Utility rate hike part of new city budget
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
The Tomball City Council is nearing approval of a $40 million budget for the
2006-07 budget year, one that will include a 5 percent hike in utility rates.
“(The rate increase) is in keeping with our policy of trying to maintain our
rates at or near the state average for cities our size,” City Manager Ben
Griffin stated in a memo to the City Council. “Costs continue to increase and we
feel that with this increase we will remain near the state average when the new
rates come out.”
Among the cost increases the city is seeing are construction materials such
as asphalt and pipe, Griffin said. The city is also taking a hit at the gas
pump, Griffin said, for fuel for maintenance trucks. “We tried to hold it to as
a low a rate increase as we could,” he said. “Everything we’re buying is going
up.”
Another reason for the increase, the city manager said, was that the city is
paying debt service on a $7.5 million sewer plant. The city is also in the
process of putting in another water well that will cost in the neighborhood of
$3 million. But while utility rates will likely see a slight hike, the city’s
property tax rate will remain unchanged.
The 28-cent per $100 valuation rate has remained the same since 2002. The new
budget also calls for the creation of six new positions. Among new positions the
city is requesting are a records specialist and a second civilian jailer for the
police department, two positions to man the new fire station as well as a fire
inspector for the fire department and a permit/utility billing clerk for the
Public Works Department.
The Tomball Centennial Commission, the organization planning various
celebrations for the city’s 100th anniversary in 2007, is requesting more than
three times the amount they have been receiving in past budgets. Commission
Chairperson Diane Holland said the commission needs the extra funds to pay for
such things as advertising and promotional goods for the celebration, set to
take place next summer. The commission was receiving $20,000 annually from the
city, but is requesting $83,000 in next year’s plan.
Several capital expenses are set to be approved along with the budget,
including several city maintenance vehicles, an updated data storage system for
the city, police evidence bar coding and many other equipment for the police
department. In order to pass approval, the budget must first pass two readings
and a public hearing. Griffin said if all goes according to plan, the budget
will be approved by mid-September.
Griffin said he believed the budget was a good one. “I believe this is a
fiscally sound budget that shows restraint in spending, yet meets the needs of a
growing city and the high expectations of our citizens for exceptional service,”
he said.
Magnolia focused on planning, infrastructure, drainage
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
City Manager Roger Carlisle is working diligently with the various planning
and development groups as well as City Council to keep agenda items focused on
planning, infrastructure upgrades and new construction developments in the
Magnolia community.
Magnolia City Manager Roger Carlisle
Carlisle stressed to members of Magnolia City Council at their regular
meeting held on Aug. 8 that $4.6 million dollars in revenue bonds are in place
to bring the city into compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ) requirements for a water and sewer plan. Additionally, he advised
council members that the city is now in a prime financial position to meet the
TCEQ deadline of Sept. 1.
With the 4B Community Development Corporation’s involvement in the repair and
sale of the former city hall building on Buddy Riley Blvd consuming its budget
for the year, Carlisle is looking to the 4A Economic Development Corporation to
relieve a financial burden. Infrastructure development by 4A EDC on the city’s
planned gravity line could free up city funds for the purchase of 20 acres of
property owned by Magnolia ISD located on Nichols-Sawmill.
The property may be used to develop a city retention pond and park in
conjunction with a grant application to Texas Parks and Wildlife next year.
Should the grant be accepted and approved by all parties, the city can then move
forward with relief to the storm water issues that plague the city, said
Councilwoman Patsy Williams.
On the agenda of the Council meeting Aug. 8 was just such an issue. A Child’s
View daycare, owned by Cynthia Dowse, has requested the city’s involvement in
resolving storm drainage issues to her property on Nichols-Sawmill. Water
drainage issues were allegedly caused when DPIS Engineering, the city’s
contracted building certification company, did dirt work in preparation for the
now-completed Signature Collision. The property is owned by David Elms and Bart
Yowell and is located next door to Dowse’s property.
Elms told Council that he had recently learned of the water issues Dowse was
having and expressed a desire to resolve issues quickly.
