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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSummer 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 Your Mayor 3 Community Message Board 4 Parks & Recreation 5 Public Safety 6 Public Works SUMMER 2011 From left to right: Dick Yehle, Joan Johnson, Mayor Bob Fry, Mayor Pro-Tem Susan Sample, Ed Heathcott. MAYOR BOB FRY Building on a dossier of city service in West University Place that is already lengthy and impressive, Bob Fry’s election as Mayor is the next step in what many residents consider a natural progression at City Hall, following as it does his two terms on the City Council as Mayor Pro Tem. Fry, a resident since 1986, was named “West U Citizen of the Year” in 1995. He represents the City on the Houston-Galveston Area Council and serves on the HGAC’s Small Cities Transportation Policy Council. He is also immediate Past President of the Harris County Mayors’ & Councils’ Association. Throughout Fry’s municipal appointments, numerous community leadership roles and distinguished business career in maritime transportation (he is currently President and CEO of Marinus Management Corporation), he has been renowned for a particular trait—listening. “What I’ve learned over the years, walking the blocks of the city, are some very important insights into what our people are thinking,” says Fry. “I’ve also learned that as a leader if you say what you’re thinking too fast, you stop conversation,” he continues. “So I’ve trained myself not to say much while leading meetings until I’ve enabled everyone else to present their thoughts. I’ll listen, and I’ll get everybody’s input. I’ve found that you get better discussions that way.” Meet Your City Council Continued on page 2 Fry attended Milby High School and The University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Jo Ann, have two daughters. “Being elected Mayor seems the logical next step for me in my desire to be of service to my community,” says Fry. “And,” the new Mayor adds, “I’ll encourage teamwork and cooperation on the Council by listening.” This measured demeanor is balanced by a razor-sharp attention to detail and efficiency, which he promises will be a trademark of City Council meetings and other West U business. Warns Fry, with a smile, “I don’t let people ramble.” COUNCIL MEMBERS Dick Yehle Dick Yehle’s return to the City Council follows a four-year absence, though his presence and influence at City Hall has been constant for numerous years. A West University Place resident since 1990, Yehle served three terms as a member of the Zoning & Planning Commission and one term on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Consequently, he takes pride, as he says, “in knowing how things work together.” “There’s a learning curve that’s shortened by knowing what’s been tried and failed,” says Yehle. “It’s just as important to know what people want. Fitting that together—the understanding of all that—helps you be effective. I try to stay involved, and I know things can be dealt with.” Along with his wealth of knowledge of City inner workings, Yehle brings a wide tapestry tapestry of managerial and business logistical skills to his renewed role at City Hall. His professional duties at Marathon Oil, where he was a Commercial Manager, and at Alliance Engineering, where he is currently a part-time Contracts Manager, have taken him to lengthy stints in London and Moscow. Having traveled extensively, Yehle now applies his worldview to looking inward toward West U’s next frontier— the future of Town Center. “Here’s a collection of buildings that if they burned, one by one or collectively, could not be rebuilt as is under the current code,” says Yehle. “I wrote a recommendation back in 2002 to consider what we have there. This is not a spending plan, but a set of rules for private investment. As the value of that area increases, the City’s goals are served as well. All three parties 2 City Currents Summer 2011 From The Mayor’s Desk Meet Your City Council Continued from cover by Mayor Bob Fry can win if we’re successful in arriving at some appropriate plans: West U residents, the City and private investors.” Yehle and his wife, Mary, have two daughters. Ed Heathcott Life has come full circle for Ed Heathcott as he begins his first term on the City Council. A graduate of West U Elementary and Bellaire High School (in 1961), he returned to West University Place in 2008 and quickly entrenched himself at City Hall, relying on his lengthy service in neighboring municipalities as a significant recommendation. Heathcott had spent six years as Mayor of Jersey Village, including stints as Region 14 President of the Texas Municipal League and as Secretary for the Harris County Mayors’ & Councils’ Association. Additionally, he has been an elected official of the Harris County Appraisal District since 2007. “I feel I’ve got a good background in city service,” says Heathcott. “It’s because of my outside involvement that I’ve grown to know a lot of the other mayors in Harris County. Getting to know all of those people has given me a