MONTHLY UPDATE City Manager's - City of Andrews, TX
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City Manager’s MONTHLY UPDATE TO THE ANDREWS CITY COUNCIL, COMMUNITY, AND EMPLOYEES January 13, 2022 Greetings, UPCOMING EVENTS It’s not every day you have an employee with over 32 years of service retire from your organization. This will be the last month John Johnson – the longest tenured employee at January the City – will ride his beloved Caterpillar dozer over our City’s refuge. To give you some 17 8:00 AM Customer Service Training perspective on how long 32 years is – nearly one-third of the City’s full-time employees 7:00 PM Planning & Zoning Comm. were not yet born when John started to work for the City. John joined the City the week 19 3:00 PM AEDC Board Meeting after the fall of the Berlin wall, a pivotal event in world history. When John was hired over 1st day to file for place on May ballot 32 years ago, little did anyone know the impact John would have on the history of the 26 9:00 AM Muni Court Jury Trials City’s operations. John’s renowned talent with a dozer has added years to the remaining 27 5:30 PM City Council Meeting life of our landfill. Thank you, John, for all your years of dedicated service to the City of Andrews! February 1-15 Alley Sweep of NW Andrews 10 5:30 PM City Council Meeting 12 7:00 PM Chamber Banquet 16 3:00 PM AEDC Board Meeting 18 Last day to file for place on ballot 21 7:00 PM Planning & Zoning Comm. 24 5:30 PM City Council Meeting March 1-15 Alley Sweep of NE Andrews 10 5:30 PM City Council Meeting 16 3:00 PM AEDC Board Meeting 21 7:00 PM Planning & Zoning Comm. 23 9:00 AM Muni Court Bench Trials 24 5:30 PM City Council Meeting In October of 2021, the City initiated a program to recognize City employees who exhibit excellence in one of the City’s four Core Values. The program encourages both coworkers and citizens to nominate employees for this quarterly award. Core Value Award winners for October – December 2021 are highlighted on the next page. All other nominations are included in the Employee section of this Update. As always, I encourage all our employees and residents to stay engaged by reading these updates each month. Items updated from last month’s Update are in green font. As always, feel free to ask me about anything going on at the City. Committed to Excellence, Steve Eggleston, City Manager OUR VISION To become a City of Excellence – one others admire, learn from, and aspire to be.
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2021 CORE VALUE AWARD WINNERS Core Value: Excellence Teri Uselton “When I first met Teri, she demonstrated insecurity and uncertainty when working with others outside the City. As time has passed, she is now a confident extremely hard-working individual. Always willing to go above and beyond to demonstrate her ability to give back and do anything to get the job done right! I see her on a daily basis working in the heat or in the cold doing her job to the best of her ability. I am proud to see her come out of her shell and doing good for herself.” – Nohemi Sanchez; Chamber of Commerce Director Core Value: Engaged & Empowered Joe Harper, Genifer Dildine, Nate Starcher, Clayton O'Rear, Jena Burkhart “Andrews EMS responded to a residence for a patient who had fallen off a roof and was injured. The patient was hanging Christmas lights on her house when she fell. The husband of the patient had injured his leg and was unable to hang the lights this year so the patient was doing it herself. Due to both residents now injured, Andrews EMS C-shift crew went to the residence to finish hanging there Christmas lights. The people at the residence did not request help to finish the lights. It was done by the crew knowing that it would help them enjoy the best Christmas they could even with injuries and the inability to complete it themselves.” – Royal Kane; EMS Shift Commander Core Value: Engaged & Empowered Ashton Jones “Ashton wanted to help less fortunate children ensure that they have a good Christmas. She headed up the effort to adopt 5 children from A.I.S.D.'s Adopt-A-Child program led by Michelle Acosta, Family Services/Homeless Liaison Coordinator. She collected money and even when she had collected enough for the recommended gifts, she went above and beyond and raised more money to ensure that each child had more than enough. Her heart was stirred to help someone in need during Christmas and she included as many employees as possible to participate.” – Michael Rosales; Community Outreach Coordinator Isaiah Lopez – Family / Team Oriented “Isaiah is always willing to help a coworker inside and out of work. You can count on him to always jump in and help no matter the situation or time of day. If help is needed, he is one of the first people that comes to mind.” – Camille Allen; Utility Foreman “Isaiah consistently goes above and beyond what is expected of him. Always willing to learn and do other jobs that help others out if they are in a bind.” – Mike Aguero; Director of Utilities – Water & Wastewater Justin Villafranco – Integrity “One day this young man helped me throw away heavy garbage, I offered him a tip because he was so generous, but he kindly denied my offer. I figured this was a better way to repay him for what he did for me.” – Anali Flores Gallegos; customer
