For those of you that don’t know me, I am newly-elected councilman Keith Palmer and you can thank me for the new and improved Naylor Road. Actually, I had absolutely nothing to do with it but feel free to thank me just the same. Oh, maybe thank the good people of Crossroads as well. A few well timed “suggestions” by local citizens to TXDoT and regional representatives might have helped also. I’m just glad we don’t have to drive 29.9

mph down a dangerous road anymore.

Walking straight from election to budget workshops is not my idea of fun but you get what you ask for sometimes. Once again the City has not raised the property tax rate having decided to keep it at its present rate. This is no small feat considering the City’s revenue was down. The Council felt that with so many people having to tighten up their belts due to the economy our city government should do the same. Funny how professional politicians can’t seem to get their brains around that concept.

We can thank past Council members for setting a standard of fiscal responsibility that is serving us well during these economic times. We can also thank our City Manager Doug Mousel and Chief Shackleford for running their departments within budget while still providing exemplary service to the city. Doug and the rest of the City staff continue to improve and streamline operations at City Hall that had been neglected for some time. I’d throw a few more accolades their way but then they’d probably start asking for raises so I’ll stop here.

Speaking of City Hall , one of them is missing. With demolition completed on the old City Hall, we will continue the process of evaluating our options. Current plans call for a Town Hall meeting to be scheduled to discuss our options. We encourage everyone to attend. Construction of a new City Hall is a big ticket item and there is much to discuss. If, when and where we should build, how much will it cost, what should it look like and should there be a statue of me in front are just some of the questions facing us. So please attend the council meetings and have your say.

Oak Point City Hall100 Naylor Rd.

Oak Point, Texas 75068972-294-2312 phone

972-294-1619 faxwww.oakpointtexas.com

In this Edition...

2010 Census

To Serve & Protect

Oak Point has NewWebsite

Sales Tax Revenue

Scattershooting with theCity Manager

Holiday calendar

Board Appointments

Oak Point Garden Club

WinterFest

DPS Bio - Adam Gouge

Helping Hand Food Drive

COUNCILDUANE OLSON

Mayor

JAMES WOHLETZMayor Pro-Tem

COLLEEN CAMERONTOM BAHL

LYNN HARPOLDKEITH PALMER

ADMINISTRATIONDOUGLAS C. MOUSEL

City Manager

GLENDA COWLINGMunicipal Clerk

CHARLES WILLIAMSFinance Director

ANGELA KELLYCity Secretary

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We also have a newly created parks department that is just getting ramped up. Please feel free to get involved and volunteer your time with the Parks Department. They have a modest budget now but they are ready to go and would appreciate any and all help. Work continues on Jake’s Place and it will become an even bigger part of our wonderful community.

As for the goats on Naylor across from Emerald Sound they appear to be fine as of this writing. A few of them(the white ones) looked a bit scrawny but apparently this is due to age. There is water on

site and plenty of food. We are aware of the concern and are monitoring the situation. As the appointed Goat Czar of Oak Point I will try to stay on top of the matter.

All kidding aside I must say I am deeply honored and humbled to be serving on the Oak Point City Council. Thank you for the opportunity. I love this town and I will do whatever I can to make Oak Point a great place to live. If you need anything feel free to contact me. You can reach me through any of the other council members. Have a wonderful holiday season and God Bless.

2010 CENSUS PROGRESS

We have returned our census forms or visited with census takers at our homes, but now what? Well the Census Bureau is still busy at work. The 2010 census forms that were submitted are now being processed at National Processing Centers. The first data to be released from the 2010 Census will be the official national and state population count, which will be used to apportion seats in the US House of Representatives. As mandated by the US Constitution, this data must be delivered to the President of the United States by the US Census

Bureau on or before December 31, 2010.

Accurate census information greatly impacts many important political, economic, and social decisions that directly affect our daily lives. Much of the data compiled from the census is used to advocate for causes, disease prevention, to locate pools of skilled workers and much more. The information the census collects helps determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding is spent each year on infrastructure and services like: h Hospitals h Job Training Centers h Schools

h Senior Centers h Bridges, tunnels and other public works projects h Emergency services

Fun Fact - The entire population of the United Sates in 1790 – the year of the first Census – could fit into what modern city?Answer – Los Angeles. Los Angeles today has a population of over 4 million. According to the Census, the population of the United States in 1790 was 3,929,000.

