CITY MANAGER'S UPDATE - Clearing Up COVID Confusion - City of League City
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CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE
APRIL 17, 2020
Clearing Up COVID Confusion
On Tuesday, April 14, City Council members voted to end If you have questions about Governor Abbott’s executive
League City’s local disaster declaration. The decision to order or what is considered essential, visit www.tdem.
end the local declaration DOES NOT negate the current texas.gov/essentialservices/ or send an email to
statewide, stay-at home order from Texas Governor Greg essentialservices@tdem.texas.gov.
Abbott that remains in effect until April 30. As part of the
Governor’s executive order, residents must still continue To view a copy of the Governor’s order, click here.
to minimize social gatherings and minimize contact with
people who are not in the same household, except when
venturing out to work at an essential business, seeking
goods/services from an essential business, or engaging in
essential daily activities, including outdoor physical activity.
Eating or drinking at bars and restaurants, visiting gyms or
massage establishments, visiting tattoo studios/piercing
studios, and cosmetology salons, and visiting nursing
homes are still prohibited. Additionally, schools will remain
temporarily closed through May 4, 2020.
Under the Governor’s order, law enforcement agencies,
including the League City Police Department, have the
authority to issue citations. Violators are subject to a
$1000 fine/180 days jail time authorized by Gov’t Code
418.173, which constitutes a class B misdemeanor. When Communications Director Sarah Greer Osborne
responding to a call of a possible violation, LCPD officers and LCPD Public Information Officer John Griffith
have been instructed by Chief Gary Ratliff to first issue a conducted two Facebook Live Q and A sessions with
verbal warning and educate the individual or business on residents this week to clear up any confusion they
the current orders from the state. Only as a last resort will may have regarding the Governor’s order and what
officers issue a citation or take individuals to jail. is and is not allowed.
Emergency Turnaround Taskforce
During the April 14 meeting, City Council voted to create a turnaround taskforce that will develop a plan to address
League City’s economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. The plan will supplement the state’s phased approach
to re-opening businesses. The taskforce will also work to create a central database of resources available to small
businesses and the public at-large. Members of the task force include City staff members, councilmembers, and
representatives from local businesses, hospitals, and the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce. The first taskforce
meeting will be held next week.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020 City Parks Reopened League City-owned and operated parks reopened on Wednesday, April 15. The parks were temporarily closed over the Easter weekend by order of Mayor Pat Hallisey. All playground equipment remains closed and basketball nets, soccer goals, and other sporting equipment have been removed where possible. Bathrooms remain open. When visiting City parks, citizens must social distance from anyone outside of their immediate household and refrain from any group sports including soccer, baseball, and football. Gatherings over 10 are prohibited. League City Drive Thru Testing Site Coming Soon Representatives from the Galveston County Health District met with City staff members this week to discuss the opening of a drive-thru COVID-19 testing facility in League City. Several possible sites were surveyed. A final decision and details will be available next week. All information will be shared on the City’s website at www.leaguecity.com and on the City’s official social media sites. In the meantime, anyone can be tested for free, regardless of symptoms, at the Galveston County Health District located at 9850 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway. However, you must make an appointment by calling 409-978-4040. New Data and Graphics Shared Daily League City continues to share daily testing results from the Galveston County Health District on the City’s website and social media channels. This week, it was released that two senior care facilities in League City are the source of 45 COVID-19 infections. The facilities are the Cottages at Clear Lake, 450 Landing Blvd., and the Regent Care Center of League City, 2620 W. Walker St. Earlier this week, GCHD released a new graphic that shows the number of recovered cases broken down by city, gender, and age. The City’s Communications Department is sharing this graphic daily on the City’s website and social media channels. On the right is an example from Thursday, April 16.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020 EMS Worker Tests Positive This week, a staff member with the City’s EMS Department tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, 12 members of the department were immediately quarantined and tested. Of the 12, test results have come back negative for 9, and we are awaiting results on the other 3. Despite the quarantine and testing, all City ambulances are fully staffed for all shifts and are responding to calls as normal. First Responder Parade First responders from throughout League City and surrounding cities joined together this week to show their support for the family of a League City resident who is hospitalized in critical condition battling COVID-19. The resident, who we are not naming at the request of his family, is a longtime League City volunteer firefighter. On Thursday, April 16 nearly a dozen police, fire, and EMS vehicles took part in a “birthday parade caravan” for the firefighter’s son, who is celebrating his 20th birthday. Neighbors also got to join in the surprise parade and birthday wishes. COVID-19 Trash Rules Still in Effect Despite City Council’s vote to end the League City’s local disaster declaration, League City residents are still required to follow new guidelines when disposing of trash until further notice. Residents must place all trash and recycling in a bag before placing it in a garbage receptacle, trash can, or recycle bin. This will ensure workers are protected from direct contact from trash and waste during the collection process. Clear bags are preferred for recycling, but regular trash bags will be accepted. No loose items in bins will be picked up. For questions or concerns, contact the City’s Solid Waste Coordinator Ann Williams at 281-554-1411.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020
Free Webinars
The League City Chamber of Commerce is offering a series of free webinars open to any resident in the community.
