Hartselle-Recycling-Calendar-2015
Hartselle’s 2015 Recycling Calendar is shown below. If you have a question about sanitation pickup or containers, visit www.hartselle.org or call Public Works at (256) 773-2643.
Category: Newsletter
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Helping Neighbors in Need Through Operation Warm
The federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes pay utility bills – during both the cold winter months and in the summer, when utility bills can climb due to the summer heat. In Morgan, Cullman and Lawrence counties, LIHEAP funds are distributed by Community Action Partnership of North Alabama. In 2014, Community Action assisted 159 HU customers in paying their utility bills.
“Assistance programs administered by Community Action can be a lifeline to someone on a fixed income during winter and summer temperature extremes,” explains HU Customer Service Manager Terri Harris.
Unfortunately, LIHEAP’s federal funding is not enough to help everyone who needs assistance, and some families with emergency situations may fall out of the program’s income cap. Community and donation-funded programs, such as Operation Warm, help to bridge that gap. Last year, HU customers donated $2,728.10 to Operation Warm; 100 percent of the money donated is used to help people in Hartselle.
Eligible households can receive assistance from Community Action up to twice each year. If you or someone you know needs emergency assistance with a utility bill, you can apply for help from Community Action by calling (256) 260-4050 or making an appointment online at www.northalabamacommunities.org.
Sanitation, Yard Waste & Recycling Notes from the City of Hartselle
Hartselle Utilities provides billing for the City of Hartselle’s sanitation and recycling services, but Hartselle Utilities is not involved in the operations or scheduling for sanitation, yard waste or recycling pickup. HU Customer Service representatives frequently receive phone calls requesting information about sanitation. According to City of Hartselle Director of Public Works Daxton Maze, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
If my regular garbage or recycling pickup falls on a holiday – or if they can’t run because of bad weather – when will my garbage or recycling be picked up?
Changes and updates to any scheduled pickups for sanitation, yard waste and recycling – whether holiday or weather-related – can be found online at www.hartselle.org under the Public Works tab or by calling Public Works at (256) 773-2643. A copy of the normal pickup schedule is also on the City of Hartselle’s website.
My garbage canister was at the street and full – actually overflowing – but the City did not pick it up. Why?
According to City Ordinance 78-43G Pre-Collection Practices, canisters will not be emptied if lids will not close due to excessive trash, yard waste or recycling. (It creates a mess on city streets.)
If a customer needs additional canister space, there are options:
Residential customers can obtain an additional garbage canister for an additional $2.50 per month.
Residential customers can purchase an additional yard waste container for a one-time fee of $80.00.
In an effort to encourage recycling, City of Hartselle residents can request an additional recycling canister at no charge.
Please call the Public Works Department at (256) 773-2643 to request any of these services.
What counts as yard waste?
Only yard waste and landscape debris may be placed in the yard waste canister. This includes limbs, sticks, grass clippings and leaves. All yard waste must be unbagged.
My garbage pickup is always at 11 a.m., but today it ran early and I missed it! How do I know when my canisters need to be out?
Because pickup routes can change, please ensure that canisters are out by six a.m. on the day of service. Public Works encourages residents to pull emptied canisters back off the street as soon as possible to avoid causing traffic disruptions.
Your Hartselle Utilities Account Number Has Changed
Late last year, Hartselle Utilities transitioned from DOS-based to a Windows-based customer management and billing system software. As a result, all previous eight-digit account numbers have been replaced with 12-digit numbers.
“We encourage all of our customers to update your account number in your records,” says Customer Service Manager Terri Harris. “If you use online bill pay through your bank or pay with convenience pay through our website or toll-free number using your old account number, your payment will be rejected.”
Customers of Hartselle Utilities who utilize bank draft as their method of payment do not need to take any action. If you are interested in paying your account by bank draft or would like to discuss this payment option further, please contact Customer Service at (256) 774-3340.
In addition, Harris says, under the new system due dates that are printed on your bill may change slightly. In the past, if a due date fell on a holiday or weekend, the due date printed on the bill would not change even though payments would be accepted, without a penalty, on the next business day. Now, if a due date falls on a weekend or board-approved holiday, the software pushes the due date to the next business day. For example, February 15 fell on a Sunday this year, so bills normally due on the 15th were due on Monday, February 16. “Feb 16 2015” would have appeared as the past due date on your bill.
“A customer has until the end of day printed on the bill to pay their bill, or they can put their payment in the night deposit that evening,” explains Harris.
Southeast Gas Loop Construction
HU natural gas crews have completed the southeast loop to South Johnson Chapel Road, says Engineering Services Manager Glen Partlow. HU has applied for permits to complete the remainder of the project, and Partlow says he expects the state to issue the permits within the next few weeks.
Crews have installed 18,501 feet of natural gas line this year. “We have 3,200 feet left to close the southeast gas loop,” Partlow says. Completing the loop will create a two-way feed, which will increase pressure and reliability in the county throughout the system, he says, but in particular the Danville High School and Elementary School area.
