A New Year A New Decade

New Years resolutions anyone ? What about last years resolutions ? Did they work ? Any thoughts on the new decade?

Merry Christmas to ALL !!

Merry Christmas to everyone !

To track Santa click here

Go CREEK !!!!

CREEK's fighting Wildcats are clawing their way to the top of the playoff games.


Regional Football Playoffs
Clear Creek vs. Cypress Woods
Nov. 27th 6:00 PM
@ Humble ISD Stadium

Game tickets will be on sale on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the football office.

Pre-sale tickets will be $4 for students, and $7 for adults.
Saturday at the Gate, ticket prices will be $5 for students, and $10 for adults

Come out and support the Clear Creek Wildcats as they move to the third round of the State Playoffs.

Thanksgiving 2010

Here is a little background from History.com on Thanksgiving. Living in the U.S.A. we have plenty to be thankful for. If you would like take a moment to share with us what are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving at the Mallios house will have about 17 or so family members and will include all the traditional items as well as a few that may not be. Family, football and food, thank you God for blessing our family, city and nation.

The Mighty Wildcats !!!

The Clear Creek Wildcats are on their way to the Regional Semi-finals on Sat. Nov. 27, (Road Trip anyone?) after the 16-0 defeat of the LaPort Bulldogs. Go CREEK !!! God Bless the MIGHTY WILDCATS !!!Now that is something we can all be LEAGUE CITY PROUD about !!!

GET OUT AND VOTE !!!!

Ok, click here to find out where your polling location is

Below are a few lessons we should all think about before we go and vote. These lessons are from over 25 years of working elections in our county.

Lesson # 1 campaign volunteers upset that the poll workers won't let them inside to use the "facilities" should Take a change of shirts so they may change their shirts and take off all campaign buttons so that they may be able to go into a polling place. It is not the Election Judges fault. They are trying to insure a fair election.

Lesson # 2 Please try to locate your BLUE voter card (that is the color for this election cycle) If you cannot please bring you Tx DL. You must be able to identify yourself and your residence.

Lesson # 3 When you work the polls outside be kind to your fellow worker. They are supporting a cause just as you are and have every right to express their opinion as you do. There is no need for rudeness or ill manners.

Lesson # 4 Respect the people who are working in the election. Remember it is not their fault you decided to wait to the last day (and possibly hour) to cast your vote. You could have done it in the weeks prior but you chose not to. Long line are bound to occur in the Morning and the evening so plan around it.

Lesson # 5 If you feel there has been shanangens at your polling place call the County Clerks office and report the incident. Ms. Daigle will investigate the matter and resolve it in the proper way. All anyone else can do is call Ms. Daigle.

Lesson # 6 Know what precinct you live and vote in. You have a right to vote. Period. If an election judge will not let you vote, you have a right to request a provisional ballot. You may vote a provisional ballot but it will not be counted unless you are a voter in the pct. and meet the requirements that all voters must.

Ultimately remember this. This is an election and not the end of the world or the beginning of it. On November 3rd the sun will rise and life will go on. Politics should unite our county not divide it.

League City Shroud?

I applaud the backbone Councilmember Dawson displayed when she voted against League City Proud’s “offer they can’t refuse” The offer was pay us or there will be no Christmas parade. The majority of council decided to pay up with our tax dollar to fund this parade for the citizens.

Going unanswered are the details. League City Proud has thus far been unable to show the city their books and has not shown where all the “non profit” organizations money is spent. In other words they prefer to keep the people who are paying for the parade (the citizens of League City) in the dark. No transparency there. (Where have we seen this before?) They refuse to sign a contract to obligate them to reimburse the city for security expenses relating to their production. Why?

I think it’s time the city take control of city functions like this parade or at least get bids on it. There is no village fair parade and now the people who put on the Christmas Parade are putting the proverbial gun to the head of the citizens and saying Pay up or there will be no Christmas parade ! Now that is what I call exhibiting the Christmas spirit. Doesn’t that make you League City Proud ???

Drill baby Drill ?

This was in the Daily News this morning. What are your thoughts about drillin’ for oil in League City.

What a difference a new administration makes.

The Mayor and Council should be commended for their work on the budget ! It is truly different then the “last minute” budgets of administrations past. One must recognize the efforts, professionalism and just plain hard work our great City Manager, Marcus Jahns has done and is doing for our city. He has assembled a team of professionals who care about our city but understand making every tax dollar count.

Even the Galveston County Daily News stated “ The budget the city council in League City adopted ought to be a model for cities in Galveston County.” Click here for the full story.

So are we moving in the right direction? Is this administration better than the last or even past ones?

Attorney directs city to avoid learning the truth in bridge lawsuit?!

For those who might not have seen it yet, there has been some lively discussion over on the Galveston Daily News web site following their article on Saturday that the outside attorney for the city has overruled the decision of city council to release the title opinion obtained by the city with regard to the Glen Cove bridge properties.