good base of support. “It always feels good to be part of a team and to be working toward the common good of the City,” he adds. “I’d just like to help maintain the high quality of life here and give the citizens of West U the service they expect.” Heathcott, retired from a lengthy career in the oil-related manufacturing industry, is also active at West University Baptist Church. He and his wife, Renée, have one daughter. “Now that I’m retired, I have even more time to devote to this,” says Heathcott, “and I’m really energized about it. Maintaining West U as one of the best places to live in Texas is my main focus— that’s why my wife and I moved back here.” Susan Sample When Susan Sample drives through West University Place, her home since 2005, she sees lifestyle and growth opportunities differently than most. She thinks parks. “Everybody brings something to the table,” says Sample. “The fact that I’ve been involved in parks and in the demographic of residents that supports the parks brings a little something new to the Council.” Prior to her first term on the City Council, Sample was active at City Hall in her role on the board of directors of Friends of West U Parks. She is also on the board of SPARK Park. “Parks are an integral part of the essence of our City,” she says. “The good thing about our situation is that for the most part, because of the input of Friends, it’s not taxpayer money that has been subsidizing most of our renovations.” Sample, an attorney at Fulbright & Jaworski, is active in numerous Houston-area endeavors, serving on the boards of Career and Recovery Resources, Crisis Intervention of Houston and the Houston CPA Society; she is a committee member on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Her husband, Michael Larsson, is a member of West U Rotary. One of Sample’s goals for the new term is fostering greater interactive feedback between residents and the Council. Says Sample: “I can’t wait to get started.” This past May, you elected me to continue my service to the City, but this time as mayor. I take this responsibility very seriously and with much pride. The previous Council and I worked extremely hard to provide the City with some of the best facilities in the area, while at the same time trying not to increase property taxes. The coming years will prove more challenging, but my experience as a Council member and business owner have prepared me for the journey. In addition, the voters have given me an excellent Council who will bring a variety of expertise to the table. We have a mix that includes experience in city government from Ed Heathcott and Dick Yehle, and fresh insights from Susan Sample and Joan Johnson who are both new to elected office. We all understand the importance of working as a team to achieve the goals the citizens of West U expect us to accomplish. And since West U operates under a managerial form of government, the Council has a staff staff of trained professionals to call upon for information. From our engineers, planners and neighborhood inspectors, to our lawyers and accountants, to our Joan Johnson One of West University Place’s significant demographics has a respected advocate and voice in first-term Council member Joan Johnson. A resident since 1985, Johnson spent the last eight years on the board of West University Place Senior Services, and she was appointed by the City Council to represent West U on the Harris County Area Agency on Aging. A longtime member of the Good Neighbor Team, Johnson has a keen sense of the needs of the City’s elder set, as well as the collective input that is a key component in City decisions. “I want to be one of those Council members that really listens to our people,” she says. “I don’t want to make decisions based solely on what I think—I want to know what others think.” Johnson, who received her MBA from The University of Texas in 1990, was President of the Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Houston and served on the board of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. With her business acumen, she will take a cautious fiscal approach as she assumes her Council seat. “We have all these amenities in town and a great quality of life,” says Johnson. “It’s my feeling now that we need to stop spending, enjoy what we have and not acquire any more long-term debt.” Johnson, a widow, has one daughter. And residents know of another familiar member of the Johnson household: Bailey, a miniature poodle, accompanies her to area hospitals as a participant in the pet therapy program Caring Critters. police officers and firefighters, and to everyone else, the residents of West U can be assured that we have the personnel necessary to keep West U moving forward. Thank you again for your vote of confidence. I am sure I speak for all of Council when I say we appreciate this opportunity to serve you and that we will work hard to justify your confidence. City Currents Summer 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 “Get City News by Email.” 