OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AUGUST 21 VOLUME CVIII NUMBER 8 TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION OCTOBER 6-8, 2021 HOUSTON, TEXAS TEXAS TOWN & CITY • 1 AUGUST 2021 Always Working for You What do you get when your health plan provider is mission-driven and public-focused? In the good times you’re rewarded, and in the bad times we’re here for ya.” -Lew White, Mayor of Lockhart and Board Member of TML Health Our Coverage Offers You Our Mission Offers You • One of Texas’ largest, most discounted Robust Renewal Credits networks of doctors and dentists with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas that keep rates low • EyeMed for Vision Benefits Extensive Wellness Programs • MDLIVE for Telemedicine Options that keep you feeling great • Airrosti for Fixing Soft Tissue Pain • Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Annual $150 Incentive Program for Mental Health Assistance Checks just to stay healthy TML Health Benefits Pool is a non-profit trust organization created by political subdivisions to provide group benefits services to participating political subdivisions and is not an insurance company. This contains proprietary and confidential information of TML Health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. CONTENTS H FEATURES Official Publication of the Texas Municipal League. 18 30 Preliminary Agenda for the 109th TML San Angelo Embraces the Designation - This publication assumes no responsibility Annual Conference and Exhibition Visual Arts Capital of Texas for statements made by contributors in signed articles. It is not operated for 20 32 pecuniary gain. Preliminary Affiliate Programs for the 109th Celebrating Texas Communities: 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition Governor’s Community Achievement Award Editor Christina Corrigan Creative Manager Jennifer Stamps Winners 24 Designer Will Bowling Victoria Plants Seeds of Civic Pride 38 Advertising Sales Gray Bulman City Festivals Are Back! Printing Publication Printers Corp. 27 Mesquite Launches Clean City Initiative with Texas Town & City (ISSN 1084-5356) is Education, Enforcement, and Engagement published monthly except October for $30 per year ($3.00 per single copy) by the Texas Municipal League, 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin, Texas 78754-5101. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas and additional mailing offices. CONTENTS H IN EACH ISSUE POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Town & City, 5 10 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin, Message from the President Small Cities’ Corner Texas 78754-5101. 6 12 Section 305.027, Government Code, requires TML News Legal Q&A legislative advertising to disclose certain information. 7 41 Risk Pool News Career Builder A person who knowingly enters into a contract or other agreement to print, publish, 8 43 or broadcast legislative advertising that Health Pool News Instagram Highlights does not contain the required information commits a Class A misdemeanor offense. 9 Texas Town & City contains material which City Lights is legislative advertising as defined by law in the state of Texas. Mr. Bennett Sandlin has entered into an agreement with Publication Printers Corp. ABOUT THE COVER for the printing of Texas Town & City magazine. Mr. Sandlin represents the The Texas Municipal League member cities of the Texas Municipal and City of Houston are excited League. to welcome you to the 109th TML Annual Conference and Exhibition on October 6-8, 2021. TEXAS TOWN & CITY • 3 AUGUST 2021 ABOUT H TML BOARD OF DIRECTORS H TML The Texas Municipal League exists solely TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS to provide services to Texas cities. Since its formation in 1913, the League’s mission PRESIDENT AFFILIATE DIRECTORS Amanda Campos, City Secretary, Martha Castex-Tatum, Burleson has remained the same: to serve the needs Lee Battle, Director of Community Vice Mayor Pro Tem, Houston Enhancement, Allen Texas Municipal Clerks and advocate the interests of its members. American Planning Association Association, Inc. Membership in the League is voluntary PRESIDENT-ELECT Texas Chapter Lisa Norris, Human Resources/ DAVID RUTLEDGE, and is open to any city in Texas. From the Civil Service Director, Grand Prairie CMO, Mayor, Bridge City Marissa Ximenez, Councilmember, original 14 members, TML’s membership has Texas Municipal Human Resources Floresville grown to more than 1,150 cities. Over 16,000 Association IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Association of Hispanic Municipal Officials mayors, councilmembers, city managers, Holly Gray-Moore, Mayor Pro Tem, Maria Redburn, Library Director, Bedford city attorneys, and department heads are Roanoke Texas Municipal Library Directors Selso A. Mata, Director of Building