January, 2020
Expanded Christmas event attracts large crowd The Town of Sunnyvale hosted the annual Christmas event,
“Christmas Express� on Dec. 6, 2019. Donations from generous sponsors provided a variety of entertainment for the whole family. Attractions included a Christmas sing-a-long, led by the SISD sixth grade choir, live reindeer, cookies and hot cocoa, a photo booth, arts and crafts, pictures with Santa, a live showing of The Polar Express and a gingerbread house contest.
From the Mayor Welcoming the new decade Dear Friends and Neighbors, I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a relaxing holiday season. The last two decades have flown by; it feels like it was just a few months back that we were talking about the new millennium. In this past decade, our Town has seen many good changes, especially in the arena of Public Safety. We have increased the number of full time EMS personnel and improved the Emergency Management Service from Basic Life Support to Advanced Cardiac Life Support. The Town purchased a new ambulance and upgraded much of the fire and EMS equipment. Other achievements include opening a Fire Training Center and working to start a Citizens Fire Academy in Sunnyvale. The Town’s work to transition from the Dallas Sheriff’s Office to the Sunnyvale Police Department is progressing as planned. Infrastructure improvement was another area of focus. The widening of Collins Road is well underway and on schedule. The new water tank will sufficiently serve the needs of the Town for the foreseeable future.
Mayor George assists Thirdville Mayor Thomas Martinez during the Thirdville Town Council meeting held on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019.
review our challenges and opportunities and to brainstorm our strategic objectives for this year and the new decade. I will be sure to share with the Town these objectives in the coming months.
Our Economic Development Corporation I wish you and your family a very blessed and worked hard to improve the balance of prosperous new year. commercial and residential tax burden by expanding existing businesses and bringing in a handful of quality businesses to Town. At the same time, the Council and I feel strongly that there is much more to be done to preserve the character of our Town, enhance the quality of life and improve municipal services. The Council will be getting together this month for an all-day session to
Mayor Saji George
Planning is already underway. Save the dates! April 18 - Trash Off July 3 - SunnyFest Oct. 6 - National Night Out Nov. 26 - 2nd Annual Turkey Trot Dec. 4 - Annual Christmas Event
Collins Road Work continues on the construction of Phase I of Collins Road. As of December 2019, the project is almost 20 percent complete and is anticipated to wrap up in August 2020. The result will be a four lane divided roadway and includes a roundabout to connect the two sections of Tripp Road to Collins Road. Design of Phase II of Collins
Road, from Tripp Road to Town East Boulevard is also beginning.
Tripp Road Tripp Road is scheduled to be reconstructed in 2020. The Town has requested a Project Specific Agreement (PSA) from Dallas County for construction. Staff continues to make short- term repairs, such as cutting and patching as conditions worsen until the major reconstruction can occur in the warmer months, which is the optimal time to lay asphalt.
Economic Development Kevin M. Pearson has joined the Town of Sunnyvale as the Economic Development Director. Pearson has more than 30 years of experience in Economic Development and comes to Sunnyvale from the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his employment with Wichita Falls, Pearson worked in economic development for the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council in Peoria, Illinois. Pearson received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University. He also received training from the National Development Council and is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional. Economic Development Director Kevin M. Pearson
CERT Team is forming now The Town of Sunnyvale is starting their own Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and is looking for volunteers to join. The CERT program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their community and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT is made up of citizen volunteers from all walks of life. No matter your age, physical ability or skill level, there is something you can do to assist our community in a time of need. To join the Sunnyvale CERT Team, please complete the application and plan to attend one of the upcoming training classes. For more information, visit TownofSunnyvale.org and find the link at the bottom of the page for the application or call Peggy Scott at (972) 203-0314.
Town Highlights Thirdville held in November Each year, Sunnyvale ISD third graders participate in “Thirdville,” a project promoting the basics of local government. Students elect their peers into the different positions of the structure of local government. The elected officials hold their own council meeting at Town Hall and the student body
voice their opinions on what they would like to see in the town. This year, students focused on littering as their issue.
