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Home My WebLink AboutAnnual Report: Celebrate (1998)44 lF 7.: wr Opp% UUM vll*:Iff lk AA T, .1 If n �W' L01 tj mo •A10"I 71 *QW 44, 4.1 A�7 �4t NI, 'v NA A AIL rNm ♦ 41N W, 44� )l owlrZ70 7- 41 PW' —4 Al: ,4 W.. "ow km75� C"l-, 4T maw 5,001- .. We 4L low& MW 69 6. 6 Lj .01 Mayor of College Station Lynn McIlhaney A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL To Our Fellow College Station Citizens: Welcome to the City of College Stations Annual Report for 1998. It is once again our pleasure to present to you the state of the City for the past year. The purpose of the Annual Report is to communicate ommunicate our accountability to the public. It also provides objective and easy -to -read information on our performance. 1998 proved to be a great year for College Station. The City received numerous awards and high ratings in the 1998 citizen survey, affirming our pledge to provide an efficient, high-quality organization while continuing to strive for excellence and innovation. The City Council wants to thank you, the citizens of College Station., for assisting us in the work accomplished during 1998. Through partnerships such as Community -Oriented Policing, Teen Court and the Lincoln Center Computer Lab, we were able to work- together and keep our community safe and beautiful. You also recognized that College Station is growing and we should be prepared for future development. In November, You approved a capital improvements program. of $24.2 million. This will allow us to provide the infrastructure to meet our basic needs over the coming years. Tourism continues to build as people from around the world come to enjoy the George Bush Library, Texas A&M University and the countless treasures College Station has to offer. The Northgate Promenade opened, giving both residents and tourists a beautiful place to meet and unwind. College Station residents also found a place to relax and learn in the newly -opened College Station Public Library. Once again, the College Station City Council. and the City staff extend our gratitude to you and everyone in our community for making this such a great place to live. College Station was a place of change and progress during 1998, and we predict that 1999 will see the sane. I hope the performance information in the 1998 Annual Report helps you to better understand the efforts and accomplishments of your City, and provides a sense of pride in the work accomplished. by you and your neighbors. College Station City Council Mission Statement On behalf of the citizens of College Station, the City Council will promote the safety, health and general well-being of our community within the bounds of fiscal responsibility while preserving and advancing the quality of life for its citizens. City Council Goats: Visions for the 21st Century Transportation/Mobility Citizens benefit from the ability to move into, out of and within College Station in a safe and efficient manner. Parks and Recreation Citizens benefit from parks and recreational activities which are geographically and demographically accessible and serve a diversity of interests. Health and Public Safety- Citizens benefit from available health and human services in a reasonably safe and secure environment. Education/Information Citizens benefit from access. to broad-based information and knowledge. Quality Service Citizens benefit from value and quality of service. delivered at a reasonable tax rate. Cultural Arts Citizens benefit from availability and development of visual and performing arts. EmplQvment Prosperih% Citizens benefit from an environment that is conducive to providing diverse employment opportunities. Civic Pride Citizens benefit from well-planned, attractive residential and commercial areas, and from preserving historic areas and the integrity of existing neighborhoods. Steve Esmond Council Member Place 1 Swiki Anderson Council Member Place 3 David Hickson Mayor Pro Tem Council Member Place 5 Ron Silvia Council Member Place 2 Larry Mariott Council Member Place 4 Anne Hazen Council Member Place 6 City of College Station 1998 Awards • The Texas Environmental ExcellenceAwar(1 was given to the City of College Station by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission as part of the Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards. The City was honored for its comprehensive environmental programs, including outstanding recycling and solid waste manage- ment, superb water