Association member officials of the League by virtue of Inspections, Plano PAST PRESIDENTS Building Officials Association of Texas their cities’participation. Michael Thane, Director of Utilities, Mary M. Dennis, CMO, Mayor, Live Oak Round Rock Clifford Blackwell, CGFO, Assistant Leonard Reed, CMO, Mayor, Willis Texas Municipal Utilities Association The League provides a variety of services City Manager, Bedford Henry Wilson, Mayor, Hurst Government Finance Officers to its member cities. One of the principal Brian Frieda, City Manager, Ballinger Dock Jackson, CMO, Councilmember, Association of Texas purposes of the League is to advocate Texas Police Chiefs Association Bastrop municipal interests at the state and federal Terry Henley, Board of Adjustment Robin Mouton, Mayor, Beaumont Timothy Slifka, Purchasing Manager, levels. Among the thousands of bills Member, Meadows Place Texas Association of Black City Council Southlake introduced during each session of the Texas Members Texas Public Purchasing Association Legislature are hundreds of bills that would DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Sid Hudson, Chief Information Officer, Erin Hart, Assistant Director of Parks, affect cities. The League, working through its Jim Ross, Mayor, Arlington McKinney Arts and Recreation Department, Texas Association of Governmental Legislative Services Department, attempts Steve Adler, Mayor, Austin Grand Prairie Information Technology Managers to defeat detrimental city-related bills Paulette Guajardo, Mayor, Corpus Christi Texas Recreation and Parks Society and to facilitate the passage of legislation Eric Johnson, Mayor, Dallas Steve Rockey, Councilmember, designed to improve the ability of municipal Claudia Lizette Rodriguez, Friendswood EX-OFFICIO NON-VOTING INVITED Representative, El Paso Texas Association of Mayors, governments to operate effectively. REPRESENTATIVES Mattie Parker, Mayor, Fort Worth Councilmembers and Commissioners TML Health Benefits Pool Martha Castex-Tatum, Vice Mayor Blake Petrash, Mayor Pro Tem, Steve Killen, Director of Development The League employs full-time attorneys who City of Ganado Pro Tem, Houston Services, Stephenville are available to provide member cities with Ron Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio Texas Association of Municipal Health information on municipal legal matters. On a Officials TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool Jeffrey Snyder, City Manager, Plainview daily basis, the legal staff responds to member REGIONAL DIRECTORS Will Hampton, Communications cities’ written and oral questions on a wide 2-Doyle Robinson, CMO, Mayor, and Marketing Director, Round Rock variety of legal matters. The League annually Panhandle Texas Association of Municipal conducts a variety of conferences and 3-Latrelle Joy, Councilmember, Information Officers Lubbock training seminars to enhance the knowledge Robert Upton, Director of Engineering 4-Jack Ladd, Councilmember, Midland and skills of municipal officials in the state. In and Public Works, Pearland 5-Bill Lindenborn, Commissioner, addition, the League also publishes a variety Texas Chapter of American Public Works Burkburnett Association of printed materials to assist member cities 6-Robert Brown, Alderman, Menard in performing their duties. The best known Charles E. Zech, City Attorney, 7-Suzanne de Leon, CMO, Mayor, of these is the League’s monthly magazine, Pflugerville, Bee Cave, Wimberley, Prairie Balcones Heights View, Rollingwood, Santa Fe, Leon Valley, Texas Town & City. Each issue focuses on a 8-Tito Rodriguez, Councilmember, and Fair Oaks Ranch variety of contemporary municipal issues, North Richland Hills Texas City Attorneys Association including survey results to respond to 9-Ray O’Docharty, Mayor, Groesbeck Hugh R. Walker, Deputy City Manager, 10-Connie Schroeder, CMO, Mayor, member inquiries. Bryan Bastrop Texas City Management Association For additional information on any of 11-Patrick R. Rios, CMO, Mayor, Rockport 12-Ricardo Villarreal, Mayor, Palmview Jennifer Bozorgnia, Court Services these services, contact the Coordinator, Irving 13-Rick Grady, Councilmember, Plano Texas Municipal League at 512-231-7400 Texas Court Clerks Association 14-Andy Brauninger, Mayor, Huntsville or visit our website, www.tml.org. 15-Merlyn Holmes, Councilmember, Jimmy Chew, Fire Chief, Stephenville Kilgore Texas Fire Chiefs Association 16-VACANT TEXAS TOWN & CITY • 4 AUGUST 2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS H TML MESSAGE H FROM THE PRESIDENT MARTHA CASTEX-TATUM Vice Mayor Pro Tem, City of Houston TML President Dear Texas City Official, I think you’re going to enjoy this month’s magazine because it deals with something we all care about—city beautification. It’s natural that we each think of our own city or town as the most beautiful place to live, and