We are officially in the spring season, which means the special events are ramping up, Council and LISD elections are here, and we are spending more and more time outside. In this article, I would like to share some of the info you need to make the most of the spring season in Highland Village.
As I write this, we have just returned from Denton County Days in Austin. When the Texas Legislature is in session, Denton County government, chamber and business leaders head to Austin to meet with our representatives on the issues important to our residents and us. The city develops our legislative priorities to share with our representatives, which continue to focus on keeping local decisions made at the local level. In my time serving on Council and as your Mayor, I have seen residents contacting us with concerns or issues the Council can address. This is a testament to our belief that cities are the level of government most connected to and most accountable to the people we serve. To that end, during our visit we shared this with our legislators and encouraged them to preserve local authority and support us in our mission to provide quality services to you, our residents.
Speaking of being the level of government most accountable to our residents, elections are on the horizon. Early voting for City Council and LISD School Board candidates will begin this month. We have three seats up for election this year; Places 3, 5 and 7 are on the ballot. Registered voters can vote at any Denton County polling location during early voting and must vote at their designated precinct on Election Day, which is May 6. Polling locations and a sample ballot will be available at www.votedenton.gov.
Mayor Pro Tem Mike Lombardo is currently serving in Place 3 and is not seeking re-election as he has reached his term limit. Mike has dedicated his time and talent to the city and our residents for over 10 years, serving on the Planning & Zoning Commission prior to his election to City Council. I appreciate Mike’s service, his leadership, and his friendship.
Councilmember Tom Heslep will also be leaving Council as he has decided not to seek re-election. Tom also began his service to the city on Planning & Zoning where we served together for a short time prior to my election to council. He served on P&Z for three years before being elected to Council in 2019 and has been a great member of council and a very good friend. It has been my honor and privilege to serve with both of these men. If you see either of them around, I hope you will thank them for their service to our city.
I have been so pleased with the attendance at my monthly Coffee with the Mayor events at Sip Stir Coffee House. These take place from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. the first Monday of every month. I usually provide an update on what is happening in the city and then allow time for questions. If you can’t attend the monthly coffee but still want to be informed of proposed developments or upcoming public hearings, sign up to receive city notifications of public meeting at highlandvillage.org/StayNotified. If you have a question about something, you can always email me, call the city, or submit your question at www.highlandvillage.org/AskUs and you will receive a response in a timely manner and staff posts the questions to the site for others’ information as well. Also, be sure to sign up for the city’s monthly newsletter, The Villager, that is sent via email. Keeping you in the loop is one of our top priorities so I hope you will sign up to receive our notifications. We know that better decisions are made when the community is involved in the process.
Since it is getting warmer, we are all spending more time outside. When you are out, if you see something that needs city staff attention you can let them know by using the Eye on Highland Village app. If you have the app, you just snap a picture of the issue, add some info and submit. The email goes directly to the appropriate department so they can take care of the issue and let you know the progress. Just search GoRequest in your app store while you are in the city and be sure your “location” is on.
If you are walking your dog outside remember that all dogs must be on a leash. Keeping our dogs on a leash is both better for them and better for our fellow residents and their pets as well. It should also go without saying but apparently still needs to be said, be sure to pick up after your dog and dispose of the bag in your trash or a public trash can.
We have some special events coming your way soon. On Saturday, May 6, the Highland Village Art Festival will take place at The Shops at Highland Village from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. This event features gallery quality artists, demonstrations, activities for kids and musical entertainment. You’ll want to make plans to attend.
The parks department is hosting a Movie in the Park on May 12 at Doubletree Ranch Park. Visit hvparks.com for more details.
In closing, we continue to celebrate Highland Village’s 60th anniversary. We have requested the community submit photos they have of the city or their friends and family enjoying events and places in the city over the last 60 years. We are receiving some great photos and would love to see yours. Just email them to [email protected] or even bring them to the city office and they can scan them for you. I continue to post a monthly video with interesting news and the city is posting 60 “Interesting Facts” all year long. You can visit www.highlandvillage.org/history for more information.
Thank you again for your involvement, support and love for Highland Village. We do live in a wonderful community and I am honored to serve as your Mayor.
