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December 2015 City Connection, 1st 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. Councilmem- bers Joe Emmett (Ward 1), Tish Humph- rey (Ward 2), Ronald Allen (Ward 3), and Joe Rodriquez (Ward 4) then received their certificates of election from Mayor Woodward. A runoff election for the Mayor’s position is being held on December 12, so your January City Connection will have updates on that canvass and swearing in. 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! Turkey tips: Holiday cooking safety 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 service. Woodward served on the Council from 2003-2011 as the Ward 2 Councilmember, and as the Mayor from 2011-2015. Mayor Wood- ward’s great grandfather, W. T. Robinson, was Mayor of Huntsville in the 1870s - a great legacy! Page 2 CITY CONNECTION The City of Huntsville has safety tips for those residents who choose to deep-fry their turkeys this holiday season for prepa- ration and grease disposal. According to Fire Chief Tom Grisham, there are several key points to remember when deep frying a turkey, and keeping these things in mind may help prevent dangerous accidents. “Every turkey fryer comes with instructions and it’s very important to read them completely before starting to cook,” Gri- sham said. “Also, make sure when you do begin cooking that your turkey fryer is not in a garage or under any kind of struc- ture. Many of the calls we have had in the past have been the result of grease boiling over onto a deck and setting the wood on fire. “Be sure you have the correct level of oil or cooking fat. This can be tested by placing the turkey in an empty fryer, then filling the fryer with just enough water to cover the turkey. Then remove the turkey, note the water line, pour out the wate r, dry the pot, and fill the fryer with oil or cooking fat to the previous water line.” Turkey preparation, Grisham said, is also a source of trouble if not conducted properly. “If you put a wet or partially thawed turkey into 350-degree oil or cooking fat, it will boil over,” he said. “Make sure your turkey is completely thawed and dry, and make sure to keep children and pets away from the fryer, just in case there’s a problem.” Finally, both when placing a turkey in grease and removing the turkey, use caution and move the turkey 1 to 1½ inches at a time. “When putting the turkey in or removing the turkey from the fryer, use caution,” Grisham said. “Wear gloves, a long sleeved shirt and closed-toe shoes. Also, have a fire extinguisher available (Class B, AB, or ABC, typically any type you could by at stores like Ace Hardware or Home Depot).” Alternate methods of turkey preparation, including the use of an infrared fryer, may also be an option. "Citizens may also consider switching to an oil-free fryer, which would not only be safer all around but performs at the same rate of speed of a traditional fryer," Grisham said. Proper grease disposal is also very important. According to Chris Gardner, City Wastewater Superintendent, grease is a waste the sewer system cannot handle and thus should be kept out of the system. “Grease should not be poured down the drain because, as the wastewater flows through the sewer line, the grease would continue to build, restricting the flow of wastewater,” he said. “It is better to put grease in the garbage instead of the drain. Residents should put used grease and oil in a jar, coffee can, or other suitable container. Put paper towels or some type of absorbent material in, seal the container, wrap it in newspaper, then place it in the trash. Food service establishments re- quire a grease interceptor to properly remove oil and grease. “With your cooperation, the City of Huntsville can reduce sewer backups, lower maintenance costs, and keep the sewer system operating smoothly year-round, especially during the holiday season,” Gardner said. Stay informed! Miss a meeting during the last few months? Not a prob- lem! 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 Meeting Vid- eo button just under the main photo. It’s easy! Page 3 CITY CONNECTION Winter Break at HPL! Holiday Craft Time: Come make a cute winter craft to take home on December 21, 22, or 23 at 3:00 p.m. Movie Afternoons: The library will show kid-friendly mov- ies on December 28 & 30 at 3:00 p.m. Wii Tournament: Show off your Wii video game skills on December 29 at 3:00 p.m. Letters to Santa Santa Claus wants all of the children in the Huntsville area to start sending him their Christmas letters. Not only did Santa give the Huntsville Public Library a special Santa mailbox, linked directly to the North Pole, but he even promised to write back in an email! Starting November 23rd, children of all ages can visit the mailbox in the Children’s Library. Santa says, “Please write as neatly as you can. My eyes are old and the elves are always losing my glasses.” Santa will accept letters until December 15th when he needs to double check the naughty list. Santa also said that the best person to contact for more information is Ra- chel McPhail, Children’s Coordinator, at 936-291-5910. 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 reduc- ing 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. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS RESIDENTIAL SERVICE CHANGES Thursday, December 24, 2015 CLOSED Residential Curbside Recycling will be picked up on the following Thursday, December 31, 2015. Extra recycling beside the blue cart will be picked up. Friday, December 25, 2015 CLOSED Residential Curbside Recycling be picked up on the following Friday, January 8, 2016. Extra recycling on side of blue cart will be picked up. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS COMMERCIAL SERVICE CHANGES Thursday, December 24, 2015 CLOSED Commercial Garbage Collection customers with a scheduled Thursday dumpster/roll-off/compactor pickup will be serviced on WEDNESDAY, December 23,, 2015 Friday, December 25, 2015 CLOSED Commercial Garbage Collection customers with a scheduled Friday dumpster/rolloff/compactor pickup will be serviced on SATURDAY, December 26, 2015. Holiday Solid Waste Schedules The Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling facility will be open Saturday, December 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 Friday 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 ups. The Solid Waste Division will make additional pick ups of 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 un loaded 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.