page 2 In this issue
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Big Tree Registry
- page 4
Huntsville to participate in I-45
Corridor geocache event - page 3
HPD offers home safety
inspections - page 3
The City of Huntsville annual budget process for the 2014-15 fiscal year is moving along, as all departments
turned in their requests to Finance in late May.
According to Steve Ritter, Director of Finance, all departmental budgets were compiled into a budget listing and
submitted for City Manager review as of May 30.
“So far, the budget process is going well,” Ritter said. “We have delivered a complete set of submissions from
all of our directors to the City Manager, and we will work with him on and off until he begins working directly
with staff in mid-June.”
Ritter said the Finance Department will work with the City Manager to fine-tune departmental submissions in
order to complete an initial budget draft.
“We’ll be working on preparing a presentation for Council in late July which will give them a general summary of
the budget, and then on a more finalized draft to be presented to the group in August,” Ritter said.
For more information or to review the City’s current budget, visit www.huntsvilletx.gov.
Budget update: FY 2014-15 document underway
During their regular meeting on June 3, the City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement
and lease with the Boys and Girls Club of Walker County for a Community Safe Room.
According to Dr. Sherry McKibben, Neighborhood Resources Director, the Safe Room will function as the operating
site for the Boys and Girls Club at all times with the exception of disaster situations, wherein the facility will be
turned over to the City for use as a safe room for residents.
“Currently, we have contracted with a construction manager who is working with Fitzpatrick Architects on
completing the design and engineering phases, and we should have those completed within the next three to four
months,” she said. “We’re anticipating bringing a construction contract to Council during the two meetings in
October, and potentially having a groundbreaking ceremony in November.”
McKibben said she and her staff began work on the Community Safe Room project in 2009.
“We are very excited to see this project moving forward,” she said. “It represents a win-win for the community and
for the members of the Boys and Girls Club. Turning that first dirt is going to be thrilling to all of us who have been
involved in the process.”
Council approves Community Safe Room agreement
Janelle Valera
Children’s Coordinator
(936) 291-5910
City working closely with Boys and Girls Club of Walker County
Huntsville Public Library offers fun activities for kids/teens
Local youth are encouraged to visit the Huntsville Public Library this
summer to take part in a wide variety of events and activities!
According to Janelle Valera, Children’s Coordinator, young attendees will
have the opportunity to take part in summer reading programs, movie
nights and much more.
“Whether your interest is in children’s, pre-teens’ or teen activities, the
Huntsville Public Library is the place to be this summer,” she said. “We’re
very excited about our annual Texas Reading Club, a chance for children
from birth to age 18 to take part in scheduled activities and earn prizes for
reading. The Summer 2014 theme is ‘Fizz, Boom, READ,’ and the more you
read, the more you win!”
Don’t miss the special issue of “This Week in Huntsville” devoted entirely to
the Huntsville Public Library’s summer programming and frequently asked
questions. Visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, or the library Web
site, www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com for more information!
City of Huntsville staff will participate in Sam Houston State University
freshman orientation programs beginning June 12, taking advantage of a
unique opportunity to reach out to the parents of incoming students.
According to Kimm Thomas, Director of Tourism and Cultural Services, the eight
-week process will allow the City to showcase some of its best attractions and
amenities to a group of over 3,000 visitors.
“Each year, the Tourism Department partners with the Huntsville-Walker County
Chamber of Commerce to participate in the SHSU orientation process, and this
year, that will take place from June 12 through August 1,” Thomas said.
“Essentially, we present Huntsville to the parents of the incoming freshmen
students.
“Mayor Mac Woodward will give a brief welcome, and we’ll show them a video
of Huntsville. This year’s video was just completed through a partnership with
Silverrock Productions and we’re very excited to unveil it in this venue.”
Thomas said freshman orientation is an incredible opportunity for the Tourism
Department to reach out to parents from throughout Texas and around the
United States.
“The parents of our Sam Houston students visit Huntsville quite often, so it’s
imperative that we give them a positive first impression,” she said. “Every time
they come visit their student, take part in an athletic event, assist with a move
or come for parents’ weekends, those visits have a huge impact with respect to
both Hotel Occupancy Taxes and sales taxes.
“Not to mention, every one of those 3,000 parents can go home with a positive
impression of Huntsville and encourage others to visit our city.”
For more information, or to donate a door prize for the orientation events,
contact Jamie Matthews at (936) 291-5931 or Deanna Tyler at (936) 291-
9726.
