Harlingen 100 Image Committee Progress Report December 9, 2008

1. Harlingen 100 Image Committee Progress Report December 9, 2008

2. Image Committee Members Ruthie Ewers, Co-Chairperson Juan Salas, Co-Chairperson Velma Bowman Teresa Burgess Nick Consiglio Bill Debrooke Sue DeBrooke Perk English Julie Ezell Mia Dela Garza-Fields Elaine Flores Lyle Garza Bill Godwin Sandra Grawunder Dean Hall Danny Hoehne Elizabeth Jennings Steve Jennings Elizabeth Johnson Paul Johnson Nat Lopez Georgina Matz Joanna Quintana Sheila Porter Connie Salas Maurice Shaw David Smith Adam Trevino Paula Vargas Crisanne Zamponi

3. Special Thanks to our Staff Partners! • Staff Partners: • Craig Lonon, City Manager • Gabriel Gonzalez, Assistant City Manager • Dan Serna, Director - Public Works • Jeff Lyssy, Director - Parks & Recreation • Paul Menzies, Director - Planning & Code Enforcement Elida Mendoza, Code Enforcement • Chief Danny Castillo, HPD • Cheryl LaBerge, Director Downtown Improvement District

4. CLEAN UP, GREEN UP, and STEP UP!

5. Clean Up • Address Sign Clutter and Deterioration • Address Property Blight and City Code violations • Address Illegal Dumping Issues • Create Educational Outreach Program • Establish F.O.R.C.E (Friends of Rigorous Code Enforcement) • Coordinate City Sector Representatives

6. Green Up! • Landscaping Projects • Public Art Projects • City Entrance Beautification • Public Recognition of Beautification Efforts • Tree Plantings • Tree Care Improvement

7. Step Up! • City Leadership and Staff Partnerships • Business and Educational Partnerships • Volunteer Leadership and Action • Citizen Action and Involvement

8. Tree Committee Responsibilities • Plan and Conduct Arbor Day Ceremony • Plant 100 trees • Create and Promote Public Tree Care Ordinance • Strengthen Current Tree Preservation Ordinance • Lobby for Urban Forester Position with City • Achieve Tree City USA Designation • Create Memorial Forest for tree donations w/Recognition of Donors • Create and Implement Public/Private Tree Planting Program • Conduct Tree Inventory • Participate in designing of Native Tree Trail in Pendleton Park

9. Sign Committee Responsibilities • Update TxDot Signage on Frontage Roads • Create plan to remove Primera Road Sign Clutter • Remove old welcome sign & advertising bench across from VIA • Review & Update Sign Ordinance in partnership w/ Code Enforcement • Establish new standards for Future Sign Permits • Partner with Code Enforcement to Improve Sign Ordinance Enforcement • Create and Implement Sign Phase Out Campaign for old signs & billboards

10. Landscape Committee • Dumpster and Utility Box Beautification Project • Create and Prioritize Landscaping Projects Citywide • Landscape Ordinance Review • Loop 499 Landscape Design and Implementation • Partner with TxDot for Grant Money to beautify roadways • Irrigation Canal Landscape Project • Gateway Landscaping Projects - 2 per year • Complete 2-5 Landscaping Projects per year • Revitalization of Past Landscape Projects • Review Landscape Maintenance Budget - find solutions for shortfalls • Research and Promote Public Art Projects Citywide • Public Recognition of Private and Business Beautification Efforts

11. Property Improvement and Enforcement Committee • Plan and Implement Code Enforcement Sweeps and Clean Up Events • Develop & implement F.O.R.C.E. Program (Friends of Rigorous Code Enforcement) • Partner w/Code Enforcement to Improve enforcement procedures for weedy lots • Review penalties and fees for code violations with Code Enforcement • Lobby for additional Code Enforcement Officers • Partner w/Code Enforcement to aggressively address code violations along major arteries • Establish and Maintain Private Property Enhancement Grant Program • Purchase digital Illegal dumping cameras • Partner with Code Enforcement to Improve Property Codes against blight • Create and promote Educational Outreach Program for Ordinance Compliance • Encourage Citizen reporting of Illegal Dumping and Graffiti • Establish partnership with Neighborhood Watch and provide programs • Coordinate City Sector Reps. to promote message of cleaner, greener Harlingen

12. Accomplished Goals! • Arbor Day Ceremony – ACCOMPLISHED. • Plant 100 trees – Accomplished – 266 Trees Planted • Update TxDot Signage on Frontage Roads – ACCOMPLISHED by Downtown Improvement District Committee • Remove Primera Road Sign Clutter - ACCOMPLISHED • Remove old welcome sign & advertising bench across from VIA – ACCOMPLISHED • Review and Update Sign Ordinance in partnership with Code Enforcement – ACCOMPLISHED • Establish new standards for Future Sign Permits – ACCOMPLISHED

13. Accomplishments! • Partner with Code Enforcement to Improve Sign Ordinance Enforcement – ACCOMPLISHED • Create and Implement Sign Phase Out Campaign for old signs & billboards – ACCOMPLISHED Sign Committee has established a grant program to update out of compliance signs • Landscape Ordinance Review – ACCOMPLISHED • Loop 499 Landscape Design & Implementation – ACCOMPLISHED by Public Works • Gateway Landscaping Projects - 2 per year – Leadership Harlingen accomplished Gateway entrance project at Airport - ACCOMPLISHED Primera Road project on hold. Committee will begin work on F Street Entrance. • Design and Complete "Welcome to Harlingen" Entry Signage – ACCOMPLISHED

14. Accomplishments! • Plan and Implement Code Enforcement Sweeps and Clean Up Events - Accomplished Clean Up events scheduled for January – May which include painting homes and landscape projects. • Review penalties and fees for code violations with Code Enforcement - ACCOMPLISHED • Purchase digital Illegal dumping cameras – ACCOMPLISHED Purchased two cameras. Additional cameras are needed.

15. On Going Projects! • Dumpster and Utility Box Beautification Project – Project in Progress. • Irrigation Canal Landscape Project – Funds have been requested • Create and Promote Public Tree Care Ordinance – Draft Ordinance has been sent to Texas Forest Service • Complete 2-5 Landscaping Projects per year • Create and Prioritize Landscaping Projects Citywide - F Street Median is next project. • Revitalization of Past Landscape Projects – All median landscape projects have been evaluated and prioritized. • Public Recognition of Private and Business Beautification Efforts – Yard of the Month & Business recognition awards will be implemeted in Feburary, 2009.

16. On Going Projects! • Develop and implement F.O.R.C.E. Program (Friends of Rigorous Code Enforcement) – Committee members are actively working to identify and report code violations. • Partner with Code Enforcement to Improve enforcement procedures for weedy lots etc. - Held Code Enforcement training for volunteers. • Partner with Code Enforcement to aggressively address code violations along major arteries – Code Enforcement is working on sweeps across the City for nuisance and sign violations. • Establish and Maintain Private Property Enhancement Grant Program • Partner with Code Enforcement to Improve Property Codes against blight • Create and promote Educational Outreach Program for Ordinance Compliance – Participated in Blue Days of Summer with HPD to promote awareness. • Encourage Citizen reporting of Illegal Dumping and Graffiti • Establish partnership with Neighborhood Watch and provide programs

17. Committee Recommendations • Landscape Ordinance Change: • Increase landscape percentage requirement from 8% to 10% • Mowing Fees Ordinance Change: • Mowing Fees • Per Alley Increase Fee from $ 15 to $50 • Per Fence Line Increase Fee from $ 10 to $30 • Lots 0 - 5,000 sq. ft. Increase Fee from $ 20 to $60 • Lots 5,000 – 10,000 sq. ft. Increase Fee from $ 30 to $90 • Lots 10,001 – 25,000 sq.ft. Increase Fee from $ 75 to $225 • Lots 25,001 – 43,559 sq.ft. Increase Fee from $ 100 to $300 • Every ¼ acre thereafter Increase Fee from $5 to $15 • Administrative Fees – a. Increase Fee from $ 50 to $75

18. Committee Recommendations • Sign Ordinance Recommendations: • All signs placed within the city should require a permit. • Portable signs shall be prohibited within the city. •  If an Off Premise Sign has been relocated by TxDOT, the sign must comply with all the regulations of the City Sign Ordinance. No reduction in the distance requirement between off premise signs shall be allowed.

19. Sign Ordinance Changes Cont. There will be a 30 Day limitation for a business in any calendar year for the display of any Banners, Flags, Streamers, Pennants, etc. Off Premise signs shall have an annual license fee of $ (to be determined by City Commission) All permitted banners must be attached to a building at all four corners Signs that revolve, spin, or use motion to attract attention are prohibited. Electronic Billboards shall be not allowed for a period of 90 days in order that the City Commission can collect information on whether or not they should be permitted. (Date to be determined by City Commission). No additional billboards will be allowed within the area bounded by the freeway (77 & 83) and Loop 499. (Billboards already in this area can be relocated within this area but the replacement board can be no larger than 50 square feet.)

20. Sign Ordinance Changes Cont. No Off Premise signs shall be allowed on unplatted tracts. No Motor Vehicles or Trailers shall be used as mobile billboards. Billboards must be free standing and shall not be placed on roofs Billboards shall be not taller than 30 feet except as allowed on the freeway. Unless further restricted in other sections of the Sign Ordinance, an Off Premise sign placed on a parcel of land (lot) cannot exceed the allowable amount of On-Premise Sign allowed on that lot.

21. Together! We Can Make A Difference!