OPEN AHNA ZONING COMMITTEE MEETING, NOV 4
The AHNA Zoning Committee will host an open meeting on Wednesday, November 4 from 5:30-6:30pm at Christ Chapel Church, Bldg H on Birchman Avenue.
We will discuss the council initiated rezoning effort: the purpose, timeline and city involvement. We’ll also have maps on hand to better illustrate who/what is proposed for rezoning.
Business owners and residents are welcome to simply join us for 5 minutes while you look at the maps, or spend the entire hour with us as we discuss this process – either way we hope to see you there! Those who would like to file a complaint will need to do so with the city’s planning department. Likewise, those who are in favor of this initiative are also encouraged to send your thoughts to the city’s planning department. Reference ZC-09-116
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email Makenzie Carpenter at president@arlingtonheightsna.com or Dave Marshall, AHNA zoning chair, at zoning@arlingtonheightsna.com.
VOTE NOW: FALL-O-WEEN YARD OF THE MONTH
See a spooky or festive fall yard? Does your yard stand out among the rest?
Then you may win the Fall-o-Ween Yard of the Month Contest!
Visit the Fall-o-Ween Yard of the month page to vote for your favorite fall-o-ween house. Winners will be announced online the week of November 2 and in the upcoming AHNA Newsletter.
BIKE FORT WORTH MEETING, OCT 28
The City of Fort Worth will be presenting final recommendations on the Bike Fort Worth Plan, the City’s Bicycle Transportation Plan, at this month’s City Plan Commission.
City Plan Commission
October 28 2009, 1:30PM
City Council Chamber
City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton Street
Bike Fort Worth is the City’s guide for developing a bicycle friendly environment complete with facilities, programs, and policies; ultimately, assisting residents by providing a safe and attractive alternative mode of transportation. Please join us to support this plan if you are able.
RATE AT 2-HOUR METERS DOWNTOWN GOING UP BY 25 CENTS
The cost of parking at a two-hour meter downtown will increase from $1 per hour to $1.25 per hour.
As part of the fiscal year 2010 budget, the City Council authorized an increase to the two-hour parking rate. The rate increase is designed to improve parking turns, leading to better parking space use. The increase is expected to boost meter revenue by about $200,000.00 annually. The new rate becomes effective at each meter once a technician has recalibrated it. All recalibrations will be complete by Oct. 22.
Motorists are charged to park at meters from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. After 6 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday are free. Some holidays are free too.
Visit the TPW website for more information.
JAPANESE GARDEN FALL FESTIVAL, OCT 24-25
The Japanese Fall Festival is Oct. 24-25 at the 7½-acre Japanese Garden inside the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.
The festival runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 24 and noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 25. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 4-12; children younger than 4 get in free. Free parking is available in the Linden Street parking lot, located off Montgomery Street.
The event, sponsored by the Fort Worth Botanical Society, celebrates many facets of Japanese culture. It features koto music and taiko drumming, a tea ceremony demonstration, bonsai and ikebana exhibits, reiki relaxation techniques, watercolor artists and more.
A new feature is sumo wrestling demonstrations. Children’s activities include Japanese fish painting, koi fish feeding and a caricature artist. The food court features sushi and American fare, and the gift store will have Japanese tea sets, sake sets, toys and books on sale.
817-871-7686; www.fwbg.org
KINCAID’S 63RD ANNIVERSARY, OCT 24
Kincaid’s 63rd Anniversary
Saturday, October 24, 2009
11.00am-6.00pm
This event is not only celebrating Kincaid’s 63rd Anniversary but to thank all the customers and neighbors for the support and patience during the lease negotiations for the past two years. In celebration, Kincaid’s will roll back prices to $2.00 for a hamburger, chips and soda. You can imagine the crowd that will be served on that day.
In order to handle the anticipated crowd, several streets around the area are closed from 8am until 7.00pm on October 24. Fort Worth Police and Traffic Officers will direct traffic in the area. Many business owners have graciously volunteered their parking lots for overflow parking the day of the event. We wanted to give you a heads up for that day and please walk over and enjoy a burger!
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and hope to see you at Kincaid’s!
