CELEBRATING THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE
NEW PLACE 3 AND 7 COUNCIL MEMBERS
AT THE JANUARY 13 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MARISSA-ELLEN PATTERSON, PLACE 3, AND SUMMER MARIE BROWN, AT-LARGE PLACE 7, OFFICIALLY TOOK THEIR OATH OF OFFICE AND BEGAN THEIR SERVICE ON THE CIBOLO CITY COUNCIL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO EXTEND OUR SINCERE APPRECIATION TO ROBERT MAHONEY, FORMER PLACE 3 COUNCILMEMBER, AND JOEL HICKS, FORMER AT-LARGE PLACE 7 COUNCILMEMBER, FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE AND VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF CIBOLO.
MARISSA-ELLENPATTERSON,PLACE3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HR UPDATES & FEBRUARY HOLIDAYS
POLICY & WEBINARS
HAPPY RETIREMENT
HR PORTAL
BENEFITS
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
LENDING LIBRARY & DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHT
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ANNIVERSARIES & SERVICE AWARDS
WELCOME TO TEAM CIBOLO & EMPLOYEE CORNER
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
GALLUP & SURVEY
HR UPDATES
Express Evaluations training for managers and employees will take place February 12.
Employee training will take place from 9 to 9:30 am
Manager training will take place from 10 to 10:30 am
If you cannot attend the training live, recordings will be available through the HR Portal under Performance Management.
Roll out of job descriptions and annual reviews are coming soon
MONTH OF FEBRUARY:
FEB 16: BLACK HISTORY MONTH
PRESIDENT’S DAY- CITY OFFICES WILL BE COSED
New employee handbook
The Employee Handbook has been updated through a thoughtfully developed, collaborative, and transparent process to ensure it reflects our shared values, legal requirements, and commitment to supporting our employees. Approved by City Council on December 9th and effective January 5th, the People & Performance Department will visit departments to update teams about policy changes in the coming weeks. The handbook serves as a helpful guide to workplace policies and practices, providing clarity, consistency, and a foundation for a positive and successful work environment. To keep the handbook relevant and responsive, it will be reviewed at least every two years and updated as needed to grow alongside our city and the employees who make it thrive. To review the new handbook changes, please visit “Employee Handbook” in the HR Portal.
webinars
AWP WEBINAR:
KEEPING YOUR COOL EVEN WHEN OTHERS DON’T
FEBRUARY 11, 3 P.M.
FEBRUARY 19, 11 A.M.
Happy retirement!
CITY SECRETARY, PEGGY CIMICS
In this edition of The Buffalo Beat, we would like to announce that City Secretary Peggy Cimics will retire at the end of February 2026, completing over 22 years of service.
Throughout her tenure, Cimics has played a vital role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and continuity in City operations. Her leadership and institutional knowledge have supported the City Council, boards, commissions, staff, and residents during a period of significant growth and change for the community.
In addition to her responsibilities as City Secretary and her participation with the Texas Association of City Secretaries, Cimics has been instrumental in leading several of the City’s signature community events. These events include Cibolofest, the Holiday Parade, Shred Day, and, most recently, the establishment of an annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to recognize and celebrate community volunteers.
“It has been a privilege for this community to have a City Secretary who has her level of dedication and who is recognized as a leader in her profession,” said Wayne Reed, City Manager. “Peggy has been a tremendous asset to our City and the Cibolo community. I congratulate her on a well earned retirement and wish her the best as she begins her next chapter in life.”
Kara Latimer, Mayor of Cibolo, added, “Peggy has been a trusted and steady presence for City Council, staff, and residents alike. Her work has ensured transparency, consistency, and confidence in City government. We are grateful for her many years of service and wish her the very best in her next chapter.”
The Cibolo City Council will appoint the next City Secretary, who will be announced as soon as the appointment becomes available.
HR PORTAL
Reminder that the HR Portal on Microsoft SharePoint is now live!
Here you can find insurance and benefits information, HR forms, communications resources and more
To access the HR Portal, click the link below and log in using your employee ID: HTTPS://CIBOLOTXGOV.SHAREPOINT.COM/SITES/CIBOLOHUMANRESOURCES/SITEPAGES/HOME(1).A SPX?GA=1
health & wellness
February Is American Heart Month
According to the National Institutes of Health, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it can often be prevented. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and its risk factors.
Ways to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, according to the NIH:
Get enough quality sleep
Eat healthy
Stop smoking
Be active
Maintain a healthy weight
Manage stress
Control cholesterol
Manage blood sugar and blood pressure
Blue Cross Blue Shield offers programs to support you in living a healthy lifestyle.
Wondr: Coach-Led Digital Program for Wellbeing Management and Health Advocacy Solutions
Living for Hypertension
Blue Points: Rewards for Healthy Living
With the Blue Points program, you will be able to earn points for regularly participating in many different healthy activates. You can redeem these points in the online shopping mall, which provides a wide variety of merchandise.
Lending Library book highlight
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Lencioni shows why organizational health (clear purpose, strong leadership, and aligned teams) is the greatest competitive advantage any local government can have. This book offers practical guidance on building trust, improving communication, and creating clarity that leads to better collaboration and more consistent service to the community. By focusing on how we work together, not just what we do, The Advantage helps us as employees create a City structure that is more effective, resilient, and impactful for the residents we serve.
The Lending Library available for Team Cibolo!
Located at the City Hall Annex (in the PPD hallway)
Stop by, check out a book, and continue your journey of growth and learning, just be sure to return your book within three weeks of the checkout date!
