Is the City responsible for damage to my mailbox, decorative landscaping or basketball hoop? If your mailbox or landscaping is damaged by a City-operated snow plow, please call the City’s Streets Division at 636-3793807 to request repairs or replacements. Or visit www.ofallon. mo.us/citizens-first-center. Landscape replacement is not fully guaranteed; however, staff will work with you to ensure a satisfactory outcome. Please note, O’Fallon’s municipal code prohibits putting basketball hoops and other obstructions in the City’s public right-of-way (mid-street to about 10 feet behind the curb). The City will not pay for damage to those items. Can I get a ticket if I park on the street? Yes. According to City ordinance, during any winter weather event when there has been accumulation of snow, ice or other frozen precipitation, a parking prohibition goes into effect on all City streets to allow safer and more efficient travel for residents, the public, snow plows and emergency response vehicles. Tickets may be issued to vehicles in violation. For more information on O’Fallon’s winter weather control program, please call the Streets Division at 636-379-3807 or visit www.ofallon.mo.us/snow.
Water and Sewer Protect your home and sewer system by keeping “FOG” out of the sewer! The City of O’Fallon is urging the community to take action this holiday season by properly disposing of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) used in cooking, instead of putting them down the drain. FOG can look harmless as liquids, and many people dispose of these substances down their drains. When they cool, however, FOG becomes thick and sticky, adhering to the pipes of our sewer system and potentially causing clogs, basement backups and sewer overflows. FOG also can cause issues in the pipes of your home, producing clogs or backups.
Veterans Report O’Fallon Veterans Assistance Office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (except holidays) 636-379-5577 or veteransaffairs@ofallon.mo.us 1st floor, O’Fallon Municipal Centre (City Hall) The Veterans Assistance Office is staffed by veterans who are dedicated to helping all U.S. military veterans and their families regarding eligibility or entitlement to VA benefits.
GI Bill users soon will be required to contact the VA each month to receive payment Starting this December, all post-9/11 GI Bill users will be required to verify their school attendance with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) each month before receiving any payments. In addition, beginning immediately GI Bill users who are attending a technical school, also known as a “non-college degree” or NCD school, must verify their school attendance with the VA each month in order to receive their Monthly Housing Allowance. For most students, this verification will be done via text message. After enrolling in courses, students will receive a text message from the VA inviting them to enroll in text message verification. They can reply “Yes” to opt in. At the end of each month, students will receive a text from the VA asking whether they are still enrolled in classes. If they respond affirmatively, their Monthly Housing Allowance will be sent to their bank at the beginning of the following month. If students don’t receive the text message, don’t opt into the service or don’t have a mobile phone, they will be required to contact the VA by calling the GI Bill hotline at 888-442-4551 to receive payment. Those who fail to verify their attendance with the VA for two months in a row will have their housing allowance payments withheld until they do so.
Fats, oils and grease are a by-product of cooking and are mostly found in the following: Meats • Cooking oil • Lard or shortening • Butter or margarine Mayonnaise • Food scraps • “Hidden oils” (salad dressings, syrup, batter, cheese and whipping cream, etc.) You can do your part to help sewer systems work properly by using the disposal methods provided below. • Wipe visible FOG and food scraps from plates, pots, and utensils into the trash for disposal. • Never pour FOG down your sink drain, garbage disposal or the sewer system. • Cool it, can it and trash it. Pour cooled FOG into a container such as empty pet food, vegetable or coffee cans. Allow the material to cool and solidify. Secure the lid and place it in the trash when full.
www.ofallon.mo.us Winter 2021-22
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