Congressman Cuellar to Tour Completed USDA Treatment Plant

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar will be at 815 Goliad Road, in Floresville, on March 19, at 11:15 a.m. to visit the newly constructed, state-of-the-art USDA Wastewater Treatment Plant. The public is invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

City of Floresville USDA Wastewater Treatment Plant

The City of Floresville received $9.473 million in funding from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development ($1.798 million in grant, $7.495 million in loan, and $180,000 in City funding/applicant contribution). This funding has allowed the City to construct significant upgrades to the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on Goliad Road and to the wastewater collection system. Major improvements to the WWTP include a new carousel oxidation basin; two new clarifiers; a new disinfection system; a belt filter press for sludge processing; and new emergency power, electrical, and control system improvements. The WWTP improvements will increase the plant’s average flow capacity from 900,000 gallons per day (GPD) to 1.2 million GPD and increase peak flow capacity from 1.8 million GPD to 4.8 million GPD.  The new plant will have the capacity to anticipate the City of Floresville’s expected growth through 2050. This improvement will certainly pave the way for a stronger future for the City of Floresville.

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Floresville Receives $250,000 Grant from Texas Department of Agriculture

The Mayor and City Council are pleased to announce that the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has awarded a grant in the amount of $250,000 for a Downtown Revitalization Sidewalk Program to assist in providing ADA accessible sidewalks for the downtown area. The City has also partnered with Floresville Economic Development Corporation (4b), which is providing the financial match of $50,000.

The City will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, March 1, 2019 at 1:00 pm to acknowledge the sidewalk project located in front of the historic Arcadia Theatre, located at 1417 3rd Street. Please join the Mayor and City Council for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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Congressman Cuellar to Visit Floresville

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar will be at City Hall, 1120 D Street, Floresville, Texas on October 19 at 2:30 p.m. for the unveiling ceremony of the City of Floresville’s newly constructed, state-of-the-art USDA Wastewater Treatment Plant and to acknowledge the receipt of FEMA funds for Wilson County to Judge Richard Jackson. Congressman Cuellar was instrumental in ensuring the County received FEMA funding during the May 2015 catastrophic flooding.

City of Floresville USDA Wastewater Treatment Plant

The City of Floresville received $9.473 million in funding from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development ($1.798 million in grant, $7.495 million in loan, and $180,000 in City funding/applicant contribution). This funding has allowed the City to construct significant upgrades to the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on Goliad Road and to the wastewater collection system. Major improvements to the WWTP include a new carousel oxidation basin; two new clarifiers; a new disinfection system; a belt filter press for sludge processing; and new emergency power, electrical, and control system improvements. The WWTP improvements will increase the plant’s average flow capacity from 900,000 gallons per day (GPD) to 1.2 million GPD and increase peak flow capacity from 1.8 million GPD to 4.8 million GPD.  The new plant will have the capacity to anticipate the City of Floresville’s expected growth through 2050. This improvement will certainly pave the way for a stronger future for the City of Floresville.

Wilson County FEMA Funds

The Wilson County FEMA funds will only be granted to Precincts 1, 2, and 4, with Albert Gamez, Jr, Paul Pfeil, and Larry Wiley representing those precincts respectively.

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Water System Improvements

The City of Floresville has been approved for a loan from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund various improvements projects for the City’s public drinking water system. The total amount of the loan is approximately $3.719 million which will be used to make the required  improvements. The improvements projects will be grouped into three construction packages that are described as follows:

Construction Package No. 1 (Ram II)

