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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFall 2011 C U R R E N T S A NEIGHBORHOOD CITY INCORPORATED IN 1925 TEXAS THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE THIS ISSUE 2 From the Mayor’s Desk 3 Community Message Board 4 Parks & Recreation 5 Public Safety 6 Public Works FALL 2011 Continued on page 2 In September, the City of West University Place launched its new and improved website. The site still has the same address, www.westutx.gov, but it now offers visitors an improved browsing experience. Designed with aesthetics, content and visual appeal in mind, the new site takes advantage of intuitive navigation and Web 2.0 features. West U contracted with Vision Internet for the site redesign, which began about a year ago with the support of the previous City Council. In July, the newly elected 2011–2013 Council reaffirmed support of the website work and encouraged the City’s enhanced communication with its residents. The new website is just one of the City’s communication and outreach efforts. West U now offers news and information updates through a wide variety of digital media. Residents can opt to receive information through the communication mechanism of their choice: website, social media pages, email notification, phone call and/or text. Website The West U website has been streamlined and information has been better categorized for easier navigation. While much of the information about City services has not changed, the new website offers multiple features to improve information sharing and interactivity. Residents now have access to online forms and submission processes when working with the City. Many documents that do not require a secure connection or do not require submission of personal information are available as electronic forms that residents may fill out and submit on-line. This will reduce the need for residents to print and mail forms, and response time from City staff will be faster. An improved City calendar provides an event-share component that allows site visitors to export meetings or events to their Google, Yahoo or Outlook calendars. The new website is also compatible with all major smart phones, including iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Windows Mobile phones, meaning West U’s website is now easier to access on the go. Social Media The new website provides a direct feed to West U’s new Facebook and Twitter pages. Both pages are added avenues for residents to receive news updates, information about events and general City information. Both pages launched in late August; be sure to “like” City of West University Place, TX on Facebook and to follow @CityofWestU on Twitter. Email In conjunction with the new website, West U has a new email notification system. Using E-notify Me, residents can receive West U news, job openings, crime reports and meeting information via email. Residents can choose the types of information they wish to receive by calendar category or news category. Residents who previously signed up for email updates using the old website will need to sign up again to continue receiving email updates. Emergency Notifications The new website and communications mechanisms will not replace current emergency notification systems such as CodeRED and the West U C.A.R.E. website. These existing systems will still be available for issuing notifications. Residents are encouraged to participate in the CodeRED system, a high-speed telephone, text messaging and email West U Enhances Communications through New and Improved Media “West U now offers news and information updates through a wide variety of digital media. Residents can opt to receive information through the communication mechanism of their choice.” 2 City Currents Fall 2011 From The Mayor’s Desk West U Enhances Communications Continued from cover by Mayor Bob Fry We are blessed in West U not only because we have outstanding citizens, but also because so many of them willingly volunteer to serve. WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE Boards and Commissions Selection Very soon after our City elections, held in May of the odd numbered years, your new Council has the important task of selecting the volunteers who will fill the seats on our boards and commissions. People chosen for the boards and commissions serve for a two-year period. Council relies on these boards and commissions to study issues in depth and make recommendations within their areas of responsibility for Council action. Choosing wisely during the selection process fosters a smoothly functioning municipal government. We are blessed in West U not only because we have outstanding citizens, but also because so many of them willingly volunteer to serve. To those of you who decide to apply to serve, whether you are selected or not, West U and this Council thank you. We could not govern as well as we do without you. Whether you chose to serve or not, I encourage all residents to follow the work of your neighbors on our boards and commissions, and to get involved when and where it’s appropriate. Community involvement is what makes West U the special place it is: all of us count. From Council Member Ed Heathcott Every new job has a learning curve, and that is certainly true of the post of a newly elected official in West U. Since June 1, there have been several training activities for new elected officials. The latest was