The NEWS and NOTES Bulletin FROM: the City Administrator Chris Heard

The NEWS and NOTES Bulletin FROM: The City Administrator Chris Heard

Liberty Tax Service and the Dickinson Chamber would like to invite you to the Liberty Tax Service's Roadside party on Saturday, 02/09/2019 from 11AM - 2 PM at 3403 Gulf Fwy Dickinson, TX 77539. Next door to Cricket, close to Boot Barn. For more information please contact (832)769-3848 or go visit http://dickinsontxchamber.com/

Please join the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 6378 for Steak Night on Thursday, January 31, 5pm – 7pm. 5204 Highway 3 Dickinson, Texas. For more information please contact (281) 337-4952 or search @DickinsonVFW6378 on Facebook.

Please join The Dickinson Library as we tinker with some little bits and invent some fun technology. The Little Bits Makerspace program is for students ages 8-18. This event will be hosted on Saturday, January 26, 11am – 12pm. Dickinson Public Library -4411 Highway 3 Dickinson, TX 77539. For more information please go visit the Dickinson Library page http://dickinsonpubliclibrary.org/428/Library

Come out and join the Knights of Columbus - Father Roach Council #3217 for their Monthly Fish Fry! Adult meals are $9, children under 12 are only $5. The meal includes Baked or Fried Fish, Baked Potatoes or French Fries, Hushpuppies and Cole Slaw. The meal also includes Tea or Water and a free dessert. 4132 27th St Dickinson, Texas. For more information contact (832) 340-7274

Dickinson EMS is happy to announce that they have partnered with UTMB on the “Stop the Bleed Campaign”. This partnership has allowed us to train citizens for free on hemorrhage control and tourniquet application. For more information please send all inquiries to [email protected]

DEPARTMENT NEWS

COURT: We received notice from ACI Worldwide that due to a potential security risk with a third-party provider, it has decided to immediately turn off the courts IVR. The IVR system was set up to allow court defendants to make payment by phone 24 hours a day. Our Court personnel contacted ACI Worldwide to determine the timeline as to when the IVR would be operational again. The court was informed that due to the risk involved in this situation, that no date or timeline was available and that they were working diligently to resolve this issue. The court is currently creating a new IVR account with E-Money, our on-line payment provider. Court personnel will keep everyone informed on the progress being made and the timeline of when the system will be operational again.

Court Administrator Irma Rivera and Assistant Court Administrator Silvia Medina recently attended a Regional Clerks Seminar in Galveston, TX. The regional conference featured both general and breakout sessions addressing

1 a wide range of issues. The conferences provided a foundation for building clerks knowledge of municipal court practices by familiarizing them with topics including judicial ethics, statutes, legal processes, and legislative issues. These programs provide an opportunity to better understand changes in the justice system and the laws that municipal courts must uphold.

POLICE: Recently the Dickinson Blue Santa program aided 282 families, providing presents for 747 children who would not otherwise have had any gifts for Christmas. Kroger gift cards were also distributed to 50 of the neediest families to help with food during the holidays.

On December 26th, 2018, our 911 dispatchers were an essential part of getting officers on location to Paul Hopkins Park after receiving an open 911 call as an Aggravated Kidnapping of a juvenile was taking place. Our brave Officers responded quickly and arrested the offender.

The department is currently working out the logistical aspect of “The Guardian Program”. The Guardian Program will allow parents or guardians to register qualified participants with the Dickinson Police Department to quickly reunite victims with their families if separated and if necessary, issue regional or statewide alerts without delay.

LIBRARY: The Dickinson Library has recently upgraded three computers in the library. We have replaced two of the patron computers in addition to the reservation computer. In addition to the replacements, the operating systems has been upgraded to Windows 10 on the three new computers. These upgrades will provide patrons with faster and more efficient use of our computers.

EMS: Dickinson EMS is excited to have partnered with Dickinson ISD on the Stop the Bleed Campaign. We are happy to announce that we have partnered with UTMB to begin supplying hemorrhage control and tourniquet application training classes to all DISD staff. As staff at each of the campuses are trained, and as part of a grant received by the East Texas Gulf Coast Regional Trauma Advisory Council (RAC-R), Dickinson EMS will be placing bleeding control kits in every Dickinson ISD campus. These kits will be found with every AED at each campus through the district. Dickinson ISD Superintendent Voelkel has been a big advocate and supporter of this campaign, and we cannot thank her enough for allowing Dickinson EMS and UTMB to provide this training and resources to the district. Our final class is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29th, and upon the completion of this class, we will have provided DISD with 38 bleeding control kits and will have taught over 1,600 staff members tourniquet application/usage and hemorrhage control techniques. The Fire station repairs are complete, and the mold has been remediated. The EMS staff has started moving back into the facility.

ANIMAL SERVICE: The Bayou Animal Services was recently sponsored by several area rescues to help keep pets in homes and not at risk of being surrendered. This Community outreach program allows these animals to get the vet care that they desperately need, including being treated for flea prevention and heartworm prevention. These animals are also microchipped and registered with us, so that we can reunite owners with their pets if lost. This program also allows owners to remain in compliance with our city ordinance.

