Life by the Bay Newsletter 2nd Quarter 2024

CITY HAPPENINGS

Upcoming Meetings

Meeting agendas and minutes for all boards, committees, and City Council can be found at

HOLIDAY

The Norman L. Malone Senior Center Program remains active at

Center, Monday-Friday, 8

Activities for this next quarter include a

Picnic, Cooking 101, Day Trips, Senior Prom, and more! 618

NEW MINI-MURAL TRAIL!

The City of La Porte has partnered with local artist and La Porte High School alumna, Whitney Hayden, to create a unique mini-mural trail that ties the bayfront location of the city into the Historic Main Street district To bring the bay vibes and the seagulls on the City seal to Main Street, a plan was hatched to incorporate the birds in a creative mural trail, themed for each installation Participants can download a dedicated map online or pick one up at the La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce to plot their course and document their discoveries on social media using the hashtag #LPgulls Prizes await those who complete the entire trail, adding extra excitement to the adventure!

The

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International Firefighters Day

May 4 is International Firefighters Day!

Firefighters dedicate their lives to the protection of life and property Sometimes that dedication is in the form of countless hours volunteered over many years, in others it is many selfless years working in the industry In all cases, it risks the ultimate sacrifice of a firefighter’s life.

Thank you to the La Porte Fire Department for your commitment and bravery while keeping our community safe

We want to thank all of our Public Works employees for their time and effort to keep our City operating smoothly.

For the 16th year in a row, the La Porte Municipal Court has been awarded the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center’s Municipal Traffic Safety Initiatives Award! This award recognizes municipal courts that made outstanding contributions to their community in an effort to increase traffic safety while decreasing impaired driving, traffic crashes, traffic fatalities, child safety seat offenses, and other traffic related offenses. La Porte Municipal Court will be honored in April at the TMCEC Traffic Safety Conference.

The Municipal Court looks forward to participating in the Juneteenth Parade again this year!

MAIN

LA

Candidates

Candidates, in the order they will appear on the ballot, are:

Mayor - Louis Rigby, Rick Helton

e will have the opportunity to elect the positions of Mayor, Councilperson- District 2, Councilperson-District 3, and Councilperson-District 4. The last day to register to vote in this election is April 4.

Councilperson District 2 - John Freeman, Chuck Engelken

Councilperson District 3 - Heath Patterson, Bill Bentley

Councilperson District 4 - Anais Durst, John Guyon, Robert Guerra

Election Day Polling Locations

On Election Day, May 4, voters must vote in the precinct where registered to vote.

PRECINCT NUMBERS 1,2,3 & 6

LPISD ITC Building, 9832 Spencer Highway, Room 120/Conf. Room

PRECINCT NUMBERS 4 & 5 City of La Porte City Hall Council Chamber, 604 West Fairmont Parkway

DisasterPreparedness

Itisessentialtobepreparedfornaturaldisasters astheycanstrikeatanymoment Keepinmind thatHurricaneSeasonrunsfromJune1stto November30th,butbeingreadyforemergencies iscrucialregardlessofthetimeofyear.

EMERGENCYPREPARATIONSUPPLIES SALESTAXHOLIDAY April27-29

Naturaldisasterswillcontinuetohappen.Prepare yourselfduringthe2024EmergencyPreparation SuppliesSalesTaxHolidayforemergenciesthatcan causephysicaldamagelikehurricanes,flashfloods, andwildfires.Youcanpurchasecertainemergency preparationsuppliestax-freeduringthesalestax holiday.Thereisnolimitonthenumberofqualifying itemsyoucanpurchase,andyoudonotneedto giveanexemptioncertificatetoclaimthe exemption.

Thisyear’sholidaybeginsat12:01a.m.onSaturday, April27,andendsatmidnightonMonday,April29.

