Question:
Why is the City trying to buy Tall Timbers utility?
Answer:
Tyler Water Utilities is an enterprise operation of the City of Tyler charged with providing water and sanitary sewer service, either directly or through regulatory oversight of utilities (such as Tall Timbers), to the citizens of Tyler. As such the utility fund is the source for financing these activities.
Since 2000, Tall Timbers has been operating within the city limits. Over the past 10 years we have attempted to work with Tall Timbers to insure fair and equitable service to the citizens of Tyler. During that time Tall Timbers has refused to cooperate with the original jurisdiction regulatory authority (the City of Tyler), has refused to provide service to new subdivisions (hindering orderly growth of Tyler) and has overcharged customers by as much as $12.25 per month.
Because of Tall Timbers refusal to provide fair and equitable service, City Council determined the best, most permanent solution would be to purchase Tall Timbers. Negotiations for the purchase have been unsuccessful so the City is moving forward with eminent domain proceedings as authorized by city charter.
Question:
I arrived from vacation at Pounds Field on the 7/30/2010 and noticed that there was a fire hydrant close to the entrance at Hwy 64 gushing water. Today I dropped some people off at the airport and the same hydrant is still gushing. What is the problem?
Answer:
The flowing fire hydrant is rectifying a problem. The Airport is served by a 12-in water main extending from Loop 323. The customer demands on this relatively large water main are insufficient to keep the disinfectant residual at the required levels. Therefore to ensure that the water supplied to the Airport retains a safe disinfectant residual and remains "fresh", Tyler Water Utilities augments flow by flushing (as required by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulations) through the fire hydrant.
Question:
When will the road construction on South Broadway be complete?
Answer:
Broadways is actually a State roadway and is maintained by TxDot. I called their PIO and he shared that the work should be done by the end of August.
Question:
NOW that tax revenues have dropped, would not this be the time to look at reducing the number of days that trash is picked up?
Answer:
We certainly appreciate your concern for the budget and for taking time to share your ideas. In these times, every idea is worth investigating and I did forward your email to both the City Manager and the Solid Waste Director.
Interestingly enough, Solid Waste services are not tax supported. Instead it is what is called an enterprise fund - meaning that the revenue that is collected from the service is then used to provide that service. Consequently, it must be self supporting. The City's water department is also an enterprise fund and operates in a similar fashion.
At this time, we have one of the lowest Solid Waste rates in the State, while providing a high level of service without depending on tax revenue. Instead the Department operates like a business and must support itself.
In the last year, decreasing the collection days has been something that has been considered. To evaluate if it was a viable option, the Department conducted a pilot program involving 2,800 customers in the fall of 2009. Ultimately, the pilot was ceased due to the volume of negative feedback from our customers.
Additionally, during a recent assessment, we found that during a four week period between April 26 through May 21, on Mondays and Tuesdays, the average set out was 75 percent with a high of 80 percent and a low of 74 percent. On Thursday and Friday the average set out was 65 percent, with a high of 70 percent and a low of 57 percent.
In 1987 we had less than 21,000 customers that we picked up with 18 three-man routes. Today we have 28,000 customers that we pick up with 18 two-man routes and two additional helper crews on Monday and Tuesday. The crews work four nine-hour days and one four-hour day each week. On the days that we have a 90-100 percent set out, such as holiday weeks or a Monday and Tuesday after a week of bad weather, half the crews work 10 or 11 hours in order to complete their route with two or three helper trucks. Over the years we have stretched our limits to take advantage of technology, 96-gallon carts, automated trucks, etc.
We are continually searching for ways to give quality service while maintaining a low Solid Waste rate.
Question:
Why am I required to present a copy of my rental or purchase contract in order to obtain water, sewer and solid waste services in the City?
Answer:
There were several reasons this document is requested, including:
-In the past, there has been abuse where services are disconnected at a location and the account holder will simply send another family member or friend to reestablish the service in their name without resolving the account. By requesting a lease/purchase document, we are able to establish that the person requesting service is actually the tenant or property owner.
-The lease agreement also assists us in verifying we are connecting to the correct address and that the person requesting the service has a legal right to do so.
-We do not run a credit check as many larger utilities do nor do we require a deposit. This process minimizes our risk which allows us to keep our rates as low as possible.
If there is sensitive information on the form that you do not want to share, please feel free to cover that area up before submitting for review.
Question:
Is the City celebrating the National Day of Prayer this year?
Answer:
The Mayor is hosting the 18th annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on May 6 at Harvey Convention Center in Tyler. Breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m. and the program is at 7 a.m. This is not a City sponsored event, but rather one that is developed by volunteers.
She said, "As Mayor of Tyler, I believe that we, as God’s people, must come together to pray for our City and our Nation. We face many challenges as a community. However, scripture tells us that the Lord hears our cries and the he moves powerfully in response to our prayers. This is a comfort to us to know that God is waiting to intervene on our behalf and that our hope lies in seeking the Lord’s blessing."
The theme is: "Prayer… for such a time as this" which was inspired by Nahum 1:7 which states "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."
The Mayor added, "For 10 days leading up to the prayer breakfast, we will have a daily prayer focus, which has been sent to your minister. We hope you will join us in daily prayer as we seek God’s guidance and protection for those serving our City and Nation and for our neighbors in need."
Question:
What form of government does the City operate under?
Answer:
Tyler adopted a Council-Manager plan back in 1915. We were one of the first cities in Texas to do so.
Question:
Does the City have red light cameras?
Answer:
At this time, Tyler does not have red light cameras. We do have cameras on the signal poles that detect when vehicles are there so that the signal can change. However, nothing is recorded.
We do not have plans at this time to install red light cameras in the future.
Question:
The traffic flow on South Broadway has improved greatly over the last year or so. What was done to make such a difference?
Answer:
We have taken several actions, including:
-Hiring a new Traffic Engineer;
-Implementing the use of the flashing yellow arrow, which helps with signal timing.
-Using the adaptive control system which takes traffic volume data and makes real time adjustments to the signal timing;
-Opening Grande Road. Having adequate east/west corridors was a key part of our strategy to decrease congestion on south Broadway.
Thanks for noticing!
Question:
Why does the City give tickets for inflatables or fluttering signs in front of businesses?
Answer:
Currently, the City is reviewing the verbiage contained in the sign ordinance. We have completed a community survey and held a public meeting to gain input on whether the ordinance should remain the same or if regulations should be less restrictive. The results of this process will be taken to the next Unified Development Committee who could make recommendations on the status of the ordinance that would go to the Planning and Zoning Commission and then on to the City Council.
The intent of the sign ordinance is two-fold. First, it is to prevent the use of signage or attention getting devices that could be an abrupt distraction to drivers and thus be a safety issue. Secondly, the ordinance is in place to protect the appearance of the community. If every business along a street had several attention getting devices (like pennants, inflatables, banners, etc.) you can imagine how cluttered and unattractive Tyler would become. We are striving to find a balance that is acceptable to the community.
Question:
May I attend the City Council meetings just to listen? May I ask questions and listen?
Answer:
You are more than welcome to attend the City Council meetings. They are held the second and fourth Wednesday each month at 9 a.m. in City Hall at 212 N. Bonner. There are cards where you can register to speak if you have a comment to make on a particular agenda item; however, we do not have an open forum so the comment must be directed at an agenda item.
Additionally, the Council meetings are also aired on Suddenlink Channel 3. You can also watch them from a portal on the city web page at www.cityoftyler.org.
The web page also lists all of the board and commission meetings that take place in the City. Simply go to the government drop down menu and select agendas to see the dates and agendas for upcoming meetings.