Of particular note in this discussion, Marc Edelman has posted that the city's attorney has advised the city council not to get a title search. Allow me to reiterate; the city's attorney in the bridge lawsuit has advised the city to not take the most basic step to discover the truth about the ownership of the bridge properties. (A step which by all rights should have been taken before the city ever agreed to anything with anyone about the bridge.)

At least according to Marc's statements in the GDN comments, excerpted here:

Marc Edelman (medelman2k) August 29, 2010 11:16 AM

#17 of 30 Reply | Request staff review

@Evan, The larger issue at hand is who owned the bridge, HL&P, The City, or the residents of Glen Cove. [...] Of Course the City's Lawyer is not going to sign off on releasing executive session information. He advised them never to perform a title search, but they did it anyway. Now they want to release the results. Elected officials have a fiduciary responsibility to their citizens. These actions violate that fiduciary responsibility.

And again:

Marc Edelman (medelman2k) August 30, 2010 7:27 AM

#26 of 30 Reply | Request staff review

Let's see Jeff,
What I said was the City's attorney advised the City Council not to get a title search after the law suit was filed by Glen Cove residents. I think it is wise for clients to follow thei attorney's advice.

[...]

After pondering this astounding comment (and assuming Marc's knowledge of the attorney's comments is accurate), the question naturally arises;

Just why in the world should the city be advised to avoid learning the truth?!

Is there some other reason than the obvious suspicion that the attorney knows the truth that will be uncovered is not favorable for his client (and his continued billing to the city)?

Another question that comes to mind is just how does Marc Edelman have knowledge of the private advice the city's attorney is giving to the city?

§ 552.352

CC Baron's Executive Session

Councilman Attorney Baron’s Special City Council Executive Session
Tuesday August 31, 2010

“Discussion concerning possible amendments to Interlocal Easement Agreement between League City and MB Harbour, LTD” (Council Member Baron)

Also Discussions with City Attorney regarding pending and threatened or contemplated litigation. (Council Member Baron)


OK - So now Attorney Baron wants modify the easement agreement rather than rescinding.

What possible amendments could you have with an easement agreement on property the city can not prove it owns? The only amendment I can see is a termination date of yesterday rather than 96 years in the future.

Mr. Baron how about sharing your ideas with the citizens.
Please tell us what you are thinking.

As far as council's decision to release the title opinion, I have heard Helfand is NOT going to approve the release.

Here's my prediction: MB Harbor will not sue the city over the 99 year lease. It had little value. Suit will likely be over the developer's agreement that was approved by council in February 2006 under the supervision of City Attorney Polanco.


Scott Freudenburg - Glen Cove HOA Presidents Speaks:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7632459

Lipitor for the city

At 6 PM Tuesday the city council will hold a workshop on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY 2011- FY 2015. Take the time and go to the meeting to find out the direction our city will be taking. As we have learned from past projects, it is important to be informed.

What are your thoughts about the priorities of our city? Do you think the local economic situation has an impact on our priorities ? Should we concentrate on updating our streets and drainage? Do you think that the operating budget impact should be considered before a project is underway? As we taxpayers all tighten our belts should all departments be asked to do the same? Should automatic raises and cost of living adjustments continue or should they be put on hold until the economic situation is better ?

As you know tightening the city belt will not be easy. But if you consider our current CIP situation cholesterol and our city the heart, then this 5 year CIP may be the Lipitor needed to prevent a heart attack.

The White Elephant in the room

I find it interesting that while we discuss the location of the playground very few wish to discuss the white elephant in the room. Who was the elected official who had staff members tell Councilmember Phalen they would spend what he wanted extra on the park if he changed his vote to move it to the sportsplex? Seems to me that elected official is a snake in the grass and needs to be exposed. Or do you think that is how it should be?

If the merits of moving the playground are so great then why the attempt to change the vote?

Let me get this straight..Some council members wish to move the playground from a specific location to an area in the sportsplex to be determined? How much time will that take? But of course they are not attempting to delay the project? A councilmember says there will be a savings to the taxpayer by moving the project but proposes, without hesitation, an increase to the spending cap set by city council by $ 100,000 ?

Give me a break. In my opinion this project is being delayed because it appears that some who have not been keeping up with current events, woke up and decided they did not want such a project in “their” part of town.

The east side, west side argument is nothing but an attempts to motivate people to their side. Divide and conquer is the old way of doing politics in League City. Will we continue to drink the kool aid?

HAS ANYONE GONE OUT THERE TO LOOK AT THE LOCATION ? If they have they will see many problems that could possibly occur at this location that would not possibly happen in League Park. It is time to do some homework council members. Go out there and have a definite location by Tuesday. Walk the area, look at the boundaries you are attempting to place on the boundless playground.