  • Construct a new welded steel ground storage tank at the Plaza Water Plant to replace the previously demolished bolted steel ground storage tank there.
  • Provide hookups for a mobile generator at the City’s three water treatment and storage sites. This will allow City staff to provide water to the City’s customers in the event of a citywide power outage.
  • Improve the water system monitoring devices at the three water treatment and storage sites so that the City will be able to better monitor water production and distribution.
  • Refurbish the existing aeration tanks at the three water treatment and storage sites so that the City will be able to better control taste and odor in the water provided to its customers.
  • Ram II General Contractor Inc. started its business 42 years ago in January, 1975. Ralph A. Minard II is President and 100-percent owner and stockholder. Ram II specializes in water, sewer and drainage piping projects to include specialization in water and sewer plant construction and rehabilitation. Their company also builds lift stations and erects ground storage water tanks. They have worked on projects funded by TXCDBG, TWDB, USDA and TXDOT for the past 40 years. They have completed numerous projects for the City of Floresville for the past 25 years. They presently employ 20 full-time employees. Ram II recently completed a new 12-inch sewer line with 11 sanitary sewer manholes and two bores for the City of Floresville and completed the project 2 months ahead.

Construction Package No. 2 (RG3)

  • Replace the existing water meters throughout the City with new meters that will enable City staff to collect meter data without having to
    make a manual read of the meters. The data from the meters will be gathered by a signal sent to a laptop computer as staff drives that meter’s
    location.
  • The RG3 companies are composed of a manufacturing division (Meter Company) and a service division (Utilities). RG3’s legacy companies span back to 1950. Their installation crews have installed over two million meter system units of every manufacturer available in North America including Itron, Neptune, Sensus, Hersey, Elster, Master Meter, Badger and, of course, RG3. RG3 uses NO subcontractors for its install crews. They also have the best warranty in the industry, offering a 23-year (12 full/11 prorated for AMI systems) replacement on all endpoint technology (register, battery, transmitter) compared to 10 years on competitors encoder, and 20 years (10 full/10 prorated) on competitors battery and transmitter. RG3 offers the longest new meter accuracy warranty (Perpetual Meters) in the industry (10 years and 1.5 million gallons) compared to most competitors’ new meter accuracy of 5 years and 750,000 gallons. Each endpoint can be read as a drive-by (AMR) or in a fixed network (AMI) with no programming or register transmission power mode changes. If Fixed Network Transceivers are in place, the utility can read seamlessly using either method (AMR or AMI) or both at the same time. This allows the utility to start out as a drive-by system and upgrade to an AMI system at a later date.

Construction Package No. 3 (M&C Fonseca)

  • Modifications will be made to the City’s water distribution system that will provide flexibility in the system for staff to move water throughout
    the system to increase supply in cases of abnormally high demand.
  • Several water mains in the downtown area will be replaced with new PVC mains. The downtown area is the oldest part of the system and many of the water mains there are made from cast iron. As the cast-iron pipes degrade, there are noticeable effects on the quality of the water that flows through them. This project will replace the oldest lines with new PVC.
  • Matias Fonseca and his wife Carmen Fonseca started M&C Fonseca Construction Co. Inc. in 2001. M&C Fonseca was a small concrete construction business of just 5 employees that concentrated on only residential concrete slabs within a 30-mile radius of Matias’ home in Granite Shoals, Texas. In 2003, M&C Fonseca Construction Co. Inc. was incorporated and then had a total of 12 employees. They bid their first commercial underground utility project and won the bid with the City of Kerrville in 2011. Since then, they began to concentrate more on underground utilities for cities and municipalities in the surrounding areas. M&C Fonseca Construction Co. Inc. is now located at 1901 Prairie Creek Road and employs 27 permanent employees in the utility division, 13 employees in the concrete division, 2 superintendents, and 6 office personnel.
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Floresville Receives Recognition for Financial Transparency Efforts

Transparency Star Traditional FinancesTexas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced that the City of Floresville is the latest local government entity to achieve specific transparency goals through the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars program. Floresville received a star in the area of Traditional Finances, which recognizes entities for outstanding efforts in making their spending and revenue information available.

Transparency Stars recognizes local government entities that provide easy online access to important financial data.

