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1-12 Connection www.huntsvilletx.gov CITY CONNECTION Volume 8, Issue 4 January 2012 Calendar January 2012 2 City Closed 3 City Council Meeting - 1212 Avenue M 4 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 5 Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 11 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 16 City Closed 17 City Council Meeting - 1212 Avenue M 18 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 19 Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 25 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste February 2012 1 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 2 Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 7 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 1212 Avenue 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. 1212 Avenue 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. Did you know? Fire actually moves faster going up a hill than across level ground. With the long-term drought experi- enced in Texas this year, homeown- ers in Huntsville may be in the pro- cess of replacing trees, shrubbery and other plants that did not survive the dry conditions. According to Reggie Lepley, County Extension Agent-Agriculture/Natural Resource and member of the City‟s Natural Preservation Ad Hoc Commit- tee, there are ways to landscape with fireproofing in mind. “The main thing to consider when choosing landscape plants for fire prevention is to select plants that are drought tolerant and have high mois- ture content,” he said. Where trees and larger plants are concerned, Lepley said open - branched trees are better than closed canopy trees because they help reduce the spread of fire. “Oaks are better than evergreens in this respect, because when ever- greens catch fire, the flames can move really quickly and get extreme- ly hot,” he said. “In lieu of ever- greens, a few trees that work really well and are on the recommended plant list are the black gum, the hackberry, the post oak, the shu- mard oak, a variety of other oaks, pecans, the sweet gum and the syca- more tree.” Lepley also had recommendations for medium trees and small plants or shrubs. “If residents desire medium-sized trees, they could go with the com- mon persimmon, the dogwood, the eastern red bud, the fringe tree, the magnolia, and even the wild plum,” he said. “When we start looking at small plants, such as shrubs, citizens could consider the American beauty berry, the crape myrdle or the vibur- nums. “Also, bear in mind that some recom- mended plants come with their own set of problems. It is very important for homeowners to understand the growth habits of all of their plants” When considering landscape archi- tecture, Lepley said there are several key points to consider to avoid fire hazards. “Homeowners should avoid the „ladder effect‟ when selecting plant locations, meaning they should keep smaller plants away from larg- er ones so fire can‟t jump up to higher levels,” Lepley said. “Also, when planting trees, make sure they are far enough away from pow- er or utility lines. Having trees too close to those lines can lead to a fire during high wind conditions, not to mention power outages.” Evergreens or other vegetation with high oil and resin content can also encourage the spread of fire, and Lepley said those plants should be placed away from the house. “It‟s also a good idea, if possible, to use non-flammable mulch on flow- er beds and shrubbery next to house,” he said. “Unfortunately, in this part of the world, that gets diffi- cult because we have so many leaves that drop in the fall. If you don‟t keep that cleaned up, you end up having organic mulch any- way.” Finally, Lepley encouraged home- owners to remember that any land- scaping should be done with fire- fighters and firefighting equipment in mind. “Depending on how tight a location is, it‟s a good idea to keep ade- quate space for firefighters in mind in case you ever do have a fire,” he said. “When and if that time comes, you‟re going to want firefighters to be able to get into that location with their equipment, which can be very large.” For more information, visit the City Fire Department‟s Wildfire Protec- tion Plan page, http:// huntsvilletx.gov/department/ division.php?fDD=10-46. Landscaping with fire safety in mind Tips to consider when choosing trees, shrubbery and other plants for around the home CITY Page 2 CITY CONNECTION City of Huntsville residential customers: It‟s time to “winterize” your sewer charge Water meter usage for the months of November through February is used to calculate your new sewer average charge for the next year. Consciously reducing your water usage during these months could lower your sewer charge. Methods to reduce usage include limiting or completely eliminating outside watering. The new sewer average charge will be effective with the April billing (due in May). “Basically, the City of Huntsville would just like to advise resi- dents to curtail any kind of outdoor watering, such as wash- ing cars, in order to keep water consumption down during winter months,” said Jerri Weaver, City of Huntsville Billing and Revenue Manager. “Also, residents should be aware of any water leaks and make sure to have those repaired.” For more information, contact City of Huntsville Utility Billing at (936) 291-5431. The Street and Solid Waste Departments will pick up Christmas trees (not artificial) at the street‟s edge every weekday from Monday, January 2, 2012 to Friday, Janu- ary 6, 2012 only. City residents who miss the January 2-6 pickup period may also take their Christmas trees (not artificial) to the Solid Waste Disposal Facility, free of charge with their current City of Huntsville residential utility bill, during regular busi- ness hours. Christmas trees (not artificial) must be un- loaded at the brush pile only. If you have any questions about the garbage collection, the Solid Waste Transfer Facility, or the Recycling Drop-Off Center, please call the Solid Waste Division at 936-294- 5723. Christmas Tree Pick-Up: January 2 - 6 BAG YOUR GARBAGE, PLEASE. AVOID WINDBLOWN LITTER. Children ages 12 & under are encouraged to use their imagination and create a one- of-a-kind, homemade Valentine card. With parents’ permission, the most unique and artistic cards