Boundless Playground - Under Construction

TODAY - Demolition underway to make room for the Boundless Playground.






















The existing playground equipment will be relocated to the city's park at Countryside.

Some plead for "a little fiscal responsibility please?" while others suggest that any further discussion is just a waste of time.

I wonder how many emails have been sent to the Mayor and council members?

4th of July !!

Happy 4th to one and all ! God Bless League City, Texas and the United States of America. Here is a link to the History channel website that gives us some excellent background information. Today is a day for brisket, Apple pie, potato salad, baked beans and Blue bell homemade vanilla Ice Cream !

FM 518 Bypass Public Meeting Set for June 10th

League City will be holding a public meeting Thursday (June 10th, 2010) evening (7:00PM) to discuss the 518 bypass traffic project. There is a great deal of controversy and misunderstanding surrounding this project and the city has initiated a series of public meetings to better address this topic. This is an issue that affects almost all residents of League City, so it is well advised to attend.

Here is the link to and a copy of the city's official announcement:

http://www.leaguecity.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=2987

The City of League City FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

300 W. Walker May 18, 2010

League City, TX 77573

Contact: Kristi Wyatt

281-554-1025

FM 518 Bypass Public Meeting Set for June 10th

The City of League City will hold a public meeting on June 10th at 7:00 p.m. at the League City Council

Chmabers to address citizen questions and concerns regarding the FM 518 Bypass Project. The project is

intended to help alleviate traffic congestion at the Five Corners, one of the region’s most congested

intersections. The meeting, which was originally scheduled for May 27th, has been postponed to allow the

City to gather additional data.

City Manager Marcus Jahns has set up an internal working group to address community concerns regarding

the project. “Moving forward, we plan to meet with key project partners to ensure that we improve mobility

while being sensitive to all concerned,” said Public Works Director, Rich Oller, who is leading the project.

Oller is also coordinating the flow of information with a citizen group that is being assembled.

Key questions regarding the project, which has been in the planning process for nearly 10 years, revolve

around environmental and neighborhood issues as well as cost-benefit analyses of the chosen route. These

questions and others are to be addressed at the June 10th meeting. Information concerning the 518 Bypass

Project, as well as this meeting, can be found under the FM 518 Bypass Project button on the homepage of

leaguecity.com. Announcements of this meeting and other FM 518 Bypass public meetings will also be made

through the City’s Blackboard Connect phone, email and text system. Residents can sign up for the system on

leaguecity.com to ensure they receive notice of upcoming meetings.

FM 518 Bypass Project Public Meeting

June 10, 2010

7:00 p.m.

Council Chambers, 200 W. Walker

Here is the link to the information page on the city website about the project:

http://www.leaguecity.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=522

Shut this "gate" from the past

It appears the past keeps coming back. "Gungate" is about to come to an end. A few years back I ran across this information. In my opinion it seems timely so I would like to post it again. The following is a description of a billing taken from a slip listing from our city attorney at the time.

“ Gun Range Nuisance – Call from the mayor regarding gun range. Advice as to how to characterize a gun range as a nuisance and ultimately have it removed. Discussed same with Chris Reed and Larry Herbert and put call in to Mary Chambers. Research regarding the relationship between nuisance eradication. “

According to the slip listing this took place on 5/15/2007.
There are many more entries regarding the Gun Range. Tonight our council has an opportunity to correct, what is in my opinion, an injustice. Tonight the council has the ability to shut this “gate” from the past. Tonight I believe that the council should grant the zoning request.

Wanda Belle Children's Fund

No doubt most folks have heard the news about the tragic murder-suicide shooting on Seminole road last Monday (May 17th). Here are the stories as printed in the Galveston Daily News:

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=17fb11706b271341

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=12916f662c7f020e

This tragedy has touched the lives of four young children in the most terrible way. In an attempt to bring some relief to these unfortunate kids, the neighborhood has started a benefit fund at Moody bank to make donations to their aid. The children are being cared for in the custody of family members who will receive 100% of the funds donated to be used exclusively on behalf of the children. The details of this benefit were printed in the GDN Friday edition:

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=28d93c36999bffa0

This tragedy happened here in League City, so please consider making a donation.

The official announcement of this fund from GCPHOA President Scott Freudenberg follows:

Glen Cove Park HOA and the homeowners of Glen Cove have opened an account at Moody Bank to benefit the children of Wanda Belle. " Although they lived in our neighborhood for a short time, they were still residents, and the recent tragedy has touched the hearts of our neighborhood and the City of League City." " The HOA has been swamped with requests to help the children in some way and we decided this would be the best way to make sure they at least have a chance to carry on with the loss of their mother." "We would ask that anyone who has a $1 or more to spare donate to this fund and help these children." " Moody National Bank has generously reached out to be a part of this and help us in our effort." (SF QUOTE)

The children are as follows
Jackie , girl, age 13
Mateo , boy, age 8
Claudia , girl, age 6
J.J. , boy, age 3

Donations can be made in person at any of the Moody National Banks in Galveston County and other branchs in the area.

Donations should be made out to the "Wanda Belle Childrens Fund" and can also be mailed to

Moody National Bank
South Shore Branch
2901 South Shore Blvd
League City, Texas 77573

Classless Finish

Having a passing interest in history and appreciating opportunities to witness history as it occurs, I've gotten in the habit over the past few years of attending the last council meetings of outgoing council members and the first meetings of incoming members. As such, I went to see the last meeting with councilman Jim Nelson this evening. Admittedly though it is no secret that I have been displeased by some of his past actions and have not seen eye-to-eye with him at all times, I do respect his many years of public service and have learned much about community participation by his example. I expected this evening's history-in-action to be in the form of the typical salute honoring the career highlights of an elder statesman headed into retirement.

Was I ever mistaken!

For some reason, Mr. Nelson chose as his parting action to move for a proclamation of the city honoring past city administrator Chris Reed. This was handled poorly from the start and why Mr. Nelson wished to do so I find puzzling. The item was added to the last minute supplemental agenda, so obviously it was poorly coordinated to begin with. The real question though is why was it done at all? Anybody that has ever observed League City politics knows that Mr. Reed's tenure with the city began under questionable circumstances and caused numerous controversies through two mayoral administrations. Ultimately he was removed from office by executive action of council for reasons that to this day are held secret. Although I am personally aware of a number of Mr. Reed's misdeeds, I do not know the reason(s?) that ultimately forced council to remove him. I do know that whatever the cause for his termination, it was of sufficient severity and controversy that it was stupidly foolish of Mr. Nelson to reopen this old wound. Mr. Reed got an incredibly generous severance, landed a nice new job, and League City government has functioned better than ever. Mr Nelson should have known to leave well enough alone.

Given that Mr. Reed brought his attorney with him to the council meeting tonight, obviously he and Mr. Nelson knew that this move would be controversial and a lighting rod for trouble. Realistically, given Mr. Nelson's mostly contentious relationship with the mayor and most of council, this whole thing looked as though he had deliberately engineered this stunt as a parting poke in the eye at his enemies.

I've been content not knowing why council ousted Mr. Reed. It's old news, it's not my business, the city is running better, and we've all moved on. Except, apparently, Mr. Nelson. If the city is to make a proclamation honoring Mr. Reed, then it does become the business of the citizens to know why he was ousted. Either leave it be or tell it all.

Obviously, Mr. Nelson's fellow council members felt that his proclamation was inappropriate and moved to table it rather than dredging up the past. It was at this point that Mr. Nelson sacrificed the integrity of his legacy. Faced with determined opposition to his move by the rest of council, he threw a temper tantrum. There's really no other way to put it. He tried repeatedly to speak out of turn, even trying to shout down the mayor. When he failed to get his way, he walked out of the council meeting never to return and followed by Mr. Reed, his attorney, and his entourage.

Mr. Nelson's parting shot is particularly galling given that this council has shown him unprecedented latitude in forgiving his excessive absences from council this past term. By rights, he should have long ago been removed from office for failure to uphold his responsibilities and replaced by special election, but instead his absences were generously forgiven in order for him to finish out his years of service with the dignity of an elder statesman. In light of his antics this evening, he should have been give no such opportunity as there was nothing dignified about his parting actions.

Mr. Nelson's tantrum was one of the most embarrassing moments I've seen in politics. There is nothing dignified about a man in his 70's acting like a two year old.

Truly a classless way to finish his career. I am sorry he chose this way to make his exit and sorry I had to witness him do it.

A sad way for us to remember him, and a sad addition to our history.

Catch the re-runs on Channel 16 or here:

http://www.leaguecitycouncilvideos.com/

once the 5/11 meeting gets posted.

Jeff Hagen

League City 2010 Council Election Results

Tim Paulissen wins reelection to place 6 in a landslide victory of 100% to 0% against.... no opponent.

;-)

Congrats all the same Councilman Paulissen!

Joanna Sharp - Dawson wins election to the place 7 seat currently held by Jim Nelson (who is retiring).

Despite the crowded four-way contest with no incumbent, Joanna took it outright with no need for a runoff. (To be fair, it was really a three way race with Chris Stevens having withdrawn to endorse Joanna, but due to timing issues his name was officially still on the ballot.)

Congrats Councilwoman Sharp - Dawson!

The final numbers are:

Joanna Sharp - Dawson: 55.9%

Tommy Garland: 30.4%

Tim Hollway: 10.3%

Chris Stevens: 3.3%

The total turnout was 2,892 votes in the place 7 race.

With such a complex field of candidates, it is noteworthy that the winner took this race almost two to one (1.84 : 1) over the second place finisher. A remarkably strong victory.

As usual in recent history, precinct 5 (the east end) had by far the largest turnout. There is something surprising in the details though.

Looking at the vote totals, early voting continues to gain popularity with slightly more than half of the votes coming before election day. This trend held across precincts 1, 2, 3, & 4 which all did more than half of their voting early. The noteworthy exception is precinct 5, which actually saw more votes on election day than in early voting. Not sure it means anything; the statistic just catches one's attention a bit.

The official results summary can be found on the city web site here:

http://www.leaguecity.com/index.aspx?NID=1205

and details here:

http://www.leaguecity.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=2967

Jeff Hagen

Postings of candidate forum recordings.

For the last week of the city council campaign, here are links to recordings of the Glen Cove and Clear Creek Village candidate forums. My apologies for the long delay - combination of personal health issues (resolved), work, & computer issues. The video of the live version of the GC forum is still on the ustream sight, but the following is a full length version with higher quality audio. The CCV recording is audio only.

http://gallery.me.com/jeffhagen/100516

Glen Cove candidate forum video

http://web.me.com/jeffhagen/Jeffs_League_City_info/CCV_

Clear Creek Village candidate forum audio

Jeff

The Ross Plantation

Does anyone have any pictures or information on the Old Ross plantation? I know that Mr. Ross was a local businessman and was the president of the School Board, However some individuals are looking for pictures and other information regarding that area. It has been my understanding that the Ross house was an accidental fire. I was told back in the day that vagrants or transients may have accidentally set it on fire. There was also a rumor going around that it was torched to hide some other evidence of other activities that may have gone on in there. I understand that a few individuals (names removed to protect the guilty) spent a night or two in that mansion. If you have some ideas, stories, pictures or leads please post them or if you wish to remain anonymous please give me a call @ 281-682-8873 (cell) or 281-332-5870 (Home).

Candidate stretching $7 for rest of campaign

By Hayley Kappes
The Daily News
Published April 23, 2010

FRIENDSWOOD — With about two weeks left until election day, city council Position 4 candidate Billy Enochs has $7 left in his campaign budget, and he is determined to make it last.

Enochs, an executive leadership consultant, promised to accept no campaign contributions and to spend no more than $500 of his money.

He set the limit to prove a point. Enochs said voters are frustrated with excessive campaign spending at every government level. He wanted to show a person could run a city council campaign on a limited budget.
______________________________

Please see Galveston Daily News front page for the entire story.

The following comments have been posted to the GDN article.

Luke Primrose (workorfish)April 23, 2010 6:34 AM
I applaud all candidates who have listened to the majority of voters tired of massive election spending and the "vote buying" scams it can spawn. Now if we can elevate this mentality to state level campaigns we may eventually get to the national level - not in our liftimes.

Paul Smith (paulsmith77565)April 23, 2010 8:50 AM
Luke, you stated my thoughts exactly. Not long ago League City voters were clueless as to who financed the campaigns for mayor and council members. It was not unusual for a single candidate to have multiple $5,000 contributions from individual developers and city contractors. More telling were the $10,000+ mega contributions from “special interest” PACs.

Times are changing in League City. In a written pledge to citizens, Joanna Sharp-Dawson, current candidate for council, proclaimed “I have not and will not ever accept contributions from developers, Political Action Committees (PACs) or any special interest group.”

Such commitments have become common and have been made by most of the recently elected city officials. I applaud Bill Enoch, Joanna Sharp, and others that publically pledge to forego the easy path of big money from special interest groups.
________________________

This article raises good questions for the Candidates Forum.

CCV Residents and West Side League City Residents Monday April 26'th 7:00PM Christus Victor Lutheran Church (Located in front of Clear Creek Village off 518)

Great opportunity to meet all the candidates and ask the probing questions.

Forum on the westside

CCV Residents and West Side League City Residents Monday April 26'th 7:00PM Christus Victor Lutheran Church (Located in front of Clear Creek Village off 518)

This forum is all about League City citizens. Join us, have your voice heard, and become informed of ballot propositions so you can participate by your vote in determining the future of our city.

At 7 PM promptly the Candidates Forum will begin. This forum is structured to give the citizens an opportunity to ask questions important to them. The three candidates for Position 7 will be in attendance.

Reference the article below for additional details about our Candidates Forum for CCV and the West Side including the Charter Amendment Propositions.

I want to let you know the format of the forum. It is a format was used on the West End in Galveston for a Mayoral forum a few weeks ago, and it was very well received--from candidates as well as attendees. At this time, it has been decided that Peggy Zahler will be the moderator.

The format is as follows:

Three questions from the CCV Board will be provided to you a few days before the forum. These questions will be asked first and will be answered by each of you.

