Volume 39 Number 9 December 2020

LA VENTANA

DEL LAGO

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 1

ABNC News Heather Millar

This Winter is a great time to explore ABNC. We have the solution for stress-free giving, programs for kids, and great ways to reconnect with nature while social distancing. We can't wait to see you! Gift-Giving Made Easy Give the gift of reconnecting with nature this holiday sea-son. ABNC gift cards can be used for pontoon cruises, kids

programs, kayak tours and more. Or give the gift that keeps giving with an ABNC membership, which provides free entry year-round and discounts to activities and events. Support a great cause while giving a unique gift! <https://www.abnc.org/gift-cards-and-memberships> Guided Kayak Tours of Armand Bayou Join us for a guided tour of Ar-mand Bayou as we explore the wetlands, see local wildlife, re-lax, and have fun. You’ll have a chance to see numerous birds, reptiles, and deer who are starting their day at the water's edge. Beginner and experienced kayakers are welcome. Ages 16+. <www.abnc.org/kayak-tours> Pontoon Boat Tours of Armand Bayou Our pontoon boat cruises are back in full swing with our brand new pontoon! Sit back and relax as you float down the bayou, enjoying the beautiful scenery as our knowledgeable guides teach you about the history and wonders of Armand Bay-ou. Limited spaces available. Ages 5+. <www.abnc.org/pontoon-boat-cruises> Winter EcoCamp ABNC’s Winter Break EcoCamps provide a great way for kids to disconnect from tech and reconnect with nature. Fun kid-sized adventures await. Our camp sizes are limited to 10 chil-dren per counselor, all activities are held outdoors, and masks are required. Space is limited, reserve your child’s spot today! Call 713-274-2667/2668 or go here <https://www.abnc.org/ecocamps> for more information and to register. No walk-ins will be accepted.

Luminarias – Continue the Tradition and Let Your El Lago Shine! Jeff Tave It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is just around the corner! An annual tradition in El Lago is the lighting of the luminarias on Christ-mas Eve. This magical sight began in the Clear Lake area in 1968 while the Apollo 8 crew (Jim Lovell, William Anders, and Frank Borman) circled the moon on Christmas Eve (all have been residents of El Lago). The NASA community wanted a special way to send our neighbors a Christmas wish while they were in space. The lining of the sidewalks with lighted luminarias was the perfect solution. Luminarias are white bags with a lighted candle which gives a beauti-ful display. This tradition expanded from one neighborhood to the next, and continues to this day. Luminaria kits are available for sale for $17. Each kit contains 30 white bags and 30 candles; one kit will take care of most homes. Sand to weight the bags is available in McNair Park. It’s a beautiful walk or ride thru the neighborhood on Christmas Eve, so make plans to enjoy the sights with friends and family. The rain day will be Christmas night. Kids really enjoy helping to put the bags together, filling with sand, and watching them glow Christmas Eve! The sale of the luminarias is also a significant source of income which finances the La Ventana - your community newspaper. Volun-teers staff the paper; however we still must pay for supplies, printing, and distribution. Your purchase of the luminarias shows your sup-port and helps pay these expenses. If you’ll be out of town ask a neighbor to set them out for you. If you do not wish to purchase lu-minaries, donations are also greatly appreciated. We are a 501C-3 organization so grab that end of year tax deduction. Thank you! Look for “Luminarias Sold Here” yard signs at the homes listed. In El Lago, Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without the luminarias lining our sidewalks on Christmas Eve. Get the kids involved and continue the tradition. Let your El Lago Shine! McGaha 727 Seaway 281-532-1610 Toennies 218 Bayou View 281-326-4498 Robinson 702 Huntercrest 281-326-2589 Tully 310 Cedar Lane 281-326-3336 Broadfoot 1607 W. Hedgecroft 281-326-4481 Tave 302 Pine View Circle 281-326-5098

Family Night Hikes Don't forget about our family night hikes on Friday and Satur-day nights. We are offering small group hikes starting at just $60. This is a great way to come experience the sights and sounds of Armand Bayou Nature Center at night! Call 281-474-2551 now to reserve your spot! <https://www.abnc.org/night-hikes> ABNC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and we rely heavily on the dona-tions to continue our conservation efforts. Please consider mak-ing a donation to protect one of the largest urban wildlife refug-es in the U.S. <https://www.abnc.org/donate>

Typically published monthly by the first

Saturday EDITOR & OPS MANAGER: GENERAL REPORTERS: Jeff Tave (281-326-5098) Brenda Klingle, Donna Ward email: jefftave@earthlink.net Jeff Tave

ADVERTISING/FLYERS: LAYOUT & DESIGN: Jeff Tave (281-326-5098) Laurie Fuller (281-513-4833) llmishome@gmail.com CIRCULATION: Kimberly Campos (832-232-2672)

CONTRIBUTORS: Sabrina Herod, Chris Henrichs, , Rachel Lewis, Heather Millar, Wendy Perez, Tom Savage

Issue To Editor

Earliest

No Issue Winter Break

February January 28 February 13

March February 26 March 5

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 2

ADVERTISING POLICY

La Ventana will accept personal ads from City teenagers for lost and found items at no charge. Commercial ads must be camera ready or an additional charge will be added to the prices below: Business card ad (3 1/2” X 2”)…………..….$43 1/8 page (3 1/2 X 2 1/2”) …………………….$50 1/4 page (3 1/2” X 5”)……………….……….$55 1/2 page (7 1/2” X 5”)………………………..$68 1/2 page (3 1/2” X 10”)………………………$68 Full page (7 1/2” X 10”)……………………...$110

Classified ad charges are: $5 for the first three lines; $1 each additional line. Flyers will be inserted and delivered for $90. Full year paid in advance discount: 2%.

