Topic: Fort Worth

The City of Fort Worth invites you to the following public meetings:

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Dee Kelly Alumni Center
2820 Stadium Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76109

and

Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Deborah Beggs Moncrief Center
(formerly known as the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens)
3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76107

The meetings are being held to receive your comments on the proposed changes to the City’s Zoning Ordinance regarding:

(1) Unrelated Persons & Renters Registration Taskforce Final Recommendations

Five-Year Plan Created to Improve Storm Water Management System
Five people lost their lives in 2004 due to roadway flooding and over 300 homes and businesses were flooded. As a result, City Council directed staff to launch a comprehensive study of storm water management in Fort Worth. More than $500 million in urgent storm water upgrades have been identified throughout the city to prevent property flooding, street flooding, and low water crossings. These problems have occurred over decades due to lower design standards, aging storm drains and lack of funding for reconstruction. With input from a citizen-based advisory committee, city staff has created a five-year plan to begin upgrading the existing storm drain system and to address the city’s storm water needs. City staff has also been working closely with local engineers and developers to update the city’s storm water design standards to ensure that future development does not create additional storm water problems.

How Will This Work Be Funded?
The City proposes to establish a “municipal storm water utility.” This new utility will collect and manage funds to reconstruct and upgrade storm drain systems and provide improved operation and maintenance of the storm water system, including storm drains and drainage channels. The utility would collect fees from all developed property within the city limits—both residential and commercial. Fees would be determined by how much impervious area is on the property (impervious area is a hard surface such as a building, parking lot, or driveway). These hard surfaces cause rainwater to run off properties, rather than being absorbed into the soil.

How Much Will It Cost?
The average residential property fee would be approximately $3 per month; non-residential property fees will vary according to the amount of impervious area on the property. This cost will be added to the monthly water bill.

What goes up must come down, according to the law of physics, and that includes falling bullets from random gunfire - some of which have proven deadly in past New Year’s Eve celebrations.

For example, children and adults alike have been seriously injured and killed by random gunfire during recent New Year’s Eve celebrations. Roof and car damages from haphazard shooting abound during this time of year as well.

Every year, hundreds of Fort Worth residents celebrate New Year’s Eve by discharging weapons into the air. This illegal practice has grown over the past few years and is extremely dangerous.

A bullet fired into the air can climb 2 miles and remain in flight for more than a minute. As it falls, the bullet reaches a velocity of 300 to 700 feet-per-second. A velocity of only 200 feet-per-second is sufficient to penetrate the human skull.

The Fort Worth Police Department warns residents that anyone caught randomly firing a gun into the air will be arrested. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine - that’s if no one is injured or no property is damaged.

Residents are urged to report shots fired by calling 9-1-1. The Police Department is anticipating 1,000 calls for New Year’s Eve, with most calls reporting shots fired.

Police say that even though most people who fire guns into the air don’t realize that bullets fall to the ground at lethal speeds, firing guns into the air within city limits is against the law, regardless of tradition.

So, keep guns out of New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The City of Fort Worth will collect old Christmas trees at the curb on residents' regular garbage and recycling pickup days through January 27th. Residents may place undecorated trees at the curb in front of their home on their regular pickup day. Trees will be collected with yard trimmings and turned into garden mulch instead of taken to a landfill.

Green and flocked trees up to 10 feet tall will be collected at the curb, but you must remove all decorations, stands, nails and plastic bags or other wrapping. Trees longer than 10 feet or set out after January 27th must be cut, bundled and tied with string or twine.

Reusing holiday wrapping paper is a great way to recycle it — just don’t put holiday paper and other decorations in the blue recycling cart.

Wrapping paper, greeting cards, ornaments and other decorations are not accepted in Fort Worth’s curbside recycling program.

Why? Greeting cards often have a plastic coating that prevents them from being recycled. Rich colors in wrapping papers can’t be removed in the recycling process. Metallic finishes, glitter and other ingredients in decorative paper cause additional problems.

However, you may put envelopes in the recycling cart, as long as they don’t have metallic liners or imprints.

Glass, metal and plastic decorations such as tree ornaments, tinsel, fake greenery, holiday light strands and light bulbs cannot be recycled. Put only paper shopping bags in the blue cart; plastic shopping bags are not accepted.

But, there are other ways to recycle over the holidays:

• Wrap gifts in newspaper, especially the colorful Sunday comic section.

• Save wrapping paper, gift bags, bows and other decorations to use next year.

• Donate old greeting cards to charities that refurbish them for fundraising projects.

