Recap of City Issues - April 2, 2010

Scott Kriston reports that the TXDOT FM 2499 Section 4 project contractor is in the process of barricade adjustments & removal at the FM 2499 connection at FM 407.  TXDOT opened one north bound lane and both southbound lanes of FM 2499 from Highland Shores to FM 407 to local traffic.  They will finish demolishing & pouring the concrete, the coping walls, cut outs, sidewalks and driveway connections on the northbound outside lane.

PUBLIC SAFETY (POLICE AND FIRE)

Fire:

Assistant Chief Collier and Captain Corry Blount hosted the Lewisville Radio User Group meeting at Highland Village Fire Department.  The Lewisville Radio User Group members include Highland Village, Lewisville, Coppell and Flower Mound Fire Departments and meet regularly to discuss upcoming FCC requirements for the radio communication systems.

Fire Department personnel responded to 12 calls for service the week of March 26-30

• Medical Emergencies - 4
• Motor Vehicle Accidents - 1
• Public Assist - 1
• Mutual Aid Structure Fire - 1
• Public Service - 4
• Grass/Brush Fire - 1

City Manager Mike Leavitt and a group of soccer players from Panama toured the Fire Station on Wednesday.  The group are participating in the Dallas Cup Soccer Tournament. 

 On Thursday, McAuliffe students toured the fire station as well as City Hall and the Police Department

Police:

This week, the police department responded to 125 calls for service, made 154 traffic contacts, made 6 arrests, responded to 1 traffic accident and performed 351 community policing activities.

The Police Department conducted a two day In-Service training that all Field Operations personnel attended.

Sergeant Bobby Doyle conducted a tour for Daisy Troop 2182 that both troop and parents enjoyed a great deal!

Sergeant Doyle conducted another Police Department tour this week for 80 second graders from McAuliffe Elementary School.

Corporal Jered Cameron, Corporal April Roppolo, Auxiliary Jones and Auxiliary Myers worked the Easter Egg Hunt where approximately 1,000 people and kids were in attendance.

Officer Flores worked an Easter Hunt in Highland Shores at Pool #1 and passed out PD Goody Bags, Gun Locks, Police stickers, kid coupons, and enrolled several citizens in the E-Watch program. One child from Lewisville arrived at the event and was crying and very scared of the police. The Officers present worked with her for about twenty minutes -she was only five years old. Officer Flores and Corporal Roppolo helped her get over her fear of the police and her parents were very thankful. The mother works at Primrose and now wants to become an Auxiliary.

STREET / UTILITY DIVISIONS PROJECTS

Streets:

The Street Division made street asphalt repairs on Highland Village Road at the boat docks and at Highland Shores Community Center due to base failures.

The Street Division made concrete street repairs at 920 Lochmoor Lane due to base failures.

The Street crew crack sealed in the Montclair subdivision due to the age of the pavement and ground movement beneath the pavement.

Utilities:

Scott Kriston reports that the MSC project contractor is prepping the parking paving area located on the east side of the lot for concrete.  The motor pool & fuel pumps will be closed for approximately 4 weeks, weather permitting.   The dry wall & painting contractors continue to work inside the Parks & Rec building.  The framing contractor is installing the wood & steel framing for the Public Works building.  The electrical rough is being installed in the PWB.  The equipment building and the storage building steel is currently being installed as weather permits. 

Scott Kriston met with BW2 Engineering , Inc. & discussed the status of all open Public Works projects.

Scott Kriston met with a representative of the Layne Christensen Co. this week to discuss the City's ground water well rehabilitation project for this year and what it will take to get the Double Tree Ranch wells operational again.

Utility Crews:

• Responded to seven after hour call outs and three resident concerns.
• Excavated and repaired one water service line tap saddle on Doubletree.
• Located three areas of utility infrastructure.
• TV inspected one sewer line.
• Cleared one sewer main blockage.
• Raised one valve and one fire hydrant up to grade.
• Potholed the water lines at FM2499 and New Haven, searching for a valve that was covered by the TXDOT contractor.  Raised valve to grade and poured a concrete pad around it
• 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:

• Shot grade on the bar ditch in the 1200 block of Highland Village Rd, for future bar ditch work.
• Removed & replaced broken concrete paving around an existing storm manhole for repair in the 3000 block of Northwood.
• Regraded the bar ditch in the 600 Block of Shasta & laid sod.
• Regraded the creek channel, placed rip rap, & prepped for concrete inlay in the 600 block of Timber way.

