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July 2015 City Connection DJUZ! Ofx!Djuz!pg!Ivoutwjmmf!boe! Upvsjtn!Efqbsunfou!Xfctjuft"! Happy 180th Birthday, Huntsville (July 12), you have a new web site! Coming online is a new look for both the City of Huntsville (www.huntsvilletx.gov) and the DPOOFDUJPO! Tourism and Cultural Services Department (www.huntsvilletexas.com). IT Director Chris Vasquez and staff teams have worked with CivicPlus to create redesigned sites that will be more user-friendly and offer improved navigation to better serve the citizens of Huntsville. Wpmvnf!22-!Jttvf!21 ! The City site will retain all the features to allow online payment options, subscrip- tions to agendas and publications, online reporting of issues, archived video, and a Kvmz!3126! attractions and offer an online tour scheduler to assist groups and travelers. The new website designs will allow each department to update content in real time, ! Dbmfoebs which will allow the public immediate access to the most current information. After extensive research, the City chose CivicPlus, a company focused on govern- ment clients and serving over 2,000 cities and counties of every size across the United States, Canada, and Australia serving more than 44 million citizens. Kvmz!3126 CivicPlus has focused on government clients, giving customers access to the latest in next-generation applications that meet and exceed their needs. 1 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 2 - Planning & Zoning Commission - Visit your new web sites now! City Hall at 12 p.m. 3 - City offices closed for July 4 7 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 8 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 14 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 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 Bvhvtu!3126 4 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 5 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 6 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12:00 p.m. 12 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 18 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 19 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection Above, the new City website at www.huntsvilletx.gov, and, 20 - Planning & Zoning Commission - right, the new site for the City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Department of Tourism & Cultural Services, online at 26 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste www.huntsvilletexas.com. Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up The round main buttons on each home page are high- before noon on Monday, the week of the pick-up lighted in a smaller format at 294-5796 . on each interior page. The City logos will return a Learn more about user to the home page of the site. City events at www.huntsvilletx.gov Djuz!tubgg!sbjtft!%611!gps!IJTE!Tpdlt!'!Voejft!Esjwf! The City of Huntsville staff held a charity event again at their annual City Picnic, which was a sent the United Way and Huntsville Independent School District Social Services with these The employees raised $500 to donate to HISD Social Services through United Way. ! Upxo!Dsffl!Esbjobhf!Dpwfsbhf Town Creek Drainage Program is on track. To address some of the City's most critical infrastructure needs, the proposal involves replacing 7,700 linear feet of the existing Town Creek drainage system. Portions were enclosed in the 1960s using a combination of decommissioned rail cars and masonry and include seven roadway crossings composed of the tank cars and concrete culverts. Town Creek is part of a network of streams that serve as the storm water drainage system for the City of Huntsville. This creek spans the length of town, flowing from the southeast side at Sycamore Street though the historic Cultural District area toward the north, and finally emptying into the Trinity River. Over 163 acres of land adjoin this creek and many more utilize it for drainage. City Manager Matt Benoit summarized some important points: 1. Town Creek is a drainage project to ad- dress some of the City's most critical infra- structure. 2. The City is fortunate to be the likely recipi- ent of a $12.2 million grant covering 75% of the project. 3. The project will be designed to be envi- ronmentally sound and preserve the natural beauty of Huntsville and still effectively con- vey drainage through the central part of the community. 4. Like most construction, there will be dis- ruptions to daily life. But, like many such things, "it will be great when it's finished." Gjmjoh!Qfsjpe!gps! FEMA Urges Caution After Storm Damage Opwfncfs!Fmfdujpo! The following is from FEMA, find out more at www.fema.gov - State and feder- The City of Huntsville 2015 General Election will be al recovery officials urge Texans affected by the ongoing severe storms and held on November 3, for the at-large position of floods to watch for and report any suspicious activity or potential fraud. Mayor, and the four Ward Council member posi- tions. Even as government agencies and charitable groups continue to provide dis- aster assistance, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals may at- Filing will open on July 25 and continue until 5 p.m. tempt to prey on vulnerable survivors. The most common post-disaster fraud on August 24, 2015. Interested candidates should practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations and fake offers of state or federal aid. 1212 Avenue M, which is open regular business hours, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. said Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Hannes of Federal Emergency Man- The City filing fee is $1 in cash. Candidate qualifica- tions include the following City Charter provisions: Texans to remain alert, ask questions and require identification when some- At the time of election to office and during their ten- ure of office, the Mayor and each member of the Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask Council shall be a citizen and a qualified registered for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photo- voter of the State of Texas and the City of Huntsville graph. There is no fee required to apply for or to get disaster assistance from and, if a Councilmember from a specific Ward, a FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or the state. Additionally, resident of such Ward. No member of Council shall no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for have resided in the City for less than 12 months your financial account information; unless you place a call to the agency your- next preceding the election and no member shall be self, you