Lost Pines imposed a moratorium on March 24, 2010 while working toward desired future conditions and a water plan approved by the Texas Water Development Board after being flooded with pumping requests from water marketers looking to pump water to burgeoning development along the Texas 130 and I-35 highway corridors.

The use of well H has already been approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Lost Pine’s approval allows the city to move forward with their plans to ease emergency water supply conditions.

Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot, who also serves on the LPGCD board, recused himself from discussions and voting on the request.

BEFCO consulting engineer Gene Kruppa presented the city’s case to the board, saying the situation was serious and that city staff had been working non-stop to keep the water flowing.

The LPGCD board said they approved the request citing, 1) the infrastructure for well H is complete and there are no DFCs for the alluvium well, 2) Bastrop proved they were in an emergency situation and needed to protect public health and safety and 3) no other suitable water is immediately available to the city.

The board also said pumping was not to exceed 400 gallons per minute.

On Monday, Talbot, Kruppa and city water and wastewater director James Miller met with TCEQ to get approval to install a temporary 40,000 gallon fiberglass ground-storage tank with variable speed booster pumps at Bob Bryant Park to meet water supply needs.

Rehabilitation to city run wells C, D and E are also being conducted to combat the iron-eating bacteria in the alluvial aquifer at Fisherman’s Park.

The clogging reduced pumping from three of the city’s wells from 1,000 gpm to 302 gpm, falling below TCEQ criteria for well production output per utility connections.

The bacteria are not a public health hazard according to city officials.

Audit Report

The board heard good news from Preston Singleton of Singleton, Clark and Company, who reported on the 2011 fiscal audit.

Preston said the district had total revenue of just over $850,000, a 38 percent increase over 2010.

Operating expenses were just under $550,000, a decrease of 28 percent in expenditures from 2010.

Net assets for the district, including cash and investments, are $970,000.

“The district is in great financial shape,” Singleton said. “The district has 22 months of operating expenses available.”

In other business, the district:

-          Agreed to review revisions to rules at its June 20 meeting in Giddings.

-          Discussed the timeline for the retirement of general manager Joe Cooper and appointed Doug Prinz of Bastrop County and Michael Simmang of Lee County  to lead a general manager selection committee. Board members will review the job description in executive session at the next meeting. Cooper is expected to step down by the end of the year.

-          Heard from Cooper regarding seven new exempt wells in the district and five newly gauged wells. Cooper also met with the district’s hydrogeologist to discuss observation wells to monitor the Carrizo aquifer.

The workshop will focus on water-quality issues related to the Lost Pines region, said Galen Roberts, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward Program.

“I would encourage anyone interested in water, environmental issues or community action to attend,” Roberts said.

Roberts said there will be plenty of take-home for all who attend, whether on an individual basis or as a larger entity. The day will begin with an introduction to watersheds and their functions and features.

“While this section may serve as a refresher for some, it ensures that everyone in attendance has a good understanding of these concepts when we move into discussion about watershed impairments, managing to improve watershed function and community-driven watershed protection and management,” Roberts said. “We will describe specific Best Management Practices that stakeholders can use to help protect and restore the Colorado River Watershed by reducing and removing pollutants. In addition, we will also provide participants with an in-depth understanding of how larger scale management activities are undertaken in the state, specifically in the Colorado River watershed, highlighting how they can become involved in and support these efforts.”

Everyone will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward handbook that covers the information presented at the meeting, as well as ideas of how they can become involved with supporting these efforts.

“Individual and community action at the watershed level are essential to restore, protect and conserve these vital water resources,” Roberts said. “This action needs to take place not only at the implementation stage but at the planning and development stage of these plans. Through stakeholder education we can empower individuals to take action now which can have economic, ecological and even human health benefits. Addressing water quality issues in the Colorado River sooner rather than later can save having to engage in costly remediation measures and help prevent regulatory actions to protect water quality in the watershed. In my opinion, education and incentive are the most powerful tools we have at combatting non-point source pollution in our states’ waters.”

The workshop is presented by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, in coordination with Environmental Stewardship, a regional non-profit organization working to protect and restore natural resources in the area.

The workshop is being held in conjunction with ongoing protection efforts in the Colorado River watershed. Environmental Stewardship, in coordination with the Lower Colorado River Authority and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, has proposed the development of a watershed protection plan for Bastrop County.

