City of Hedwig Village, TX

City of Hedwig Village

Early in 1954 the area residents were concerned about possible annexation by, and lack of zoning in, the City of Houston. An incorporation election was held on December 18, 1954 with a total of 74 votes cast, most in favor. The election results were recorded in the minutes of the Harris County Commissioners Court meeting on December 23, 1954. The City of Hedwig Village was officially incorporated on that date.

The City was named for Hedwig Schroeder, a long-time resident at the time of the incorporation election. Hedwig Park, the city owned park, was also named in her honor.

The City of Hedwig Village is a Type A General Law City and is governed by a Mayor and five Council Members elected at large. The City holds its elections on the first Saturday in May every year. The elected positions are for two year terms and are staggered. The Mayor and Council Positions 1 and 5 are elected in odd-numbered years. Council Positions 2, 3, and 4 are elected in even-numbered years. You can file for and campaign for any of the positions on City Council. All elected officials are volunteers. City Council meetings are currently held on the third Thursday of every month (until September 2021) at City Hall. Starting in September 2021, the City Council meetings will be held on the second Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The City has several Committees, Commissions, and Boards. All members of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission and Board of Adjustment (BoA) are appointed by City Council. All appointed members are volunteers. Residents are encouraged to participate in their local government by attending any of the meetings. You can serve on P&Z or BoA after Council appointment.

City Hall staff currently includes five full time employees and one part time employee. City Hall is located at 955 Piney Point Road.

Hedwig Park is located on Corbindale Road across from the Village Fire Department. The park land was purchased from the Corbin family. The park has covered and uncovered picnic tables, a covered pavilion, and play areas for children. Hedwig Village residents can reserve the pavilion. An application is available on the City's website under the "Services" tab. See the City's website for more information on reserving the park pavilion. The park is also home to the Hedwig Village Time Capsule.

Hedwig Village Police Department

The City has its own police department created by Council action in January 1977. The department is led by Chief David Gott and currently has nineteen police officers and six civilian employees. The police department is a Recognized Agency through the Texas Law Enforcement Recognition Program. The department was first Recognized in 2010. The standards for Recognition are high and every four years the department undergoes a rigorous examination and inspection by the Texas Police Chief's Association in order to keep the Recognized status. The police department is located at 9000 Gaylord Drive. Visit their website for more information on the services the police department offers.

Village Fire Department

The City receives Fire/EMS services from the Village Fire Department (VFD). The VFD is jointly owned and funded by the Cities of Hedwig Village, Hilshire Village, Hunters Creek Village, Piney Point Village, and Spring Valley Village. The City of Bunker Hill Village receives Fire/EMS from the VFD under contract. The City of Bunker Hill Village also contributes to the VFD annual budget. The department has an ISO rating of 1, the highest rating attainable through the International Standards Organization (ISO). The fire department is located at 901 Corbindale Road. Visit their website for more information about the VFD.

E-Notification

The City has an email notification system. Residents are encouraged to register. The registration link is on the City's homepage. Click on the blue box marked "Join the City's Email List" at the top center of the homepage to complete the registration process. The e-notifications are text friendly and should be viewable on your smart phone or device through your email or text provider.

Welcome Packet

Click here for a printable version of the Welcome Packet.

Code of Ordinances

A complete Code of Ordinances can be assessed on the homepage of the City website. Ordinances passed by the City Council but not yet codified are also available on the website. The new ordinances are codified every year in December.

Construction - Residential or Commercial

The City requires permits for most types of construction, either commercial or residential. The City's website has additional information on the permitting process and a link to the City's Code of Ordinances.

Planning & Zoning Commission

The Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) meets on the last Tuesday of every month. The goal of P&Z is to review and update the current Planning & Zoning Code. P&Z has seven members and there must be a quorum of four members in order to hold a meeting. All members are appointed by City Council to alternating two year terms. All members of P&Z are volunteers. Meeting agendas are posted at City Hall and on the City's website. The P&Z meetings are open to the public and public comments are welcome.

Board of Adjustment

The Board of Adjustment (BoA) will hold a public hearing when a property owner applies for a variance from the Planning & Zoning Code and pays the required fee. The Board has five members and four alternate members. All members are appointed by City Council for two year terms. The members serving on BoA are volunteers. The Board must have a quorum of four members in order to hold a hearing. Hearing notices are published in the local newspaper, posted at City Hall, and posted on the City's website. The BoA meetings are open to the public and public comments are welcome.

Parks, Trails, and Beautification Committee

The Parks, Trails, and Beautification Committee, commonly referred to as the Beautification Committee, meets on the first Tuesday every month to discuss various initiatives to improve the "look and feel" of the City. The Committee has several ongoing projects including tree planting and landscaping. All residents are encouraged to attend the meetings to listen, to comment, and to provide suggestions and recommendations on future projects.

Trees

The City is now a recognized Tree City through the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA Program. The requirements to become a Tree City include having a City Ordinance protecting/caring for public trees, a Resolution recognizing Arbor Day. and having a Tree Advisory Board, among other requirements. The City Council approved the Public Tree Ordinance at the February 2023 Council meeting. City Council also approved the Resolution recognizing Arbor Day at the February 2023 meeting. Texas recognizes Arbor Day on the first Friday in November every year.

The City is very proud of its tree canopy. In order to protect the trees, a resident must have a tree permit issued by the City to remove a tree. On the City's website under the "Construction/Development" tab is a link to the City's Tree Ordinance for additional information, including a list of approved replacement trees.

Municipal Court

Hedwig Village has its own Municipal Court. The Court handles traffic violations mostly. The Court also handles jury and judge trials. Residents may occasionally receive a jury summons from Hedwig Village Municipal Court. A jury trial cannot be held if jury members do not appear to serve. The Court has one Presiding Judge, four Alternate Judges, one Presiding Prosecutor, and five Alternate Prosecutors.