FLOOD HAZARD AWARENESS

The City of La Porte is dedicated to minimizing the loss of life and property that is associated with flooding events and providing residents with a safe environment to live, work, and play. Make sure you are knowledgeable on how to protect yourself and your property for the next flooding event.

Purchase a flood insurance policy and maintain coverage on your structure Don’t delay – there is a 30-day waiting period before a policy takes effect Basic homeowner’s insurance does not cover damage from floods Flood insurance is not only for homeowners; renters should consider purchasing flood insurance to protect their contents. For more information about flood insurance such as types of policies and coverage limits, contact your insurance provider

Keep trash out of ditches and avoid dumping pollutants in the sewers Stream dumping is a violation of the Chapter 50 ordinance that prohibits dumping or discharging of any pollutant into the storm drainage system Homeowners with overgrown ditches should contact the city for assistance in maintaining their drainage easements Report debris and stream dumping to the Public Works Department by calling 281-471- 9650

Contact the Associate Engineer at 281-470-5060 or email michelm@laportetx gov for advice before you construct or place anything in the floodplain. The Associate Engineer can provide information on floodplain development regulations; permit application and elevation certificate requirements; Flood Insurance Rate Map zone determinations; site-specific data on floodplain areas, historical flood information (general areas of repetitive loss), and areas of natural floodplain functions The city adopted new flood maps, so be sure to ask about the requirements in your area Citizens can also visit the FEMA website at www fema gov/floodmaps to obtain other flood-related information Any development in the floodplain without a permit is illegal, and such activity should be reported to the Building Department by submitting a completed Request for Investigation of Code Enforcement Violation at LaPorteTX gov/CodeEnforcement Hire only contractors that are registered with the city to ensure the proper regulations are followed. Copies of elevation certificates are located at 604 W. Fairmont Parkway and are available upon request by submitting a Request for Public Information at LaPorteTX gov/PublicRecords

Protect your home Consider some permanent flood protection measures such as marking your fuse or breaker box to show the circuits to the floodable areas Protect your home’s foundation from flooding by making sure your downspouts drain away from your house The City Engineer can provide advice on how to correct drainage issues Visit the City website at LaPorteTX gov/Floodplain for information on grant opportunities to elevate your home and other flood protection assistance, including sources for financial assistance

Designate a place where your family can meet after an evacuation order is issued. Evacuation maps are on the City’s website at www.LPOEM.org. The La Porte Office of Emergency Management developed an Emergency Preparedness Guide to prepare for a variety of weather disasters Register your cell phone number into the City’s Swift911 Emergency Notification System (sign up at LaPorteTX gov/AddMyCell) and follow the City of La Porte on Facebook to see all watches, warnings, and other weather-related information issued by the National Weather Service

Saturday,April13-TheLaPortePoliceandLPCPAAAwillbehosting theRegion1MonthlyMeetingatEvelynKennedyCenter

Saturday,April27-TheLPCPAAAwillbeassistingtheLaPorte PoliceDeptonSylvanBeachDaywithbarricades

June8-15-TheLPCPAAAwillhostaluncheonduringLaw EnforcementAppreciationWeek

June23-26-TheLPCPAAAwillbeattendingtheTexasCPAAA

Employeeofthe4thQuarterof2023,TessaThomspon

TessaisanAnimalAdoptionSpecialistwiththeAdoptionCenter& AnimalShelter.Shehandlesherroleexceedinglywellandhas contributedtoseveralsuccessfuleventsandprojects Her preparationandattentiontodetailandtheMEGAAdoptionevent werekeyinthesuccessfuladoptionof20animalsovertwodays! Tessahasalsoworkedwithotherteammemberstobuilda workablefosterprogramfortheCity.

EmployeeoftheYearfor2023,KaylaBaez

InherroleasMarketingandSpecialEventsCoordinatorintheLaPorte Parks&RecreationDepartment,Kaylawearsmanyhats.Fromplanning andleadingeventsanddevelopingpromotionalprogramsand materialstoservingasaliaisontocommunitypartnersandmany “otherdutiesasassigned”,Kaylahandleseachaspectofherjobwith passionanddedication.Sheisatruebrandambassadorforour organization.

