In her last State of the City Address as the Mayor of Bellaire, Cindy Siegel focused on “what’s right in Bellaire” and what the city has accomplished in the last 10 years.
The city held its annual town meeting tonight to update residents on its goals and accomplishments over the last decade.
“We know that, as a city and a community, we have faced some of our hardest adversities and challenges in our history,” Siegel said. “I don’t want to focus tonight on the negative – but, instead I want to talk about what’s right in Bellaire.”
An average of 167 new homes has been built per year in the last decade and more than 100 new homes have been built in the last two years. The commercial development hasn’t grown at the same rate as residential, but many new commercial projects have developed since 2000.
The city has spent almost $30 million on the reconstruction of more than 10.5 miles of Bellaire streets and 45.19 miles of streets have been resurfaced and repaired. The city has also spent $1 million in sidewalk repairs.
More than $14.5 million has been invested in new storm sewer lines and drainage improvements.
Nearly $5 million was invested in water and wastewater projects, from water tanks, wells and pumps to the wastewater treatment plant and Rice Lift Station.
Last year the city upgraded the traffic signal system with a fiber optic bales, advanced traffic controllers and low energy LED traffic signals.
The city ended 2010 with the completion of the new fire station, which replaced a 60-year-old station.
Other accomplishments include improvements to city hall, a new aquatics facility and the completion of Loftin Park, among other things.
Despite all the accomplishments over the past 10 years, the city still has “a lot more work to do,” Siegel said.
“The to-do-list is still long and this city council and city staff have a lot to do this year,” she said.
Some of the to-do list items include:
- Continue to manage the city’s finances wisely through the current economic challenges
- Complete the first state of implementing and codifying the Comprehensive Plan
- Move forward with the Baldwin Extreme Event Storm Drainage Project and continue the other Rebuild Bellaire drainage, street and sidewalk improvement in process
- Install a pedestrian walkway on S. Rice between city hall and Condit Elementary parking lot
- Install the backup emergency power generators at the Central Well site and Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Complete library renovations
- Develop and approve a plan for the remodeling of the police station and placement of the municipal court
- Finalize partnership with the Rubenstein family to establish a conservancy and start the park plan development and fundraising effort
- Decide the best use for the land where the former Debbie Marshall Recycling Center sits
Bellaire’s board and commission also presented annual reports at tonight’s town meeting.
Bellaire Cultural Arts Commission
Some of the projects the BCAC shepherded in 2010 include jointly sponsoring the Bellaire Artist Spotlight with an artist reception and art show and sponsoring the ECO-Art contest for Bellaire Recycles Day.
Bellaire L.I.F.E. Advisory Board
BLIFE participants collected more than 300 food items for the Bellaire Police and Fire Departments adopt-a-family program during the 2010 holiday season.
BLIFE served 4,505 seniors this past year and hosted 263 activities.
Board of Adjustment
The BOA approved one special exception regarding parking spaces and opposed a variance regulating the maximum height of a detached garage in 2010.
Building and Standards Commission
The BSC considered and took action on two variances and two complaints last year. They also recommended the deletion of the requirement of a Certificate of Occupancy be issued for each sold home. The commission also formed a “Green Building Committee of the Whole.”
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
The board is in the process of completing site evaluations for each existing park and is preparing to make recommendations about how to conduct a survey of residents’ preferences and parks and recreation needs in the future.
Planning and Zoning Commission
The commission made recommendations to city council regarding establishing interim zoning ordinances for the Urban Village-TOD and to contract a professional community planner to develop the zoning ordinances. Council approved the commission’s recommendation during a meeting in January.
Recycling Committee
The committee recommended that council close the Debbie Marshall Recycling Center, which was approved. It closed in September.
The committee also recommended that council reduce the number of trash bags to be distributed to each household by 150 per year.
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