Burglar Alarm Registration

Hedwig Village requires all burglar alarm systems be registered with the City. There is a $50.00 fee for first time registration and a $25.00 annual renewal fee. An application is available on the City's website under the "Services" tab. The police department will respond to all alarm calls. If your alarm has not been registered with the City, all false alarm calls are chargeable at $50.00 each. If your alarm is registered with the City, there will be a $50.00 fee for all false alarm calls after the first five.

Vehicle Identification Stickers

The City of Hedwig Village provides vehicle identification (ID) stickers for residents. To obtain a vehicle sticker, you must come to City Hall and show your driver's license with your current Hedwig Village address. The recommended placement of the ID sticker is on the the rear window behind the driver. The sticker displays the City seal.

Commercial Districts

The City has three vibrant commercial districts that include retail and office buildings. The City also has many wonderful restaurants in which to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. Most of the sales tax money spent in the City stays in the City. A small portion is remitted to METRO.

Memorial Village Farmers Market

The farmers market is a joint effort between First Congregational Church and the City of Hunters Creek. Hosted on the grounds of the church, the farmers markets is held every Sunday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit their website for additional information.

Villages Independence Festival

The Villages Independence Festival has been scaled back in recent years due to the pandemic and the planning committee has disbanded. The Villages have held the parade during the past couple of years. The festival requires a lot of planning and very committed residents of the area villages to volunteer their time and skills. The hope is the Villages Independence Festival will be back once a new planning committee has been formed.

The Villages Independence Festival was founded in 1992 by the six Memorial Villages and Memorial Drive Baptist Church. The church, now Ecclesia on the West Side, hosted the festival on their property. The festival was held every year on July 4th. The festival started with a parade with floats. The parade started at Memorial Church of Christ at Gaylord and Echo Lane at 9 a.m. The parade ended at the festival grounds at Ecclesia on the West Side. There were rides for the kiddos and food. The festival was free to attendees. The festival was dependent on donations and volunteers.

Memorial Villages Recycle/Donate/Shred/Dispose Event

The Memorial Villages Recycle/Donate/Shred Event is an annual event hosted by the area Villages for residents to recycle certain types of electronic equipment, donate gently used clothes, household items, and furniture, to shred personal documents, and to properly dispose of medications.

The donated items are collected by Memorial Area Ministries (MAM). The electronic items are properly disposed of by the electronic vendor. The paper shredding vendor usually handles shredding on-site but not always. Shredding on-site depends on the volume of papers to be shredded. The police department will be on hand to collect any unused and no longer needed medications. The medications must be removed from all packaging, including blister packs, boxes, and bottles, prior to the event.

The event is usually held in October at the Hedwig Village City Hall parking lot. The event is posted on the City's website calendar and includes a link to the event's flyer. The flyer contains information on acceptable items to recycle, donate, and/or shred. The flyer also contains information on items that are not acceptable.

Trash and Recycling Information

The City contracts with Texas Pride Disposal for trash and recycling collection.

The scheduled days for trash collection are Wednesday and Saturday.
The scheduled day for recycling collection is Wednesday. Click here for acceptable and unacceptable items. Recycling bins are available at City Hall. First bin is free, all other bins are $5.00 each.
Trash and recycling should be outside and ready for collection by 7:00 a.m.
Trash and recycling are "back door collection" and refers to a location that is visible from the street and NOT inside a garage, carport, building, or behind a fence. Household trash should not exceed 50 pounds.
Yard waste should be placed curbside and should not exceed 50 pounds. Tree limbs should be no longer than 3 feet in length, bundled, and no more than 50 pounds.
Heavy/bulk trash is limited to 2 items per collection day. Items include furniture, fencing (nails removed, bundled, and less than 3 feet in length), appliances, carpeting, (tied and bundled), etc. All heavy/bulk items should be placed curbside. Construction waste is NOT considered household trash and will not be collected.
The following items will not be collected: dirt, rocks, brick, concrete, liquid paints, fuels, oils, tires, pesticides, fertilizer, and batteries.
Texas Pride Disposal observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If the scheduled collection day falls on one of the observed holidays, collection will roll to the next scheduled collection day.

Memorial Villages Water Authority

The Memorial Village Water Authority (MVWA) was created by an Act of the 57th Texas Legislature in 1962 and operates under the Texas Water Code, as amended. MVWA was created to conserve, transport, and distribute fresh water from any source for domestic and commercial purposes. MVWA can purchase, construct, operate, and maintain all works, improvements, facilities, and plants necessary for the supply and distribution of potable water and the collection, transportation, and treatment of wastewater. In order to keep the water safe for use, the MVWA is required to follow laws, rules, regulations, and procedures from the State of Texas, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Federal Government, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Water testing is conducted periodically throughout the year. Annual reports are available on their website. MVWA serves the Cities of Hedwig Village, Hunters Creek Village, and Piney Point Village. MVWA's Board of Supervisors meets on the first Tuesday of the month at the MVWA main office located at 8955 Gaylord at 7:00 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. Board members are elected on the November Uniform Election date by the residents of the communities the MVWA serves. Two residents from each of the three Villages and one At-Large member serve on the Board. MVWA's website has information on paying your bill, the agendas for the Board meetings, a frequently asked questions section, and much more information.

Spring Branch-Memorial Library

The Spring Branch-Memorial Library is a branch of the Harris County Public Library system. The library is located on Corbindale Road next to Hedwig Park. There are many online programs to choose from, hosted by various library branches throughout Harris County. Check their website for more information and library hours.