“The Colorado River is an important resource for the area” said Steve Box, executive director for Environmental Stewardship. “The river is a part of the rural character of the Lost Pines Region, is a source of water for agriculture, supports fishing and recreational activities, and is a significant wildlife habitat. We are employing a watershed-based approach to river management. And protecting the Colorado River begins with water quality and resource protection activities throughout the basin.”

He said the plan would encompass more than 655,000 acres in 13 sub-watersheds in Bastrop County and extend into parts of Caldwell, Fayette, Lee and Travis counties. The plan would outline a strategy for protecting water quality in the area and help prevent future water quality impairments.

Addressing these issues now can help prevent regulatory action in the future, Box noted.

“Good land management leads to better water quality and more water quantity,” Box said.  “With the fires in the Alum Creek watershed there is an opportunity to bring focus to this important issue. We will also be highlighting the water quality work of the Colorado River Watch Network in Bastrop County.”

That group is comprised of trained volunteers who have been working under the guidance of the LCRA as CRWN water quality monitors for the past several years.

“The purpose of this effort is to detect water quality impairments like have been experienced in Austin, and especially Gilliland Creek running through Pflugerville and Manor, before these problems get into Bastrop County,” Box said. “Water quality monitoring is the first step to watershed protection.”

Box advised that everyone who lives in a watershed should be interested in the workshop.

“Everyone lives in a watershed,” he said. “People who water and fertilize their lawn, whether on the river or miles away, farmers and ranchers, people who have pets that “use” the outdoors, people who live in the city and city planners who are interested in non-point source pollution control.”

He said that people in the fire zone should be interested since erosion control is a large part of watershed protection.

“People who want CTA (Central Texas Airport) and people who have concerns can also learn about impacts of industry and commercial operations on water quality (at the workshop),” Box said.

The program also offers seven continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, seven units for professional engineers and certified planners and seven continuing education credits for certified teachers. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, seven for certified landscape architects and three for certified floodplain managers.

“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” Roberts said.

For more information and to preregister, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Galen Roberts at 979-862-8070, groberts@ag.tamu.edu.

For more information about Environmental Stewardship and the watershed protection plan go to http://Environmental-Stewardship.org or contact Steve Box at 512-300-6609, steve.box@att.net.

The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

More than $1.4 million has been raised by the fund, which operates under the umbrella of Austin Community Foundation, established in 1977. On Monday, the final round of grants was distributed to several organizations committed to helping with long-term recovery efforts.

“The damage estimates from these fires was over $300 million, but that doesn’t count the pain and suffering of those who were displaced or lost their homes altogether. The donations amounted to $1.4 million,” said MariBen Ramsey, vice president of ACF. “We looked for organizations that would be most efficient for stretching those dollars.”

Ramsey said the distribution of funds in September 2011 were based on meeting emergency needs of those affected by the fires, and included money for grocery story gift cards, food pantries and several organizations that helped in the recovery of pets and horses. That amount was $40,100.

In December, the group distributed a second round of grants, totaling $560,719. Some of the organizations receiving funds were ones that provided gear to volunteer fire fighters, Austin Disaster Relief Network, several organizations that work directly with victims, and American Youthworks, a group that has helped Bastrop State Park to recover.

In this latest round of grants, the remaining $836,472 was distributed, and American Youthworks were named as recipients again, receiving $120,000, to help continue their ecological restoration projects on public and private lands as outlined in the Bastrop Lost Pines Habitat Recovery Project. More information on this project can be found at http://www.co.bastrop.tx.us/bcdisaster.

Bastrop County received $200,000 to assist the Lost Pines Recovery Team, established to implement erosion control measures, plant native grass and seeds, plant Loblolly pine seedlings; among other goals.

“I really want to thank the donors on behalf of the county,” said Commissioner Clara Beckett, a team member. “We are a resilient county. Out of 1,700 homes destroyed, there are over a third being built or already built. This money will help with erosion control – which has become a very important issue.”

The Bastrop Long-Term Recovery Team, with a goal of helping families resolve unmet needs, received $205,096 Monday.

“This means a tremendous amount to the Long Term Recovery Committee,” local attorney Christine Files said. “The bulk of this money will go towards materials to allow us to rebuild homes.”

She said the group has been helping low-income families, either uninsured or underinsured, to rebuild all along.

“This will allow us the ability to build 20 to 30 additional homes,” Files said.

