Thanksgiving is one of three holidays when garbage, recycling and brush will not be picked up curbside.
Here’s how the holiday (Nov. 26) may change your service:
| If your regular pickup day is | Your pickup day changes to |
|---|---|
| Monday, Nov. 23 | No change |
| Tuesday, Nov. 24 | No change |
| Wednesday, Nov. 25 | No change |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Friday, Nov. 27 |
| Friday, Nov. 27 | Saturday, Nov. 28 |
Bulky item pickup will continue as usual for residents assigned the fourth week of the month (Nov. 23-28). The drop-off stations will be closed Nov. 26.
The Environmental Collection Center — for disposal of household chemicals such as oil, gas, paints, antifreeze, brake fluid, cooking grease and more — will be closed Nov. 26-28.
Holiday bonus: You may place up to two extra plastic bags — weighing no more than 40 pounds each — outside the garbage cart only on your first collection day after Thanksgiving.
Call 817-392-MEET (6338) for more information.
]]>The Fort Worth Convention Center will be closed Nov. 30 as part of the city’s employee furlough program. Most other city offices, services and programs scheduled furlough on another day.
Call 817-392-MEET (6338) for more information.
The Fort Worth City Council has canceled its meeting on Nov. 24. The next Council meeting will be 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton St.
]]>Timber Tales Story Time at 10 a.m. Nov. 20 will feature Kindle Me A Riddle: A Pioneer Story by Roberta Karim. The $4 fee includes a story, activities and a craft, all geared toward 3- to 5-year-olds. Reservations are required.
Waxing Nostalgic, from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 21, features activities related to candle making. Cost is regular Village admission plus $3 to dip candles.
To learn more or to make reservations, call 817-392-5881.
]]>Two fun events are planned at Log Cabin Village, 2100 Log Cabin Village Lane.
Timber Tales Story Time at 10 a.m. Nov. 20 will feature Kindle Me A Riddle: A Pioneer Story by Roberta Karim. The $4 fee includes a story, activities and a craft, all geared toward 3- to 5-year-olds. Reservations are required.
Waxing Nostalgic, from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 21, features activities related to candle making. Cost is regular Village admission plus $3 to dip candles.
To learn more or to make reservations, call 817-392-5881.
]]>That holiday ham or tasty turkey can leave a bad taste in your pipes if the extra grease washed down the drain causes your sewer to backup.
The Fort Worth Water Department recognizes the holiday season is a time for family gatherings and lots of cooking. However, the extra food going down the sink or garbage disposal can cause more than the usual number of clogged sewer pipes and more than a little inconvenience to a household filled with relatives.
Any other greasy leftovers — bones, meat trimmings, etc. — should be put in a plastic bag and put into the garbage cart, too.
Meat drippings should be collected in a disposable container and put into the garbage cart. Soak up small amounts of oil and meat drippings with a paper towel and simply toss the soiled towel into a plastic bag and put it in the garbage cart. Please remember — never put food waste in the recycling cart.
Take large amounts of deep fry oil to the Environmental Collection Center (ECC) at 6400 Bridge St. for free disposal. Bring a recent water bill or driver license to prove you live in Fort Worth or one of the 41 participating cities. The ECC is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. The ECC will be closed for city furlough and holidays Nov. 26, 27 and 28.
It is also a good idea for all property owners and tenants to become familiar with the general layout of their plumbing system – especially the location of their sewer “clean-out” outlet. The outlet cover is usually located in the yard and allows easy access to the more distant stretches of the private sewer line so blockages may be removed. A plumber can help locate sewer cleanouts.
If you have a clogged drain, call the Water Department first at its 24-hour number, 817-FW-24-HRS (817-392-4477). A crew will check for blockage in the city portion of the line before you spend money on a plumber. You’ll be notified of the results.
]]>The FY2010 city budget closed a $59 million shortfall in part by reducing personnel costs. Among the strategies to reduce personnel costs are furlough days. A furlough day is a day off without pay.
The next furlough day will be Wednesday, Nov. 25. As a result of the furlough day, some city services and programs will be unavailable. The Fort Worth Municipal Building (City Hall), Marshall Public Safety Building (Municipal Courts), community centers, drop-off stations and most city buildings will be closed. The Fort Worth Marshal’s Lake Patrol office will be closed Nov. 25-27.
The Central Library will be closed Nov. 25-27. All other libraries will be closed Nov. 24-27.
On closure days:
Normal library operating hours resume Nov. 28.
For more information, call 817-392-CALL (2255).
El presupuesto del año fiscal 2010 cierra una falta de $59 millones incrementando cargos y ganancias, recortando algunos de los servicios que ofrece la ciudad y reduciendo el costo de personal. Una de las estrategias implementadas para reducir el costo de personal son días libres sin pago.