“By providing meaningful financial data in addition to visual tools and analysis of its revenues and expenditures, the City of Floresville has shown a true commitment to Texas taxpayers. This effort achieves the goals set by my office’s Transparency Stars program,” Hegar said. “I am pleased to award Floresville a star for its accomplishments.”

The Comptroller’s office launched the Transparency Stars program in March 2016 to recognize cities, counties, and school districts making important strides to greater government transparency. Local government entities can apply for stars in the areas of Traditional Finances, Contracts and Procurement, Economic Development, Public Pensions, and Debt Obligations.

Stars Award Comptrollers Certificate

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Senior Citizen Discount for Solid Waste Collection

The City of Floresville is now offering a senior citizen discount of $3.00 to all customers that are 65 years of age or over. To qualify for the discount, please complete the Senior Citizen Discount (Refuse) form and bring to City Hall for filing and approval. ID must be shown in the form of a driver’s license or other form of identification that has the same address as your service address. Courtesy of Mayor and City Council through resolution 2018-003, passed on February 8, 2018.

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Floresville Closes USDA Water System Improvement Loan

Floresville Mayor Cissy Gonzalez-Dippel signs documentation December 20 to close a $3.7 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a major water system improvement project. The signing, which took place at the Lauro G. Deleon Floresville Event Center, moves the City one step closer toward beginning construction on the project. The City Council approved issuance of utility bonds to repay the loan at a March 2016 meeting.

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Monthly Citywide Cleanup

  • First Saturday of each month
  • Bulk waste pickup for 60 homes
  • First come, first served

  1. Call City Hall at (830) 393-3105 to be placed on pickup list. You must call before the last Wednesday of the preceding month. The first 60 residential customers to request pickup will be added to the list. Proof of residency is required (water bill and ID).
  2. Place waste at curb (no earlier than one week prior to pickup date).

Acceptable Pickup Items

  • Household trash, metal and general trash
  • Couches, mattresses, box springs, stoves, washing machines

Unacceptable Pickup Items

  • Air conditioners or refrigerators (allowed on special cleanup dates)
  • Commercial business waste
  • Liquids including paint, oil, grease, household chemical or cleaning supplies
  • Hazardous materials of any kind, including chlorine, fertilizers, batteries, or other chemical mixture
  • Aerosol cans, air tanks, propane tanks, or any product under pressure
  • Tires, batteries, rocks, dirt, concrete
  • Construction debris or demolition debris
  • Boats, cars, or engines

Hosted by Republic Services and the City of Floresville.

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Weekly Recycling Drop-Off

Glass, paper, and plastic items may be dropped off to be recycled every Saturday at 815 Goliad (City Dump Yard) from 8 am to 12 noon. Bulk trash may also be dropped off during these hours. Proof of residency is required (water bill and ID). Closed on Saturday before a holiday.

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2017 Citywide Cleanup Dates

  • Saturday, March 25
  • Saturday, June 24
  • Saturday, September 30

Dropoff

All residents within the City limits of Floresville have the option of dropping off items at 815 Goliad (City Dump Yard) from 8 am to 12 noon. Proof of residency is required (water bill and ID).

Pickup

Pickup is also available. If curbside service is needed, call City Hall at (830) 393-3105. Notify us no later than the Wednesday preceding the cleanup date by 12 noon to be placed on the list.


Acceptable Pickup Items

  • Household trash, yard waste, metal and general trash
  • Wood and brush (all wood and brush must be tied, cut and bundled, not to exceed 48 inches or weigh more than 50 pounds)
  • Air conditioners, refrigerators, and items containing Freon must be tagged by a certified technician stating Freon has been removed in accordance with governmental standards.

Unacceptable Pickup Items

  • Any commercial business waste (residents only)
  • Any liquids including paint, oil, grease, household chemical or cleaning supplies
  • Hazardous materials of any kind, including chlorine, fertilizers, batteries, or other chemical mixture
  • Aerosol cans, air tanks, propane tanks, or any product under pressure
  • Tires, batteries, rocks, dirt, concrete
  • Construction debris or demolition debris
  • Large or heavy furniture items
  • Boats, cars, or engines

Hosted by Republic Services and the City of Floresville. Paving the way for a stronger future!