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 Independence Day, Monday, July 4: No curbside collection; normal collection will resume on your next scheduled day. Labor Day, Monday, September 5: No curbside collection; normal collection will resume on your next scheduled day. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24: No curbside collection; garbage 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 West U’s C.A.R.E. As part of its Community Alert and Response to Emergencies (C.A.R.E.) effort, the City of West University Place is pleased to announce its “virtual” Joint Information Center at www.westucare.org. Please bookmark this website and visit it regularly so you become familiar with it. This website will be used during emergencies as an additional resource for our citizens and staff during a large-scale emergency. The website also contains helpful information for citizens regarding emergency preparedness. It provides a tool for City officials to use to communicate with West U residents, and to monitor and respond to their questions. STRAY CATS West University Place’s Animal Control Division periodically receives calls regarding “stray” cats in a citizen’s yard. More often than not, the cat in question is being fed, often by several people on the street. Stray and feral cats do not usually hang around in someone’s backyard. They are nocturnal hunters that have learned through hard experience not to trust human beings. There is no leash law that pertains to cats, and cats are not restricted by law to stay on their owner’s property. Because of this, West U’s Animal Control does not pick up cats that are “at large.” It offers instead a warning: Please do not just feed any cat that you see in your neighborhood. Under state and city law, this will make you a “harborer” (i.e., you are now the cat’s owner), and you can expect the cat to adopt you. Cats are wonderful pets, and they do provide valuable pest control services for our beautiful city. Register your cats and dogs, and remember that the best way to control the pet population is by spaying or neutering your pet. Colonial Park Pool Summer Hours Effective: June 3 – August 21 Monday 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm Tuesday – Friday 10:00 am – 8:30 pm Saturday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm July 4th 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (shorter hours in honor of the Fourth of July holiday) For more information, please contact the Colonial Park Pool staff at (713) 662-7460 or visit the Parks and Recreation department webpage at www.westutx.gov Friends of West U Parks An Evening in Cupid’s Garden a Success The 2011 Park Lovers’ Ball was a huge success last February. Thanks again to co-chairs Jennifer Debow and Amy Reeves for helping Friends raise over $153,000 for West U’s parks. These funds are being applied to the Judson Park redevelopment. Without dedicated leadership such as that provided by Jennifer and Amy, Friends would not be able to raise these much needed funds for our parks. As a tribute to their efforts, they were presented with Star Citizen Awards by the Mayor and City Council at a special luncheon on May 4 at Tiny’s #5. Fathers & Flashlights co-chairs for 2009 and 2010, Courtney and Scott Archer and Anne and John Freeman (also recipients of Star Citizen Awards), are putting their talents to work on the next Park Lovers’ Ball, scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2012. They have proven they know how to raise money for West U parks, and they are really putting on the Ritz: they have secured the downtown Four Seasons Hotel as the venue for West U’s largest and most fun gala! The general manager of the Four Seasons, Dirk Burghartz, a West U resident, promises to work with the chairs to create a very exciting and special event. For underwriting and sponsorship opportunities, as well as other ways to get involved with the annual Park Lovers’ Ball, please contact the Friends office. Other Ways to Contribute While the Park Lovers’ Ball and Fathers & Flashlights are its primary fundraising vehicles, there are other ways to get involved with Friends. The Friends & Neighbors Guild is ramping up with new leadership for the 2011 – 2012 school year, including Patricia Hammond, Shannon Huff and Megan Schroder at the helm; look for new and fun ways to become involved with Friends through the guild. Paver purchases are another great way to show your love for West U parks, as well as the purchase of park components (benches, trees, playground equipment) with recognition plaques. Friends of West U Parks also has community partnerships in play with REI, Kroger’s and the Safeway/Randall’s stores. For more information on Friends, please visit www.westuparks.org or contact the Friends office at (713) 662-7430. For more information on these classes and activities, please contact the West University Place Recreation Center staff at (713) 662-7420 or visit the Parks & Recreation Department webpage at www.westuparks.org. Sara and Chip Edgecomb, Maggie and Dax Garza, and Amanda and J. R. McGee, co-chairs for the upcoming urban campout, Fathers & Flashlights, are bringing back many favorite