IN THIS ISSUE...
VOLUME 14
SEP/OCT 2024
Welcome to Around the City! If you’re a first time reader, we’re glad to have you, and if you’re a long time reader we so appreciate your continued support. In our cover story, we’ll be exploring the history of the water park and the major action taken in recent months as the City paid off the debt that funded the parks construction ten years early. It’s an important decision that has major ramifications now and into the future.
Speaking of Splash Dayz Water Park, you’ll also meet an outstanding employee as we spotlight one of the special people who worked at the park this summer. And don’t think we’re quite done with water yet, because we’ll also take a look at the Residential Meter Replacement Program. New water meters are coming to every resident who doesn’t already have one and along with these new meters are some great benefits you’ll want to know about.
It’s almost spooky season, and we’re diving right in with five Halloween Movies Worth Watching. We’ve also got info about upcoming Halloween events as well as many other things taking place in September and October. You’ll find all of these stories and more as you read on. And as always, we kick off this volume with City Manager Jeff James and his BIG THREE!
CITY COUNCIL
Mayor: Faron Young
Mayor Pro Tem/Place 3: Amber Munoz
Place 1: Paul Moore
Place 2: Alan Price
Place 4: William Wright
Place 5: Gregg Geesa
CITY MANAGER
JEFFREY J. JAMES
AROUND THE CITY TEAM
Aaron C. Hall Communications Manager
Maureen Barrett Community Services Coordinator
City Manager Jeff James
THE CITY MANAGER’S
B I G T H R E E
The City Council has officially approved the budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 which starts on October 1st. Budgets may not be an exciting topic for some people, but if you’re at all interested in how the City operates then the budget should be very important to you. If you missed the budget workshops and meetings this year, I encourage you to look out for them next year and attend and watch as many as you can. I’ve worked very hard to create a culture of transparency at the City, and all the budget workshops and meetings from the past months are online at THIS LINK. Accompanying budget documents for this year and past years can also be found on the FINANCE PAGE. There is a long, open process we go through to create the budget and I encourage you to engage in that process. By making your priorities known to the City and to your elected officials we can all work together to craft budgets that address the things that matter most to the residents of White Settlement. I’m excited to have this new budget locked in so my staff and I can prepare to start carrying it out come October 1st. Each new budget year brings new challenges, but also new opportunities that we can seize for the good of the City.
I’ve talked a lot about infrastructure in this publication lately and hopefully that helps illustrate just how important of a topic it is. One of the biggest challenges facing this City is aging infrastructure. Having drivable roads and flushable toilets probably ranks as a top priority for all of us who call White Settlement home. Maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure is not an easy or cheap undertaking, but we remain committed to it year after year. The Kimbrough complete street project is installing new water, sewer, and road surface on what has long been one of our most problematic streets. We’re utilizing maintenance techniques to extend the life of other streets while planning and preparing for more full water, sewer, and road replacements. Costs have risen greatly for these major projects, but we will continue to make infrastructure replacement and maintenance a top priority. Public Works has spent the hot summer out working on these issues, so please be sure to thank them any chance you get.
As we start to transition out of summer it’s a good time to talk about Splash Dayz Water Park. The park is just wrapping up operations for the 2024 season and I want to thank everyone who took time to come visit and enjoy the facility. I would also like to call attention to the fantastic group of young people who staffed the park this season. It’s great that we are able to employ so many community youths at the park. Splash Dayz management puts an emphasis on helping our younger workers adapt to life with a job while also working to help them develop into leaders. We often have workers come back several summers in a row and many of them grow into supervisor positions, which I think is a great thing to see. You’ll be reading a lot about Splash Dayz in this volume and I’m excited for you to get a deeper understanding of the situation surrounding the water park.
DEBT FREE
In June of this year something happened that impacted every homeowner and resident of the City of White Settlement. On paper, it looked like a simple item on a meeting agenda, but in reality it was a move that saved the City $2 million dollars and brought to close a saga that began all the way back in 2013. In June, the Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors (EDC Board) and the City Council both voted to pay off the remainder of the 20 year $12.6 million bond that funded the construction of Splash Dayz Water Park. The bond had 10 years of payments remaining and the
early pay off saved the City $2 million in interest.
