On the Horizon - May 2024

On the Horizon

2023 Water Quality Report Now Available

Carrollton continues to deliver greattasting, high-quality water to your tap. To view the City of Carrollton’s 2023 annual water quality report and learn more about the City’s Superior Rated drinking water, visit cityofcarrollton. com/WaterQualityReport. This report contains important information about the source and quality of local drinking water. Call the number below for questions about the report or to request a paper copy.

El Reporte Anual Sobre la Calidad del Agua 2023 Está Disponible Carrollton continúa entregando agua de buen sabor y alta calidad a sus hogares. Visite la página cityofcarrollton.com/ InformeCalidaddelAguaPotable, para conocer más sobre el nivel superior del agua potable en nuestra ciudad, en el Reporte Anual sobre la Calidad del Agua de la Ciudad de Carrollton 2023. Este reporte contiene información importante acerca de la fuente, y calidad del agua que usted consume. Llame al número debajo si tiene preguntas sobre el reporte; o si le gustaría tener una copia impresa. 972-466-3425

Woodlake Lake Enhancements Begin

Residents will enjoy a new pavilion, a food truck area on the trail extension, a kayak launch, and additional parking.

Woodlake Lake (near the corner of N. Josey Lane and E. Peters Colony Road) will undergo site renovations thanks to Carrollton residents who voted in the 2018 Bond Election for Parks & Recreation Improvements.

The approved $22.4 million-Parks & Recreation bond package includes approximately $2.5 million specifically marked to fund Woodlake Lake enhancements.

The design focuses on adding elements that encourage the community to gather, pause during a run, and enjoy the outdoors. The project will include a pavilion with oversized steps leading to the lake, landscape trees and native plants, a food truck area with outdoor seating, an extension from the existing trail with surface pavement, the addition of an ADA-compliant kayak dock for loading and unloading, and potentially, an additional parking lot across the street.

After an intensive request for proposal process, MESA Design Group was selected to be the project designer in early 2021. Since that time, MESA’s team, the City’s Engineering and Parks & Recreation Departments, and the City Council have been working to create a composition plan that satisfies the bond package requirements, takes into account concerns and interest from the neighboring church and residents, and considers the desire by all to keep the area quiet and natural.

After presentations to Carrollton City Council at meetings in March and June of 2022 and July 2023, the project will focus on the northeastern end of the lake.

Mills Development and Construction –Dallas, LLC was awarded the contract in January. Work is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, weather permitting.

cityofcarrollton.com/news

City-owned Esports Center

Carrollton is the first City in the DFW Metroplex to offer an Esports Center in its recreational programs. Visitors can enjoy open play sessions and participate in various scheduled events, such as weekly tournaments, weekend community tournaments, and invitationals tailored for high school, collegiate, and open teams. Additionally, the Center offers rental options for birthday parties or personalized tournaments. A second Esports Center is set to launch at Rosemeade Recreation Center this summer.

cityofcarrollton.com/parksandrec

Carrollton is Sensory Inclusive™

The City has partnered with KultureCity® to make six facilities Sensory Inclusive™ (both recreation centers, the Senior Center, both Library locations, and the Perry Museum). Sensory bags, equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and KultureCity® VIP lanyards, are available for checkout at no cost for families and individuals who may find the environment overwhelming. Additionally, each facility provides weighted lap pads for checkout, further promoting a soothing and inclusive experience for all visitors.

cityofcarrollton.com/adaptive

Volunteer Award Winners

Thank you to all the 2023 nominees for your time, efforts, and ideas in making Carrollton a great place to live, work, and play.

The City of Carrollton honored community volunteers for their hard work and dedication at the 16th Annual Citizens’ Evening event on Wednesday, March 27.

Twenty-two nominations were received in four different categories for the ninth annual Volunteer Awards: Neighborhood Leadership, Outstanding Community Organization, Volunteer of the Year, and Youth Volunteer of the Year facilitated by the City’s Neighborhood Partnership Office. These awards are designed to recognize individuals, organizations, and leaders who have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional community service to the City of Carrollton and its residents.

Congratulations to the following volunteers for their dedicated work and high level of leadership and involvement.