Veterans Day Recognition held by Town Council This past November, the Town recognized members from the community that have served in our nation’s military, both past and present. This was done to show appreciation for the sacrifice each and every one of these men and women have given
to our country. To express our thanks, each veteran
was gifted a Sunnyvale challenge coin.
First Annual Turkey Trot draws more than 100 The Town of Sunnyvale hosted their very own Turkey Trot this past Thanksgiving. Runners were given the option of a 5K or a 1 mile run/walk. Despite the cold, rainy weather, we had an excellent turn out and we will continue to hold this event for the future. The winner of the 5K was Rey Balderas.
Toys for Tots Gunnery Sergeant Bryan McNeal, USMC (Ret) teamed up with Toys for Tots and the Dallas County Sheriff’s deputies that are assigned to Sunnyvale to provide toys for families in need this past Christmas. Over 800 toys were donated, providing multiple gifts to every family in need.
Doris Padgett Library Spring Break TECH Truck Let the Doris Padgett Public Library help you keep your kids engaged and learning over spring break. Come visit us on Thursday, March 12 at 1 p.m. for a special visit from the Perot Museum’s TECH Truck, loaded with lots of cool STEM activities to explore!
Book Club The Doris Padgett Public Library Book Club meets on the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. to discuss the monthly book and enjoy light refreshments. If you need a copy of the book, be sure to come by the Library; we have multiple copies of each book available for checkout and past book club selections are available for purchase! If you have a book you’d like us to consider for reading, let us know and we’ll try to incorporate your selection, as well as suggest something new we bet you’ll love! Schedule of Upcoming Books:
Feb.1, 2020: Origin by Dan Brown March 7, 2020: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware April 4, 2020: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
The Library holds weekly story time every Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. Children ages 2-6 are invited to hear some great stories and make a fun craft they can take home.
Sunnyvale Police Police Chief Andrew Hawkes was officially sworn in on Dec. 9, 2019. Sunnyvale PD is currently in the hiring process for patrol sergeants and has received over 50 initial applications. The Town and Chief Hawkes are continuing to order equipment and are also working on dispatch and jail contracts. Other steps that have already been completed include development of a policy, obtaining a TCOLE number, purchasing the fleet, tasers, weapons
and selecting uniforms. Renovation of the existing facility began in October. Sunnyvale Police Chief, Andrew Hawkes
Joseph Yazdanpanahi joined the Town of Sunnyvale as the IT director on Jan. 6, 2020.
IT Director, Joseph Yazdanpanahi
Yazdanpanahi is an IT professional with more than 15 years of management and technical experience. He has worked in both local and federal levels of government. He comes to Sunnyvale from the City of Jacksonville. Prior to working in Jacksonville, Yazdanpanahi worked in IT for the United States District Court—Eastern District of Texas and for Smith County. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Tyler. IT services have historically been outsourced in Sunnyvale. However, the launch of the Police Department necessitated bringing it in-house.
Sunnyvale Fire A request for quotation (RFQ) was recently issued by the Town relating to the establishment of a new Fire Station. The Citizen’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Committee ranked this their #1 project. Once selected, the firm will help with identifying the best location that centrally locates the station. The firm will also determine an estimated cost for construction and prepare a preliminary design. “Getting a station more centrally located plays a big role in improving our response times,” said Fire Chief Doug Kendrick.
Town of Sunnyvale 127 N. Collins Road Sunnyvale, TX 75182
Meeting Calendar January 13 – Town Council, 7 p.m. Town Hall
10 – Town Council, 7 p.m. Town Hall
14 – 4B Economic Development Corp. 7 p.m. Town Hall
11 – 4B Economic Development Corp. 5:30 p.m.
14 – Library Board, 6 p.m. Town Hall
Town Hall 17– Planning & Zoning, Commission, 7 p.m.
21 – Planning & Zoning Commission, 7 p.m. Town Hall
Town Hall 18 – Library Board, 6 p.m.
27 – Town Council, 7 p.m. Town Hall
February
Town Hall 24 – Town Council, 7 p.m. Town Hall
Dates and times are subject to change. Please visit http://townofsunnyvale.org for current meeting information.