“This was a long time coming,” City Manager Jeff James said. “Paying back this bond early was one of my bucket list items as City Manager.”
Evelyn Spurlock previously served on the City Council and is a current EDC board member. As a City Council member, Evelyn was part of a series of discussions in early 2022 focused on the future of the water park, its overall viability, and its place in the City. She recently spoke
about why the payoff of the water park bond should matter to every person in White Settlement.
“The citizens aren’t the ones shouldering the burden anymore,” she said.
To fully understand this statement, you first have to take a look back at the sometimes complex history of the water park.
A SPLASH OF HISTORY
The year was 2013 and the news was out. White Settlement was getting a water park. The news was first discussed publicly at a June meeting between the City Council and EDC Board. Then EDC Executive Director Jim Ryan announced that negotiations were taking place with a popular regional water park company. The EDC Board and City Council unanimously approved the project and gave direction for the negotiations to continue. Things progressed quickly from there, and in June of the following year, the water park was open.
The cost structure for the water park was set to be a public/private partnership. The construction was paid for by the City through a $12.6 million bond. Like all debt, there’s interest on the bond, and over the twenty-year life of the bond the total interest would be $7.9 million, bringing the final total to $20.5 million. The private company would pay a lease payment annually that would cover the yearly debt service payments on the bond until it was paid in full while they also operated and maintained the park.
“Had things gone according to plan, there wouldn’t have been a tax burden on
This photo from the grand opening of the water park in 2014 features elected officials and City staff members who worked hard to bring this facility to White Settlement. From L to R: Jerry Burns, Mike Arnold Sr, Steve Ott, Amy Arnold, Phil Bray, Linda Ryan, Jim Ryan, Elzie Clements, Danny Anderson.
There was excitement across the area as the water park and connected facilities held their grand opening.
residents because the company would be the one paying back the bond,” Jeff said.
As those who have followed the story know, things didn’t go according to plan. Ownership of the private company changed hands, and after just two seasons operating the water park the company and the City came to an impasse. The agreed upon lease
payments weren’t being made, and discussions between the two parties weren’t able to find a clear way forward. In 2016, the City terminated the lease agreement and announced plans to run the water park themselves. It was a tough choice, but with no indication that past or even future lease payments would be forthcoming from the company, City leaders saw it as a necessary decision.
Taking over the water park, newly renamed to Splash Dayz, gave the City the chance to address concerns that many residents had raised. These included ticket prices and safety and maintenance concerns at the park. It also meant that the $12.6 million bond would have to be paid back by the City. This made the water park a joint venture
that every property taxpayer in White Settlement was now invested in, something that not everyone was thrilled with. City Manager Jeff James, who was the Assistant City Manager at this point in 2016, said everyone involved was aware of the importance of getting the debt off the shoulders of the taxpayers as quickly as possible.
“We took it seriously and have worked for years to get the City in a position where we could pay off this debt in full when the time was right,” Jeff said. “I’ve been working toward this the entire time I’ve been City Manager.”
Since 2016, the debt service payment of just over $1 million per year has come out of the EDC Fund, severely limiting the EDC Board’s ability to work on other
economic development programs and projects. With the EDC fund covering the debt payment, the General Fund of the City has been paying the yearly operating subsidy to cover the day-today operations of the water park.
HOW IT ALL ADDS UP
When new Finance Director Brittney Huff joined the City in early 2024 she didn’t know that one of her first tasks from the City Manager would be to oversee the payback of the water park bond. Working with City Manager Jeff James, the two put together a plan to present to the EDC Board and the City Council. The timing was perfect, as the bond had reached callable status in December of 2023. Paying off the bond prior to it reaching callable status would’ve resulted in financial penalties, but now it could be paid off free and clear. Thanks to years of fiscally conservative budgeting, the City was able to use reserves from various funds to help pay off the remaining principal.