• Neighborhood Leadership Award: John Castaldi

• Outstanding Community Organization Award: The Giving Garden of Carrollton (accepted by Laura Margadonna)

• Volunteer of the Year Award: Jeannie Stone

• Youth Volunteer of the Year Award: Brandon Castaneda

For more information about the City’s various volunteer opportunities, visit the link below.

972-466-5727

cityofcarrollton.com/volunteer

Maintain a home’s general aesthetic by following the these tips on how to avoid common property maintenance violations while keeping Carrollton beautiful and safe.

• Keep grass and weeds below 10 inches.

• Avoid creating a hiding place for rodents and other vermin by removing and disposing of all brush piles, trash, or debris.

• Remove inoperable or junk vehicles from the property or park them in the garage screened from public view. A car tarp does NOT qualify.

• Park vehicles on a surface that meets City code, not on the grass.

• Do not allow fences to lean more than 15 degrees. Do not prop up from the outside area where they can be seen by the public.

• Do not repair vehicles unregistered to the property.

• Remove dead trees, bushes, shrubs, or other dead vegetation.

• Replace all broken or missing pickets on a fence. If stained or painted, it must be a uniform color.

• Avoid basketball goals from overhanging the streets or alleyways or being placed to obstruct sidewalks.

• Conduct no more than four garage sales per year. Do not exceed three consecutive days in duration and leave at least 30 days between each separate garage sale.

For questions or to report a violation, contact Environmental Services.

972-466-5727

cityofcarrollton.com/codeenforcement

John Castaldi Laura Margadonna Jeannie Stone Brandon Castaneda

Youth Fire Academy & EMT Program

Students learn the skills, knowledge, and principles necessary for careers in firefighting and emergency medical services.

Carrollton City Council unanimously passed a resolution in September 2023 to enter into an interlocal agreement with the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) for Carrollton Fire Rescue (CFR) to support and staff a Fire Academy and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Training Program at Creekview High School (3201 Old Denton Road).

The curriculum is a four-year Career and Technical Education (CTE) program wherein the first two years offer an introduction to the fire service career pathway and the capstone affords the actual hands-on Firefighter I & II and EMT-Basic academy experience during students’ junior and senior years. The first freshman class began with 19 students in September 2023 and grew by the end of the semester to more than 45, and all are in their second semester of training.

The desire for both parties was to establish a student Fire Academy based on a professional

curriculum of Fire Academy and EMT classes through full integration of high school and college coursework plus post-education, professional training. CFBISD is drafting plans to transform a large storage area into a full-size engine bay from which the program will eventually operate the academy, including special classroom and office spaces. Creekview High School was chosen for the Fire Academy because it has the best available space in the district.

CFBISD’s CTE department develops students who are trained, certified, and hireable. The addition of CFR’s Fire Academy and EMT Training program to the school district’s academy lineup of offerings has received an overwhelming response. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to prepare in high school for a career path of choice, learn from one of the best fire departments in the Metroplex, and be given the chance to step into a professional position in the Fire Service and give back to their hometown community.

Students will receive course completions for both Texas Basic EMT and Basic Firefighter and will be eligible to take the Texas state exam to become fully certified. Regardless of whether a student passes the state exam, if a student passes the courses as offered, they will receive college credit.

Visit creekview.cfbisd.edu and search Fire Academy or email holterhoffc@cfbisd.edu for more information.

Water Service Line Survey

The City of Carrollton is requesting help in identifying the material of water service lines from the water meter to just outside the home or business to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandate.

All residential, commercial, and industrial property owners are asked to:

1. LOCATE the water service line coming into the property, near the meter.

2. IDENTIFY the pipe material. Scratch the pipe gently with a coin, test it with a magnet, and compare it to the pictures below.

3. REPORT findings by scanning the QR code and taking the survey.

9 p.m. Routine

Setting an alarm for 9 p.m. every day can save hours, days, weeks, months, or even years of heartache. The 9 p.m. routine is a nightly reminder for residents to turn on exterior lights, activate all alarms and security systems, remove valuables from vehicles, lock vehicle doors, close the garage door, ensure valuables are not visible from outside the home, and secure any entryways to residences. Call 911 to report any suspicious activity. cityofcarrollton.com/police

Hide-and-Seek Challenge

July is National Park and Recreation Month. Celebrate by participating in challenges at different Carrollton parks, recreation centers, trails, events, and other City facilities. Participants can test their pirate skills and follow the map to where X marks the spot to discover the hidden treasure chest. Participate in various activities and challenges each week, earning a stamp for the map to track progress. Each completed activity earns one gold coin, which can be entered into the month-end prize raffle. cityofcarrollton.com/parksandrec

Survey Open: May 1-Aug. 30

Photo Courtesy of Sam Iturrino

Brush, Bulk Waste Collection 101

The City of Carrollton reminds residents to follow brush and bulk pick-up guidelines to avoid a missed collection.