activities from years past, but are also adding some new features. In particular, the new hamster ball races are sure to be a big hit with the kids. Camp Russo, which has become a highly anticipated cornerstone of the campout, will be back and is always full of surprises and fun. We are very grateful to Russo Services for their longtime, ongoing support of Friends of West U Parks. Direct Energy, whose president, Steven Murray, is a West U resident, is also back in the spotlight as Camp Boss for the 2011 campout. Direct Energy continues to energize Friends events: the company was the largest underwriter for the 2010 Fathers & Flashlights event, as well as the lead underwriter for Park Lovers’ Ball 2011. Thank you to Russo Services and to Direct Energy, as well as to our many other generous contributors! Underwriting and sponsorship opportunities are still available for Fathers & Flashlights; for more information, please call the Friends office at (713) 662-7430 or email FathersAndFlashlights@WestUParks.org. Priority registration for returning campers will begin on August 15. Registration for new campers will start August 22 and go through September 9 or until the event is sold out, whichever comes first. Gearing Up for Fathers & Flashlights, October 1 – 2, 2011 4 City Currents Summer 2011 Parks & Recreation SPECIAL EVENTS July 4th Independence Day Bike Parade Monday, July 4 Line Up by 9:45 am; Parade Begins at 10:00 am Kids of all ages are invited to participate in West U’s annual Independence Day parade by decorating their bicycles, non-motorized scooters, tricycles, wagons and strollers. Participants must line up in front of West U Elementary at 3756 University by 9:45 am to participate. The parade begins promptly at 10:00 am, proceeding west on University, turning south on Academy, then heading west on Byron and ending at Colonial Park Pool, 4130 Byron. After the parade, the festivities will continue with free admission to the pool, plenty of food (via the West U Rotary BBQ fundraiser) and fun for the entire family! The event wraps up around 2:00 pm. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department staff at (713) 662-7420. Summer Splash Series It’s hot outside and time to get wet at Colonial Pool’s Summer Splash Series special events: July 24: Mom’s Spa Day at the Pool – 9:30 am to 11:30 am — Mom’s morning off to lay out by the pool and be pampered! August 20: Family Dive-in Movie Night – 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm — Grab your floats and enjoy the flick! NEW PROGRAMS Athletic Revolution Athletic Revolution and their coaches guarantee that their progressive system of training will enhance your child’s or your team’s sport performance, general fitness and overall well-being, as well as provide an intellectually stimulating and emotionally supportive environment that will sow the seeds for a lifetime of sporting excellence and health. If you are looking for the following improvements, this class is a must! • Increased Speed & Agility • Dominating Strength & Power • Injury Prevention through Flexibility & Mobility • First Step Quickness & Explosion • Weight Training Technique • Health, Wellness & Body Fat Reduction Rock Star Moms Group Class Rock Star Moms is a body transformation class that is dedicated to making great changes in moms’ bodies through elite workouts and nutrition. The class starts out working on the “mommy muscles” and shifts into targeting other problem areas. Personal Training Now Available at the Recreation Center John Handrick has numerous years of experience and and is a certified personal training instructor. Different rate plans and packages are available. 5 The Texas Department of Public Safety is urging Texas residents to make sure that any alarm salesperson, company or installer that they hire is licensed by the DPS Regulatory Services Division. Historically, some alarm salespersons have aggressively marketed their services to city residents primarily by going door to door in neighborhoods. DPS is working with the alarm industry trade associations to provide citizens with reliable identification regarding licensed companies and individuals. “If someone offering alarm-related services shows up at your door unsolicited, ask them for their DPS Private Security pocket card, which will also have their picture,” says Assistant Director RenEarl Bowie of the DPS Regulatory Services Division. “Do not accept any other form of identification as proof you are dealing with a licensed salesperson or installer.” Alarm companies and installers must be licensed to operate legally in the state of Texas. The licensing process includes a criminal background check to help ensure the safety of the public. To check whether a salesperson or installer is licensed in Texas, please visit the following link: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/psb/individual/individual_search.aspx To check whether an alarm company is licensed in Texas, please visit the following link: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/psb/company/company_search.aspx “Beware of aggressive tactics