From the Mayor’s Desk
On Wednesday I had to make two trips to Lake Jackson — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — which meant I also had the privilege of driving back into Surfside twice in one day. No matter how many times I crest that bridge, the view of our beautiful, quirky little village puts a big grin on my face. I love this place, and I’m proud to represent it as your mayor.
This week, I want to highlight a few of the many positive things happening in Surfside. Sure, I could talk about the rain, the flooding, the mosquitoes, the humidity, and the seaweed — but social media already has plenty of that. Instead, let’s focus on the good.
There is real progress happening at City Hall. William will share more in his weekly update, but one project I’m especially excited about is a new program to provide life jackets for beachgoers. It will be a tremendous benefit for anyone who wants to enjoy the water but isn’t a strong swimmer, and an extra layer of safety for our children.
Our SOBA (Save Our Beach Association) group is also hosting Frank Billingsley, formerly of KPRC, at Stahlman Park to speak about hurricane preparedness — a timely and important topic for all of us.
And in the world of local business, The Salty Pelican is now in full operation, joining our other wonderful restaurants. Stop by any of them for a drink or a meal. I promise you’ll love the food, the people, and the ocean views from their decks.
Brazoria County is also sponsoring a Summer Museum Passport program. You can take your “passport” to participating museums and collect stamps along the way. I got my first stamp right here at the Fort Velasco Monument. I’m sure I’m forgetting something — there’s always more happening than can fit in one message — but you get the idea. Surfside is a great place to live and a great place to visit.
I’ve also noticed several posts from new residents asking about everything from internet service to fun things to do. First, welcome to Surfside. You’ve made a meaningful choice to invest in our little slice of paradise. I want to encourage you to get involved and help us continue making this a better place.
Please join us at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 9 at 6:00 PM at City Hall. You’ll learn a lot about the good work happening in our city and how we’re planning for the future. If you’re interested in our history, the Historical Commission would love new members — they’re doing important work preserving the story of Fort Velasco and its role in the Texas Revolution. The Tourism Commission could use your help as well. Tourism is the lifeblood of our island and a major source of revenue beyond property taxes.
Have a wonderful week. I’ll see you on the beach between the rain showers.
Mayor Marsha
CITY ADMINISTRATOR COMMUNITY UPDATE:
Surfside Neighbors,
Following our Council/Board retreat and a staff team-building event, the energy across the community is palpable. During the council/board retreat, elected and appointed officials sharpened their focus on topics including TOMA compliance, roles and responsibilities, and social media engagement, which provided the clarity needed to better engage with our citizens, business owners, and visitors.
Three days later, we translated those lessons into staff-level actions at our team-building event. Through lessons in active listening, change management, effective communication, and our Temperament/Lenses assessment, we identified our new guiding light: "ONE TEAM”.
Whether you serve on the Council, a committee, or in a day-to-day staff role, we are all focused on the same objective. We are committed to embracing the reality that all ships rise and fall together with the tide. The spirit of collaboration is taking root, and our teams are energized to serve with a unified sense of purpose. Thank you to the Council for your continued investment in this vision and in our people.
Here’s a look at what we've been up to this week:
- Material for the Shark Lane turn-around has been delivered; staff expects to have this laid out by the end of the week.
- The new tractor for the Beach and Parks Department arrived Tuesday. Staff will begin the scheduled "break-in" routine next week.
- Ongoing pothole repairs remain a priority, with current efforts focused on Bluewater Highway following heavy Memorial Day weekend traffic and recent rainfall.
- Crew operations are shifting to begin clearing sand at both the Ocean and Yucca beach entrances.
- One submersible lift station pump experienced a mechanical failure when the bottom mounting bolts detached. The Utilities Director is coordinating with our pump rebuild vendor. There will be no interruption to wastewater services, and the department has identified existing funds to cover these repairs.
- Staff successfully posted agendas for the upcoming June 9 Council meeting, June 9 Tourism and Beautification, and June 3 Historical Committee meetings.
- IT and Finance are preparing for the upcoming H-GAC site visit, focusing on cybersecurity documentation.
- Staff successfully communicated the recent City Hall closure for team building and the planned RO water station outage. We continue to prioritize transparency through website and social media updates.
- IT and HR are planning for cybersecurity awareness training and identifying documentation gaps for city staff.
- Electrical work has commenced for the City Hall renovations; power will be intermittent over the upcoming weekend to facilitate major repairs. Structural contractor negotiations are finalized, and drawings have been received.
- A stop-work order on Corral Court was successfully resolved after the owner secured a structural engineer and a qualified contractor; the project is now under valid permit and inspection.
- Formal regulatory action was initiated on five properties regarding non-compliant overgrowth.
- Code Compliance successfully ensured the proper backfilling and sealing of two abandoned septic tanks to mitigate safety hazards.
Fair Winds & Following Seas,
William
Application for Committees Here: Application for Committee