Farmers and
flowers
Photos by Lindsay Lauher
The Downtown Farmers’ Market has
grown not only in weekly attendance,
but also with respect to the types of
items for purchase, and residents
and visitors are encouraged to stop
by!
The Farmers’ Market will be held
every Saturday through the end of
July from 8 a.m. to noon, and will be
located on the block of University
between 11th and 12th street on the
south side of the Walker County
Courthouse.
“We’re seeing a larger variety of
items week by week, which is neat
because every time we hold the
Farmers’ Market, there are more
items for sale than the week before,”
said Lindsay Lauher, Main Street
Coordinator. “I would definitely
encourage anyone who has only been
to the Farmers’ Market once to come
back and see the new items available
for purchase, such as the beautiful
summer wildflowers we had on June
7!”
For more information, contact the Main Street Program at
(936) 291-5920.
The City of Huntsville Outdoor Explorer program
scheduled for June 21 has been postponed to
June 28 due to scheduling conflicts.
Participants should plan to arrive at Huntsville
State Park just before 9 a.m. where a $5
admission fee will be charged. Classes typically
conclude around 1 p.m.
“Come on out for a fun day of outdoor activities
that's perfect for the whole family,” said Natalie
Reid, Recreation Services coordinator.
“Participants will learn the basics of hiking,
biking and kayaking and will be able to use
equipment maintained and provided by the City.
“Class will start off with a 30-minute safety
session, just to make sure everyone is prepared,
and then participants will get to spend the rest of
the session using their new skills.”
Following the June 28 program, Outdoor Explorer
will be held three more times during the 2014
season – on July 19, August 23 and September
20.
For more information or to pre-register, contact
Reid at nreid@huntsvilletx.gov or (936) 294-
5725.
Tourism staff, Chamber of Commerce to take
part in SHSU Orientation activities Outdoor Explorer -
Next session June 28
Uncovering history
Huntsville Police Department Officers Kenneth Posey and Mark
Jenkins completed additional training this year which could
potentially help area residents lower their home insurance
costs.
After completing a 40-hour Crime Prevention course offered by
the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the pair are
certified to complete free home safety inspections. After
passing an inspection, residents may send verification to their
insurance carriers, who have the option of awarding a rate
deduction.
“The crime prevention training we completed earlier this year
was designed to enable our unit to identify security risks on and
around residential buildings,” Jenkins said. “When we come to
inspect a home, we look for lighting safety and how to properly
light the perimeter of a house, the placement of shrubbery and
even the distance between windows and door locks.
“We go in with a checklist, and if the homeowner meets all the
requirements on our list, we certify that we have inspected the
home and they send that form to their home insurance
provider.”
Jenkins emphasized the decision to award an insurance
discount is entirely in the hands of the individual homeowner’s
provider.
“We don’t have any say in a homeowner’s insurance rates,
but regardless of the possible financial benefit, it is definitely a
good idea to go through this brief inspection and know your
home is as safe as it can be.
“Many people, after the first inspection, can find a few small
ways to make their living space safer.”
Posey cautioned that the officers are not certified to inspect
commercial businesses or assess alarm systems.
“If a homeowner would like to have us inspect, all they need
to do is have their alarm company come out and complete
their own alarm assessment,” he said. “If that is ready for us
when we get there, we can complete the inspection.”
For more information or to schedule an inspection, contact
HPD at (936) 291-5480.
Protect your home
Officers with the Huntsville Police
Department offer free home safety
inspections for residents
The City of Huntsville is currently taking part in a special Summer
Geocaching campaign through the I-45 Corridor Association this
summer, and citizens and visitors alike are encouraged to
participate.
According to Kimm Thomas, Director of Tourism and Cultural
Services, the campaign will run through Labor Day, September 1.
Geocaching is a worldwide game which employs Global Positioning
System (GPS) coordinates to hide unique items, and participants
can utilize their smart phones or any other GPS device to take
part.
“The I-45 Corridor Association has hidden 30 geocaches, or
treasures, along the I-45 Corridor, hidden by the six participating
cities - Fairfield, Buffalo, Jewett, Madisonville, Huntsville and
Conroe,” Thomas said. “Visitors and residents alike can download
the Geocaching Passport, which contains all of the coordinates
and instructions, on the Conroe Convention and Visitors Bureau
website, www.playinconroe.com, or by reaching out to any
individual member city of the association.”
