City of Grapeland

04/19/2024

09/28/2022

Hello all, a burn ban is in effect until further notice. Please share this post.

08/12/2022

Hello Grapeland, we had our monthly council meeting on August 9th. The following are the major points for this month.

- As we all know, we are in a serious drought. Many citizens are watering their yards which will drive the water bill up. We will be having a special committee next month to discuss the best plan for an additional “irrigation meter” for watering only. This will take the sewer portion out of the equation so the bill for watering is more accurate. The “irrigation meter” will have a cost for the citizen to install but would pay for itself inside of a year for those that water their yards.
- Per a citizen request, the Council voted to lower the speed limit on Washington Street to 15 MPH. This is now in effect.
- All of the streets inside the area known as Eden’s Addition (Chestnut, Sycamore and Augusta Streets) are now completely paved. This will save the city money as we no longer have to fix these streets after heavy rains. Next year we are targeting the following streets: First, Second, Third and Selkirk. The following year, we will pave all dirt roads inside the city limits.
- Paved streets equal faster drivers. Due to the recent paving of the Eden’s Addition, the Council has voted to lower the speed limit on all streets within the Eden’s Addition to 15 MPH. This is now in effect.
- I would like to take this opportunity to wish our Grapeland Sandies Football Team the best of luck in the 2022 season. The first home game is September 12th against the Lovelady Lions. There is a scrimmage tonight along with Meet the Sandies at 5pm today. Please come out and support your Sandies!

That is all the news for this month. Next month’s meeting will be on Sep 13th at 6pm.

“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It is about one life influencing another”

John C. Maxwell.

06/24/2022

Hello Grapeland, we had our monthly council meeting on June 21st. The following are the major points for this month.

- I am happy to say that the City of Grapeland and the Grapeland Independent School District have agreed to split the costs to hire a full time School Resource Officer. Beginning this school year, the Grapeland schools will have this SRO on campus to further ensure the safety of our Grapeland students. The SRO will travel back and forth between the schools on a daily basis and will tend to the security needs of all campuses.
- Judge C.L. McGill has been sworn in as our Municipal Judge for another 2 year term.
- This fiscal year ends on June 30th, the Council approved a budget amendment that will have us close out the year with all budget line items within the budget constraints.
- The Council approved the proposed 2022-2023 budget for next fiscal year.
- The Council approved a $100 deposit per trash can for all future garbage customers. The deposit will be returned upon receipt of the trash can when the customer moves out.
- The Council approved the annexation of 210.9 acres just south of town. The City of Grapeland just got a little bigger.
- NOTICE: Houston County is under a burn ban until further notice.
- If you feel that you need speed bumps on your street, please bring yourself and at least 2 other neighbors from your street to a city meeting and ask the Council for them to be installed.
- If all goes well, Pine street should have its overhaul started in October. It will cause an inconvenience with school buses and overall traffic, but that will be temporary and worth having a pristine street upon completion.
- The complete paving of the Eden’s Addition should start next month. In the summer of 2023 we will have 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Selkirk Streets paved completely.

That is all the news for this month. Next month’s meeting will be on July 12th at 6pm.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” John Wooden.

05/27/2022

Hello Grapeland, we had our monthly council meeting on May 10th and a Special Meeting on May 25th, the following are the major points from those meetings.

- We have hired a law firm, effective October 1, to look into delinquent taxes on properties that need to be cleaned up and have dilapidated structures removed. The goal here is to start getting our city looking good again as much as possible.
- Grant Works has been hired to be our grant writer to try for the Downtown Revitalization Grant again. If we are awarded this grant, Main Street and the surrounding area will be spruced up with new lights, sidewalks, fencing and other things to really get downtown looking good. Hopefully we secure this grant and make it happen.
- Waste Connections, our garbage service, sent us a letter saying that there will be a 5% increase on the garbage bills. We had a meeting with them and was able to negotiate a 4% increase. Inflation is hitting everywhere.
- An ordinance was passed limiting the age of mobile homes brought into the city limits. The limit is 7.5 years old or 10 years old having proof of passing safety and health codes from a licensed home inspector. This is another effort to keep our city clean. Any mobile homes already within the city limits are grandfathered in.
- Mitchell Woody swore in for another 2 year term as Mayor. Justin Lumbreraz swore in for another 2 year term as a Council Member and Bobbie Jo Woody swore in for the first time for a 2 year term on the Council.
- The animal ordinance was amended a little bit to fit Grapeland better. As we have much farmland inside city limits, the following is what was amended. Originally, there was a blanket statement saying a residence could have no more than 3 dogs. The amendment is no more than 3 dogs unless you own 10 or more acres, then you can have no more than 20 livestock working dogs and their pens shall be at least 300 yards from the closest neighboring residence. The other amendment had to do with hoofed animals. Originally, only 1 hoofed animal was allowed at any residence. The amendment is only 1 hoofed animal for a residence unless 10 or more acres are owned, then more than 1 hoofed animal is allowed while keeping with the Texas Parks and Wildlife livestock guidelines.
- The City Park Reservation Policy has been amended to be more citizen friendly. Also, the morning hours for the park have been moved from 8am to 6am to allow citizens to use the walking track during cooler hours.