Carlisle requested that both owners work with City Engineer Craig Kankel of
O’Malley Engineers to design an engineering resolution that both parties can
agree to. DPIS had offered to provide a dirt work solution to the drainage
issues, however, Dowse presented the Council with an alternative.
Based upon unofficial city planning plats, Dowse requested that storm
drainage be diverted to planned drainage ditches, which may run along a
continuation of 4th Street. The right of ways and roadbed are planned to run
along the backside of both properties.
The solution offered by DPIS would have been “a band aid” to the problem,
Dowse said at the meeting. It will be up to Kankel, Dowse and Elms to find an
agreeable resolution and present it to City Council members for approval, said
Carlisle.
In other news, at the Magnolia Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Aug.
8, Carlisle warned members that moving forward with resolutions to last year’s
infrastructure issues was primary to prevent the same issues the city had a year
ago. The city was in jeopardy of importing potable water to fulfill water
obligations to residents in excess of 650,000 gallons per day.
Planning Commission members continued discussions at their meeting regarding
subdivision developments and zoning. Administrative Assistant to the City
Manager Erik Edwards provided a partial draft intended to replace two city
ordinances, which legislate subdivision development and zoning regulations.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Denny O’Brien requested Commission
members provide comments and responses to Edwards by an Aug. 31 deadline.
Edwards will provide a comprehensive second draft at the next regular meeting of
the Commission on Sept. 12.
“It is imperative to the future of the city that we resolve the drainage
issues to free up the valuable potential land,” said O’Brien.
A final draft by the Planning Commission must go to the Council for review
before a new ordinance can be adopted with tighter controls and enforcement
provisions to developers. Both groups face tough tasks as the city wants to
encourage growth without hampering potential developers, while at the same time
protecting the city from future issues with poorly planned developments.
At a time when water and sewer infrastructure plagued the city, Carlisle
funneled the resources of 4A and 4B to city’s advantage, as well as the growing
needs of the city to produce an AA insurance rating, financing for essential
infrastructure developments and money in the bank.
In a separate interview, Carlisle said he might recommend bringing in a
certified building official in the near future. With the approval of City
Council and the various planning and development groups in the city, Carlisle
has brought light to the end of a dark tunnel using creative financing and
diligently focused agendas.
Beer thief arrested on return to scene
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
The sale of beer in the State of Texas is not allowed after midnight or
before 6 a.m., so get it while you can, or go to jail trying. As it happens, a
Magnolia resident did go to jail following his second hit at Handi-Plus Chevron
in Magnolia where alcohol was taken from the store after the hours allowed by
the state for the legal sale of alcohol.
Officers Eric Silliman and Travis Bushman of the Magnolia Police Department
were called at 12:30 a.m. on July 31 to the 18600 block of FM 1488 for theft of
less than $50 where they arrested Israel Garcia, 22, for stealing beer.
“This will close at least three cases of minor theft to local businesses of
this same nature,” Sgt. Bo Crabtree said
Upon arriving at the scene, officers determined that a Hispanic male had
entered the store after midnight, removed beer from the refrigerator and, after
throwing a $20 bill at the clerk, exited the store.
With information provided by the store clerk, officers were able to locate
the suspect. Garcia and his girlfriend, Amber Berger, 18, of Magnolia, returned
to the store at the officer’s invitation.
Upon returning to the store, officers initiated a field sobriety test to
Garcia, which he failed. Garcia was then arrested and charged with driving under
the influence of alcohol as well as theft and was transported to the Montgomery
County Jail. Charges are being filed with the Montgomery County District
Attorney’s office.
Garcia’s vehicle was impounded. Berger was administered a field sobriety
test, which she failed. She was arrested for public intoxication and transported
to the Montgomery County Jail.
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Tomball Night
Photo By Brian Walzel
The Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 34th Annual Tomball Night on
Aug. 4. Dozens of local businesses offered specials and sales to the thousands
of area residents who attended the event. Live music was once again a staple at
this year's Tomball Night. Several bands, including The Larry Butler Show
(pictured), took to stages throughout downtown Tomball as crowds drifted past
and into stores.