or of someone trying to push you into making a decision immediately,” said Bowie. “We have had numerous complaints of substandard work and broken promises in these situations.” City Currents Summer 2011 Public Safety Now that summer is here, outdoor activities in our community are increasing. The parks, pools and ball fields are packed with families participating in summer programs or simply enjoying our wonderful facilities. Unfortunately, criminal activity also increases at this time of year. Please consider the following ideas to protect your property and ensure that your summer is spent on what matters the most—family and fun! • Make sure your garage is closed and secured. Your sporting and lawn equipment make tempting targets to thieves. Even if you are home or in the backyard, keep your garage protected! • Also consider that doors from the garage to the house are often left unlocked or not as heavily secured as an outside door. That means an open garage door offers thieves easy access to your house! • Don’t leave keys in locks that are visible and easily reachable by breaking a pane of glass. • If you are going on vacation and do not have someone checking your house regularly, sign up for our vacation watch program. Officers will check your house on a daily basis. This is a service offered by the city. • If you do not have someone coming by and picking up your mail or newspapers, have their delivery stopped. The ideal, however, is to maintain your regular deliveries and have someone pick them up as if you were at home. • Remind your kids to keep their bikes secured or stored in a safe place. Let the police keep your bicycle information on file by registering your bike with the city. • Keep your car locked, and remove any valuables or keep them out of sight in a trunk or glove box—even if you are just going to be out of the car for a moment! • Keep a record of the serial numbers, makes and models of valuable items. This information gives the police a much greater chance of recovering your property. • Park your vehicles off the street as much as possible. This reduces the chance of your vehicle’s being struck or becoming the target of thieves. It also ensures that the streets are clear for emergency vehicles. • Be vigilant! You are the community’s first line of defense. Call the police promptly if you see suspicious vehicles, persons or activities. Consider signing up for the Neighborhood Watch, a block-by-block community involvement program, by contacting Sgt. Gomez at (713) 662-5869 or by email at agomez@westutx.gov. Warning about aggressive summer door-to-door alarm sales Be vigilant! You are the community’s first line of defense. Call the the police promptly if you see suspicious vehicles, persons or activities. Summer Safety Tips 6 City Currents Summer 2011 Public Works AFFORDABLE WATER Conserve Today ... Benefit Tomorrow The single most important thing we all can do is to be aware of how we use and conserve water. Did you ever think we would pay $10 per gallon for bottled water, $3.50 for a gallon of milk, $3.85 for a gallon of gasoline, $1.25 for a 16 oz. bottle of soda from a machine or a $100 per month for television? I am old enough to remember 19¢ per gallon for gas, which included a complimentary dinner plate or forks and knives. Can you imagine paying a nickel for a gallon of water delivered to your home? Based on the current rate for water only, $5.44 gets you 7,500 gallons. If you pay just a nickel for the same amount, the cost would be $375. OUCH. What can we do to keep the water we have at the price we can afford? Below are some suggestions for us to consider and put into practice. • Water your lawn only when it needs it, not because the timer says to. Soaking your grass well below the roots maximizes the benefit from the water used. • Stop leaks by fixing leaky faucets, toilets, shower heads, sprinkler heads = thousands of gallons saved. • Wait for full loads when washing clothes or dishes. • Turn off the faucet when you don’t need the water while brushing your teeth, shaving, rinsing dishes, washing your car or bathing your dog. • St. Augustine grass requires less water when it is kept three to four inches high. • Don’t water concrete (driveways, sidewalks or streets). • Water after 4:00 pm and before 9:00 am for less evaporation and more soaking in. • For more ideas, go to www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/and check out “Water Sense,” an EPA partnership program. • Ask your children what they can do to save water, and it will make them aware of the need to conserve. Here is something for us to think about: Texas is expected to grow 60% from 2000 to 2030, which means some hefty increases in water demand, based on 200 gallons per day per person: This equation computes the state’s water use in 2009: 6,240,000,000 X 365 days (one year) = 2,277,600,000,000 gallons, or 2.28 trillion gallons. Savings of 15% achieved by using only 212.5 gallons per person per day would mean saving 341,640,000,000 (341.6 billion) gallons per year. Sorry about all the numbers (I even had to look up what comes after a