THE BUFFALO BEAT BUILDING TOMORROW, TOGETHER TODAY PROFESSI ONAL DEVELOPMENT
ACCOUNTABI LI TY
RESPECT
TEAMWORK
I NTEGRI TY
Happy (Fiscal) New Year! October 1 marks the beginning of Fiscal Year 2027, and we’re excited for another year of serving our community and growing together as Team Cibolo! This year’s theme, “Building Tomorrow, Together Today,” reminds us that Cibolo’s future is shaped by the work we do every day. Whether we’re maintaining infrastructure, protecting our community, supporting our coworkers, or delivering exceptional customer service, every employee plays a part in building a stronger City. Our FY27 budget reflects that commitment through investments in our people, resources, and services. As we kick off a new fiscal year, let’s celebrate the opportunities ahead, support one another, and continue making a difference—one day, one project, and one PARTI moment at a time! Happy FY27, Team Cibolo! Let’s build tomorrow together today!
Wait … What’s a Fiscal Year?
A fiscal year is simply a 12-month period the City uses to plan its budget, track spending, and measure financial performance. Unlike the calendar year, which begins January 1, the City of Cibolo’s fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30. Think of it as the City's financial New Year!
www.cibolotx.gov OCTOBER 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS City Manager’s Message October Work Anniversaries Birthday Celebrations October 2026 Welcome to Team Cibolo Cibolofest 2026 Becoming A Buffalo Q3 Recognitions Cibolo Fire Department Annual Awards Banquet Employee Health and Wellness Fair (October 22) Thanksgiving Luncheon (November 19) EoY Employee Awards Banquet and Lunch (December 4) Communications/Marketing Support Form Gallup: I Have a Best Friend at Work Upcoming Webinars Newsletter Feedback Link
City Manager’s Message As we approach a new season in 2026, I am energized by the opportunities in front of us and the direction of our organization. Fall in Cibolo is always a fast-paced, high-activity season for us and is filled with opportunities to connect with our community and support one another. Thanks to your daily execution, professionalism, and commitment, Team Cibolo continues to deliver exceptional services and make steady progress on our goals. Most importantly, it reflects our continued investment in our greatest asset—our people—while providing the resources needed to keep our critical infrastructure and city initiatives moving forward. Thank you to everyone involved in the planning, preparation, and presentation throughout this budget season. Team Cibolo is growing. The adopted budget includes 12 new full-time positions across our organization: five in the General Fund, one in the EDC Fund, four in the DUD Fund, and two in the Utility Fund. Alongside our budgeted growth, we were excited to learn in late September that Cibolo was awarded the federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant. This critical funding allows us to expand our fire department personnel, enhancing response times, strengthening public safety, and providing better protection for our community. Furthermore, City Council demonstrated its commitment to you by supporting our Compensation and Classification Study. This study directly benefits our team by ensuring your pay remains competitive within the municipal labor market and supporting fair pay equity. I also want to extend a warm welcome to our newest team members who have recently joined Team Cibolo across Public Works, Finance, the Police Department, and People & Performance. Growth brings new perspectives, energy, and strength to our culture. We are glad to have you on board and look forward to the great work we will accomplish together. On the facility front, having successfully completed the design phase, the City will soon go out to bid for construction on two major public facilities—the Public Safety facility and the Animal Services facility. Both of these voter-approved bond projects are critical to our community and are tentatively scheduled for completion in calendar year 2028. We also received fantastic news regarding our long-term mobility and safety: Cibolo has been selected for major federal funding through the Federal Railroad Administration to construct a grade-separated railroad crossing at FM 78 and Country Lane. As part of our planned North-South Connector and the Cibolo Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, this key project will remove rail-traffic delays, greatly improve safety, and transform how our residents move throughout the city. The final months of the year are always packed with signature community events that require incredible teamwork. Coming up on October 17th is Cibolofest—an "all-hands-on-deck" effort that truly showcases the dedication, hard work, and service mindset of our staff. Shortly after, we will host our annual Shred Day, followed by our festive single-day holiday celebration combining the Holiday Parade, Christmas Tree Lighting, and Holiday Market all into one action-packed event. These events create lasting memories for our residents, and none of them would be possible without the behind-the-scenes work of every department involved. Beyond serving our residents, Q4 is a key time for us to connect internally and celebrate our people. The City Manager’s Office is looking forward to hosting our Fall Employee Town Hall at the end of October, where we can share updates and engage in meaningful discussion. We also have our Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, November 19th, and our Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, December 4th, to look forward to—special moments where we can pause, express gratitude, and recognize the outstanding contributions made throughout the year. Keep an eye out as People & Performance will be sending out the official timeline and submittal process for the award nominations in the coming weeks. Progress in Cibolo is never the result of one individual, but a unified team committed to a singular purpose. Thank you for your continued hard work, your grace and kindness toward one another, and your steady dedication to serving our community. Let’s finish 2026 strong!
