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November 16 CITY CONNECTION Volume 13, Issue 2 November 2016 Calendar November 2016 1 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 2 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 3 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 8 - ELECTION DAY 9 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - City Council Meeting 16 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 17 - City Council Special Session - noon 17- Planning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 23 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 24-25 - City Closed - Thanksgiving Holiday s 30 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection December 2016 1 - Planning Commission - City Hall at 12:00 p.m. 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 23 & 26 - City Closed - Christmas Holidays 28 - 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. SEE PAGE 4 for HOLIDAY SCHEDULES Learn more about City events at www.huntsvilletx.gov Under Construction! You may have noticed several City streets are under construc- tion. You are probably wondering what is going on and why is the City doing so many projects at once. Well, the City is work- ing hard to improve your infrastructure and keep everything running as efficiently and effectively as we can. So, what pro- jects are happening right now?  Town Creek Drainage Project - This project involves replacing 7,700 linear feet of the existing Town Creek drainage system. Portions were enclosed in the 1960s using a combination of decommis- sioned rail cars and masonry and includes seven roadway crossings composed of these tank cars and concrete culverts. The upgraded drainage structures will add increased capacity to the system and provide relief to outdated infrastructure. The work is being complet- ed by Garney Construction, which the city entered into a contract for the company to provide construction manager-at-risk services in November 2015. Currently, 7th Street between Old Madisonville Road and Avenue M and the 10th Street intersection between Aveue N and Avenue O are closed for construction. Avenue N from 10th to 11th Streets is scheduled to close November 7. These sections are scheduled to be closed through the end of the year. This portion of the work will be primarily construct- ed during the daytime, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. See below for a map of the detours and road closures. Also visit www.huntsvilletx.gov/TownCreek to see more information, pictures, and drone videos of the progress.  7th Street Rehabilitation Project - This project includes the con- struction of new pavement, curbs and gutters, the replacement of water lines and sewer lines, as well as other related improvements to 7th street, between Old Madisonville Road and Avenue N. This project is scheduled to be completed in 3 phases. 7th Street be- tween Avenue N and Old Madisonville Road are expected to be closed until mid-November, during phase 1 construction. All three phases are expected to be completed in February 2017.  11th Street Water Line Replacement Project - This project consists of replacing an old and deteriorated 6" waterline along 11th Street from University Avenue to Avenue G. The water line located in this segment was installed in the 1950's and is cast iron or ductile iron pipe. Several waterline breaks have occurred in this segment in the past. This project is now primarily funded through the Texas Depart- ment of Agriculture (TDA) under Community Development Grant (CDBG) program. Construction is scheduled to begin on November 7 and be completed in early March. This project will be completed during business hours and with the goal to only close one lane of 11th street in small segments to minimize disruption to traffic. Page 2 CITY CONNECTION Fall City Events! Wynne Home - 1428 Eleventh Street -936- 291-5424 - www.TheWynneHome.com  James Surls Exhibit Time and Time Again - on display until April 2017 - opening reception 11/5 from 4-6 p.m., remarks at 5 p.m.  10th Anniversary Grand Celebration - November 19, 11-2  Gingerbread House Contest & Reception - December 2, 5-7:30 p.m., awards announced at 6 p.m.  Cider on the Porch for the Christmas Parade - December 3 - 6 p.m. until the end of the parade  Historic Homes Tour - December 4, 2-5 p.m. (more holiday events at www.huntsvilletx.gov!)  A Wynne Home Nutcracker - December 6-10, four performances each evening, ticket purchase re- quired Huntsville Public Library - See full details & find lots more programming online!  Holiday Closures—The Library will close at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 10 for the annual City Charity Bowling event. The library will reopen at 10 a.m. Friday, November 11. The library will also be closed Thursday, November 24 through Sunday, November 27 for Thanksgiving and will reopen on Monday, November 28.  