Deadline for the ads is the 19th of the month. For further information, call: Advertising/Flyers: 281-326-5098. La Ventana is distributed monthly except January, July and August by the first Saturday of the month, with a circulation of 1000.

In this Issue… Armand Bayou Nature Center…………….……….…...Page 1 Luminarias……………………………………….…… .Page 1 From the Editor………..……………...……...…………Page 2 Advertising Policies……………...………...…………...Page 2 Article Deadlines……………………………...………..Page 2 Coastal Texas Study…………………………………….Page 3 Winter Word Search…………………………………….Page 4 Trowels and Tribulations………………………………..Page 4 LPD Stats and Cases November 2020…….…………….Page 5 ELCC Minutes 11/04/2020……………………………...Page 6 ELCC Minutes 11/18/2020……………………………...Page 7 WCID No. 50 Minutes 11/13/2020…………………..….Page 8 Classifieds………………………………………..………Page 9 NeighborLine……………………………….……….…...Page 9 Restaurant Take-Out……………………………………..Page 9

Wear a Mask. Stop the Spread.

From the Editor

Dear Readers –

It’s luminarias time! Please support your nonprofit communi-ty newspaper. Proceeds from luminarias sales help keep us publishing 9 months of the year. The luminaria elves built 150 sets from the materials harvested from the luminaria mine by the luminaria dwarves. We are hoping to sell out of all sets so please be sure to visit one of the sellers listed on page 1. Sand is in place at McNair Park. If you’re unable to put out luminarias, ask a neighbor for help or consider a do-nation instead. Donations should be made out to La Ventana and mailed care of me at 302 Pine View Circle. Thanks in advance for your support!

Thanks to all the citizens who expressed their support after the Mayor of El Lago & City Council dropped their long-standing support of the Luminarias fund-raiser which has been on-going for close to 40 years. City Leaders failed to note the history of luminarias in the City as a tribute to the tradition that started in Timbercove for the Apollo astronauts in the 1960’s. They failed to note the fact that the La Ventana has been the community newspaper, totally separate from the City, yet serves the citizens, for nearly 40 years, and this is a feature that differentiates El Lago from other local cities.

Upon a SINGLE citizen complaint at the December 4th City Council meeting regarding why the City promotes the “Jeff Tave business fundraiser” and “gives favors to ex-city Councilman” (the citizen did not even mention the La

Ventana once in his rant - he just expressed his personal vitriol against me), I received basically a “cease & desist” email from Councilman Darin Clark on behalf of Mayor John Skelton (within 1 hour of the Council meeting end). In this message, it was stated that the City would no longer be providing sand for the luminarias (FYI, excess sand was used by the City Maintenance Dept to fill holes and other uses), and the City Hall staff could not sell luminaria sets. I was to remove the sets immediately (the sign at City Hall was already down) and adjust the entrance signs. The basis of this decision was a lame excuse of how the City could not provide special support to one organization (especially in these challenging COVID times where the budget is constrained). I find this quite humorous as there was a failure to note how the City waives the Com-munity Center event room usage fees to any local organization that requests such at a City Council meeting. The hateful citizen also failed to mention that fact which is quite hypocritical of him since he explicitly mentioned that the Girl Scouts do not receive such favoritism, yet the Council meeting prior (November 18) a local Girl Scout Troop requested and received a fee waiver for use of the event room. Unfortunately, petty local politics has been the rule in this town the past few years, and the governing leaders are ruled by the shadow haters. Thanks to multiple citizens who offered to cover the approxi-mately $90 sand cost, and special thanks to resident John Armentrout of Discover Roofing LLC whose offer I accepted. Thankfully the Mayor still allowed the use of the McNair Park parking lot as a central location to dump the sand for citizens to retrieve. If you disagree with the Mayor/Council deci-sion, please do let them know.

Stay Home. Stop the Spread. Save Lives. — COVID-19 is STILL out there — be safe and continue to be smart and practice social distancing. Be respect-ful of your friends, co-workers, and neighbors and wear a mask! If you have

the opportunity to get the vaccine, please do so! Look for a repeat of the arti-cle in this issue pertaining to local restaurants open for pick-up/delivery. Please support our local businesses so they can survive the business impacts of the pandemic. The La Ventana staff and I would like to wish you and yours a Happy Holidays!

If you’re on NextDoor, be sure to join the La Ventana del Lago group as that’s where you’ll find issue releases and other miscellaneous tidbits. You don’t need an invite; you can join on your own. The La Ventana del Lago Newspaper FaceBook Group is operational (access via individual request). To join, send a request to the FaceBook Group: La Ventana del Lago Newspaper. You will be admitted on a temporary basis, and a request for you to complete the subscription form (on the Group page). Please complete the form (basic contact info and survey) and send it to laventana@earthlink.net within two weeks. Do note that all info collected will be for La Ventana use only and not disseminated in any other way. Once your completed subscription form has been received & confirmed, your request to join the Newspaper group on a permanent basis will be approved. Non-submittal of the completed form will lead to the suspension of your temporary access. Continued on page 3

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 3

continued from page 2

The latest issue of the La Ventana is available for electronic download at website <http://laventanadellago.org/lvweb.html>. The file is in pdf

format (you will need Acrobat Reader, a free utility already installed on most computers). Just click on the “Current Issue” button and the file

will be downloaded (or displayed if you have an Acrobat Reader plug-in installed in your web browser application). A link to the La Ventana location has also been provided on the City’s website <www.ellago-tx.com>, via a text link at the bottom of the home page in the QuickLinks

section.

By the way, if you ever have any issues with the delivery of your paper, whether it be late, lost, found in the gutter, etc., please be sure to con-tact our Circulation Coordinator, Kimberley Campos. We are only able to correct problems if we are aware of them.

