From Peggy Hausman                                                                              Jan. 18, 2010

281-250-3439

281-367-6407

This is the time to Speak Out!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need everyone to “Show Up, Speak Up, and Stand Up” for our hometown at The Woodlands Township Town Hall meeting, Wednesday, Jan 27^th, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center – 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Residents of The Woodlands are primarily concerned with the basics of life like security, taxes, safety, the lifestyles of our families and children, and where and how our tax and bond dollars are being spent.

Q. Where is the law enforcement? Do you know how much we spend on law enforcement? It is a multi-million dollar expense in our Township’s budget. If we can move up the transition, why not move up incorporation? Houston has a new Mayor. Is it time to move up our self-governance so that we can form our own police department? Why are we not receiving Woodland Alerts on all crime?

Q. Why do we have to fill out forms to talk to our elected officials? Filling out a form is an unacceptable method of contacting officials and staff who we elected or hired to operate The Woodlands Township. These individuals report to the people. We are not Houston, or Chicago, or Boston. We are a small-town, special district community. A hometown!!! Hometowns do not run on forms. They survive on love of thy neighbor and family values!

Q.The Township takeover of our community is establishing policies now! We must ensure that our local government does not continue to transfer contracts with no bids or requests for proposals. Why are our “public servants” not voting to receive two or three bids on all large contracts or requests for proposal? We need to look into attorneys’ fees, fire department deals, developer agreements, fees, and so much more.

This is not business as normal anymore.

Q. Why do we have 9:00 a.m. Township board meetings that most residents cannot attend because they work or volunteer during the day? Are two 7:00 pm town hall meetings a year sufficient for residents to come and vocalize their concerns?

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to demand two meetings a month in the evening with all board members.

Q. Why are three out of five executive committee members non-resident elected, developer-appointed representatives?, Why? Is it because they can set the Township agenda and avoid involvement of all the resident-elected members? Why is one of them the President of The Woodlands Land Development Company? 

Q. Why are Development Standards Committee representatives selected by the developer and automatically reappointed? This is our permitting department. Do we not need resident input? Why does the DSC continue to approve office buildings behind resident’s homes, issue a tree-cutting complaint warrant on Christmas Eve, place giant slides behind resident homes? Why? Because they can! This group is appointed and not elected. Where is the accountability and responsibility? Moreover, why did the Township board, by a vote of 10 to 1, reappoint all of them?

Q. Why do we need to purchase tables for board members at elite social events with taxpayer money?

Q. Where does the money go that is buried in small type at the bottom of our utility, phone, and cable bills under "access fees"? Why are the funds not available to the residents? Isn't this our money in the first place?  I can tell you it goes directly into the accounts of The Woodlands Development Company, under the name of The Woodlands Land and Development Corporation. If we were a city, would they still receive these funds? If the Township received the money, could we not use it to refurbish our existing parks and enhance our recreation facilities instead of building new ones so that the developer can sell more houses?

Q. Why would we even consider the purchase and operation of boats on the Waterway when we still do not have trolleys going to the village shopping centers? Wasn't it the developer who conceived, installed, and contracted for the boats? Why don’t they pay to refurbish them and operate them? Is this truly a form of transportation?

Q. Do you know who is appointed to your Township community committees? Make them responsible and accountable. Look at their voting records. Why are the voting records and issues not placed directly on the “web site” after every meeting and posted first thing in the morning in the newspaper?

The Questions could and will go on and on. Never surrender your community, our Hometown. Come and ask these questions and many more.

SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, AND COME TO THE MEETING.

This is our Hometown. The time is now. Please join me in saying enough is enough. Please e-mail your concerns. Let me know about your experiences with The Township, law enforcement, fire department, or any issue that has not been resolved to your satisfaction. COME JAN. 27^th!     

                                                                                                                                        Show Up, Speak Up, and Stand Up for our Hometown!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to see the list of warm bodies not slots, because your information does not jive with the SO's. I stand by the info from the SO until you can prove different.   You forget Don, we have the assets to get the information directly from the SO. If you do not actually have 82 warm bodies assigned to TW, I will take the liberty to express the opinion that your are providing false and misleading information. If in fact this is the case and the County officials as well as the TS are aware, malfeasance would be the word of the day. Especially if that is what we have been paying for.   I await your evidence.   Mike Donnelly    In a message dated 1/18/2010 3:10:42 P.M. Central Standard Time, DNorrell@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov writes:

Mr Donnelly, 

Director Hausman was kind enough to share a copy of your email with me.

As a matter of information,  The Woodlands Township currently has two contracts with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office.   One is a 2007 contract for law enforcement services that The Township assumed from the Community Associations and the second is a law enforcement contract that was approved by The Woodlands Township in November, 2009.  These are separate contracts but all personnel in these two contracts are now combined in District #6  (The Woodlands Township) effective January 1, 2010. 

In total,  the two contracts provide 77 total personnel  to The Woodlands Township – District #6 / in addition, the MCSO has assigned 5 deputies to District #6 providing for a total of 82 personnel.  

The 2007 contract assumed from the Community Associations provides for 31 contract personnel.  Of this total, one is a civilian employee while 30 are sworn law enforcement personnel.  This contract runs until 2012.

The October, 2009, contract between the Township and the MCSO provides for 46 total positions.  Of this total, three are civilian and 43 are sworn law enforcement personnel.  

The Sheriffs Office assigned 5 deputies to District #6 (The Woodlands District). 

The total contract positions for The Woodlands Township is 77 and the MCSO will provide 5 officers for a total of 82 personnel.   Of this total 79 are sworn law enforcement personnel and 3 are civilian personnel.  

Please advise if you have any additional questions regarding this matter. 

Don Norrell