• Save this year’s greeting card fronts to recycle as gift tags next year.

• Reuse packing cartons and shipping materials such as shredded paper, bubble wrap and foam peanuts. Or, drop off extra packing materials at private mailing centers that accept them.

For more information about curbside recycling in Fort Worth, call 817-392-EASY (3279) or visit www.fortworthgov.org/dem on the Web.

This project involves the street construction for North Tarrant Parkway from IH-35W to US 377. (MAP) North Tarrant Parkway is being widened to a four-lane divided roadway with storm drain and traffic signal improvements.

The following information has been provided by Austin Bridge & Road:

North Tarrant Parkway from Riverside Drive to North Beach Street is scheduled to be opened to eastbound traffic on Friday, December 16.

Eastbound and westbound traffic on North Tarrant Parkway from North Beach Street to US 377 will be shifted to the new lanes (north half of the roadway) on Wednesday, December 14. The existing south half will be reconstructed.

There will be no major construction activity by Austin Bridge & Road from December 23, 2005 through January 2, 2006.

For more information, please contact Mike Weiss of the City of Fort Worth Transportation/Public Works Department at (817) 392-8485.

Street lights in the Villages of Woodland Springs which are not functioning need to be reported to the city for repair.

WHERE TO CALL: While TPW is responsible for maintenance of city streets and signage, the street lights in VOWS are maintained by Tri-County Electric Cooperative Inc -

(817) 431-1541

- Keller District, Keller, TX 76248

You can still call TPW and report a street light and they will pass it on:

24-hour Customer Service Numbers are:

817-871-7738 Direct number to those who can help or
817-392-8100 Operator assistance to report street lights not working
817-392-6596 To request new street lights

For Safety's Sake: If you notice a street light that does not work, please call it in. These street lights are such an important tool in crime prevention!!! The city of Fort Worth (our tax dollars) pays Tri-County Electric for maintaining our street lights.

Many of the street lights in VOWS are not working (or they are cycling on and off). Please note the street address that has any street light outages, and report it to the numbers listed above.

Burglar alarm activations in the City of Fort Worth are false 98 percent of the time and consume valuable police resources.

In order to continue encouraging residents and businesses to use burglar alarms responsibly and make repairs when necessary, new penalties for excessive false burglar alarms went into effect Nov. 1.

Previously, up to five false alarms were allowed before a $50-fee was imposed. The new fee structure is as follows:

• Annual Permit Fee: $50
• 1-3 false alarm calls in 12 months: no charge
• 4-5 false alarm calls in 12 months: $50 each call
• 6-7 false alarm calls in 12 months: $75 each call
• 8 or more false alarm calls in 12 months: $100 per call
• 3 or more false panic/robbery calls in 12 months: $60 per call.

In addition, permits will be revoked at locations that accrue eight false alarms in a 12-month period. Revoked permits can be restored upon documentation of appropriate repairs to the alarm system.

The Fort Worth Police Department does not respond to alarms at locations without valid permits. However, all panic and hold-up alarms do receive a response.

The members of the Fort Worth Police Department would like to thank everyone for your support and prayers during this difficult time. Officer Hank Nava passed away on December 1st.  We ask that you keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Visitation for Officer Hank Nava will be Sunday, December 4th at Greenwood Funeral Home, 3100 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Funeral Services will be Monday, December 5th, at 1:00 pm at the Birchman Baptist Church, 9100 N. Normandale, Fort Worth. Burial services will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, 3100 White Settlement Road. Map to Church and Funeral Home Channel 8 (www.wfaa.com) and Channel 11 (www.cbs11tv.com) will be showing the service in real time on their websites. Charter Cable Channel 7 will show a delayed program. When the date and time of the cable program is announced, it will be noted on this site.

Hank was a very well-liked and respected officer and not only are his fellow officers saddened by this tragedy, but also the community that Hank served. We know you each share in our grief and we thank you for your continued thoughts and support. Working together we can honor Hank's dedication to the community.

We have received many e-mails of support and Hank's family will receive each of those messages. Some have asked about ways they could help and offered below are three options.

• Donations may be mailed or taken to:
  Fort Worth Police Officers' Association (FWPOA)
  904 Collier
  Fort Worth, TX 76102
  
  Checks should be made payable to Chase Bank. A permanent trust fund for Hank's children is currently being set up.



• Donations may be made at any Chase Bank. Please inform the teller that you are donating to the fund for the family of Fort Worth Officer Hank Nava.



• Blood donations may be made at any Carter Blood Care location.