Please support your community newspaper! How? Volunteer some time to write an article or two. We’re in need of general reporters to cover miscellaneous El Lago and community activities. Another way is to give us some feedback. What do you like? What are some

suggestions for improvement? This is your paper; help us satisfy your needs. Thanks for reading ...

Extended Public Comment Period for the Coastal Texas Study Draft Feasibility Report & Environmental Impact Statement Jeff Tave

Read the Draft Report & Draft Environmental Impact Statement The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and its local study partner, the Texas Gen-eral Land Office (GLO), are seeking your comments on the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study (Coastal Texas Study) second Draft Feasibility Re-port and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (released to the public on October 30th). The purpose of the Coastal Texas Study is to identify coastal storm risk manage-ment and ecosystem restoration measures that would protect the health and safety of Texas coastal communities, reduce the risk of storm damage to industries and business-

es critical to the Nation’s economy, and address critical coastal ecosystems in need of restoration. The reports are available to download on the project website <https://coastalstudy.texas.gov/draft-proposal/index.html>. The GLO and the USACE have extended the 45 day public comment period for the Coastal Texas Study by an additional 30 days to allow public stakeholders and the local community more time to comment on the Draft Report. The Coastal Texas Study Draft Report was initially released on Oct. 30, 2020, and was originally open for a 45-day public review and comment period ending on December 14, 2020. The new end date for the comment period will be January 13, 2021, bringing the public comment period to a total of 75 days. Constitu-ent feedback is a vital part of the study process, and the Texas GLO and USACE remain committed to ensuring the voices of the people of Texas are heard. How to Provide Comments To submit a comment or ask a question by mail, e-mail, or phone, see the addresses below. Mailed comments must be post-marked by January 13, 2021.

• Mail: USACE— Galveston District, Attn: Mr. Jeff Pinsky, Environmental Compliance Branch Regional Planning and Environ-mental Center, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX 77553-1229

• Email: coastaltexas@usace.army.mil

• Comment Deadline: January 13, 2021

Story Map The Story Map is a visual representation of the 2020 Draft Report for the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study (Coastal TX Study). The Story Map homepage is <https://coastal-texas-hub-usace-swg.hub.arcgis.com>. For better viewing experience, please use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers. Also, it is suggested using a PC to interact with the story maps. GIS StoryMap technology animates the complicated concepts discussed in the Draft Proposal by allowing you to:

• See the difference in flooding this project could make in the Houston and Galveston areas

• Experience a virtual landscape with the proposed beach and dune systems in place

• Examine potential environmental impacts and review our proposed mitigation plans

Find the latest on the Coastal TX Study on FaceBook here [https://www.facebook.com/CoastalTXStudy/] or on the website here [https://coastalstudy.texas.gov].

Thanks to John Armentrout of Discover Roofing LLC for the luminarias sand and also to Shawn & Sally Harrison

and Vern Harms for their generous donations!

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 4

Trowels & Tribulations In a Suburban Garden Donna J. Ward, Certified Texas Master Gar-dener

This may not be the year we all want to join the crowd inside at the Mall, but have you considered heading to your favorite nurse-ry - outside? Their advertisements contain one of our favorite words –”SALE.” Most plants are selling for 1/4th of their original price as nurseries don’t want the expense of over-wintering those unsold plants. Recently I spotted some miserable looking chrysan-themums at a local nursery. They looked as though they might have had an altercation with an errant weed-wacker. Growers forced them into early bloom to entice the gardener looking for instant gratification. They’ll bloom again if you give them a bit of fertilizer, adequate water and lots of sun. You gotta admit, the price is tempting.

The potted amaryllis is gorgeous, but if you pot up a few bulbs, they make a great holiday gift for a friend, neighbor, employee and maybe yourself. After blooms are spent put them into the garden. A morning sun, afternoon shade site is best, and they will perform for you again next year.

Azaleas and camellias are bargains these days, and the timing is perfect to get them into your landscape. If you are putting in new specimens or moving older ones, remember that promoting root growth is the name of the game. They can’t accomplish this with-out adequate water. Our winters are usually mild, but we can’t second guess Mother Nature. If a freeze is forecast (it could hap-pen) remove those protective covers the next morning unless of course Old Man Winter is still hanging around. Row cover weighs practically nothing, but does provide protection from cold while still allowing light to penetrate.

Most evergreen shrubbery is sale priced too. If you want to gather berries for future holiday décor, plant some yaupon, Buford, or Savannah hollies. Be sure and purchase female specimens if you want showy berries. Possomhaw holly is also a good berry pro-ducer. They are deciduous, so drop their leaves in November and December, but their arching branches are covered with orange, red and yellow berries much loved by the many species of song birds known to feed on their fruit. If you want to attract feathered friends to your garden, you can also entice them with wax-myrtle, beautyberry, or elderberry in your landscape. Just don’t purchase more shrubbery than you can water and care for.

If you really want to be one of Santa’s helpers, you could make an effort to help an elderly or disabled relative, friend or neighbor. How about planting a tree or shrub for someone unable to do it for themselves – or pruning some small trees or shrubbery, or setting up a simple drip watering system, or cleaning out a flower bed, or removing plants killed by an occasional drought? Maybe you could secretly tuck some of those tulip bulbs you’ve refrigerated into their flower bed for a spring surprise. I’m sure there’s some-thing you could do that would be appreciated by them and put you on Santa’s ‘Nice’ list. And remember you don’t have to go to the mall or hobby shop to buy holiday decorations for either your indoor or outdoor display. Branches of holly, ligustrum, yew, juniper, bay laurel, and magnolia cut from your own yard will do nicely. Throw in some pine cones, a few red bows and you’re ready for the holidays. Well, almost – there’s still cookies to bake, last minute shopping, gifts to wrap, another trip to the post of-fice……..Happy Humbug……….

