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September 2014 City Connection CITY CONNECTION Volume 10, Issue 11 September 2014 Calendar September 2014 2 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 3 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 4 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 10 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 16 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 17 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 18 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 24 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste October 2014 1 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 2 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 7 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 8 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 16 - Planning & Zoning 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 Monday, the week of the pick-up at 294-5796. Learn more about City events at www.huntsvilletx.gov The second annual State of the City address will be held in late October, and all Huntsville residents are encouraged to attend. According to City Manager Matt Benoit, the event will be held at the Walker County Storm Shelter in partnership with the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce. Specific event time and date information will be provided via the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, as soon as possible. “The State of the City address will focus on the goals of the City Council set out in their recent Strategic Plan and the steps staff has taken to achieve them,” Benoit said. “As the event will be held at the beginning of the 2014 -15 fiscal year, we feel it is an opportune time to share our recent and current efforts with the public and to discuss future possibilities.” According to Dr. Sherry McKibben, Neighborhood Resources Director, each of the departments will be putting out tables to showcase the year’s projects and current initiatives. “All of our City departments will be represented at the State of the City event,” McKibben said. “Representatives will provide program information and be available throughout the evening to answer citizens’ questions. This is a great opportunity to learn more about your local government.” For more information, contact the City of Huntsville at (936) 291-5400. 2014 State of the City address Annual event slated for late October Thursday, September 25 - 6 p.m. All citizens are invited to attend a curbside recycling guidelines meeting on Thursday, September 25 at the Huntsville Public Library. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Library’s Community Room. During the meeting, City staff including Public Works Director Carol Reed will provide information on how to participate in curbside recycling according to current policy, and updates will also be presented on the new “Greener Huntsville: Easy Recycling” campaign. “All eight areas of the City have been integrated into our curbside recycling program since January, and we want to continue to work with all residents to make sure its guidelines are well understood and easy to follow,” Reed said. “Simple practices, like rinsing out plastics and cans, flattening cardboard boxes and refraining from bagging recyclables ensure that the items our residents recycle can be processed in an expedient and cost-effective manner. “With the help of our residents, we can continue to offer a successful curbside recycling program, and we hope this and other community meetings will ensure that outcome.” In addition to recycling program information, Reed will offer insight and updates on the “Greener Huntsville: Easy Recycling” initiative, including the use of the City’s Twitter page to help residents stay on top of their garbage and recycling dates. “By providing how-to guides, tips and reminders about curbside recycling on our City’s existing Twitter page, our hope is to make recycling a quick and convenient part of our citizens’ daily lives,” Reed said. “We plan to use Twitter to remind people to put their blue or green carts at the street’s edge both at the right time and on the right day, and also to provide new and fun ways to take part in curbside recycling.” For more information, contact Esther Herklotz, Solid Waste Superintendent, at (936) 294-5724. Recycling guidelines meeting CITY POLLING LOCATIONS FOR NOVEMBER 4 ELECTION Photo ID Required for Texas Voters Voters are now required to present one of the following forms of photo ID when voting in person: (1) Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS); (2) Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS; (3) Texas personal identification card issued by DPS; (4) Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS; (5) United States military identification card containing your photograph; (6) United States citizenship certificate containing your photograph; or (7) United States passport. With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or have expired no more than 60 days before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. The voters name on the identification presented must match or be “substantially similar” to the name on the official list of registered voters (poll list). Additional information, including material on further exemptions, is available through the Texas Secretary of State’s office at www.votetexas.gov. Dates to Remember for the 11/4/14 election First day to apply for ballot by mail September 5 Last day to register to vote or make name/address changes: October 6 Early voting begins: October 20 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (Received, not postmarked) October 24 Early voting ends: October 31 Election Day: November 4 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. November 4, 2014 General Election - Voting information, key dates The Huntsville City Council passed Ordinance 2014-37 on August 5 calling a regular election for November 4, 2014. The joint election, being facilitated by Walker County, will include races for four at-large City Council positions. The Council members to be elected will hold office for a period of two years. As stated in the Ordinance, “Each of the four Councilmembers shall be citizens of the United States, qualified and registered voters of the State of Texas; residents within the present corporate limits of Huntsville for at least twelve months immediately preceding the election; and current in payment of taxes and assessments due to the City.” The last day to register to vote for the November 4 general election, as well as to make any address changes or updates, is October 6. Early voting will be conducted at the Walker County Annex, located at 1301 Sam Houston Avenue, Suite 101. Early voting will be conducted October 20-31, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be two twelve hour days during early voting including Tuesday, October 21 and Tuesday, October 28, during which early voting will be held from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Ward 1 – Pct. 102 - Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue Suite 101 Ward 2 – Pct. 201 - Walker County Storm Shelter/ Veterans Complex, 455 State Highway 75 North Pct. 401 - University Heights Baptist Church, 2400 Sycamore Avenue Ward 3 – Pct.101 - Walker County Justice Center, 717 FM 2821 All Walker County polling locations are available at www.co.walker.tx.us in the “Current Elections” tab, and will be included in future issues of the City Connection. Ward 3 (continued) - Pct. 301 - Huntsville ISD Transportation Building, 95 Martin Luther King Dr. Ward 4 – Pct. 205 - Elkins Lake Conference Center, 634 Cherry Hills Drive Pct. 206 - Huntsville Fire Station #1, 1987 Veterans Memorial Parkway Pct. 401 - University Heights Baptist Church, 2400 Sycamore Avenue Additionally, there will also be weekend voting at the Walker County Annex on Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26, when early voting