After ten years, the bond had an outstanding principal and accrued interest of $8.2 million. If the City stayed the course and continued making the $1 million payment each year for the remaining ten years of the bond, the total amount owed would be about
$10.3 million due to the additional interest during that period.
“By calling the bond in June, that would save us two million in interest,” Brittney told the EDC board in May.
Everyone who heard the plan was excited. Pay the payments as scheduled until 2034 and pay $10.3 million? Or pay it off in June for $8.2 million? The choice seemed clear, which led to the actual numbers that would make it happen. The payoff would come primarily from four sources.
First was the reserve on the bond, totaling just over $1 million. This was a requirement of the bond (called a bond covenant) and this money was earmarked in a reserve account. The money was there to assure that there’s enough on hand to pay the next annual payment regardless of what else may be going on with City finances. Since the bond was being paid off, that reserve was able to be put toward the payment.
Next was the Hotel Occupancy Tax. Holding money raised from hotel and motel taxes, the Occupancy Tax Fund is very restrictive in what it can be used on. The City consulted with auditors, financial advisors, and legal counsel and received direction that the money could be used toward the debt payoff. A total of $1 million from this fund was used
toward the payment.
The third and largest source of the payoff comes from the EDC Board itself. From their existing $4.8 million fund balance, $3.5 million would be used toward the debt payoff. As the fund most directly impacted by the ongoing payment of the debt (at a rate of $1 million a year), the EDC Fund will now have that $1 million opened back up to them as annual operating revenue. Brittney presented plans to the EDC Board to start using a portion of future revenues to refill the fund. Her estimates were that the fund would be able to recoup what it spent on the debt payoff within three years.
The final source for the payoff is $2.75 million coming from the General Fund. This leaves over $12 million in the General Fund, a number far in excess of the required amount that the City has to keep on hand to cover operating costs per the adopted financial policy.
With the $8.2 million pay off money allocated, Brittney presented the plan to the EDC Board in May, then followed up with the Board in June with the action item for possible approval. They were in, giving unanimous approval. Later that night the item went before the City Council who also voted unanimously to approve.
“The past City Councils and EDC Board members made a long term commitment to bring a water park to our City and also to find a way to keep it from impacting tax payers too heavily,” Jeff said. “Through their hard work and that of our present City Council and EDC, that commitment has been fulfilled.”
Not only did this action save the City $2 million in interest expense, but the upcoming EDC budget will see the Splash Dayz operating subsidy of $365,000 moved out of the General Fund and into the EDC Fund. At the EDC meeting, former councilmember and current EDC boardmember Evelyn Spurlock pointed out why this is a major victory for every person in White Settlement.
“Now that Splash Dayz operating subsidy will come purely from sales tax based revenue versus the regular revenue that comes in from property taxes that the citizens are paying on their properties,” Evelynn said. “I think that’s a critical move for us because now it’s going to be reliant on everybody coming to the City paying those sales tax dollars. That’s who is going to be paying that operating subsidy for the park, not just the citizens.”
To sum it up, as quoted earlier, the citizens aren’t the ones shouldering the burden anymore.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
With the water park paid off and the debt payment off their books, the EDC Board will have a substantial amount of revenue to put towards economic development purposes for the first time since it took over the bond payments in 2016. No specific uses for those funds have been discussed yet, but the coming years hold exciting opportunities that could see the EDC Board becoming much more active.
As for Splash Dayz, the park is in a position that any business would envy. It’s debt free.
“We were creative enough to figure out a way to pay this thing off early and now we’ve got to make the best of what we’ve got,” Mayor Faron Young said. “Splash Dayz brings employment for teenage kids in our community. It gives citizens a way to get out of their homes in the summertime. It draws people into our city. Now that the debt has been paid it has the potential to be an even bigger blessing for us moving forward.”
City Manager Jeff James shared a similar sentiment.
“I’m thankful for the hard work that our past elected officials, board members, and staff put into getting us here. I’m also thankful that our current elected officials, board members, and staff came together to execute this plan to get Splash Dayz debt free,” Jeff said. “It’s a great asset for us now more than ever before.”