Trowels & Tribulations is published on the city site (www.ellago-tx.gov) on the first day of each month of publication. Place your cursor on “Our Community” and on the drop-down menu you will find Trowels & Tribulations listed under Gardening in El Lago.

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 5

911 HANGUP 0

INTOXICATED DRIVER PER-SON

0

ABUSE NEGLECT CHILD ELDERLY

0 MINOR ACCIDENT 3

ALARM BURGLAR 11 LOST MISSING 5

ACCIDENT MAJOR 0 LOUD MUSIC NOISE 13

ANIMAL CONTROL PROBLEM 9 NARCOTICS VIOLATION 1

ALARM PANIC 0 PARKING VIOLATION 1

ASSIST BY LAW 22 PRISONER PROCESS 1

ASSAULT 4 PROPERTY LOST RECOVERED

0

ASSIST CITIZEN 5 RECKLESS DRIVER CONDUCT 1

BURGLARY 3 SUSPICIOUS CIRC PERSON VEHICLE

28

CIVIL PROBLEM STANDBY 2 SEXUAL ASSAULT 1

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 4 SUICIDE ATTEMPT/PSYCHIATRIC

0

DEATH INVESTIGATION 0 THEFT 2

DISORDERLY CONDUCT 2 THREAT TERRORISTIC 1

DISABLED VEHICLE 2 TRAFFIC HAZ PROB DIRECT RELAT

1

DISTURBANCE 13 TRAFFIC STOP 159

FOLLOWUP 2 TRESPASS 1

FRAUD 2 VIOLATION CITY ORDINANCE 0

FLAGDOWN 4 UNAUTHORIZED USE OF M/V 0

ID THEFT 0 WELFARE CONCERNS 12

HARASSMENT 0 WEAPONS OFFENSES 1

LAKEVIEW POLICE ACTIVITY November 2020

313

Lakeview Police Department Cases (El Lago): November 2020

Date Location Type Offense __________________ 11/01/2020 El Lago Burglary of a Motor Vehicle The victim, a Seabrook resident, left his vehicle parked at his place of business overnight. The vehicle was left unlocked and it was entered by the suspect. A pair of designer sunglasses valued at $400 and $60 in cash were stolen. The suspect was captured on surveillance video attempting to enter several other vehicles on the property. Night shift Officers reviewed the video and recognized the suspect as a known thief who resides in the area. The investigation is ongoing.

11/02/2020 El Lago Criminal Mischief Sometime over the Halloween weekend an unknown suspect(s) spray painted graffiti on the concrete of a newly built parking adjacent to an elementary school. The cost of cleanup is estimated at $200. There are no witnesses and suspects at this time. The premises are monitored by video surveillance. The investigation is ongoing.

11/03/2020 El Lago Burglary of a Motor Vehicle Sometime over the Halloween weekend an unknown suspect entered the victims unlocked, unattended vehicle, and stole a small amount of change and some paperwork. There are no suspects or witnesses at this time.

11/09/2020 El Lago Aggravated Assault The victim, a resident of Louisiana, was attending a party at his father-in-law’s house. The victim has been in an ongoing dispute with his wife’s cousin over money. The cousin arrived unexpectedly at the residence, and a fight ensued. The victim was severely beaten and was later hospitalized for internal injuries. The suspect is known and the investigation is ongoing.

11/13/2020 El Lago Sexual Assault with an Object The victim, an El Lago resident, made an outcry that several years ago her brother sexually assaulted her. The investigation is ongoing.

11/13/2020 El Lago Identity Theft – Wire Fraud The victim, a resident of El Lago, reported that they had been duped by a person over the phone and had allowed them remote access to their comput-er. The suspect then stole the victims identifiers and credit card number and attempted to make several thousand dollars in purchases online. The fraud was discovered and prevented by the credit card company. There is no sus-pect at this time.

11/14/2020 El Lago Hit and Run The victim, a resident of Dickinson, was waiting to turn into the parking lot of Jack in the Box on NASA Pkwy. The suspect was exiting the Jack in the Box and struck the victim’s vehicle. The victim had her 2 small children and an infant in the vehicle. The vehicle was spun around 180 degrees and sus-tained substantial damage. The suspect quickly drove off without stopping to check on the victim or exchange information. The surveillance cameras at Jack in the Box were inoperative at the time. There are witnesses, but no suspects. The investigation is ongoing.

11/16/2020 El Lago Burglary of a Building The victim was a contractor for a plumbing company out of Pasadena. The victim reported that an unknown person broke into the storage container that was being used to secure tools at a construction site of a local elementary school. Approximately $1,650 worth of ladders and a concrete cutter were stolen. The premises are covered by video surveillance. The investigation is ongoing.

11/17/2020 El Lago Aggravated Assault of a Po-lice Officer LVPD Officers were called to a residence in El Lago for an out of control juvenile who was destroying the house with a baseball bat. The juvenile suspect is well known by LVPD Officers and has been charged for numer-ous burglaries in the area. LVPD Officers confronted the suspect who was still holding the bat and who advanced aggressively on the Officers. The suspect was disarmed by the Officers and then the suspect attempted to pull a replica Beretta 9 mm 92-F airsoft pistol on the Officers, a felony act. The suspect was taken into custody after a fierce struggle. While being transport-ed to the hospital to be medically cleared for transport to juvenile detention, the suspect spit on an LVPD Officer, also a felony. After being medically cleared, the juvenile suspect was transported to juvenile detention in down-town Houston. Charges of Aggravated Assault and Harassment of a Public Servant were subsequently file by the responding Officers.