distribution, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment, accessible energy conservation audits and education, and extensive tree planting and green space (parks) preservation. • Bryan/College Station Economic Development Corporation was named in 1998 as one of the Top Ten Economic Development Groups Internationally by Site Selection Magazine for the year 1997. Governor Geoq ge Bush honor. College Station Aft, 1�or 1.1,n 7 AhIlhannev and Citi• Man(( ger George "Skip 11 Noe ivi/h the Texas Environmental E:xcellenceA► ard. • Bryan/College Station was awarded the Texas Economic Development Council's Community Economic. Development Award as the "Best Metro Area Community Economic Development Program with a Population Over 100,000." • Texas Downtown Association Award Program honored the Sparks Building as one of three finalists in the category of Best Rehabilitation Project and for its contribution to revitalizing Texas' Downtowns. .1 • Brazos Beautiful won first place for the 1998 Keep Texas Beautifirl Governor's CommunityAchievementAwar(l,p resented to nine Texas communities with the best grassroots, volunteer environmental programs in the state. • College Station's Citizens University won the City -County Communications & Marketing Association's Save Award� the top honor, in the category of Citizen Participation. � • The City's Budget Document received the .Distinguished Bridget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association which recognized the document for Fiscal Year 1997-98 as "An Outstanding Policy Document." • The City of College Station was honored with The Certificate ofAchievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting b the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. p b Y • The City of College Station was honored with the 1998 Excellence in ProcurementAivar(I by the National Association of Purchasing Management. ement. The award recognizes the achievement of organizational excellence in public procurement. • The City of College Station was formally recognized and honored by the Municipal Treasurers' Association (MTA) of the United States and Canada for having its Written .Investment Polrcy certified by the MTA. This certification program was instituted in an effort to assist state and localg overnments interested in drafting or improving upon an existing investment policy. • Amateur Softball Association (ASA) District 30 was named ASA _District of the Year. The Cities of College Station and Bryan and ASA District 30 were awarded four 1999 ASA tournaments, the ASA Winter Meeting, High School Softball Umpires Clinic and the Texas ASA State Umpires Clinic. • The College Station Independent School District was honored as the .Blue Ribbon ;School District. CSISD by Expansion Management Magazine. 1998 Citizen Survey The Public Policy Research Institute was hired for a second consecutive year to perform the 1998 City of College Station's Annual Citizen Survey. The survey, conducted in August as a random sample telephone survey, questioned 536 College Station citizens on their satisfaction with delivery of service by different City departments. Respondents overwhelmingly held a favorable view of City services. Satisfaction with: Services of College Station as a Whole 93% College Station Police Department 92% Services Received from the Fire Department* 97% Reliability of Electric Services 96% Cleanliness and Maintenance of Parks 94% Library Services 85% Residential Garbage Collection 89% Curbside Recycling 92% *Fire Survey conducted in-house by non -fire personnel College Station Web Site The City's web site received a new look and more interactivity in 1998, with over 8,500 users logging on each month. Some of the interactive features on the site are: • Connect and disconnect a utility account • Submit a vendor application • Complete an employment application • Sign up to be a member of a Citizen Committee • View current City Council meeting agendas and minutes • View the latest purchasing bid opportunities and subsequent bid tabulations • Report a traffic complaint or hazard • Receive up-to-the-minute athletic field rain -out information • Order more recycling bags • Register for a Master Composter class Visit the City's web site today. www.ci.college-station.tx.us Year 2000 Testing Underway The City of College Station began testing computer software and hardware in 1998 and will be finished in the first half of 1999. Testing is being done by rolling the date on test comput- ers forward and running data through the programs to