ManageroftheYearfor2023,DarrenWithers

DarrenjoinedourteaminDecember2022andmadeanimmediate andpositiveimpactontheITteamandtheentireCity.Darrenreceived fivenominationsforthisrecognition,fromavarietyofteammates.They sharecommongroundinrecognizingDarren’sattentiontocustomer service,effectivelyleadinghisteamandhisbudgetaryandplanning acumen

National EMS week is May 19-25! WeextendourgratitudetowardourEMTs andparamedicswhoprovidelifesaving careacrossourCityeveryday. LaPorteTX.gov/EMS

ChildSafetySeatInspections

Freecarseatchecksareprovidedbyacertified technician.Carseatchecksareavailableby appointmentonlyonthefollowingdatesatEMS Headquarters,10428SpencerHighway: 4/04,4/18,5/02,5/16,05/30,6/13,6/27. Call281-471-9244foranappointment.

CPRTraining

TheCityofLaPorteEMSisofferingthefollowing CPRcoursesatEMSheadquarters: 05/18–HealthcareProvider$32

6/15–Heartsaver$28

Cashpaymentisdueonthedayoftheclass Classesareheld8:30AM-12:00PM

SafeRiders

Freechildsafetyseatsareprovidedtofamilieswho qualify.PleasecontactLt.Meekinsat281-840-0308 orMeekinsS@LaPorteTX.govforanappointment.

ChildhoodImmunizations

Drivethroughimmunizationclinicswillbeheldon April13andJune8from9am-12pmattheCityofLa PorteEMSHeadquarters.Vaccinesareavailablefor children18yearsofageandyounger;nofeeand noappointmentrequired.

MainStreet

MAY 03 | 6-9 PM

FIVE POINTS PLAZA PARK

LA PORTE, TEXAS

Stroll Main Street and enjoy a variety of local artists, live music, wine, and more!

Open to K – 6th Grade and packed with weekly themes, fun games, arts & crafts, science experiments, field trips, swimming, sports, movies, and more! Camp will be held at the La Porte Special Programs Center, 1302 S Broadway, for 11 weeks from May 28 – Aug 9. Camp hours are 7:00 am–6:00 pm. Registration opens April 1 at 8 am for La Porte residents and April 8 at 8 am for non-residents. $65 per week, per camper. Campers must bring swimwear & towel, a sack lunch, a refillable water bottle, and 2 snacks each day. Space is limited to 75 campers per week.

Ages 5 – 18. Experienced coaching and track jerseys are provided! Most track meets are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the local area. Morning practices are held Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am-11:30 am at the Lomax Junior High track. The season runs May 28 – July 28. Registration is open April 1 – June 3, for $50 per participant.

Group and/or private swim lessons for ages 6 months to adult. Morning and evening sessions are offered beginning June 3. Registration opens April 1. $30/session for group lessons and $60/session for private lessons. Each session consists of four 45minute classes. Most lessons are held at the Fairmont Pool or the Northwest Pool. Space is limited!

Ages 7 – 12. 4-day camp, Monday – Thursday, from 9:00 am–12 pm each day at the La Porte Recreation & Fitness Center gymnasium. Week 1: July 22 – 25; Week 2: July 29 –August 1 (Week 2 is a repeat of Week 1). The $40 registration fee includes a camp jersey and experienced coaching! Maximum 40 campers per week. Registration is open June 1 – July 28 or closes when full.

Registration for all Parks & Recreation programming is available online at LaPorteTX.gov/Register or by visiting the La Porte Recreation & Fitness Center, located at 1322 S. Broadway.

Did you know? The La Porte Parks & Recreation Department publishes a program guide three times a year full of information on recreation, fitness, special programs, events, and more! Check it out at LaPorteTX.gov/FunTimes.