That is all the news for this month. Next month’s meeting has been moved to June 21st at 6 pm due to scheduling conflicts.

“Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” George Washington Carver.

05/18/2022

04/26/2022

Hello Grapeland, we had our monthly council meeting on April 12th; the following are the major points from that meeting.

- Last year we didn’t score high enough to secure the grant that will allow us to spruce up downtown. We call it “the downtown revitalization project”. The council approved the go ahead to take all the necessary measures to try and secure this grant this year.
- According to the Open Meetings Act, anyone can video record or audio record a council meeting while in progress. The council approved an ordinance that sets some rules in place to prevent meeting disruption while recording. A copy of the new ordinance and all other city ordinances can be found on our city website at www.cityofgrapeland.org.
- Our trash pick-up provider, Waste Connections, has increased the price of trash services by 5%. The council will discuss next meeting that the city absorb this cost as to not pass it on to the customer. Hopefully, the budgeting will allow us to do that for our citizens.
- The council was presented with options on streets to improve this coming summer. The council approved all of Sycamore, Chestnut, and Augusta streets be paved in their entirety. This will make all of the neighborhood known as ‘The Eden’s Addition” completely paved. Paving these streets will save the city money and man hours as we must repair them now after every storm.
- A new Chief of Police has been selected. Officer Richard Lewis has been selected as our new Chief. Also, Officer Aaron Hatton has been promoted to Lieutenant. Congratulations to both!
- The new playground equipment has been installed in the city park and many citizens are already enjoying it. We are looking at installing swings next. Many have asked about a splash pad; we are looking into it for sure. Placement and engineering challenges are what we have to figure out for the splash pad.
- The election for 2 council seats is on May 7th at City Hall. There are 3 candidates running for the 2 seats and they are: Jack Coleman, Justin Lumbreraz (I), and Bobbie Jo Woody. When you vote, you will be voting for 2 on your ballot. The 2 with the most votes will win the seats. Get out and vote on May 7th and let your voice be heard!
- That is all the news for now. The next meeting will be on May 10th at 6pm.

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor; but without folly.” – Jim Rohn.

04/25/2022

Hello Grapeland, early voting is today for the 2 open council seats at City Hall until 5pm. There are 3 candidates, you will be voting for 2 of the 3 on your ballot. Let your voice be heard! Please share this post.

04/07/2022

Hello Grapeland, the new playground equipment is going up in the city park finally and should be done by Friday!

04/04/2022

CITY OF GRAPELAND PUBLIC WORKS DEPT.

Job Description:
Want to make a difference in your community? Grapeland Public Works Department is looking to hire a qualified Utility worker/Operator. Under general supervision, performs a variety of duties associated with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of water, wastewater facilities, and streets. The City of Grapeland offers medical, dental, vision insurance, and retirement plan as well as paid vacations and Holidays.

Position: Full-Time
Starting salary: $14.00 per hour after 90 day probationary period.
Must be able to procure a C ground water or C wastewater license within 12 months.
Please deliver applications to Grapeland City Office, 202 N. Main St. Grapeland, TX 75844
Deadline for applications: April 14, 2022

Summary of Position:

*Operates heavy equipment, such as dump trucks, loaders, backhoes, zero turn mowers, and tractor with brush cutter. Perform lawn maintenance, filling pot holes, and other street duties as applicable.
*Reviews and assesses water quality; creates, updates and maintains a variety of records, files and reports; performs quality control checks on equipment, incoming and outgoing water quality; monitors lab test results; undertakes and performs minor equipment repairs; responds to water and/or wastewater emergencies on a 24 hour on-call basis, Repair and fix water/wastewater line breakage and responds to citizen inquiries and concerns.

04/04/2022

Hello Grapeland, the city now has a city website where you can find ordinances, announcements and things like that. The link is https://www.cityofgrapeland.org/ and can be found under the "About" section of our page. Thanks and have a great week!

04/04/2022

03/17/2022

Hello Grapeland, we had our monthly council meeting on March 8th; the following are the major points from that meeting.

- We called the election for May 7th, 2022. The Mayor seat is unopposed, so the current Mayor will remain till May 2024. There are two council seats open and three candidates running. The candidates are as follows and will be listed on the ballot in this order: Jack Coleman, Justin Lumbreraz (I) and Bobbie Jo Woody. Please come out and vote on May 7th and let your voice be heard.
- In February, we had voted to take a city debt consolidation loan. But, with the recent hike in interest rates and the emergence of other financial means, we decided to forego this for now. We can always readdress this in the future if need be.
- As you may have heard by now, our Chief of Police resigned so he could pursue another career path. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. We are currently taking applications for the Chief position until March 30th, then we will set up interviews after that.
- Some have noticed that the playground equipment in the city park has been removed. We have brand new equipment on the way and the goal is to have it installed before the school summer break.
- We are still without a lead for the Building and Standards Commission. If you are interested, please call City Hall at 687-2115.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give” Winton Churchill.

