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2014/11/14 In this is s u e . . . City news, features and updates November 14, 2014 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e Development Code public meeting - 11/19 - page 2 Third Greener Huntsville meeting and other initiatives - page 4 Meet the new Assistant City Librarian - page 3 The City of Huntsville 2014-15 calendars are in, and residents won’t want to miss their chance to pick one up free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Calendars will be available at the November 18 City Council meeting and are also available in limited quantities at City Hall, the Service Center, the Huntsville Public Library, the Municipal Court, the Huntsville Police Department and the Sam Houston Statue Visitors Center. “We are so excited to share our new calendars with the citizens of Huntsville!” City Council member Lydia Montgomery said. “This free outreach method will put 14 months of valuable information in our residents’ hands, providing everything from Council meeting dates to solid waste/recycling schedules to contact information for all City departments. “Even more exciting, this beautiful publication includes photos provided by local artists and entities. We encourage everyone to pick up a calendar before they’re out of stock!” For more information, contact the City Secretary’s Office at (936) 291-5403 or (936) 291-5413. For address and contact information for the City facilities named above, visit the City’s Web site at www.huntsvilletx.gov. City releases 2014-15 calendar publication Pick yours up free of charge at the November 18 City Council meeting! Calendars are also available in limited quantities at various City facilities. Check out this shot for the month of November 2014, generously provided by Brian Blalock of Sam Houston State University. Want to see more of Brian’s photos? Visit his photo Web site: http://www.shsu.edu/ ~pin_bbb/Site/Welcome.html Publication preview: Art for November 2014 Final Development Code informational meeting - 11/19 The City of Huntsville Community and Economic Development Department has held two informational meetings regarding updates to the Development Code this month, with a third and final live meeting scheduled for November 19. According to Aron Kulhavy, all residents who have not attended one of the previous meetings are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting and provide their insight on specific points. The meeting will be held in the Huntsville Public Library Community Room on Wednesday, November 19 at 6 p.m. “Thus far, we have had members of the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as members of the public take part in the Development Code update process,” Kulhavy said. “However, for our last public meeting, we would really like to see a high level of citizen involvement in our live survey, which addresses issues ranging from commercial signage to neighborhood regulation and zoning. “You don’t need to be an expert on the Development Code to take part in this process – these meetings are about ascertaining the preferences of the citizens of Huntsville as we move forward with developing our city.” For citizens who are interested in reviewing the Development Code prior to attending the meeting, a copy of the document may be viewed from the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov. “From our home page, scroll over Departments, then Development Services, and click on Planning, and the draft Development Code will be available for review,” Kulhavy said. “A link is also available on the front page of the site in the News and Notices section.” Online survey In addition to the live meeting on November 19, an online survey addressing the same items has been made available on the City’s Web site and can be accessed at www.huntsvilletx.gov/ survey. “The online survey, which will be around 25 questions in length, will allow those interested in the Development Code revisions who cannot attend any of the meetings to submit their comments and input,” Kulhavy said. “Our plan is to have the online survey available throughout the month of November, and to reconcile both the live data and the online data we receive once the survey closes on November 30.” Kulhavy said the information gathered in the three informational meetings and the online survey will be compiled and presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and eventually to the City Council to help them in their decision-making process before approving the final draft. “If any citizen has questions about the live meetings, the online survey or the Development Code revision process, please contact either myself or City Planner Janet Ridley,” Kulhavy said. “We’re here to discuss any aspect of the code and hopefully facilitate further public involvement.” Kulhavy may be reached at (936) 294-5793 or by email at akulhavy@huntsvilletx.gov. Ridley may be reached at (936) 294- 5782 or by email at jridley@huntsvilletx.gov. Citizen input encouraged on critical document elements - Online survey available Thoughts from City Manager Matt Benoit The second annual State of the City address was a great success, providing us an opportunity to give the citizens of Huntsville a clear idea of where we are and where we are headed as a municipality. For those who did not have the opportunity to attend, I would first like to assure you that our message this year was just as positive as what we relayed in 2013. We addressed a little bit of everything, from our city’s flourishing economy to property tax rates to sales tax revenues. We provided insight on current capital improvement projects, big initiatives coming up in 2015 and the potential for some very large-scale efforts over the next 10 years that we could achieve without increasing taxes or utility rates. We didn’t just focus on finances, though. We also shed some light on our incredible employees and their performances in the last year, discussed the work the City Council has done to align budget planning with strategic goals, and even had the chance to address community partnerships we are working to enhance on a daily basis. I won’t try to cover all of the salient points here. Instead, I would encourage our residents to carve 30 minutes out of their schedules, find the link to the video recording of the address on our Web site, and observe the presentation for themselves. I will say one of our biggest messages was how much we’re going to need the input of our citizens, our business owners and our partnering entities as we move forward, and staying informed about what we’re working on will be a huge part of that goal. In conclusion, I want to thank the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring our event and Dr. Sherry McKibben, our Neighborhood Resources Director, for facilitating the presence of all of our major departments on the night of the address. Most of all, I want to thank the City Council for their hard work and devotion to the community. Without their efforts and providing direction to staff, we can't have State of the City Addresses and all of the positive things to talk about. If you missed the State of the City address, you can still see it on our Web site! The full presentation from City Manager Matt Benoit - with a duration of approximately 30 minutes - is available for viewing on the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov. To access the video, click on the “Live and