That asset being paid off opens up a world of opportunities for the City to consider. While no decisions have been made nor have any serious conversations taken place, there are a
Current City leaders worked diligently to pay off the water park debt early. This recent picture includes elected officials and City staff: Amy Arnold, Faron Young, Paul Moore, Alan Price, Jeff James, William Wright, Gregg Geesa, Amber Munoz, Richard Tharp.
number of new possibilities that can now be considered that might alter the future of the park.
“We are in a position to consider things that weren’t even possible before,” Jeff said. “Splash Dayz is a big part of our City, and I’m excited to see how it can grow and maybe even evolve in the years to come.”
The future steps for the water park may not be set in stone, but the hard work of those in the past and the wisdom of those in the present created the foundation for the great things that will come next. Those elected officials, board
members, and City staff members stewarded Splash Dayz from an idea back in 2013, through becoming a City run facility in 2016, through the tough decision to close the park in 2020 during COVID, all the way to being a debt free facility in 2024. It was an undertaking not without its ups and downs, but one that gave the City an iconic economic development draw that is now poised to move into an even brighter future.
The EDC Board has played an important role in the water park over the years. With the annual debt payment removed from their budget, they will be in a position to do more economic development activities in the years to come. From L to R: Dena Martin, Faron Young, Ann Smith, David Dill, Evelyn Spurlock.
METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM
There’s an important program getting underway this September that will be of interest to all White Settlement residents. The Residential Meter Replacement Program will see 4500 water meters replaced across the City. Combined with the 900 commercial meters and 800 residential meters already replaced in recent years, when this program concludes all water meters in the City of White Settlement will be new. Many of the water meters in the City are over 40 years old, making the Meter Replacement Program an important undertaking as the City continues to emphasize the upgrade of aging infrastructure.
Beyond upgrading aged infrastructure, these new meters bring several exciting new innovations that will help residents better monitor and control water usage. Through integration with the Eye on Water app and website, residents with the new meters can monitor water usage minute by minute. Eye on Water also has the ability to compare your usage week by week or even day by day so you can stay aware of when you’re using more or less water.
Leak alerts can be set up so you’ll be instantly notified of any irregular usages that might indicate a leak. This makes it easier and faster to catch leaks before they turn into expensive home emergencies. Having this level of control over water usage is especially important from November to February, the months when your Winter Quarter Average (WQA) is set. WQA is calculated by looking at your three lowest winter months water usage (your highest month is dropped) and averaging the usage. That average becomes your sewer charge on your water bills for the next year. Being able to monitor and manage water usage during the WQA helps you make sure that your sewer charge can be set low for the upcoming year.
The Residential Meter Replacement Program was approved by the City Council at their August meeting and will cost $441,000 and is estimated to take five to six months to complete (although as with all major projects, factors such as weather could cause delays). Vanguard Utility Services, a contractor working on behalf of the City, will be completing this work. Each Vanguard employee will wear a uniform with a visible company logo and their vehicle will be marked with the Vanguard logo. Before beginning work on your meter, Vanguard workers will leave a door hanger to notify you. Please note, there will be a temporary service interruption when your water meter is replaced, but these will typically last less than 30 minutes. Vanguard will do all of the work outside at your meter box and will not need to go inside your house. You do not need to be present at the home for the meter replacement work to be done.
To learn more about this program including Frequently Asked Questions and information on how to set up your Eye on Water account visit the new informational website www.wstx.us/meters. Each resident will also be receiving an informational flyer in an upcoming water bill. Informational flyers about the Residential Meter Replacement Program can also be found at the Library, Rec Center, and at City Hall.
Vanguard employees will have identification on their vehicles so you know they are authorized to be working on your water meter.
Employee Spotlight
The 2024 Splash Dayz Water Park season is coming to a close and this year Splash Dayz management would like to spotlight Ki Rendon, a Lifeguard Lead at the park. The 2024 season was Ki’s third working at Splash Dayz. Her journey as a water park employee took her from being in the shadow program learning the ropes all the way to a Lifeguard Lead.
