In Alabama this year, fires and fire-related injuries have caused 16 deaths. Most, if not all, of these deaths could have been prevented with a few small steps. Here are some tips from the Hartselle Fire Department to help keep you and your family safe:
Most home fires occur in the kitchen while cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food – if you must leave, turn off the stove.
Never use the range or oven to heat your home.
When in use, move barbecue grills out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Keep grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings.
Keep flammable materials at least three feet away from heat sources.
Make sure cigarettes are put out and discarded safely.
Replace worn or damaged appliance cords, and avoid running cords under rugs.
When HU converted to a ‘new’ accounting system in November 2014, all customer account numbers were changed. However, some customers still list their old account numbers on their payments, and this creates more work for the Customer Service staff who post payments. Please help us by making sure your payment includes your current account number!
The shell of the new Zaxby’s is taking shape on Hwy 31. The lot was previously a truck stop and carwash, and HU crews removed several old water connections to get the site ready for the new building.
Hartselle has several new commercial developments coming to the city in 2017. Along Highway 31, construction has begun on several projects including Zaxby’s, Hartselle Medical Plaza, and the 31 Centre shopping mall.
“The City of Hartselle is very excited to see new growth in the commercial/retail area,” says Hartselle Mayor Randy Garrison. “We welcome Zaxby’s, Arby’s, 31 Centre and Hartselle Medical Plaza as new members of the Hartselle family. We appreciate the confidence the new developers have in our city and are thankful to them for investing in Hartselle.”
The new developments will help boost Hartselle Utilities’ number of commercial customers. HU has also provided utility service to a new mini-storage facility on the south end of Hwy. 31, and will also be providing utilities for the Alfa Insurance building that will be torn down and reconstructed on the same site.
“We have seen a definite spike in commercial development over the past few months, and we are working hard to provide the desired utilities to each of these new establishments,” says HU Engineering Services Manager Daxton Maze.
Construction at Zaxby’s, located on Hwy 31 next to O’Reilly’s, is well underway and all utility connections have been installed as of April, with the addition of a new hydrant for fire protection.
Hartselle Medical Plaza will be at the corner of Hwy. 31 and Mynatt Street. It will house several medical providers, including a general physician practice, physical rehabilitation, and a pharmacy. Hartselle Utilities has provided underground power, installed a new manhole, and provided eight domestic water meters as part of the utility connection costs for the developer.
Alfa Insurance, located on Hwy. 31 next to the HU Water Tank, will be demolishing their existing structure and building a new office at the same location. HU has assisted in providing temporary water for an on-site agent office where the employees will work during construction.
Across from Eddie Preuitt Ford, 31 Centre is a new three tenant development that will be anchored by Arby’s. Construction began on this project the first week of April.
“We believe this is just the beginning of growth the city will be experiencing in the near future and welcome others who are contemplating expanding to take a look at Hartselle,” says Mayor Garrison. “We look forward to working with Hartselle Utilities on new projects as we all join together to move Hartselle forward.”
Getting a project going
Prior to most commercial projects, developers inquire to HU about availability of utilities to determine their site layout and utility locations. HU will provide field locates for verification for ‘as-built’ developer construction maps. Also, HU provides an estimated cost of connection for each utility per our customer service and rates policies.
HU’s Engineering Staff and Field Crew Superintendent hold a meeting with each developer and general contractor prior to construction to ensure all questions are answered and all details are ironed out. Developments are reviewed at several levels prior to being approved for construction, including the Technical Review Committee that consists of City of Hartselle Development Department, City of Hartselle consulting engineer, Hartselle Fire Department, Hartselle Public Works, and Hartselle Utilities Engineering Department. The plans are inspected for proper utility sizing, adequate fire protection, adequate means of ingress and egress, proper site drainage, appropriate signage, along with other items.
The Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning and Adjustment are also often involved in the approval process of developments.
“As a utility provider, our goal is to assist the developers with the construction process, ensuring we are on time with our pieces of the project, along with providing open communication to make certain the project can stay on schedule,” says Maze.
Hartselle has just had one of the driest seasons ever, and many residents are planning to spend more time watering lawns and gardens this summer to compensate for Mother Nature. Water used outside doesn’t enter into our wastewater system, and so Hartselle Utilities has a long-standing policy to cap summer sewer fees.
