Compass Rose - December 2015

NASSAU BAY 101Last month, we asked you to submit suggestions for a new name for this newsletter. It was called "City News" and with this new design it seemed like the right time to consider a name that better represents our unique community.

We received so many great suggestions and want to thank everyone that submitted their ideas. The winning submission is "Compass Rose" submitted by longtime Nassau Bay resident since 1969, Ms. Irene Tomkins.

The Compass Rose is a symbol that has great meaning for Nassau Bay as the current City seal. When Nassau Bay was incorporated in 1970 it was the city's logo. It is also said that the founders selected the Compass Rose as being symbolic of two things: 1) Its significance to the navigator as an instrument for determining and planning a course to be followed by action, such as the carefully charted and planned development of Nassau Bay; and 2) Its symbolic relation to the vast trackless seas, from which the Bahama Islands draw much of their atmosphere of adventure, romance, and grace. It was from Nassau in the Bahamas that inspiration was taken for the initial vision of Nassau Bay.

Congrats & Thank You Ms. Irene Tomkins!

Want to know more about the ins and outs of city government? Nassau Bay 101 will give residents an up-close and in-depth look at the inner workings of their municipal government. It's designed to equip and encourage citizens to become more engaged and assume a leadership role within the community.

Participants will meet City Staff and Elected Officials and learn all about each department of our City through facility tours and interactive sessions and demonstrations.

Classes will begin late January 2016 on Thursday evenings from 6-8pm for 10 weeks.

This program is open to Nassau Bay residents and business owners. Participants must be registered voters and at least 21 years-old. The class is limited to a maximum of 20 participants that will be selected based on their submitted applications.

To be considered for the first Nassau Bay 101 class, you must submit an application by January 6, 2016. The application is available at City Hall or online at www.nassaubay.com/101.

DECEMBER 2015C mpass Rose

Nassau Bay City Hall | 1800 Space Park Drive, Suite 200 | Nassau Bay, TX 77058 | 281-333-4211 DEC 15 • 1

NEWSLETTER CONTEST

December 2015Planning Commission Mtg (if needed) .. Dec 1, 6pmCoffee with City Manager .............. Dec 4, 9amIt's a Wonderful Life - CCCT ........Dec 4-Dec 20The Nutcracker - BAHBT .............Dec 4-Dec 13Farmer's Market (every Saturday) .......... Dec 5, 10am25th Annual Reindeer Run .............. Dec 5, 8amSt. Thomas 50th Anniversary .... Dec. 6, 4:30pmBoard of Adjustment Mtg (if needed) .. Dec 10, 6pmCoffee with City Manager ............ Dec 11, 9amHoliday in the Park ...................... Dec 12, 2pmChristmas Boat Lane Parade ......... Dec 12, 6pmCity Council Meeting ................... Dec 14, 7pmCoffee with City Manager ............ Dec 18, 9amSpace Center Day Camps ................Dec 21-30Cycling with Warriors ............................Dec 22 Christmas Eve (City Office Closed) .................Dec 24Christmas Day (City Office Closed) .................Dec 25

Parks & Recreation Committee ...... Dec 28, 7pm

January 2016New Year's Day (City Office Closed)...................Jan 1Chris Reed's Retirement Party ........... Jan 4, 4pmPlanning Commission Mtg(if needed) .... Jan 5, 6pmCoffee with City Manager ............... Jan 8, 9amGarden Club Meeting ..............Jan 12, 9:30amMartin Luther King Day ..........................Jan 18Coffee with City Manager ............. Jan 22, 9amCoffee with City Manager ............. Jan 29, 9am

For more information about these events and a complete list of community events, visit

www.nassaubay.com/events


COMMUNITYCALENDAR

Please join us to honor and thank Chris Reed for his years of service as Nassau Bay's City Manager. He has been a tremendous City Manager and has achieved many great things for the city and its residents. We are saddened to see him go, but we congratulate him on his retirement and wish him the best in his future ventures.

January 4, 20154:00 - 7:00pm

Hilton3000 NASA Road 1

Nassau Bay, TX 77058

HOLIDAY IN THE PARKSaturday, December 12, 2015

2:00 - 4:00pmHoward Ward Park

Please join us for the Annual Holiday in the Park event hosted by the Special Events Committee and the City of Nassau Bay. Meet Santa, play in the snow, slide down the snow slide, sing carols, and enjoy hot chocolate.

For more information, visit www.nassaubay.com/specialevents.

CLEAR LAKE BOAT PARADESaturday, December 12, 2015

6:00pm

After Holiday in the Park, you can watch or participate in the 54th Annual Clear Lake Christmas Boat Lane Parade. Fireworks will be launched from Nassau Bay Peninsula at 6:00pm to signal the start of the parade.