Information used in this article was obtained at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/.

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Although she doesn’t carry a badge or handcuffs like her partner, Dory proudly wears her police vest as she patrols the streets of Oak Point. Dory brings distinct and unique talents to the Oak Point Police Department. That’s because Dory is Oak Point’s very own K9 officer.

Dory, a two year old German Shepard, started with the police department in March 2009. She is trained as a dual purpose dog that specializes in the tracking of suspects or missing persons and narcotics detection. K9 Dory lives with her handler, Officer

McGraw, who is responsible for her care 24/7.

Both Dory and her handler had to go through extensive training. K9 Dory initially received training through the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association

and receives additional training on an on-going basis. Officer McGraw attended handler school and became a certified handler in tracking and narcotics detection.

Using their keen sense of smell, a K9 can search faster, safer, with less manpower, and more accurately than officers can alone. Dory has been instrumental in the

conviction of individuals in several narcotics cases. Her ability to detect narcotics led on-scene officers to the fact that criminal activity was a foot.

Keep up the good work Dory!

City of Oak Point Unveils New WebsiteThe City of Oak Point has unveiled a new website. Information on the website at www.oakpointtexas.com has been completely reorganized enabling users to easily navigate through the site. Many forms that were not previously available online have also been linked to the website allowing forms related to building permits, municipal court, utility connections, and the Department of Public Safety’s CLOSE patrol to be more accessible to the public.

An emphasis was also placed on providing information desired by new or prospective residents. The website includes information on utility services, schools, and other relocation needs.

Other enhancements of the new website will help to improve the lines of communication between City Hall, Oak Point residents, and other interested parties. By entering your e-mail address at www.oakpointtexas.com/stayupdated, subscribers will receive periodic e-mails containing City Council meeting agendas, the City’s newsletter, and information bulletins from

City Hall. “Oak Point strives to communicate with our citizens. While we are extremely proud of our quarterly newsletter, The Country Place Bulletin, the addition of automatic e-mails adds another dimension to our communication efforts,” commented Mayor Duane Olson. Topics of information bulletins will range from board and commission openings to road closures to polling locations and times.

Please forward any comments or suggestions that you may have regarding the new website to Angie Kelly, City Secretary.

To Serve And Protect

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Scattershootingwith the City Manager

The CoServ Electric Economic Development Grant Committee has awarded the Oak Point Economic Development Corporation (EDC) a grant of $2,750.00 to be used for the purpose of purchasing updated marketing brochures for the EDC..........The City Council approved the City’s FY2010-2011 budget and tax rate at their regular meeting on Monday, September 20. The tax rate, $0.573264 per $100 of taxable assessed value, remains the same tax rate as last year. The budget is posted on the City’s website..........The City Council recently enacted some new regulations for the parking of commercial and recreational vehicles in residential areas. In part, these

regulations prohibit dump trucks, truck-tractors, tractor-trailers, semitrailers, concrete mixing trucks, stake-bed trucks, buses, trailers, or other similar vehicles over 14,000 pounds from parking in a residential area or on any public street unless the vehicles are expeditiously loading and unloading passengers, freight or merchandise. Exceptions are provided for City and public utility company vehicles engaged in repairing or extending infrastructure and vehicles with mechanical defects during the time it takes to make emergency repairs. For safety reasons, the regulations also prohibit the parking of recreational vehicles, travel trailers and campers, boats, trailers, or any non self-propelled vehicle on a street at any time whether attached to a vehicle or not unless the person is actively engaged in the expeditious loading and unloading of materials or passengers from the vehicle.

Help the CityGet its Sales Tax

Oak Point is a unique City in that our revenues are primarily generated from property taxes while many of our surrounding cities receive a large portion of their income through sales tax. However small a percentage our sales tax revenue does generate - every penny counts. Sometimes sales tax due to the City gets diverted to other cities because the city and/or zip code shown on Oak Point residents’ bills do not reflect Oak Point’s information. You can help the City ensure that it collects sales tax revenues that it should be collecting. Here’s how:

Check the user address on your cell phone bill and make sure that it reflects “Oak Point” as the user city. If not, contact your

cell phone carrier and have the information corrected.