“Ki has a lot of natural skills,” Splash Dayz Manager, Braden Dill said. “She’s very empathetic and is great at helping coworkers and customers.”
Customer service is a big part of the job in the water park industry, and Ki enjoys being able to help visitors to the water park by using active listening.
“People want to know they are being heard,” Ki said as she spoke about her approach to customer service.
Being on the front line of dealing with customers and coworkers alike wasn’t immediately the path that Braden saw Ki taking as a Splash Dayz employee.
Ki Rendon (left) and Splash Dayz Manager Braden Dill.
“She was a lot more timid when she started,” Braden said. “It’s been great seeing her confidence and leadership grow over the years.”
Ki agrees that working at the park helped bring her out of her shell. Some of her favorite memories at Splash Dayz are working during the busy Summer Celebration event each summer, getting to work outside, and meeting so many people.
“You make so many good friends working here,” Ki said.
Working in the summer heat isn’t for everyone, but for Ki it’s second nature. As an accomplished Cross Country and Track runner, she had no trouble acclimating to being in the heat. During her time at Brewer High School, Ki’s list of athletic accomplishments grew year after year. Great results led her to district, and eventually to state meets and beyond.
Ki’s athletic prowess won her medals, led to opportunities to run at out of state events, and gained her attention from many notable college athletics programs. Amidst all of the accomplishments and accolades, Ki says that perhaps the biggest highlight is the people.
“Cross country is like a huge family,” Ki said. “That’s what sports is for me, it’s a huge family.”
Ki will be continuing her athletic pursuits as she is starting at the University of Texas at Austin this fall. She leaves Brewer High School as the fastest and highest-placing runner in school history in both Cross Country and Track & Field. She’ll be focusing her studies on biology and continuing her pursuit of running.
As for any local high schoolers looking to work at Splash Dayz, Ki shared some advice.
“Be yourself. Put yourself out there and do the work,” Ki said. “It’s a great place to work.”
For the park-goers and other Splash Dayz employees, you may not have seen the last of Ki. She’s not positive what her plans are for next summer, but she hasn’t ruled out a return to working at Splash Dayz between semesters in 2025. Whatever her future may hold, we know it will be bright and successful. Thank you for your three seasons of service, Ki, we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!
Parks and Rec SURVEY
Be a part of shaping the future of the City’s parks by taking the upcoming Park Master Plan Survey. From October 7th through October 25th, the Parks and Recreation Board is conducting a survey regarding parks, recreation facilities, and programs and your feedback is an important part of the process. The data from this survey and from upcoming town hall meetings will be used in part as a guide in updating the city's Park, Recreation and Open Space Master plan.
Taking this survey gives you a direct voice into crafting the new master plan. This document is the blueprint that guides the focus of the Parks and Recreation department for the next five to ten years. Many action items in the plan come directly from the survey responses and result in
major projects. Many of the action items from the last master plan have since been completed, bringing things like expanded hike and bike trails, bike lanes, tennis court resurfacing, park maintenance/upgrades, and many other great advancements to the City’s park system.
The survey will be available starting on Oct. 7th at www.wstx.us/survey. You can also find the survey by scanning the QR code below with your phone. Remember, this survey is only available until October 25th, so please be sure to to input your response quickly. The survey is available for White Settlement residents as well as park visitors from surrounding areas.
HALLOWEEN
MOVIES WORTH WATCHING
Each volume, City staff members select a few themed movies that you may not have heard of that we think are worth watching. While all movies suggested are rated PG-13 or below, please be sure to research the movie's content for yourself to ensure it is appropriate for you and your family.
WARM BODIES
Most scary movie fans have seen more than enough zombie movies, but have you ever seen a zombie movie that doubles as a teen romance? Warm Bodies is one of the oddest genre matchups you’ll ever see. Maybe the weirdest thing about it is the fact that it actually works! In the film, the remnants of humanity are trying to survive as a terrible plague has turned most people into zombies. But when one self aware zombie named R becomes infatuated with a beautiful human survivor, the two start to think of the other side differently. Could love and compassion be the cure to the zombie plague? You’ll have to watch to find out! It’s quirky, but a nice change of pace for the zombie genre.
