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Holiday Lakes officials working on changes
Published March 6, 2009
HOLIDAY LAKES — Norman Schroeder had heard enough about how badly his town needs to be cleaned up, so he and other community leaders are doing something about it.
“We’re trying to put things in place to help us do better in our community,” said Schroeder, the mayor of Holiday Lakes. “The community has asked that we retain property values here. You can complain about the trash or you can go out and pick it up.”
The city is doing just that, along with considering rules governing mobile homes, peddlers, weedy lots, animal control, junk vehicles, noise and proper home addressing, Councilman Rock Molliere said.
“Nobody wants to do anything right,” Molliere said.
There are a few homes in need of repair and some streets aren’t clearly marked. Some lots are in obvious need of maintenance and some streets are dark at night.
But that doesn’t have to be permanent, and past problems don’t have to carry into the future, Schroeder said.
“By retaining and improving values of the community, everybody’s value rises,” he said, explaining that when property values rise, it allows leaders to lower the tax rate.
Improving the look, feel and reputation of the town could lead to more businesses as well, he said.
Not everyone agrees with wholesale changes. Barbara Bynum Rushing lives on South Austin Street and isn’t interested in government involvement in private affairs.
“The reason people move out to the country and to small towns is they want to be left alone,” she said.
HOUSE RULES
One of the proposals that most bothers Rushing is a proposal that any home, mobile or otherwise, moved into Holiday Lakes be 1,000 square feet or larger and set at least 25 feet from a road. Homes already in place would be grandfathered, Schroeder said.
“I don’t understand telling people what size home they can live in,” Rushing said. “The little man is going to get messed on.”
Also in the works are rules governing septic systems. They’ll have to be full systems, not just tanks, Schroeder said. And travel trailers no longer will be allowed to be set up as permanent homes.
Rushing objects to what she calls government interference in private lives.
Changes could hurt a little in the short-term, but it’s time for the city to pull itself up by the bootstraps, Schroeder said.
“It’s not the man with the money, it’s the community that’s important,” he said. “The long-term cost of a home in a community is you have rules and regulations.”
Even if a grandfathered home is smaller than new rules allow, guidelines pertaining to all lots eventually will make the city more attractive and successful, Schroeder said.
“It puts pressure on the others to clean up,” he said. “Get your neighbor involved. It’s one step at a time and this is one of those steps.”
BACK FROM THE EDGE
Limiting peddlers and clearly marking house numbers is another, Councilwoman Kimberly Schroeder said. She suggests a uniform permit fee for peddlers and at least encouragement for marking homes.
“We can start with our own stuff,” she said, mentioning placing reflective numbers on the town’s municipal building and community center. A house numbering ordinance has been on the books for more than 10 years but isn’t always enforced.
Street signs, stop signs and speed limit signs also will be important, Kim Schroeder said. Pets should be tagged and not left loose.
“We’ve got way too many dogs and cats running around on the streets,” she said, adding loud music also should be put in check.
The changes — like a tire collection set for March 14 in which residents may pay $1 per tire for disposal — cost money. While Mayor Schroeder admits the city isn’t flush with cash, it is doing better. When Schroeder took over as mayor in 2007, Holiday Lakes was on the verge of bankruptcy. This January, the town purchased a pickup for about $10,000 without borrowing any money.
“We’re just now digging our way out of the financial crises we were in,” he said.
The city already has implemented a regular heavy trash pickup. One of the eventual goals is to add a part-time police officer. Another is to find old ordinances that are improperly written, or not filed, and either correct or replace them.
Overall, a more presentable, forward-moving city is what leaders seek, Molliere said. That might come with some opposition, but it’s for the greater good, he said.
“We have come a long way,” Molliere said. “Let’s keep it up and don’t give up yet.”
John Lowman covers Brazoria County for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 849-8581.
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