October Work Anniversaries Charles Gray, Police Officer Cibolo Police Dept Nick Russo, Sergeant Cibolo Police Dept
Frankie Graham, Superintendent Public Works
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE!
Birthday Celebrations October 2026
Oct 3: Brock Weaver, Benjamin Boswell Oct 5: Cody Webber Oct 6: Gerardo Puentes, Hervey Nunez Oct 7: Richard Brown Oct 12: James Jahanara Oct 13: Sasha Shimohata, Bruna Solis Oct 16: Steven Burdett, Autmn Gonzales Oct 18: Ryan Noussairi Oct 22: Benjamin Velez Oct 24: Jerry Ortiz Oct 27: Hector Zaragoza Oct 28: Natalie Santos, Olivia Hall
Welcome to Team Cibolo!
Please join us in welcoming our newest members of Team Cibolo!
Alana Jarrett, Cibolo Police Department Records Specialist September 14, 2026
Erin Trickett-Tracey, People & Performance HR Specialist- Organizational Development September 14, 2026
Amy Pinder, Public Works Special Events Coordinator September 22, 2026
Matthew Eckmann, Public Works Director September 28, 2026
CIBOLOFEST 2026 Cibolofest 2026 is just around the corner, and our team plays a vital role in making this community tradition a success. As a reminder, all designated employees are required to work during the event to ensure smooth operations and safety for all attendees. To ensure everyone is compensated accurately for their time, please follow these guidelines when tracking and charging your hours for the event: Non-Exempt Employees in Public Safety Departments Public Works, Police, Fire
Sworn and Field Employees in these departments will be paid overtime at a rate of time and one-half of their hourly rate for all hours worked during Cibolofest 2026, regardless of their weekly hours. Administrative support personnel in these three departments will accrue compensatory time at a rate of time and one-half of their hourly rate for all hours worked during Cibolofest 2026, regardless of their weekly hours. This accrued time will be reflected in the "Cibolofest Accrual" bank.
Non-Exempt Employees in Non-Public Safety Departments
Employees in these departments will accrue compensatory time at a rate of time and onehalf of their hourly rate for all hours worked during Cibolofest 2026, regardless of their weekly hours. This accrued time will be reflected in the "Cibolofest Accrual" bank.
Exempt Employees
Exempt employees will receive credit for hours worked during Cibolofest 2026 at straight time. They will have the option to either flex their schedule to account for these hours or bank them for use at a later time. This accrued time will be reflected in the "Cibolofest Accrual" bank.
Becoming a Buffalo 2026 Quarter 3 Recognitions Lt Steven Schauer Police Department: LEMIT Leadership Command College Module I
Karl Henzen - Public Works Streets: CDL Eddy Dickson - Public Works Streets: CDL Donald Bennett - Public Works Streets: CDL
Mario Troncoso- Fire: Green Belt Cohort 1 Eddie Gonzalez - Fire: Green Belt Cohort 2 Leigh Ann Rogers - Police: Green Belt Cohort 2 Monica Martin - Code Enf: Green Belt Cohort 2 Kayla Castillo - Utility Billing: Green Belt Cohort 2
Becoming a Buffalo 2026 Quarter 3 Recognitions Hector Zaragoza - Fire: TCFP Driver Operator Certification
Jeanette Gonzalez - CMO: ICS 300/ICS 400 Karl Henzen - Public Works: ICS 300/ICS 400 Tyler Pearson - Fire: ICS 300/ICS 400 Jordan Rellin - Public Works: ICS 300/ICS 400 Blake Starr - Police Dept: ICS 300/ICS 400 Matthew Gerstner - Public Works: ICS 300/ICS 400
Humberto Cruz - Finance: Governmental Accounting Academy
Cibolo Fire Department Annual Awards Banquet Cibolo Fire Department celebrated their annual Awards Banquet on Friday, September 18, 2026. The evening included swearing-in and pinning of CFD’s newest members, recognizing new leaders, and awards.
Fire Officer of the Year Lt. Eddie Gonzales
Fire Apparatus Operator of the Year FAO Ryan Noussairi
Firefighter of the Year Brandon Wilson
Chief’s Award FAO Andrew Gonsolin
Employee Health and Wellness Fair Come visit our benefits vendors, health and wellness services and providers throughout Cibolo, and win fun door prizes!
