October 2007 City Connection City Connection October 2007
Volume 4, Number 1
www.huntsvilletx.gov
2007 Solid Waste
Rates
The City of Huntsville is
committed to efficient
delivery of quality ser-
vices. Beginning next
month the charges for
residential solid waste
services will be adjusted
to $17.90 per month
based on cost increases
associated with curbside
collection and disposal of
garbage.
Each year the City of
Huntsville evaluates its
utility revenues and what
it costs to bring you wa-
ter, sewer, and solid
waste services to deter-
mine if the utility rates
being charged are still
sufficient to cover the
cost of providing the ser-
vice.
Our analysis looks at
costs associated with op-
erations and maintenance
as well as crucial capital
improvements projects.
Associated costs include
employee services (labor
and benefits), services
and utilities (electricity,
waste disposal, etc),
chemicals, fuel, equip-
ment (vehicles, contain-
ers, tools, etc), debt ser-
vice, and capital projects.
Inflation and the rising
cost of doing business
affects city government
just as it does businesses
and individuals. With the
cost of gasoline, utilities,
construction materials,
healthcare, and so many
other daily expenses ever
increasing, each dollar
does not have the same
purchasing power today
as it did even five years
ago.
While the City of Hunts-
ville has not increased
residential solid waste
rates since 2002 the Mu-
nicipal Cost Index shows
The City of Huntsville City Council has called for a
November 6, 2007 bond election on
$2,150,000 of proposed bonds
for constructing, improving, and equipping a new fire station
to serve the portion of the City
east of Sam Houston Avenue
Why is an additional fire
station needed in this loca-
tion?
An additional station will pro-
vide increased fire protection
coverage and faster fire de-
partment response for the
Northeast area of the City.
Currently there is not a sta-
tion housed in this section of
Huntsville. This area is out-
side the recommended opti-
mal service area of all other
present fire stations. North-
east Huntsville is one of our
most populated areas. 4 HISD
schools are located within the
proposed service area includ-
ing the high school. Accord-
ing to the March 2004 Fire
Study by W. Michael Piestch,
P.E., the station should be
located “in the vicinity of
Highway 30 and Highway 19
Loop.” (see map)
Why now?
Fire protection is a high prior-
ity for the City of Huntsville.
This is the next step in the
City’s overall plan to provide
improved fire protection to
the entire community. It has
been the City’s plan to place a
station in the Northeast area
as soon as the new fire sta-
tion was completed in the
Southwest portion of the
community. That station is
now completed and occupied.
What do we get for our
money?
This project is for the con-
struction of a fire station of
approximately 5,000 square
feet. This station will house
an engine, a pumper / tanker
and four fire fighters, along
with two EMS personnel and
an ambulance. The total pro-
ject budget includes the pur-
chase of land, design / engi-
neering / architecture costs,
construction management,
construction, all necessary
furniture / fixtures / technol-
ogy / communications equip-
ment to outfit the station, and
the purchase of an engine
that will be housed at the sta-
tion. Also, the increase in fire
coverage area will result in
the accumulation of more
Insurance Service Office
(ISO) points. Therefore, our
rating should be lowered. A
lower ISO rating could de-
crease home owner and com-
mercial insurance rates for all
of Huntsville.
See Rates, Page 2
What will it cost me?
If approved by the voters,
the property tax impact of
this General Obligation
Bond issue is estimated to
be less than 2 cents per
$100. The average home in
Huntsville would pay about
$23.20 more per year as a
result. The exact amount
will be determined by the
actual amount of bonds
sold, the term of the debt
issue and the interest rates
at the time of sale.
kevans@huntsvilletx.gov
9:00am — 1:00pm
OCTOBER 2007 CITY CONNECTION PAGE 2
RATES
(continued from page 1)
that the average cost
of providing city ser-
vices has risen by
20% over the past six
years. The City of
Huntsville has been
able to absorb these
ever rising costs while
still collecting the
same solid waste rate
through efficient use
of resources and an
enhanced customer
base.
The Huntsville City
Council and staff
strives everyday to
manage utility rates
Effective May 1, 2007, the City of
Huntsville Yard Waste Trimmings
collection will no longer require a
call-in. Yard Waste Trimmings will
be collected on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th
Wednesday of each month.