deter- mine that the output is correct and programs handle the dates properly. Systems that are critical to City operations were identified then researched for Year 2000 compliance. Plans to replace systems that did not comply were immediately devel- oped. One of these was the Customer Information Services system, which bills for City services. The replacement of this system is underway and the new system should be in place in April of 1999. � a� f Capital Projects are major projects undertaken by the City in order to build or provide improvements and expansion to facilities and infrastructure within the City. Examples of 1998 Capital Projects are the rehabilitation of Southwest Parkway, the development of streets and utilities in the College Station Business Park, and new ball fields at Wayne Smith Park. Other 1998 Capital Projects have had a significant impact on the appearance of the community. Such projects included the Patricia Street Redevelopment Project, also known as the Northgate Promenade, and the new College Station Public Library. These projects provide improvements that will help maintain the high quality of City services in the future, x smw �.3 t 4 In 1998, the College Station Police Department implemented a department -wide Community Policing philosophy. This involved assigning officers to permanent beats, which allows them to develop good communication with citizens and im- prove officers' familiarity with their assigned area. Officers are also taking a proactive role in identifying and finding solu- tions for problems in their area, rather that just responding to individual calls. The Police Department recognizes its re- sponsibility to maintain College Station as a safe place to live and the goal of Community Policing is to provide this by dealing with problems at their root. For more information call 764-3600. Mobile Computing for Public Safety: A system for processing data in Police and Fire vehicles was implemented in 1998. This allows Public Safety personnel to send messages between vehicles without using voice radio and to send text pages to other City employees. Police Officers can now query state and national databases directly from their vehicles, which is important to their safety during routine traffic stops. In 1999, an interface to the Computer Aided Dispatch system currently used in the Communication Center is planned, allowing Public Safety personnel to see information given by a caller on the screens in their vehicles as soon as the dispatcher types it in, The City of College Station and the College Station Independent School District have formed many partnerships over the years. One of the most successful of these partnerships is the Kids Klub After -School Program, which provides quality after-school care at an affordable price in each elementary and intermediate school in College Station. Daily activities at Kids Klub are designed to foster social development as staff members act as facilitators of positive development. Kids Klub began in 1987 with an enrollment of approximately 30 children and grew to over 700 in 1998. For more information call 764-5430. go In 1998, the City of College Station began a Continuous Improvement Program to encourage improvement in the way City services are delivered. This program, implemented after the City Council identified Total Quality Management as one of their 1997 top priorities, takes the principles of Total Quality Management and uses them in the local government setting. One of the most important principles is that quality improvement is a never-ending process. As a result, the City is constantly reviewing the way its services are being provided, and changing them to meet the needs of the community. The College Station effort was assisted in 1998 by Texas A&M University, which has been using a similar program for several years. In the Spring of 1998, over 30 City employees received an initial orientation in Continuous Improvement. Two City teams that were formed in 1998 were the Records Management Team and the Payroll/Human Resources Team, which continually work to improve their processes. These efforts, along with the formation of additional teams, will continue into 1999. Am, _..- a? h.c^:,.