On the Horizon - April 2024

On the Horizon NEWSLETTER

City General Election

The City of Carrollton will hold a General Election and Special Election on Saturday, May 4 to elect Council places 1, 3, 5, and 7 and to consider proposed changes to the City Charter. For more information, visit the link below.

La Ciudad de Carrollton realizará una Elección General y una Elección Especial el sábado 4 de mayo, para elegir los escaños 1,3, 5, y 7 del Concejo Municipal, y considerar cambios propuestos a los estatutos municipales. Para más información, visite el siguiente enlace.

Thành phố Carrollton sẽ tổ chức Cuộc

Tổng tuyển cử và Bầu cử Đặc biệt vào

Thứ Bảy, ngày 4 tháng 5 để bầu ra các Vị trí Hội đồng 1, 3, 5, và 7 cũng như xem xét những thay đổi được đề xuất đối với Hiến chương. Để biết thêm thông tin, hãy truy cập liên kết bên dưới. cityofcarrollton.com/elections

Road Closures & Construction Updates

Carrollton is home to three major highways (Sam Rayburn Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, and Interstate 35E), as well as a light rail system. NTTA, TxDOT, and DART are responsible for their construction and maintenance.

At the link below, find up-to-date City and non-City road construction projects, including those impacting public infrastructure and facilities.

cityofcarrollton.com/roadclosures

New Art Making a Splash in Carrollton

The winners of Carrollton’s storm drain art contest recently finished painting storm drains in Downtown Carrollton.

Last October, the City of Carrollton kicked off the inaugural storm drain art contest in search of artists to paint storm drain inlets in Downtown Carrollton. Now, the installation of art on seven storm drains spanning South Broadway Street in Downtown is finally complete.

Artists submitted designs that fit themes of preventing stormwater pollution, maintaining safe drinking water sources or water conservation, and protecting natural habitats. A committee made up of City staff and Downtown stakeholders selected six of the seven winning designs, and community members voted on the seventh design as the People’s Choice winner.

Throughout March, the winning artists took to the streets of Downtown Carrollton to bring their designs to life. Using environmentally friendly acrylic paint, they brought bright colors, imagery of animals and natural environments, and even messages such as “water is life” and “only rain down the drain”

to each storm inlet. City staff have applied a sealant over each design, preserving the art for years to come. A brief biography of each artist is also available on the City website.

The installation of storm drain art helps raise awareness about stormwater pollution. Water that collects in storm drains may pick up pollutants such as trash or vehicle fluid from the street, and then flow directly into creeks and surface water throughout the City. Painting the storm drains is not only a colorful art installation for the community to enjoy, but a reminder for everyone to help protect the water supply and the environment.

Visit Downtown Carrollton today to see how the project has transformed ordinary storm drains into works of art and raised awareness about preventing stormwater pollution. Keep an eye out for when the City will begin accepting submissions this October for the second phase of storm drain art installation in the community.

People’s Choice WINNER

How to Turn Off the Water in an Emergency

It’s important for homeowners to know how to quickly turn off the water in case of an emergency such as a sudden temperature freeze or major leak. Visit the link below to watch a how-to video and be prepared, thanks to the City’s Public Works Department.

cityofcarrollton.com/weather

Canine Distemper Awareness

Carrollton Animal Services advises pet owners to protect their animals from canine distemper virus due to an increase in raccoon distemper cases in North Texas, including Carrollton. Canine distemper is a virus that cannot be spread to humans but can spread to dogs who come into contact with infected raccoons.

The best way to protect dogs is to ensure they are vaccinated, and prevent them from using community food or water bowls that may be contaminated. Follow these tips to avoid attracting raccoons.

• Close trash bags and bins.

• Remove food and water bowls from outside.

• Avoid wildlife on walks.

cityofcarrollton.com/animalservices

New Digital Service

Carrollton Public Library now has hoopla, a new media service offering a collection of movies, TV shows, magazines, music, eAudiobooks, eBooks, and comics. Use a Library card to sign up for free and complete four checkouts per calendar month.