OUR FY2022 WORK PLAN 1. DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE Develop a high-performance workforce o Encourage employee retention by reducing years to vest in retirement system. COMPLETE. Decreased from 10 to 5 on 10/01/21. o Adjust employee pay based upon Salary Surveys conducted in 2021. COMPLETE. Pay adjustments made 10/01/21. o Meet performance standards to become a Recognized Law Enforcement Agency. IN PROCESS. Adding tactical training facilities. o Conduct a benefits comparison survey with similar entities. o Conduct biannual EE Development Discussions & annual EE Satisfaction Survey. Scheduled for March and September 2022. Achieve a high level of customer satisfaction o Construct a new City Hall to improve customer interaction and safety. IN PROCESS. See “Our Projects” o Purchase a street roller to improve alley surfaces. o Clean out the wastewater drying beds to improve odor in southwest Andrews. o Provide Smart Meter features to water customers. IN PROCESS. See “Our Projects” Leverage technology to enhance efficiency and productivity o Digitize Police & Community Services department information for easy access. IN PROCESS. 2. UPGRADE ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE Promote superior utility services and City facilities o Replace Florey water transmission line and add a 500,000-gallon storage tank. IN PROCESS. See “Our Projects” o Replace at least 1% of the City’s aging water and sewer lines. IN PROCESS: Bids awarded 12/9/21. o Purchase back-up generators for the water treatment plant and lift stations. IN PROCESS. Generators have been ordered. Proactively manage drainage infrastructure o Address draining issue on NW Mustang Drive and Main Street. o Add significant curb and gutter to facilitate drainage. Continuously improve the quality of City roadways o Seal coat approximately one-third of Loop 1910 and selected interior roads. 3. ENSURE ECONOMIC VITALITY Make Andrews an ideal, fiscally stable place to live and work o Effectively utilize debt and other financing options to address long-term needs. COMPLETE. $6.3 MM CO issued 10/5/21 Build and maintain a healthy, balanced economy o Explore advantages/disadvantages of other types of economic development. IN PROCESS. Comptroller presentation on 1/27/22. o Develop land in southwest Andrews for new Industrial Park. o Pursue opportunities to diversify by incentivizing non-oil-related businesses. IN PROCESS. $91,445 incentive to Kirby on 12/9/21 Promote a vibrant community and town centers o Aggressively promote water conservation through the WaterWise Program. o Pursue the development of affordable housing. IN PROCESS. In discussions with developer(s). Butler Park Apts. pursuing TDHCA tax credit to construct 48 low-income units Maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the local workforce o Expand classes offered at Andrews Business Technology Center. IN PROCESS. Expanded business & health classes 4. ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE Promote clean and healthy neighborhoods o Revitalize neighborhoods through property rehabilitation & clean-up projects. IN PROCESS. 1st project at 300-500 SE 2nd o Use volunteers to bring homes with property code violations into compliance. completed 11/5/21. o Engage residents to participate in city-wide cleanup events. IN PROCESS. 1st event conducted on 10/23/21. o Improve enforcement of code violations regarding junk or abandoned vehicles. IN PROCESS. Tougher enforcement initiated Jan 3 Provide outstanding leisure and cultural opportunities o Convert the Means House to a museum-like facility. IN PROCESS. Contractor remodeling house. o Provide a dog park with equipment and turf. IN PROCESS. Next step is getting elevations. Enhance Public Safety o Add an Evidence Manager / Crime Scene Investigator and 2 Police Patrol positions. COMPLETE. Added in the FY2022 Budget o Partner with volunteers to provide/promote humane treatment of animals (PAWS). IN PROCESS. Need to hire a part-time assistant. o Explore the possibility of an Emergency Medical District for EMS and Fire.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE Major Activities & Accomplishments ABOVE & BEYOND the City’s Work Plan Since October 1, 2021 o Received approval from Legacy Committee & Commissioner’s Court to add shade structures over Kid’s Kingdom. o Created a new Employee Recognition / Appreciation Program – Core Values Awards. o Requested & received approval to add the City’s water towers to Oncor’s Critical Load, making 11 facilities on the list. o Replaced carpet in several classrooms at the Business & Technology Center. o A Residential Housing Study was conducted by Community Development Strategies to assess current and future demand and market potential for all types of houses, with an emphasis on attainable workforce products. o City Council adopted an ordinance improving the ability to enforce violations regarding non-motor vehicles and RVs. o Removed a dilapidated, unsafe structure from 703 NE 7th Street at the request of the new owner. o Police Department conducted its annual Shop-with-a-Cop event. o Initiated a monthly recognition program on Facebook to encourage local businesses to help Keep Andrews Beautiful. o Conducted 3rd Annual Citizen’s Survey to respond to resident concerns and improve services provided. OUR EMPLOYEES Core Values: Committed to Excellence ● Engaged & Empowered ● Family