Archived Meetings” tab on the left-hand side of the page, then click on the “Your City” tab. Professional background: Prior to accepting a position with the City of Huntsville, Sparks served as the Library Manager and Academic Affairs Assistant for ITT Technical Institute in Waco, Texas. She began her career at the Dallas Public Library as a children’s librarian and branch department manager. Education: Sparks earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Daniel Webster College in June 2014, her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Texas in 2001, and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southwest Texas state University in 1996. Professional memberships/affiliations: Sparks has been a member of the American Library Association and the Texas Library Association since 1997, and she has also served as a Troop Leader and Assistant Troop Leader with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas since 2008. Official job description: As the Assistant City Librarian, Sparks coordinates daily library operations and special events, and also supervises and trains library staff, Work Study personnel, volunteers and community service workers. The position is also responsible for developing juvenile and young adult collections, supporting library technology and developing and maintaining the library’s Web based tools. Goals in the City of Huntsville: “My goal is to support the City Librarian and the Director of Parks and Leisure Services in their continued efforts to provide exceptional customer service to the patrons, and future patrons, of the Huntsville Public Library,” Sparks said. “Over time, I hope to be able to apply the experience I gained in my previous professional positions to further enhance the programming and services offered in our library.” The City welcomes Anne Sparks Assistant City Librarian (936) 291-5481 asparks@huntsvilletx.gov The results of the November 4, 2014 regular election will be canvassed during the November 18 City Council meeting. All citizens are encouraged to either attend or watch the meeting on KSHU Channel 7. Miss a meeting during the last few months? Not a problem! The City archives City Council meetings for a full year. Just visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, and click on “Live and Archived Meetings” on the left-hand side of the page. Stay informed! It’s beginning to look a lot like… A Special Holiday Issue of This Week in Huntsville! Our readers will not want to miss the special holiday issue, scheduled for release during the week of Thanksgiving! Inside, you’ll find event information from the Wynne Home Arts Center, the Huntsville Public Library, the Main Street Program, Recreation Services and the Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center. Additionally, the issue is packed with safety tips for the holidays from the Huntsville Fire Department as well as the Huntsville Police Department. Addressing everything from cooking safety to tips for shopping online, this guide will protect your family and your finances! To access the issue, check your email or visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov. Also, feel free to forward the issue or the link to friends who may not have signed up yet! Happy Holidays from the City of Huntsville! All citizens are invited to attend a curbside recycling guidelines meeting on Thursday, November 20 at the Huntsville Public Library. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Library’s Community Room. During the meeting, City staff including Esther Herklotz, Solid Waste Superintendent, will provide information on how to participate in curbside recycling according to current policy, and updates will also be presented on the new “Greener Huntsville: Easy Recycling” campaign. “All eight areas of the City have been integrated into our curbside recycling program since January, and we want to continue to work with all residents to make sure its guidelines are well understood and easy to follow,” Herklotz said. “Simple practices, like rinsing out plastics and cans, flattening cardboard boxes and refraining from bagging recyclables ensure that the items our residents recycle can be processed in an expedient and cost-effective manner. “With the help of our residents, we can continue to offer a successful curbside recycling program, and we hope this and other community meetings will ensure that outcome.” In addition to recycling program information, Herklotz will offer insight and updates on the “Greener Huntsville: Easy Recycling” initiative, including the use of the City’s Twitter page to help residents stay on top of their garbage and recycling dates. “By providing how-to guides, tips and reminders about curbside recycling on our City’s existing Twitter page, our hope is to make recycling a quick and convenient part of our citizens’ daily lives,” she said. “We plan to use Twitter to remind people to put their blue or green carts at the street’s edge both at the right time and on the right day, and also to provide new and fun ways to take part in curbside recycling.” Recycling guidelines meeting: November 20 at 6 p.m. The Way I see It about state of the City and the sidebar with how to find it on the Web site Community Service ideas for the holiday season The Good Shepherd Mission 1005 Avenue F (MLK Blvd) - (936) 291-8156 Walkercountyonline.com/org/mission gsmission@suddenlink.net Several food items are needed in preparation for Thanksgiving including frozen turkeys, frozen hams, dry beans and rice, canned goods, and other holiday meal items Volunteers are also needed, especially in the food bank, to help sort donations and prepare meal bags for local families. The Good Shepherd Mission also works with Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church each year to collect toys for the Santa’s Helpers program, benefitting 350 local families with 485 - 515 children. Santa’s Helpers is held every year on the second Saturday in December - this year it will be held on December 13th. Coat and blanket drives will also be conducted throughout the holiday season. Boys & Girls Club of Walker County 119 FM 980 – (936) 291-6054 - info@bgcwc.org Businesses and individuals are encouraged to participate in the Boys & Girls Club’s annual “Operation Santa” program. Children involved in the club provide “Wish Lists” including clothing sizes and toys, and those who wish to “adopt” a child receive a list and purchase the items included. Lists are available through the club, and the gifts should be returned by November 21. As well, volunteers will be needed to help package, tag and sort the gifts between December 13 and the club’s Christmas party on December 18. For more information, to adopt a child or to volunteer, contact Diane Balderas, Director of Operations, at dbalderas@bgcwc.org or (936) 291- 6054. Huntsville Head Start will conduct its Adopt a Family for Thanksgiving program through November 20. Call 936-291-9190 for info. New recycling cart poster series to be unveiled at 11/20 meeting! In an effort to publicize recycling cart guidelines, Solid Waste Superintendent Esther Herklotz set up several real-life images of the carts being placed both correctly and incorrectly for pick-up. The series, which will be available for viewing for the first time at the November 20 Greener Huntsville meeting, will also be available through the Solid Waste/Recycling page on the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov.