INS IDE TH IS

I S SUE :

City Council Highlights

2

Winter Tree-Watering

3

Adopt a Tree 3

Arts Commission Report

3

Chief’s Corner

Police Blotter

4

City Calendar

5

The Valley Newsletter D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 C I T Y O F S U N S E T V A L L E Y

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

Winter Tree Planting Although fall is the best �me to plant trees in Texas, our weather condi�ons allow us to plant

throughout much of the winter. Plant roots can con�nue to grow as long as the temperature is

above 40 degrees. This means that plants have an opportunity to establish even during our colder

months.

Below are a few �ps to help you successfully plant trees this coming year:

• Dig a hole large enough in diameter so that the root system has at least six inches of clearance

on all sides. The root ball should rest on a solid soil founda�on, so don't dig the hole much deeper

than the ball.

• Due to the large amount of clay in our soil, plant the tree or shrub slightly above the level of

the surrounding soil. This allows for se$ling and increased soil drainage.

• Carefully place the tree or shrub in the hole. Handle the plant by the root ball, not by the

trunk. Break up the root ball to allow the roots to spread. Always remove any container before you

plant. Ball and burlap trees should have the top half of the wire and burlap removed.

• Backfill the hole, using only the na�ve soil removed from the hole; do not use soil amend-

ments when plan�ng large shrubs and trees. Fill the hole, and firm the soil around the plant. Water

thoroughly to se$le the soil around the roots and to eliminate any air pockets.

• Do not fer�lize your tree or shrub a.er plan�ng. Heavy applica�ons of fer�lizer may burn and

injure the root system, and could possibly kill the plant.

• Watering has been and remains paramount in transplan�ng. At the �me of transplan�ng, soak

the root ball and surrounding soil. A thorough watering every 7 to 10 days drama�cally increases

the success ra�o. More frequent watering may encourage root rot. Remember more trees and

shrubs fail from over watering then from under watering.

Add 2-4 inches of mulch

around the base of newly

planted trees and shrubs.

This helps to keep down

weeds and conserve soil

moisture.

P A G E 2

Council Highlights from the December 1, 2015 Mee�ng

The City Council approved final payment for the mill and overlay project.

Asphalt mill and overlay was performed in the Sunset Valley Meadows, on

a por�on of the Sunset Valley Villas, on Reese Drive from the bridge to the

end of the street, on a por�on of Jones Road and on a patch in the City Hall

parking lot. Addi�onally, Jones Road from Pillow to Westgate was re-

striped.

The City Council approved an amendment to the budget to pay for Aus�n

Library Card reimbursements. Prior to 2008, the City of Sunset Valley

reimbursed residents for the cost of a City of Aus�n Library Card. The an-

nual cost for a non-resident library card at that �me was $60 and $500 was

budgeted annually for this program. In 2008, there were 13 reimburse-

ments and 15 in 2007. A.er 2008, the City Aus�n stopped charging a non-

resident fee and the Sunset Valley program ended.

On October 1, 2015, the City of Aus�n reinstated the non-resident fee for library services at an annual rate of

$120.There was no advance no�ce of this change; therefore, it was not considered as a part of the budget.

Following the inquiry from several residents, the Finance Commi$ee met on November 12, 2015 and unani-

mously voted to recommend to the Council to reinstate the Library Card reimbursement program (1 per house-

hold) with $1,200 funding from the Solar Rebate Program. At this first mee�ng in December, the City Council

approved the recommenda�on. Residents interested in this program should contact Tonya Coley at City Hall.

Email: tcoley@sunsetvalley.org.

The City Council elected Council Member Jeff Burde) to serve as Mayor Pro tem and made appointments to

the City’s Standing Commi)ees. On the back page of this newsle$er are listed those residents appointed to

serve this year on the Budget, Finance, and Administra�ve Commi$ee, Community and Economic Develop-

ment, Planning and Environmental, Public Safety and Public Works Commi$ee. Appointments to the Arts Com-

mission were made at the December 15th mee�ng.

Council Highlights from the December 15, 2015 Mee�ng

Council approved the recommenda�on from the Budget, Finance and Administra�ve Commi)ee to begin

work on a contract for the design of new Police and Public Works facili�es (this contact will have to come

back to the City Council for approval).

Following a public hearing, the City Council approved a subdivision of the city owned property at 3617 Coun-

try White Lane, as known as the Kennedy Property. The City purchased the 6.6 acre property in December

2013 with “Green Tax” funds. At the �me of purchase, the City Council set forth a plan to annex the property

into the city, subdivide the property, complete needed infrastructure on the property and sell the por�on of

the property that lies in the Uplands zone and contains the exis�ng house. In August 2015, the City approved

the annexa�on and at this mee�ng the Council approved the subdivision of the property into two lots.

Under a separate agenda item, but related to this property, the City Council approved a watershed permit and

provided authoriza�on to solicit for bids to construct the Country White Wastewater line. The exis�ng house is

served by an old sep�c system and in the plan for this property is to provide wastewater service to this lot be-

fore the property is sold.

City Council Highlights

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 3

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

Watering Trees in the Winter During the winter many of our plants are dormant and

you may have turned your irriga�on off to protect

against freezing. However, even during winter months

it may be necessary to provide supplemental water to

your trees. This is especially important for young, newly

planted trees. This supplemental watering can help to

promote healthy root development.

In the winter water young trees every 2-3 weeks and

older, established trees every 3-4 weeks. Newly planted

trees should be watered every 7-10 days. This will help

keep the roots from drying out if we have prolonged

periods without rain. If you are unsure if you need to

water, dig into the soil a few inches to determine if the

soil is moist. Trees should be slowly watered allowing

the water to penetrate deep within the ground. Water

established trees throughout the dripline. The dripline

extends to the edge of the tree’s canopy. Newly plant-

ed trees can be watered closer to their trunks. Unlike

the summer when it is recommended to water at night,

plants can be watered during the day in the winter. This

allows the water to soak in throughout the day and

helps protect against freezing. Only water when the air

temperature is above 40°F, watering during a prolonged

freeze can damage your trees. Placing mulch around

your trees can help retain moisture.

ADOPT A TR E E ORDERS

DUE J ANUARY 6 , 2 0 1 6

The City of Sunset Valley offers residents an opportunity

to buy na�ve trees to plant in their yards at great prices.

These trees are delivered to your house. The next Adopt

a Tree Order will be due January 6th

, 2016. The link to

the plant availability list is available on the City’s web-

site. To review list, go to www.sunsetvalley.org --

>Departments-->Public Works and Environmental Ser-

vices--> Environmental Programs-->Adopt a Tree/Na�ve

Plants. If you have any ques�ons or to place an order

email Carolyn Meredith at cmeredith@sunsetvalley.org

or call 891-9103.

ARTS COMMISS ION REPORT B Y J O H N F R I C K

Happy New Year everyone! This past year was another fun year for the arts in

Sunset Valley. It began in the Spring with the melodic rhythms of the Caribbean

from the Bowie High School drum ensemble opening our ninth fantas�c ArtFest.

Summer brought the sounds of laughter and delight from the par�cipants at

another fun Arts Workshop where people of all ages explored a wide variety of

arts and cra.s.

It ended in the twilight of a Fall evening with a huge drumbeat crescendo from a

big drum circle of residents and guests filling our beau�ful courtyard. It was the

finale of our World Art and Culture event featuring the food, dance, art and mu-

sic of Africa. We were all playing on authen�c African drums provided by our

invited musicians. A.er a quick lesson we followed their lead and joined drum

circles around the world at that hour celebra�ng world peace.

We are well into planning our big 10th

ArtFest and deciding the other events for

the rest of 2016. We are also pleased to welcome Wanda Reetz as a new mem-

ber and Be$y Dunn, one of our founding members, back as an alternate. Final-

ly, thanks for your wonderful support—Staff, Council and all of you.

Sasha Russel working on the community art piece at the Art Workshop.

Completed community art piece on display at City Hall.

CHIEF ’ S CORNER S . M . F O R D , M P A

Happy holidays to everyone! I hope you will have ample �me to spend with your family and friends. I also want to

wish everyone a safe holiday and I look forward to the upcoming year for our community of Sunset Valley.

As some may have heard over the past few months during City of Sunset

Valley Council mee�ngs or on the mainstream media outlets, the Open Car-

ry law that passed in September 2015, will take effect on January 1st

,

2016. This law will permit any current Concealed Handgun Licensee (CHL)

to openly carry in the public. This will also permit licensed open carry in

certain government buildings. This is NOT Cons�tu�onal Carry. All persons

wishing to carry under the new legisla�on but currently hold a concealed

handgun license, or obtain a license to carry (LTC) before carrying the fire-

arm openly in view. All open carry licensees will fall under the new state

laws, and licensees will simply be known as a LTC, not specific to concealed

or open carry. The requirements for licensure as a LTC can be found on the

Texas Department of Public Safety website, specifically under open carry or

license to carry area of the website.

As with most new laws or regula�on, comes a varia�on of interpreta�on

and understanding. In an effort to thwart some of this confusion that we

have been hearing or receiving ques�ons on, the Sunset Valley Police De-

partment is directly working with a complete roll out of training for varying

groups of people who share some interest in the new law. The Department

has trained all officers on the new legisla�on, response protocol, and de-

partment expecta�ons as related to the handling of calls for service or in-

terac�ons. In addi�on, the Department trained City employees and the

business district managers and owners prior to Christmas. Finally, the De-

partment has received a request from the public to provide more infor-

ma�on regarding the new law and implica�ons to normal ci�zenry. In an

effort to assist with this, the Department will host a public service aware-

ness segment on Open Carry Impacts during the next Coffee with the Chief

on Wednesday, January 13th

, 2016, from 8:00 A.M to 9:00 A.M.. Feel free

to stop by a li$le early or stay a li$le late if you want to socialize or speak

on other topics. The loca�on this �me will be at the Sunset Valley City Hall

Council Chambers. This loca�on will assist allowing for informa�on to be

disseminated effec�vely to a larger audience should we need the

room. We will be providing coffee and breakfast pastries during the

event. Should anyone have any ques�ons or specific items they would like

answered during the segment related to Open Carry, please feel free to

email or call me directly.

During December, an increase in patrol services was visible in the commercial shopping and restaurant district. Resi-

dents could see officers in patrol cars, on bikes, on police ATVs or walking the shopping centers and parking lots. Offic-

ers focused on visibility, assis�ng shoppers, and responding to law enforcement related calls or traffic related is-

sues. Officers also be handed out goodies to the kids in the shopping districts as well. Feel free to say hi to any of the

officers you may see while out doing your shopping. The addi�onal units assist us with manpower to also focus on our

rou�ne residen�al patrols separate from the increase in commercial district needs.

P A G E 4 T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

November 2015 Police Blotter

Abandoned Vehicle 4 Accidents 22 Alarms 17 Animal Related 3 Assist Others 51 Auto Theft 2 Burglary of Vehicle 1 Community Policing 565 Criminal Trespass 1 Disturbance/Other 1 Disorderly Conduct/Noise 1 DWI/PI/Drugs 3 DWLI 1 Failure to Identify 1 Family Disturbance 1 Found Property 2 Fraud 1 Graffiti 1 Nature Unknown 6 Open Door / Window 2 Reckless/Aggressive Driving 1 Suspicious/Check Welfare 27 Thefts 14 Traffic Related 83 Vehicle Fire 1 Violation of City Ord./Parking 16 Warrant Arrest 2 Criminal Investigation Unit (CID) Action New Cases 7 Active Cases 66 Closed Case 10

P A G E 5 T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

Friday, January 1st City Offices Closed

Wednesday, January 6th

6:00 P.M. Community and Economic Development Committee Meeting

City Hall

Thursday, January 7th

6:00 P.M. Planning and Environmental Committee Meeting

City Hall

Tuesday, January 12th

6:00 P.M. City Council Meeting

City Hall

Wednesday, January 20th

(7:00 P.M. Board of Adjustment Meeting

City Hall—Council Chambers

Thursday, January 21st 6:00 P.M.

Arts Commission Meeting

City Hall—Conference Room

Thursday, January 21st 7:00 P.M.

Public Works Committee Meeting

City Hall—Council Chambers

Monday, January 25th 6:00 P.M.

Public Safety Committee Meeting

City Hall

Wednesday, January 27th

7:00 P.M. Zoning Commission Meeting (if needed) City Hall—Council Chambers

Thursday, January 28th

7:00 P.M. Budget, Finance and Administrative Committee Meeting

City Hall

Meeting Dates and Time May Change.

Please check the City’s Website

SunsetValley.org for updates.

CH I E F ’ S CO RN E R CONT I NU E D The Department and City has seen an increase in homeless individuals seTng up camp sites in our nature areas as well as on

some community members private proper�es that back up to our green spaces or conserva�on areas and trails. Officers

have been no�fied of several over the last month. If you observe any transient or homeless camps on the City property, we

ask you to contact the Police Department with the loca�on. If you observe the camps or persons on your own property and

wish to have police assistance in making contact with the individuals, do not hesitate to contact the Department for

help. We do not recommend making contact by yourself with individuals who are trespassing or squaTng on property ille-

gally.

A special thanks to the ci�zens and members of our community who dropped off special Christmas treats for the offic-

ers. The staff would like to thank you for doing so. For anyone wishing to drop off anything, please contact the police ad-

ministra�on office at 512-892-1384 Monday thru Friday, 730 am – 3 pm. If on a weekend, please call the main line and fol-

low the prompts to speak with an officer for a non-emergency call back. As always, should anyone wish to speak to me, feel

free to contact me via email @ sford@sunsetvalley.org or call my office at 512-892-1384, to schedule an appointment.

Thank You Thank you for all of the contribu�ons to the holiday food and Brown Santa toy drives. Your food dona�ons helped five fami-

lies of children a$ending Sunset Valley Elementary that normally eat both breakfast and lunch at school to have food

through the long winter break.

City of Sunset Valley Newsletter 3205 Jones Road Sunset Valley, TX 78745

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Board of Adjustment

Commi)ee Members

Thomas Cedel, Chair Randall Rosengarten, Vice Chair Richard Hayes Marshall McHone Sandy Cox - alternate Jennifer Fadal—alternate ************************************ Budget, Finance & Administra�ve

Commi)ee Members

Marc Bruner, Council Representa�ve Rudi Rosengarten, Chair John Bellanca Patricia Murphy J.R. Esquivel Michael Francis Melissa Gonzales, alternate Ketan Kharod Wanda Reetz, alternate ************************************ Community & Economic

Development Commi)ee Members

Mickie Powers, Council Representa�ve Penny Cedel Robert Reetz Karen Flournoy Sandi Williams ************************************ Zoning Commission

Commi)ee Members Robert Skewis, Chair Miguel Huerta, Vice Chair Susan Durso John Frick Brant Boozer—alternate Cynthia Nelson Bridget Robinson—alternate

Rose Cardona, Mayor

rcardona@sunetvalley.org

Jeff Burde), Mayor Pro tem

jburde$@sunsetvalley.org Marc Bruner Council Member

mbruner@sunsetvalley.org

Walter Jenkins, Council Member

wjenkins@sunsetvalley.org

Mickie Powers, Council Member

mpowers@sunsetvalley.org Rudi Rosengarten, Council Member

rrosengarten@sunsetvalley.org

************************************ Arts Commission

Commi)ee Members John Frick, Chair Walter Jenkins, Council Representa�ve James Hart Karen Medicus Erika Montero Wanda Reetz Sasha Russell Ma$ Young Be$y Dunn- alternate Kim Moncus—Honorary—SV Elementary

Planning & Environmental

Commi)ee Members

Walter Jenkins, Council Representa�ve Helen Besse, Chair Terry Cowan Edward Grimes Lucy Hairston Karen Medicus Zoe Treiff Robert Browning, alternate *********************************** Public Safety Commi)ee Members

Jeff Burde$, Council Representa�ve Pam Bellanca Rob Case Ruth Dawson Erwin Haddon Ketan Kharod Art Williams Frank Williams John Bellanca—alternate *********************************** Public Works Commi)ee Members

Rudi Rosengarten, Council Representa�ve Randy Machemehl, Chair John Bellanca Mary Black Melissa Gonzales Walter Jenkins Ken Schroeder Richard Leigh —alternate