Photo By Brian Walzel
Kurtis Cutler, 6, gets his arm painted at a body painting booth near Granny's
Korner during Tomball Night.
Photo By Brian Walzel
Near the Academy parking lot on FM 2920, dozens of 4-wheel quad racers lined the
road for spectators to check out. Above, Alex Kohl places a sticker on his quad
racer.
New TISD committees to study facilities
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
The Tomball Independent School District is looking to the community to help
determine what, if any, new schools or facility upgrades the district may need
in the next five years.
At an Aug. 7 open meeting, district officials outlined the functions of three
subcommittees, which comprise the Tomball ISD Steering Committee, chaired by
former Tomball High School graduate Stephen Hohl. The three subcommittees will
examine the educational adequacy of the district’s existing facilities, student
growth and possible financing of new facilities for student and program growth.
According to the district, the Board of Trustees recently commissioned a
study to be conducted by members of the Tomball ISD community to assess the
needs for facility improvements and expansion for the years 2006-07 through
2010-11.
The three subcommittees, made up primarily of members of the district
community, will meet throughout the fall semester before presenting their
findings to the Steering Committee, which will then make a recommendation to the
Tomball ISD Board of Trustees.
Hohl said he expects the committees to assemble a good plan. “If we keep in
mind what’s best for the district, I think we’ll get a good plan,” he said. The
three subcommittees will examine three different aspects of the district and its
growth. “These subcommittees will study such topics as demographics of the area,
population projections, programs of other school districts, the district’s
current financial position and methods of financing capital expenditures,” the
district stated.
In 2004, officials with The Woodlands Operating Company announced plans to
develop another village, Creekside Village, a development that will lie within
the boundaries of the Tomball ISD. The village is set to open in early 2007 and
a new elementary school is already on the horizon, district officials have said.
The subcommittees may also consider the possibility of building a new ninth
grade campus and making improvements to the district’s current facilities. One
of the requirements the school board has put on any new facilities the
committees consider, is that kindergarten through sixth grade campuses should be
built close to neighborhoods.
The Steering Committee will be comprised of a representative cross-section of
the district, including students, staff, parents, business and community members
and administrators. Meeting community expectations, Hohl said, is a key
component to the success of the project. “What we do needs to reflect what this
community expects out of this school board,” he said.
School Board President Kathy Hanson said that board members likely wouldn’t
be around much during the meetings, but not for a lack of interest. “After
tonight, you won’t be seeing a whole lot us, but not because we’re not
interested,” she said. Hanson said she wants the committees to work on their
own, without the board “looking over their shoulder.” “We’d love to be at every
meeting,” she said.
All committee meetings will be open to the public and committees are still
open to those wishing to join. For more information, call the Tomball
Independent School District at 281-357-3100.
New strategies, teaching principles offered at MISD primary orientation
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
As the guest speaker, Tony Stead of Rosen Classroom Books and Materials,
offered teachers insightful classroom strategies and principles, along with
support materials at the Magnolia Independent School District’s teacher
orientation for primary grades third through fifth on Aug. 7 held at the West
Montgomery County Community Development Center.
Pictured with Tony Stead of Rosen Classroom Books and Materials (left) is Amy
Robinson, a third grade teacher at Ellisor Elementary. Stead autographed
Robinson’s copy of Stead’s book, “Reality Checks” at the Magnolia ISD Teacher
Orientation for third through fifth grades held at the West Montgomery County
Community Development Center. Robinson was one of 70 teachers who participated
in a summer reading study this past summer using the book.
For the past three years Stead has been invited to the district’s teacher
orientations to give presentations highlighting teaching strategies and
classroom tested teaching principles, said MISD Director of Language Arts K-12
Anita Hebert.
Stead’s experience includes three years as a lecturer and 14 years in the
classroom as a teacher. Following eight years in the New York City and Boston
public school districts as a teaching strategist, Stead saw a need to get good
strategies and support materials into the hands of teachers and began publishing
his classroom tested teaching principals.