Heavy Trash/Large Yard Waste Col-
lection for residential customers does
require a call-in to 936-294-5796.
Residential customers must leave
their complete name, address, phone
number and type of heavy item to be
placed on a pick up list. Heavy
Trash/Large Yard Waste will be col-
lected on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday
of each month.
1. The City of Huntsville Residential
Solid Waste Division will collect
heavy trash / large yard waste on
the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays by call-
in request only – 936-294-5796.
Provide your full name, address,
telephone number and type of item
(s) to be collected.
2. Requests for heavy trash pick-
up shall be placed a minimum of
one week prior to the scheduled
collection day. No heavy trash shall
be placed at the road edge earlier
than five days prior to the sched-
uled 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each
month.
3. Heavy trash is large yard waste,
furniture, appliance/white goods,
building construction material and
miscellaneous heavy debris from
residential sites.
4. Large yard waste includes limbs
and branches which must be pre-
pared for pickup by using the fol-
lowing guidelines: 1) Limbs and
branches up to a maximum of eight
feet in length which should be
placed curbside and cut ends must
face the road; 2) Tree limbs larger
than twelve inches in diameter
must be cut to a maximum three
feet in length; 3) Large brush must
be stacked, unbound and in one
row along the road edge no higher
than four feet.
5. These items shall be placed in
separate piles along the road edge:
1) Appliances/white goods such as
refrigerators, freezers, stoves,
washers, dryers, hot water heaters
and miscellaneous metal appliances
(door removed); 2) Building con-
struction material such as lumber,
doors, windows, etc.; 3) Miscellane-
ous Heavy Debris including large
boxes, moving debris, and tires re-
moved from the rims. The City will
not collect tractor tires.
6. Items shall be placed along the
road edge approximately five (5)
feet from garbage cans and other
obstacles such as mail boxes,
fences and parked cars. Avoid plac-
ing large brush and bulky items un-
der low-hanging tree limbs or power
lines.
7. The following items are not col-
lected as part of the “Heavy Trash/
Large Yard Waste Collection” pro-
gram: 1) Loose or bagged house-
hold garbage; 2) tractor tires; 3)
commercial sites or commercial
use; 4) construction building sites;
5) property vegetation clearance.
If you have any questions,
please call the Solid Waste Ser-
vices Division at 936-294-5723.
in an effective manner
and provide the Citi-
zens of Huntsville with
better service for less
money. The City of
Huntsville engages in
an ongoing effort to
streamline and control
costs, improve efficien-
cies, maximize cus-
tomer service, and im-
prove our delivery of
essential services in
order to provide im-
proved basic service
quality and quantity
with fewer resources
than in years past.
In order to continue to
provide the high qual-
ity, excellent service
you have come to ex-
pect, residential solid
waste rates will in-
crease to $17.90 per
month beginning in
November 2007. This
rate will allow the
Solid Waste Depart-
ment to continue to
provide twice-a-week
curbside collection
and disposal of resi-
dential solid waste, as
well as yard and bulk
waste collection. If
you have additional
questions or would
like more information
please contact the
City of Huntsville at
(936) 291-5400.
kevans@huntsvilletx.gov
New Heavy Trash / Large
Yard Waste Collection
Guidelines for Heavy Trash /
Large Yard Waste Collection
Saturday
January 19, 2008
Police/Fire Statistics
August 2007
OCTOBER 2007 CITY CONNECTION PAGE 3
Police:Police:Police: Fire:Fire:Fire:
* * * Calls for service: 4044 * * * Calls for service:102
* * * Accidents investigated: 89 * Main alarm calls: 15
* * * Animal Control complaints
investigated: 112
42 Dominoes “Game of Texas”
After a recent survey,
the City of Huntsville
Recreation Services Di-
vision has decided to
host 42 Dominoes
TWICE a month at City
Hall in the Chambers.
Join us as we play the
“Game of Texas” every
second and fourth Fri-
day of each month from
6:30pm to the end of
the round robin. If you
would like to register to
become a participant
please arrive at 6:00
pm. A minimum of
twelve players is re-
quired. Please call to
sign up the Wednesday
prior to reserve your
spot.