Oriented ● Integrity at All Times New Certifications Employee Recognition & Appreciation o Cody Hall – Intermediate Peace Officer Coworkers and citizens can recognize City of Andrews o Micah Stewart – Intermediate Peace Officer employees who go above and beyond expectations by o Micah Smyth – Intermediate Peace Officer nominating them for a Core Values Award – a quarterly award given to City employees for exhibiting excellence in one of the City’s four Core Values. Celebrating Work Anniversaries in January (# of years) To nominate a City employee, scan the below QR Code. o Erick Pando (2) Please provide specific examples of how the employee o DJ Driver (2) has gone above and beyond expectations. o Morse Haynes (3) o Isaiah Lopez (3) o Nate Cook (5) o Genifer Hobbs (14) o Tim Fulks (31) Current Full-Time Job Openings o None 2022 City Holiday Schedule HOLIDAY DAY(s) OBSERVED DAY OF WEEK New Year’s Day 12.31.21 Friday Good Friday 04.15.22 Friday Memorial Day 05.30.22 Monday Independence Day 07.04.22 Monday Labor Day 09.05.22 Monday Thanksgiving 11.23.22 (noon) – 11.25.22 Wednesday – Friday Christmas 12.23.22 & 12.26.22 Friday & Monday
City Finance Department receives GFOA Award The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Andrews for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of government accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. This represents 41 consecutive years the City of Andrews has received this award. Core Value Award Nominations, October – December 2021 Community Services, Sanitation & Street Departments – Excellence “I am a business owner from San Angelo and have the opportunity to travel to a lot of cities in my line of work. Andrews is one of cleanest cities I have seen.” – Haden Burchard; owner of HS Rentals, San Angelo, TX Steven Gallier – Excellence “Always very helpful, knowledgeable, kind and very easy to work with. When I’ve needed help with whatever project we are taking on, I know I can count on Steven to guide us through. Thank you!” – Brenda Lopez; resident Sgt. Anthony DeLaCruz & Officer Rayme Brooks - Excellence “On Feb 28th of this year, Sgt. DeLaCruz and Officer Rayme Brooks delivered a death notification to my fiancé that her son had been killed in a traffic accident in Gardendale. Over the following week or so, both Sgt. DeLaCruz and Officer Brooks checked in on the family to see if they needed anything. I also believe Officer Brooks may have provided a meal to the family during this time. These officers showed compassion and went beyond the call of duty during this difficult time.” – Mike Elliot; resident Sgt. Anthony DeLaCruz – Excellence “Sgt. DeLaCruz assisted Lawrence Alford in the middle of the night get his spouse off the floor after she had fallen. Mr. Alford expressed his gratitude by calling into the PD to make sure Sgt. DeLaCruz was recognized for his selfless service to the community.” – Ronny McCarver; Chief of Police Justin Villafranco - Excellence “I see Justin cleaning alleys every month. He does a good job keeping our town clean.” – Debrah Johnson; resident Camille Allen – Excellence “Camille has an amazing work ethic and strives for excellence in everything she does.” – Rena Black; Cashier Rudy Madrilez - Excellence He shows compassion in the circumstances he is presented. Always there when needed! – Eva Andrade; resident Michael Rosales – Engaged & Empowered “Michael has a can-do attitude. He has taken on the challenge of being the face of the city in the public and I feel he is doing an exceptional job. I feel with this job it requires him to take many different angles to keep the public engaged with the City and it is not easy, I'm sure. He is always positive, and he brings a depth that is so beneficial to us as a whole. He is always willing to help out his coworkers and when faced with obstacles you can count on him to help find a solution.” – Camille Allen; Utility Foreman Police, EMS, Operations – Family / Team Oriented “Would like to send out a BIG thank you to all the law enforcement personnel, first responders of all sorts, school officials, city and county personnel, and all volunteers that participated in the organization and control of last night's parade. This was a HUGE event for our little town, and as big as it was, everything went as smooth as possible, with the space and limited parking and thousands of people and vehicles, as well as parade floats and equipment and personnel going and coming, and the many band members and their staff from all over that flooded our city, everything seemed to go as well as it possible could. This was no easy task, and I hope I speak for most everyone, Thank all of you for all you do, and we appreciate all of you for your hard work and skills in making this happen. This was an event in our little town that will go down in history and will be remembered for a long time to come.” – Larry Reid; resident Mike Aguero – Integrity “I witnessed Mike refuse to accept a "great deal" from a prospective bidder attempting to circumvent the bidding process. Mike informed the contractor that is not how way we operate; we do what is legally and ethically required no matter the cost.” – Steve Eggleston; City Manager