Four times a year Stead travels to the United States to present to seven
major school districts in America and Canada. His writings and teacher support
products are available by calling 1-888-436-4643 or online at
www.rosenclassroom.com.
Double-header at convenience store, ATM burglars strike again
By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff
A local convenience store was robbed for the second time in a month when
thieves once again made off with the store’s ATM machine, but police expect to
catch the suspect soon. While security alarms are intended to bring response
time down for local law enforcement officials, notification is still at the
discretion of the property owner.
The storeowner of Ken’s Bread and Butter, located in the 34703 FM 1774 in
Pinehurst, advised Montgomery County Sheriff Cpl. B. Clendennen he had been
contacted by his alarm company and, arriving at the store discovered the
break-in, only then contacting the Sheriff’s Office.
The store alarm sounded at 2 a.m., however, Clendennen did not get dispatched
to the scene until 3 a.m., and that by the storeowner himself. The storeowner,
who declined to comment, reported to the Sheriff’s Office that over $4,000 in
damage, including the loss of an ATM machine, had been done to his store.
“The problem is the lag time between alarm and the call to law enforcement,”
said Montgomery County Sheriff Lt. Wayne Rawley.
Rawley recommended alarms, video surveillance, storefront security cages, and
moving the ATM machines further back into the store, making it more time
consuming for potential burglars to attempt to steal them, to deter possible
thieves.
Though video surveillance footage of the heist is available, it is of poor
quality, Rawley said, showing only a white Ford F-350 ramming the front of the
store. The storeowner could not produce any ATM owner information, said Rawley.
Additionally, the storeowner could not provide a list of missing or stolen
goods.
“They are going to get caught,” said Rawley. “They’re messy.”
TxDOT targets summer ’07 completion date for bypass
By Brian Walzel
Tribune Staff
Representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation said construction
of the SH 249 bypass is slightly ahead of schedule and that a main frontage road
of the project should be completed by the end of the month.
Karen Baker and Janelle Gbur made the comments at a Tomball Area Chamber of
Commerce Mobility and Transportation Committee meeting Aug. 8 with several
community leaders in attendance. Baker, TxDOT area engineer, said construction
crews are nearing completion of Phase I of the project, a frontage road that
runs south from FM 2920 toward Holderrieth.
The northbound frontage road should be open by October, Baker said. Phase II
of the project, the pass-over of FM 2920 north to Brown Road, has already begun
with crews hoisting support beams over the east-west corridor earlier this
month. Chamber President Bruce Hillegeist commended TxDOT for the relative ease
in which the beams were erected without much disturbance to traffic.
The third and final phase of the bypass is to finish the tie-ins by
Holderrieth. Gbur said Phase II has a completion date of 217 working days from
the day after Phase I is completed. “The phases start one right after the
other,” she said. Gbur said the entire project should be completed by summer of
2007. One of the issues facing the bypass project has been access to Tomball
Regional Hospital.
Hospital CEO Lynn LeBouef, who attended the meeting, expressed concern about
such issues. Gbur assured LeBouef that adequate signage would be placed along
the bypass during the different phases to direct drivers to the hospital.
Initial plans call for hospital access to be through Alice Road. “I’m not
concerned about EMS, I’m concerned about the mother with a 3-year old with a cut
trying to find the hospital,” LeBouef said. “I don’t want them 10 miles down the
road looking for the exit to the hospital.”
Gbur also said that TxDOT is currently undergoing changes in the way road
projects are funded. The department typically has been funded through fuel taxes
and vehicle registrations, but Gbur said those funding mechanisms will no longer
pay for all of TxDOT’s projects. “The old days of financing are over,” Gbur
said. “It’s no longer pay as you go.”
One of the more likely sources of funding for TxDOT will be more tolling
projects, she said. The department also recently enacted a “pass through”
funding program, which pays back counties using their own money to pay for road
projects. Montgomery County was the first in Texas to take advantage of the new
program when they passed a bond election in September of 2005.
Those funds will help pay for the widening of FM 1488 along with many other
county road projects. TxDOT will eventually pay the county back for much of road
projects as part of the plan.
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