When I decided to run for the City Council of Highland Village, it was my desire to serve the city I call home. As Mayor my mission is still to serve. I want to give back to Highland Village. I’ll admit I didn’t completely realize the time commitment of the Mayor’s office of our city; however I cherish every opportunity to meet with residents, attend functions, learn about the non-profit organizations that serve our city, visit with our children at school events and work with staff to provide city services. I have served on City Council since 2009 and I view that time with satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment that I played a part in Highland Village. You too can experience this feeling if you volunteer to serve Highland Village.
You may not have the time or desire to run for elected office and serve on City Council; service on a board or commission still provides you and opportunity to help shape the city and doesn’t require a lot of your time. Right now we are taking applications for our boards and commissions and we could use your help. The city has various boards, commissions and committees that serve as advisory groups to Council and staff. All the boards meet on a monthly basis, so the time commitment is not too intense. The City recently produced a video where we talked with some of our current volunteers. The resounding message was if you want certain things for Highland Village, the best way to make that happen is to get involved. Whether your interest is focused on the outdoors, the commercial development of the city or the aesthetic beauty of art within our city; involvement is a great way to share your vision. I hope you will visit the city website and fill out a volunteer application. If you feel led to serve, don’t delay filling out the application as the deadline is quickly approaching so we can make the appointments in September. If you have questions about any of the boards or commissions, I’m happy to talk with you individually or you can contact our city secretary, Diane Callahan.
I’m going to shift gears a bit now and talk, again, about West Nile virus. The Denton County Health Department recently reported the first case of WNV in Denton County. Both Lewisville and Flower Mound have sprayed areas of their city. At the time of my writing, Highland Village has not had the need to spray. We began a proactive approach to combat the mosquito population last year. City staff weekly traps and tests mosquitoes to determine if the species that carries the WNV virus is present. You can view a map and the results of the testing on the city website, just click on West Nile Virus FAQ’s. We are always looking for areas of standing water and treating those areas so the larvae cannot grow. We have had a lot of rain lately and now is the time to make sure you remove any standing water in your own yard. Mosquitoes don’t need much water to lay their eggs. Check your flower pots, buckets, pet bowls, bird baths, roof gutters, French drains, and even small indentions in your grass. With the amount of WNV cases we experienced last year, combating the WNV is something we should all take seriously. If you see areas of standing water or potential mosquito breeding areas on city property, you can report those using the Eye on Highland Village app. Again, read about how to protect yourself and report issues on the WNV page on the city website.
I hope to see all of you at the Highland Village Lions Club Balloon Festival on August 16, 17 and 18. This year the festival will take place at Unity Park, which means many of you can walk to the festival and enjoy the hot air balloons, the music, arts, crafts and the kids zone. As a member of the Lions Club, I can tell you we love hosting this event for our city. The festival is our main fund raiser and we use the dollars earned to provide vision and hearing tests for the preschool children and others in our community. The festival is free to attend, the Lions Club just asks for a $5 donation for parking. You can see all the activities at www.lionsballoonfest.com.
August for many of you with children is the last month of summer vacation before school starts again. I hope you have the opportunity to spend some time with your families; cherish each moment with them. Time goes so quickly, they’ll be grown and on their own before you know it
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