Water and Wastewater are two separate services provided by Hartselle Utilities. HU purchases water from Decatur Utilities and distributes it to customers. Wastewater – what is returned through the sewer pipes – is treated at HU’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and cleaned before it is returned to Shoal Creek.
Sewer charges are higher than water charges, because the costs to treat wastewater to meet federal and state standards, and ensure that it is clean enough to be returned safely to our environment, are higher than the cost to purchase water.
Hartselle Utilities meters the amount of water each customer uses each month. Typically, most of the water a household uses enters the sewer system as waste, so each customer’s water bill is used to calculate their sewer fees. This is the national standard for calculating residential wastewater treatment charges.
During the summer months, residents generally use more water outdoors – to irrigate lawns, top off swimming pools and wash cars, for example – and this water does not enter the sewer system. For this reason, HU sets a cap for the summer sewer rates at 120 percent of the average of each customer’s winter usage. From May 1 to October 31, customers are not charged a sewer fee for water used above the cap.
HU uses the months between November and April to calculate winter averages, and then caps each customer’s summer sewer rates at 120 percent of that figure. If a customer does not have a long enough billing history to provide a winter average, the system average is used to calculate their summer sewer cap.
HU customers who use a great deal of water outdoors year-round might consider an outdoor water irrigation meter, says Customer Service Manager Terri Harris. The cost to install a one-inch irrigation meter is $528. There is no sewer charge for water received through an irrigation meter.
However, Harris cautions, for the typical household with a backyard garden, the cost of an irrigation meter does not lower the customer’s sewer bill enough to pay for itself. She strongly suggests that customers considering an irrigation meter calculate their total costs, and the expected savings, before installing one.
Hartselle Utilities Board Chairman Ed Monroe has been reappointed to the Board of Directors by the Hartselle City Council. Monroe has just completed his second term on HU’s Board of Directors, marking twelve years of service. We appreciate his commitment to HU.
Justin Wunch is the newest employee to join Hartselle Utilities. As a member of the Meter Reading Department, he is one of the faces you may see out reading meter routes throughout our service area. Justin came to work for HU on October 31, 2016. His strong mechanical background along with his eager attitude and diligence toward serving our customers in the City of Hartselle makes him an excellent asset to this department. Justin and his wife, Kristen, are both natives of Hartselle. We are excited to have Justin join the HU family.
HU recently held its annual Employee Milestone Service Recognition dinner to honor employees who achieved five-year employment anniversaries during 2016.
Congratulations to these employees; we thank you for your hard work and dedication.
(left to right) Steve Terry, Josh Owens, Talton Johns, Chris Burgess
35 YearsSteve Terry, Water System Operator
25 YearsChris Burgess, Electric Foreman
20 YearsTalton Johns, Meter Technician
(left to right) Stephen Johnson, Michael Halbrooks, Mark Campbell, Chad Henry, Cody Clemons
15 YearsJosh Owens, Electric Lineman; Sidney Mills, Equipment Operator(Not pictured);Lynn Wood, Field Services Superintendent (Not pictured)
10 YearsChad Henry, Electric Lineman; Mark Campbell, Wastewater Treatment Plant Lead Operator; Stephen Johnson, Sanitary Sewer Line Cleaning Leadman
5 YearsCody Clemons, Water Foreman; Michael Halbrooks, Installer
‘Minor’ water leaks account for more than one trillion gallons of water wasted annually in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And high water bills — often caused by water leaks — are the number one customer complaint at Hartselle Utilities.
EPA has designated the third week in March as Fix a Leak Week. “We encourage our customers to check their homes for water leaks,” say Hartselle Utilities General Manager Bob Sittason, “and the EPA’s Fix a Leak Week is a good reminder to do that.”
Common types of leaks include worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and leaking showerheads. All are easily corrected.
Positive that your home does not have a water leak? Sittason offers this tip: check your water meter before and after a two-hour period, when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.
“Any water usage in your home, intentional or not, will register on your water meter. If you discover a leak,” Sittason says, “let us know. Major leaks, such as those outside your home, can be very costly. We may be able to adjust your water bill, and make sure that it doesn’t skew the numbers used to calculate your summer sewer cap. ”
Hartselle’s Main Street during the 1950s, decorated for Christmas. (Photo courtesy of Hartselle Historical Society)
Hartselle was founded in 1870 by George Hartsell looking for a stop along the railway. This area offered a preferred location and thus the city we now call home was born. Hartselle was an agricultural area and businesses offering services related to agriculture soon sprang up around the railroad depot which was located on what is now Railroad Street.