Check your current bills as you pay them and ensure that “Oak Point” and your zip code with the proper 4-digit extension is reflected on the bill. If not, contact the vendor and have the information corrected.

When you order something on-line or through a catalog, be sure your user city and billing address reflects “Oak Point” and your zip code has the correct 4-digit extension for your home. You can locate the Zip+4 extension at www.usps.com.

When you order services at your home, be sure the address reflects “Oak Point” and the zip code with 4-digit extension. We have found that some bills are going to P.O. Boxes in other cities and thus the sales tax,

attributable to those accounts, are flowing to those cities.

By making small corrections to your address information, you can help the City get the sales tax it is entitled to.

Signage, Vehicle Graphics, Design & Printing

900 N. Pottershop Rd., Suite 200Cross Roads, Texas 76227

940-440-9192colleen@mcmsignsbydesign.com

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ACROSStheFENCE

Food DriveThe Helping Hand of Oak Point would like to encourage your support of the Little Elm Area Food Bank (LEAFB). The Helping Hand works with the LEAFB to make sure our residents have food. The LEAFB services our area and is there when families need assistance. Please visit the website at www.leafb.org/.

The Oak Point Helping Hand will hold a food drive for the LEAFB starting November 15 and ending on Friday, December 3rd at Winter Fest. Donated items can be dropped off at City Hall or the Fire Station. If you call ahead, we will even make arrangements to pick up your donated items.

The LEAFB also has an “Adopt an Item” program. It is a great way for area clubs, groups, or families to work together to help their neighbors. It works like this: Prior to meeting, your group “Adopts an Item” from the list above. Everyone in the group brings the agreed upon item to the next group meeting. Individuals can also participate in the “Adopt an Item” program by supplying 12 of your adopted item.

If you wish to participate or have any questions, please contact Midge Bahl at (972) 984-2339 or l8planes@yahoo.com. Midge reminds everyone that donations are tax deductible. She will provide you with a receipt upon request.

Midge is very proud of the Oak Point residents who have provided assistance. “They are there when the need arises. Let’s help the Little Elm Area Food Bank who is there for us.”

ITEMS NEEDED:

Canned Meat(salmon, chicken or ham) Cooking OilOld Fashion OatmealPeanut Butter – large jarsJelly – large jarsSpaghetti Sauce – large jarsSpaghetti or MacaroniCanned Beef StewManwich

Pancake SyrupCanned VegetablesCanned FruitDiapers – size 3 or 4Canned ChiliBoxed Cake MixesCanned Pie FillingCanned FruitLarge Canned SoupCerealBoxed Rice DishesBagged White RiceBagged Pinto Beans

Planning and Zoning CommissionAt the October City Council Meeting, Mary Bell was appointed to complete Mr. Holman’s remaining term. (Brad Holman stepped down from the chair due to a pending relocation). The Comission appointed George Vaeth as their new chairperson. Brad has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2003. The City Council wishes to congratulate Mary and George on their recent appointments and would like to thank both of them and Brad for taking the time to serve their community.

HOLIDAY CLOSINGSCity offices will be closed on the

following days:

ThanksgivingThursday, November 25

Friday, November 26

ChristmasThursday, December 23

Friday, December 24

New Year’sFriday, December 31

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As a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the City of Oak Point, Adam Gouge serves our community with a smile and a positive, can-do attitude.

Born in Overland Park, Kansas, Adam has lived most of his life in Texas. He grew up in Weatherford and moved to West upon entering high school. After graduation, Adam obtained a degree from Texas State Technical College. Once out of college, he worked as a Project Manager for a construction company that specialized in the design and construction of medical

facilities. Although Adam enjoyed his career, he was always interested in helping and serving others. In June of 2008, he became a volunteer firefighter with Oak Point.

During his time in Oak Point, Adam decided to make a career change and went through training at the Fire Academy in Aubrey. In February of 2010, Adam became a full time Firefighter/EMT for the City of Oak Point. He truly enjoys his job and is grateful for the time he has served here. Because Oak Point is still a smaller community, Adam feels the broad range of duties provides a great learning opportunity

and invaluable career experience. Adam is excited about his future with the City and would like to further his education in the fire service field.

Adam enjoys hunting, fishing, and being outdoors. He also enjoys spending time with his family. He has a 9 year old daughter, and he and his wife, Lisa, also have a 1 year old son.

DPS Bio...ADAM GOUGE

CITY HALLAs a result of the drainage and environmental issues that damaged City Hall, the old City Hall building at 100 Naylor Road was demolished in late September. To prepare for an upcoming Town Hall meeting, the City Council has directed City staff to gather information to assist them in their evaluation of the options available to the City for the displaced administrative offices. Options that are being evaluated include, but are not limited to, constructing a new City Hall in the same or a different location, partnering

with a developer to assist with the construction of a new City Hall, and continuing to lease or purchasing a portable building. The City Council is interested in receiving public input r e g a r d i n g these options at the u p c o m i n g Town Hall meeting. In the interim, City Hall will continue to operate in the portable b u i l d i n g

located between Jake’s Place and the Public Safety building and public meetings will be held in the community room at 100 Naylor Road.

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MEETING DATES CITY COUNCIL

December 20January 17February 21

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION (meetings on an as-needed basis)

December 7January 4February 1

Economic Development Corporation (meeting dates are tentative)

December 14January 11February 8

Parks and Recreation Commission (meeting dates are tentative)

December 27January 24February 28

Meeting dates are subject to change. Please verify on the city’s website at

www.oakpointtexas.com or contact the City Secretary at (972) 294-2312.

Trash Monsters Well Fed in Oak Point

You may have noticed during the summer months the build up of trash along our roadways. The “side-a-roadus” and “bar-ditch” monsters have been having a hey-day! Every time they persuade an Oak point resident or visitor to toss them a spec of trash, they smile and sneer at all of us. They know they are winning the battle of Oak Point NOT being the beautiful, pristine country place that we all want to live in. The monsters particularly like plastic bags, cups of all styles, cans and some glass bottles. Also cigarette cartons and complete bags of leftover lunch are preferred. SO – it is time to run the Trash Monsters out of Oak Point! Refuse to feed them, tell your kids, and tell your service people and construction workers – we do not feed the trash monsters. Our wildlife and citizens would appreciate it. Also, the lake and water quality of our rain run off will remain healthy for all of us. Do your part to pick up trash when you see it. We want the monsters to move elsewhere and give us back our clean city.

Leslie Maynard (trash lady on Yacht Club Road)

W A S T E W A T E R Drop Box for Wastewater Bills Has Been Re-located -- With the recent demolition of City Hall, the drop box for wastewater bills has been relocated. The drop box is now locat-ed adjacent to the front door of the Depart-ment of Public Safety (DPS) building at 100 Naylor Road. In addition to using the drop box, wastewater customers may mail their payments to the City of Oak Point at 100 Naylor Road, Oak Point, Texas, 75068.

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Fall has been ushered in with fantastic cool evenings and very pleasant days. Since the days are so beautiful, we can use any excuse to spend time outdoors—even working in the yard. Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. They have time to get their roots established before they are required to put out their new leaves and flowers. It is also time to plant new fall perennials—petunias, dianthus, snapdragons, mums and pansies. These perennials all prefer the cooler weather and will usually bloom in the fall and again in the spring. Newly planted plants should be watered daily or at least every other day for the first couple of weeks to allow them to get established.

A show-stopping fall blooming perennial for sun is the Fall Aster. It is native to the Midwest and eastern US. It grows 1 to 3 feet tall and branches frequently creating a bushy appearance. It has daisy-like flowers, 1 to 1 ¼ inch across. Each compound flower has numerous very small disk florets, surrounded by many

lavender-blue ray florets. In ideal conditions, the plant will be covered with blossoms. The Fall Aster blooms from September to November in North Texas, putting on a magnificent display after many other perennials have finished blooming. In addition to multiplying by seed, Fall Aster sends out underground rhizomes; thus one plant can yield a large clump of Asters 3 feet wide or more. Fall Asters do best in full sun or dappled sun. Most soils are well tolerated, but it must have good drainage. It does not like wet feet. It is very drought tolerant after first established.