THE SKELTON KEY
This movie about a haunted house reminds you that it’s important to do your research before taking on a new job. In the film, Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a good-natured nurse living in New Orleans, quits her job at a hospice to work for Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly woman whose husband, Ben (John Hurt), is in poor health following a stroke. Living on site in the expansive old mansion, Caroline begins to uncover strange and sinister things happening in the home. Even as she finds more and more evidence, she struggles to believe that some supernatural evil is at play. With its haunting atmosphere and some unexpected twists, this is a good one to check out this spooky season!
DEATH BECOMES HER 1992
This classic dark humor horror/comedy is one of the more unique Halloween season films. With an all star cast that includes Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, the movie tells the story of two women who fight for the affections of the same man. This movie offers a darkly humorous take on aging, vanity, and the lengths people will go to maintain their youth. The two feuding women take a potion that gives them immortality. But like most things that seem too good to be true, the potion has some serious side effects. This movie is hailed not only for its scathing take on the pressures to stay young, but also for the major advancements it made with computer-generated effects.
1408
2007 - HORROR/FANTASY- PG-13
John Cusack stars in this movie based on a Stephen King short story. As a successful author who has achieved worldwide acclaim by investigating and debunking supernatural phenomena, Cusack’s character pays no mind to the warnings he gets about staying in room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. Ignoring the pleas from the hotel’s manager, he enters the room expecting it to be another letdown. However, he finds that it’s not just haunted, it’s VERY haunted. As he tries to survive the physical and psychological dangers of the room, Cusack discovers that there’s no escape. This movie has some solid scares but it’s best known for its haunting ending that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
DARK SKIES
2013 - HORROR/SCI-FI- PG-13
The “haunted house” genre of scary films is maybe the most overdone of them all, but don’t let that keep you from giving Dark Skies a chance. What starts out looking like a routine haunting ends up being something else entirely as the family realizes that it’s not ghosts or demons they’re dealing with, but aliens. This movie asks the scary question, what would you do if aliens seemed determined to abduct your child? It may sound silly, but the movie is a real hidden gem and does a great job making the alien threat seem truly terrifying.
“BACK THE BOO”
Come one, come all for the Police Department’s spookiest event of the season! Be prepared for a monstrous amount of candy at this year’s “Back the Boo”. This event will be on Saturday, October 30th at White Settlement Police Department (8900 Clifford Street) from 5:30 - 8:30pm. This is a great opportunity to kids to wear their costumes, get candy and treats, and meet the community first responders.
DRUG TAKE BACK
The National Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th from 10 am to 2pm, at the White Settlement Police Department (8900 Clifford St). This initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription medications, while simultaneously educating the public on the importance of proper medication disposal. Among the various reasons for safely disposing of expired or unused prescription drugs, we would like to emphasize the issue of pharmaceutical pollution. Medications, which are intended for healing, can pose risks if not disposed of appropriately.
Many individuals are unaware that there exists a correct and incorrect method for disposing of unused or expired medications, and they may not recognize that improper disposal can result in environmental harm. It is essential to prioritize the proper disposal of medications to prevent the occurrence of pharmaceutical pollution. In the event that one is unable to attend the Drug Take Back event, there are still numerous accessible options available for the safe disposal of medications. The White Settlement Police Department maintains a prescription drug disposal container in the front lobby throughout the year for the disposal of unused and expired prescriptions. Additionally, pharmacies such as Wal-Mart, CVS, and Walgreens also provide disposal containers.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
HAUNTEDTRAILS ATCENTRALPARK
HALLOWEENDECORATINGCONTEST
Are you getting excited to decorate your yard for Halloween? Join in the fun with the Pride Commission's Halloween Decorating Contest! You can nominate your own home or any other fantastic displays you spot around town that really stand out. We’ll be judging based on categories like scariest decorations, funniest ones, and the most creative! Let’s showcase the very best this Halloween, so keep an eye out for amazing decorations and don’t forget to nominate them!.
