September 2012 Connection
CITY
CONNECTION
Volume 8, Issue 12
September 2012September 2012September 2012September 2012
Calendar
September 2012September 2012September 2012September 2012
4 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
1212 Avenue M
5 Yard Waste Trimming Collection
6 Planning & Zoning Commission -
City Hall at 12 p.m
12 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
18 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
1212 Avenue M
19 Yard Waste Trimming Collection
20 Planning & Zoning Commission -
City Hall at 5:30 p.m.
26 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
October 2012October 2012October 2012October 2012
2 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
1212 Avenue 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.
22 Early voting for 11-6 Election
begins - Ends November 2
24 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
31 Yard Waste Trimming Collection
Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up
before noon on Monday, the week of the
pick-up at 294-5796.
www.huntsvilletx.govwww.huntsvilletx.govwww.huntsvilletx.govwww.huntsvilletx.gov
For a very special opportunity to view one of the oldest homes in Hunts-
ville and Walker County, please come to an open house with musical
entertainment and refreshments at the Gibbs-Powell House, 1228 11th
Street, on September 29 from 4-7 p.m., also featuring historical exhibits
about the house, its inhabitants and visitors over 150 years.
A special commemorative booklet will tell the story of the house and the
families, and the public is encouraged to bring photos and memorabilia
to show and share.
This event is sponsored by the Walker County Historical Commission.
For more information, visit www.walkercountyhistory.org.
Walker County Historical Commission to celebrate
150th Birthday of Gibbs-Powell House
The City of Huntsville’s National Night Out event is right around the corner, and citi-
zens are encouraged to participate with local law enforcement in an effort to heighten
crime prevention and awareness, as well as strengthen neighborhood spirit.
Participating organizations will include the Huntsville Police Department, the Hunts-
ville Fire Department, the University Police Department, the Texas Forest Service and
other first responders.
The event will be held October 2 in the Target parking lot from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00
p.m., and free food including hot dogs and cookies will be served.
“This event is important to the residents of the City of Huntsville because it allows
them to get to know the first responders in their area. National Night Out serves as an
opportunity for residents to not only become familiar with emergency services person-
nel and equipment but also allows them to voice any concerns they may have in their
neighborhoods. There will be informational materials available from each department
as well as fun and safe activities for children.” said HPD Officer Joey Murray. “We’re
honored to be a part of organizing the event and we encourage everyone to partici-
pate.”
According to the official National Night Out Web site, the event is designed to:
· Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
· Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
· Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
· Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are
organized and fighting back.
Last year's collective National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement
agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials
from over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities
and military bases worldwide. Overall, over 37 million people participated in National
Night Out 2011.
“In the City of Huntsville, we have been working to strengthen and reinforce our exist-
ing neighborhood watch programs and are actively looking for volunteers to create
new ones in neighborhoods who do not already have a neighborhood watch program
established,” said HPD Officer Justin Schubert. “In the next year, we would like to im-
prove these programs both with increased participation and communications be-
tween the police department and neighborhood watch leaders.”
For more information on the National Night Out event, contact the Huntsville Police
Department at (936) 291-5480.
National Night Out 2012 set for October 2
Page 2 CITY CONNECTION
City updates available
video content
During the upcoming fiscal year,
the City of Huntsville will continue
to live stream City Council meetings
on the City’s Web site and through
KSHU Channel 7.
However, live streaming of meet-
ings of the Planning and Zoning
Commission and the Hotel Occu-
pancy Tax Board will be suspended.
According to Chris Vasquez, IT Man-
ager for the City of Huntsville, the
City will save approximately $4,800
per year live streaming only 25
meetings per year.
“As part of an assessment to help
offset costs, the City is reducing the
number of meetings shown via live
streaming and Channel 7,” Vasquez
said. “Effective immediately, P&Z
and HOT Board meetings will no
longer be shown via streaming me-
dia or on the local Channel 7 sta-
tion.
“However, audio recordings of
these meetings can be requested,
and City Council meetings will con-
tinue to be shown as usual.”
The City of Huntsville received special recognition in August when information on the City’s iPhone app was in-
cluded in a MacWorld magazine article.
The article, entitled “How government is putting the iPhone to work,” featured information about how several
cities are utilizing technology and social media to respond quickly to citizen concerns.
