| Here is a recap of last evenings, Town Hall meeting. Over 200 residents showed up, spoke out and did a wonderful job. Thank-you for coming out. If you still have questions, please send them to me and I will forward them to the proper departments. This is your Hometown. The election is coming up in May and if you wish to run for a position, please let me know and I get you all the information you need. This is a great place to live and with your help we can make it even better.
Law Enforcement
The 2010 budget for law enforcement is $7.3 million.
District #6:
- · 82 total personnel assigned by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), managed by a captain (currently 63 positions are filled as of January 20, 2010)
- · Community policing districts increased from 5 to 7 to provide better coverage
- · Officers are assigned specifically to The Woodlands and will attend Village Association meetings
- · Better data will be available as reporting is segregated for The Woodlands – District #6
- · MSCO is hiring now and the program should be fully implemented by May, 2010
The Village of Creekside Park will continue to be served by Harris County Constable’s Office.
The Woodlands Alert system provides alerts on criminal activity and safety issues as part of The Woodlands Watch program. The Woodlands Alert system was initiated as a more effective method of alerting residents than the former “phone tree” which required Watch members to pass messages along to other members and neighbors. The alert system is designed to notify residents of issues of broad concern and is not designed to be an accounting of all activity in the community. Those interested in the full crime statistics can review the numbers in the Community Policing Reports.
Crime alerts are sent through the Woodlands Alert system to make residents aware of major criminal activity and suspicious activity in neighborhood areas. However, not every burglary of a motor vehicle or theft that is reported will be reported on the Woodlands Alert system.
Communication Channels
Township Directors and staff can be reached directly through their e-mail addresses or phone numbers or through the website,www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov, Email: Township Directors’ and key staff members’ email addresses are available online. As part of the transition, most email addresses have changed; however, the previous email addresses are rerouted to staff members’ new addresses.
Public meetings: The Woodlands Township is subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act. All Township Board of Directors’ meetings are open to the public with an agenda posted 72 hours prior to the meeting. Monthly Township Board of Directors’ meetings are typically held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m., and include a time for “Public Comment” during which time residents and businesses have the ability to address the entire Board. In addition, the Township Board of Directors does schedule 2 Town Hall meetings in the evenings per year.
Bid Requirements
The Woodlands Township requires competitive bidding for goods totaling $25,000 or more. Once the bids are received, they are presented to the Board for approval. By law, professional services are not required to be bid out; however, professional services totaling more than the President’s approval authority are typically secured through a Request for Proposal, and contracts are awarded by the Board.
Please note that during the transition period, due to the complex nature of combining the Community Associations and the Community Association Service companies with The Woodlands Township, some professional services that would have normally been placed out for RFP were not, in favor of institutional knowledge. As we move forward with the combined organizations, most professional services will be secured through an RFP process
Township Board Meeting Schedule
At the August 27, 2008 Board meeting, the Board of Directors adopted a recommendation from the Committee on Governance and Nominations to change the meeting time from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.,
Committee Structure
The Woodlands Township has several committees with varied membership. The current committee structure has evolved over time, and additional changes may be required once the Board changes from 11 Directors to 7 Directors in May, 2010.
Committees by Appointment
Audit Committee
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Vicki Richmond, Chairman
Kemba DeGroot
Tom Campbell
Museum Committee (Ad Hoc)
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Vicki Richmond, Chairman
Ed Robb
Bruce Tough
Robert Heineman
( Alex Sutton ’s designee)
Community Members:
David Gottlieb
Michael Richmond
Project Planning and Development Committee
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Lloyd Matthews, Chairman
Ed Robb
Alex Sutton
Bruce Tough
Bob Kinnear
Public Facilities Administration Committee
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Kemba DeGroot, Chairman
Claude Hunter
Alex Sutton
Water Taxi Committee (Ad Hoc)
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Nelda Blair, Chairman
Peggy Hausman
Kemba DeGroot
Parks and Recreation Advisory Council
Township Appointment
(6 month term, expires June 2010)
Claude Hunter
Development Standards Committee Just reappointed by a vote of 10 to 1
(1 yr term, expires December 2010)
Township Appointments:
Chris Florack
Ken Parker
Deborah Sargeant
Michael Sawran
TheWoolands Land Development Appointments:
Ken Anderson
Kim Hell
Robert Heineman
Committee on Governance & Nominations
Appointed by written ballot
(2 yr term, expires June 2010)
Ed Robb, Chairman
Alex Sutton
Bruce Tough
Executive Committee
Appointed by written ballot
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Nelda Blair, Chairman
Lloyd Matthews, Vice Chairman
Bruce Tough, Vice Chairman
Vicki Richmond, Treasurer/Asst. Secretary
Alex Sutton, Secretary
Investment Committee
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Vicki Richmond, Treasurer
Alex Sutton, Secretary
Don Norrell, President, Township
The Woodlands Fire Department
Elected by written ballot (Terms expire Dec. 2009)
Bruce Tough (Postponed until June 2010)
Tom Campbell
Claude Hunter
Lloyd Matthews
The Woodlands Community Service Corporation
Elected by written ballot (Terms expire Dec. 2009)
Bruce Tough (Postponed until June 2010)
Tom Campbell
Claude Hunter
Lloyd Matthews
The Woodlands Recreation Centers, Inc.
Elected by written ballot (Terms expire Dec. 2009)
Claude Hunter (Postponed until June 2010)
Bob Kinnear
Vicki Richmond
The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau
(4 positions Elected by written ballot)
(1 yr term, expires June 2010)
Nelda Blair
Peggy Hausman
Lloyd Matthews
Claude Hunter
Fred Domenick
Kent Johnson
Karen Hoylman
Don Norrell
Nick Wolda, President
Casey Snyder, General Manager
Development Standards Committee Appointments
The Development Standards Committee (DSC) provides architectural control and functions as the appeal board only for properties encumbered with The Woodlands Community Association (WCA) Covenants, as described in Article IX of the Covenants.
As successor entity to WCA, in accordance with the Transition Agreement, the Mutual Benefits Agreements and its amendments, the Township appoints four members to the DSC and The Woodlands Development Company designates three (3) persons who have experience in architecture, engineering, contracting, building code enforcement or a related field, to serve on the DSC.
The Township solicited interest from individuals interested in serving on the DSC and four appointments were made by the Township Board of Directors on December 16, 2009.
The DSC is an appointed board; however, property improvements are initially addressed by the village’s Residential Design Review Committee (RDRC), which is a resident-elected committee. Each RDRC, as defined in Article IX of the Covenants, consists of three or more individuals elected for a term of one year by the village’s residents and property owners whose properties are encumbered with WCA Covenants.
Utility Access Fees
In 2007, The Woodlands Community Association (WCA) retained legal assistance in researching franchise fees. WCA commissioned a study to determine rights and remedies of community associations with respect to franchise fees, which it was determined the Association could not collect. In The Woodlands, the fee that appears on utility bills is not a “franchise fee”; it is a “utility access fee”. The Covenants give The Woodlands Development Company the authority to reserve utility easements, a right originally given to them through the New Community Program and approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Transportation in The Woodlands
The Township Board of Directors voted 6 For (Nelda, Bruce, Kemba, Ed, Lloyd Vicki)-3 against (Peggy, Claude and Tom)-1 abstained (Alex) to take over the Water Taxi’s at the January 27, 2010 Board meeting.
Hope this helps out. Thanks for coming out.
Peggy S. Hausman
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