Two of the upcoming webinars on April 21 and 23 featuring guest speakers will focus on discussing the CARES Act
and how to control your mental health. Registration is free and can be done on the Chamber’s website at www.
leaguecitychamber.com. The City’s Communications Department will be promoting upcoming webinars on the City’s
social media pages each week as more are offered.
2020 THE YE AR OF SMALL BUSINESS
PROGRESSING ONWARD:
Taking Control of Your Mental Health
TAKE AWAY POINTS
• Anxiety
• Self Exploration
• Family Time
• Normalcy in Routines
REBECCA MARSH, AIMEE ROULAINE ANDERSON,
LMFT, LPC, RPT LMFT
Clear Creek The Family
Mediation Center Relationship Center
REGISTER ONLINE at www.LeagueCityChamber.com.
You will receive your ZOOM Link once you register.
APRIL 23, 2020 • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Butler-Turner Intersection to Close for Construction
Beginning on Monday, April 20, there will
be a complete closure of the Butler/ Turner
intersection to complete construction of the Butler-
Turner Reconstruction Project. Construction will
last approximately three to four months, weather
permitting. As part of the construction work, only local
traffic on Turner between Calder and Butler will be
permitted, and any access to Turner should be either
off of Hobbs or Calder. Access will be provided to
Frontier Communications to exit off of League City
Parkway for access to their north driveway. The left
turn lane off of League City Parkway on to Butler will
be barricaded. An alternate route out of Sedona is to
use the newly opened Ervin Road at the south end of
Hobbs which connects back to Calder. This project
is designed to convert Turner Street (between Calder
and Butler) and a section of Butler Road up to League City Parkway, from asphalt roadway to a concrete roadway
with two travel lanes and a continuous left turn lane and a roundabout at the Turner/Butler intersection.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020 Public Works Updates Public Works Staying Busy During Stay at Home Times Public Works continues efforts to maintain a safe workplace while meeting escalating seasonal work demands. The recent excellent weather conditions and reduced traffic associated with the ongoing stay at home order have created the opportunity for Public Works crews to initiate several citywide work activities. Several highlighted projects are listed below: •Stormwater and Street crews are working together to complete the replacement and raising of 600 feet of concrete walking trail near Bay Area Boulevard and League City Parkway. The existing trail has a history of flooding for extended periods of time. The project includes the demolition of the existing concrete trail, installation of cross flow drainage, raising trail height 24-30 inches, and replacing with an 8-foot-wide concrete walking trail. Raising the trail requires approximately 1200-plus cubic yards of fill to be transported from a City site on the east side of town. The reduced traffic will reduce the turnaround time for trucks hauling fill and shorten the overall duration of the project. Estimated completion is in approximately four weeks, weather providing. •Wastewater Department and Utility Line Repair crews continue sanitary manhole inspections in support of the City’s Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation program. The inspection process is very labor and detail-oriented, requiring all manholes within a target service area to be video inspected and all defects documented for further evaluation by the City’s design consultant. •Utility Line Repair crews continue the ongoing Public Water System service area transfer near Grissom Road with completion estimated in 4-6 weeks, pending TCEQ approval of the interconnect. Line Repair staff is also in the planning stage of the in-house construction of a 600-foot waterline in the area of FM 646 and SH 3. •Water Production has increased their fire hydrant painting efforts. Crews typically paint 850 hydrants and perform 1,500 flow test per year. The City has approximately 5,000-plus fire hydrants citywide. •Street crews will begin the asphalt rehabilitation of approximately 800 ft of Park Avenue from Wilkins Street to Walker Street within the next two weeks. •Traffic crews initiated a sign sweep of all major traffic corridors where all faded and dated signage will be replaced. Crews are also painting crosswalks in various areas of the City. •Public Works managed contractors are working at full capacity at this time. •Stormwater crews will begin the annual inspection activity of 40 plus miles of outfall ditch.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020
Public Works Updates
Magnetic Flow Meter Replacement Painting Barricades
Wastewater operations The Traffic and Transportation
crews are assisting K2 Department has been working
Services in replacing on painting dead end
a magnetic flow meter barricades inside many of the
for the UV System at neighborhoods throughout
the Southwest Water League City. All barricades
Reclamation Facility the City is responsible for are
(SWWRF). The magnetic listed for routine checks and
flow meter is a key maintenance. When rotted
element in ultraviolet boards are found, they are
(UV) disinfection systems replaced and painted with
to properly control and standard markings as needed,
operate the UV lamps. which indicate the end of the roadway ahead. These
The flow measurement traffic control devices provide safe guidance to keep
technology operates under specified hydraulic conditions drivers from driving off the end of the paved road. When
in order to achieve the desired UV system performance the barricades are painted, glass beads are also applied,
for wastewater applications. which give the barricades reflectivity at night when a car’s
headlights beam on them.