“The City of Huntsville’s iPhone app is a great resource for information about City related activities and to report
various issues such as animal control, health code violations, and scheduling for a heavy trash pickup,” said
Chris Vasquez, IT Manager for the City of Huntsville. “The ‘Report IT’ tool can also be used via the City’s home
page at www.huntsvilletx.gov.”
In the MacWorld article, writer Joel Mathis describes the app as a tool citizens may use to “see agendas for city
meetings, a schedule of other public events, and contact information for important city agencies.” In addition,
the app allows users to photograph and report problems to the City of Huntsville directly.
“If [citizens] see a pothole, they can take a photo and it’ll go to the tracking software used by the [local] govern-
ment,” stated Ken Barlow of eGov Strategies, which assisted in the formation of the City’s app.
The City of Huntsville app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store by searching for "Huntsville TX”.
To view the article online, visit http://www.macwor ld.com/article/1168134/
how_government_is_putting_the_iphone_to_work.html.
City iPhone app featured in MacWorld magazine
The City of Huntsville Solid Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Facility will ob-
serve Thanksgiving Day on both Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23.
Due to the closure for the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no garbage or recycling
collected residentially on those dates. Only on the following Monday or Tuesday gar-
bage collection days following Thanksgiving will excess bagged garbage outside of
the residential garbage cart be collected.
Commercial dumpster collection will not run on Thursday, November 22 but will run
on Friday, November 23. Businesses with a scheduled dumpster collection on
Thursday, November 22 will be collected either Wednesday, November 21 or Friday,
November 23. Commercial roll-off and compactor collection will not run on Thurs-
day, November 22 or Friday, November 23. Businesses with scheduled roll-off or
compactor collection on Thursday, November 22 or Friday, November 23 will be
collected on Wednesday, November 21.
The Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling facility will open Saturday, November 24.
As well, the City of Huntsville Solid Waste Transfer Station will observe Christmas on
Tuesday, December 25Tuesday, December 25Tuesday, December 25Tuesday, December 25. Due to closure for the Christmas holiday, there will be no
garbage collected residentially or commercially on that date. Only on the following
Monday or Tuesday collection days will excess bagged garbage outside of the resi-
dential garbage carts be collected. Customers with Tuesday, December 25, garbage
collection will instead be collected on Friday, December 28, with recycling collection
postponed until the following Friday, January 4, 2013.
Businesses with a Tuesday, December 25 collection day and with commercial
dumpsters, roll-offs or compactors will be collected on Monday, December 24, or
Wednesday, December 26.
The Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling Facility will be closed to the public on Tues-
day, December 25. The Recycling Drop-Off Center, located at 590 IH-45 North, will
be closed to the public on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25.
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
-294-5743.
Solid Waste/Recycling holiday closures:Solid Waste/Recycling holiday closures:Solid Waste/Recycling holiday closures:Solid Waste/Recycling holiday closures:
Residential and commercial users affected
Curbside Recycling Curbside Recycling Curbside Recycling Curbside Recycling ---- Area #5 Area #5 Area #5 Area #5
Pickup SchedulePickup SchedulePickup SchedulePickup Schedule
Garbage Garbage Garbage Garbage ---- Monday pickMonday pickMonday pickMonday pick----up dates:up dates:up dates:up dates:
September 3, 10, 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
November 5, 12, 19, 26
Remember to use Green carts for garbageGreen carts for garbageGreen carts for garbageGreen carts for garbage
Recycling Recycling Recycling Recycling ---- Thursday pickThursday pickThursday pickThursday pick----up dates:up dates:up dates:up dates:
September 6, 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 25
November 1, 8, 15, 29
Remember to use Blue carts for recyclingBlue carts for recyclingBlue carts for recyclingBlue carts for recycling
Also, please remember to separate
all garbage from recyclables!
For map details or for more information, visit
www.huntsvilletx.gov under City News
or call (936) 294-5743.
Stats for July 2012Stats for July 2012Stats for July 2012Stats for July 2012
Fire:Fire:Fire:Fire:
Police:Police:Police:Police:
Calls for service: 4203
Accidents investigated: 60
Animal Control
complaints investigated:55
Calls for service: 85
Main alarm calls: 11
Police/Fire: Police/Fire: Police/Fire: Police/Fire:
The 38th Annual Fair on the Square, hosted by the Huntsville-
Walker County Chamber of Commerce and many sponsors
including the City of Huntsville, will be held on Saturday, Octo-
ber 6 on the historic Huntsville downtown square and several
surrounding streets.