You may e-mail any messages to the family at: fwpdweb@fortworthpd.com

FORT WORTH (November 16, 2005)—Customers should be noticing an improvement in the taste and odor of the drinking water. The Water Department is continuing to add powder activated carbon to the treatment process at the South Holly Water plant. It is our belief the problem should be significantly better in the next day or two. Because of the source water changes that will remain in effect through at least the end of 2005, customers may still notice a slight difference in the water they receive.

FORT WORTH (November 15, 2005)--Because of unseasonably warm temperatures, the Fort Worth Water Department has had to implement operational changes. The changes include switching water sources for the Holly water treatment plants.

Despite a significant boost in the number of impounds at the Fort Worth Animal Care and Control Center during the 2005 fiscal year, the percent of animals placed through adoption and rescue increased for the second consecutive year.

Although this trend is an achievement, impounds are up and thousands of animals still never make it out alive," said James Agyemang, Animal Care and Control manager. "But we are making progress and residents can help by adopting from our shelter and by licensing, vaccinating and sterilizing their pets."

More than 22,500 animals were impounded in fiscal year 2005. About 7,000 animals were placed through adoption and rescue groups, equal to 31 percent of all impounds. Unfortunately, 15,500 had to be euthanized-mostly due to lack of identification.

The euthanasia numbers stand as an indicator of how critical the pet overpopulation problem remains. Animal Care and Control officials say their work won't be done as long as there are irresponsible pet owners who fail to restrain, license, vaccinate and sterilize their animals.

If you or someone you know is thinking of getting a pet, visit to the Fort Worth Animal Care and Control Center to view the many cats and dogs in all sizes, ages and breeds available for adoption. Adoption hours are from noon to 6 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. Cost for adoption is $50 for cats and $70 for dogs, which includes initial shots, a microchip and a voucher for a rabies vaccination and spay/neuter operation. Those interested in adopting an animal can call the shelter at 817-392-3737.

If your personal documents are no longer necessary and are taking up valuable space, the City of Fort Worth invites you to cut the clutter.

The city is partnering with Rock-Tenn Recycling to bring you Fort Worth Shred Day from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 12. This FREE event will be held at Rock-Tenn Recycling, 1100 NE 23rd St. near the Stockyards (Mapsco 62M) and is open to all Fort Worth residents.

Residents can bring up to 100 pounds (about five full boxes) of household papers such as old files, bills and more. No plastic or metals will be accepted; however, staples and paperclips are allowed.

Volunteers will be available to unload vehicles. Please keep all paper contained in boxes or paper bags for security purposes. Participants will receive a certificate of destruction to ensure their documents are securely destroyed. All paper will be shredded and then recycled.

Fort Worth Shred Day is conducted in concert with Texas Recycles Day — an annual holiday created to increase recycling.

News from Sal Espino - District 2 Councilmember

Dear VOWS Residents – Here is the information I have received on the Newtown Business Park Project. Whenever, the city annexes property, the default zoning provision is AG for agricultural. The applicant is requesting “I” for Industrial. This land is currently in unincorporated Tarrant County and so under state law, even if annexed, if the owner completes the work before November 8th, the City of FW is somewhat limited. This is a concept called vested rights. This is the problem we in Fort Worth are trying to correct by annexing enclaves – pockets of unincorporated Tarrant County or Denton County surrounded by the City of Fort Worth.

The Fort Worth Water Department advises residents to be suspicious of individuals posing as Water Department employees or contractors to gain access to your home.

The department recently received a complaint of a man posing as a Water Department contractor visiting a home to do a meter investigation.

The Water Department advises residents to keep the following in mind:

1. Only City of Fort Worth employees — not contractors — perform all meter investigations and water-quality sampling.


2. Water employees are not authorized to collect money in the field. All charges or credits are handled through the water bill.


3. Water employees never need to enter a resident’s home to check water pressure or sample water quality. If a customer calls to complain about the quality of the water coming out of the faucet, a Water employee would take the sample from an outside faucet at that address.


4. Water employees drive a marked vehicle, wear a uniform and have their city identification card hanging around their neck or clipped to their uniform. These identification cards have the employee’s photo on them. All city of Fort Worth employees carry identification cards with their photographs on it.

It’s rare that a Water employee would ever need to enter a home. So, if you are approached by people claiming to be city employees, ask to see identification. If they are making a false claim, they are committing fraud, and the resident should call 817-335-4222 immediately to report the incident to the Fort Worth Police Department. Also call the Water Department at 817-392-4477.