11/19/2020 El Lago Hit and Run- DWI Accident A LVPD Sergeant observed the suspect vehicle strike some parking poles across the street from the Lakeview Police Department. The suspect vehicle then fled the scene and was pulled over by the Sergeant a short distance away. The driver of the suspect vehicle was found to be highly intoxicated and a warrant had to be obtained to take a blood sample from her. After the sample was taken at a local hospital, the suspect was booked into the Web-ster City Jail without incident for driving while intoxicated.

11/20/2020 El Lago Aggravated Assault of a Police Officer LVPD Officers responded to a call of a disturbance at a residence in El Lago over money and property. The dispute was settled between the suspect, an El Lago resident and the complainant, a resident of Houston. As the Officers were leaving the scene, they heard sounds of breaking glass and yells of help from the suspect’s mother. The suspect had lit a fire on his bed and was smashing out windows. When the Officers confronted the suspect, he launched an unprovoked attack on them, striking one of them in their open eye. The officer sustained non-permanent impairment in the eye and was examined at a local hospital. The suspect, who claimed to have overdosed on Xanax, was transported to the same hospital and had to be sedated to stop his violent behavior. Once the suspect was cleared medically, having found not to be suffering from an overdose, he was transported to the Harris Coun-ty Jail and booked in for the assault.

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 6

Significant Items from the Minutes of the El Lago City Council Meeting on November 4, 2020 Rachel Lewis Direct excerpts from the official minutes deemed to be of interest and edited for space. Full minutes available on the city website <www.ellago-tx.gov>. Consent Agenda

• Check Detail for checks printed from October 22, 2020 through November 4, 2020

• Minutes from the Council Meeting of October 21, 2020 Councilperson Findley made a motion to approve and Councilperson Kuehnel provided a second. The vote was unanimous to approve.

City Official, Board, Commission, Committee, & City Service Report

• SVFD monthly activity report (Chief Andy Gutacker) – Chief Gutacker was not present so no verbal report was given. A written report was submitted.

• City Secretary Rachel Lewis to report on City Secretary Rachel Lewis to report on City business, the current expenses and losses for COVID-19, and status of expense reimbursement from the CARES Act funding – City Secretary Lewis reported that 5 reimbursement re-quests were submitted to Harris County for CARES fund money to cover expenses from COVID. Four of these requests were approved and the City has received funds in the amount of $5,905.59. The last request for $5,603.65 was approved to go to Harris County Commissioner’s Court and if they approve it, then El Lago will receive a total expense reimbursement of $11,509.24. There are a few more expenses that will be submit-ted for reimbursement at the end of the month. She stated that the recycling bins located at Mc Nair Park were relocated to the parking lot next to the City Pool due to complaints about how their appearance at the park. Residents were notified via the website, social media outlets, and a ro-bocall. They are now being emptied twice per week and there are a total of three bins. She stated that the elections held in the Event Room the previous day went well. The survey conducted to determine if at least 50% of the households in El Lago want to pay for curbside recycling will end on November 18, 2020. She reported that there were 292 “yes” responses to the survey with one week remaining.

Council Member’s Reports

• Councilperson Michalak to report on a recommended public awareness committee regarding adherence to the City leash laws – Coun-cilperson Michalak was not present, so no report was given.

Old Business

• Consider/Approve Ordinance 264-W amending Ordinance 264 to extend the hours of the school zone and parking hours in the school zone subject to reduced speed limits. (Second Reading) - Councilperson Kuehnel made a motion to approve and it was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Vernon. The vote to approve was unanimous.

New Business

• Consider/ Approve the renewal of AV Design Pros as the City’s audiovisual and lighting contractor - City Secretary Lewis explained that AV Design Pros has been very easy to work with. She stated that although they can charge $65 per hour to repair anything with the system, or to train new employees to operate it, they have never charged for this. Other A/V companies were contacted but they are reluctant to enter into a contract to repair a system they did not install. Councilperson Findley made a motion to approve the renewal and a second was provided by Coun-cilperson Kuehnel. The motion passed unanimously.

• Consider/Approve quotes to replace Council chairs for the City Council chambers - City Secretary Lewis stated that since the chairs would be used for Council meetings, then PEG funds would cover the cost of the new chairs. She stated that she plans to get quotes for audio and visual systems to begin to stream and/or video Council meetings, along with other items to improve the Council Chambers in order for this to occur. These costs would all be eligible for payment through PEG funds. Currently there is over $24,000 in the PEG account, and these funds cannot be used for anything other than for capital expenses surrounding video or streaming of meetings. Councilperson Findley made a motion to postpone in order to consider quotes for all PEG fund purchases as one agenda item in a future meeting. Councilperson Kuehnel seconded. The motion passed unanimously to postpone.

Workshop (no motions to be made during the workshop period)

• Discuss a change to the El Lago City Council Rules of Procedure to include the addition of contract report review under Article 5 - City Council members discussed placing a new procedure into the Council Rules of Procedures to include an annual list of City contracts for review by Council members. This list would include all contracts and renewal dates so that City Council members can choose to look for other options as contracts expire. It was decided that this would need to be reviewed on a semiannual basis. They determined that Article 5, section B would be used for this purpose and they would consider this revision at the next scheduled Council meeting.

• Discuss amending the El Lago Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, section 5.04 (13) to allow chickens in specific sections of the City - City Council members discussed the revisions presented by Councilperson Findley to amend the current ordinances to allow chickens in specific areas of the City. It was determined that this was not an issue of allowing chickens, but rather an issue of allowing a wildlife rehabilitator to have chick-ens on their property for animal rescue purposes. Councilperson Findley stated he would contact Mrs. Murgatroyd to gather more information about this, and the City Secretary will contact the City Attorney to determine what type of ordinances are allowed for this. Also, if the zoning ordi-nance must be amended, the Planning and Zoning Commission would first have to make that recommendation to Council.