Turn on Kids Mode to enjoy familyfriendly content browsing and searching. Subscribers can stream content online at hoopladigital.com or on a mobile device by downloading the hoopla Digital app for iOS and Android.

cityofcarrollton.com/library

New Life-Saving AED Technology

Carrollton becomes the first city in Texas and fourth in the nation to adopt Avive’s 4 Minute City™ AED Program

Sudden cardiac arrest is a critical medical emergency which occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating and pumping blood effectively throughout the body. Because every second counts, the goal of the 4 Minute City™ Program is to place an Avive Connect AED™ in the hands of a trained volunteer and have them arrive at every suspected sudden cardiac arrest within four minutes of 911 dispatchers receiving the call. The AED’s software is integrated within local dispatchers’ monitors. As soon as an NTECC Telecommunicator recognizes

Remodeling the Right Way

Everyone appreciates the beauty of a remodeled home and neighbors who complete their projects with minimal disruption to the neighborhood.

Know when to get a City permit. Permits are required for new building construction including a pool, fence, or patio cover; a building remodel; renovation; or repair work. New work is considered any new construction, commercial or residential, from vacant ground to a completed new structure. Manage trash for efficient collection. Contractors are responsible for the removal and disposal of all construction debris and are not allowed to place it out for collection. Homeowners performing the construction work themselves may place materials at the curb for collection no sooner than 6 p.m. the day before their scheduled trash pickup.

972-466-3225

cityofcarrollton.com/buildinginspection

sudden cardiac arrest as the reason for the 911 call, they will activate the Avive Connect AEDs™ in the City, and the devices alert their owners that a cardiac arrest has occurred nearby and provide turn-by-turn directions to the location of the incident.

Carrollton City Council unanimously passed a resolution in December to partner with Avive for its 4 Minute City™ AED Program, making Carrollton the first city in Texas and the fourth in the nation to bring this lifesaving technology to its residents.

As part of the agreement, Avive will provide 200 Avive Connect AEDs to assigned citizen volunteers who complete specialized CPR/AED training on the unit and pass a background investigation.

According to the American Heart Association, there are more than 356,000 out-of-hospitalcardiac-arrest cases each year in the United States, with nearly 90 percent resulting in fatalities.

cityofcarrollton.com/fire

Community Cleanup Challenge

Removing trash and debris from the environment is a great way to help Carrollton’s streets, waterways, and green spaces thrive.

Every year from March 1 to May 31, the City participates in the North Texas Community Cleanup Challenge. This is a friendly competition among local communities to see who can pick up the most litter per resident.

Waterway cleanups are good for residents and the environment. Get in some sunshine and fresh air outside while helping keep the City’s waterways free of trash. Picking up even one item of trash while on a walk makes a big difference, every piece counts!

Want to get involved?

1. Set a date and notify the Carrollton Environmental Services Department, along with the number of volunteers participating.

2. Visit trashfreetexas.org to pick a location in Carrollton.

3. Pick up materials at City Hall, Environmental Services (1945 E. Jackson Road).

4. Have volunteers fill out the waiver online and discuss safety practices.

5. Conduct the cleanup in the designated area and make a positive impact on Carrollton’s waterways.

6. Return materials and complete the postcleanup survey by scanning the QR code above.

See how much trash can be removed to improve the flow of Carrollton’s waterways. For information, visit the website below or call Environmental Services.

972-466-3035

cityofcarrollton.com/stormwater

Neighborhood Thrive

This summer, a free mobile program will bring outdoor activities and education to neighborhoods from 10 a.m. to noon on the dates and locations listed below. Learn about environmental stewardship, local wildlife, and community involvement from City departments and organizations.

Wed., May 29: Texas Native Cats @ Mary Heads Carter Park

Wed., June 12: City staff @ Oak Hills Splash Park

Wed., June 26: City staff @ Rosemeade Park

Wed., July 10: Urban Coyotes @ Josey Ranch Lake Library

Wed., July 24: City staff @ Holman D. Rhoton Park

Sat., Aug. 10: Friends of Furneaux Creek @ W. J. Thomas Park

Sat., Aug. 24: Native Plant Society of Texas @ Hebron & Josey Library

Improving Community & Police Engagement

The Carrollton Police Department holds several community engagement meetings throughout the year to allow citizens to speak one-on-one with officers. There are no agendas or speeches, just the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, get up-to-date public safety information, find out about current trends to help become a harder target for criminals, learn about other topics to improve quality of life, and more. Visit the link below and get to know the officers in the neighborhood.

cityofcarrollton.com/police

Student Art Show

Enjoy an art gallery of local students presented by the City of Carrollton in partnership with local and surrounding school districts. The exhibition will be held at the Crosby Recreation Center (1610 E. Crosby Road) on Friday, May 10 from 6-7:30 p.m. After the exhibition, the artwork will be displayed at both recreation centers until Friday, June 14. Students interested in participating should contact their school’s art teacher.

cityofcarrollton.com/arts

Stop, Look, and Think.