The contest is limited to what can be seen from the street, in a homeowner's front yard. People or live animals not allowed in the display. Judging the nominated homes will be the evening of October 24, 2024. Please have decorations on by 6pm. Judge's decisions are final. To nominate a house CLICK HERE email the address to kwsb@wstx.us and include the homeowner contact information if you have it. For questions, call 817-246-5012.
RAYMONDSPRAYPARK
The Raymond Spray Park is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm. The park is open seasonally so it will close after September 23rd. Remember, to activate the water you have to push the button on the pole. Then you will have 4 minutes of fresh (not recycled) water fun!
Get ready for a fantastic evening on Saturday, October 26th at 6 pm at Central Park Gene Hatcher Pavilion! Join us for the FREE Spooktacular night at the City of White Settlement Haunted Trails event! There'll be music, games, tasty food trucks, trunk or treat, and an exciting spooky trail adventure waiting for you! It’s going to be a howling good time, so grab your bravest friends and come join the fun!
VOLUNTEER
Have you ever thought about getting involved and volunteering in your community? We’ve got some really exciting volunteer opportunities available on the city’s app, Helper Helper, and it’s super easy to sign up! Just scan the QR code below and discover how you can join the fantastic volunteers making a difference in the City of White Settlement! If you want to volunteer but don't want to use the app call 817-2465012 ext 859.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
TOILETRIESDRIVE/FOODDRIVE
PARKINGLOTSALE
We’re excited to announce that Keep White Settlement Beautiful is organizing a toiletry drive and food drive to create gift bags for the wonderful seniors at the White Settlement Senior Center! This idea stems from our amazing community spirit, and we’d love for you all to join us in showing our seniors some extra love.
We’re looking for common items like wipes, adult diapers, body wash, shampoo, bar soap, toothbrushes, denture glue, deodorant, and powder for the toiletries drive. For the Food Drive we are looking for non-perishable items, canned goods etc. Every single donation will make its way directly to our seniors! If you’re interested in helping out or have any questions, feel free to reach out to Mo at 817-2465012, EXT 859. Thank you for your kindness and support!
KIDFISH
It’s time once again for our annual Fall Kid Fish happening on Saturday, October 12th, from 9 am to noon at the Veterans Park fishing pier! It’s going to be a fantastic day filled with fun for families. It’s totally free for kids ages 1 to 16! We’ll provide the bait, so all you need to bring are your fishing poles. Plus, there will be some awesome prizes and trophies up for grabs! To sign up, just visit www.wstx.us/recdesk. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us at 817-246-5012. We can’t wait to see you there and enjoy a great day of fishing together!
Join us at the Senior Center on Saturday, October 5th, from 9 am to 3 pm for our exciting Parking Lot Sale! It’s the perfect opportunity to find amazing deals on both new and gently used items from our wonderful community. Register for space today at www.wstx.us/recdesk
COMMUNITY HEALTHFAIR
We’d love for you to come hang out with us on Saturday, September 28th, from 10 AM to 1 PM at the White Settlement Recreation Center (8213 White Settlement Rd) for the White Settlement Community Health Expo. It's a totally free event packed with information about health benefits, products, and services in our community. Plus, there will be fun activities, concessions, and so much more! Don’t miss out on this informative and enjoyable day!
Calendar of Events
SEPT 2ND: CITY OFFICES CLOSED (LABOR DAY)
SEPT 3RD: CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SEPT 7TH: ROCK THE BOAT
SEPT 14TH: FALL TRASH BASH
SEPT 21ST-22ND: COMMUNITY CLEANUP
SEPT 28TH: COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR
OCT 1ST: NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
OCT 3RD-5TH: FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE
OCT 5TH: PARKING LOT SALE
OCT 7TH: STORYBOOK PUMPKIN CONTEST BEGINS
OCT 8TH: CITY COUNCIL MEETING
OCT 12TH: KID FISH
OCT 14TH: CITY OFFICES CLOSED (COLUMBUS DAY)
OCT 19TH-20TH: COMMUNITY CLEANUP
OCT 26TH: HAUNTED TRAILS
OCT 30TH: BACK THE BOO
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