PARKS DEPARTMENT

Park Staff started mowing cycles at all parks and municipal grounds in the City.

Renovation of the baseball fields at Unity Park has been completed in time for the spring season.

Staff will soon start preparing all park locations, medians and municipal grounds shrub beds so spring flowers can be added. 

Tony Palesano has been adjusting irrigation cycles in various shrub and flower beds in City Parks.

Wes Neinhuser is involved in aeration of all Parks and Municipal ground turf areas.

In preparation for the expected crowd this weekend, Parks and Recreation Department will staff Copperas Branch Park to further facilitate fee collection and parking arrangements.

The Highland Village Road Sidewalk project is fifty percent complete.  The sidewalk should be complete within two weeks, weather permitting.

The Lake Vista Trail Connection project is twenty percent complete. The storm sewer pipes have been extended and the headwall has been installed.  You should expect the contractor to begin work in that area within two weeks.

Seniors

The Highland Village Senior All Stars met on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for game day.

On Wednesday, fifteen Senior All Stars attended a trip to the Fort Worth Museum.

On Thursday, Meals on Wheels brought food to the Highland Shores Community Center.

The Parks and Recreation Department hosted the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Unity Park with the assistance of the Police and Fire Departments.  We estimate that there were eight hundred participants at the event.  The Parks Department gave away eleven thousand eggs and twenty eight prizes.  They also provided face painting and pictures with the Easter Bunny, Excite Gym and Cheer provided a bounce house, Freddy's Frozen Custard provided free custard samples and one thousand redeemable custard tokens and Games 2 U provided their mobile gaming van

HUMAN RESOURCES / STAFF TRAINING

Human Resources:

• Martha Butz and Jana Onstead met with representatives from United Healthcare and Higginbotham & Associates on Tuesday to receive the latest Health Risk Assessment comprehensive report.  The report results show areas of improvement needed with regards to employee health, and is a tool that is used to determine employee wellness initiatives and programming.
•  The 2010 Employee Health and Benefit Fair is scheduled for Thursday, May 20th from 11 to 1 in the Council Chambers.  Favorite activities including the Wii game system and chair massage will be available for employees to enjoy, and new activities will be featured as well, including a DermaScan machine that shows prior sun damage.  This year's theme is "Rockin Wellness", so don't be surprised if there is an Elvis sighting, and you may want to brush up on your hoola hooping skills!!
• Welcome to new Parks Director Linda Cornelius, who started on Monday.  Linda is the former Parks Director for the City of Boerne and brings to the City a strong background in municipal parks and recreation activities.

Police:

• Communications Officers Candice Stinnet and Jessie O'Brien both received their Intermediate Communications Officer certificate from TCLEOSE.
• Chief Ed O'Bara attended the Texas Police Chief's Conference that was held in Addison this week.
• Officer Jose Diaz received his Intermediate Peace Officer certificate from TCLEOSE.

CITY MANAGER / CITY COUNCIL

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem McDearmont and Council Member Wilcox attended the Parks Department Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 27th at Unity Park.

Council Member Davis and his wife attended the Texas Star Gala for Communities in Schools of North Texas on Saturday evening, March 27th. 

Mayor Costa led a team of Highland Village dancers who participated in the Dancing for C.A.U.S.E. fundraising event on Saturday evening, March 27th.  Although Highland Village did not receive sufficient votes to win the competition among the cities of Highland Village, Flower Mound and Lewisville, Mayor Costa receive the highest individual score from the team of judges.  The event raised several thousand dollars for C.A.U.S.E. an acronym that stands for Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment.  C.A.U.S.E. was founded in an effort to reach out to the screening industry to help define a thorough background check for service employees who enter people's homes.

Mayor Costa attended The Institute of Academic Studies Texas Platform Luncheon Series on Tuesday, March 30th.

Mayor Costa and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem McDearmont attended the Children's Advocacy Center 14th Annual Community Breakfast on Thursday, April 1st. 

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem McDearmont and City Manager Leavitt met with Sara Dodd, a representative from Oncor on Thursday, April 1st.

Mayor Costa met with 80 second grade students and their teachers from McAuliffe Elementary School on Thursday, April 1st.  The students then toured City Hall, the Police Department and the Fire Department.