For more information on the Long Term Recovery Committee, check http://www.co.bastrop.tx.us/bcdisaster/ or call 321-2868.

Another happy recipient was the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry, which received $70,000 in the latest – and last – round. The food pantry received an emergency distribution of $5,000 in September from the foundation.

“We’ve been serving those affected since day one,” said food pantry executive director Tresha Silva. “We will be able to extend these services and cover some things that weren’t being covered. We’re very excited.”

Silva said one part of the population, those who lost their jobs due to the fires, may be able to receive some help from the pantry with mortgage assistance. For more information, contact the pantry at 303-0033 or check their website at http://www.bastropfoodpantry.org.

Communities in School, with campus-based mental health services, will use their $95,000 to address challenges facing students as a result of the wildfires. Services include crisis counseling for students who lost homes, workshops for families to help them identify and treat post-traumatic stress disorder, clothing and other donations, and more. An estimated 120 students in the district will receive case-management plans in the 2012-13 school year.

“We’re excited,” said BISD superintendent Steve Murray. “It allows us to continue the work CIS has been implementing with our kids. It allows for additional resources for our children.”

County Judge Jim Wither gave thanks for all the support the county has received and continues to receive.

“We are so pleased to see our neighbors from across Central Texas join us today,” Wither said. “We are so grateful for everybody’s help and generosity. I believe Central Texas will recover from the wildfires.”

Although funds are now exhausted in the Central Texas Wildfire Fund, Austin Community Foundation will continue to accept financial donations to prepare for future wildfires. To make a donation or find out more information, check http://www.austincommunityfoundation.org or call (512) 472-4483.

Central Texas Wildfire Fund

May 2012 grantees

*United Policyholders: $29,376

*Bastrop Emergency Food Pantry: $70,000

*Communities in Schools: $95,000

*Write To Me Foundation: $2,000

*American Youthworks: $120,000

*Bastrop County: $200,000

*Bastrop Long-Term Recovery Team: $205,096.24

*Spicewood Long-Term Recovery Committee: $65,000

*Frameworks Community Development Corp.: $50,000

Total May 2012: $836,472.24

December 2011 grantees

*Austin Disaster Relief Network: $130,000

*Society of St. Vincent de Paul: $90,000

*United Policyholders: $50,145

*Capital Area Food Bank: $50,000

*Bastrop Pink Santa: $30,000

*American Youthworks: $100,574

*Spicewood Long-Term Recovery Committee: $50,000

*Spicewood Long-Term Recovery Committee: $5,000

*Spicewood Volunteer Fire Department: $35,000

*Texas Wildfire Relief Fund: $20,000

Total December 2011: $560,719

September 2011 grantees

*HEB Gift Cards: $10,100

*Bastrop Emergency Food Pantry: $5,000

*Austin Disaster Relief Network: $5,000

*Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society: $5,000

*Austin Humane Society: $2,500

*Austin Pets Alive: $2,500

*Heart of Pines VFD: $5,000

*Friends of Bastrop Animal Shelter: $3,000

* Emancipet: $2,000

Total September 2011: $40,100

For more information, check http://www.austincommunityfoundation.org

The current Facebook pictures say it all: a long snake is draped over a fence with the message “Found this in my backyard today,” or “Can anyone tell me what kind of snake this is? Killed it in my backyard today.”

The warm, wet weather may be a boon for drought-stricken Central Texas, but with the increase in critters that come with that type of spring, comes an increase in predators, including snakes. In the last two years, two Bastrop County residents have died as a result of a venomous bite from timber rattlesnakes.

And while most snakes found in the Central Texas area are non-venomous and may actually be beneficial for keeping the mouse and rat population down, Texans should be aware that a wrong step or placed hand could result in a venomous bite.

St. David’s Emergency Center medical director Dr. Corey Jones says there are steps people can take to reduce their risk of a snake bite and proper measures to take if one is bitten.

“If you encounter a snake and you are unsure as to whether or not it is venomous, you should always presume that it is and take proper precautions,” Jones said. “First, stop moving and ascertain where the snake is. Do not attempt to scare off the snake or try to subdue or kill it. Second, very slowly move backwards away from the snake while closely watching it. When at a safe distance out of striking range, you can turn and then quickly move away from the snake.”

Jones advised that it is good to be familiar with the snakes in your area.