billion). Anyway, the bottom line is this: No one can do it all, but it all starts with one person making a decision to change. Thank you for caring. Tree Growth Posing Problems for Motorists and Pedestrians Have you noticed that every year the tree canopy is getting lower? It is a good idea once a year to look at your trees where they are growing over the streets and sidewalks. You need to ensure that proper clearance is maintained and to trim any trees or shrubs that are blocking regulatory signs. Most residents are unaware that the responsibility for maintaining trees and shrubs in the right-of-way is the property owner’s and not the City’s. Sight Obstructions of Regulatory Signs If there is a regulatory sign (a stop, speed limit, school zone or park zone sign, etc.) located in front of your property, please keep in mind that regular trimming is needed to ensure that foliage does not obscure the sign for the motoring public. Here’s a good rule of thumb when deciding if trees or shrubs need to be trimmed: if you cannot see the full sign from two to three property lots away (approx. 125 feet), then the vegetation needs to be trimmed. Below are before and after photos of a stop sign sight obstruction: Tree Height Clearance over Roadways Low-hanging limbs over the roadway are dangerous to drivers and potentially costly to homeowners. The National Fire Code requires a 13’–6” roadway clearance from curb to curb (please see diagram 1). If your trees are below the clearance height, you may be responsible for any damage caused to vehicles of legal height. Not only does low growth pose a problem to vehicles, it also causes a problem for City services, such as paramedic, fire, and garbage collection trucks. Follow this rule of thumb when determining if your trees need to be trimmed: if your tree growth is below the height of the streetlights, then it is to low. Below is a picture of low-hanging growth and the problem it poses for a legal height vehicle such as the City’s solid waste truck. Tree and Shrub Clearance for Sidewalks Another trimming issue that needs to be addressed annually, and sometimes more frequently, is making sure that the vegetation growing around sidewalks doesn’t obstruct pedestrians. The City Code requires a clearance height of 80 inches (please see diagram 2). Below are before and after photos of a sidewalk obstruction. If you have any questions, concerning road, sidewalk or regulatory sign clearance, please contact the West U Public Works Dept. at (713) 662-5839 Year Population Total Gallons per day 2000 21 million 5.25 billion 2009 25 million 6.25 billion 2030 30 million 7.35 billion City Currents Summer 2011 7 Public Works Over the last 12 weeks, the City has been conducting proactive sweeps of neighborhood streets to enforce the City’s placement guidelines for trash, recycling and yard waste. In that time the City has handed out 786 warnings and issued 35 special collection fees of $50 per occurrence to repeat offenders. Current rules allow items to be placed curbside no earlier than 6:00 pm the night before, and no later than 8:00 am the day of, a scheduled collection. In some cases, residents have been placing their items curbside up to three days before their scheduled collection day. The placement rules are an effort to minimize the unsightly impact that trash, recycling and yard waste has on our community. The majority of violations are due to yard waste that is left at the curb by lawn service companies. If you want to avoid a special collection fee, we would recommend you schedule your lawn service to coincide with the afternoon before your collection day. If that is not possible, then you should require your lawn service company to take the cuttings with them. Please remember that the special collection fee is charged to the homeowner and not the lawn service company. 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. West U — We Have a Problem! Placement of Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste Curbside Causing Eyesores for Neighborhoods Recycling: What Happens after Your Plastic Leaves the Curb? Did you know that every ton of recycled plastic bottles saves about 3.8 barrels of oil? Plastics make up more than 12% of the municipal solid waste stream. Last year, West University residents put 121 tons of plastic into their curbside recycling containers instead of into their trash. The City collected another 229 tons at RecyclExpress. Congratulations for doing your part to help reduce waste in our environment (the average plastic container takes approximately 500 years to start decomposing in a landfill). But what really happens to plastics that you put out for recycling? Plastic that is recycled is actually downcycled. It is turned into new products because it cannot be used in the same way twice. After collection, plastics are sorted by type according to their recycling codes. Recycling codes, listed below, were developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) to identify the resins in post-consumer plastics. After sorting, the plastic is generally ground into flakes or chips. The