We have also been coordinating with our partners shelters across the nation to promote our short-term foster program. This program allows volunteers to house pets for short periods of time before they’re moved to a larger

2 facility that is more suitable to house them for longer periods of time. Our foster program helps eases the burden on our shelter employees and allows us to support our no kill status by freeing up resources.

We are striving grow our volunteer program. We want the shelter to be somewhere that our citizens can go to and have fun ,and really get involved. Our volunteer opportunities include dog walking, social yards, cat socialization, adoption events, and community outreach about BAS. Please visit our Facebook page @bayouanimalservice to stay up to date and check out how to get involved.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: The Community Development permit technicians have begun scanning documents related to the issuance of permits into Laserfiche at the time an application is submitted. This new procedure will help with better customer service, quicker responses time and easier to access the permits and related documents.

In addition to the scanning of documents, community development has started organizing the large plan sets and documents. This organization includes destroying duplicate copies, eliminating plans for structures that have already been demolished within the City, and beginning to store commercial building plans here at City Hall.

Ray Burgess, Chief Building Official hosted a class this month for several area plumbing inspectors, and other inspection officials, including three members of the Community Development Staff Jeff Pahlman, David Lopez, and Tammy Edmonds. This training offered by HCC in joint with the Houston Area Joint Plumbing Training Program, this program allows our staff to gain critical Continuing Education hours and gain added knowledge of laws and practices in the plumbing world.

Bayou Lakes Subdivision Section 3 of Bayou Lakes has approximately 20 lots left for homesites. Section 4 was approved by City Council earlier in January and the plat is awaiting all the required signatures for the Plat to be recorded. Upon recording of the Plat, Staff expects a pre-development meeting by the end of February to discuss the build-out of infrastructure to service the newly approved section. Section 4 of the subdivision will contain approximately 95 lots.

Bayou Maison Subdivision Section 1 of Bayou Maison Subdivision is currently underway with homes being built (approximately 30 homes either permitted or already under construction). Section 1 of the subdivision is approximately 54 lots. The developer has submitted the fill dirt plan for section 2 of the subdivision, which has been reviewed and approved by Huitt Zoliars on behalf of the City. Currently the developer is starting to clear the area for section 2 and should be brining in the dirt by mid-February.

Bayou Bend Estates Currently the storm sewer is being laid on the property for the development of the subdivision. Staff has been in contact with the developer and expects the completion of the storm sewer improvements to be completed by end of January. Upon completion of storm sewer, it is anticipated that the street construction should begin shortly thereafter. Staff is working with the developer to resubmit a Plat for the subdivision to cover some changes to the layout of the lots and easements.

3 PROJECT UPDATES

BAYOU ANIMAL SERVICES SHELTER: Horizon International Group has been contracted to construct a 9,000 square feet animal shelter. This project was approved as a three-phase construction project. The first phase included the installation of exterior windows and doors along with rough-in plumbing. The next phase is the build-out of the interior walls, doors, plumbing and mill work. The completions of this phase will allow for the commencement of operations. The final phase is finishing the parking lots, outside fencing and landscaping. The total of all three phases totaled $1,537,505.82.

The contractor has mobilized and started earthwork and preforming task related to building the pad and working toward erecting the building. The phase one of this project should be wrapped up the first quarter of 2019, with the hope we move directly into phase two being completed during the second quarter of 2019 making the building operational July of 2019.

DESILTING OF DITCHES AND CULVERTS: J Simmons Group was Awarded a bid to desilt approximately 12,000 cubic yards along with 10,000 square yards of clearing and grubbing of ditches with overgrowth. A notice to proceed was issued on January 8th, 2019. The Contractor began work on January 14, 2019.

The contractor started work on Lovers Lane and will be working from the West to the East. Next up will be the Hansen, Evergreen, Rau area. The other targeted areas for the work will be south of 517 and west of Hwy 3, and the area east of 1266 west of California, north of FM 517. This activity will be on going during the first quarter of 2019.

WATER BASED DEBRIS REMOVAL ALONG DICKINSON BAYOU The city entered into an agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarding a $1,793,342.25 contract. The project goal is to remove and dispose of accumulated sediment and debris in the affected areas. The limits of the project are Cemetery Road to the Railroad Bridge downstream of Hwy 3. The State of Texas is aiding with the 10 percent match to the award.

Crowder Gulf was awarded the contract to perform the grant related services. They started on the west end of the project limits and have supplied daily totals of their work performed. As of Friday, January 18th, 2019, the 4th day of operations, our contractor has removed 411 cubic yards with 11 loads. The average cubic yards per load is 37, with a daily average cubic yards removed of 103. The project will be ongoing during the first quarter of 2019 based on available funds

STREETS In the months after Harvey, 50 street segments were identified and were subsequently inspected for damage related to the disaster. The damage assessment and potential improvement and mitigation of these street have been on-going. The segment represents about 13 miles of road with a total potential cost for the improvements exceeding 20 million in investment.

The city staff and engineers have provided scope and associated cost for consideration under the Public Assistance program. The program managers have requested additional information relating to maintenance records and proof of direct damage to determine eligibility. We are working to provide requested data and create a plan to address the 50 street segments in a timely manner based on fund availability.