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September 2016 CITY CONNECTION Volume 12, Issue 12 September 2016 Calendar September 2016 1 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 12:00 p.m. 5 - Labor Day - City Closed 6 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 7 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 14 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 20 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 21 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 28 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste October 2016 4 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 5 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 6 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 11 - State of the City Address 12 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 18 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 19 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 20 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 26 - 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 November Bond Election On August 16, the Huntsville City Council voted to call a bond election containing three propositions. Huntsville residents will be asked to go the polls Tuesday, November 8, to consider authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for the three project groups under consideration. They are to fund improvements to the City Public Safety Facilities, City Services Facilities and City Waterworks and Sewer System Facilities. Each of these has been studied with the purpose of increasing safety, improving service, and accommodating current and future growth. - Proposition 1 - Public Safety Facilities - Not to exceed $34 million - Proposition 2 - City Services Facilities - Not to exceed $24 million - Proposition 3 - City Waterworks and Sewer Facilities - Not to exceed $73 million On August 16, the Huntsville City Council voted unani- mously to pass an ordinance calling a bond election con- taining three propositions. Huntsville residents will be asked to go the polls Tuesday, November 8, to consider authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for the three proposals. Since March, the City Council has been conducting work sessions and reviewing studies related to the City’s infrastructure, including the Huntsville Police Department, Fire Station #2, the City Service Center, City Hall, quality of life improvements, the Palm Street Water Plant, Water Distribu- tion system pressure plane modifications, and the A. J. Brown and N. B. Da- vidson wastewater treatment plants. The Council has also carefully reviewed debt capacities to fund these projects. Debt capacity can be defined as expiring debt plus additional available revenue. All of the Council’s work in the last six months has brought the opportunity to call for a bond election in November. The Council and staff have worked together to plan a course of action with the aim that these projects may be accomplished with no increase to taxes or rates related to them. To reach out to your City Council to learn more, email the full Council at coun- cil@huntsvilletx.gov or find individual member email addresses at http://huntsvilletx.gov/Council. Learn more about each proposition before voting on November 8. Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov/Bond for an informative video, a link to an interactive map featuring locations and details of each proposition, voting locations, contact in- formation, and more. Mark your calendar to attend the State of the City Address to hear from City Council and City Staff about projects, updates and election information! The event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Walker County Storm Shelter on October 11. November General Election Candidate Filings The City Council seats for At-large Positions 1-4 will be on the November 8, 2016 general election ballot. Filing for the positions ran from July 23 to August 22. Seven citizens have filed to run on the ballot: - Position One - Paul Davidhizar - Position Two - Tyler McCaffety and Matt Hannes - Position Three - Clyde Loll and Mader Hedspetch - Position Four - Keith D. Olson and Scott Hornung For more information, email citysecretary@huntsvilletx.gov, call 936-291-5403, or visit www.huntsvilletx.gov/Elections. Page 2 CITY CONNECTION Register to Vote! The last day to register to vote for the November 8 election is Oc- tober 11. Make sure you get your registration in on time to cast your vote in November! Visit http://www.co.walker.tx.us/department/?fDD=24-0 to learn how to register to vote in Walker County. A voter's application must be submitted or mailed at least 30 days before an election date to vote in that election. Remember to Vote the Back on this November's ballot to have your voice heard in the 2016 City of Huntsville General and Bond Elections! State of the City address Tuesday, October 11 You’re invited to join the City Council, City Manager Matt Benoit and representatives from City de- partments at the 2016 State of the City address, hosted by the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce. This is a great opportunity to get involved and to enjoy an evening of meeting your City staff and neighbors. The address will include information about the City Council’s Strategic Plan, current City initia- tives, election information and more. The event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Walker County Storm Shelter/H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Complex. National Night Out Join the Huntsville Police Department for the Annual National Night Out Celebration on Tuesday, October 4 from 4 - 7 p.m.! This year National Night Out will be held at Kate Barr Ross Park. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships between police and the community and encourages camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer and better places to live. The Huntsville Police Department, SHSU University Police De- partment, Huntsville Fire Department, and several state agen- cies will be at Kate Barr Ross Park providing demonstrations, meeting our community and taking part in the fun. Local vendors will share food, games and activities free of charge to the community. If you are interested in being a sponsor or vendor please contact Officer Kaaa at 936- 291-5493. Visit the Huntsville Police De- partment’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HuntsvilleTXPolice/ for more infor- mation. See you at Kate Barr Ross Park on October 4! Bond Election Facility Tours You’re invited to participate in public facility tours for fa- cilities in the three propositions for the Bond election. Check www.huntsvilletx.gov/Bond regularly to see dates and times for tours. Proposition 1: Public Safety Facilities Huntsville Police Department : Tuesday, September 13 - 5 p.m. & 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 14 - 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. Huntsville Fire Station #2 : Tuesday, September 13 - 5 p.m. & 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 14 - 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. Proposition 2: City Services Facilities City Service Center: Wednesday, September 21 - 12 p.m. Thursday, September 22 - 5:30 p.m. Proposition 3: City Waterworks and Sewer Facilities Palm Street Water Treatment Plant: Monday, September 26 - 12 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. A. J. Brown Wastewater Treatment Plant: Tuesday, September 27 - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 28 - 12:00 p.m. N. B. Davidson Wastewater Treatment Plant: Thursday, September 29 - 5:30 p.m. Friday, September 30 - 12:00 p.m. Don’t Give Zika a Biting Chance! Page 3 CITY CONNECTION The long summer days and intermittent showers may present an increased opportunity for exposure to mosquito bites. Citi- zens are urged to take precautions to decrease the likelihood of contracting disease from infectious insects. Like the Texas Governor's office, the City of Huntsville is shar- ing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC) and www.TexasZika.org (through the Texas De- partment of State Health Services) to encourage residents to practice mosquito bite prevention from infectious insects pos- sibly carrying the Zika virus. Learn more about ways to protect yourself and your family from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at http://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent- mosquito-bites.html. For more information, there are addition- al links available on the City web site at www.huntsvilletx.gov/ReadyHuntsville. Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment for the Zika virus. Your best protection to avoid infection is to prevent mosquito breeding and protect yourself from mosquito bites. Prevent Mosquito Breeding  At least weekly empty or get rid of cans, buckets, old tires, pots, plant saucers and other containers that hold water.  Keep gutters clear of debris and standing water.  Remove standing water around structures and from flat roofs.  Change water in pet dishes daily.  Rinse and scrub vases and other indoor water containers weekly.  Change water in wading pools and bird baths several times a week.  Maintain backyard pools or hot tubs.  Cover trash containers.  Water lawns and gardens carefully so water does not stand for several days.  Screen rain barrels and openings to water tanks or cis- terns.  Treat front and back door areas of homes with residual insecticides if mosquitoes are abundant nearby.  