You can enjoy this event from land or by boat. More than 100 brightly decorated power and sailboats will traverse the Clear Lake channel from South Shore Harbour Marina and the Nassau Bay Lagoon to Galveston Bay.

THANK YOU, CHRIS REED

BEAUTIFICATION DAYThank you to all of the volunteers who came out for Beautification Day. This year's event was a big success! Everyone had fun working hard while enjoying the wonderful weather. We were able to accomplish a lot in a short time to keep the city looking great. A special thanks to Paul Lopez and his Public Works staff and Nancee Lynn and all of the NBGC members for their time and collaborative planning efforts. We would also like to thank Mornings Kolaches and Bon Appetit Cafe of Nassau Bay as well as Chick-Fil-A of Clear Lake Shores who kindly donated delicious breakfast treats. Thanks again and we hope to see everyone out next year!


Nassau Bay Garden Club would like to thank all its members and volunteers for coming out and making the City's Beautification Day so successful. The citizens commitment to our city is truly part of what makes Nassau Bay so very special!

There is no monthly meeting in December. All are invited to join the January 12th meeting at 9:30am for a program on Planting for Droughts.

The Nassau Bay Garden Club is pleased to be able to present a scholarship (the Ann Gay Scholarship Fund) to a worthy recipient within Nassau Bay. Requirements:

•Texas Resident & College-Level Junior or Above•GPA of at Least 3.25 •Majoring in a Field of Horticulture (floriculture,

landscape design, horticulture, botany, biology, forestry, agronomy, environmental concerns, land management, etc.)•Submit Application by Dec. 31, 2015

For more information, contact Nancy Guthrie at [email protected].

November Gardening Tips:This is a beautiful time of the year because the temperature is great and we can get out into our yards and work. There are a few things that we should attend to this month.•Hibiscus: This is blooming time so only prune

dead or decayed branches. Pruning tells a plant to grow more branches so wait for spring to do more pruning.

•Roses: Prune dead branches, mulch, don't feed.•Weeds: Weeds are the bane of our existence!

White vinegar can help to take care of weeds that are in the sun. For weeds in the shade, you can try newspaper mulch. First, lay newspaper over the weeds being sure to apply thickly. It doesn't matter whether the print is black and white, colored or glossy because newspaper uses non-toxic pigments. Dampen the paper with water and cover with at least 2-3 inches of mulch. The paper will block out the light the plants need for photosynthesis. Water can penetrate the paper, which means worms and other soil organisms will not be compromised. You can plant right away in a bed that has been newspaper-mulched. Simply launch a trowel through the paper to make a hole.

•Trees: Generally wait until all leaves are gone from the tree to do any major pruning. Also, remember to keep mulch away from tree trunks so insects don't invade the trunk over the moist wet months to come.

Happy gardening!

GARDEN CLUB NEWSFire Marshal Tommy Cones is retiring. Tommy has served the City of Nassau Bay and its residents for 19 years as a loyal and dedicated employee in the capacity of Fire Marshal, Assistant to the City Manager and Code Enforcement Officer.

We recognize Tommy for his unconditional dedication, grace, and congeniality. He will be deeply missed, but we are happy for him and his next venture. Please join us in congratulating Tommy and thanking him for his years of service.

CONGRATULATIONS

SOLAR STREET LIGHT INFORMATION

Solar Street Light Project is underway. Many lights have been installed and we are in the process of allowing lights to charge and to test lighting levels, light direction, and using the remote location monitoring system. It will normally take about 2-3 weeks after each light is operational to be functioning properly this should speed up as we add more lights.

•When the lights are first activated the battery takes roughly a week to fully charge. During this time, the lights are set to a lower light output.

• The lights are LED which although brighter than our previous lights they may appear dimmer when looking directly at the source.

• LED street lights are directional so they reduce light pollution by directing the light downwards where it is spread throughout the entire area it covers. Traditional lights are omnidirectional so much of the light is unused which pollutes the sky with unnessecary light.

• In addition to being directional, each LED light can be dimmed, brightened, and focused from a remote monitoring system.

• The LEDs also cast a white light which makes it easier to see and creates less shadows than traditional yellow hued lights.

• The lights also communicate wirelessly with each other and notify us when there is an outage.

Once the lights are fully operational, they will provide more uniform light distribution on the road surface, fewer shadows, and improved visibility.

The image below is an example showing the difference in LED lighting vs traditional lighting.

NEW FIRE TRUCKNassau Bay Fire Chief Tom George, Assistant Chief Robert Hebert, and Truck Captain Marshall Boyd traveled to Wisconsin to inspect the brand new fire engine. This truck will be delivered and put into service in December.

