In October 2014, I issued my first “State of the City” report for the citizens of Sealy. It covered the first four-and-a-half months of my term as mayor. This report covers the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, which ran from October 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014.
We started the quarter off with several members of council and city staff attending the Texas Municipal League’s 102nd Annual Conference and Exhibition, held in Houston this year. Not only does this conference provide opportunities to learn about new and updated programs and laws, economic development strategies, and new technology, it is an excellent opportunity to share ideas with councils and staffs from across the state.
That opening weekend of this past quarter, our community hosted the 125th anniversary celebration of the Catholic Union of Texas (the KJT), welcoming its members from across the state. That two-day evening included a golf tournament, children’s games, traditional music, food, bingo, and kolache-eating contests for men, women, boys, and girls. Miss Czech-Slovak Texas, Christiana Gentry, who is also the 1st Runner Up Miss Czech-Slovak U.S., assisted with the delivery of a proclamation by reading the Czech translation. As a result of the warm reception our community provided, Sealy is now a nominee for hosting the KJT’s annual statewide convention in the summer of 2018.
On Halloween, The Sealy News and the Sealy Main Street Program co-hosted the first “BOO Bash” in Historic Downtown, with over 700 people attending. This was a great opportunity for children to trick-or-treat in a safe environment, with many local businesses and organizations participating.
The Sealy Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) is continuing its diligent work to bring new businesses to Sealy, meeting with several consultants that bring the businesses to us when they are selecting new locations. In December, the SEDC held an incentive workshop with a consultant and several members of the Austin County Commissioners Court to discuss updates to the city’s tax abatement policy. Joint efforts with the Commissioners Court show businesses that we work together for everyone’s best interest.
A strong advocate for bringing new business to Sealy is the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP). The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has designated the GHP as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO). The GHP continues to work with the SEDC and had introduced us to several business as possible locations for their new facilities. I recently attended an elected officials reception hosted by the GHP, where I was able to meet other elected officials and members of the GHP.
Being 25% into this fiscal year, the city remains financially sound and is on-track to remain within the budget for the year. Any citizen that would like detailed information about the budget, revenue, or expenditures can view the information at http://www.ci.sealy.tx.us/fd.htm or by contacting the city hall at 979-885-3511.
The YMCA approached the council regarding construction of a multi-purpose facility. Funds from an anonymous donor and funds from the YMCA can cover half the projected cost. The project received unanimous support from the council and the council directed city staff to research funding options.
[slider id=’3303′ name=’ACNO Advertisements’ size=’full’]
In December, we saw the retirement of Police Chief John Tollett. He dedicated his lifetime to service for our nation and communities. He brought new technology and training to our department and an end to a high turn-over rate. A past “Employee of the Year” in our city, he will be missed by many.
Also in December, we welcomed the 125th anniversary celebration of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, which welcomed His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo (Archbishop of Galveston-Houston), Most Reverend Joseph A. Fiorenza (Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston), and former pastors of the Immaculate Conception to Sealy. In addition to the Frydek KJT Youth Group performing traditional Czech songs, Deacon Alex, a seminarian doing his internship with Father Eric, donned his festive mariachi attire and sang with the mariachi group.
In addition to the annual Fantasy of Lights welcoming visitors from all over, we had the 100th anniversary celebration for the Liedertafel Hall and the Sealy Area Historical Society hosted its Historical Homes Tour.
Council voted to “seal coat” additional streets this year, which will help ensure a longer life for those streets, saving money in the long term.
We have updated many city ordinances, primarily those that deal with building codes, signage, and the methodology for granting variances. The intent is to reduce costs and encourage growth in our community.
Along with growth, there is a need for quality roadways. TxDOT currently has ten projects in Austin County, with five of these being in or near Sealy. (The project listing on the TxDOT website does not include the emergency repairs on the Hwy 90 overpass.) Here is a brief summary of those five projects, in order by target date for bids.
