Here we are halfway through the year already. For some it’s gone by quickly; for others it has been a long year already. We keep moving forward. Every week for the last several months our city manager, Michael Leavitt, has provided staff and our community an update on our current status. What I like most about every message is his closing statement, “We do have the ability to positively impact someone’s life each and every day.” These are words City employees live by and I have seen our community do the same.
Phase 1 of the community build of our Kids Kastle playground was completed by city staff and consultants with Play by Design. One of our street department employees, Andy Dimsdle who is also a Highland Village resident, explained in a video why he volunteered and what it meant to him. He said he and his wife brought their daughter to Kids Kastle when she was younger and she fell in love with it. He knew he had to be part of the build and was one of the first employees to sign up to build.
It’s the time of year where the City is asking our residents interested in serving on a City board or commission to complete an application. Council reviews the applications and appoints residents to fill two-year terms beginning on Oct. 1. This is another opportunity for you to positively impact your life and our City. Highland Village has a Planning & Zoning Board, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Zoning Board of Adjustments, Animal Shelter Advisory Board, the Board of Ethics, and the Community Development Board. If you follow our social media pages you have seen testimonials from current board and commission members. Those who choose to give back in this way have said they see volunteering as “paying it forward and active involvement in our community.” Another testimonial reminds us of the saying, “It’s not about me and it’s not about now,” and that serving is a great way to impact future generations. If you are interested in serving your City, go to HighlandVillage.org/Volunteer and fill out the application.
Our local restaurants and businesses continue to adapt, pivot, and seek creative ideas to keep their employees working and their businesses open. I encourage you to choose local for your shopping and dining. Many of our retailers have instituted curbside pickup or delivery. Our restaurants have provided special menus and pricing for single or family style delivery or pickup. You can see what all our businesses are offering at www.thehvba.com or on our Experience Highland Village Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Last month I told you about the speed limit change happening on FM 2499. At our last Council meeting we adopted TxDOT’s revised speed study and speed limits. The speed limit will remain the same from FM 407 north to Northwood/Castlewood intersection. The speed limit increases from 45 mph to 50 mph from Northwood/Castlewood north to our city limits.
As we move into the next half of 2020, I hope you’ll think about how you can positively impact someone’s life each and every day. We all have that ability. It could be random act of kindness, a smile to a stranger (even if your mouth is covered, a smile can be seen in our eyes), a thank you to a healthcare worker or a first responder, a little extra time chatting with a neighbor who may be alone. There is much we can all do to make a positive difference. It doesn’t take much and the benefit can be tremendous. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as your Mayor. Our community, our residents, our City staff are second to none. I thank God every day for each of you.