The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission.
“The Fair on the Square committee is always striving to make
the Fair better each year for the vendors, shoppers and the
Huntsville community as a whole,” Fair on the Square Coordi-
nator and Chamber Events Manager Laura Green said. “This
is a chance to showcase our beautiful city to hundreds of visi-
tors and hopefully encourage them to come back in the fu-
ture!”
Green said shoppers will find many items to get them ready
for both the fall and Christmas holidays. Jewelry, apparel,
home décor and many more treasures will be showcased
both by vendors and the merchants on the downtown square
and Midway Plaza.
Entertainment will include the Ballet Folklorico, Prime Time
Dancers and the Hornet Cheerleaders as well as many local
dance groups and more in the Kids Korner. Located in Rather
Park and the Bank of America parking lot, the Kids Korner
offers many free attractions including the train, bungee run,
moonwalk and slide.
“Children can create beautiful projects under the arts and
crafts tent provided by the Boys and Girls Club and Home De-
pot, enjoy the rock wall and have a balloon created especially
for them,” Green said.
The Beer Garden, located at the corner of 14th and University
Avenue, offers the musical talents of Wayne Williams and the
Thundercreek Band and the Rosenwall Band and they will
play continuously from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Start the celebration early with a concert on Friday night, Oc-
tober 5th, from 9:00-midnight. Micky and The Motorcars will
provide musical entertainment for the evening with the Haley
Cole Band opening. Pre-sale tickets are $8 and will be availa-
ble September 1st at the Chamber, Bearkat Books,
Cavender’s and Baskin’s in Huntsville. Tickets at the gate are
$10.
New feature: Shuttle serviceNew feature: Shuttle serviceNew feature: Shuttle serviceNew feature: Shuttle service
Free parking and free shuttle service provided by the Forum
Apartments will be available this year.
“We are excited to offer this service from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
to and from the fair beginning at the Bowers Stadium Parking
Lot P14 and drop off at 13th Street and Avenue J,” Green
said. “Over 800 spots are available including 18 handicap
spots - just look for the signage and tent in the parking lot.”
For more information call the Chamber at (936) 295-8113.
38th Annual Fair on the Square38th Annual Fair on the Square38th Annual Fair on the Square38th Annual Fair on the Square
New this year: shuttle service available
Page 4 CITY CONNECTION
Heavy Trash/Large Yard Waste Collection is for residential
customers 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, ser-
vice 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:
(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 obstacles 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.
Heavy Trash
(1) Heavy trash is large yard waste, furniture, applianc-
es/white goods, material from minor household pro-
jects and miscellaneous heavy debris.
(2) Pile (including brush) should not 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 re-
moved and disposed of by the residential customer.
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).
Yard Waste - Large yard waste includes limbs and branches
which must be prepared for pickup by using the following
guidelines:
(1) Limbs and branches must be placed curbside and cut
ends must face road.
(2) Tree limbs cannot exceed 12 inches in diameter and
must be cut to a maximum of 5 feet in length.
(3) Large brush must be stacked, unbound and in one pile
along the road edge.
These items shall be separated from any brush:
(1) Appliances/white goods such as refrigerators, freezers,
stoves, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, large micro-
waves and miscellaneous metal appliances.
(2) Household project item such as a toilet, sink, door etc.
(3) Miscellaneous Heavy Debris such as TVs, furniture, mat-
tresses, lawn mowers etc.
Heavy Trash SpecificsHeavy Trash SpecificsHeavy Trash SpecificsHeavy Trash Specifics
Kimm Thomas, the Director of Tour-
ism and Cultural Arts for the City of
Huntsville, recently received her Texas
Designaon Marketer cerficaon
through the Texas Associaon of Con-
venon and Visitors Bureaus.
The cerficaon, which required five
and a half years of study and confer-
ence a&endance, verifies that Thomas
has completed program requirements
related to Communicaon Technolo-
gy, Administraon Finance, Group
Sales, Tourism Sales, Markeng, and
Heritage Tourism. Kimm Thomas receives Texas Designation Marketer certification at TACVB conference.
City employee receives City employee receives City employee receives City employee receives
TACVB certificationTACVB certificationTACVB certificationTACVB certification