Project ID #: 018703061
Description: rebuild Highway 36 from 0.1 mile north of Hwy 90 to 0.1 mile north of FM 1094
Project 103.65% complete using 202 of 210 project days*
Estimated Total Cost: $3,905,201.27
Amount Paid to Date: $4,975,441.19
* The 103.65% is as shown on the TxDOT website.
Project ID #: 172102012
Description: safety treat fixed objects on FM 1094 from Schulens Rd to Howard St
Start Design: Nov 2014
Design Complete: May 2015
Project Ready to Bid: May 2015
Estimated Total Cost: $4,338,010.52
Amount Paid to Date: $0.00
Project ID #: 027108012
Description: replace bridge on Hwy 90 at Hwy 36 and BNSF Railroad
Start Design: Nov 2013
Design Complete: June 2017
Project Ready to Bid: June 2017
Estimated Total Cost: $12,271,656.11
Amount Paid to Date: $404,502.42
Project ID #: 027102058
Description: construct frontage roads along Interstate 10 from Hwy 36 to Rexville Rd
Start Design: June 2012
Design Complete: March 2014
Project Ready to Bid: July 2017
Estimated Total Cost: $4,468,260.84
Amount Paid to Date: $39,821.70
Project ID #: 172102011
Description: rebuild FM 1094 from FM 949 to Hwy 36
Start Design: TBD
Design Complete: TBD
Project Ready to Bid: TBD
Estimated Total Cost: $2,140,725.37
Amount Paid to Date: $0.00
TxDOT updates the project information frequently. If you’d like more detailed and the most current information about these projects, you can visit the TxDOT website at http://www.txdot.gov/apps-cq/project_tracker/projectquery.htm and do a search for Austin County.
Council and city staff began discussions on the wastewater treatment facility. Although it is functioning properly, it is only equipped with one clarifier. When the facility was built, state regulations only required one clarifier. (Current state regulations require new facilities to have a minimum of two.) The concern is that if this one clarifier fails, we have no back-up system and the facility will not be able to operate properly until another clarifier is installed. Therefore, it is important that we look now at installing a second clarifier into the system to ensure the facility can continue operating.
The council and city staff also discussed expansion of the current wastewater treatment facility. Based on an engineering analysis, the facility averaged 59.1% of its permitted capacity in 2012, 59.0% in 2014, and 61.4% during the first seven months of 2014. As a result, there were opposing opinions on the council as to the need to expand the facility at this time.
Expansion of the wastewater treatment will be costly, and a motion was made to begin the process for taking out a $15 million certificate of obligation, sometimes called a “bond”, to fund this and other proposed projects. This motion passed on a split vote. If this certificate of obligation is taken, it will more than double the city’s debt and, according to a tax rate impact analysis presented to the council, could result in a property tax increase of up to $0.1420 per $100 of assessed value. For a homestead with a $150,000 taxable value, that would mean a tax increase of $153-$213 per year. Because of this financial impact on every taxpayer in the community, I encourage everyone to come to the council meetings and public hearings regarding this proposed certificate of obligation and let the council members know your opinions, no matter which side you support.
If you are interested in becoming involved in your community’s future, now is the time to start thinking about the city council and school board elections on May 9, 2015. Filing dates will be announced soon. City council positions 2, 4, and 5 are up for election this year.
To help increase community involvement in our city council meetings, the invocations are delivered and pledges are led by our citizens rather than by council members, as done in the past. All ordained ministers in the community are invited to deliver the invocations and representatives of all organizations in the community are invited to lead the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and the Texas Pledge of Allegiance. If you would like to participate, please contact either the city manager or the city secretary at 979-885-3511.
I encourage all citizens to attend our city council meetings, normally held at 6:00 pm at city hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. If you would like to be placed on the distribution list for the council’s meeting agendas, please contact the city secretary at 979-885-3511.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Stolarski
Mayor, City of Sealy