03/17/2022

CITY OF GRAPELAND POLICE DEPT

Job Description:
Want to make a difference in your community? Grapeland Police Department is currently taking applications for Chief of Police. The Department offers pay incentives/certificate pay, one week paid vacation after one year and two weeks after two years of fulltime service. Health insurance and retirement package also available.
Complete a personal history statement (PHS) from the following link: https://www.tcole.texas.gov/content/forms-and-applications.

Position: Chief of Police
Salary: $50,440 per year after 90 day probationary period

Please deliver applications to Grapeland City Office, 202 S. Main St. Grapeland, TX 75844
Deadline for Chief of Police applications: March 30, 2022

Summary of Position:
Performs any and all administrative duties set forth by the City of Grapeland, which pertain to the Chief position. Work involves the enforcement of criminal and general laws of the State of Texas and public safety for the community. Must have five years experience as a peace officer, associate’s degree, and an advanced peace officer certification.

Essential Duties:
*Patrols and detects violation of state laws and regulation, makes violator contacts, and places violators in custody or issues citations or warning.
*Patrols in high crime areas with appropriate action to reduce crime.
*Patrols assigned areas and County office buildings, ground, and parking facilities to check for security violations.
*Apprehends criminals, rescues victims, seizes illegal contraband, detects and prevents terrorist attacks, and disrupts criminal organizations.
*Conducts personnel, traffic, and criminal investigations. Prepares complaints and cases for presentation in court.
*Responsible for managing Police department budget and all administrative duties pertaining to the position.

02/28/2022

Hello Grapeland, we are having another city wide clean up this week. There will be roll offs at the city waste water plant on the bypass by the baseball fields. The dates and times are as follows: March 3rd and 4th 8am to 4pm. March 5th, 8am to 1pm. You must show your City of Grapeland water bill so please have it ready upon arrival. Thank you.

02/24/2022

Notice Of Drawing For Place On Ballot:
Notice is hereby given of a drawing to determine the order in which the names of candidates are to be printed on the ballot for the election to be held on May 7th, 2022 in the City of Grapeland, Texas. The drawing will be held at 10am on March 1st, 2022 at City Hall, 202 South Main Street in Grapeland, Texas.

02/22/2022

Attention tenants of the Grapeland Housing Authority. There will be a board meeting tonight at 5:30pm at the Grapeland Housing Authority front office. If you are having trouble with management and maintenance and abuse, please arrive 30 minutes early and fill out a Citizen Request Form to speak at tonight’s meeting. The only way to address issues is to write formal complaints, take them to the meeting and be heard. The following are some links and numbers to call to report mismanagement and abuse: hud.gov/complaints_home, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity 1-800-669-9777, HUDs Inspector General Hot Line to report fraud, waste, or mismanagement 1-800-347-3735. Again, the only way to fix issues is to take action. The Mayor will also be attending tonight’s meeting. Please share this post, thank you.

Housing discrimination: Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, s*x, family status, or disability. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complai...

02/19/2022

Hello Grapeland, we had our monthly council meeting on February 8th; the following are the major points from that meeting.

- As of now, we do not have a lead for the Building and Standards Commission. The Building and Standards Commission is an entity that helps to enforce the cleanliness and safety of your city. If you are interested in being the lead, please contact City Hall at 687-2115. You must live inside the city limits to be eligible.
- The council approved the go ahead to begin the process of a debt consolidation loan of the city’s debts. This will free up funds over the next few years to improve our infrastructure.
- The council voted to adopt the Houston County Hazardous Mitigation Plan. By adopting this plan, this makes the city eligible for grants and FEMA funds pertaining to preparing for a multitude of natural disasters.
- The deadline to add your name to the ballot for a Council seat or Mayorship has ended as of 5pm on Friday the 18th of February. The Mayor seat will go unopposed so the current Mayor will remain for another term. There are three candidates for two council seats. The names are Justin Lumbreraz (incumbent), Bobbie Jo Woody, and Jack Coleman. Councilman Eddie Childress will be stepping down and we are very thankful for his service to our community; he will be missed. This is an “At Large” election; meaning that the two candidates with the most votes win the council seats. We do not have districts like other cities. Please, I implore everyone to vote in your city election on Saturday, May 7th. Voting is your voice in a democracy; don’t ever think your voice is too small.

"A drop of water seems as if it is nothing, until the ocean speaks.” Mitchell Woody.