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Message from the Mayor

On November 8, 2016, I was honored to be elected as Mayor of Floresville. In the first two months of my term I have had the pleasure of meeting with so many citizens. Although I wish I had the time to personally visit with everyone, it would be nearly impossible so we are creating avenues by which to stay in touch, including this newsletter along with a brand new social media presence and website. We are excited about including our citizens in our decision-making! Please let us know how we’re doing—comments and feedback will always be welcome.

—Mayor Cissy Gonzalez-Dippel

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Remodeling of City Hall

Floresville’s City Hall is currently being prepared for remodeling. As part of the USDA Grant obtained for our water system upgrades, we must become ADA compliant as well as meet all current safety codes. This ensures that every city building is safe and handicap accessible. As anyone who has visited City Hall may have noticed, the building has received few upgrades since being acquired in 1996. Be assured, although these upgrades are required, City Council is dedicated to keeping costs low. As this project goes out for bidding soon, be on the lookout for updates.

In the interim city offices have been moved next door into portable buildings and they offer all the services we had in City Hall.

If you have any questions before your next visit, you can call ahead of time to (830) 393-3105.

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Plans for the Near Future

These are just a few of the projects in the works for Floresville.

  • Update Street Maintenance plans
  • Update Ordinances regarding property upkeep, mobile homes, etc.
  • Create Cemetery committee to oversee upkeep and policies

We look forward to the future of Floresville and with your input we, as a council can truly be the voice of Floresville. Our goal is to always put: Floresville First!

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Stay Connected

As part of our effort to open up all possible channels of communication with the community, the City of Floresville has taken the initiative to revamp its website to be mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. We are also adding several new features which will help you connect with the different departments, stay up to date with Council meetings and meeting minutes as well as make city ordinance inquiries online.

In addition to all these updates, we will also be launching our social media presence by joining Facebook. It has been a long time coming and we are excited to finally be able to connect with you through this highly interactive outlet. Be on the lookout for all of these new and exciting changes by the end of February.

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Utility Rates Explained

The rates shown below are not current and are shown for historical purposes. Please visit our Utility Administration page for current rates.

Due to the aging water and sewer infrastructure, it became necessary for the City Council to increase the water and sewer rates. The increase was necessary to cover rising operating, maintenance, costs for electricity, chemicals, materials and equipment. The rate increase will also cover the USDA construction costs associated with a 40-year low interest loan. The USDA construction projects will upgrade the aging utilities infrastructure, facilities and will comply with the TECQ, state and federal regulatory requirements.

As Mayor, I want to provide the information to you the customers. Following a rate study, it was determined that the water and sewer rates did not provide sufficient revenues needed to support operations, maintenance and improvements to the City utilities. Therefore, new rates were required to be implemented. The new rates are as follows:

Residential Water Inside City Limits
(Ordinance No. 2016-023)
First 3,000 gallons $24.90
3,001-12,000 gallons $3.40 per thousand
12,001 gallons $3.40 per thousand

Residential Water Outside City Limits
(Ord. No. 2016-023)
First 3,000 gallons $42.60
3,001-12,000 gallons $6.15 per thousand
12,001 gallons $6.15 per thousand

Residential Sewer Rates
(Ord. No. 2015-032)
Flat rate:
2017 ($34.32)
2018 ($35.01)
2019 ($35.71)

In the spirit of better communication, the City of Floresville will be providing water bills with clear, easy-to-understand information to customers. Additionally, we will be revamping our communication to be polite, courteous, and respectful—all in an effort to provide better customer service. We want to make these efforts as a means to raise awareness, and educate customers on this important and critical information that effects your daily lives.

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