Place only recyclable items and materials in your blue recycling cart. Everything else can go in your green trash cart. Products made from paper, cardboard, plastics #1-7, glass, cartons, and metal cans can all go in your blue cart. Items can go in your blue cart loose, without a bag. Unfortunately not everything can be recycled. Things like hoses, holiday lights, Styrofoam, and coat hangers should all go in your green cart. Plastic shopping bags also cannot go in your blue cart, but can be taken to a local grocery store to be recycled. F D E NT O Y To learn more about the City s recycling program, visit www.dentonrecycles.com. W AS CL ING ON CI T Ever wondered what happens to all the paper and cardboard we recycle? Once you place items into your blue recycling cart, they are picked up by one of the City s recycling trucks and taken to our materials recovery facility where items are sorted by material type. Your paper and cardboard are then sent to Shreveport, LA where they are processed and turned into sheets of 100 percent recycled paper. That paper gets put on a truck and is brought to a box factory in Ft. Worth to be made into brand new boxes. The boxes you place in your cart may have already been recycled more than once in their lifetime. ID OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2018 Choosing to recycle makes a big impact. When you recycle, items can be made into new products instead of piling up in Denton s landfill. In order to ensure that recyclable materials are preserved, here are a few tips to help you recycle right. SOL RESIDENT UPDATE CITY OF DENTON RECYCLE RIGHT: HOW YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE RECYCLABLE MATERIALS C TE & RE Y
IN THIS ISSUE Recycle Right...1 From the Mayor...2 Upcoming Public Meetings...2 Denton City Council...2 Text to 9-1-1 Available for Emergencies...3 Follow the City on YouTube...3 New Engage Denton Mobile App...3 City Adopts Fiscal Year 2018-19 Budget...4 Road Diets Can Improve More Than Safety...5 Give the City Your Feedback...5 Improving Denton: Project Updates...6 Learn More About Denton Gas Wells...6 Fall Season Brings Activities to Denton...7 UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS DENTON CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, Oct. 9 Tuesday, Oct. 16 Tuesday, Oct. 23 Tuesday, Nov. 6 Tuesday, Nov. 13 Tuesday, Nov. 27 PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD Monday, Oct. 8 Monday, Oct. 22 Monday, Nov. 12 Monday, Nov. 26 FROM THE MAYOR Welcome to the anniversary issue of Resident Update. We launched this bimonthly newsletter in October of last year to give you, our residents, a chance to hear directly from your local government about what is happening in your city. This issue includes information about how you can help us preserve recyclable materials rather than have them end up in the landfill. You can also learn how you if you re in an emergency situation that doesn t allow you to call for help can send a text message to 9-1-1. You ll learn about the City s new mobile app, Engage Denton, that gives you the opportunity to request non-emergency services or report issues using your smartphone. Additionally, we ve included information about the newly adopted 2018-19 budget; how you can give us feedback about Denton s services, programs, and qualityof life with the community-wide citizen survey; and updates on a few of the City s current construction projects. I also hope you ll join us at some of the great activities happening in Denton this time of year. From the Halloween events to the Library s themed StoryTimes, there is always something going on around town. DENTON CITY COUNCIL PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Wednesday, Oct. 10 Wednesday, Oct. 24 Wednesday, Nov. 14 Wednesday, Nov. 28 2 These and other public meetings are broadcast live on DTV and at www.cityofdenton.com/dtv. For a current list of meetings and agendas, visit www.cityofdenton.com/public-meetings. Chris Watts, Mayor Chris.Watts@cityofdenton.com Gerard Hudspeth, District 1 Gerard.Hudspeth@cityofdenton.com Keely G. Briggs, District 2 Keely.Briggs@cityofdenton.com Don Duff, District 3 Don.Duff@cityofdenton.com John Ryan, District 4 John.Ryan@cityofdenton.com Deb Armintor, At Large Place 5 Deb.Armintor@cityofdenton.com Paul Meltzer, At Large Place 6 Paul.Meltzer@cityofdenton.com Not sure who your Council Member is? Visit www.cityofdenton.com, click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner, and type Find My Council Member in the search bar.