Back to Regular Session

• Future Agenda Item Requests - Councilperson Findley stated he plans to see about getting a volunteer group together to repair the pergola locat-ed that the City Pool and will present this on a future agenda. Mayor Pro Tem Vernon stated that an end-of-year financial report would be sched-uled for the next meeting.

PASSED and APPROVED this 18th of November, 2020. *** To listen to full audio of the November 4, 2020 City Council Meeting, please go to the City’s website at www.ellago-tx.gov, under the “Agenda Center.” ***

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 7

Significant Items from the Minutes of the El Lago City Council Meeting on November 18, 2020 Rachel Lewis

Direct excerpts from the official minutes deemed to be of interest and edited for space. Full minutes available on the city website <www.ellago-tx.gov>.

Citizens’ Forum

• A citizen from W. Hedgecroft Dr asked for help regarding a short-term rental property on his street. He stated that there have been numerous problems with suspicious behavior. The short-term rental advertises that the house sleeps up to ten people. He asked if ordinances could be changed to restrict these types of rentals. Mayor Skelton stated that the Texas Municipal League attorneys were contacted about this question and said that the Texas State Legislature will not allow cities to restrict these rentals. Cities may charge a hotel tax and require certain permits, but the state prevents further measures. The Mayor encouraged the resident to contact his state representative.

• Another citizen from W. Hedgecroft Dr stated that he too is concerned about the short-term rental property and is also concerned that this property re-ceives a homestead exemption and it is owned by an investment company.

• A citizen from Crestwood Dr asked about the status of the blue reflectors that were to be placed throughout the City. She also reported that there is ex-cessive speeding in the area near the schools. She asked if a speeding sign could be installed in that area. She suggested that some type of mailing distri-bution be sent out to all residents at the end of the year to inform everyone of City news. Mayor Skelton stated that a speeding sign can be installed near the schools and the City is currently working on a flyer to distribute to residents.

Consent Agenda

• Check Detail for checks printed from November 5, 2020 through November 18, 2020

• Minutes from the Council Meeting of November 4, 2020 Mayor Pro Tem Vernon made a motion to approve and Councilperson Kuehnel provided a second. The motion passed unanimously.

City Official, Board, Commission, Committee, & City Service Report

• Report on LPD activity in the City with Call for Service reports for October, 2020 – Chief Tom Savage presented the Call for Service report for October, 2020. He also presented the Code Enforcement report for October, 2020. He encouraged citizens to contact the police if they observe disorderly conduct at the short-term rental location described during the citizens forum.

• FY 2020 End of Year Financial Report for the City of El Lago – Cheryl Hunter went over the end of year financial report. There was a 2.53 percent shortfall for revenues and expenditures were under by 4.44 percent. There was an excess in revenues over expenditures of $89, 510.

Council Member’s Reports

• Councilperson Michalak to report on a recommended public awareness committee regarding adherence to the City leash laws – Councilperson Michalak presented a video to use for the leash law campaign for residents. He reported that the committee is continuing to meet to develop this cam-paign.

• Mayor Pro Tem Vernon to report on street and sidewalk repairs – Mayor Pro Tem Vernon reported that WCID 50 will be working on a multimillion dollar project throughout the City to improve drainage. She was advised to wait on street repairs since this project will affect many of the City streets. She said for this reason she will focus on repairing sidewalks. The company she is working with has begun mudjacking in the higher traffic areas. Some areas of sidewalks are also being replaced.

New Business

• Consider/Approve a variance for the use of the Event Room submitted by Christina Hutton which would allow use by Girl Scout Troop 140157, a non-profit organization - Ms. Hutton was present and informed Council that these meetings would occur every other week. Mayor Pro Tem Vernon made a motion to approve and Councilperson Clark provided a second. The vote was unanimous to approve.

• Consider/Approve Ordinance 473 approving amendments and additions to Appendix B to ensure minimum flood protection measures are in places as recommended by the Commissioner’s Court of Harris County, Texas - Mayor Skelton stated that the Floodplain Administrator recom-mended this ordinance and the City Attorney prepared it. Councilperson Kuehnel made a motion to approve and Mayor Pro Tem Vernon seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

• Consider/Approve an agreement renewal with Harris County to house, support, maintain, and confine prisoners in Harris County Jails with no increase in cost - Councilperson Michalak made a motion to approve with a second from Councilperson Findley. The vote to approve was unanimous.

• Consider/Approve a Memorandum of Understanding between Odyssey Academy and the City of El Lago to provide an alternate parent/student reunification site in the event of an emergency using the City Hall Event Room - City Secretary Lewis explained that Odyssey Academy has two other agreements with other locations in place, so the Event Room would be a third option should the other places be unavailable. Mayor Pro Tem Vernon made a motion to approve and Councilperson Michalak seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

• Consider/Approve Ordinance 472 adopting changes to the City of El Lago’s City Council Rules of Procedure to include a semiannual review of City contracts - Councilperson Kuehnel provided a motion with a second by Councilperson Clark for approval. The vote was unanimous to approve.