In Texas, there are two types of venomous snakes — coral snakes and pit vipers, which include copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. In rural areas such as Bastrop, snake bites become more prevalent as temperatures increase and people spend more time outdoors, Jones said.

“If bitten by a snake while out in the woods, try to rinse off the site immediately with water, if you can,” Jones said. “If you are with someone, it would be best for the person who has been bitten to move away from the snake and then wait while the other person goes and activates the EMS system. If you are alone, try to make your way to safety—slowly and calmly.”

Also, Jones said, it’s best to wear long pants and high boots when hiking in remote areas to prevent a snake from catching you off guard. If nothing else, watch your step and  hand placement.

Each year, approximately 7,000 Americans are bitten by venomous snakes, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Up to 25 percent of these bites are “dry” bites — bites not injected with venom. Although only a small percentage of snake bites lead to death (1 in 500), serious injury is common and snake bites should never be taken lightly.

“If you have been bitten by a snake and you are unsure whether or not the snake was poisonous, it would be best to seek medical attention earlier rather than later, when complications (which may have been prevented) may arise,” Jones said.

In some patients, symptoms can be delayed up to 12 hours after envenomation and symptoms may be deceptively mild.

If there is a possibility that you have been bitten by a venomous snake, seek immediate attention by calling for emergency medical help or getting to the nearest emergency room. If at all possible, try and identify the snake or at least be able to describe it. Doing so will help the doctor determine the best treatment.

If you are bitten by a non-venomous snake, you should wash the area thoroughly, make sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date (seven years), and watch for signs of infection, according to Jones.

“Snake bites are rare, but taking preventative measures can help ensure a fun and safe summer for all,” Jones said.

On Monday, April 23, plan administrator Roxanne Hernandez brought the easement to commissioners court for their approval.

“This is the first one of these,” Hernandez told the commissioners.

As part of the plan, anyone building or remodeling in areas designated as Houston Toad habitat must enter into a conservation agreement with the county, limiting the amount of potential damage to the toad’s habitat. Those with acreage less than five acres are limited to .5 acre, while those over  five acres are limited to 1 acre.

The conservation easement is pricey, costing $1,500 for less than five acres and $3,000 for more than five acres. But those who enter into a perpetual agreement may waive the fee.

In the first instance, “the plan allows a person to pay a mitigation fee and enter into a ‘do no harm’ contract,” Hernandez said. In the second instance, the property owner must “actively manage the property for the benefit of the toad,” she said.

In both cases, the county performs annual monitoring to ensure the area is being suitably maintained for the benefit of the toad.

According to Hernandez, there are pros to both types of easement.

“The county receives benefits in either case,” she said.

In the first case, the county receives the mitigation fee that goes back into habitat improvements and acquisitions. In the second case, the property owner is actively managing the property in perpetuity for the Houston Toad. As part of that active management, the property owner agrees to practices which include items for brush management, such as not using herbicides and not using heavy mechanical equipment in the wildlife management zone, among others, as well as fire ant control, since red, imported fire ants are believed to be a serious and increasingly important threat to the toad.

A perpetual agreement is in force regardless of whether the property remains in the ownership of the person who signed the agreement or if it has been sold or passed on to heirs. Hernandez said one reason there are not more of these agreements is because of the permanence.

“People may not want to commit to the long-term for active management,” she said.

Not to worry, however;  there is a way to release the perpetual conservation agreement by paying the mitigation fee at the current price.

“There will still be a do no harm agreement,” she said.

Still, Hernandez says the advent of the first perpetual agreement is a positive thing.

“I’m excited that after three-and-a-half years this is the first time it has been executed,” she said. “We have another option and now we know that it works.”

At its regular meeting Tuesday night, the council approved a construction contract for low bidder Fazzone Construction of Austin/San Antonio for $247,800, after a recommendation by city manager Mike Talbot. The project was included as part of the budget for the current fiscal year 2012.

Talbot said the training building was much needed and would be used by employees of  Public Works, Bastrop Power & Light, the  and the Parks Department.

“They have worked in less than acceptable conditions for quite some time,” Talbot said.

The city will finance approximately $95,500 of the project by receiving funds back from the LCRA ESA account.

The ESA funds are the amount the city has paid into an account over the years for marketing activities done by LCRA for the city.

The remaining funds were already budgeted for from revenues from Bastrop Power & Light, the city owned-and-operated electric utility.

