June 23, 2015
In This Issue
Quick Links
Book Your Stay!
Booking a trip to South Padre Island just got easier. Browse the Advanced Reservation Systems, Inc. (ARES) booking engine on book.sopadre.com



NEWS
Grant Coordination Committee

City Manager Bill DiLibero held a Grant Coordination Committee meeting on Friday, June 19, 2015. Committee has updated current and pending grants for the city and discussed the feasibility of working with adjacent communities and the county. Adrian Rodriguez will serve as Grants Clearing House Coordinator to identify and catalog grant opportunities. 

 

HOT Tax Committee Meeting

The HOT Tax Committee held its regular Friday meeting on June 19th and discussed enforcement procedures to bring non-tax paying condo owners into compliance with HOT Tax laws. 


Causeway Run Committee

City Manager Bill DiLibero and Public Safety Officials met with Causeway Run Committee to recap and discuss future improvements/changes to the event. 


Discussion on Potential Grants

City Manager Bill DiLibero met with Grant Consultant Peter Ravella in a council workshop to discuss potential grants for Beach Access, The Restore Act, Boating Access and Beach Walkover Improvements. 


Meeting with Moody's and Standard and Poors

City Manager Bill DiLibero, Assistant City Manager Darla Jones, Finance Director Rodrigo Gimenez and Accountant Cindy Erickson met with Moody's and Standard and Poors to discuss interest rates for the upcoming tax anticipation notes to finance Gulf Blvd. improvements. 


Convention Centre Floral Murals

Assistant City Manager Darla Jones has been working on an additional floral mural to be placed on the northeast facade of the Convention Centre. SpawGlass Contractors have completed both murals this week. 

 

 

Texas City Management Association Annual Conference

The 2016 Texas City Management Association Annual Conference will be hosted on the island next year. City Manager Bill DiLibero, Assistant City Manager Darla Jones and Sales Director Denise Arnold promoted our beautiful island at this year's conference. 



Travel Writer on SPI

Public Information Officer Adrian Rodriguez hosted Travel Writer Pam LeBlanc from The Austin American-Statesman on SPI. Sales Director Denise Arnold helped with accommodations. 


VCASE

VCASE, Valley Council of Administrators of Special Education Summer Conference was held from June 16-18. Their 60 plus attendees were provided an opportunity to obtain their CEU's along with a networking luncheon and a wonderful motivational speaker. 


Summer Camp 2015-Momentum

Seven church groups participated in the Summer Camp 2015 - Momentum which brought us about 600 participants with two daily services in the Centre along with two afternoons of indoor sports activities. Though they have had their event in South Padre for several years, they are excited to be at the Centre and hope to return every year. 



STASMO

STASMO, South Texas Association of School Maintenance Officials, also brought us 60 plus attendees and several vendors highlighting new innovations and equipment for their profession. 



YappoPalooza

Sea Turtle, Inc. staff members were busy preparing for the 5th Annual YappoPalooza Festival and Benefit. This two-day event is a fundraiser for sea turtle conservation. Friday held a night with music, barbeque, drinks, live music, comedian Ray Orta and games for adults. Saturday was geared towards families with music, a children's game and play area, food, drinks, crafts and more. Previously held in San Marcos, this is the first time the event has taken place in South Padre and we wish them great success for such a wonderful cause. 



Gulf Blvd. and Sunset Street Paving Project

The contractor completed milling the existing pavement markings and should install the temporary markings this week. They will be shifting the driving lanes east along Gulf so that they can work on the west side where the valley gutter and sidewalk will be constructed. 


Convention Centre Sidewalk

The project is moving along well. The contractor began installing the forms for the new sidewalk that will go from the Convention Center to the Birding Center. 



Post and Rope Fencing

The Public Works Crews installed the post and rope fencing at two other locations this week. We are still waiting on approval letters from the property owners on several other locations. 



Mosquito Minimization

Pesticide spraying was conducted throughout the island to minimize mosquitoes. Staff will continue to monitor both weather conditions and mosquito activity to target areas of need. 


Recycling

Approximately 1,250 pounds of recyclable material were collected this past Saturday! Thank you to everyone for doing their part in keeping South Padre Island beautiful! Ten pounds of bottle caps were taken to Bada Bing Bagels to participate in Alianza Anticancer Infantil, a program to help a child with cancer treatments.

Remember, recyclable items can be taken to Old City Hall every Saturday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

 

Anti-Litter Beach Program
The Anti-Litter Beach Program held another largely successful event this past Sunday. Volunteers met and educated approximately 374 beach-goers. Thank you to all the volunteers for your time and dedication! 

Litter Patrol Officers had an educational outreach of 4,117. They also issued 3 Warnings for Littering and 2 Warnings for Glass on Beach as well as 5 Citations for Littering and 18 Citations for Glass on Beach. 


June Yard of the Month
Congratulations to our June Yard of the Month winner, The Inn at South Padre, located at 1709 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island, Texas! The Inn at South Padre will receive a sign to place in their yard for this month honoring their accomplishment. Thank you The Inn at South Padre for helping keep our Island beautiful! If you have a neighbor or know of a business here on South Padre Island who take pride and extra care of their landscaping be sure to nominate them to be our next Yard of the Month! Send your nominations to SPIYards@MySPI.org and shine a light on those who are helping keep SPI beautiful! 


HOT Tax Permit Registration
Final compliance date is only 8 days away.
The City of South Padre Island has passed Ordinance 15-03 requiring all property owners who advertise their property for short term rental to register their residential rental unit (s) (house, condo, apartment or bedroom) with the City, AND to comply with all applicable laws including the collection and remittance of hotel tax. Register today online at  www.myspi.org/hottax , the final compliance date is July 1st 2015. 
To learn how to comply with the new City Ordinance please view the pre-recorded webinar. Click here.
We will also be available by phone to answer any questions you may have. Call Nancy Botello: (956) 761-8382 or Email: HotTax@SoPadre.com.
If you have a Rental Property Manager on the island they will be handling the registration process for you.