• Consider/Approve the purchase of document management software if funded through CARES funding - City Secretary Lewis stated that CARES funding can be utilized for software that makes it possible for cities to operate while employees work remotely. This software is a cloud-based document management software. Currently the City does not have this type of software, so employees are not able to access all files in order to work remotely. This contract is for a 5-year term and must be paid up front in order to be considered for CARES funding. Once paid, the money cannot be refunded and there is a slight risk that once submitted, the entire 5 year contract could be rejected. She contacted the Small Cities Assistance Program, which is the program aiding Harris County to distribute the CARES funding to the surrounding cities, and they stated that as long as contract was paid up front, it was submitted by the deadline, and it shows that it was directly related to COVID-19, then the expense should be reimbursable. City Secretary Lewis stated the contract from Power DMS was compared to two other quotes from Laserfische and Provox last year when the need for this document management software was researched, and it is not only the least expensive option, it provides what the City needs. The total cost for 5 years is $12,611.56. Mayor Pro Tem Vernon made a motion to approve if the contract can be adjusted to show that this is a summary cost for all 5 years, and that money be set aside from FY 2020 reserves to pay as a project expense if it is not funded by CARES Act funding. Councilperson Kuehnel provided a second. Coun-cilpersons Clark and Findley stated they were concerned about the risk that CARES may not fund the software. Mayor Skelton stated that about $14,000 has already been approved for reimbursement to the City, and El Lago was originally allocated up to $168,000 in CARES money. The deadline to apply for all reimbursements is December 8, 2020. Councilpersons Michalak, Findley, Vernon, and Kuehnel voted to approve and Councilperson Clark voted against approval. The motion passed.

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December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 8

We are always in need of articles of interest to the community; please feel free to send something you

deem appropriate. Please note that items not directly related to the El

Lago vicinity are included on a space available basis and if they are

not time dependent, the information may be “bumped” to the next issue. For guaranteed in-

clusion, advertising space is usually available.

WCID No. 50 Minutes for the November 13th Board Meeting Sabrina Herod

The following are highlights of the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors that took place on November 13, 2020. Complete minutes are available at the District office at 1122 Cedar Lane, and on the WCID No. 50 website at www.wcid50.org.

Citizen Comments – Mr. Ellor inquired regarding the Service Agree-ment with South Taylor Lake Village Water Supply Corporation (STLVWSC). Mr. Bonham informed the Board and Mr. Ellor that con-tinued discussions were ongoing between himself and legal counsel for the STLVWSC with the expectation that an agreement for review by both parties would be presented at the next monthly Board meeting.

Engineer’s Report – Jonathan Liu presented the report and some of the items discussed were: a) Planning for the Capital Improvements to the District’s Drainage System continues with the Harris County Flood Con-trol District (HCFCD). b) Repairs to Sanitary Sewer System as identi-fied from the District’s sewer line smoke testing were completed. Change Orders No. 1 and 2, and Final with the Certificate of Final Com-pletion are presented for review, discussion, and approval. A motion to approve Change Orders No. 1 and 2 and Final in the total amount of $35,997.80 was made by Sheila Brown. The motion was seconded by George Shea and approved by a unanimous vote. c) Additional infor-mation regarding the Implementation of Electronic Metering is being gathered with a discussion to be held at the next meeting. d) Academy Lane Townhome Project construction activities are ongoing for the town-homes. The developer has proposed a new lift station site, which precip-itated the need for new survey information. e) The Taylorcrest Lift Station Rehabilitation project was sent out for bids. One bid was re-ceived from CFG Industries, LLC in the amount of $75,400. A recom-mendation to proceed was made by Mr. Liu. A motion to award the contract in the amount of $75,400 to CFG Industries, LLC was made by Sheila Brown. The motion was seconded by M. B. Eisenbarth and ap-proved by a unanimous vote. f) Future District Projects – None at pre-sent. g) Taylorcrest Force Main Reroute survey work has been complet-ed as of the meeting date. A proposal will be presented at the next meet-ing.

Superintendent’s Report – John Riley presented the report and some of the items discussed were: a) Replaced the control panel and check valve on the No. 4 booster pump at the water plant. b) Flushed and painted all fire hydrants. c) Laid electrical wires to the automatic gate at the District office. d) Repaired leaking air control tubing at the water plant. e) Lo-cated the water and sewer lines for the contractor performing core sam-ple drilling to facilitate the WCID 50/HCFCD storm drain improvement project. f) Replaced the incandescent/florescent lighting with new LED lights in the lab building as an energy savings measure. g) Waste Man-agement removed 40 yards of sludge from the treatment plant.

Office Manager’s Report – Sabrina Herod presented the report and some of the items discussed were: a) Financials are being distributed for review, discussion, and approval. b) The informational Drainage Im-provement letter for the constituency has been sent to the printer’s for distribution with the monthly bills. c) Received electronic notification with affidavit that the District’s audit was formally submitted to TCEQ as required..

Service Agreement with South Taylor Lake Village Water Supply – The item was tabled.

Executive session (closed meeting) to consider the purchase, ex-change, lease, or value of real property in accordance with Texas Government Code § 551.072 and personnel matters in accordance with Texas Government Code § 551.074 – At approximately 1:11 PM the Board of Directors of Harris County Water Control and Improvement District went into executive session. At 2:49 PM the Board resumed the regular open meeting..

Items for inclusion on Board’s Next Agenda – 2020 TCDRS changes; Executive Session (closed meeting) to consider pending or threatened litigation in accordance with Texas Government Code § 551.071 and the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property in accordance with Texas Government Code § 551.072, Implementation of Electronic Me-tering and Drainage Improvements near Edward H. White II Elementary School.

Pending Business – Next Board meeting is December 9, 2020 @ 2:30 PM.

continued from page 7

• Consider/Approve a cloud-based payment module for the iWorQ building permitting software if funded through CARES funding - City Secretary Lewis stated that this module of the cur-rent iWorQ software would allow the public to pay online for per-mits and contractor registration. Since it also allows for employees to conduct work remotely, it is an eligible expense to be funded with CARES funding. This contract provided for two years at a total cost of $1000. Councilperson Michalak made a motion for approval with a second from Councilperson Findley. Councilperson Clark stated he was concerned about the risk of CARES funding not paying for this module. Councilpersons Findley, Michalak, Ku-ehnel, and Vernon voted to approve, and Councilperson Clark ab-stained. The motion passed.