Cinderella Royal Ball - Hear ye! Hear ye! All Princes and Princesses of the Kingdom of Huntsville are formally invited to attend the Huntsville Public Library’s Cinderella Royal Ball, to be held from 4:30 to 6:30 on Friday, November 4. Come dressed as your favorite prince or princess to en- gage in royally themed activities and crafts, eat magical food, and dance with your favorite grown- up on our ballroom floor. Don’t let the magic end before checking out one of your favorite fairy tales to read. Registration and wait-list is available online at www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com. The City of Huntsville has preparation and grease disposal safety tips for residents who choose to deep fry their turkeys this holiday season. According to Fire Chief Tom Grisham, there are several key points to remember when frying a turkey in grease, and keeping them in mind may help prevent dangerous accidents. “Every turkey fryer comes with instructions, and it’s very important to read those completely before starting,” Grisham said. “Also, make sure when you do begin cooking that your turkey fryer is not in a garage or under any kind of structure. 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.” Chief Grisham says to make sure you have the correct level of grease. This can be tested by placing a turkey in an empty fryer, filling the fryer with water to just cover the turkey, remov- ing the turkey, then pouring out the water and filling the fryer with grease 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 grease, 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.” 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. “Wear gloves, a long sleeved shirt and closed-toe shoes. Also, have a fire extinguisher avail- able that has a Class B rating (ABC or BC) for flammable liquids.” Alternate methods of turkey preparation including the use of infrared fryers may also be considered. "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 Carol Reed, Director of Public Works, 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 up, restricting the flow of wastewater,” she 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 estab- lishments require 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,” Reed said. Turkey tips: Holiday cooking safety Stay informed! The results of the No- vember 8, 2016 regular and special elections will be canvassed dur- ing the November 17 City Council Special Session. All citizens are encour- aged to either attend or watch the meeting on KSHU Channel 7. Miss a meeting during the last few months? Not a problem! The City archives City Council meetings for a full year. Visit the City’s web site video section at www.huntsvilletx.gov /video. Page 3 CITY CONNECTION Help HPD Help Others The Huntsville Police Department would like to share the gift of giving this year with the SAAFE House. Please help the HPD Officers as well as your local community by donating. Donations will be accepted at the Huntsville Police Department, 1220 11th Street, until November 18th. (If you miss the November 18 deadline you can take your donations directly to SAAFE House.) “We are spending this holiday season helping local resources that are in need. For example, we work very closely with the SAAFE House and it was recently brought to our attention that they lack enough supplies and donations” said Officer Ryann Kaaa. “There are victims who need clothes for court. Everyday supplies are also necessary for those staying at the shelter. People may think that the shelter only receives dona- tions during certain months but they actually need and accept them all year round. Our goal is to not only to help increase donations but also to provide our community with knowledge of the different resources we have here and ways everyone can help.” Contact Officer Kaaa at 936-291-5480 for more information. THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS RESIDENTIAL CHANGES Thursday, November 24, 2016 FACILITY CLOSED Residential Curbside Recycling Collection will be picked up on the following Thursday, December 1 (Extra recycling on the side of blue cart will be picked up) Friday, November 25, 2016 FACILITY CLOSED Residential Curbside Recycling Collection will be picked up on the following Friday, December 2 (Extra recycling on the side of blue cart will be picked up) Thursday, November 24, 2016 FACILITY CLOSED COMMERCIAL CHANGES Commercial Garbage Collection customers with a scheduled Thursday dumpster/rolloff/compactor pick up will be serviced during the week. FACILITY CHANGES Closed Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25, 2016 Closing at noon on Saturday, November 26, 2016 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS Friday, December 23, 2016 FACILITY CLOSED RESIDENTIAL CHANGES Residential Curbside Recycling Collection will be picked up on the following Friday, December 30 (Extra recycling on the side of blue cart will be picked up) Monday, December 26, 2016 FACILITY CLOSED Residential garbage normally picked up on Monday will be picked up on Tuesday; residential garbage normally picked up on Tues- day will be picked up on Wednesday Friday, December 23 & Monday, December 26, 2016 FACILITY CLOSED COMMERCIAL CHANGES Commercial Garbage Collection customers with scheduled dumpster/rolloff/compactor pick up will be serviced during the week. Recycling facility and Transfer Station closed December 23-26, 2016 TREE PICK UP & ADDITIONAL HEAVY TRASH PICK UP Watch City website, social media, & December issues of This Week in Huntsville for additional information on tree and heavy trash pick ups HOLIDAY SOLID WASTE/GARBAGE/ RECYCLING SCHEDULES