should not provide personal information over the phone it can lead less than 21 years old. No member of the Council to identity theft. shall be indebted to the City or be delinquent in the payment to the City of any tax or assessment. No Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at866- member of the Council shall hold any other office or 720-5721 (toll free). Complaints may also be made to local law enforcement employment under the City government while a agencies. member of the Council. A member of the Council Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, reli- ceasing to possess any of the foregoing qualifica- gion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If tions shall immediately forfeit their office. you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free Candidate packets will be available online (http://tx- at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585. huntsville.civicplus.com/395/Elections) and at City Hall during the filing period. For questions or more information, contact the City or 936-291-5403. Calendar Photo Call -2016 City calendar! Please consider photos taken in City parks, at City events, or of groups work- ing with the City on occasions such as All Paws In or the Spring Clean anything City-related. Maybe you attended the Fourth of July celebration or E-Recycling Day, or took the kids to an Outdoor Explorer class and have a great picture. Or per- haps your group received a proclamation or made a donation or participated in Local Government Day. The City of Huntsville is asking all residents, business owners and organizations to submit their best photos for use in the calendar, on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, in our digital newsletter, and maybe even for upcoming special projects. Please submit original photography along with the name of the photogra- pher. The City requests participants send the highest resolution copies avail- able, and that only material suitable for viewing by all ages. If necessary, photographer must have received appropriate permission to submit any pho- tos of minors. Please make contact with us before trying to send larger files, either at citysecretary@huntsvilletx.gov or by calling 936-291-5403. City of Huntsville Recycling Guidelines Direct questions to (936) 294-5743 Curbside recycling guidelines: 1.Rinse all plastics and cans to remove residue 2.Plastics 1-7 stamped with number and symbol accepted 3.Flatten items to save room inside of cart 4.Keep cart five (5) feet from all other objects including vehi- cles 5. Yard Waste Specifics than 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Carts must be re- Collection Service: 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednes- day day of each month - No call-in required! Items that cannot be placed in the City cart: Yard waste is classified as leaves, grass, pine needles, Garbage, food waste, yard waste, loose shredded paper, yard clippings and small brush, items referred to as glass/oil/filters, batteries, cell phones, electronics, Styrofoam, aluminum foil, or plastic bags of any kind. The total number of compostable-bagged, canned, or No plastic wrap, shrink wrap, or bubble wrap. No Styrofoam, bundled yard waste items is limited to twelve (12) per household per collection day. All yard waste materials even if it has a recycling number and symbol on item. later than 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the scheduled Recycling Drop-Off Center Information: pick-up. 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 cus-Yard waste such as leaves, grass, pine needles or small tomers from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Drop-offs can still be clippings must be: made Monday - Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and holiday closings (1) Bagged in compostable bags (not to exceed 30 gal- are posted. lons) or placed in personal garbage can; Recycling Drop-off Center Guidelines: (2) Cannot exceed 50 pounds each; Aluminum - Soda cans, beer cans: Flattened/unflattened. Keep aluminum (3) City-issued garbage and recycling carts cannot be cans separate from steel cans. NO FOIL, BAKING PANS OR FOOD TRAYS. filled with yard waste. Steel Cans - Food cans, pet food cans, aerosol cans: Rinse out the can, you Tree limbs and brush must be: can leave the label on. Aerosol cans must be empty. (1) No longer than four (4) feet in length; Newspaper - Whatever comes inside the newspaper can be recycled. Stack and put in paper bags or cardboard boxes. Throw away plastic rain sleeves (2) Limbs no larger than four (4) inches in diameter; and rubber bands. (3) Must be tied securely in bundles which cannot ex- Magazines - catalogs, phone books: Keep separate from newspaper. Place in brown bags or small cardboard boxes. DO NOT place in plastic bags. pounds each. Paper - White or colored paper, remove paper clips, rubber bands and sta- The following items and locations DO NOT qualify for ples if possible. Put in small boxes or paper stacks. Yard Waste pick-up: Glass - Clear, green or brown only: Throw away lids, rinse out. You can (1) Household garbage of any kind; leave the label on. Place glass in separate containers. NO window panes, (2) Anything other than green waste: NO flower pots, light bulbs or dishware. fertilizer, mulch, bags, dirt, potting soil, sand, rock, Cardboard - Toilet/paper towel cores, food boxes, medicine boxes, shoe gravel, etc. boxes, shipping/moving boxes, sugar bags, dog/cat food bags which in- (3) Commercial businesses or commercially generated clude a recycling logo, paper bags. NO packing materials, plastic liners or yard waste. 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 Bring your City utility bill showing that you pay for gar- try to flatten. Keep these jugs separate from soda bottles or colored plas- bage service and dispose of your yard waste at the City tic.Transfer Station free of charge. This excludes commer- cial customers, yard waste contractors, and any lawn Other #1 and #2 Plastic Containers - Examples of other recyclable contain- service providers. The customer must be present with ers: syrup bottles #3, snap-on coffee lids #4, cottage cheese containers their current City garbage bill at the time of disposal. #5, yogurt containers #6, and ketchup bottles #7 Drop-off Center Also Accepts: Used motor oil, oil filters, cooking oil and anti- For more information on yard waste trimming collection freeze. services, contact the Solid Waste Services Division at (936) 294-5743. Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov for Area curbside recycling schedules, full list of acceptable curbside items and more recycling information.