• Consider proposals for legal services and approve a contract for a City Attorney - Mayor Skelton informed Council that the current City Attorney, Val Perkins, has not been in contact with the City and his firm is not saying what has happened with him. Currently there is an attorney with his firm that his helping the City with legal issues, however that attorney is located in Austin and is not readily available when needed. Proposals from Olson & Olson and Gregg & Gregg were presented. Mayor Skelton stated that the fees are similar, however he was impressed with Olson & Olson after meet-ing with them. They would have two attorneys dedicated to our City and a senior attorney would also be available to help with the bigger issues. The City currently pays $300 per hour for legal ser-vices and both proposals are lower per hour than the current agree-ment. Councilperson Michalak made a motion to authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Olson & Olson for legal services based upon the rates on the proposal. Mayor Pro Tem Vernon seconded. Councilpersons Michalak, Vernon, Findley, and Kuehnel voted to approve and Councilperson Clark abstained stat-ing he did not have enough information. The motion passed.

• Future Agenda Item Requests - Scheduled - PEG Fund approval items, Workshop for continued discussion of Wildlife Rehab; Un-scheduled - Personnel Manual. Councilperson Findley stated that he did not need another workshop for the Wildlife Rehabilitation ordi-nance and would instead like to have this placed on a future agenda as an action item. Mayor Skelton stated that the taxing of short term rentals would be a topic for a meeting in January. Mayor Pro Tem Vernon reminded Council to get her their topics for the City news-letter.

PASSED and APPROVED this 4th of December, 2020. *** To listen to full audio of the November 18, 2020 City Council Meet-ing, please go to the City’s website at www.ellago-tx.gov, under the “Agenda Center.” ***

December 2020 La Ventana Del Lago Page 9

El Lago NeighborLine Jeff Tave

Here again is the updated El Lago Neighbor Business Line, a list of business owners who desire to promote their services to fellow El Lagoans. The La Ventana in no way endorses these business-es, rather we are reporting their availability. With that in mind, here is our current list by type to date. If you are interested in adding your name/business to the list, please contact Jeff Tave (281-326-5098 or via email: jefftave@eartlink.net) Jan 29th (for the Feb issue).. The listing fee is $4.50 per issue or $35 for a full year (9 issues). All fees go towards supporting the operations of your community newspaper.

Academia/Craft Classes · Borde, Jenny: Alpha-Montessori School (1908 Hialeah), toddlers, pre-school, elementary, summer camp, before/after school. We match prices. Call 281-474-2222. Visit <www.alphamontessoriseabrook.com>. Fitness/Pilates · Campos, Kimberly: MEbody Studio, Pilates, Adult Ballet and tap, barre360, Gyrotonic, body rolling, and more. Come and move with us! ALL bodies welcome. Contact us at <www.themebody.com> or 281-984-7325. CPA · Coggin, John: John F. Coggin CPA PLLC, El Lago Resident since 1985. Full service CPA firm offering individual/corp.

taxes, bookkeeping, payroll & monthly financial statements. Offices at 2600 NASA Pkwy Ste 202, Seabrook, TX, 713-408-

1318 or john@jcoggincpa.com.

Home Improvement · Lehnertz, Tim: Rugmasters Carpet & Floors, Visit our showroom at 4903 NASA Parkway (across from Clear Lake Forest). Family business, 30+ yrs. @ the same location. 281-326-1724. Sailing School, Kayaking, Standup Paddleboards · Coggin, Laurie: Let's Go Sailing Sailing School and Kayak/

Standup Paddleboard rentals. Offices at 2600 NASA Pkwy Ste 202, Seabrook, TX. El Lago Resident since 1985. For info, call

281-532-1518, john@lets-go-sailing.net.

Classified*Classified*Classified

• Join the El Lago Baby-sitting Co-Op. It’s a great way to exchange baby-sitting at no cost. We just exchange tickets; for example,two tickets pays for 1 hour of baby-sitting. Plus, we have monthly kid and parent fun activities. Please join us or call Peta at (281) 326-1340 for more information.

• Join the La Ventana Team! We are looking for an Adver-tising Director. Call Jeff Tave at (281) 326– 5098.

• Baby-Sitting 14 year-old who loves kids. Call Alicia (281) 291-0942.

Local Restaurants Offering Take-Out (Some Delivery) Jeff Tave Support our local restaurants who now are limited to take-out/delivery and limited hours. Ones in the immediate area are be-low: Boondoggles Pub: 281-326-2739, boondogglespub.com Dave`s Smoke House (on Kirby): 281-326-7164 Gabachos: 281-326-5697, gabachos.net, doordash.com Hunsa Thai Kitchen (in Arlan’s Center): 281-532-6339, grub-

hub.com, seamless.com, doordash.com Jack in the Box: 281-326-1101, jackinthebox.com, door-

dash.com Las Anitas Mexican: 281-326-2200, lasanitas1.com, door-

dash.com Pelican Grill: (281) 326-6149, pelicanbreakfast.com Seabrook Classic Cafe: 281-326-1512, 281-326-1546, 832-766-9745 832-766-9759, 832-766-9762, sea-

brookclassiccafe.com Subway (in Arlan’s Center): 281-326-2288, subway.com, post-

mates.com, doordash.com Sugar Mountain (Coffee Shop next to Classic Cafe): 281-339-

7262, facebook.com/sugarmountainseabrook/ Valdos: 281-326-3866, doordash.com Villa Capri: 281-326-2373, frenchiesvillacapri.com Village Pizza & Seafood: 281-326-3200, villagepizzasea-

food.com, seamless.com, grubhub.com, doordash.com Viola & Agnes’ Neo Soul Cafe: 281-326-2226,

www.neosoulfood.org. Wong’s Chef: 281-532-3027, 281-532-3037, wongschef.com,

doordash.com

Stay Home.

Wear a Mask.

Stop the Spread.

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