Message from the Mayor

Another month is in the record books and spring is around the corner. My prediction is one more cold snap before North Texas is able to enjoy the two weeks of spring.

February was a busy and productive month for the City. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval to amend the Comprehensive Plan adding the retail/mixed use zoning designation. The designation prepares Watauga to be better poised for the changing retail and housing markets in the future.

Looking ahead, March is promising to be another busy month. The biggest item will be our 2^nd annual "State of the City" event scheduled for March 18, 2020 (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM) at the Hector F. Garcia Community Center. RSVP is required and seats are going fast. To RSVP, please contact Denise Wilkinson via email at dwilkinson@wataugatx.org.

Your public library will host "The Mayors Book Club" (Stuart Little by E.B White) on March 20, 2020 from 4:30 to 5:30 PM. Children of all ages are welcome and adults too. The "Donut Dash II" at 8:30 AM and "Paws in the Park" at 6:00 PM, both will be held at Capp Smith Park on the March 21, 2020. Grab the 4 legged kids and come on out for a great evening.

Tuesday March 3, 2020 is the last day to vote in the 2020 Primary. For official voting locations, please visit the Tarrant Elections website.

Congratulations to Pet Haven who celebrated their 25^th year of business in Watauga in February 2020.

Don't forget that your library and recreation departments have a full schedule of events for kids and grownups. Please consider participating in one of the many events offered by the two City departments.

MARCH 9, 2020

CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP

5:30 P.M.

REGULAR MEETING
6:30 P.M.

CITY HALL - COUNCIL CHAMBERS
7105 WHITLEY ROAD

March 2020 Milestone Business Anniversaries

Check out these businesses websites and Facebook pages for services provided. Support your local businesses. SHOP WATAUGA!

30 Years - Box N' Mail, 6245 Rufe Snow Drive #280
25 Years - Bruce Door, 6332 Denton Hwy
20 Years - DK Cleaners, 6651 Hightower #400
20 Years - Dry Clean Super Center, 6005 Rufe Snow
35 Years - Eloy Leal State Farm Insurance, 5621 Bunker Blvd.
15 Years - Verizon, 8450 Denton Hwy #100

March Business Spotlight

HD EyeCare, 6000 Denton Hwy, Suite 100

Hissho Sushi now available at Target, 8000 Denton Hwy

Saffron Kabob & Grill, 8004 Denton Hwy #112

Great Clips - NEW LOCATION - 8028 Denton Hwy #340

Fire Department Reminder

Once again spring time is here to end the long winter. Every year at this time the Fire Department responds to multiple calls for illegal burning in residential yards. This can end with a warning, or a fine depending on the situation. Outdoor burning is prohibited within the city limits of Watauga. The exception to this ordinance is an outdoor fire pit or fireplace with only wood used as the fuel for the fire. Residents may not make a fire on the ground or dig a hole in the ground to burn any product.

The City of Watauga has adopted the 2018 International Fire Code with amendments, and this code may be seen on the cities web site by clicking Fire EMS under the Government tab, and then clicking on the Fire Marshal tab. The section pertaining to open burning is 307. Be sure to read the code and the amendments section as adopted by the City of Watauga.

Watauga Pickleball would like to welcome Jarrod and Kasandra to the Hector F Garcia Community Center on March 11, as they will be offering a 1-day pickleball clinic.
Spots are limited so sign up here

Start off your Saturday morning with a 1-mile walk/run around Capp Smith Park and enjoy donuts along the way!!

There will be a "Refueling" station at the 1/2 mile mark and a "Gathering of Donuts" at the finish line!

Adult Registration $10.00
Child Registration $5.00

All registrations include a Donut Dash Shirt and of course... DONUT'S!

Spots are limited!

www.quickscores.com/watauga

Join us for this pet-themed event at Capp Smith Park from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Come see the live entertainment, food, inflatables, and a movie in the park! Pets are welcome to attend! (Must be leashed.)

- Enjoy a dynamic, high-energy performance by ESCAPE, a musical tribute to the arena rock super group Journey.

- Participate in the Pet Pageant for chances to win prizes!
(Categories TBA.)

- End the night with a screening of The Secret Life of Pets 2!

Vendors will be onsite with food and merchandise!

For more information and updates, please visit our website, Facebook event, or call 817.514.5828.

Keep Watauga Beautiful - Participate in the Yard of the Month Contest!

Enter your yard or someone else's yard in our YARD OF THE MONTH CONTEST. Help keep our city beautiful and identify those that work hard to help us keep our community attractive. The winner for the month will receive a sign to display in their yard.

Judging is done the last week of each month. The contest begins in March and runs through June.

The winner will be announced the first week of each month and published on the City Website. We will also post each month's winner on Facebook @ Watauga Recreation Department.

Nominations can be made at the Hector F. Garcia Center or online here

Watauga Parks & Recreation is proud to announce Capp Smith Park will be the host location for the Spring 2020 Healthy Kids Running Series! Registration and event details can be found here

Census 2020

The 2020 Census counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.

The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census counts the population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire - online, by phone, or by mail. This is the first time the Census has included the online option.
Important Dates:

January 21: The U.S. Census Bureau starts counting the population in remote Alaska. The count officially begins in the rural Alaskan village of Toksook Bay.
March 12 - 20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail.
March 30 - April 1: The Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness over these three days. As part of this process, the Census Bureau counts people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.
April 1: Census Day is observed nationwide. By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond to the census, you'll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.
April: Census takers will begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people. Census takers also begin conducting quality check interviews to help ensure an accurate count.
May - July: Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven't responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.
December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.

2021

March 31: By this date, the Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to states. This information is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

Mayor's Book Club

Join Mayor Arthur L. Miner at the Watauga Public Library for our Mayor's Book Club featuring Stuart Little by E.B. White. Read the book and come see us at the library for a light snack and a great discussion on Friday, March 20^th from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

E. B. White, author of the Newbery Honor Book Charlotte's Web and Trumpet of the Swan, shares the story of one small mouse on a very big adventure! Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure.

Families will enjoy reading this book together. It's the perfect story to share with kids in 2^nd through 5^th grade.

We have a limited number of books available to check out at the library. We can also help you request the book from other local libraries if we run out of copies.

Adults and families are welcome to attend.

Tax Forms at the Library

It's tax season. Do you know where to find tax forms?
You can pick up free 1040/1040-SR forms and instruction booklets at the library. If you need to access additional forms you can use a library computer or have us print forms for you for 10 cents a page. To find tax forms on your own visit: https://www.irs.gov/

A Free, New Online Learning Platform

The Watauga Public Library now offers cardholders access to the online service Universal Class which includes topics in over 30 subject areas from computer training to alternative medicine, hobbies to homeschooling, and much, much more! Many of the courses offer continuing education units (CEUs). More than 500 courses are available, and all are designed and led by professional instructors to build deeper understanding and

mastery of subject matter. Universal Class includes videos, assignments, quizzes, tests, and options for social media interaction with other learners. Users may take multiple classes and learn at their own pace.

https://www.cowtx.org/916/Online-Databases
(A link to Universal Class is located at the end of the listed resources.)

The City of Watauga has several social media feeds available for residents to follow at www.wataugatx.org