SCAN TO CHECK OUT/IN BOOKS
Thank You PD and Animal Services!
THIS YEAR, PPD WILL BE CELEBRATING ONE DEPARTMENT EACH MONTH. IN JANUARY, WE RECOGNIZED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ANIMAL SERVICES FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK THE POLICE
professional development
In January, the Cibolo Fire Department hosted a Rail Car Incident Response for Crude, Ethanol, and Other Flammable Liquids training.
This hands-on training, led by the Cibolo Fire Department and attended by Cibolo Public Works and surrounding fire departments, focused on managing hazardous materials incidents and strengthening coordinated emergency response efforts for first responders.
Anniversaries SERVICE AWARDS
FEBRUARY
HAROLD MELTON- 15 YEARS
NATALIE DAHLSTEIN- 12 YEARS
HOMERO BALDERAS- 9 YEARS
CHRISTOPHER SIERRA- 9 YEARS
EMILIO JURADO- 4 YEARS
ASHLEY QUICK- 4 YEARS
BRYAN FOX- 2 YEARS
GREGORY VILLANUEVA- 2 YEARS
BENJAMIN BOSWELL- 1 YEAR
OLIVIA HALL- 1 YEAR
HAPPYBIRTHDAY
The goal of this question is to measure whether employees feel supported and encouraged in their growth and development at work. When employees feel invested in, engagement increases and people are more likely to grow in the organization.
��Challenge- Growth Conversation: Have one short conversation this week focused on a coworker’s goals, interests, or skills they would like to develop.
Take Action for Your Heart: Get Started!
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it can often be prevented. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and its risk factors. Take action to protect your heart by following these tips.
Get Enough Quality Sleep
Lack of sleep or getting poor-quality sleep increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.
●
●
●
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health and can help you prevent and control many diseases and conditions.
● Choose healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or
Exercise regularly, but not within 2-3 hours before bedtime.
● Avoid caffeine and nicotine
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Eat Better
A flexible and balanced eating plan can help lower your high blood pressure and improve your cholesterol.
● Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
(DASH) eating plan, which can help you create a hearthealthy eating style for life.
● Read nutrition labels to pick the food lowest in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
● Try a mix of lean cuts of meat, eat fish once or twice a week, and eat two or more meatless meals each week
● Consider whole fruits, dried fruits, unsalted rice cakes, fat-free and low-fat yogurt, or raw vegetables as a snack.
Stop Smoking
●
●
● Try to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
nuts, instead of sugary or high-calorie snacks
● Stay hydrated with water as your primary beverage
● Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorousintensity (like running) exercise per week
● Consider keeping a log of what you eat throughout the day.
Be More Active
Getting enough physical activity helps to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
● Adults should spend at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours)
each week doing physical activity.
● Sit less! Take the stairs. Park farther away. March in place or take a walk around the block
● Try muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights, working with resistance bands, doing sit-ups and pushups, or some forms of yoga whatever works for you
● If you don’t have a lot of time in your day, try being active for 10 minutes at a time. Anything that gets your heart beating faster counts!
Any amount of smoking, even light or occasional smoking, damages your heart and blood vessels.
Select a quit date and write yourself a contract that outlines your plan for quitting
Talk with your healthcare provider about programs and products that can help you quit. Join a support group. Many hospitals, workplaces, and community groups offer classes to help people quit smoking
● Call 1–800–QUIT–NOW and visit smokefree.gov to get additional support
Control Cholesterol
Unhealthy levels ofcholesterolcanlead to high cholesterol, which increases the risk of developing heart disease.
● Try the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Program
which combines diet, physical activity, and weight management to help lower high blood cholesterol and improve heart health.
● Eat a heart-healthy diet that is low in saturated fats, as these can raise LDL cholesterol levels.
● Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking too much alcohol more than two drinks a day for men or one drink a day for women can raise your total cholesterol level.
Manage Stress
Learninghow tomanage stress with healthy coping strategies helps improve your emotional and physical health.
● Use relaxation techniques that combine breathing and
focused attention on pleasing thoughts and images to calm the mind and body.
● Consider meditation, as it can help to lower stress
● Take a yoga class to help lower stress and improve mindfulness. It may also offer you a supportive community.
Manage Blood Sugar
Maintaining stableblood sugar levels is crucial for heart health, especially for people with diabetes or those at risk of developing diabetes.
● Eat a diet rich in whole foods, including vegetables, fruits,
whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
● Monitor your carbohydrate intake and choose complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and legumes, to help control blood sugar levels.
● Talk to your healthcare provider about how often you should check your blood sugar levels, especially if you have diabetes.
Control Blood Pressure
Keep your blood pressure ina healthy range and keep track of your numbers. Blood pressure that’s consistently higher than 130/80 mm Hg can cause serious health problems.
● Have your blood pressure checked each time you visit the
doctor.
● Use a blood pressure monitor to measure your blood pressure at home and learn how to measure it correctly
● Use a blood pressure tracker to keep a record of your numbers each reading
● If you’re pregnant or planning to be, it’s especially important to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.
Practice Self-Care & Find Social Support
Dailyacts ofself-care canbenefityourheartbecauseself-care isheart care. Studies show that having positive social support, close relationships, and feeling connected to others makes it easier to stick to heart-healthy habits.
Try to do at least one positive action for your heart health each day. Make the doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off.
Ask family and friends to text you reminders or encouragement to help you meet your health goals.
Join an exercise class or a weight management group to connect with other like-minded people and stay motivated.
For more information about how you can take action to keep your heart healthy, visit hearttruth.gov