OUR FINANCES ($000) Year-to-Date through 3 months of FY2022 Actual Budget Prior Year General Fund Operating Revenue (only 2 months of Property tax) 3,804 3,598 3,485 Operating Expense 2,598 2,348 2,111 Sales Tax Revenue 1,924 1,702 1,627 Utility Fund Operating Revenue 1,118 1,106 1,120 Operating Expense 1,000 1,022 1,039 Sanitation Fund Operating Revenue 493 508 501 Operating Expense 471 469 446 OUR STATISTICS Year-do-Date through 3 months of Fiscal Year: 2022 2021 2020 Public Safety Number of Criminal Offenses Reported 89 128 93 Number of Fire Department responses (2 months only) 71 73 76 Public Works Water Customers 5,050 5,044 5,058 Water Metered (million gallons) 168 173 149 Sewer Plant Flow (million gallons) 87 86 115 OUR WORKLOAD INDICATORS Year-to-Date through 3 months of Fiscal Year: 2022 2021 2020 Public Safety EMS City Transfers 186 220 200 Traffic Cases Filed in Court 424 440 522 Non-Traffic Cases Filed in Court 238 178 148 Public Works Flat Bed Loads to Landfill 183 250 118 Packer Loads to Landfill 381 377 363 Work Orders / Service Calls Handled 1,779 685 1,023 Community Services Building, Electricity, Plumbing, Mechanical Permits Issued 147 195 201 Inspections 1,152 365 356 Property Maintenance Notices 67 280 11 Weed Control Letters 339 313 20
OUR MAJOR PROJECTS Drill 2 New water wells on DCP property The City has 20 water wells located on 3 wellfields (DCP, Florey, and University) some 10 miles north of town. A volume-based royalty is required to produce water from the DCP and University wellfields. The wells located on the DCP wellfield do not produce enough water to meet the minimum contractual volume levels; therefore, the City is currently paying a premium for water produced from DCP. This project should allow the City to produce volumes that exceed the minimum, reducing the average production cost at DCP by almost half. Budget: $550,000 (from AEDC Sales Tax receipts) Status: Both wells have been drilled and together test at approximately 1,000 gallons per minute. Still need to tie lines into existing system. Electricity to both wells is complete. Waiting on programmers to tie new wells into SCADA system. Replace Florey Transmission Line Transmission lines deliver water produced in the City’s wellfields to the water treatment plant. The University line is a 20” line and is capable of delivering the volume of water required by the city during normal months. The older Florey line is a 14” line not solely capable of meeting monthly water volume requirements. In recent years, the Florey line has had to be repaired on numerous occasions (see picture). This project will replace the Florey 14” line with a 20” line, giving the City the ability to maintain water volumes from 2 lines instead of 1. The project also includes adding a 500,000-gallon groundwater storage tank and a booster pump suction header at Florey. Budget: $9,383,000 (from AEDC Sales Tax receipts) Status: BenMark was awarded the bid for pipe and materials at $5,023,910. Tejas Construction was awarded the bid for the discharge header at $278,700 and the storage tank at $703,700. Request for bids for the installation of the pipe have been put on hold due to hurricane Ida’s impact on pipe manufacturers. Water line path has been cleared and grubbed. Tank installation waiting on movement of transformer bank (Oncor). Legacy Park This project will honor Andrews County veterans, 1 st responders, and its history. The park will feature an upgraded veteran’s memorial section, a 1st responder mural wall, a history of Andrews County mural wall, a small museum in the Mean’s house, and an antique trail wagon display. The project also included adding a large, covered patio, an upgraded sound system, and landscaping. Budget: $1,997,572 (from Legacy Fund) Status: Veteran’s section was complete in May. Currently waiting on the artist to provide mural wall tiles; museum & chamber work are in process. Granite has been ordered for Veteran’s Highway Resolution monument and Peace Officer Memorial monument. Waiting on quotes for ADA bathrooms for Chamber building. Contractor has started remodeling the Mean’s house. Design New City Hall A Facilities Study recently concluded that the most effective method to address future facility requirements for departments currently housed in City Hall and the Public Safety Building was to build a new City Hall for the Administration and Finance departments, renovate the existing City Hall for the Police department and Municipal Court, and renovate the existing Public Safety Building for AEDC and the Community Services department. On March 18, 2021, the City Council authorized Pate Architects to design a new City Hall to be located on the lot south of the existing City Hall. Budget: $182,000 (from the General Fund) Status: Final design work presented to City Council on December 9, 2021. Architect to prepare construction documents for general contractor within next 90 days; general contractor to put together estimated costs; Council to consider course of action in April-May meeting. Conversion to Smart Water Meters The 5th and final phase of a multi-year project to replace all residential water meters with Smart meters. Smart meters can provide information on when and where water is being used and quick leak detection. Budget: $540,000 (American Rescue Plan Act project) Status: Meters have been ordered; Installation scheduled to begin in March 2022 has been pushed back 2 months for lack of meter supply.
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