Recap of City Issues - October 16, 2009

On Friday the Highland Village Business Association hosted a meeting with our local businesses to discuss this year's Holiday Marketing Program. The Program is simple, shoppers show the postcard or newspaper to participating stores and receive "a special gift" with their purchase. The City will send postcards to all Highland Village residents and 10,000 households to the west marketing the Holiday Gift Pass Program in Highland Village, where We Have it All! The Mayor will call our residents using the Connect CTY system in November and December telling residents of the importance of shopping locally. Those in attendance offered good suggestions, such as targeting the schools with the message to Shop Highland Village and agreed all businesses need to spread the word to their neighboring businesses to generate more involvement. We heard positive comments and several "thank you's" for the City's continuation of this program. At the beginning of the meeting, a representative with the US Census Bureau gave a 5 minute presentation on the 2010 Census and encouraged participation in the awareness campaign.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Sue Thompson reports that she attended the monthly Lewisville Chamber Governmental Affairs Committee meeting this week.  The speaker was the Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Center for Denton County, who provided the group with information and statistics about those who benefit from the services provided by the CAC broken down by City and County. Sue provided updates from Highland Village, such as the upcoming HVBA "Salute Our Veteran's" luncheon on November 10th, and development updates as well. 

Laurie Mullens and Sue Thompson attended the monthly merchants meeting at the Shops at Highland Village.  Sue and Laurie were on the agenda to explain and to kick off the City's Holiday Marketing plan for this year.  Much like last year the City plan to initiate the Holiday Pass Program to help market and provide support for all Highland Village businesses to let holiday shoppers know that Highland Village does "Have it All".  In other Shops news, congratulations goes to the Nestle Toll House Cafe' for being voted as having "The Best Dessert Menu in Denton County for 2009" by the readers of The News Connection.

PUBLIC SAFETY (POLICE AND FIRE)

Police:

This week, the police department responded to 128 calls for service, made 66 traffic contacts, made 1 arrests, responded to 66 traffic accidents and performed 471 community policing activities.

Officer Peterson went to Primrose this week and spoke to the preschool children telling them what police officers do in Highland Village.

Recently the HVPD Bike Team competed in a bike race in Keller (on their inland trail system).    The race benefited Tarrant County's equivalent of the Advocacy Center, The Alliance for Children.  The HVPD team came in second place.

Corporal April Roppolo conducted a special class for twelve Girl Scouts ages 13 to 15.  Nine adults also accompanied the Girl Scouts.  Topics discussed were juvenile laws, minor in consumption, minor in possession, vehicle safety tips and the girls even were shown how to change a tire.  Corporal Roppolo also created a mock accident scene out in the parking lot at the request of a parent.

Sergeant Sheri Morrison and Corporal Doug Bell attended the annual Texas Association of Property and Evidence Inventory Technicians conference in Austin.  This conference also presents training and certification for property and evidence room technicians.  While attending the conference, the Police Department was awarded a grant for $2000 towards the purchase of an evidence drying system.

STREET / UTILITY DIVISIONS PROJECTS

Streets:

• The Street Division has started making concrete street repairs at Lakeside Drive on the east bound side of Highland Shore Boulevard and will continue to make repairs at that location through next week. Staff will be moving onto the next lane and making concrete street repairs.
• The Street Division trimmed trees on Highland Village Road, Lower Sellmeyer Lane and various other locations.

Utility Crews:

• Responded to two after hour call outs and two resident concerns.
• Excavated and repaired a water main break on Highland Village Road just north of the RR tracks.
• Located three areas of utility infrastructure for proposed franchise utility work and made one emergency locate for a gas company.
• Flushed 18,285 feet of sewer lines as part of the sewer line maintenance program.
• Assisted the Drainage Department with installing an air compressor in their service truck.
• Assisted Diversified Power with quarterly generator maintenance at lift station 7.
• Performed meter rereads, water turn on/turn offs, and leak checks.
• Performed maintenance on well lots, lift stations, fire hydrants and the water distribution and wastewater collection system.

Drainage Crews:

• Repaired a pipe junction in a curb inlet box in the 200 block of Brazos to prevent further erosion.
• Repaired broken pieces on a curb inlet box in the 900 block of Hillside Ct.
• Installed 20 ‘ of 12" hdpe drainage pipe to replace a broken pipe on Oak Forest.
• Cleaned 300 ft of concrete flume behind the houses in the 100 block of Devron to reestablish proper water flow.
• Flushed driveway culverts in the Highland Lake subdivision to establish proper flow.
• Cleaned various creek crossings after recent rain events.

HUMAN RESOURCES / STAFF TRAINING

Human Resources:

• This week Human Resources held Preventing Sexual Harassment refresher training for employees. The supervisor's training session included Dick Grote from Grote Consulting Corporation who provided insight on managing people and job performance.
• Jana Onstead attended the annual HR Southwest Conference in Fort Worth this week. The annual conference is the largest regional human resources conference in the United States and includes educational sessions, the newest HR products and world-renowned keynote speakers.
• The City also provided seasonal flu vaccinations for employees this year. Fifty-nine employees were vaccinated during the two day event.

CITY MANAGER / CITY COUNCIL

Councilmember Wilcox attended Leadership Flower Mound, The History of Flower Mound, on Tuesday.

Mayor Costa and City Manager Leavitt met with representatives from Oncor on Tuesday afternoon.

Thursday evening the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was held at Lantana Golf Club.  Mayor Costa, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem McDearmont and Councilmembers Meek and Wilcox welcomed members of the City's various Boards, Commissions and Committees and their guests.  This event is held each year to thank them for their service to the community. 

Friday evening Mayor Costa attended the Dallas Regional Chamber "Texas - Oklahoma Legislators Reception" before the annual RED RIVER RIVALRY FOOTBALL GAME held on Saturday.

Also on Friday evening, Councilmember Meek attended The Mayor's Ball, Celebrating The Colony Chamber's 30th Anniversary.  This event was the kick-off to the Hobie Cat Mayor's Cup Race at Pirate Days of The Colony Festival on Saturday.  Councilmember Meek represented the City of Highland Village at the race also.