If mosquito problems persist, consider pesticide applica- tions for vegetation around the home. People who are traveling to areas where Zika is being spread should protect themselves from mosquito bites while abroad and for 21 days after returning home to help prevent them- selves from becoming infected, and to keep from spreading the virus to mosquitoes in Texas in the event the travelers were exposed to Zika. Information from www.Texaszika.org. City of Huntsville Recycling Guidelines Direct questions to (936)294-5712 Curbside recycling guidelines: 1. Rinse all plastics and cans to remove residue 2. Plastics 1-7 stamped with number and symbol accepted 3. Flatten items to save room inside of cart 4. Keep cart five (5) feet from all other objects including vehi- cles 5. Carts must be placed at the curb or street’s edge no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Carts must be re- moved from the street’s edge by the end of the collection day (carts cannot be stored at the street’s edge) Items that cannot be placed in the City cart: Garbage, food waste, yard waste, loose shredded paper, glass/oil/filters, batteries, cell phones, electronics, Styrofoam, aluminum foil, or plastic bags of any kind. No plastic wrap, shrink wrap, or bubble wrap. No Styrofoam, even if it has a recycling number and symbol on item. Recycling Drop-Off Center Information: The Recycling Center accepts self-hauled recyclable items and is located at 590 I-45 North. The Recycling Center Attendant will be onsite to assist cus- tomers from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Drop-offs can still be made Monday - Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and holiday closings are posted. Recycling Drop-off Center Guidelines: Aluminum - Soda cans, beer cans: Flattened/unflattened. Keep aluminum cans separate from steel cans. NO FOIL, BAKING PANS OR FOOD TRAYS. Steel Cans - Food cans, pet food cans, aerosol cans: Rinse out the can, you can leave the label on. Aerosol cans must be empty. Newspaper - Whatever comes inside the newspaper can be recycled. Stack and put in paper bags or cardboard boxes. Throw away plastic rain sleeves and rubber bands. Magazines - catalogs, phone books: Keep separate from newspaper. Place in brown bags or small cardboard boxes. DO NOT place in plastic bags. Paper - White or colored paper, remove paper clips, rubber bands and sta- ples if possible. Put in small boxes or paper stacks. Glass - Clear, green or brown only: Throw away lids, rinse out. You can leave the label on. Place glass in separate containers. NO window panes, light bulbs or dishware. Cardboard - Toilet/paper towel cores, food boxes, medicine boxes, shoe boxes, shipping/moving boxes, sugar bags, dog/cat food bags which in- clude a recycling logo, paper bags. NO packing materials, plastic liners or foam. Plastics - Numbered 1-7: Recycling symbol and number are required. Milk Jugs and Water Jugs - Throw away cap/lid. Rinse with warm water and try to flatten. Keep these jugs separate from soda bottles or colored plas- tic. Other #1 and #2 Plastic Containers - Examples of other recyclable contain- ers: syrup bottles #3, snap on coffee lids #4, cottage cheese containers #5, yogurt containers #6, and ketchup bottles #7 Drop-off Center also accepts: Used motor oil, oil filters, cooking oil & anti- freeze. Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov for curbside recycling schedules, full list of acceptable curbside items, and more recycling information. Yard Waste Specifics Collection Service: 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednes- day of each month - No call-in required! Yard waste is classified as leaves, grass, pine needles, yard clippings and small brush, items referred to as “green waste.” The total number of paper compostable-bagged, canned, or bundled yard waste items is limited to twelve (12) per household per collection day. All yard waste materials must be placed within two (2) feet of street’s edge no later than 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the scheduled pick-up. Yard waste such as leaves, grass, pine needles or small clippings must be: (1) Bagged in paper compostable bags or placed in per- sonal garbage cans (not to exceed 32 gallons); (2) Cannot exceed 50 pounds each; (3) City-issued garbage and recycling carts cannot be filled with yard waste. Tree limbs and brush must be: (1) No longer than four (4) feet in length; (2) Limbs no larger than four (4) inches in diameter; (3) Must be tied securely in bundles which cannot ex- ceed two (2) feet in diameter and can’t exceed 50 pounds each. The following items and locations DO NOT qualify for Yard Waste pick-up: (1) Household garbage of any kind; (2) Anything other than green waste: NO flower pots, fertilizer, mulch, bags, dirt, potting soil, sand, rock, gravel, etc. (3) Commercial businesses or commercially generated yard waste. Bring your City utility bill showing that you pay for gar- bage service and dispose of your yard waste at the City Transfer Station free of charge. This excludes commer- cial customers, yard waste contractors, and any lawn service providers. The customer must be present with their current City garbage bill at the time of disposal. For more information on yard waste trimming collection services, contact the Solid Waste Services Division at (936) 294-5712. Dropoff loads are accepted at the Transfer Station from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday. All unloading must be completed by 5:00 pm.