If you are interested in learning what grows here in North Texas, or would like to share your gardening adventures, or would just like to have a group of friends to share gardening stories with, we at the Oak Point Garden Club would love to have you join us. We meet

the first Monday of each month at the Crescent Oaks Community Center at 7 PM. If you do not see the signs reminding you of the meeting, give me a call at 972 668-1912, as we may have a change in our meeting time or day.

Lee Ann Keener

The Oak Point Garden Club

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The Helping Hand

With encouragement from several community leaders and seeing the need for people to come together, the Helping Hand of Oak Point was started in December, 2008 by Midge Bahl and her husband Tom. The initial Helping Hand project coordinated by Midge and Tom was a fund raiser for a family in Oak Point that was in need of assistance. From there the program grew and now provides many different services for those in need through a network of resources. The program works as a point of reference for those seeking assistance.

Helping Hand has provided or coordinated assistance by obtaining food, clothing, paying bills, providing home maintenance for the elderly, dinner for the injured or sick, and maintaining a jobs network for those seeking employment. Helping Hand has also

arranged rides for doctor visits or to visit loved ones in the hospital/nursing home.

Midge does all of her networking through emails and telephone calls. She maintains a large list of resources and says she is in awe of how that list is continually growing. “We all need a little help every once in a while and the best thing you can do if you are on the receiving end is to pay

it forward,” says Midge. “Everybody benefits from helping. You feel good that you could help someone in need, they are grateful for the assistance, and more that someone really cares”.

Helping Hand understands that it is difficult for people to ask for help. Midge is sensitive to this and does her best to keep things at a low profile when necessary. She gives credit to her mother as being the inspiration behind Helping Hand. Her mother’s

compassion for others has sparked Midge’s commitment to serve others. Midge wants everyone to know that Helping Hand does not belong to her and Tom; Helping Hand belongs to everyone in Oak Point. “It’s about the community coming together and everyone should feel they play an important role in its success,” she says.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Midge at (972) 984-2339 or l8planes@yahoo.com.

T A K E A M E A L - M A K E A F R I E N D !

From The Country Place Bulletin

Advertise in

Contact akelly@oakpointtexas.comfor more information.

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ONE BRICK ORDER PER PAGE

4X8 ORDER

FORMJAKE’S PLACE

City of Oak Point

Brick Order Form

ORDER #

____________

TEXT WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY CENTERED

ORDERING INFORMATION

PRICE $50

Name_________________________________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number_____________________________ So that we can call you if we have any questions.

Email________________________________________________________________________________

Amount Paid $_________________________________________Check #________________________

Make checks/money orders payable to: City of Oak Point – Parks Development

For more information contact: Kean Songy

kean.songy@yahoo.com 214-549-5508

Mail orders to: Jake’s Place Bricks

c/o Kean Songy

1221 Emerald Sound Blvd.

Oak Point, TX 75068

LINE 1 (16 LETTERS OR SPACES)

LINE 2 (16 LETTERS OR SPACES)

LINE 3 (16 LETTERS OR SPACES)

100 Naylor Rd. Oak Point, TX 75068

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDDENTON, TX

PERMIT NO. 1029

Before the temperatures drop take a few precautionary measures to prepare your home for the winter weather. Here are a few tips:

Give your heating system a tune up. Keep your system clean, lubricated and properly adjusted. Call early if you are going to hire a professional technician to inspect your unit. Also be sure to change or clean your filters. This will help ensure your system runs more efficiently.

Have your fireplace cleaned. Cap or screen the top of your chimney to keep out rodents and birds. Inspect your fireplace damper for proper opening and closing. Check the mortar between bricks and tuck points, if necessary. A professional chimney sweep can also assist in many of these tasks. Again, call early if you are going to hire a professional.

Check your doors, windows, and exterior for cracks and drafts. Inspect and seal if you have any exterior crevice cracks and exposed

entry points around pipes. Use weather stripping around doors and caulk around windows to prevent cold air from entering your home.

Insulate/wrap your exposed plumbing pipes. Be sure to drain all garden hoses and insulate/wrap any exposed plumbing pipes. Insulation/wrap can be purchased at most home improvement stores.

Check your foundation. Rake debris away from the foundation and seal any entry points to keep small animals out. Seal foundation cracks and inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.

Inspect your roof, gutters and downspouts. Check the flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home. Replace worn roof shingles and clean out the gutters. Use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris. Consider installing leaf guards on gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

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