The buda bee is a monthly, electronic newsletter (e-news), published by the Communications Department, designed to highlight the happenings and successes of City of Buda employees. If you have questions about the information contained herein or would like to share your accolades and/or departmental successes, please email Sara Braunstein. We look forward to hearing from you!

The City of Buda is full of excellent people, and here are a few that were mentioned recently in Customer Service Surveys.

Tara responded to a concerned visitor, and brought the great service getting a 10/10! The visitor reached out to the city regarding potholes on the street in front of Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. Despite some lack of satisfaction with city policies, the visitor was very satisfied and appreciated Tara's assistance. Spectacular job representing Buda, let's show Tara some love!

A Buda resident contact the Municipal Court for a Notary, and Sondre came through immediately. Sondre assisted the resident to satisfaction and earned a 10/10. Help us acknowledge Sondre, and her great work.

Brian responded immediately to a consultant that was working with a couple on starting a business on Main street. The consultant was contacting Development Services and Engineering (Planning and Permitting) to get permit extensions and Historic Preservation Commission approval for their client, and Brian was able to answer their questions and point them in the right direction. Great job, Brian! Let's give Brian a hand on his 10/10 rating.

As summer comes to an end, so does the Buda Public Library's Summer Reading Program. The library team did an exquisite job during the nine weeks that were filled with 186 programs and 6,780 attendees in total! The Summer Reading Program logged 592,050 minutes read by 649 readers. During the program the library welcomed about 24,000 visits and over 48,500 items were checked out. Help us commend the library team on another job well done!

We would like to take a photo of all City of Buda employees who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Please attend this group photo event at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at the Stagecoach Park Amphitheater. Mark your calendars NOW!

The City is also partnering with the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce for the Veteran's Day Parade on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. Veterans that are city employees are invited to participate; whether your participation is offering input and ideas to design the float, assist in building the float, just riding on the float, or all of the above! If you are interested, please contact Michelle Henley.

Changes to the City of Buda Employee Handbook and Personnel Policy were approved by City Council and made effective on Aug. 15! The updated handbook can be found on the shared drive as "COB Employee Handbook August 2023 with resolution" at the file path:

S:\HR Public\Policies and Procedures Please make sure to review the changes that were made to the following items.

The next City of Buda Employee Quarterly meeting is set for Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. in Multi-Purpose Room #1034. Directors who would like to nominate an "Employee of the Quarter" should submit recommendations to the City Manager as soon as possible. Employees who would like to nominate a colleague for a Spotlight Award may complete the Nomination Form and return it to Vicki Fuchs by Thursday, Sept. 14. Please submit any discussion topics to Vicki as well. Look forward to seeing everyone!

If works of service is your love language, the City of Buda is the place for you. Senior Transportation Driver Leah Viehe loves driving the Star Bus for the City and says, “I love the elderly that I drive and cherish their wisdom and years of knowledge…this job serves as somewhat of a ministry for me.”

Leah was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas until 1982 when her family moved to Kyle and she attended Hays High School. Leah joined the City of Buda in March 2023 after retiring in 2020 from her role as Code Enforcement Officer with the City of Austin.

When Leah isn’t shuttling Buda residents, she can be found on a very different ride: her motorcycle! A Victory High-Ball to be specific. She also enjoys gardening, playing darts, escaping to the beach, and caring for her furry and feathered friends at home. Leah has 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels; Tex, two years old, and Lilibet, two months old, and nine chickens named after her sisters and gal pals.

Leah says one the best parts of her job is the people she works with, “Harlan, Roni, Monica, and the best boss ever, Alicia Ramirez."

Meet LeDea Harris! LeDea recently joined the City of Buda as Recreation Program Coordinator.

LeDea is originally from Queens, N.Y., but moved to Round Rock, Texas, when she was six years old and has been a Central Texas gal ever since. When LeDea is not organizing a community sports league, she’s loving on her two and half year-old Corgi-Pom named Rocket, hiking, watching a flick, trying a new food spot, or planning her next adventure for her vacation.

Previously, LeDea played volleyball for Western Texas College and gets to incorporate her love of sports into her work. “My favorite part of my role is that I am still hands on with athletics and sports programs. I used to play collegiate volleyball and grew up playing multiple sports. I love seeing others enjoy it, and working in parks can never be a bad day,” she said. Sounds like Buda has the right person for the job!

LeDea graduated from Texas State University in December 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration and joined the City of Buda in February of 2023. The best part of working for the City, in LeDea’s opinion, “Everyone knows everyone. You can make friends easily and have those relationships with other departments that you wouldn’t have at other jobs.”

This spending freeze applies to items that DO NOT cause work stoppage, and routine purchases for continued operations may proceed. The goal of the freeze is to minimize the number of invoices that accumulate at the end of the year. Thus, the Finance Department will have an easier time with payables and ensure prior year expenses don't impact the current budget year, vendors get paid in a timely fashion, and fewer changes to the trial balance after initial submission to auditors.

The spending freeze is currently expected to be lifted on Oct. 1, unless otherwise decided by the City Manager.