TEXT TO 9-1-1 AVAILABLE FOR DENTON EMERGENCIES In Denton, residents who are unable to make a voice call can send a text message to 9-1-1 in case of an emergency. Under the right conditions, Text to 9-1-1 can be an invaluable tool for those requesting emergency services. Examples include: Deaf, hearing-impaired, or speech-impaired callers. Reporting a crime when speaking could put the caller at risk. Victims facing domestic abuse. There are limitations when it comes to 9-1-1 texting. If you need to text 9-1-1 in an emergency, keep the following things in mind: A text or data plan is required. Text location services are not precise; you must give your exact location. Messages may be delayed and/or delivered out of order. Pictures and videos are not supported; type out any messages. Text to 9-1-1 may not be available if you are roaming. Service may not be available in all areas, or may be temporarily unavailable at times. Texts to 9-1-1 cannot include other recipients; do not send emergency texts via a group message. To learn more about Text to 9-1-1, visit the Denco Area 9-1-1 District website at www.denco.org/text. FOLLOW THE CITY ON YOUTUBE Denton s government access channel, DTV, is dedicated to providing programming that is centered on our services and community activities. Full episodes of popular program series, including DTV Newsbreak, Denton Developments, and Preservation Denton, can be watched anytime by visiting the City s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/cityofdenton. Subscribe to the City s channel and you ll receive an email notification when new videos are posted. NEW MOBILE APP GIVES RESIDENTS THE ABILITY TO SUBMIT REQUESTS OR REPORT ISSUES ON THE GO The City recently launched Engage Denton, a new app that gives residents the ability to submit non-emergency requests for services or report issues from the convenience of their smartphone. To submit a request or report an issue such as pothole repairs, property maintenance issues, or a street light outage download and open the app, select your request type, add a picture and description, and the City will get to work. You will receive periodic updates about the request and will also have the ability to communicate with City staff through the app. Links to other City services are also available, including utility bill pay, adoptable pets, and job opportunities. Engage Denton is available in the App Store and Google Play. For additional information and to submit a service request or report an issue online, visit www.engagedenton.com. 3
CITY ADOPTS FISCAL YEAR 2018-19 BUDGET On Sept. 18, the City Council officially adopted the 2018-19 budget. The City of Denton budget represents an investment in our community, an investment made by taxpayers, ratepayers, residents, and businesses to make Denton a great place to live, work, and play. The City budget process is long, and sometimes complicated, but it s important for all residents to know the value of their tax dollars. $2.47 invested in Parks capital projects. This includes playground replacements and expanded facilities at the tennis center. $12.12 invested in other capital projects, such as vehicle replacements and facility improvements. $0.97 invested in drainage projects. This includes the South Bell drainage system. $18.78 invested in street projects approved in the 2014 bond program, including 200+ street segments and rail quiet zones. $7.46 invested in public safety capital projects. This includes new fire stations and a radio system replacement. The average Denton homeowner pays $120.61 per month in property taxes to the City of Denton. $4.38 invested in our libraries. This includes the operations and programming at all three branches and increasing our downloadable and streaming services. $6.27 invested in Parks & Recreation. This includes expanding operating hours at North Lakes and Denia Rec Centers and enhancement to the online registration software. $23.53 invested in Police & Animal Services. This includes four new police positions, one new investigator, and one new victim advocate. $2.35 invested in transportation. This includes funding for the Traffic Signal Maintenance Program. $20.87 invested in Fire and Community Improvement Services. This includes operations at seven fire stations, new EMS medic equipment, station alerting, and three new firefighters. $1.53 invested in community development. $1.61 invested in City administration and legal services. $4.47 invested in economic development. $13.80 invested in other services. 4
SUMMER SPLASH TIME ROAD DIETS CAN IMPROVE MORE THAN JUST SAFETY A road realignment that removes travel lanes from a roadway and utilizes the space for other uses and travel modes is often referred to as a road diet. A road diet is typically considered as part of complete street strategies that provide facilities for alternative modes of transportation, such as bicycles. When used appropriately, road diets can improve safety, convenience, and quality of life for all road users. The most common road diet happens when an undivided four-lane roadway is realigned into a three-lane undivided roadway with two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane. The reduction in through lanes allows the roadway space to be reallocated for other uses, BEFORE AFTER such as bike lanes, pedestrian refuge islands, transit uses, and/or parking. The road diet helps reduce vehicle-to-vehicle conflict points, reduce the speed differential, and provide safe lanes of travel for alternate modes of transportation, like a marked bike lane. Over the past few years, as the City of Denton worked to implement our Bike Plan, streets in Denton were identified as ideal candidates for implementing bicycle facilities, and three street segments were identified as candidates for road diets: Eagle Drive between North Texas and Carroll Boulevards, Malone Street between University Drive and Oak Street, and Welch Street between Eagle Drive and Hickory Street. The City has already implemented the road diet along Eagle Drive and is working to implement one along Malone Street, with Welch Street scheduled to begin next year. Both before and after the Eagle Drive road diet, the City conducted traffic studies. We found that travel speeds along Eagle Drive have decreased, while bicycle usage has increased, creating a safe travel route for both vehicles and cyclists. GIVE THE CITY YOUR FEEDBACK WITH THE NEW ONLINE CITIZEN SURVEY The City of Denton is conducting a comprehensive community-wide survey to get resident perspectives about the community and available services. The survey is an important tool to help the City improve services and programs and the quality of life in Denton. All residents living in Denton are eligible to participate by going online to www.cityofdenton.com/citizensurvey by Oct. 15 and following the instructions. If you have questions about the survey, call (940) 349-8433 or email Charles.Rosendahl@cityofdenton.com. The survey is being conducted by National Research Center, Inc. (NRC), an independent and experienced public sector research and evaluation firm. NRC will present the results of the survey later this year. 5