Chris Slaughter
Jan Simus Events
817-763-5087
WATER, WASTEWATER RATES CHANGE IN JANUARY
The Fort Worth City Council has approved the 2010 water rates, wastewater rates and miscellaneous charges. The changes take effect Jan. 1.
The increases raise the typical residential customer’s water and wastewater charges by $1.10 monthly. The actual changes are based on the size of the water meter — the larger the water meter, the higher the monthly increase.
In addition, the City Council approved adding a 5 percent late fee for payments made three days after the due date and increased three other charges — activation, restoration and transfer — from $10 each to $20 each.
Benchmarking showed that all other large Texas cities assess late fees and that other charges were below the rates of other utilities.
Several factors caused water and wastewater rate increases: higher raw water costs and employee benefits costs, and the addition of costs for other post-employment benefits and a payment in lieu of taxes.
The Water Department took several measures to minimize the rate increase, including reducing staffing and spending, delaying some spending and using available revenue from the debt service fund.
The Rate Structure Customer Advisory Committee reviewed the proposed changes to the water and wastewater rate structure.
The committee did not consider whether rate increases are needed, as this is not its charge. Instead, members looked at the ways the rates are structured to ensure each class of customers (residential, industrial, etc.) pays rates that are fair and equitable.
REGISTER TO BECOME A MASTER COMPOSTER
Learn how to compost from those who do it best — Master Composters. The training takes place 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 at the Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 200 Taylor St. The class costs $35 and is limited to the first 30 who register. To register, send a check (payable to Fort Worth Botanical Society) to Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Education Office, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76107. This class is made possible by the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Texas AgriLife Extension and the Fort Worth Environmental Management Department.
817-871-7966; FWBG.org
ADOPT A SHELTER DOG FOR HALF PRICE IN OCTOBER
Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month is observed nationally by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and was recognized locally with a proclamation during a recent Fort Worth City Council meeting. In recognition of Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month, all adoptions at the Animal Care and Control Center through October will be half price. Dogs can be adopted for $35 and cats for $25. All required vaccinations and a city pet license are included. Any pet adopted by a senior citizen (65 and older) is half price every day.
817-392-(PAWS) 7297; FortWorthGov.org/animals
$48,000 GRANT AWARDED TO FORT WORTH LEAGUE OF NEIGHBORHOODS FOR GAS PIPELINE STUDY
The Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods has been awarded a $48,000 technical assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The grant will be used to produce a “State of Gas Pipelines in Fort Worth” report for dissemination to Fort Worth residents, elected officials and natural gas drilling operators.
One of the fastest growing cities in the nation, Fort Worth is at the center of unprecedented urban gas drilling activity with a large number of pipelines being installed throughout the city at a rapid pace. The scope and speed of the new pipeline activity has challenged the citizens, their elected officials and the longstanding planning mechanisms of the City.
The year-long project will engage gas drilling pipeline and policy experts who will participate in a series of public meetings designed to provide a better understanding of pipeline placement and safety, the impacts of land development near pipelines, and other environmental issues brought about by pipelines. The League’s pipeline project will include an educational component for local communities to learn about pipeline hazards, help citizens know where gas pipelines are, what to do if they observe pipeline safety violations, how to air grievances on pipeline issues to operators and to the City, and how to improve the communication process about pipeline safety and placement. A central focus of the project will be the relationship between planning and pipeline placement.
The Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) program, first authorized in the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002, offers new opportunities to strengthen the depth and quality of public participation in pipeline safety matters. Section 9 of the Act, titled “Pipeline Safety Information Grants to Communities”, authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to communities and groups of individuals for technical assistance in the form of engineering or other scientific analysis of pipeline safety issues and to help promote public participation in official proceedings.
The $48,000 DOT grant will allow the League to continue its commitment to community education on emerging urban gas drilling issues. In 2008, the League, in association with the Tarrant County League of Women Voters, presented to the public five educational gas drilling programs featuring experts on topics such as use of eminent domain and environmental practices and impacts of urban gas drilling.
The Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods, founded in 1985, is a non-profit civic umbrella organization of Fort Worth neighborhood associations representing more than 300,000 citizens who have identified gas drilling and attendant issues as a top concern for their communities.