Public Safety Updates
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
The League City Police Department recognized its telecommunicators as part of National Public Telecommunicators
Week from April 12-18. "Telecommunicators are literally a lifeline for our police officers as well as our citizens,”
said Assistant Chief James Spencer. We would like to take the opportunity to show our appreciation for our
Telecommunicators and thank them for their hard work and their dedication to service.” The League City Citizens Police
Academy Alumni Association donated a table full of snacks to show their appreciation for LCPD telecommunicators.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020
Public Safety Updates
Alligator Rescue Sanitizer Donation
This week, LCPD Officers Stubbs and McGauhey assisted The League City Volunteer Fire Department would like to
Texas Parks and Wildlife in a task outside of their normal thank resident Aaron Cameron with Ashland for donating
duties. They rounded up an 11 ft. alligator in west League 56 gallons of hand sanitizer for the department. The
City. The alligator was safely transported to Brazoria outpouring of support for first responders from the local
County and released. community has been incredible!
Foster a Homeless Pet
League City Pets Alive continues to take in homeless pets
daily and currently has a number of dogs and cats that
are in need of fosters. While you’re at home, you can
give a homeless pet a chance to get out of the shelter
even if it is for a short time. Whether you want to foster or
adopt, you can click here for a list of dogs and here for a
list of cats.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020 Parks and Recreation Updates New Webpage This week, the Parks and Recreation Department launched a new “Virtual Recreation” webpage which offers residents a variety of online learning and entertainment opportunities as a way to maintain social distancing. Topics include everything from guitar lessons and hair braiding to yoga, fitness, and even scavenger hunts. Daily videos and virtual classes can be found here. If there are other classes you would like to see, email Katrina.hersh@leaguecitytx.gov. Library Updates Streaming “Film Festivals” Available on Your Device The eBook, eAudioBook, and streaming video librarian has been curating streaming film festivals for the community to enjoy during the social distancing period. So far this month, “Classic Movie Catch- Up Month” and “Punk Rockumentaries" have been offered. “Classic Movie Catch-Up Month" features six classic films that viewers may never have gotten around to seeing, and “Punk Rockumentaries” includes the complete Decline of Western Civilization trilogy, plus four more films about the early years of punk. Online Electronic Collections During COVID-19 Closure Readers are still being encouraged to call the eBook, eAudioBook, and streaming video librarian directly at 281-554-1108. Get advanced assistance with eCards, downloads, holds, requests, and recommendations! This week, she has also curated a collection of new middle-grade fiction. This was an area where the Library’s eBook collection was sparse, so it has been beefed up to make more books available to middle-grade readers. Videos, Live and Otherwise, and New Interactive Posts The library has recently posted on its Instagram and Facebook pages about organizations that are supplying food for families and children, how to make Dalgona coffee, the 2020 Census and a video of bloopers. Residents can stay tuned for more videos created by library staff, such as the Live @ the Library series, the Teen Services Librarian's "Tea with the Teen Librarian," and fun "A Librarian Makes" how-to craft videos. Lisa, the Senior Librarian of Children's Services, has started a Facebook series called "Little Laughs with Miss Lisa," posting silly jokes and funny riddles to cheer us all up during this rather boring time.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020
CIP Updates
Westover Park Lift Station & Force Main Turner/Butler Reconstruction Project (ST1501): This
Improvements (WW1801B): This project upgrades the project is designed to convert Turner Street (between
existing Westover Park lift station to handle additional Calder and Butler) and a section of Butler Road up
wastewater flow for the developments in the area. The to League City Parkway, from asphalt roadway to a
new pumps of the lift station began operating mid-March concrete roadway with two travel lanes and a continuous
and the project has reached substantial completion. A left turn lane and a roundabout at the Turner/Butler
pre-final walk through was conducted the week of April intersection. Two lanes of the new Ervin Street extension
6, and only one issue with the communication system from Calder Road to Hobbs Road were expedited and
remains to be addressed. Final completion of the project opened to two-way traffic on April 15th. This allows an
is anticipated for the end of April 2020. alternate route in and out of the southern portion of the
Sedona subdivision when Turner/Butler will be closed
Ervin-Hobbs Connector Project (TR1501): This project to complete construction. The closure will affect the
will install a four-lane divided roadway between Calder intersection of Turner and Butler, Butler between Turner
Road and Hobbs Road. On April 15, 2020, two of and League City Parkway and Turner will be closed to
the four proposed lanes were open for two-way traffic through traffic.