IMPROVING DENTON: PROJECT UPDATES City crews are working throughout Denton to improve the roadways and other below-ground infrastructure. A number of large projects are currently underway or are planned for the fall that may affect the traffic in your area. Eagle Drive Drainage Improvements (Present through Aug. 2019): This $2.54 million project is the second phase of improvements on Eagle Drive that will enhance the drainage system between Myrtle and Elm Streets on the south side of Downtown. Look out for detours and lane closures along Eagle Drive and Elm Street. Pecan Creek Tributary Four Drainage (PEC 4) Improvements Phases 1 and 2 (Dec. 2018 through 2020): Downtown Denton is ready for another set of drainage upgrades, this time along Elm and Locust Streets, between Hickory Street and Eagle Drive. The total cost of this drainage project is $21.2 million. In the future, Phases 3 and 4 will make upgrades between Prairie and Mulberry Streets beginning in 2021. Hickory Creek Road West (Dec. 2018 through Dec. 2019): Hickory Creek Road, between Teasley Lane and Riverpass Drive, will be widened from two lanes to four lanes, and the sidewalk will be extended in some places. This $6.2 million project will help Denton accommodate growth in this area of the city. New Water Main Line along Bonnie Brae Street (Dec. 2018 through Dec. 2019): This $8.1 million project will upgrade the water line to the southern portions of the city. Nearly 10,000 linear feet will be upsized between Roselawn Drive and I-35E. Magnolia Drive Drainage Project (Dec. 2018 through Dec. 2019): Phase 2 of this $7.2 million project is set to begin in December, and will include multiple improvements. Crews will begin by installing new box culverts on Hinkle and Windsor Drives, from Pecan Creek Road to Windsor. Then they will reconstruct the asphalt pavement on Hinkle, between University and Windsor, and on Windsor between Hinkle and North Elm Street. Find out more about these and other current construction projects by visiting www.improvingdenton.com. LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTON GAS WELLS 6 The city of Denton is located atop the eastern edge of the Barnett Shale. As a result, numerous gas wells have been drilled within our city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The City has created a gas well locator map for the public to show where all gas wells are located in Denton. In addition to showing the location, the interactive map provides information on an individual-well basis, including operator info, permits issued, status of the well, and reports from inspections performed by the City and its contractor, Modern Geosciences. The City and Modern Geosciences perform regular inspections on wells within the city limits to ensure compliance with the City s gas well ordinance, municipal code, and fire code. Details concerning these inspections are provided in the Ongoing Inspection Program section of the Gas Well Inspections page of the City s website, www.cityofdenton.com. Reports from the contractor are formatted to include a cover letter with any action items noted, inspection results, photographic documentation, and a padsite map. Due to the timing and scheduling of inspections, every well does not currently have a report from the contractor. However, as additional contractor inspections are completed, reports will be uploaded and a complete inventory will be established. For more information about gas wells, or to review the inspection reports, visit www.cityofdenton.com, click on the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner, and search gas well inspections. For questions or concerns, call (940) 349-8369 or email GasWells@cityofdenton.com.
FALL SEASON BRINGS ACTIVITIES TO DENTON Now that the heat of summer has come and gone, it s time to fill your family calendar with many of the fun, family-friendly Denton activities that come with the cooler weather of the fall season. Halloween Harvest Friday, Oct. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. Denia Rec Center, 1001 Parvin St. Come one, come all to the free and fun Halloween Harvest and enjoy carnival games, bounce house, DJ music, a traditional hayride, $1 rock climbing, and a costume contest for the entire family. End the night in the park after dark with a free showing of the movie Ghostbusters. Neighborhood Empowerment Summit Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. MLK Jr. Rec Center, 1300 Wilson St. The Neighborhood Empowerment Summit is designed to help you implement programs that reflect the needs and values of your neighborhood. During the Summit, you ll be introduced to neighborhood programs and grants available through the City. For more information, visit www.cityofdenton.com/neighborhoodplanning. Spooky StoryTime Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7 a.m. North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust St. Saturday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. South Branch Library, 3228 Teasley Ln. Thursday, Oct. 25 at 10 and 11 a.m. South Branch Library, 3228 Teasley Ln. Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. Emily Fowler Central Library, 502 Oakland St. Come have a spooktacular good time at this haunted Halloween StoryTime. Wear your costumes and take part in a library trick-or-treat parade. Not too scary for little ones. Ages 1-5. Halloween Carnival Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon MLK Jr. Rec Center, 1300 Wilson St. It s the sweetest time of year, so rally your kids for trick-or-treating fun! Enjoy free carnival games, goodie bags, face painting, bounce houses, low-priced concessions, and a costume contest. Area 21 Haunted House Saturday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. MLK Jr. Rec Center, 1300 Wilson St. $3 per person; $2 each time after. For more information about Denton Parks & Rec activities and programs, visit www.dentonparks.com. Friends of the Libraries BIG Book Sale Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust St. $1 per person; cash or check only. In addition to books, the sale will feature DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks in like-new condition. Most items are priced at 50 and $1. For a complete list of Denton Public Library events and activities, visit library.cityofdenton.com. 7
CITY OF DENTON RESIDENT UPDATE OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2018 STAY CONNECTED www.cityofdenton.com /cityofdenton @cityofdentontx A publication of the City of Denton ADA/EOE/ADEA TDD (800) 735-2989 wwww.cityofdenton.com /cityofdenton