� a i tn,.,-mac' ',r mow. r „r�. ,.., a I= rID s _ 2 'P. ion .OA Pod' - Ale College Station Citizens University, an 8 -week study course, was implemented in 1998 to give citizens an in-depth look at their City government. This nationally -recognized program won a first place award from the City -County Communications & Marketing Association in the category of citizen participation. The first Citizens University class learned about 13 separate functional areas of the City organization, including its policies, procedures and services. This helped to create 24 potential new community leaders and volunteers, who now have a better understanding of their City government. For more information call 764-3499. The College Station Fire Department takes great pride in providing essential EMS and fire response services as well as many other non -emergency services to the citizens of College Station and Texas A&M University. We are pleased to announce that the Fire Department will enhance its service to citizens with the addition of Fire Station #4, located at Easterwood Airport. This project, which received funding from the FAA, TAMU and the City of College Station, will provide vital fire and advanced life support EMS services to Easterwood Airport, TAMU and the City of College Station. For more information call 764-3705. o ! i a«. y • i a«. y • s ' Lincoln Recreation Center is known for its cultural significance and in October 1996 it was designated a Texas Historical Landmark r. yJZ known as cc ;. African-American Education in College Station." The Center, a collaborative k - a effort between College Station Parks & Recre- ation, College Station Independent School - District, Brazos Valley Boys and Girls Club and Texas A&M University, was established to meet the needs of underprivileged children - r ages 6-18. The Center offers educational and recreational after-school nrograms_ inchidinu w —�Jn 2 A "Wft, 4 54 i_ t V.- t t . . ...... In 1982, the City of College Station embarked on a project to develop a first class, municipally -owned business center to expand College Station's business and industrial tax base and to facilitate the creation of new jobs. The result was the Business Center at College Station, a 200 -acre, master -planned development located in south College Station, bordering on Texas Highway 6, adjacent to the Pebble Creek Subdivision. The Business Center consists of three development phases. Phase One, completed in late 1997, is now the home of Universal Computer Services, Inc. and Cabletime. Twenty-six acres of Phase One are still available for business development. As of December, 1998, Phase Two of the Business Center had been designed. Gateway Boulevard, the primary entryway into the Business Center, is currently under construction in conjunction with the development of a facility for Prodigene, Inc., a biotech research and develop- ment company. The construction of the remaining portion of Phase Two is estimated to begin in the Spring of 1999. For more information about the Business Center at College Station, please contact the College Station Economic Development Office at 764-3510. RESOURCES TAKEN IN ' FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30,1998 Debt Service 5% $4.6 million General Capital Outlay 8% $7.7 million Finance & Technology 3% $3.2 million General Government 2% $1.6 million Dev/Econ Development 2% $2.1 million Public Works 4% $4.0 million Recreation, Culture, Libr. 5% $4.9 million Electric Purch. Power 18% $16.8 million Electric Service 12% $11.1 million Water Service 8% $7.1 million Sewer Service 7% $6.3 million Sanitation Service 4% $3.7 million Utility Const. Projects 8% $7.7 million SERVICES PROVIDED ' FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30,1998 Public SafetyI I Hotel/Motel Fund I 11 % $10.6 million 2% $1.6 million Unaudited 120,000,000 100,000,000 80,000,000 60,000,000 40,000,000 20,000,000 0 1988 CITY OF COLLEGE STATION VALUE OF BUILDING PERMITS 1990 1992 1994 1996 CITY OF COLLEGE STATION SALES TAX 12,000,000 10, 000, 000 810007000 6,000,000 450007000 2,000,000 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 Both commercial and residential development have grown over the past 10 years in College Station. This growth is reflected in the value of building permits issued in the City of College Station. The result of this development can be seen with the new houses, apartments, and businesses that have been built and opened in College Station in recent years. Sales tax revenues in College Station have increased significantly over the past 10 years and continue to grow. This growth is related to the new retail development that has occurred in College Station in recent years, helping College Station become more of a regional shopping area. In 1998 sales tax revenues increased by nearly 