We are officially in the spring season, which means special events are ramping up and we are spending 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.
The Parks and Recreation Department is planning fun family events this spring. The Highland Village Art Festival will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at The Shops at Highland Village. This event features gallery quality artists, demonstrations, activities for kids and musical entertainment- you will want to make plans to attend. The Movies in the Park series is back and this time we are hosting two movies in May. On May 3, we will be showing “Trolls Band Together” and on May 10 we are featuring “Elemental.” These will be fun evenings for the whole family to enjoy, including food trucks and yard games. There is no entry fee and movies will begin at dark. For Highland Village residents, the semi-annual Paper Shredding Day will be on April 13 at Pilot Knoll Park from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Did you know the City has programs for those 55 and up? If you are looking for an opportunity to gather with a community of 55+ active adults then you should check out the Senior All-Star programs. There are so many activities including fitness classes, Lunch & Learns, Bingo, parties, trips and lots more. Check out hvparks.com/seniors or call 972-317-7430 to learn more. You can stay up to date on all the Senior All Star activities by asking to be added to the newsletter that is mailed every two months outlining all the scheduled events and programs.
By the time you receive this message, I will have only one more Coffee with the Mayor event at Sip Stir Coffee House in Bowery Park. One of my goals was to continue the conversations I began as I visited with residents during my campaign for mayor. The owners of Sip Stir Coffee House suggested using their facility to host a monthly Coffee with the Mayor. One of the highlights of my time serving as Mayor has been the opportunity to have casual conversations about what is happening in the City and what issues are important to you. If you have not been able to attend yet, I hope you will consider attending the May 6 event; we begin at 8:30 a.m. and finish up by 9:30 a.m.
Construction is beginning on Highland Shores Blvd. from Briarhill Blvd. to Highland Village Rd. Please use caution in the area and be prepared for some delays. You will notice crews are replacing the crosswalk at Community Center Drive, which will improve the drainage, replace pavement and install a new crosswalk lighted notification system.
Additionally, Highland Shores will receive new asphalt in this section. The project consists of repairing the asphalt road failures, milling a portion of the old asphalt paving, adding a section of bike lane on the eastbound section of Highland Shores Blvd. at Highland Village Rd. and reconfiguring the lane striping to calm traffic flow in the area. This section of Highland Shores received a full depth reclamation in 2009, making the asphalt overlay all that is needed to maintain the roadway, further increase its longevity and maintain good ride quality. These projects are included in this year’s Capital Improvement Program. You can learn about all our upcoming projects at highlandvillage.org/CIP.
If you have been reading my articles over the last few months, there has been much talk about scooter safety. Last summer we unfortunately had several scooter-related accidents involving our youth and we knew we had to address the issue. The City had an ordinance relating to scooters but it was outdated and did not include the popular electric scooters we see so many riding in our community. Our ordinance relating to our trail system also prohibited scooters or any type of motorized device and with more and more people riding electric bikes, scooters, and other devices we had to make changes that addressed safety for all our residents. Over the summer, a committee of staff and one councilmember met to review our current ordinances and make recommended revisions.
My charge to the committee was to ensure they considered Enforcement and Education. We sought public input through a survey of our residents and the committee presented the final draft of the ordinance and Council approved it in October. The new ordinance focused on all micro-mobility devices and detailed specific rules for those under 18. In our survey of residents, the majority of you agreed a helmet should be required for those under 18 riding a micro-mobility device. We also specified only one rider per device, walk the device through crosswalks, ride in single file, yield right-of-way to pedestrians and to slow down and provide an audible warning when passing pedestrians. The ordinance has been modified to allow electric devices on our trail system, as it is a much safer place to ride than the roads and no riding is allowed on roads with speed limits over 30 mph. The committee and the ordinance address the two E’s of Enforcement and Education.
In March, before students began spring break, Cpl. David Harney and Officer Ben McKelvey completed training in all Highland Village elementary schools and Briarhill Middle School. A flyer with the details was also sent home with all students. If you didn’t see that flyer, a copy of it is available on the City website at highlandvillage.org/MicroMobilityTraining and residents can ask for a training class for their child or for those who attend private school or are homeschooled. As I said at the beginning, the City has done our part to help keep our youth safe and we need parents to be part of the solution as well. It is my hope if you have already bought your child a micro-mobility device or are considering one that you review the City ordinance and the flyer and have conversations with your child around the rules and their safety.
When you are out enjoying the warmer temperatures, 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 Eye on Highland Village in your app store while you are in the City and be sure your “location” setting is on.
If you are walking your dog outside remember that all dogs must be on a leash. Loose dogs are at risk of becoming lost or injured and they can be a nuisance or threat to people and other animals. 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.
In closing, it has been my honor to serve at Mayor in my hometown. I love this City and appreciate the involvement of our community. I hope to see you around!
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