Also, in a money savings effort, Talbot said he had worked with the project architect (??) and Fazzone to get the price construction price reduced by approximately $21,000.

“We can build this building without creating debt for the city,” Talbot told the council

Council member Ken Kesselus said he did not recall much discussion of the project in previous council sessions and added he would like the Utility Committee (consisting of Kesselus and fellow council members Joe Beal and Kay McAnally) to have a look in the future as such projects.

“I don’t want to diminish the needs of employees,” Kesselus said, but “the governance of BP&L and other utilities is why we set up the Utilities Committee.”

Kesselus also wondered out loud if the council might take more time to consider the issue.

Kesselus asked Talbot “how urgent is it” to get a council vote that night.

Talbot responded, “I would say terribly urgent,” and added that Fazzone’s low bid could potentially change if the city waited much longer. “We have put this off for some time.”

In the end, Kesselus joined council members in voting for the awarding of the contract.

City council member Julie Hart agreed a new building was needed for the staff of the several utilities.

“Their facility now is so old and in disrepair,” Hart said. “It’s really something that is needed. The current building has only one bathroom and the building is not ADA accessible.”

Staff Writer

Preparing, submitting and requesting traffic accident reports will soon be simpler and more  e-friendly, thanks to a resolution approved Monday by the Bastrop County Commissioners Court.

The commissioners unanimously approved a resolution authorizing County Judge Jim Wither to enter into an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office to participate in the statewide Crash Reporting and Analysis for Safe Highways (CRASH) system.

In the CRASH system, sheriff’s deputies will be able to submit electronic traffic accident reports to TxDOT via a secure Internet connection, which will eliminate the need and costs associated with preparing and submitting paper reports.

The system will also alleviate personnel costs associated with having data entry personnel type data submitted by deputies and then having customer-service personnel make copies to mail reports to TxDOT and to fill open records requests. Those personnel will be able to attend to other matters and the department will be able to deploy traffic enforcement deputies where needed more efficiently.

The system will also allow drivers to purchase copies of traffic accident reports online without having to go to the sheriff’s office in person, Pickering said. But the sheriff’s office will have complete access to the records and will be able to print copies for those without Internet access.

According to Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering, the move will be a positive one for the department as well as for the public.

“(This agreement) will streamline things for us,” Pickering told the commissioners, noting the system will also provide the department with statistical data and will help the department  determine the best use of its resources.

In other business, the court:

*Heard a proclamation in honor of Memorial Day on May 28;

*Approved a resolution declaring this week National Peace Officers Memorial Week;

*Approved an inter-local agreement with Texas State University for the management of the Houston Toad;

*Approved an easement on the Pace property for the Lost Pines Habitat Conservation Plan;

*Approved a resolution for professional services between the county and Central Texas Autopsy LLC;

*Approved  a resolution authorizing the submission of a Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) application to the Texas Department of Agriculture for the Disaster Relief Fund; and

*Approved distribution of video documentary of the Bastrop County Complex Fire.

Staff Writer

From his corner of the square, 9-year-old third-grader Kaeden Chapman and his Red Rock Elementary schoolmates participate in a spirited game of Four Square, explaining to the adults the rules of the game as they go.

“If it hits the outside line, you’re safe, but if it hits the inside line you’re out,” he said, pointing to the lines.

The children, all members of the school’s student council, were taking a group of adults on a tour of the newest addition to the school — a series of colorful and engaging sidewalk and playground markings to enhance and encourage active play and learning for economically-disadvantaged schoolchildren.

The markings are part of the Active Play Project at Red Rock and Lost Pines elementary schools, a program partnered by After School Centers on Education (ACE), the University of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH) and the Theatre Action Project (TAP) to enhance and expand playgrounds and outdoor learning areas at 10 public schools in Central Texas during the 2011-12 school year.

The project was funded through a donation from the St. David’s Foundation to the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at the UTSPH.

Red Rock principal LaShun Gaines said the project — including painted animal tracks, a map of Texas, several games of hopscotch and a multiplication table, among other things — is a great way to combine learning and play.

“The purpose of this project is to extend the learning outside the classroom with play,” Gaines said, pointing to the children, who were demonstrating the multiplication table by jumping around the square to show that, for instance, seven times three is 21, or that six times eight is 48.

