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December 2015 City Connection, 2nd run CITY CONNECTION Volume 12, Issue 3 December 2015 Calendar December 2015 1 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 2 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 3 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 9 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 16 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 17 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 23 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 24-25 - Christmas - City offices closed 30 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection January 2016 1 - New Year’s Day - City offices closed 5 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 6 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 7- Planning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 13 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 18 - MLK Day - City offices closed 19 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 20 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 21 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 27 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up before noon on Wednesday, the week prior to pick-up, at 294-5796. Learn more about City events at www.huntsvilletx.gov Sign up for our digital newsletter, “This Week in Huntsville!” Don’t want to wait for next month’s City Connection to find out what’s going on? The City’s twice-monthly digital newsletter can keep you informed! Never miss an event again - sign up for your free This Week in Huntsville newsletter! Go to the City’s web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, and click on the blue Stay Notified button under the main photo. Enter your email address and select This Week in Huntsville and anything else you’d like to subscribe to. Be sure to respond to the confirmation email you’ll receive, and you’ll be signed up to get the free digital newsletter twice each month! If you were watching the November 16 City Council Special Session (on local tv, or livestreamed on the City website at www.huntsvilletx.gov), you saw democracy in action. After canvassing the November 3 election results, the four re- elected Ward Coun- cilmembers were sworn in by Walker County Judge Danny Pierce. Councilmembers Joe Em- mett (Ward 1), Tish Humphrey (Ward 2), Ronald Allen (Ward 3), and Joe Rodriquez (Ward 4) then received their certificates of election from Mayor Woodward. The runoff election for the Mayor’s position was held on December 12, with Councilmember Andy Brauninger se- lected by the voters. He will be sworn in at the January 5 City Council meeting. Mayor Woodward is wrapping up more than a decade on the dais at the City of Huntsville, and will be deeply missed (see page 2). The City wishes him all the best! Election Updates! Thank you, Mac Woodward! At the annual Service Recognition Reception in November, members of the City and the public came together to thank Mayor Mac Woodward for his many years of ser- vice. Woodward served on the Council from 2003 -2011 as the Ward 2 Councilmem- ber, and as the Mayor from 2011-2015. Mayor Woodward’s great grandfather, W. T. Robinson, was Mayor of Huntsville in the 1870s - keeping up a great legacy! Page 2 CITY CONNECTION Above: Mayor Woodward’s grandson, Walter, meets Santa Claus at the Statue Open House. Another Mayor in the mak- ing? Stay informed! Miss a meeting during the last few months? Not a problem! The City archives City Council meetings for a full year. Just visit the City’s web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, and click on the blue Meet- ing Video button just under the main photo. It’s easy! Page 3 CITY CONNECTION City of Huntsville residential customers: It’s time to “winterize” your sewer charge Water meter usage for the months of November through February is used to calculate your new sewer average charge for the next year. Consciously reducing your water usage during these months could lower your sewer charge. A method to reduce usage includes limiting or completely eliminating outside watering. The new sewer average charge will be effective with the April billing (due in May). “We advise residents to limit outdoor watering, such as washing cars, in order to keep water consumption down during winter months,” said Jerri Weaver, City of Huntsville Billing and Revenue Manager. “Also, residents should be aware of any water leaks and make sure to have those repaired.” For more information, contact City of Huntsville Utility Billing at (936) 291-5431. HPL Regular Activities & More! Holiday Closures - Closed Dec. 24-27 for Christmas, will reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 28 - Closing at 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, and closed New Year’s Day, January 1, 2016 Mother Goose Lapsit - This new program is designed for parents and infants aged birth to 24 months, and fea- tures songs, toys, and stories on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. – Dec. 28; Jan. 4, 11, 18, & 25 Story Time - Every Wednesday and Friday at 10:45 a.m. Parents and their children are invited to enjoy songs, sto- ries, and crafts with a new theme each session. Dec. 30; Jan. 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, & 29 Lego Club - An elementary-aged building program on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Legos are supplied and participants are encouraged to build themed creations each session. Jan. 7 & 21 Family Movie Night - Doors to the Community Room open at 5:00 p.m. with the movie beginning promptly at 5:20 p.m. (5:30 in Dec. & Jan.) Family Movie Night is sponsored by the Texas Children’s Health Plan Program. Compli- mentary drinks and popcorn are served and all viewers are encouraged to bring a pillow or blanket. Jan. 8 Wii Friday - An exciting new program for elementary through high school-age students to enjoy the library’s Wii sys- tem. From 4:00-6:00 p.m. Jan. 22 & 29 Read with the Dogs - The monthly Read with the Dogs program is held with help from Huntsville Pets Helping Peo- ple. Children are invited to read to trained therapy dogs in 15-minute segments. Participants also receive a stick- er with a picture of the dog they read to. Sign up for a session is available beforehand, but not required. 4:00- 5:30 p.m. Jan. 18 For more information about any Children’s programs at the Huntsville Public Library, please contact Children’s Coordinator Rachel McPhail at 936-291-5910; for adult programs, contact Adult Services Coordinator Mary Kokot at 936-291-5471; for teen programs, contact Teen Services Coordinator Ashley Newsome at 936-291-5912. Holiday Solid Waste Schedules The Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling facility will be open Saturday, De- cember 26, 2015 and Saturday, January 2, 2016, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. For questions about the garbage collection, the Solid Waste Transfer Facility, or the Recycling Drop-Off Center, please call the Solid Waste Division at 936-294-5712. NEW YEAR’S DAY HOLIDAY RESIDENTIAL SERVICE CHANGES Friday, January 1, 2016 CLOSED Residential Curbside Recycling Collection will be picked up on the following Friday, January 8, 2016; Extra recycling on side of blue cart will be picked up NEW YEAR’S DAY HOLIDAY COMMERCIAL SERVICE CHANGES Friday, January 1, 2016 CLOSED Commercial Garbage Collection customers with a scheduled Fri- day dumpster/rolloff/compactor pickup will be serviced on Thursday, December 31, 2015. The Streets Division will pick up live Christmas trees (not artificial) at the street’s edge from Monday, January 4, 2016 through Friday, January 8, 2016 . Trees must be on the curb no later than Monday, January 4, 2016 for these pick up dates. The Solid Waste Division will also pick up live Christmas trees (not artificial) at the street’s edge on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, and Wednesday January 20, 2016, only. City residents may also take their Christmas trees (not artificial) to the Solid Waste Disposal Facility, free of charge with their current City of Huntsville residential utility bill, during regular business hours. Live Christmas trees (not artificial) must be unloaded at the brush pile only. For questions about garbage collection, the Solid Waste Transfer Facility, or the Recycling Drop-Off Center, please call the Solid Waste Division at 936-294-5712.