POLICETotal Service Calls ...................304Total Reports Taken ....................24Total Patrol Miles ..................6,884Crimes Against Persons ................5Property Crimes .........................11Arrests ......................................11Avg Response Times (in minutes) ...2.34

FIRE DEPARTMENTTotal Calls ................................30Fires*..........................................2Cooking Fire ...............................1Rescue ........................................2HAZMAT .....................................0Motor Vehicle Accident ................2Hazardous Conditions .................4Fire Alarm ...................................4EMS Assist ..................................5Canceled in Route/Other ...........10*Fire Information:1. Assist Seabrook FD with Structrure Fire2. Assist Webster FD with Structure Fire

EMSTotal Calls ................................57Total Patients in Nassau Bay .......46

BY THE NUMBERSStatistics for October 2015


LED Lights Traditional Lights

Is your pet registered with the City?

City Ordinance requires that all pets over four months old must be registered with the City. In addition, if your pet ever gets out of your house or runs off and is picked up by animal control, our city staff will be able to easily identify you pet to get them back home to you. Once registered, your pet's city tag is valid til their rabies certificate expires. So when your pet is due for a rabies vaccine, they are also due for a renewed city tag.

Bring current proof of rabies vaccination to Public Works Building at 18295 Upper Bay Road.Neutered/Spayed: $5Not Neutered/Spayed: $10

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATESSwan Lagoon Basketball Court has been resurfaced.

Public Works recieved a new vehicle that will replace an older truck that needed to be taken out of service. This new truck is much more fuel efficient and is still able to carry and haul heavy supplies and equipment.


ANIMAL SHELTER NEWS

BRADY

MEET OUR ADOPTABLEPETS OF THE MONTH

GINGERNassau Bay Animal Shelter

18900 Upper Bay Rd. Nassau Bay, TX Phone: 281-333-2944

Hours: Mon-Thurs 7:30am-5:30pm, Fri 7:30am-11:30amwww.nassaubay.com/animalshelter

The first Nassau Bay Street Eatz Party held on Saturday, November 14th was a great success! The variety of food trucks, great Country music artists, and family-friendly entertainment made for a fun evening for all ages.

Thanks for joining us and please help us thank our sponsors for making this event possible.

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor: Texas Citizens BankBronze Sponsor: Norman Frede Chevrolet

View more photos from this event on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/nassaubay.

STREET EATZ RECAP

CYCLING WITH WARRIORSTuesday, December 22, 2015

1:00-3:00pmWoundedWarriorProjectOffice

(2200 Space Park Drive in Nassau Bay)

Bring your bicycle and join this short ride through Nassau Bay with local wounded warriors, then

enjoy fun games, learn about bike maintenance and safety, and learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project's Programs. Open to all residents, families,

and friends. Helmets required for all cyclists.

Learn more and sign up for this free event at www.nassaubay.com/events.

CONTACT US COUNCIL MEETING RECAPNovember 9, 2015 - Regular Council Meeting

Check presentation for Houston Symphony League Bay Area.

Check presentation for Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre.

Check presentation for Keels & Wheels.

Approved a resolution amending the inter-local agreement between the City of Nassau Bay and the Harris County Fire Marshal for the sale of a pumper fire apparatus correcting an error in the recording of the VIN number of the pumper truck sold in March 2015. Approved a resolution casting its ballot for the election of the Board of Directors of the Harris County Appraisal District. Approved the TIRZ Annual Report. Approved the selection of Natex as the architectural firm for the design of the Fire/EMS Facility. Approved writing off uncollectible accounts receivable aged 360 days or older as identified in the June 30, 2015 write-off report.

NASSAU BAY CITY HALL • 281.333.4211 After-Hours Emergency 281.333.4200E-mail: [email protected]

VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT • 911 or 281.333.4200During Business Hours 281.333.2677E-mail: [email protected]

POLICE DEPARTMENT • 911 or 281.333.4200During Business Hours 281.333.2212Vacation Check Requests 281.333.2212

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT • 281.333.2944

ANIMAL CONTROL • 281.333.2944

WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENTDuring Business Hours 281.333.2944Weekends/After-Hours (Emergencies) 281.333.4200

MUNICIPAL COURT • 281.336.6297

ALL OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS • 281.333.4200

ELECTED OFFICIALS • 281.333.4211 Fax 281.333.2301

• Mayor Mark Denman [Home 281.333.9633] E-mail: [email protected]

• Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Mossman [Home 281.333.2194] E-mail: [email protected]

• Councilmember Harry Dollar [Home 281.333.0259] E-mail: [email protected]

• Councilmember John Mahon [Home 713.702.1185] E-mail: [email protected]

• Councilmember Bryce Klug [Home 832.474.5461] E-mail: [email protected]

• Councilmember Jonathan Amdur [Home 281.333.3424] E-mail: [email protected]

• Councilmember Bob Warters [Home 281.333.4750] E-mail: [email protected]

Nassau Bay Veterans in attendance at the Council Meeting were recognized and asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.


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Compass Rose - December 2015