The first time Fort Worth residents went to the polls to adopt a new city charter and a council/manager form of government, some 10,000 residents cast their votes — 6,729 in favor and 3,481 opposed. That was 1924.

Since then, there have been 11 charter amendment elections. The last was in August 1991. The next could be May 2006. That’s providing a Charter Review Advisory Committee, appointed by Fort Worth City Council, finds enough public interest in current proposed changes or amendments to warrant an election.

City of Fort Worth
Transportation Public Works Department
1000 Throckmorton Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Dear Neighbor:

You are cordially invited to participate in the City of Fort Worth Mobility and Air Quality Plan Public Meeting.

The City of Fort Worth, in coordination with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority is conducting a Mobility and Air Quality (MAQ) Study. The overall goal of the study is to develop a strategically sound, financially feasible, environmentally responsible approach to providing transportation infrastructure and services to the citizens of Fort Worth and the DFW region.

The purpose of the meeting is to give citizens the opportunity to identify how the area’s transportation system could better serve the needs of residents, businesses, visitors and the economy in general. Your input is vital to determine the real needs of Fort Worth and it’s surrounding communities.

The meeting will be held Tuesday October 18, 2005 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, West Meeting Room 108. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is schedule from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Should you need additional information please contact Amber Mitchell at (817) 392-2443 or Don Williams at (817) 392-8702.

Dear Far North FW Residents:

As September 2005 approaches to an end, I wanted to share the following with you:

1. District 2 Advisory Council – I have changed the name of this group from District 2 Advisory Committee to District 2 Advisory Council. There are three committees: Northside/Diamond Hill, Riverside, and Far NFW. The Far NFW Committee Chair is Pauline Veness. Pauline is a community volunteer who serves on the Villages of Woodland Springs Advisory Committee. You may reach Pauline at veness@1scom.net. We are trying to make sure that all Far NFW communities in District 2 are represented on this committee. The goal of each work committee is to work with the City of FW Planning Department and with me in developing short-term and long-term priorities for each distinct region of District 2. In addition, we will host town hall meetings in Northside/Diamond Hill, Riverside, and Far NFW. If you are interested in serving on the Far NFW Committee, please contact Pauline at the email address above.

2. Comprehensive Plan Update - There will be a meeting on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 7 p.m. at Woodland Springs Elementary whereby the Planning Department from the City of FW will provide an overview of the Comprehensive Plan and Update. Please attend this very important meeting and contact Pauline Veness with any questions you may have. I cannot attend because as the Chairman of the City Council’s Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, I will be in Washington, D.C. attending a summit with the U.S. Senate hosted by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson from Texas and Sen. Mel Martinez from Florida. To view the Comprehensive Plan, see http://www.fortworthgov.org/planning/comprehensiveplan/06/index.htm

3. Multi-family update - It is my understanding that the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has continued the pre-application review for CityParc at Golden Triangle until October 13, 2005. As indicated previously, I have submitted a letter reflecting neighborhood opposition and I learned a few days ago that the Keller ISD did as well. Both the Keller ISD and I have also submitted letters of neighborhood opposition to the Generations at North Tarrant Parkway project in the 8700 block of Old Denton Road. I can tell you that Pauline Veness and the Far North FW Committee are going to take a very serious look at multi-family zoning in Far NFW.

4. Budget - For the fourth year in a row, homeowners will see no change in the city’s property tax rate. The rate will remain at 86.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. On a $100,000 home, with a standard 20 percent homestead exemption, property tax at the current rate is $692 annually, or about $58 per month. The overall budget is 838,599,259 for fiscal 2005-06 of which $445,347,172 is in the general fund. For a summary of the budget, please see http://www.fortworthgov.org/cmo/pio/citypage/2005/cp2005919.asp#2. I tried to obtain as much money as we could for streets/roads. The City of FW has over $392 million dollars of streets in poor condition which need to be redone. I have also been appointed to serve on the City Council’s Infrastructure and Transportation Committee. We will also be looking at working with City Staff, TXDot, and others on I-35W North, particularly the 820 bottleneck. I also serve on the Economic Development and Central City Revitalization Committee (includes Housing and is a committee of the entire council). If we do not resolve the I-35W issue, we will continue to suffer in terms of air quality, mobility, and economic development. Carlton Powell who is Vice-Chairman of the Woodland Springs Advisory Committee serves on the Project Advisory Committee (PAC) of the Mobility and Air Quality Plan for the City of FW. Carlton’s email is CPowell@imagenetos.com.