plastic bits are washed to remove impurities such as pieces of the label or previous contents. After drying, the bits are melted and formed into plastic pellets called “nurdles.” Companies that make products from recycled plastics typically buy nurdles of a particular recycling code as a feedstock for their manufacturing process. The City of West University Place accepts all of the plastics listed in the table for recycling except No. 6, which is not accepted due to difficulties in collection and processing (different equipment is required). Plastic bags are also not collected at this time as they are dangerous: in the recycling process, they can get caught up in the equipment. Note: Even if a product is labeled “made from recycled materials,” it does not mean that it is recyclable. So, before you dispose of plastic containers, check the recycling code number listed on the container. Recycling your plastic materials has an economic advantage. In 2010, the average cost to the City of trash taken to a landfill was $40 per ton, whereas the City received revenue averaging $140 per ton for recycled plastics, resulting in a net recycling margin on plastics of approximately $180 per ton on the 120 tons picked up curbside. Reducing the amount of plastic we use is the first priority, but after that, reuse or recycle your plastics, and encourage your family, friends and workplace to do so as well. Remember to Rethink: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 plastics can go in the recycling bin or to RecyclExpress, as well as glass bottles and jars, aluminum tins, bi-metal cans, paper and cardboard. Plastic bags can be recycled at your local supermarket, and Styrofoam packing and pellets and bubble wrap are recyclable at most mail centers. Large Styrofoam pieces can be dropped off at the City of Houston Consumer Recycling Center, 5900 Westpark, Monday – Saturday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Code Name Typically found in Typical Items Recycled Into PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) soft drink/water/beer bottles, salad dressing containers polar fleece, fiber, carpet, straps HDPE (high-density polyethylene) milk jugs, juice bottles, butter tubs, detergent bottles floor tile, drainage pipe, construction materials V and PVC (vinyl and polyvinyl chloride) cooking oil bottles, wire jacketing, piping decks, paneling, mudflaps, mats, cables LDPE (low-density polyethylene) squeezable bottles, bread bags trash cans, compost bins, landscaping tiles PP (polypropylene) bottle caps, straws, medicine bottles signal lights, brooms, brushes, rakes PS (polystyrene) disposable cutlery, carry-out containers, Styrofoam cups insulation, light switch plates, rulers, foam packing Miscellaneous sunglasses, “bullet-proof” materials, DVDs, iPod cases plastic lumber, custom products Sign Up for CodeRED Today! The City of West University Place offers a high-speed telephone, text messaging and email emergency notification and information service to its residents and business owners. The CodeRED system gives City officials the ability to deliver prerecorded notifications either to targeted areas or to the entire city at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour. In addition to emergency notifications, this service can be utilized to deliver valuable information on current events ongoing throughout the City of West U. 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. With the CodeRED system, individuals and business owners have the ability to personally add their phone numbers and email addresses directly to the system’s database; this is extremely important if you have an unlisted number or use a cellular phone as a primary home number. To ensure no one is is omitted from this valuable service, West U residents and businesses are urged to log onto the City’s website, www.westutx.gov, and to follow the link to the CodeRED Residential and Business Data Collection page. Those without Internet access may call the City’s Customer Service Representative at (713) 662-5826 to give their information over the phone. Required information includes: • first and last name • street address (a West University Place physical address, no P.O. boxes) • primary phone number • additional phone numbers and an email address may also be added Current CodeRED users who have changed phone numbers or addresses within the last year should re-register in the system. The CodeRED system is a geographically based notification system, which means street addresses are needed to select which phone numbers will receive emergency notification calls in any given situation. The CodeRED system gives those who wish to receive notifications an easy and secure method for doing so. If you have questions, call the West University Place Customer Service Representative at (713) 662-5826. C U R R E N T S 8 City Currents Summer 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 Summer 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 Information City Website www.westutx.gov City Currents is a quarterly publication and is printed on recycled paper.