hosted by the Texas Municipal League (TML) and took place the first weekend in August. The TML holds this specialized two-day training for newly elected officials several times a year in Austin. Attending this particular conference were 141 registered officials representing over 90 cities. I found it interesting that out of the almost 1,900 cities in Texas, over half of them have a population of less than 2,000. The TML, headquartered in Austin, was started 100 years ago for the sole purpose of helping and serving the cities of Texas. One of my takeaways from the training was a clearer understanding of the extent to which cities are governed and regulated by the laws of Texas. The TML is an invaluable resource to cities as they try to operate efficiently within various legal restraints. It seems to me there is an ongoing struggle between cities rights vs. states rights. The TML serves as a legislative watchdog group to protect smaller cities from new legislation that would be detrimental to them. Texas cities receive no financial help from the state, but state-issued mandates affect and can increase a city’s operating costs. Did you know, for example, that for every moving violation traffic ticket paid in Texas to a municipality, the first $82 must be collected and given to the state? In the last legislative session, an attempt was made to raise this amount by $5. This change never came up for a vote, vote, however, thanks in large part to the TML. After the two-day training, I came away with a much clearer understanding of the regulations that govern my actions as an elected official and the tight legal framework created by the state. The Mayor of West U and all other Council members have taken this same training, which will enable all of us to better serve the citizens of West U. emergency notification and information service. Remember, the CodeRED system is only as good as the contact information database that supports it. If your phone number and/or email address is not in the database, you cannot receive notifications. Residents can sign up for CodeRED notifications on the City’s website. West U’s Community Alert and Response to Emergencies (C.A.R.E.) website, www.westucare.org, will also remain in effect for residents to use to access the city’s “virtual” joint information center. This website will be an additional resource for our citizens and staff during a large-scale emergency. West U will utilize the new City website as its main venue for official news reports and event postings. Social media, E-notify Me and all emergency notification systems will serve as added portals and convenience options for receiving information. More information about all of West U’s communication mechanisms can be found at www.westutx.gov. Would you prefer to receive City Currents via email? Visit www.westutx.gov and click “E-Notify Me” to sign up. City Currents Fall 2011 3 Community Message Board Want to know what’s going on in your city? Get City News by Email Get News Alerts by Email Get Text Message Alerts SIGN UP FOR ALERTS! Did you know that the City provides an easy way to keep up-to-date on the latest changes to City services? It is easy to use—just visit www.westutx.gov and click the link “E-Notify Me.” The best part of this service is that you can select the information you want to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time. By subscribing, you will be kept upto-date on City emergencies, changes to services, such as garbage and recycling collection, and (if you desire) agendas for City Council and board meetings. QUIE T HOURS Weekdays (Mon – Fri), except holidays Before 7:00 am or after 8:00 pm Saturdays, except holidays Before 8:00 am or after 8:00 pm Sundays and on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and the corresponding Friday or Monday on which the city observes that holiday Before 12 Noon or after 8:00 pm City Phone Numbers Emergency – Police & Fire: 911 Police Dept. Non-emergency: (713) 668-0330 General City Information: (713) 668-4441 Building Permits: (713) 662-5833 Code Enforcement: (713) 662-5831 Colonial Park Pool: (713)662-7460 Community Building: (713) 662-5895 DirectLink Alarm Monitoring: (713) 662-5860 Fire Dept. Non-emergency: (713) 662-5835 Friends of West U Parks: (713) 662-7430 Municipal Court: (713) 662-5825 Planning Department: (713) 662-5843 Police Dept. Crime Prevention: (713) 662-5869 Public Works Information: (713) 662-5839 Recreation Center: (713) 662-7420 Senior Services: (713) 662-5895 Urban Forestry: (713) 662-5313 Utility Billing: (713) 662-5824 2011–2012 Garbage /Recycling Holiday Schedule Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24: No curbside collection; garbage regularly scheduled for pickup on this day will be picked up on Friday, November 25. Please hold your recyclables until your next scheduled recycle day. Day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 25: Normal collection of garbage and recyclables. City offices will be closed. Additional Christmas Holiday, Friday, December 23: Normal collection of garbage and recyclables. City offices will be closed. Christmas Day (Observed), Monday, December 26: No curbside collection; garbage regularly scheduled for pickup on this day will be picked up on Tuesday, December 27. Please hold your recyclables until your next scheduled recycle day. New Year’s Day (Observed), Monday, January 2: No curbside collection; garbage regularly scheduled for pickup on