Drawing among candidates for order of seating/speaking

Each candidate will be given 2 minutes to introduce themselves

I will ask each candidate the CCV Board's 3 questions

Questions from the floor will then be asked. There will be no debate or follow-on question until other attendees have a chance to ask a question. This will prevent one or two attendees from monopolizing the time.

Each candidate will have a chance to answer every question asked and will be given 2 minutes

At attempt will be made, within a reasonable amount of time, to address as many questions as possible

Each candidate will be given 2 minutes to summarize their position/closing remarks

The timer from the League City Chamber will be used to enforce time limits. It is our intent to strongly enforce time limits such that all candidates have equal time.

After the candidates panel, there will be a brief presentation by City Council representatives on the Charter Review Propositions. It is planned that two citizens will then briefly discuss their preferred form of government.

Neil Baron & Mick Phalen will speak on behalf of the City on the Charter Amendments.
Charter Review Member's Marc Edelman will speak why he supports Council Manager Form of Government and Chris Mallios will speak on why he supports Strong Mayor Form of Government.



The Candidates Forum will begin at 7 PM. Depending on the questions and the turnout, your part should last no longer than an hour.

We will do everything we can to encourage a large turnout, and we are including other West Side subdivisions in our invitation.

This will allow the Citizens to ask the questions that they want to get the Candidates position on and also help educate everyone on the Charter Review Propositions.

Any questions, please feel free to call me. All are welcomed.

Rusty Tidwell
281-923-4375

Forum Tonight

If you are looking for information on the candidates running for office, drop by the city council chambers at 200 West Walker tonight and listen to what the candidates say about the issues that affect our city at the League City Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Committee Candidate forum. Or if you are not able to be there you can watch it live on channel 16. It starts at 6pm.

The Sign Brewhaha and Campaign Finance Reform

The Valero “Angel” Mart at Main and SH 3 had its few days of fame. However, its support for council candidate Tommy “G” is no longer posted on the marquee.  (Signs are retained at the corner)  Also gone are Marc’s Blog heading and comments about the sign.

Two issues puzzle me. 

First, why would someone pay $2.79 a gallon and prevailing prices are around $2.65??

Secondly, why has there been no discussion of the campaign finance reform?  Many citizens see this is a big deal but details have been sketchy.  Does this mean that candidates can no longer be funded by the homebuilder’s PAC and individual development companies? 

I watched the council meeting and sound quality was generally poor.  Mayor Randall’s mike was the worst!

Does someone have a link for the campaign finance ordinance?

The field Narrows

It appears the Chris Stevens has removed his name from consideration for position 7 in the League City council race. I found this at guidrynews.com

“Thank you to family, friends and supporters of my candidacy for City Council Position 7. Your encouragement is something I will always cherish. However, after careful consideration and thorough discussion I have decided that Joanna Sharp and I can work better together seeking the same bright future for League City rather than seeking the same position on city council. With the leadership of Mayor Randall and a fiscally responsible majority on council, League City is making tremendous strides in correcting inherited problems of the past, making careful plans for the future and building up "good government".

Therefore for the good of the city and a united conservative movement, I am asking all my supporters to embrace and vote for Joanna Sharp Dawson as their next city council member. Since the deadline to officially withdraw has passed my name will still appear on the ballot but my campaign efforts have ceased. However, my support and work for 'Joanna Sharp for City Council Position 7' has just begun!

God Bless,
Chris Stevens”

Third Annual League City Candidate Forum in Glen Cove Park

As of the close of candidate sign-ups this evening (Monday, March 8th), Tim Paulissen has signed up to run for reelection to Position 6, but JIm Nelson is not seeking reelection to Position 7.

No other candidate has signed up to run for Position 6, so Mr. Paulissen will be unopposed for reelection.

Joanna Sharp, Tim Holloway, Tommy Garland, and Chris Stevens have signed up to run for the open Position 7 seat, which will be the only race to be decided this year.

Once again we will hold a Glen Cove candidates forum in our park to give the residents of Glen Cove as well as our neighbors in nearby communities an opportunity to meet all of the candidates in an informal and intimate setting. All five candidates have agreed to appear.

Any interested persons in surrounding neighborhoods and throughout the city are also invited to join us in meeting the candidates at this forum.

What: Meet the candidates for League City offices

When: Sunday, March 14, 2010

Where: At the Glen Cove park (north end of Glen Cove St., on the lake)

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/1-3Bb7ebjMQhYZ

(A notice of rain-out location will be posted if necessary)

Time: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

The following link goes to my personal blog posting of this event, which has downloadable invitation flyers for this event, maps, election info, etc.

Please try to car pool as parking is rather limited.

http://web.me.com/jeffhagen/Jeffs_League_City_info/Jeffs_LC_Blog/Entries/2010/3/8_Glen_Cove_candidate_forum_for_League_City_2010_City_Council_election.html

Congratulations to all the candidates for entering the race and thank you for agreeing to attend this event.