Thursday, October 22, 2026 City Council Chambers Come and Go 9:00 AM to Noon HUB International to assist with questions regarding medical coverage and supplemental coverages Guardian Dental Guardian Supplemental Alliance Work Partners (EAP) TMRS MissionSquare Nationwide Smoothie King Cibolo Hope Healing Group Cibolo Texas Veterans Leadership Program Peak Performance and Functional Chiropractic Flu shots by City of Schertz EMS (pending availability)
Thank you, Buffalo Thrive, for providing this great event!
Thanksgiving Luncheon- From the CMO As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your hard work, dedication, and positive contributions to our team and community. Your efforts have been instrumental in our success, and we are truly grateful for your commitment. To celebrate this special time of year, we invite you to our Annual Luncheon on Thursday, November 19 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. We look forward to this time of fellowship and enjoying a delicious meal together.
End of Year Employee Awards Banquet and Lunch Hold the date! December 4, 2026 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Everyday Christian Fellowship Nominations forms for employee awards are coming your way soon!
Need Help with a Communications Project? Start with the Communications Form! Have an event, program, flyer, social media campaign, or new idea that could use some Communications support? The Communications/Marketing Support Form is the best place to start, and it’s designed to make working together even easier. This form is a great tool to be a head start for collaboration. Completing it before you meet with Communications gives the team a chance to learn about your project, audience, goals, timeline, and what you hope to accomplish. When you arrive for your meeting, Communications already has some context and can spend more time brainstorming ideas, offering recommendations, and helping you determine the best approach. A little information on the front end also helps Communications anticipate timelines, coordinate resources, and better manage projects across the City. The result? More productive meetings, smoother projects, and an even higher level of service for Team Cibolo. Need Comms support for your project? Start with the form, then let’s collaborate! For convenience, you can find the document in the HR Portal.
Policy Highlight: Bereavement Leave The City of Cibolo understands that losing a loved one is a difficult time and provides Bereavement Leave to give employees time to be with family, attend services, and take care of personal needs. Eligible non-uniformed employees may receive up to three days (24 hours) of paid leave following the loss of an immediate family member, and the days do not have to be taken consecutively. If additional time is needed, employees may request to use other available leave with Department Director approval. Please communicate with your supervisor as soon as you are able so we can support you and help coordinate the time you need.
Lending Library Book Highlight In The Ideal Team Player, Patrick Lencioni explores three essential qualities that make someone a great teammate: humble, hungry, and smart. Through an engaging leadership story, he shows how these qualities influence teamwork, communication, accountability, and an organization’s overall culture. For City of Cibolo employees, the book is especially relevant because serving a community requires people across departments and roles to work together, put the team ahead of themselves, and build strong working relationships. It is a quick, practical read that challenges each of us to consider not only what we contribute to Team Cibolo, but how we show up for one another while doing it.
The Lending Library is available for Team Cibolo! Located at the City Hall Annex (in the PPD hallway) Stop by, check out a book, and continue your journey of growth and learning, just be sure to return your book within three weeks of the checkout date!
SCAN TO CHECK OUT/IN BOOKS
Gallup: I have a best friend at work. This question measures whether an employee has a "best friend at work," serving as an indicator of social bonds, psychological safety, and team connection that predict high performance
Check out this video from Gallup for further insight on this question! https://www.gallup.com/workplace/356045/q12-question-summary.aspx
webinars AWP WEBINAR:
THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP OCTOBER 7 - 3:00 PM TO 4:00 PM OCTOBER 15 - 11:00 AM TO 12:00 PM JOIN ALLIANCE WORK PARTNERS ONE AFTERNOON A MONTH FOR A COMPLIMENTARY 60-MINUTE WEBINAR TRAINING. RESERVE YOUR SEAT ONLINE THROUGH THEIR REGISTRATION LINK, DISTRIBUTED VIA EMAIL WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF EACH WEBINAR. BE SURE TO ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT WITH AWP TO RECEIVE THE REGISTRATION LINK! IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE ACTIVATING YOUR ACCOUNT, CONTACT HRSERVICES@CIBOLOTX.GOV OR STOP BY PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE AT THE CITY HALL ANNEX.
//www.awpnow.com /main/
We’d love We’d love your your feedback feedback to to help help improve improve our our employee newsletter! employee newsletter! https://cibolotxgov.sharepoint.com/:u:/ s/CiboloHumanResources/IQAFAhC acvjER5hzunRY0ZxiAZWjuvABFV1 nWxHpeB6EuR0?e=ctm0vk Scroll down the linked page to find the form.