Once the passport is in hand, the geocacher will pinpoint the
coordinates and explore the area until the cache is found.
Each geocache has a log sheet to sign in if desired, as well as
a code word to record in the passport.
“Geocachers can receive a special souvenir at each
participating office once the passport has been completed,”
Thomas said. “They’ll also have the chance to enter in a final
drawing for a chance to win a prize valued up to $1,000, which
includes gifts from all eleven I-45 Corridor Association member
cities.”
To enter, participants must find at least one geocache from
each of the six participating cities and record the
corresponding code word in their passport. The passport must
then be submitted by Labor Day along with contact information
to one of the participating cities. The winner will be notified by
September 15.
For more information, contact the Statue Visitor Center at
(936) 291-9726.
Six cities of geocaching opportunities!
I-45 Corridor Association organizes special summer activity for residents, visitors
Big Tree Registry
The City of Huntsville Natural Preservation Ad Hoc Committee is now
accepting nominations for the 25th Anniversary edition of the
“Big Tree Registry,” a collection of examples of the many tree species
present in Walker County.
Nomination forms along with additional information about
the Big Tree Program are available on the City’s Web
site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, on the Natural Preservation Ad Hoc
Committee page. To navigate to the page, scroll over “City
Government,” click “Boards and Commissions” and select the
committee’s page.
Natural Preservation Ad Hoc Committee Chair Dan Jones said
nominations by individuals, community organizations and businesses
for large examples of any of the 93 known tree species within the
county will be accepted through the end of 2014.
An electronic copy of the 1998 edition is also available on the City’s
Web site. As well, a hard copy is available for viewing at City Hall,
located at 1212 Avenue M.
The 2014 Big Tree Registry is jointly sponsored by the Walker County
Historical Commission, the City of Huntsville, the Texas Forest
Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and Walker
For more information, contact Jordan Herrin at (936) 295-5688.
Professional background:
Prior to accepting a position with the City of Huntsville, Diers served as the Senior Human
Resources Manager for the Lone Star College System, the Director of Human Resources
at the Salina Area Technical College in Salina, Kansas, and as a Human Resources
Manager and Human Resources Recruiter/Specialist for Sunflower Bank in Hays,
Kansas.
Education:
Diers is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution from Southern
Methodist University. She earned her Bachelor of Organizational Leadership from Fort
Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.
Career certifications:
Diers holds the Professional of Human Resources (PHR) certification and the Employer
Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR) Ombudsman Certification through the Human
Resources Certification Institute.
Professional memberships/affiliations:
Member of National Society for Human Resources Management, a member of
Montgomery County Human Resources Professional Group, a member of Texas Municipal
Human Resources and a member of the Heartland Mediators Association.
Official job description:
Assists in providing Human Resources leadership to the City. Involved in the development
and implementation of Human Resources policies, programs and services, including
recruitment, selection, retention, legal compliance, employee benefits, employee
relations, employment practices and procedures, employee communications,
compensation, training and development and employee events. Serves as an internal
consultant to managers and employees in the area of employment law issues, policies,
procedures and regulations.
Goals in the City of Huntsville:
“I hope to use my years of experience in hiring, recruiting, payroll, employee relations,
training and development, finding efficiencies for improving processes and procedures
and the many other facets of Human Resources to assist the City of Huntsville,” she said.
“I love being able to help people learn and understand employment law.”
The City welcomes
Marla Diers
Human Resources Manager
(936) 291-5412
The Huntsville Police Officers Association is preparing for its
annual Team Roping Fundraiser, and attendees and
potential participants are encouraged to mark their
calendars! According to Huntsville Police Department
Sergeant Eric Scott, the event will be held on October 19 at
the Walker County Fairgrounds, and the money raised will go
directly back into the local community to support children’s
activities and organizations.
“We are very excited to host our fourth annual Team Roping
Fundraiser,” Scott said. “HPOA, which includes both civilian
and uniformed employees of the Huntsville Police
Department, works with community sponsors to coordinate
prizes for the event, as well as food and beverages for the
concession stand. Then, we open the event up to individuals
who wish to register to compete for a $25 entry fee. We take
30 percent of those fees for the fundraiser, and the
remaining 70 percent goes into a pot for the winners.”
Scott said HPOA was able to donate thousands of dollars to
community organizations following the 2013 event.
For more information, contact Scott at (936) 291-5497.
HPOA preparing for
annual fundraiser