Jeff Hagen

The truth comes out

In today’s Galveston County Daily News we see that the AmeriWaste contract is under review. My goodness could it be that what was being said at the time (2007) is true? When you blindly turn your head or bury it in the sand to the facts and truth of a situation you help that situation continue. So where are the good old boys who defended the blatant disregard for the citizens, the small businesses and the city now? Let’s hear from them. Tommy Cones, Marc Edelman, Chris Reed, Councilman Nelson, Pat Hallisey, and of course the leader of the circus Jerry Shults what do you have to say for yourselves now that the truth is out? None of those individuals can claim to be conservative with the taxpayers’ dollars.

My thanks go to Council members Barber and Paulissen who stood up for our citizens and went the extra mile. Of course they took a lot of heat for it, but when the truth came out we find that they we motivated unlike some, not by greed or personal gain (there was never any doubt in my mind) but by the truth and what is best for the citizens.


Council member Paulissen is up for re-election and I will tell you now that he will get every bit of support that I can give. He stood up for the citizens he did what was right and some of the above individuals chastised him for it. Shame on those who did. If all our council members were like council member Paulissen and council member Barber our city and citizens would not have been in the mess that Jerry and his good old boys left us in.

Council Recap

Hello Everyone,

Council was called to order at 6pm, with Councilman Barber absent.

Pastor Jerry Clarkson of League City Friends Church gave the invocation, to a packed chamber.

Cub Scout Pack 76 led the U. S. and Texas Pledges of Allegiance, and presented a short skit. Thanks to all of you!

There was a PUBLIC HEARING regarding the operation of golf carts on public roadways within the City of League City. Almost 20 citizens spoke in favor of the use of the carts, but all agreed that the drivers must be licensed, and favored a citywide registration program. You will be hearing more about this in a future meeting when it is placed on the agenda.

In CITIZENS REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE COUNCIL, Teresa Otten of the League City Barricudas has offered for them to pay half of the cost of a 40x15 shade cover by the pool, which amounts to a sharing of $3676.42. Representatives of MUD 6, asked the City to be placed on the November ballot for their annual election. This MUD has 873 homes and is in the Landing.

In COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS, it was announced that the Friends of the Library will have their annual meeting on March 9th at 7pm, and the public is invited to hear local author, Cindy Price. Refreshments will be served.

The Hurricane season is fast approaching, and the City will soon begin preparations. In the meantime, citizens can look at www.ready.org

In REPORTS FROM STAFF MEMBERS, Finance Director Mike Loftin presented the First Quarter Budget Report, which showed that our Sales Tax Revenues are down, but that the numbers are misleading because last years Sales Tax was inflated by Ike-related business. Aside from that we are financially very strong. We are beginning to make initial preparation of the budget process.

THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS were passed 6-0. These items included the Ordinance No. 2010-07 amending Chapter 42, Article II entitled "Noise" in order to allow for reasonable and effective enforcement of noise violations over a wide array of circumstances.

In NEW BUSINESS, Council voted to reschedule the combined workshop of P&Z, ZBA and the Historic District Commission because of Spring Break. A new date will be announced.

Council passed a resolution to support the Dickinson Bayou Watershed Steering Committee's proposed drainage project entitled "Alternate Pond C" and directed the City Administrator to identify a funding source for an amount not to exceed $200,000. The was 6-0. This is extremely important for us to participate because at least 28% of League City is in the Dickinson Watershed. By working with this entity and the Galveston County Drainage District, the City is working toward regional improvements. we are always open to great partnerships like these, which allows our funds to go further for everyone.
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The item regarding the dissolution of the City of League City Industrial Development was tabled until the March 8th meeting.

ACTION ITEM FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION. Council voted to initiate a title search for the property subject to the 99-year lease and the land where the old Glen Cove Bridge was, voting 6-0.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.

Things are really looking good for us in League City, with work being initiated and ongoing on flooding issues, water issues, monetary issues, etc. Channel 16 and the city website are looking very professional and helpful these days.

With May elections coming up, there are Council-approved changes to our City Charter on the ballot, for the citizens to approve. To read about this, please go to the City website, www.leaguecity.com

Spring Break is just around the corner, so a cool, breezy winter is fading out, so the outdoors are beckening!

Toni Randall
Mayor
City of League City

Cash Cow Quartered

In today’s daily news we see that a quarter of the alleged red light runners in October –January received a Holiday gift by not being issued a ticket for an alleged violation. After careful review the League City Police department rejected about 25% of the alleged red light violations it received. A comment in the article states that the red light camera “has reduced red light violations and traffic congestion in the city.” On a daily basis I travel through that intersection during all times of the day and I can tell you that traffic congestion has not been reduced. On the weekends it is worse. What about 270 ? Has traffic congestion been reduced there ? So what is your opinion ? I do not doubt that there have been less red light violations.