The project, in which the markings were painted at Red Rock Elementary May 5, included painting roadrunner tracks — the school mascot — along the sidewalks at the school’s front entrance. The multiplication tables and a map of Texas showing the various geographical areas of the state were painted on the third- and fourth-grade playground and a hopscotch game and a “road” were painted on the sidewalks of the kindergarten- and first-grade playground. The Four Square squares were painted on the sidewalks by the school gym.

During the game of Four Square, Averi Allen, a 10-year-old fourth-grader, said she loves the additions to the school’s playgrounds.

“I think it’s going to be a great experience for all the students so they can learn and play at the same time,” Allen said.

Teacher Tracy Daugherty said the kids were already making great use of the new playground markings.

“I think they’re excited about it,” Daugherty said. “If they’re done with class or when they go outside after lunch, they’ll go out there and we’ll catch them playing on it.”

According to Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, state sales tax revenue in April was $2.07 billion, up 10.9 percent compared to April 2011.

In Bastrop, the net payment for April 2012 was $447,477, up from $398,287 in 2011, a 12.35 percent increase. For the year to date, the city of Bastrop has seen an increase of 22 percent, receiving $2,057,017 year to date in 2012, compared to $1,685,749 year to date in 2011.

Bastrop Mayor Terry Orr said the increased revenue helps the city keep property taxes stable.

“Bastrop continues to show exceptional economic vitality during 2012,” Orr said. “It is also reflective of the rebuilding efforts going on in this area.”

Orr also pointed to new stores that are currently under construction in the Bastrop area.

“Additionally several major retail establishments are slated to open this year which will help maintain the city’s healthy sales tax collections,” he said. “This component of the city’s tax revenues plays a major part in our efforts to keep our property tax rate at a reasonable level.”

Smithville’s April 2012 payment was $47,133, up from $43,921 in 2011, an increase of 7.31 percent. Year to date totals indicate an upwards trend as well, with the city receiving $177,939 year to date in 2012 compared to $160,210 year to date in 2011, an 11 percent increase.

Smithville city manager Tex Middlebrook attributed the increase there to an emphasis on patronizing local businesses.

“Smithville is a great place to do business,” he said.  “I think it is a product of more people choosing to ‘Shop Local’.”

Elgin received $114,952 in April 2012, down from $117,236 in April 2011, a decrease of 1.94 percent. Year to date totals paint a slightly brighter picture for Elgin, with the city receiving a year to date total of $502,051 in 2012 compared to a year to date total of $485,342 in 2011, a 3.44 percent increase.

* ZONE  1             May  21, 2012

*ZONE  2             May  21, 2012

*ZONE  3             May  21, 2012

*ZONE  4             May  29, 2012

*ZONE  5             May  29, 2012

*ZONE  6             June   4, 2012

*ZONE  7             June   4, 2012

*ZONE  8             June 11, 2012

*ZONE  9             June 27, 2012

*ZONE 10           July  13, 2012

Property Owners should have fire disaster debris placed along the ROW prior to the end date for your area.  The debris is to be limited to segregated piles of fire disaster generated tree trunks, limbs, branches and FIRE DISASTER GENERATED construction and demolition (C&D) debris.  DO NOT mix different types of debris.  DO NOT place construction debris from new construction or remodeling.  That is not fire disaster generated debris and will not be picked up.  It is your (and/or your contractor’s) responsibility to dispose of that material in a legal manner.  DO NOT PLACE BAGGED DEBRIS IN THE ROW.  BAGGED DEBRIS WILL NOT BE PICKED UP.

When placing fire disaster generated debris in the ROW, DO NOT place debris in a location that obstructs mailboxes, fire hydrants or utility access points such as electric and water meters, as these could be damaged by heavy equipment during loading.

DO NOT place debris near or adjacent to a fence as the fence will most likely be damaged during the debris removal process.  DO NOT place debris under any object that limits vertical clearance, or under overhead utility lines. Removal equipment cannot operate under utility lines because of inadequate vertical clearance and/or safety issues.

All fire disaster generated debris placed in the ROW must be of a size that is small enough for the removal equipment to lift, load and transport.  For tree trunks, acceptable means: lengths must be 12-feet or less.  For broken up concrete, acceptable means: slab pieces approximately 3-feet X 3-feet X 8-inches (+/-), or if significantly thicker than 8-inches, the concrete must be in pieces that weigh less than 800-pounds.  Reinforcing steel cannot be protruding more than 12-inches from the surface of the concrete.

For more information, call (512) 661-8073.