For more information
call 936-294-5725 or
visit our website at
http://
www.huntsvilletx.gov/
residents/recreation/.
Residential Vacation/Security
Check Program
The holiday season will
soon be upon us and
the Huntsville Police
Department wanted to
take this opportunity to
remind the community
about a service they
provide to help put your
mind at rest if you will
be leaving town for the
holidays.
The service is our
“Residential vacation/
security check” pro-
gram. The intent of this
service is to check your
residence once a day
while you are absent
from your home. In
conjunction with this
program, we also highly
recommend asking a
neighbor or friend to
keep an eye on your
home and if they ob-
serve any suspicious
activity to call (936)
435-8001 to have an
officer come to the loca-
tion.
Other proactive steps
you can take to secure
your home are: secur-
ing all doors and win-
dows, putting outdoor
and indoor lights on
timers, closing garage
doors, and making ar-
rangements for mail
and newspaper pick up.
To initiate a residential
vacation/security check
you can go to our web-
site at
www.huntsvillepolice.co
m and go to the
“Services” menu and
then the “Forms” sec-
tion to fill out the nec-
essary form.
Huntsville Aquatic center
Fall Swim Schedule
The Huntsville Aquatic Cen-
ter will be open for LAP
SWIMMING ONLY starting
October 1st thru November
20th.The hours of operation
are Tuesday & Thursday
6:30pm — 9:00pm, and Sat-
urday & Sunday from 1:30 —
4:30pm. Swim passes will be
required and can be pur-
chased from the City Service
Center and City Hall. The cost
for the passes is $25.00 for
the month of October and
$20.00 for November. There
will not be a cashier on
site at the pool so you
must purchase your passes
in advance. For more infor-
mation visit our website at:
http://www.huntsvilletx.gov/
residents/swimming_pool/
REMINDER!
Scare on the Square
Wednesday
October 31st
4:30pm— 7:30pm
Downtown Huntsville
For more detailed infor-
mation on Main Street’s
events or activities,
please call: 936-291-
5920, or email us at:
hhutcheson@huntsvillet
x.gov
In less than 30 seconds a
small flame can get com-
pletely out of control and
turn into a major fire. It
only takes minutes for
thick black smoke to fill a
house. In minutes, a house
can be engulfed in flames.
Most fires occur in the
home when people are
asleep. If you wake up to a
fire, you won't have time
to grab valuables because
fire spreads too quickly
and the smoke is too thick.
There is only time to es-
cape.
Practice a fire drill with
your entire family. Teach
your kids two ways to get
out of their bedroom, how
to call 911 and where the
family is going to meet in
an emergency. Having this
"Meeting Place" designated
before the fire occurs will
protect both adults and
children alike.
The Huntsville Fire Depart-
ment will answer any
question you may have
about fire safety in your
home or business. Call us
at Station #2 at 936-291-
3047.
October 2007
Fire Prevention
Month
HALLOWEEN
SAFETY
∗ Stay in a group and com-
municate where they will
be going.
∗ Carry a mobile phone for
quick communication.
∗ Remain on well-lit
streets and always use
sidewalks
If no sidewalk is avail-
able, walk at the far
edge of the roadway fac-
ing traffic.
∗ Cross the street as a
group in established
crosswalks
∗ Don't assume the right of
way. Just because one
car stops, doesn't mean
others will!
∗ Notify proper authorities
immediately of any sus-
picious activity.
∗ A responsible adult
should always accom-
pany children.
If you have questions or con-
cerns, please call the Hunts-
ville Fire Department at 936-
291-3047.
High-interest features, as
well as up-to-date re-
sources, allow students to
locate reliable information
in a discreet manner. The
site is divided into several
sections which focus on
specific areas. “In the
News” presents timely top-
ics while in “Dr. Jan’s Cor-
ner”, Jan Hittel-
man, a licensed
psychologist
with over 20
years of experi-
ence, answers
readers’ e-mail
questions. A “Did You
Know?” section reveals a
topic of interest such as
bullying, and how students
can find help with prob-
lems that they might feel
they face alone.