12% over 1997. Unaudited Property tax values in College Station have in- creased significantly in the past 10 years, which is also directly related to the new development in the community. This increase in ad valorem value, particularly through growth, provides additional resources to meet increasing service demands on public safety, public works, parks and recreation, and other areas. i 2.0 1.5 CITY OF COLLEGE STATION AD VALOREM TAX VALUATIONS 0.5 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 Unaudited Combi*ned Financial September and 1998 1997 Assets (amount owned) Cash & Investments $ 6518941729 $ 46,289,206 Restricted Cash & Investments 954501727 1159241168 Other Current Assets 115630,850 12,317,314 Property & Equipment (net) 188,950,497 17319251881 Other Assets 39,9611398 31,041,238 Total Assets: $315,888,201 $275,497,807 Liabilities & Municipal Equity Liabilities (amount owed) Accounts Payable $ 6,7325067 $ 6,485,309 Other Liabilities 6015803 318885987 Outstanding Debt 7597161472 7291299554 Total Liabilities: $ 8993309342 $8295039850 Municipal Equity (excess of assets over debt) Contributed Capital $ 2412575722 $ 239118,972 Investment in General Fixed Assets 82,880,699 7451011870 Retained Earnings 925685,096 7656811663 Fund Balance 26,7345342 19,091,452 Total Municipal Equity: $ 2269557,859 $192,993,957 Total Liabilities & Municipal Equity: $3159888,201 $275,497,807 Unaudited AOL Polic 22¢ e Fire Parks/Rec Library Gen. Govt Eco/Comm Dev 16¢ 15¢ 2¢ 5¢ 2¢ fMffll f fyflflIfs M 13, 1.9ft At W., END, R SKRU., IV: S__ (VA 919 is _0 "Tj s THIS NOTE 13 UGALTENDER — —� F 2 ALL D€STS, PSl9LlC AND PRIV 'E K ) 3 ( �1�, jv{ I _ t 3 1 K1 t°`.-.- 1 f 4 IV TW FA3 f j K93 86311H W f -+r. rr/X,�A!lAlh+�.�eC� '^"""' „Nw.s $jv -•� '"""_ y o� ' U"AM Now Mom on MA N 31 MMM� 7 Public Works Dev. Svcs Finance Tech/Info Other 13¢ 5¢ 6¢ 6¢ 8¢ If you own a $ 100,000 home in College Station, then you pay - at $0.4293 per $ 10 0 of property value - a total of $ 3 5.7 8 per month in City property taxes. The City of College Station provides citizens with: �&. 24-hour Police and Fire protection A Well-groomed parks and special events Economic development of your community y Paved and maintained City streets _• A community library system 'Al Highly -advanced information and technology services .. Awell-planned, zoned community College Station Interesting Facts Cite of College Station / December 1998 -�or . o e Go,,ern.n.i.ent Land Area (Square Miles) 40.8 City Population 6 3,843 Brazos County Population 130,000+ Me i os o Age .)1.6 Di,i 11y Mean Temperature (Annual .ekverage) 68 degrees Precipitation (Annual Average Total) 39.1 inches '10 ody's Investor's Bond Rating (G.O.) Al Standard atid Poor's Bond Patin.y (C .O.) , Tax Rates: Cite of College Stat.1011 50.4293 per $100 Bravos County $0.4174 per $1.00 College Statics h -10c eiidc School 1- - -1ct $1.74 per .$100 I---lotel-Motel Tax 13% Sales Tax 8.25°' Major Employers: Texas A&M University College Station Independent School i s ri c City of College Station College Station Medical Centcr Scott & White CIMic Automated Management Systems Econoplion Universal CoMPLIter Systems Number of: Full-Tinie City Employees 637 Fire Stations 4 (#4 opened 1/99) Police Stations 1 plus 2 sub -stations Park Sites 39 Total Park Acr a(r . 1,1 15.71 Swimming Poog 3 [JtilIty Accoutits 25,3(){) ` 4 fi l es o f' Paved Streets 1210 M i les of Sanitary Sewer Lines 223 Wastewater Treatment Facilities 2 Miles of Electric Transmission Lines 12 Miles of F'lecltric Distribu-tio i Lines 283 Average Dally Electric Coiisumption 1,506,358 kwli Water Wells 5 Miles of water Lines 244.5 Average Daily water Consumption 9,390,000 Gallons Source of water Supply Simsboro Aquifer City of College Station P.O. Box 9960 l 101 Texas Avenue College Station, TX 77842 Important Phone Numbers Main Number City Council Office City Manager's Office Human Resources Job Line Utility Customer Service Parks & Recreation Fire Prevention Community Enhancement Action Center Public Relations & Marketing Development Issues Recycling Parking Birth/Death Certificates Voter Registration City Cemetery r W- 764-3705 :. g 764-6363 764-3768 s r 764-3570 764-3690 764-3683 764-3541 764-3541 764-3738 Citizens can also get information about City of College Station services through an automated voice messaging system. Information on how to use .this automated system is located in the front of the Brazos Valley Area Wide Phone Book. Visit the City of College Station web site: 9 WWWX1X011ege-stati*onAx.us