Rate changes effective October 1
Electric rates will increase on October 1, 2014. HU’s residential customer charge will increase by $1.25 per month, and HU will pass through a rate increase in the electricity it buys from TVA. The overall monthly increase to the average HU residential customer, using 1,235 kWh per month, will be $3.16.
Pole Inspections Underway
Over time, decay and wood-destroying insects can cause utility poles to lose their strength. Every 8-10 years, HU and its contractors inspect every pole within the system, treating the poles that need to be treated to extend their life, and noting ones that need to be replaced.
Based on the latest inspection from Osmose, Electric Superintendent Jonathan Hampton has scheduled pole replacements in the southwest section of the service area, including Penn Road, Nance Ford, Barkley Bridge, Garner Road and Tanner Heights. Pole replacement may interrupt service for a short period, Hampton says, but HU crews will let customers know ahead of time.
Crews replaced 110 poles last year, says Hampton, and he plans to replace the same number this year. He has budgeted $200,000 this year for pole replacement.
Caring Day
Friday, Nov. 7, the City of Hartselle and Hartselle Beautification Association will sponsor Caring Day, Hartselle’s annual food drive to help local food pantries prepare to help families and individuals for Thanksgiving. On Nov. 7, residents can place donated canned goods five feet away from street-side recycle bins. The canned goods will be picked up and taken to the Caring Place and distributed among the Caring Place, the First Assembly of God, the First Church of the Nazarene, and the First United Methodist Church food pantries.
Canned goods may also be placed in drop off bins from Oct. 24 until Nov. 7 at the following locations: City Hall, Hartselle Utilities, Joe Wheeler EMC, The William Bradford Huie Public Library, Hometown Grocery, the Hartselle Enquirer, Ace Auto Body, Sparkman Civic Center, both Fire Stations, Walgreen Drug Store, CVS Pharmacy,
Dollar General Store, Kroger and all banks in Hartselle. Area schools will also participate again this year.
Robert Wright Retiring
Wright, who served in the Marine Corps after graduating from Morgan County High School, was hired by Hartselle Utilities in 1984 as a backhoe operator on the sewer field crew. He was promoted through the ranks to become foreman, where he stayed for over 20 years.
“Robert helped put in most of the current sewer lines in the system,” says Wastewater Treatment Plant Chief Operator Glen Byrum, who has worked for Wright for 15 years. “He has knowledge in his head that no one else here has; he knows the whole system. A lot of people started out in the sewer department before moving into other departments, so he’s also trained more people at HU than anybody.”
“I can’t remember how many people I’ve supervised over the years,” Wright acknowledges. “Over the years I have seen a lot of changes.”
Wright was named Sanitary Sewer System Superintendent in July 2005, and soon after began revamping the HU’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. “We had inoperational equipment that now works like it is supposed to, and sludge processing and drying beds that are now in full use,” Wright says. “We’ve done a pretty substantial amount of work.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” he continues. “The last 10 years have been the most stressful and tough, but rewarding. Out in the field, I knew exactly what needed to be done. As superintendent, I had to learn a lot. I’d walk around here in the evenings when everybody was gone, trying to figure out and prioritize everything that needed to be done. We created a plan, and in the end we’ve been able to do everything that was in that plan.”
“Thirty years ago when I was first hired, then-Gas Superintendent Preston Hall told me, ‘The people of Hartselle pay your salary, so you need to help them every chance you get.’ I’ve always tried to do that, and it’s kind of been my motto,” Wright says.
Winter Weather and High Energy Bills
The extreme cold weather last year left many Hartselle Utilities customers with record energy usage – and higher than normal utility bills. While predictions for this winter range from mild to extreme cold, it is always a good idea to take steps to keep energy usage and costs down. Here are a few tips:
1. Turn down your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower. For every degree you lower your heat in the 60- to 70-degree range, you’ll save up to five percent on heating costs.
2. Set the thermostat back to 55 degrees when leaving home for an extended time. However, heat pumps should only be set back two degrees to prevent unneeded use of backup strip heating, which carries higher costs.
3. Check air filters. Dirty air filters increase your energy usage and can also damage your heating. Be sure to use filters approved for your specific system.
4. Caulk around windows and replace old weather stripping around doors to keep the cold air out. Small leaks add up.
5. Reduce cold-air drafts around windows, typically seen in older homes, by using heavy-duty clear plastic sheets, or tape clear plastic film inside your windows. Ensure the plastic is sealed tightly.
6. Close your fireplace damper when not in use.
7. Schedule service for your heating system, and ask what maintenance is required to keep it running optimally. Keep up with maintenance milestones.
8. Open curtains on your south-facing windows on sunny days to naturally heat your home with sunlight. Close the curtains at night to reduce any chill or drafts.
And, while it won’t actually save you money, Hartselle Utilities’ Levelized Billing program can help you budget your monthly energy costs by providing you with a consistent bill each month. Levelized Billing calculates the average of a customer’s prior 12 months, with a cap of 20 percent increase or decrease from the previous month to keep a bill from jumping too much from one month to the next. For more information and to enroll in Levelized Billing, contact Customer Service Manager Terri Harris at tharris@hartselleutilities.org or (256) 773-3340.