this day will be picked up on Tuesday, January 3. Please hold your recyclables until your next scheduled recycle day. www.westutx.gov Save the day with free shredding! Protect yourself from identity theft with FREE document shredding provided by Shred It and the City of West U. To learn more, please visit the City’s website at www.westutx.gov. When: Saturday, November 5 Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon Where: 3826 Milton (West U Public Works Maintenance Facility Limit: Five banker boxes; no business shredding Available to to West U Residents Only PET SAFETY IN WEST U The heat of the summer is behind us, and cooler weather encourages us to enjoy the outdoors, often bringing our pets with us. Help keep them and our City safe by walking your dog on a leash. Besides being the law, using a leash prevents your dog from running into traffic or accosting other pets, and it keeps other people safe from unwelcome interactions with your dog. While out walking, please be sure to clean up after your dog to avoid spreading disease and waste. You also must register your pet with the city’s Animal Control Officer. The cost is $20 for a lifetime registration. Bring a copy of the pet’s rabies vaccination papers with you and fill out the registration form available at the Public Works Building, 3826 Amherst. After submitting the form and paying the fee, you will receive a tag to keep as proof of registration. Your pet should wear the tag along with the rabies tag; it will help Animal Control identify your pet should it leave your yard or become lost. To avoid losing a pet, periodically make sure that all enclosures where your pets are kept are secure. For more information or to ask questions, please contact the Animal Control Officer at (713) 662-5831. HEAVY TRASH DAY! Here is your chance to dispose of those unwanted items in your home at no charge. We will take most items, EXCEPT FOR Household Hazardous Waste. To learn more, please visit the City’s website at www.westutx.gov. When: Saturday, October 29 Time: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm Where: 3826 Milton (West U Public Works Facility) Available to West U Residents Only Friends of West U Parks 21st Annual Park Lovers’ Ball It is going to be “A Walk in the Park” for Park Lovers’ Ball 2012. On February 11, 2012, Courtney and Scott Archer and Anne and John Freeman will transform the Four Seasons Hotel downtown into an unforgettable evening full of fun and surprises. “Anne and I volunteered for and attended our first Park Lovers’ Ball five years ago,” says Courtney Archer on behalf of the co-chairs, “and were immediately impressed with the Friends organization and the amazing neighborhood party that it hosted. It is a perfect example of why we love West University Place so much. Every year since then, we have looked forward to spending a night out with our community and helping to raise much needed money for our beloved parks. We are honored to be chairing the 2012 Park Lovers’ Ball with our husbands, and we hope that the community will once again support Friends as they do so graciously each and every year.” This foursome is no stranger to fundraising, as they also came together to chair Fathers & Flashlights in 2009 and 2010. “West U is so blessed to have these dynamic volunteers leading our fundraising efforts for our parks,” says Friends Executive Director Donna LaMond. Be sure you have February 12 marked on your calendar for “A Walk in the Park”; invitations will arrive in the mail in early January 2012. Also, please visit the Friends website at www.westuparks.org or call (713) 662-7430 for information on becoming a Ball underwriter, sponsor, auction donor or volunteer. While the Park Lovers’ Ball is one of the largest Friends events, residents have other opportunities for involvement as well, including the Friends & Neighbors Guild led by Shannon Huff and Patricia Hammond. The guild provides a great way to socialize, stay informed on park-related happenings and help with Friends projects throughout the school year. Please direct any questions regarding the guild to FriendsGuild@WestUParks.org. Guild events and dates are also listed on the Friends website. Friends fundraising continues year-round with the stork program, business partnerships, memorials and honorariums, pavers, benches and tree sales. For more information, please visit the Friends website or call (713) 662-7430. Showcase of the Arts Openings first Friday of the month 6:00 – 9:00 pm October 7–21: Cecilia Monroy, Writer and Graphic Designer November 4–25: Guss Kemp, Painter December 2–23: Pablo Bobbio, Visual Artist January 6–27: Frank White, Photographer February 3–24: Rosella Owens, Crystol Spillars, Chickie Brown and Pascal Bustamante (a group show bringing together two different generations of Houston artists) West U Place Parks & Recreation is proud to announce its partnership with Tao Art Services. From October 2011 through February 2012, artwork will be on display at the Recreation Center in five monthly exhibitions. Each show will open with a special meet-and-greet evening where the featured artist will be in attendance. Movies in the Park Fridays October 7 and 14, 7:00 pm Colonial Park, 4130 Byron Grab your picnic blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy a complimentary outdoor movie on a huge inflatable screen. Come and enjoy family fun for free! Oct 7: Aladdin, a movie about a street urchin that accidentally meets Princess Jasmine, who is in the city undercover. They love each other, but she can only marry a prince. Oct 14: The Rookie, a story about a Texas baseball coach that makes the major league after agreeing to try out if his high school team made the playoffs. Haunted House Spooktacular Monday, October 31 6:00 – 8:30 pm Scout House, 6108 Edloe Don’t miss out on West U’s annual Haunted House, recommended for ages 7 and up. Admission to the Haunted House and the opportunity to have a hauntingly good time is $5 per person. CLASSES Swimming Lessons It may be cold outside, but Wally’s PoolSchool is available year-round in West U’s indoor, temperature-controlled pool. Our swim lessons are conducted with certified lifeguards on duty at all times. Our trained swim instructors teach all ages, including babies, youth and adults, as well as those with special needs. Who knows? Wally the Walrus just might show up to check out your skills! Bollywood Bollywood fusion is a combination of diverse global dance styles such as folk, classical, hip/hop/bhangra, Indo Jazz, Latin Kathak, Afro and Egyptian dance. Classes take participants through choreographed dance combinations that work the whole body as an integrated whole. Classes are available for children, teens and adults. Second Saturday Concerts Saturdays at 7:30 pm Community Building Auditorium, 6104 Auden October 8: Bryan Bowers November 12: Lori McClain and Karen Mal Tickets to these acoustic, folk or bluegrass concerts are sold at the door: adults $12, senior citizens (65+) $8 and children under 12 free with adults. For more information, visit www.houstonfolkmusic.org. Underwater Photo with Santa Saturday, November 12 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Recreation Center Pool Santa Claus will be scuba diving at the pool! This is your chance to swim with Santa and get your picture taken underwater, ready for the holidays. One photo session, which provides one photo with Santa and a gift bag, is $10 if you register prior to the day of the event and $35 on the day of the event. Hope to see you there! Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Monday, December 5, 6:30 pm Community Building, 6104 Auden Come one, come all! West U gets into the spirit of Christmas with the 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony when the City of West University heralds the holiday season by lighting the Christmas tree. Join us in front of the Community Building, and be sure to bring your cameras! Santa will be available for photos at the end of the ceremony. 4 City Currents Fall 2011 Parks & Recreation Building Brains — Classes & Camps! Kids will learn to build simple machines using gears, levers, and pulleys, and then motorize them. They will understand why a machine works and how to adjust it to go faster or slower. The class will improve fine motor skills, critical thinking, imagination and confidence, all in a a fun-filled atmosphere. Watercolor Classes Beginner and advanced classes are available. Children ages 5–7 will learn to paint with watercolor in a fun, creative setting. Your children’s confidence will soar as they discover how to paint anything from penguins to ladybugs to lily pads! Children ages 8–13 will develop drawing skills, learn basic watercolor techniques and enjoy a nature safari, with entertaining projects allowing them to experiment with this exciting medium. Please visit www.westutx.gov for more information about all our classes. SPECIAL EVENTS 5 The West U Police Department would like to remind residents of several ways they can keep themselves and their property safe throughout the upcoming holiday season. The holiday season usually begins and ends with shopping. Crowded shopping malls and dimly lit parking lots are common areas for criminal activity. Protect yourself by parking as close to store entrances as possible. If shopping at night, make sure the area where you park has adequate lighting. That way, you increase a criminal’s chances of being detected while breaking into your car and decrease the odds of your becoming a victim. Additional safety practices include walking with other people in the parking lot; criminals are more likely to target a victim who is alone. Have your keys out and ready as you reach your car. Once you have safely returned to your car, protecting your items from theft is also very important. Do not leave your purchases visible inside your car while traveling from store to store. Lock them in the trunk or, if possible, take them home before going to your next destination. Under no circumstances leave your purse or wallet unattended inside your car. Once you have returned home, record serial numbers and/or mark new purchases with an identifying number such as your driver’s license or state-issued identification card number. Marking your property discourages theft and provides officers with information needed to contact you should your property be recovered. When marking your valuables with your driver’s license or ID number, put the state abbreviation (TX) before the number to let officers know what type of number they are reading. Make the marking permanent by using an electric engraver and place the number on a surface area not easily seen (the bottom or back of an item) by the criminal. Keep a record of each item’s manufacturer name, model, serial number, and any engravings you made. This log should be kept in a handwritten journal or notebook: computers are often stolen during burglaries and so are not a wise place to keep records of this nature. For items that cannot be marked, photograph and/or videotape the items for future identification. Do this for all valuable property you wish to protect. Keep the inventory log in a safe and accessible location where you can quickly produce it for responding officers. Having this information will greatly increase the possibility of recovering your property should you become the victim of a burglary or theft. Another way to assist West U Police in making our community safer is by utilizing your car and residential alarm systems. As always, immediately report any suspicious activity you observe in our area to (713) 668-0330, or in the case of an emergency, dial 911. City Currents Fall 2011 Public Safety What’s the best way to protect your family from fire? Be ahead of the game, of course. With more than 360,000 home fires reported in the United States in 2009, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), your best defense is a good offense. That’s why the West U Fire Department is teaming up with NFPA during the week of October 9–15 to let our community know: “It’s Fire Prevention Week: Protect Your Family from Fire!” This year’s campaign focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires: cooking, heating and electrical equipment, and candles and smoking materials. Additionally, it urges people to protect their families and homes with life-saving technology and planning. In 2009, 2,565 people died in home fires. Nearly all of these deaths could have been prevented by taking a few simple precautions like installing working smoke alarms, making a home fire escape plan, keeping things that can burn away from the stove and always turning off space heaters before going to bed. Fire is a dangerous opponent, but by anticipating the hazards, you are much less likely to be one of the nearly 13,000 people injured in home fires each year. The West U Fire Department offers the following tips for preventing fires and fire-related injuries: • Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove. • Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, woodstove or portable space heater. • Have a three-foot “child-free zone” around open fires and space heaters. • Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords. • If you smoke, smoke outside. • If you smoke inside, use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table. • Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep. While preventing fires is always our number one priority, it is not always possible. Residents need to provide the best protection for their homes and families in the event of a fire. First and foremost, develop an escape plan that you practice regularly and equip your home with life-saving technologies like smoke alarms and sprinklers. The following tips will help keep your family safe if there is a fire in your home: • Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home (including the basement). • Interconnect all smoke alarms in the home so when one sounds, they all sound. • Test smoke alarms at least monthly and replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old, or sooner if they do not respond when tested. • Make sure everyone in your home knows how to respond if the smoke alarm sounds. • Involve everyone in your household escape plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible ways out. If you have children, consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors, for the children to see. • If you are building or remodeling your home, consider installing home fire sprinklers. It’s Fire Prevention Week: Safety During the Holidays Protect Your Family from Fire! October 9 – 15, 2011 6 One of West U’s greatest attractions is the abundance of trees and shrubs throughout the City. Unfortunately one of our biggest attractions is also a “growing” problem, and if not constrained, it will lead to problems for the City’s motorists, pedestrians and homeowners. Regulatory Sign Obstruction If there is a regulatory sign (stop sign, speed limit sign, signs marking a school or park zone, etc.) located in front of your property, please keep in mind that regular trimming is needed to ensure that vegetation does not obscure the sign from the motoring public. A good rule of thumb when deciding if vegetation needs to be trimmed is to check whether or not you can see the full sign from two to three property lots away (approx. 125 feet); if not, then the vegetation needs to be trimmed. Below are before and after photos of a stop sign cleared of a visibility obstruction: Clearance over Roadways The City adheres to the National Fire Code, which requires a 13’-6” clearance over all roadways (shown in diagram 1). Be aware that the care and maintenance of all trees on your property are your responsibility as the property owner, regardless of whether they are located in the public right-of-way. Not only are lowhanging trees dangerous to drivers, they can also be costly to the homeowner, who is liable for any damage caused to legal height vehicles that strike a tree below 13’-6”. Please take the time to look at your trees and ensure proper trimming. A good rule of thumb to use when determining if you need to trim your trees is to look at the streetlights recently installed. The light is located 14’-6” above the roadway. If your tree’s foliage is below the light, then the growth is too low. Tree and Shrub Clearance around Sidewalks Another issue that you need to address annually (and sometimes more frequently) is the vegetation growing around the sidewalk in front of your property. The City and its residents invested a lot of time and money installing sidewalks throughout the City to provide a safe place for our children to walk. Please check your yard and ensure you have left proper clearance for sidewalks. City code requires a clearance height of 80 inches (shown in diagram 2). Streetlight Obstruction Approximately two years ago, the City completed the City Streetlight Improvement Project, which installed approximately 1,600 new decorative streetlights throughout the City. At the time of their installation, the City conducted a onetime tree trimming around the new lights. Ongoing trimming of vegetation is the responsibility of the property owner. To help keep the lights shining brightly on our City streets and sidewalks, we ask all homeowners to annually trim back vegetation around a streetlight. If you have any questions concerning road, sidewalk or sign clearance, please contact the West U Public Works Department at (713) 662-5839. This fall and winter, the City will once again be planting trees from the Tree Trust. Residents who wish to apply to receive a tree can stop by Development Services at 3826 Amherst and fill out an application or download the application from www.westutx.gov. The deadline is November 30, 2011. Trees from the Tree Trust may only be planted in the street right-of-way. Please consider the available planting space when making your request for a particular type of tree. Tree species that mature into large trees will not be planted beneath the canopy of an existing healthy tree or beneath overhead utility lines. Also consider visibility triangles at street intersections and at street and driveway intersections. Applicants who have the required growth space and are approved will receive at no cost a 30-gallon container holding a tree approximately 10 feet tall and 2” in caliper. Larger trees may be purchased at the rates included on the Tree Trust application form. The trees will be planted, staked, mulched and fertilized by the City. Applicants will then be responsible for all maintenance after planting. The Tree Trust was established as a means to ensure the regeneration and diversity of the City’s urban forest. The Tree Trust is funded by payments from residents and contractors who remove trees for the construction of homes, garages, pools or other structures when they do not have enough space on their lot for the minimum required replacement plantings. Contact Craig Koehl, City Forester, at (713) 662-5313 or ckoehl@westutx.gov if you have questions or would like additional information. Tree Planting Program City Currents Fall 2011 Public Works Vegetation is a “Growing” Problem for West U Street Signs, Pedestrians and Vehicles! diagram 1 diagram 2 City Currents Fall 2011 7 Public Works Over the last 23 weeks, we have been conducting routine sweeps throughout the City to educate residents about and enforce the rules for placement of trash, recycling and yard waste. Current regulations allow trash, recycling and yard waste to be placed curbside after 6:00 PM the night before a regularly scheduled pickup and through 8:00 AM on the day of pickup. These time limits minimize the unsightly impact that trash, recycling and yard waste have on our community. Additionally, it leaves less time for urban wildlife to tear open trash and for the smell of trash to permeate our beautiful City. At the time of writing this article, the City had given out 1,384 warnings to residents and levied 120 special collection fees. The majority of the warnings were for yard waste (76%), and the majority of the yard waste violations were due to lawn service companies putting the yard waste out early. Please remember that if you employ a yard service company, the special collection collection fee is charged to the homeowner and not the lawn service. We ask residents to schedule their lawn service to coincide with the afternoon before their collection day. If that is not possible, then instruct the lawn service company to take the cuttings with them. If we all work together, we can keep West U looking good. If you have any questions concerning the rules and guidelines for collection, please visit www.westutx.gov or call (713) 662-5839. Early Placement of Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste is an Eyesore Recycling: Paper and Cardboard After it leaves your curb, West U paper and cardboard goes to a local recycling processor who sorts and bales the materials for shipment to regional paper mills. There it is recycled into craft paper and cardboard. The diagram shows the full process, with a photograph of some West U Recycling Board members in front of stacked mill bales. Did You Know? Recycling one ton of newsprint saves: • 1 ton of wood (recycling one ton of printing or copier paper saves slightly more than two tons of wood) • 7,000 gallons of water (making recycled paper produces 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution than making virgin paper) • 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space (over three side-by-side refrigerators) • 1 metric ton of carbon equivalent (MTCE) How You Can Help All of us can remember and practice a few simple things to improve West U solid waste handling. The City of West University