New Resident Information

Welcome to the City of El Lago

Bounded on two sides by lakes, the city is aptly named El Lago, the city of "the lake". The City of El Lago was incorporated in 1961 and is administered by an elected Mayor and Council. With a population of 3,075 (2000 Census), the community consists of some 900 single family residences in the subdivisions of El Lago, El Lago Estates and Taylorcrest. The city also has one elementary school, 42 businesses, four condominium complexes and two apartment complexes along NASA Road One, a City Hall, Fire and Police Stations, Masonic Lodge and a church -- all in an area approximately one square mile. To access demographic and city profile information, click here.

Utilities

2TurnItOn.com - Your utility connection service: Click here for your one-stop shop to make all your El Lago utility connection needs.

Water: Harris County Water Control and Improvement District #50, phone 281.326.5573. WCID #50 offices are located at 1122 Cedar Lane (Cedar Lane at Hickory Ridge) in El Lago. A contract for service must be signed, preferably in person, and a deposit ($50 if a homeowner; $100 if renting) is required for water connection. The deposit will be refundable upon leaving the District. Their office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Electricity: Reliant Energy HL&P, call 713.207.7777 to initiate service. An $8.00 connection fee and a security deposit (cash only) of approximately two months service is required. In lieu of a deposit, a letter of good credit from your previous electrical service company or a contract of guaranty from a current HL&P customer in good standing may be accepted. Application for new service can be made at the nearest HL&P service center or any authorized collection counter. The nearest service center is at Highway 3 at South Shaver in Pasadena; the nearest collection counter is at Kroger's on Highway 146 in Seabrook.

Natural Gas: CenterPoint Energy Houston, call 1.888.836.6709 to initiate service. An application for service, in person, is required with a deposit usually ranging from $25 to $75, depending on expected usage. A letter of good credit can be accepted in some cases and the deposit is returned with interest after a year of on-time payments to the company. A $5 connection fee will appear on your first bill.

Phone: Verizon, call 1.800.483.1000 to initiate service. As of December 2001, all local prefixes (281-326 and 281-532) received expanded Houston Metropolitan access.

Cable Television: Comcast -- call 800.266.2278 to initiate service. Various viewer options are available. A one time hookup fee and first month service payment is required in advance.

Emergency Services

Emergency: Call 9-1-1 for police, fire and ambulance. Please reserve 9-1-1 for true emergencies, so as not to tie up the line or create unnecessary danger with high speed responses.

Municipal Government

City Hall: Located at 98 Lakeshore Drive, El Lago. Business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 281.326.1951 for answers to all your city questions. The building also houses El Lago's Municipal Court. Call 281.326.4413 to contact the Court Administrator.

Police Station: The City of El Lago shares police services with the City of Taylor Lake Village. The Lakeview Police Department station is located at 98 Lakeshore Drive, El Lago, with the dispatcher located at 500 Kirby Road, Taylor Lake Village. In cases of emergency, dial 9-1-1. For non-emergency calls 24 hours a day, call 281.326.5900. For Police administration, call 281.326.1098.

City Council: Meetings are usually held the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. In addition to agenda items, time is set aside for citizen comments at the beginning of each meeting. A mayor and five council members are elected for staggered two year terms; municipal elections are held the first Saturday in May. Information on city events and meetings may be found on this Web site (www.ellago-tx.com).

Auto Window Stickers: City of El Lago vehicle stickers are issued by the city to identify resident vehicles for the police department, and may be used to restrict access to the city during emergencies (hurricane evacuation, etc.). The stickers are issued free and available at City Hall.

Disabled: If you have anyone in your home who needs special care or is handicapped, please inform the Lakeview Police Dispatcher at 281.326.5900. This information will assist the police or firefighter in being better prepared in an emergency at your residence.

Alarm Registration and Renewal: Registration and renewal of home security alarms is due each January. There is an annual fee of $5.00 and is available at City Hall.

Business Registration: A no-fee registration is required each July and is available at City Hall.

Pet Registration: Pets who reside in the City of El Lago are required to be registered and wear a City license tag. Annual renewals are due each January for a $5.00 fee and are available at City Hall. Please bring proof of rabies vaccination at time of registering.

City Ordinances of Note:

• Overnight on-street parking prohibited: On-street parking is prohibited between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Boats and Recreational Vehicles must be parked behind front set back lines. Variances can only be granted by city council.
• Juvenile Curfew: Persons under the age of 17 may be in violation of the curfew if they are out during school hours or after midnight without cause or supervision. The ordinance allows ticketing of both parent and child.
• Speed limit: The speed limit in the residential portion of El Lago is 20 MPH; 15 MPH in a school zone during posted hours. Let visitors know enforcement with radar is strict to protect children and pedestrians.