connecting Hobbs Road to Calder Road. These two lanes
were expedited to provide an alternate route due to
construction on Turner Street and Butler Road that will shut
down portions of those two roadways. The remainder of
the Ervin roadway project is on schedule to be complete
by July 2020.
MUD 14-15 Lift Station Improvements (WW1206):
The scope of this project is to enhance the current lift
station located in Bay Colony. This project went out
for bid on April 7, 2020 and will advertise for twenty-
one calendar days. Once the bids are reviewed for
conformance with applicable City requirements, the
lowest responsible bidder will be chosen and awarded
a construction contract at the May 26 City Council
meeting.
Council Chambers Remodel (FM2002): This project is
a renovation of the Municipal Court facility which also Force Main Upgrade Bay Colony Lift Station to Ervin
serves as the City’s Council Chambers. These renovations (WW1206): The scope of this project will add new
will enhance the Council Chambers/Courtroom and 18-inch force main lines along Calder Road South to
include a new IT equipment room and renovation of the Bay Colony Lift Station. The week of April 13, 2020,
lobby restrooms, bringing the total area of the project the contractor has installed approximately 450 feet of
to approximately 3,400 square feet. City staff met the the force main pipe and is boring to install the concrete
week of April 6 to finalize the floor plan and the architect casing at the corner of Calder Road South and Cross
began the design phase. Advertisement for bid is Colony Drive.
tentatively set for June 2020.
League City | City Manager’s Update APRIL 17 | 2020
CIP Updates
South Shore/State Hwy 96 Fire Station No. 6 16” Waterline SSH BPS to FM2094 (WT1909):
Median Cut (ST1912): A right-turn lane is being added This waterline will run south to north from South Shore
to northbound South Shore Harbour Blvd to eastbound Harbour Booster Pump Station to FM 2094. The
on State Hwy 96, and a turning lane and median cut will proposed waterline is approximately 3,800 linear feet in
be added to turn into Fire Station No. 6 on South Shore length and is intended to increase the system capacity,
Harbour Boulevard. The project includes a signal light improve hydraulic efficiencies, provide redundancy,
to stop oncoming traffic so fire trucks may exit the station and improve pressure capabilities to the South Shore
safely in emergency situations. The week of April 13, Harbour service area. The design is complete, and the
curbs were poured for the new median cut in front of Fire project advertised for bidding on April 7, 2020. Bids
Station No. 6 and at the will be opened on April 29, 2020 at 11 a.m. Once the
intersection of State Hwy bids are reviewed for conformance with applicable
96 and South Shore City requirements, the lowest responsible bidder will be
Harbour. They are now chosen and awarded a construction contract at the May
excavating and installing 26 City Council meeting.
underground electrical
connections for a new Calder Rd South Reconstruction (Cross Colony to
electric meter that will Ervin) (RE1702B): The scope of this project will widen
power the signal warning Calder Road lane from Cross Colony Drive to Ervin
lights. The meter base is Street with two travel lanes and a continuous center lane.
scheduled to be poured The project also includes the addition of a waterline.
by April 18, 2020. The construction of a temporary road is ongoing and
anticipated to be complete by mid-May 2020. The road
will serve as a temporary lane for cars to pass when they
begin installing the 18-inch force main lines.You can also read