El próximo día libre sin pago será el miércoles 25 de noviembre. Como resultado del día libre sin pago, algunos servicios y programas de la ciudad no estarán disponibles. El Edificio del Municipio de Fort Worth, el Edificio de Seguridad Publica Marshall (las cortes), centros comunitarios, estaciones de depósito y la mayoría de edificios de la ciudad estarán cerrados. La oficina mariscal de Fort Worth que patrulla el lago estará cerrada del 25 a 27 de noviembre.
Las bibliotecas
La Biblioteca Central estará cerrada el 25 a 27 de noviembre. Todas las demás bibliotecas estarán cerradas del 24 a 27 de noviembre.
En los días que las bibliotecas estén cerradas:
Los horarios normales de las bibliotecas resumirán el 28 de noviembre.
]]>The city’s anti-discrimination ordinance was amended on Nov. 10 to prohibit discrimination based on transgender, gender identity or gender expression. Before this more recent amendment, the ordinance already prohibited discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation based on sex, race, national origin, age, disability, religion, color and sexual orientation.
The proposal to amend the ordinance to expand protection to more individuals was made by the city’s Human Relations Commission, which had been studying the issue for two years.
“Fort Worth has always taken the lead when it comes to recognizing the inherent value of each of its residents,” said Estrus Tucker, chairman of the Human Relations Commission. “Over the past four decades, the HRC has worked to make the city more inclusive through various amendments to the ordinance. What better way to ensure that Fort Worth remains an open and inclusive community than to guarantee that no one will be discriminated against than to prohibit discrimination based on transgender, gender identity or gender expression? It’s the right thing to do.”
Fort Worth was one of the first cities in the state to adopt an anti-discrimination ordinance. The original ordinance, approved in 1967, also resulted in the creation of the Human Relations Commission — the first such municipal body in the state. Throughout its 42-year history, the commission has recommended amendments to the ordinance to prohibit discrimination against people who live and work in Fort Worth.
The proposal to extend the protection in the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance has been endorsed by the City Manager’s Diversity Task Force. It was one of 20 task force recommendations presented to the City Council during its last meeting and was the only recommendation that the City Council considered at the Nov. 10 meeting.
For more information, call the Community Relations Department at 817-392-7525.
]]>The City of Fort Worth is kicking off the SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program., which offers qualifying Fort Worth residential water customers up to two new water-saving toilets free.
The goal is to replace high-flow toilets that use 3.5 gallons of water or more per flush (GPF) with WaterSense certified high-efficiency models, using only 1.28 GPF. The toilets are dual-flush models, meaning they have two buttons on the top of the tank. One half-colored button is for a half-flush (0.8 gallons), and the other full-colored button is for a full flush (1.28 gallons).
Saving water today will help Fort Worth have sufficient water supply tomorrow. It is much cheaper to make the water we currently have go further than to import water from East Texas or to build a new reservoir. We will eventually need those other sources, but water-efficiency programs can help delay the need for those expensive new supplies.
Tarrant Regional Water District, which supplies Fort Worth with raw water, is projecting that 24 percent of its future water supply will come from conservation and reuse of existing resources.
To qualify for the SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program, you must be a Fort Worth Water Department residential water customer, your home must have been built before 1994 and the existing toilets must use at least 3 gallons per flush.
Under the voucher program, a customer submits an application to the water department’s conservation section. Once approved, the customer receives a voucher for up to two toilets, provided there are two bathrooms in the home. The customer takes the vouchers to one of the supplier’s three locations and picks up the toilets. Customers are responsible for installation costs. City staff will ensure that the toilets are installed at the homes through site visits. All toilets are white.
To apply for the SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program, call the number or visit the website at the end of this article.
Qualifying customers who are at least 60 years old or who have an annual household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for free toilets and free installation. Conservation Assistance and Retrofit Efficiency (CARE) targets senior citizens and low-income residents. It includes installation by a licensed plumber under contract with the water utility.
To apply for the CARE Program, customers should contact Community Action Partners at 817-392-5790.
Customers with existing 1.6-GPF toilets are not eligible for the SmartFlush program.
A customer renting or leasing a home may apply, but the application must include a signed landlord consent form.
To learn more, call 817-392-8740 or visit savefortworthwater.org.
]]>The Fort Worth Police Department’s new Special Investigative Unit (SIU) will begin investigating criminal allegations involving police employees. The unit includes two sergeants and two detectives.
Before the SIU was established, internal criminal investigations were conducted by other units in the police department, an approach that is not considered a best practice for law enforcement nationwide.
The size of the Fort Worth Police Department makes it necessary to separate these types of investigations, police officials said. Many large-city police departments have established similar investigative units.
A secondary responsibility is to conduct organizational audits of police department operations. The SIU will review operational effectiveness and efficiency to ensure fiscal accountability.
Organizational audits help ensure that the police department is conducting business in accordance with the city’s public safety goals.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Patricia Roberts Harris National Fair Housing Training Academy will present free mortgage lending seminars on foreclosures and deceptive practices.