Hartselle continued as an agricultural area for many years with many who resided in nearby communities making their living from the fertile soil in the area. Many of those who resided in Hartselle offered retail or banking to those who came into Hartselle to conduct business.
With the growth of industry in nearby Decatur and Huntsville as well as industry that located in Hartselle after World War II, the community expanded and moved away from the agricultural roots that were grown deep in the area.
Hartselle continued to grow and expand not only in population but in area as well with land that was previously farmed, now sold, divided and used as property locations for new housing for those now calling Hartselle home and for expanding families.
Hartselle took a huge step in 1973 when the city fathers pulled away from the Morgan County School System and Hartselle City Schools was formed. As the school system grew so did Hartselle. The city continues to be known for the highly ranked test scores from Hartselle schools and the system continues to bring new families to Hartselle for the educational opportunities.
Hartselle is also able to offer recreational areas that would be the envy of many larger cities, offering fields for football, baseball, soccer, basketball and an aquatic center. Hartselle also offers a state of the art playground for those with physical limitations. The city also supports and lends aid for high school sporting event playing fields as well.
Known as the “City of Southern Hospitality” Hartselle is also referred to as a bedroom community with many of its approximately 14,995 citizens living in the city, but leaving each day for employment in nearby communities. The preference for living a smaller community keeps many of those who were born and raised in Hartselle staying here, and those who chose to move here are looking for the same small community lifestyle.
The lifestyle offers a quieter and even safer area to live and raise a family. Hartselle also has an abundance of churches of many denominations which offer worship opportunities and involvement for our strongly faith-based community. These churches pull the community together in times of need and are always ready to lend a helping hand to those who are in need of food, shelter, clothing, a shoulder to cry on and prayer for better days.
Hartselle is governed by a city council made up of five elected officials. The mayor serves as the CEO of the city and handles the day to day operations of the city and carries out the desires of the council. The council also approves an annual budget with city departments using it to operate during the fiscal year, guided by the city clerk and mayor.
The citizens of the City of Hartselle recently voted to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages with the city limits. This will bring about a change for Hartselle, which had remained “dry” since 1933. Members of the city governing body are counting on this change to help bring in new business and industry to the city. Hartselle is very dependent on sales tax to fund their needs and this will be another avenue not only to recruit but also the sales tax brought in will help fund capital projects. The city has not been able to fund many capital projects for the past few years; the advent of alcohol tax may offer some relief in replacing aging equipment for city departments as well as offering monies to pave city streets, many of which are past due for new asphalt.
Hartselle has been, is now and will continue to be a desirable area for many to call home. The current leaders are working hard making plans to improve the lives of those who live here and planning for the future for those who will come afterward.
Base charges for water, sewer and gas services will increase effective July 1, 2015.
There will be a two percent across the board rate increase for water, and the average residential monthly water bill will increase $.54.
The sewer rate will increase 3.0 percent across the board. The average residential monthly sewer bill will increase $1.23.
Natural gas will increase across the board by 2.16 percent, and the average residential monthly natural gas bill during the heating season will increase $1.00.
Other Changes
Hartselle Utilities has recently updated some of their service practice policies. Copies of these updated policies are available at our main office located at 1010 Sparkman St. NW, Hartselle, AL.
Whenever possible, HU fills job openings from within. HU sends our congratulations to several employees who were recently promoted or switched to new positions within the company.
WTP Promotions Pictured from left to right is Josh Hensley, WWTP Operator Trainee; Wade Sims, WWTP Manager; and David Taylor, Sanitary Sewer Collections System OperatorWarehouse Promotions Brian Hill, Warehouseman (left) and Brian Kelsoe, Stores Clerk (right)Construction Department Promotions Bo Cowart, Support Crew Leadman (left) and Johnny Robinson, Water Foreman (right)
In Alabama this year, fires and fire-related injuries have caused 16 deaths. Most, if not all, of these deaths could have been prevented with a few small steps. Here are some tips from the Hartselle Fire Department to help keep you and your family safe:
