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As we start 2023, The City of Nederland wants to share what is on the horizon over the next 12 months.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

This year, $1,077,000 is allocated for street projects. At the next City Council meeting, the first street projects will be authorized: concrete street rehabilitation includes the final phase of Avenue H (29th Street to the frontage road) and 21st Street (Detroit Ave to Helena Ave). The City Council must still designate the other proposed street projects; this will be done at a City Council meeting that citizens may attend and offer their suggestions.

In 2021, the City issued Certificates of Obligation in the amount of $4.35M for street, bridge and drainage improvements.

The remaining funds are programmed to complete the concrete repairs of Nederland Avenue between the railroad tracks and 1st Street.

Utilizing Harvey Disaster Recovery Program funds ($4,259,659), drainage improvements will be completed in the Hilldale/Hill Terrace area and the areas near 3rd Street, Texas and 1st Street between Nederland Ave and Boston Ave; this project will start this month.

Using Hazard Mitigation Grant funding, generators will be installed at four lift stations, which will complete the generator installation project at all the wastewater facilities and all essential City facilities; this project is nearly completed.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Phase 2 project will be completed, which will complete over $2M being invested in the sewer plant.

Utilizing the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, the City will invest $2.5M in water and sewer lines; the City anticipates beginning the design phase of this work by the Fall.

In terms of quality of life, the City has budgeted several projects. At Tex Ritter Park, landscaping improvements and electrical repairs will be completed; this project is being re-designed but will be completed by the end of the Summer.

At Rienstra Park, disc golf baskets will be installed; this new recreation amenity should be available by late Spring.

At Doornbos Park, the tennis courts will be re-surfaced and the court lights will be repaired; anyone interested in the tennis court re-surfacing including pickleball striping should contact the Parks Department.

The City Council has authorized the solicitation of bids to complete parking lot and concrete drive repairs; the priority is the parking lot near the swimming pool. The Parks Department is working on the design of a new playground at Doornbos Park near the tennis courts.

And the City Council has authorized the solicitation of bids to complete repairs and improvements to the pond at Doornbos Park; this project will include dredging the pond to return it to the necessary depth and repairing the edge walls of the pond.

At the Nederland Swimming Pool, the re-surfacing of the pool deck will be ready for the 2023 pool season.

This year, LED lighting will be installed at the Marion & Ed Hughes Public Library; no interruption of services is anticipated due to this project.

EVENTS

Community events in 2023 include the Nederland Heritage Festival (March 14th – 19th), the “Fireworks Extravaganza” at Doornbos Park on Tuesday, July 4th, National Night Out and Monsters in the Park at a date to be determined in October, the NEDC’s Fall Market on Boston Avenue at a date to be determined in October, the Nederland Chamber of Commerce’s Trunk-R-Treat on Tuesday, October 31st, the Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, November 11th, Christmas on the Avenue on Saturday, December 2nd, and the Nederland Chamber of Commerce’s Lighted Christmas Parade on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

TRASH COLLECTION INFORMATION

The City collects trash placed by the curb twice a month.

The City is divided in half – South & North; South is picked up the first and third week of the month, and North is picked up the second and fourth week of the month.

South is the area south of Nederland Avenue to include the northwest corner of Nederland (Viterbo Road area north to include Sterling Ridge and the Lakes of Nederland subdivisions); North is the area north of Nederland Avenue.

The City will pick up four cubic yards of trash; the trash must be placed by the street or curb by 7 a.m. on Monday.

Customers are asked to separate their trash into separate piles for tree limbs (no longer than 6 feet in length), building materials or demolition debris, white goods (appliances), and leaves, grass clippings, small twigs, etc. in trash bags.

Customers are asked to not place their trash under or near electric, telephone or cable television wires as this poses a danger to the solid waste driver and to not place the trash in a drainage ditch.

Finally, the City does not pickup tires, broken concrete or concrete products, or hazardous waste.

TAXES

The City of Nederland’s property tax rate is $0.481056 per $100 assessed taxable value.

The City Council unanimously adopted this tax rate, which was one cent greater than the “no-new revenue” tax rate; the tax rate was necessary to fund a new firefighter position.

This was the fourth year that the City has reduced the tax rate. By utilizing the tax rate of $0.481056, the City of Nederland will continue to have the lowest municipal tax rate in Jefferson County.

Property appraisals are completed by an entity independent of the City Council – the Jefferson County Appraisal District.

I want to thank the City employees who were instrumental in staffing and organizing the various Christmas activities that took place last month, including Christmas on the Avenue and the Christmas parade.

And I want to thank the City employees who worked tirelessly over the Christmas holiday weekend due to the impacts of the winter storm; these employees were vital to maintaining the City’s utility system and avoiding a boil water notice.

City Council meetings are on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at Nederland City Hall; a Zoom option is available if you cannot attend the meeting in-person.

If there are any questions regarding City operations, please contact the City Manager’s Office at (409) 723-1503.

Chris Duque is city manager for Nederland. He can be reached at CDuque@ci.nederland.tx.us.