will be conducted from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The “Current Election(s)” tab on Walker County’s home page will continue to be updated as information is announced and available at www.co.walker.tx.us for all elections effecting Walker County’s registered voters. Sample ballots are expected to be available for review both on the Web site and at the Walker County Annex, located at 1301 Sam Houston Avenue Rm 114, around October 1. Photo ID is now required for voting. Please visit www.votetexas.gov, an informational Web site created by the Texas Secretary of State’s office, for details and for additional voting information. The City of Huntsville Election information will also be available at the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov. The City will also make copies of sample ballots available at City Hall as well as on the Web site. Voter registration forms are available at the Walker County Annex, City Hall and other locations citywide. City of Huntsville Recycling Guidelines Direct questions to (936) 294-5743 Curbside recycling guidelines: 1. Rinse all plastics and cans to remove residue 2. Only plastics 1-7 stamped with number and symbol 3. Flatten items to save room inside of cart 4. Keep cart five (5) feet from all other objects including vehicles 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 removed 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, shredded paper, glass/oil/filters, batteries, cell phones, electronics, Styrofoam or aluminum foil. 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 customers 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, place in plastic trash bags. 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. Put the cans in plastic trash bags. 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 staples 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, 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. Place these items in plastic trash bags by themselves. Keep these jugs separate from soda bottles or colored plastic. Other #1 and #2 Plastic Containers - Examples of other recyclable containers: syrup bottles #3, snap-on coffee lids #4, cottage cheese containers #5, yogurt containers #6, and ketchup bottles #7 Plastic bags - Must have recycling symbol visible on the bag. These can be some grocery bags, shopping bags, dry cleaning bags, etc. Place all plastic bags into one and tie shut. No plastic wrap, shrink wrap or bubble wrap. No Styrofoam, even if it has a recycling number and symbol on item. Drop-off Center Also Accepts: Used motor oil, oil filters, cooking oil and antifreeze. Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov for Area curbside recycling schedules and more recycling information. Yard Waste Specifics Collection Service: 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesday 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 bagged, canned or bundled yard waste 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 (bags not to exceed 30 gallons) or placed in personal garbage; (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 exceed 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 garbage service and dispose of your yard waste at the City Transfer Station free of charge. This excludes commercial 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. The yard trimmings must not be bagged. For more information on yard waste trimming collection services, contact the Solid Waste Services Division at (936) 294-5743. The Huntsville Police Officers Association is preparing for its annual Team Roping Fundraiser, and attendees and potential participants are encouraged to mark their calendars! According to Huntsville Police Department Sergeant Eric Scott, the event will be held on October 11 at the Walker County Fairgrounds, and the money raised will go directly back into the local community to support children’s activities and organizations. “We are very excited to host our fourth annual Team Roping Fundraiser,” Scott said. “HPOA, which includes both civilian and uniformed employees of the Huntsville Police Department, works with community sponsors to coordinate prizes for the event, as well as food and beverages for the concession stand. Then, we open the event up to individuals who wish to register to compete for a $25 entry fee. We take 30 percent of those fees for the fundraiser, and the remaining 70 percent goes into a pot for the winners.” Scott said HPOA was able to donate funding to several community organizations including the Huntsville Lions Club, the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce, the Walker County Fair Association (for student projects) and more. For more information, contact Scott at (936) 291 -5497 or HPD at (936) 291-5480. HPOA preparing for annual fundraiser - Citizens encouraged to participate New drop box available at Library The staff of the Huntsville Public Library is happy to announce the completion of a new drop box located at the back of the facility, facing 13th Street. According to City Librarian Linda Dodson, the box will be open 24 hours a day for library patrons to utilize when returning materials. The drop box is accessible both from vehicles and by pedestrians. “We hope our customers will find it even easier to return their library items now that we have a drop box on each side of the library,” Dodson said. “The only materials which patrons are asked to return at the front desk are interlibrary loans.” The library is located at 1219 13th Street. For more information, contact the library at (936) 291-5472. Just a reminder! The Huntsville Public Library’s normal business hours are as follows: Monday: 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday: 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Huntsville Public Library offers programs in basic computer and Internet use on an ongoing basis. Classes are held every Monday and Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Board Room and are limited to nine students per class. According to Drew Nevlud with Technology and Reference Services, the courses currently offered include Computer Basics, Intermediate Computer Skills, Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Excel 2010, and each class lasts between four and six weeks. “Currently, I am working on a group system that will place patrons into groups based on their level of computer experience,” Nevlud said. “We have a long list of people registered for these free classes, and we’re doing everything we can to notify interested parties as soon as openings become available. “Online registration is coming soon, and if you have completed a course in the past, I will work with you to make sure you’re signed up for the next level.” The first course - Computer Basics - details the parts of a computer, how to use a mouse and keyboard, Internet structure and utilization, and how to sign up for an email account. The next course, Intermediate Computer Skills, addresses file structure, moving files and downloading and installing programs. The Word, PowerPoint and Excel courses address basic operation of each of the three programs. Nevlud said new participants have the choice of starting out in Computer Basics, Intermediate Computer Skills or in the Word 2010 class. “Many times, we see individuals who know the basics about operating a computer but are interested in building up their word processing skills before applying for a new job or going back to school,” Nevlud said. “Therefore, we do have the option for new registrations to start with the Word class and skip the first two courses.” For more information, contact Nevlud at (936) 291-5485. Take advantage of free computer classes Huntsville Public Library offers courses for all experience levels Library Web site tools Visit myhuntsvillelibrary.com to gain access to the Huntsville Public Library’s digital catalogue, dozens of informational databases, program information, meeting room information and much more.