will be printed in the February issue of The City Connection! Please submit cards to: Valentine Card Contest c/o City Secretary 1212 Avenue M Huntsville, TX 77340 Homemade Valentine Card Contest Paper size: 8-1/2 x 11 Information on Back of Card: Child’s name, Parent/guardian’s name, Contact phone number. Age, Grade and name of school Must be child’s original art work. Please limit submissions to one per child Deadline for Submissions January 25th at 5:00 p.m. CONTEST RULES: For more information, contact Walker County Proud Communities at (936) 436-4910. Page 3 January 2012 CITY CONNECTION Yard Waste Specifics Residential yard waste collection service is provided two to three times per month: The 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesday of each month, this is automatic and there is no call-in re- quired. Yard waste is classified as leaves, grass, pine needles, yard clippings and small brush (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 with- in 2 feet of street's edge no later than 6:00 AM on the morning of the scheduled pick- up. Yard waste such as leaves, grass, pine nee- dles or small clippings must be: (1) Bagged or placed in 30 gallon container garbage cans, (2) Can not exceed 50 pounds each, and (3) City-issued garbage carts cannot be filled with yard waste. Tree limbs and brush must be: (1) No longer than 4 feet in length, (2) Limbs no larger than 4 inches in diameter, (3) Must be tied securely in bundles which cannot exceed 2 feet in diameter and can’t exceed 50 pounds each. The following items and locations DO NOT qualify for Yard Waste pickup: (1) House- hold garbage of any kind, (2) Anything other than green waste: No flower pots, fertilizer, mulch, bags, dirt, rock, gravel, etc., or (3) Commercial businesses or commercially gen- erated yard waste. Bring your City Utility Bill showing that you pay garbage and dispose of your yard waste at the City Transfer Station for FREE. This excludes commercial customers, yard waste contractors and any lawn service provid- ers. The Customer must be present with a current City garbage bill at the time of dis- posal. The yard trimmings must not be bagged. For more information, contact the Solid Waste Services Division at 936-294-5723. Heavy Trash Specifics Heavy Trash/Large Yard Waste Collection is for residential custom- ers only. Either an online form OR call-in is required (936) 294- 5796. Requests must be made no later than Monday, the week of, by noon. Customers must leave their complete name, service address, contact number and a detailed description of the items to be placed on the pick-up list. Heavy Trash will be collected on the 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month. Guidelines for Heavy Trash / Large Yard Waste Collection (1) All items must be at the street's edge no later than 6:00 AM on the day of the scheduled pick-up but no earlier than five days prior to the scheduled pick -up. (2) Items shall be placed no more than two feet from the street's edge, approximately five (5) feet from garbage cans and other ob- stacles such as mail boxes, utility poles, fences and parked cars. Avoid placing large brush and bulky items under low-hanging tree limbs, utility lines or cables. (3) Heavy trash is large yard waste, furniture, appliances/white goods, material from minor household projects and miscellaneous heavy debris. (4) Pile (including brush) not to exceed four (4) feet in height, ten (10) feet in length and five (5) feet in depth. If the pile exceeds these dimensions, this will NOT be considered acceptable Heavy Trash and shall be removed and disposed of by the residential customer. (5) Large yard waste includes limbs and branches which must be pre- pared for pickup by using the following guidelines: (6) Limbs and branches must be placed curbside and the cut ends must face the road. (7) Tree limbs cannot exceed (12) inches in diameter and must be cut to a maximum of five (5) feet in length. (8) Large brush must be stacked, unbound and in one pile along the road edge (see pile size limit above). These items shall be separated from any brush: (1) Appliances/white goods such as refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, large microwaves and miscel- laneous metal appliances. (2) Material from minor household projects such as a toilet, a sink, a door etc. (3) Miscellaneous Heavy Debris such as TVs, furniture, mattresses, lawn mowers etc. The following items and locations DO NOT qualify for Heavy Trash pickup: (1) Household garbage of any kind; (2) Tree stumps or small yard waste (bagged, canned or bundled trimmings); (3) Vehicle batteries, parts, oil, tires, antifreeze or vehicles; (4) Commercial businesses, commercially generated heavy trash/large yard waste or tree removal service; (5) Construction, demolition or remodeling materials (to in- clude but not limited to: drywall, siding, concrete, bricks, blocks, dirt, rocks, etc.); (6) Cardboard or recycling; (7) Dead animals; (8) Pallets; (9) Barrels, unidentified sealed cans, paint cans, hazardous waste, swimming pool chemicals, water softener salt or chemicals; and (10) Property vegetation clearance (lot clearing). Page 4 CITY CONNECTION City Council approved the expansion of curbside recycling to begin in Area #4 on Friday, January 6, 2012. This area includes customers within the Fish Hatchery area, Spring Lake subdivision and Pine Shadows subdivision. For map details, please visit www.huntsvilletx.gov under City News. Blue recycling carts will be issued to customers within area #4 after Thanksgiving. Please remember the blue recycling cart is for recyclables only and will not be serviced until January 6, 2012. Once the program begins, garbage pickup will be on Tuesdays and recycling pickup will be on Fridays. A Recycling Guidelines meeting will be held at the Walker Educa- tion Center at 1400 19th Street on January 12, 2012 @ 6:00PM. There will be a speaker presenting information on how to recycle and answering other questions. If you have any questions, please call the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 936-294-5743. Curbside Recycling in Area #4 begins Friday, January 6, 2012 Area maps available online at www.huntsvilletx.gov Montgomery Road City Limits City Limits City Limits City Limits Fish Hatchery Road Rosenwall Road Duke Lane Pine Hollow Lane