The seminars are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Preventing Foreclosure will be presented from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dec. 7-9. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that help buyers understand the steps to sustainable homeownership.
The class is recommended for housing professionals, housing counselors and home buyers.
Buyer Beware will be presented from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that help them identify and avoid deceptive practices that impair homeownership.
This class is recommended for housing professionals, counselors and homebuyers.
Both seminars will be at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel, 200 Main St.
For more information, visit the NFHTA website or call 202-314-3422.
]]>Keep your hands clean. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
Cover your cough and your sneeze. Use a tissue or cover your mouth with your sleeve when you sneeze or cough. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
Avoid close contact. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick, too.
Stay at home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent others from catching your illness.
Get vaccinated. This is an important step toward fighting seasonal flu and H1N1. It helps protect you and others.
For more information, call 817-392-MEET (6338)
]]>Two of Fort Worth’s public events facilities will be closed as part of the city’s employee furlough program. Will Rogers Memorial Center will be closed Nov. 16. The Fort Worth Convention Center will be closed Nov. 30. Most other city offices, services and programs observed a furlough day in October.
For more information, call 817-392-MEET (6338)
]]>The Parks and Community Services Department and District 9 Councilmember Joel Burns invite residents to provide feedback on a joint-use facility (community center/elementary school) in Rosemont Park. The meeting will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Riley Conference Center, Room 150. The center is located at the intersection of James Avenue and West Boyce Avenue on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Parking is available at the south end of the building.
To learn more, call 817-392-5744.
]]>Some 142 homes were painted and repaired by more than 3,500 volunteers during last month’s Cowtown Brush Up, a project of the City’s Housing and Economic Development Department.
Keeping homes in good repair does more than support neighborhood property values – well-maintained homes foster community pride and contribute to the city’s overall economic development.
Many of the homes that received facelifts are in Fort Worth’s central city neighborhoods and are owned by families who need a helping hand, such as the elderly or disabled.
Teams of volunteers from local corporations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and faith-based organizations participated by painting and repairing homes.
Since the program began in 1991, more than 2,167 homes in Fort Worth’s central city have received a fresh coat of paint. The program promotes neighborhood stability, creates pride in ownership and stimulates a sense of community among all the citizens of Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth Fire Department reminds you to replace smoke alarm batteries at both the end and beginning of Daylight Saving Time to ensure units provide the best possible protection year round.
Smoke alarms save lives. But they protect you only if they are properly installed and maintained. With very few exceptions, most fire fatalities occur in homes without a working smoke alarm.
Where to install them. The Fort Worth Fire Department recommends that you install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home. Even better is one in every bedroom. Follow the instructions included with the device to ensure proper placement.
Testing is important. When was the last time you heard the alarm sound on your smoke alarm? Battery-operated alarms should be tested monthly to make certain they are working.
Cleanliness counts. When you change batteries, do a little maintenance as well. Dust collects on smoke alarms and may keep units from operating properly. To clean them, use the soft-brush cleaning attachment that is part of most vacuum cleaners.
You might need a new alarm. It’s recommended that smoke alarms be replaced every 10 years. After 10 years, a smoke alarm has worked continuously for more than 87,000 hours. If you don’t know how old your smoke alarm is, replace it with a new one as soon as possible.
]]>Celebrate Texas Recycles Day at a free business recycling event from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 10. Speakers, interactive presentations and vendors will help your business implement recycling and other earth-friendly practices. The workshop will be at the SBDC for Enterprise Excellence, Automation and Robotics Research Institute, 7300 Jack Newell Blvd. S. Preregistration is required. The event is sponsored by the City of Fort Worth, University of Texas at Arlington and the City of Arlington.
]]>The Fort Worth City Council has approved the 2010 water rates, wastewater rates and miscellaneous charges. The changes take effect Jan. 1.
The increases raise the typical residential customer’s water and wastewater charges by $1.10 monthly. The actual changes are based on the size of the water meter — the larger the water meter, the higher the monthly increase.
In addition, the City Council approved adding a 5 percent late fee for payments made three days after the due date and increased three other charges — activation, restoration and transfer — from $10 each to $20 each.
Benchmarking showed that all other large Texas cities assess late fees and that other charges were below the rates of other utilities.
Several factors caused water and wastewater rate increases: higher raw water costs and employee benefits costs, and the addition of costs for other post-employment benefits and a payment in lieu of taxes.
The Water Department took several measures to minimize the rate increase, including reducing staffing and spending, delaying some spending and using available revenue from the debt service fund.
The Rate Structure Customer Advisory Committee reviewed the proposed changes to the water and wastewater rate structure.
The committee did not consider whether rate increases are needed, as this is not its charge. Instead, members looked at the ways the rates are structured to ensure each class of customers (residential, industrial, etc.) pays rates that are fair and equitable.