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May 2016 CITY CONNECTION Volume 12, Issue 8 May 2016 Calendar May 2016 3 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 4 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 5 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 12:00 p.m. 11 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 17 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 18 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 19 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 25 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 30– Memorial Day Holiday June 2016 1 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 2 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 12:00 p.m. 7 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 8 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 16 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 21- City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 22 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 29 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 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 Safe Exchange Zone Established at HPD To further serve the citizens of Huntsville, The Huntsville Police Depart- ment is offering a Safe Exchange Zone. Persons who are selling or buy- ing items through the internet, classified ads, or other media are invited to meet in the parking lot of the Huntsville Police Department to make their exchange safely. The Safe Exchange Zone may also be utilized for child custody exchanges. There is a designated location near the entrance to the Police Depart- ment that is marked by both sign and markings on the pavement. The location is under video surveillance at all times. If available, officers may stand by with the persons making the exchange to further ensure the safety of the participants as well as to determine if items being sold have been listed as stolen. “This is another way the Huntsville Police Department can provide for the safety of those in our community,” said Chief Kevin Lunsford. “We hope this offers those involved peace of mind when making exchanges with persons they don’t know.” HPD further advised that officers are not able to facilitate any transaction, nor will they interfere or ad- vise on the validity of any purchase or sale of any items. The presence of Huntsville Police Department personnel is solely intended for the phys- ical safety of the in- volved parties. For more information, contact HPD at (936) 291-5480. Council Considering Credit Card Fees Due to the continued rising costs associated with the acceptance of credit, debit, and/or gift cards for payment, it is anticipated that the City Council will adopt a fee for the use of these cards. If the City Council adopts the card use fee on May 3, 2016, payments made with either such cards will be charged a fee equal to 2.5% of the amount of the payment to cover the cost of credit card company processing fees. The fee will be in effect immediately and will apply to payments made in per- son, on the website, by phone and automatic draft. The fee will apply to card payments for any City service, including, but not limited to, those made at Utility Billing, Municipal Court, the Service Center, Huntsville Public Library, Huntsville Police Department, and any online services or draft accounts. For more information, contact the Finance Department through 936-291- 5431. City Council Workshop - Palm Street Water Plant Condition Assessment Page 2 CITY CONNECTION The City of Huntsville always strives to keep our residents informed and educated on current issues and pro- jects. At the April 19 City Council workshop, the Council received an in- depth presentation concerning the Palm Street Water Plant Condition As- sessment study conducted by Freese and Nichols. The Palm Street Water Plant receives water from the Trinity River Authori- ty (TRA) and mixes it with ground water. The plant provides the majority of the City’s drinking water with a total of eight pumps. The original or “old” pump station was built in 1960, and still includes all four original vertical turbine pumps and three of the original motors (one has been replaced). There are problems about the pump seals with corro- sion, which is causing the pumps to leak water. The pumps experience high amounts of vibration, (Especially in pump #1 which is 7 times the Hydraulic Institute’s recommendations). Due to age, these pumps have outlived their 30 - year life expectancy, making it very dif- ficult to find parts. Although one motor out of the four has been re- placed the rest are original to the station. A portion of the roof or a wall might have to be removed if a pump were ever to be replaced. Other issues include adequate ventilation and temperature control. There are other problems throughout the Motor Control Center (MCC) in this station. It is original and also has outlived its 30-year life expec- tancy. Parts are no longer available, safety issues include cloth- covered-wiring and the electrical components are only a few feet away from the water pumps. Burn marks on the inside doors of the MCC show evidence of multiple faults in the wir- ing. The “new” pump station was built in 1983 housing four horizontal split case pumps. These pumps have re- quired more frequent maintenance than the old pump station pumps and three out of the four have been replaced. The pumps show signs of corrosion. These particular pumps are no longer being manufactured making replacement parts hard to find. The MCC at this station was built in the 1980s which also makes parts hard to come by and there are also many components that have become unsafe over the years and are not functioning at full efficiency. Also identified at the 1983 pump station were structural issues including broken ceiling straps, roof leaks, poor climate control and insulation. The assessments are under review of the Huntsville City Council and staff. Coun- cilmembers acknowledged the hard work and dedication of Public Works staff. With- out the ingenuity and commitment of the water plant operators this plant would likely not have continued to function as well and as long as it has. The City of Huntsville is very appreciative of their hard work and dedication to getting safe water to the residents in Huntsville. The City Council previously approved a number of studies and assessments to evaluate condition, ca- pacity and related issues throughout the City’s infrastructure and facilities. It is expected that there will be an opportunity for significant improvement projects to be considered as a large amount of debt expires in the coming years. The City Council will continue to hold workshops and review the reports and seek the best solutions for the community. Original “old” pump station Leaks from pump in old pump station Burn marks on MCC “New” pump station Stay informed! The results of the May 7, 2016 special election will be canvassed during the May 17 City Council meet- ing. All citizens are encouraged to either attend, watch the meeting on KSHU Channel 7 or visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, and click on the blue “Meeting Video” button on the right-hand side of the page to watch the live stream. Have you missed a meet- ing during the last few months? Not a problem! The City archives City Council meetings for a full year. Page 3 CITY CONNECTION Every April, the Huntsville Solid Waste/Recycling Division hosts E-Recycling Day to allow residents a designated time to get rid of unwanted electronics and recycle them the correct way. We are always striving to make Huntsville a more green community and with the help of E-Recycling Day we are one step closer. This year we had 174 customers come through adding to the almost 2,000 visitors since this event started in 2008. Prior to this years event we have collected almost 138 tons of recycled electronics! With another suc- cessful event this year, those numbers only keep growing. Be sure to mark your calendars and hold on to your unwanted electronics until next year’s event! Journalists in Training The SHSU Global Center for Journalism & Democracy (GCJD) partnered with the Global Press Institute (GPI) to train female journalists from the Pine Ridge Native Ameri- can Reservation, GCJD trains journalists around the globe. The group participated in a week of intensive training at SHSU. The journalists in training for GPI’s Tribal Nations news desk had the opportunity to perform field exercises and interview leaders in the Huntsville community. Mayor Brauninger had the opportunity to meet with the group who came well prepared and ready for a thorough interview with him. The group also attended a reception at the Sam Houston Visitor Center, accompanied by City of Huntsville Councilmembers, Joe Emmett and Joe Rodri- guez who had the pleasure of mingling with the journalist. “This was definitely a good fit for us” said GCJD Executive Director Kelli Arena. “We are dedicat- ed to getting credible, relevant information to the public, and educating journalists is one sure way to do that.” This is the first time GPI has worked with journal- ists in the United States, and the first time it has partnered with GCJD on a project of this magni- tude. The City enjoyed participating with the group and honored they got to have wonderful training in our city! Greener Huntsville 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.