What you should also know about...

Homestead and Over 65 Tax Exemption: You can apply for a homestead exemption with the Harris County Appraisal District (713.224.1919, ext. 2390), to protect your primary residence from seizure in some legal proceedings and to reduce your taxable value by 20%. The City of El Lago also grants over age 65 homeowners a $10,000 reduction on their assessed property values for taxing purposes. Reduction may be available for disabled veterans as well. The School District in the Galveston County Central Appraisal District (281.474.4489) grants homestead exemptions and other reductions of property taxes if over 65. Contact each taxing entity for more details. For information regarding your school taxes, call 281.338.5830.

Public Schools: Children in El Lago attend Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) schools. Edward H. White II Elementary School (281.284.4300), grades K though 5, is located at 1708 Les Talley Drive, El Lago. Most youngsters can walk or bicycle to school there. Also available for grades pre-K through 6 is Bay Area Charter Elementary School (281.326.4555), located at 2600 Humble Road in El Lago. Grades 6 through 8 are bused to the District's science magnet school, Seabrook Intermediate School (281.474.2539), located at 2401 North Meyer Road in Seabrook. Grades 9 through 12 attend Clear Lake High School (281.488.6670), located at 2929 Bay Area Boulevard in Clear Lake City. Register at the appropriate school, but call to make sure which health and school records will be needed. A handbook detailing dress codes and other school rules will be given to you.

Postal Address: The citizens of the cities of El Lago and Taylor Lake Village receive their mail through the U.S. Post Office located at 1600 Second Street in Seabrook. Although your mail may have a postmark from the Seabrook Post Office, your correct mailing address is El Lago, Texas 77586.

La Ventana del Lago: A newspaper for El Lago is published nine months of the year by a volunteer staff of residents. "The Window of the Lake" attempts to keep the community informed and is where you will find news from the Mayor and City Hall, the Lakeview Police Department and the Water District. The paper is thrown the first week of each month, except in January, July and August. Sales of luminarias at Christmas time are the main source of funds for the paper. Sidewalks aglow with the candlelight from the luminarias and has become a Christmas Eve tradition. Now available for reading or downloading on the Web!

Boat Reserves / Parks: Three private recreational / boat launch facilities are maintained by the homeowners' associations. Contact your representative for keys and rules, or call City Hall for information. In addition to these reserves, there are approximately nine acres of city parks: McNair Memorial, the largest, is located at the north end of Lakeshore Drive. Named after the Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut Ron McNair, this park, with large-scale play equipment, has undergone major improvements. Plans are on the drawing board for a pavilion, restroom facilities and other park amenities. Witty Memorial, adjacent to the Water District Office, is outfitted with playground equipment for younger children. Additional green space is located adjacent to City Hall and is not developed. Park hours are 5 a.m. to midnight.

Baby Sitting Co-op: There is a community co-op for parents to earn and exchange sitter services. Contact Peta Dudley at 281.326.1340 for more information.

Public Library: The nearest Harris County library is the Evelyn Meador Library (281.474.9142) at 2400 North Meyer Road in Seabrook, across from the Intermediate School. Though smaller than the Freeman Memorial Library in Clear Lake City, Meador Library has access to all books within the county system since connecting computers show what's available, and books are easily transferred from one library to another. Library cards are obtained free with current identification and proof of residency. The University of Houston at Clear Lake library is a depository of federal publications and is the best reference library nearby. There is no cost to use or check out the materials in the library.

City of El Lago Appointments and Groups: Only a few serve as elected officials: the Mayor, Council Members and WCID #50 Board Members. Volunteers and appointees are always needed for civic positions and for the various ad-hoc committees, boards and commissions on which the City greatly relies:

• The Police Commission oversees police department policies and budget.
• The El Lago Historical Society connects us with the past and plans and organizes many of our civic events.
• The Parks Board oversees our entrances and parks.
• The Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department helps to keep us safe.
• The Building Standards Committee, Board of Adjustments and the Planning and Zoning Commission seek to keep residents in compliance to maintain property values.
• The LaVentana keeps the community informed.
• Our local schools never have enough volunteers in the school and for the PTA.

This is by no means a complete list. If you have time, or a special talent or the desire to contribute to your community, there are ample opportunities for you or your family members to serve. Let someone know that you are willing to help.

This information cannot tell you all you need to know as a resident. No attempt has been made to list nearby businesses, services, churches or other community organizations. The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (281.466.7676) may be able to help on that. Once you've settled in, hopefully neighbors, friends and coworkers will help to make you aware of what's available and how you can best pursue your specific interests. Again, welcome to El Lago. We hope this guide will be helpful to you as you get settled in your new home.