Upcoming Events

Waste collected weekly on regular collection day at the street curb in front of the home

WPlaced no earlier than 6 p.m. of the evening before and no later than 6:30 a.m.

Limbs cut into 4-ft lengths and placed in bundles not exceeding 40 lbs.

hether trimming trees or clearing out old appliances, residents can have brush (tree trimmings, limbs, and branches) and bulk waste (items too large for green roll-out containers, including bagged or boxed material) picked up weekly on regular collection day as long as they adhere to the following service guidelines.

• Brush and bulk waste is collected at the street curb in front of the home, not the alley, no earlier than 6 p.m. of the evening before and no later than 6:30 a.m. on collection day. Early placement may incur a fine and late placement may result in a missed pickup.

• All limbs should be cut into four foot lengths and placed in bundles not exceeding 40 pounds.

• All bulk and brush waste should be generated on the property by the homeowner. Contractor generated waste or waste from another site will not be

FREE COMMUNITY DISPLAY

Refrigerant removed by a certified professional

Contractors responsible for removal and disposal of all construction debris

• Appliances such as stoves and water heaters are collected curbside. There is no additional charge, and customers do not need to call for collection.

• Materials from small home-repair projects should not exceed a six by four foot neatly stacked pile.

• Loose bulk items should be bagged or boxed and not exceed 50 pounds for safe, manageable collection.

• Plate glass should be taped corner to corner and side to side, or broken and secured inside a box as loose material.

Restricted Items

• Brick, tile, stone, concrete blocks, and railroad ties

• Home-repair materials when generated by a contractor

• Electronics, batteries, household chemicals, paint, automotive fluids and more are handled using the Household Hazardous Waste program: cityofcarrollton.com/HHW Visit the link below for additional details.

972-466-4950 cityofcarrollton.com/solidwaste

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3 9:30 P.M. JOSEY RANCH LAKE

Celebrate Independence Day with a spectacular fireworks display. Bring the family and join the City of Carrollton for an evening of patriotic fun as the show lights up the night sky with an awe-inspiring display of color. This free display will begin after sunset at approximately 9:30 p.m. and will last 15 minutes. There will be no event on-site.

cityofcarrollton.com/fireworks

Paws on the Square, June 8, 9 a.m.12 p.m., Historic Downtown Carrollton – Take photos at photo op stations, meet and greet with local pet rescue organizations, and shop for dog-related items from vendors. Basic grooming services and rabies vaccinations will also be provided at a low cost.

Independence Day Concert, July 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Carrollton Senior Center – Enjoy patriotic music by The New Horizons Band and a free lunch (one per person) while supplies last.

Neighborhood Networking Workshop: Wildlife in Carrollton, July 10, 6-8 p.m., Hebron & Josey Library – Learn how to resolve human-wildlife conflicts and live harmoniously with various species. Battle of the Badges Blood Drive, July 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Josey Ranch Lake Library – Roll up a sleeve and join in this lifesaving effort by donating blood on behalf of Team Fire or Team Police. The team that recruits the most eligible donors wins.

Swim-In Cinema, July 12, 7-10:30 p.m., $5/resident, $9/nonresident, Rosemeade Rainforest –Swim up for a movie by the pool. Open swim from 7 p.m. to dusk; featured film Elemental (2023), PG, after sunset. Tickets are sold at the event only. Driver’s license must be presented for resident rates.

• June 1-August 1: Summer Reading Challenge

• June 22: Special Needs Summer Dance Bash - Hawaiian Luau

• June 21 & July 19: Special Needs Swim Night

• June 29: Polynesian Dance with The Hula Honeys

• July 27: Shipwrecked at Rainforest

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

cityofcarrollton.com/events