Water Conservation

At South Padre Island we're no strangers to water, but we're also no strangers to harsh Texas droughts; which is why we need to remember to conserve water.  Please don't leave sprinkler systems or water hoses running unattended for long periods of time and only water your yards and wash your vehicles when necessary. This is just one small step we can take to help reduce waste. 

 

4th of July Beach Parade
Join in the fun! Walk, stroll and roll your way through the South Padre Island 4th of July Beach Parade! Line up for this FREE parade will begin at 9:30 AM at Beach Access #22 Fantasy Circle, and the parade will begin at 10:00 AM. Prizes will be given to the best costume, group, bike, wagon or stroller so be sure to dress in the spirit! Free watermelon, Red, White & Blue water bottles, beads and flags will be given away while supplies last. 


2015 Lighthouse Establishment Cinema
Season 11 continues on June 26th at 9:30 p.m. at the historic Port Isabel Lighthouse, movies will be projected on the side of the lighthouse. This is a free, family friendly event and open to the public. Concessions are available. For more information call the Port Isabel Visitors Center at (956) 943-0755. Movies run every Friday in June and July at 9:30 p.m. The schedule is as follows:

June 26: Godzilla
July 3: Smurfs II
July 10: Maleficent
July 17: Spider Man II
July 24: Planes (Fire & Rescue)
July 31: Annie

BULLETIN BOARD
Recycling
Recyclable items can be taken to Old City Hall every Saturday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

Items that can be recycled are:
  • Newspaper
  • Cardboard
  • Office Paper
  • Aluminum
  • Tin
  • Plastic
To offer a better recycling service please:
  • Compact, crush or break down plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, aluminum cans or any other items that may be reduced in size. This helps us use the most amount of space in the bins.
  • Remove any food, liquid, metal fasteners, adhesive materials or other items that may contaminate the whole load.



Animal Control
Friends of Animal Rescue operates the South Padre Island Recovery Center and Animal Shelter. The shelter is licensed by the State of Texas as an animal shelter and quarantine facility.

The shelter is located at 4908 Padre Blvd and open to the public Tuesday-Sunday from 10 AM to 4:30 PM.  We do make arrangements to meet owners after hours if necessary in order to reunite pets with their families. Friends of Animal Rescue can be reached on their 24 hour hotline at 956-772-1171. Animals that are not claimed within 7-10 days are vetted (including Spay/Neuter) and adopted out to loving homes.

Friends of Animal Rescue is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. To see the latest animals found or furry friends up for adoption please check out the Friends of Animal Rescue Facebook page.





Incentive Policy
The South Padre Island Economic Development Corporation and the City of South Padre Island have approved an incentive policy in order to assist qualified new and existing businesses and to benefit the economic climate on the Island. Businesses can apply for property tax abatements as well as sales tax abatements for improvements that will contribute to the economy of South Padre Island. The City and the EDC will evaluate the applications to determine if they meet the established criteria for the programs. You can find a link to the policy, guidelines, and applications on both the City web page ( www.myspi.org) and the South Padre Island EDC web page ( www.southpadreislandedc.com)
 
For more information, contact Darla Lapeyre, South Padre Island Economic Development Corporation Executive Director, at (956) 761- 6805 or email spiedc@aol.com; or Dr. Sungman Kim, City of South Padre Island Development Director, at (956) 761-8113 or email SKim@MySPI.org.
 




FREE Business Listing
Calling on all South Padre Island businesses. Please be sure to update your FREE business listing on the Convention & Visitors website ( www.sopadre.com). If you haven't been provided with your login credentials please contact Carlos Centeno by phone: (956) 761-8390 or email: Carlos@SoPadre.com. By using your FREE business listing you have the ability to upload images, coupons, business description, and much more. Take advantage of this FREE marketing tool provided by the Convention & Visitors website.

PET OF THE WEEK
 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Date
Event
Location
Time
June 23-28
Sebastian Zodiac Sculpture Exhibit
South Padre Island Convention Centre

June 23-28 Passion Live at the Quarterdeck The Quarterdeck Lounge 9:00 PM
June 23 Hula Dancers Performing at Louie's Backyard Louie's Backyard 7:30 PM
June 24 Convention & Visitors Advisory Board Meeting South Padre Island Municipal Building 9:00 AM
June 24 Crab Races at The Quarter Deck The Quarterdeck Lounge 7:00 PM
June 24 Mariachis Performing at Louie's Backyard Louie's Backyard 7:30 PM
June 25-28 Clay Underwood Live on the Hammerhead Deck The Hammerhead Deck 5:00 PM
June 25-26 Fireworks Over the Bay at Louie's Backyard Louie's Backyard 9:15 PM
June 26 Marichi Sol Azteca at the Hilton Hilton Garden Inn 7:00 PM
June 26-27 The Mixed Bag Live at The Garden
The Garden Grille & Bar
6:00 PM
June 26-27 Bands on the Beach at Clayton's Clayton's Beach Bar & Grill 9:15 PM
June 26-27 Fireworks on the Beach Hilton Garden Inn 9:00 PM
June 26-28 Kayak Tour of the Laguna Madre Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge 8:00 AM
June 27 Pelican West Live at the Hilton Hilton Garden Inn 7:00 PM
June 28 Bayside Boot Scootin' Dance Party at Louie's Louie's Backyard 7:00 PM
June 28 South Padre Island Farmers Market
NAMAR Event Center
11:00 AM

City of South Padre Island 
ITContact@MySPI.org | http://MySPI.org
4601 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX 78597