Place makes it easy for you to recycle paper and cardboard, and plans are being made to go to single-stream recycling to make the process even easier. Now it is up to you as West U residents to help us ensure that the City extracts maximum value from our solid waste stream. In 2010, the average cost to the City of trash taken to landfill was $40 per ton, while the City received revenue averaging $49 per ton for recycled paper/cardboard. Therefore, the net recycling margin on paper/cardboard is approximately $89 for each of the 3,250 tons annually collected. Sounds like a WIN-WIN for all! Remember to Rethink: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle Paper and carboard should go curbside next to your blue recycling bin or to RecyclExpress. References URLs: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/paper/basics/index.htm#benefits http://OptOutPrescreen.com http://Catalogchoice.org Behavior How? Why? REDUCE Use paperless electronic delivery for bills, mail, newsletters, etc. Minimize use of your computer printer. Opt out of mailing lists and catalogs. Reduces the costs of mailing and environmental impact. Reduces solid waste fees. REUSE Buy and use only paper products made from recycled paper. Use old cardboard boxes for storage versus buying new containers. Saves money for residents and reduces the costs of doing business and environmental impact. RECYCLE Put all newspapers, magazines, journals, envelopes, flyers, waxed milk/juice cartons and cardboard containers in curbside recycling bins or RecyclExpress Revenues accrue to the City to offset solid waste fees to citizenss Early placement Empty Street FIBER RECYCLING PROCESS Waste Paper Pulping Coarse Screening Ink Removal Fine Cleaning Brightening Cleaning Decolorization Washing Pulp New Financial Software Impacting Utility Bills West U recently converted to new financial software. The changeover began with the Finance Department, and the City is currently bringing other departments into compliance. Utility bills were one of the first items converted in the process. This conversion has resulted in several changes that have impacted residents. In the past, West U residents were given a customer account number, and a different property number was assigned for each property they owned; those properties received individual bills. The new system will assign all newly acquired properties to the main customer account number and bill all properties on one statement. Therefore, it is imperative for those who pay the utilities on each of their properties separately to note the correct account number on payments to ensure proper credit. This new system is very proactive: it generates letters, second letters, reminders, delinquent letters, etc., on a schedule set by the Finance Department according according to Ordinance 86-34(b). Bills are due 20 days after billing, and accounts become delinquent 21 days following billing. Late fees are 10% of the amount due or the last amount billed, whichever is less. Partial payments do not stop the accrual of late fees, so it benefits the resident to pay on time. The new system will enable the Finance Department to be more efficient, helping to keep utility rates as low as possible. Utility payments may be made in several ways. Walk-in payments are always welcome at the front window in the Municipal Building, 3800 University; payments may be made by mail; and a drop box for payments is located on Amherst Street between the Fire Department and the church. Payment options are also varied: cash, checks or money orders are accepted. In addition, automatic bank drafts on a checking account can be set up by filling out an application and attaching a “voided” check. Payments using credit cards can be made by setting up an account on the West U website through a third-party vendor, providing a username and password that can be changed as needed. Setting up an account also allows you to view the utility bill on-line, whether you pay on-line or not. Finance Department staff will be glad to help residents set up whichever account is preferred. Direct credit card payments at the front window are not currently accepted. Remember, utility billing is for a period of one month and is billed in arrears. A contractor reads all the meters in the City at the end of the month. The readings are uploaded and billed around the 20th to the 25th of the following month; due dates are generally around the 10th to the 15th of the month after that. For example, meters are read on August 30, recording usage from July 30 to August 30. The readings are then loaded into the system, and bills are calculated and mailed on September 20. Payments on those bills are then due on or before October 10 and become delinquent on October 11. By the time a bill is paid, almost a month and a half has gone by since the water was consumed. C U R R E N T S 8 City Currents Fall 2011 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON, TX PERMIT NO. 134 City of West University Place 3800 University Boulevard West University Place, Texas 77005 A Newsletter for the citizens of West University Place Fall 2011 City of West U Officials City council Mayor Bob Fry members Mayor Pro-Tem Susan Sample Ed Heathcott Joan Johnson Dick Yehle City Michael Ross (713) 662-5810 Manager or mross@westutx.gov General (713) 668-4441 Informatio n City Website www.westutx.gov City Currents is a quarterly publication and is printed on recycled paper.