Search engines, like Google, are so popular and handy for scammers. So, beware. Cybercriminals are counting on tricking unsuspecting individuals to click on fake utility ads while searching for a service provider or an online payment portal. It’s easier to trick consumers who contact them instead of them reaching out to the consumer. Be safe. Remember, anyone can purchase an ad. If something seems strange about a financial transaction, stop immediately. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Think before clicking.

blog.knowbe4.com

Minimize Property Risk with Insurance

Even residents who don’t live in flood-prone areas should secure flood insurance.

Between 20-25 percent of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims come from outside high flood risk areas, and the NFIP’s Preferred Risk Policy is designed for residential properties located in low to moderate flood risk zones. Carrollton’s local flood hazards generally come from the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, which flows down the western City limits, and four streams: Dudley Branch, Furneaux

Creek, Hutton Branch, and Indian Creek, all of which run southwesterly toward the Elm Fork.

Damage caused by floods and high wind is often not covered by homeowners insurance. Residents should contact their insurance company to determine flood insurance eligibility. It takes at least 30 days to activate flood insurance.

Visit msc.fema.gov to find out if your home or business is located within a flood risk zone. For flood depth data, flood maps, or information regarding property protection assistance and site visits, contact the Carrollton Engineering Department.

972-466-3204

cityofcarrollton.com/engineering

Water Restrictions Through Summer

Summer’s rising temperatures means an increase in outdoor water use due to lawn and landscape watering.

Following the City of Carrollton’s Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan, time of day water restrictions are now in effect through October 31. This means the use of automatic irrigation systems is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Visit cityofcarrollton.com/water for water conservation tips.

Free Irrigation Inspections

If you’re a Carrollton Water Utilities residential customer with an in-ground irrigation system, you may be eligible for a free irrigation inspection (available through September 30 or until annual program funding is exhausted).

Email contactus@cityofcarrollton.com or call 972-466-3120 to schedule a free inspection. Those who participated in 2022 or 2023 are ineligible for a free inspection this year.

972-466-3425

cityofcarrollton.com/irrigation

Upcoming Events

Neighborhood Networking Workshop: How to Get Involved, May 13, 6-8 p.m., Municipal Courts Community Room – Learn about the different programs offered through the City, volunteer opportunities, Metrocrest Services, and more.

Metrocrest Community Job Fair, May 15, 3-6 p.m., Josey Ranch Lake Library – Bring resume copies and come dressed to impress, as some interviews may take place on-site. Positions cover a range of industries and experience levels. Free resume printing will be available. Registration is required.

Memorial Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony, May 27, Time TBD, Veterans Memorial Plaza – Remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Chalk Art Festival, May 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Mary Heads Carter Park – Watch talented contestants turn sidewalks into vibrant works of art while enjoying music, food, and games. Interested in competing? Register by May 10 at cityofcarrollton.com/ signupnow. Space is limited.

Summer Reading Challenge, June 1-August 1 – Earn great rewards by reading and logging minutes this summer. Registration begins May 1 at carrollton.beanstack.org. Reading challenge participants will receive a special invitation to an End of Summer Party at Rosemeade Rainforest.

at Rosemeade Rainforest Aquatic Complex or either Splash Park location! For opening dates, hours of operation, or information on fees, swim lessons, rentals, and more, visit cityofcarrollton.com/aquatics.

• May 23: Public Works Week Equipment Rodeo

• June-August: Summer Lunch & Snack Program

• June 1: Youth Fishing Event

• June 1: Carrollton Wind Symphony Concert

For more information and a complete list of upcoming events and programs, visit the link below.

cityofcarrollton.com/events