To check out this website,
go to the Library’s home-
page at
www.myhuntsvillelibrary.c
om and click on the Teen
Health and Wellness link.
PAGE 4 OCTOBER 2007 CITY CONNECTION
City Calendar
October
16 City Council Meeting @ 6:pm at
City Hall, 1212 Avenue M
November
13 City Council Meeting @ 6:pm at
City Hall, 1212 Avenue M
22-23 Thanksgiving Holidays (City
Offices Closed)
December
11 City Council Meeting @ 6:pm at
City Hall, 1212 Avenue M
24-25 Christmas Holidays (City Offices
Closed)
Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov for a
complete calendar of events
HUNTSVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Teen Health and Wellness—Real Life, Real Answers
As teenagers struggle with
issues of health, body im-
age, peer pressure and
family life, few librarians
can offer students all the
resources they need on
every topic—when they
need them. Even if a li-
brary has purchased these
“hot topic” titles, they are
often missing from
the shelves when
you need them.
However, Hunts-
ville Public Library
now offers a
wealth of information spe-
cifically designed for teen-
agers. The award winning
Teen Health and Well-
ness database provides
young adults with authori-
tative content that is re-
viewed by experts in the
areas of medicine, mental
health, nutrition, guidance,
and counseling and can
now be accessed through
the library’s home page.
FALL SERIES OF CLASSES
Eleventh Street in Huntsville
during regular hours. A
printed schedule of classes and
registration forms will be avail-
able beginning Tuesday Octo-
ber 2nd at the Wynne Home
Arts Center during the regular
hours of operation from
10:00am -- 6:00pm, Tuesday
– Friday and from 10:00 --
2:00pm on Saturday. For
further information on the fall
classes and registration, please
call 936-291-5424 or check the
schedule on the web site:
www.thewynnehome.com.
Sample Detail for “Shibori in
Full Color”: This class in the
intricate Japanese folding tech-
nique for dying fabric will be
taught by Tamara Chasteen on
Saturday, November 3rd, to
persons 12 years – adult. Stu-
dents will have a full day from
9:00am — 3:00pm where
techniques taught will include
Akashi, a pole wrapping tech-
nique; Over-dying; and Dis-
charge (the removal of dye to
create pattern) on black or
colored silk. Participants will
produce several scarves. Stu-
dents will bring their lunch or
call-out for lunch. Enrollment
limit is 8 persons; registration
fee is $35.
A series of classes
will be offered for
children and adults during the
four weeks beginning on Sat-
urday, October 20th and con-
cluding on Saturday, Novem-
ber 17th. Classes include Art
with Recycled Materials, Ballet,
Ballroom Dance, Ceramics,
Drawing, Marbling, and a Sur-
vey of Crafts including bracelet
making, tie-dye, Kumihimo--
the Japanese braiding tech-
nique--and Indian bead weav-
ing
Movies 101 on four consecu-
tive Monday nights beginning
on Monday, October 22nd will
feature a series of screwball
comedies including “It Hap-
pened One Night,” the only
film for 41 years to win the top
five Academy Awards;
“Bringing Up Baby,” “The Aw-
ful Truth,” and “The Philadel-
phia Story, all featuring Cary
Grant, Hollywood’s great,
comic, leading actor. Registra-
tion to attend the film and dis-
cussion is free.
Registration for these classes
and activities will be held on
Saturdays, October 6th and
October 13th at the Wynne
Home Arts Center at 1428
Contest Winner
Congratulations
Robert Morgan!
Robert was the
winner of the
Back To School
Eraser
Contest
that ran in
the Au-
gust is-
sue. The
children
(ages 12
& under)
were asked to
guess the number
of erasers in a jar
– the person that
guessed the clos-
est to the actual
number was to
win a $25 gift cer-
tificate. As it
turned out, there
were 9 children
that guessed 150
prompting a sec-
ond drawing to
break the 9-way
tie. When
asked how
he came up
with his
guess
Robert re-
sponded “at
first I
thought 149
would be a good
number but then
I decided that
150 would be a
more reasonable
number.”
Many thanks to
all of the children
participating in
the contest.
Visit the Revised City Website @ www.huntsvilletx.gov