A big thank you and a job well done to all those who participated in the 2010 Clear Creek Clean up. The Clear Creek Environmental Foundation has and continues to do a magnificent job in protecting Clear Creek. It will be nice to get some hike and bike trails along the creek to enjoy one of the cities greatest assets.

It's election time in League City

A League City resident stated in a guest column in today’s daily news that He is always “amused how history seems to repeat itself” in our town. I find it very telling that this is the same person that helps the residential development in our town explode, leading to our traffic problems and straining our infrastructure. Our city is in the mess it is in due, in part, to his work in making sure his residential developers received every break they could get at the League City taxpayers’ expense. (Invented a few breaks on the way) Where was this concerned resident when the home builders (who have supported most of his campaigns) had a free hand in the development as well as incentives that is a major contributing factor in the creation of these problems? He tirelessly opposed the increase in the parks dedication fee for his residential developer friends. (it passed over his objections) Where was his concern for the infrastructure then? He speaks of Big League Dreams having no sign on the freeway. (Most of us understand what happened there.) He claims that the city dropped the ball by not continuing to spend more on that complex. He states that “we have thrown the Butler Longhorn Museum to the curb”. It may be a simple slip of his memory that fails to mention the 3 million dollars in taxpayers’ money that has gone into the development of this project. A project that was supposed to open when Houston hosted the super bowl in 2004.One cannot help but to ask one’s self. How come he didn’t get this taken care of when his Mayor friend Jerry Shults was in office? Or were there other important things that needed to be done? Could it be that all other administrations have turned a “deaf” ear to this proposal because it is not in the best interest of our city or the citizens?


So what is his plan? Well now he wishes the League City taxpayer to offer “business incentives equal to what we do in residential home development.” (sounds like history repeating itself to me) He claims that such a taxpayer giveaway to business developers “might balance out this tax rate”. “Might” Now this is the same person who, in 2005 led the pack of candidates in accepting campiagn contributions from the Houston Builders Association according to a Daily news story.

I am sure that this is just a coincidence but we should take into consideration that it is time to start signing up for the city election.

Why are League City lawns the greenest in the area? Because every year after winter we start the election process in our town and there are always a few who are VERY good at spreading the fertilizer.

Thoughts?

A Note from the Mayor

Mayor Randall Says,

"For nearly five years, the Glen Cove bridge and related issues have been a point of contention for the residents of Glen Cove and for our City. I have directed our legal counsel to accelerate their efforts on this front and deliver to us a review of the City's potential options for resolving this matter. While we are obviously concerned with protecting the City and its taxpayers, we understand that legal risk is but one of several factors to be used in determining whether an action is proper. Fairness counts, too. I want to ensure that the residents of Glen Cove receive fair treatment as we to protect the interests of all League City's residents and taxpayers."

A Note from the mayor

I thought I would post this email from the Mayor.

"For nearly five years, the Glen Cove bridge and related issues have been a point of contention for the residents of Glen Cove and for our City. I have directed our legal counsel to accelerate their efforts on this front and deliver to us a review of the City's potential options for resolving this matter. While we are obviously concerned with protecting the City and its taxpayers, we understand that legal risk is but one of several factors to be used in determining whether an action is proper. Fairness counts, too. I want to ensure that the residents of Glen Cove receive fair treatment as we to protect the interests of all League City's residents and taxpayers."

Thoughts? Comments?

Pre sign up thoughts

The Holiday Season is over and that means elections in League City. We, of course, have the March primary, as well as city elections in May. Sign up for city council position will start soon. In your mind, what issues will the candidate need to address? What do you believe will be the top issues for the city in this election? Flooding? Traffic? BLM ? Change in the form of government? The selection of a permanent city manager/administrator? Ethics? Development? Taxes ? What motivates you, issue or not, to vote in the city election?

A positive change

It appears that our city continues to make progress. This was on the front page of the daily news this morning. In my opinion The mayor and council are doing what is best for our city. The removal of the former Human Resources director was a vital move in the progress of our city ! Keep up the good work !!!

2010 Census

Why is it important to be counted?

Census information affects the number of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.
When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:
• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

On a local level it will conclusively show that our area now has a majority of the county population and will assist the commissions court in the redistricting process that will ensure that our city gets the representation it deserves. It will also help in the realignment of our precinct voting districts. It will also show who the “majority minority” is in our county and help reshape the “minority” commissioners district accordingly.

Participation isn't just important—it's mandatory.

Thank you Dr. Dudney,

Dr. Dudney cares about our city, loves our city and looks out for our city. He is widely known throughout the bay area and has had a major role in the positive development of our area. As one of the members of our first city council he helped place League City on the map and grow into the city it is today. He will be greatly missed.