March 2021 Citizen ConnectionWelcome Spring with Keep Denton Beautiful
Celebrate Denton’s Vibrant RedbudsThis year, Keep Denton Beautiful
(KDB) in partnership with Texas
Woman’s University (TWU), will share “Redbud Routes” guiding residents to see the redbud trees’ beautiful spring blossoms. The
Redbud Festival traces its roots
back to an annual TWU festival that was held from the 1930s until 1981 to celebrate the school’s beautification and tree planting
efforts. In 1994, KDB gave the festival new life in
honor of Denton’s designation by the 73rd Texas State Legislature as the “Redbud Capital of Texas.”
Explore your neighborhood for the redbud’s vibrant
pink blossoms and join the Denton Trees iNaturalist
project, www.inaturalist.org/projects/denton-trees, to plot and share. With the help of iNat users, the project is inventorying Denton’s tree species and their distribution by engaging residents and encouraging
them to plot trees from all across the city. This data
is also used to ID trees to be measured for landmark status.
Free Disposal DayMark your calendars! The City will be hosting a free
Disposal Day in partnership with Great American
Clean-up. The event will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2021 from 7 a.m. to noon at the City of Denton Landfill, 1527 S. Mayhill Rd. Bring your bulky items and spring-cleaning clutter. This event is open to
Denton residents with proof of residency, one trip
per resident. No electronics, brush, tires, household chemicals, items containing Freon, construction, demolition, or commercial waste will be accepted.
Nominate a Landscape for Yard of the Month
Yard of the Month is back this March with new
categories, plant descriptions, and helpful how-to information. We need your nominations! Send us the address of a yard that does an exceptional job with container planting, has an abundance of native plants,
or features trees of any age in the landscape. Visit
www.kdb.org/yard-of-the-month for new program details and the nomination form.
Spring cleaning is a great way to reduce the clutter
we’ve accumulated in the winter months. If you and your family will be doing some deep cleaning this spring, here are some ways you can reduce, reuse, and recycle right!
Tackling your garage, attic, or shed can be a
daunting task. Take an inventory of your items, what’s in good working condition? What can be donated? Separate those items like clothing, furniture, toys, books, and cookware sets that can
be given a second chance at a local thrift store.
• Set aside items that are damaged or beyond repair and are ready to be thrown away. Just because an item is ready for disposal doesn’t mean that you can throw it in the trash. Some
items will require special disposal, for example,
batteries, paints, fertilizers, and most household chemicals should not be thrown in the trash. These items can potentially mix and create hazardous situations. This could endanger
the safety of staff, collection trucks, and our
landfill. Keep these items out of our landfill by contacting Customer Service at (940) 349-8700 to schedule a pickup through Home Chemical Collection (HCC) at no additional cost.
• If your electronic waste is collecting dust and
you’re unsure what to do with outdated TVs or monitors, electronic waste can be taken to the City of Denton Landfill at 1525 S. Mayhill Rd. Televisions, computers, and other devices with
a screen will have a handling fee per device.
Small household and kitchen electronics will be accepted at no charge. If you have questions about what requires special collection, feel free to use our Waste Wizard app
to verify at www.dentonrecyles.com or email us at
dentonrecycles@cityofdenton.com.
Spring Cleaning Tips
A publication of the City of Denton Department of Public Affairs
ADA/EOE/ADEA • TDD (800) 735-2989 • www.cityofdenton.com
Help Wipeout Grafitti
Graffiti can have a serious negative impact on our community. It gives the appearance
that neighborhoods are unsafe, can significantly reduce property value, and it drains tax dollars.Funds that could and
should be used for roads, parks, and other community needs are used to clean graffiti.
The City of Denton has created a comprehensive plan
to eliminate graffiti on public and private property as well as prevent graffiti and vandalism in the city. The Graffiti Abatement Program is provided at no cost to its residents and business owners. See how you can help wipeout graffiti below.
1. ReportIt is a crime for any person, group, organization, or club to apply graffiti on any property in the city. If you see graffiti being applied to property, call 9-1-1 and report it to the Denton Police Department. Keeping our
city beautiful takes everyone’s help. If you see graffiti located anywhere in the City, report it to Community Services. See how below.
If you see graffiti located anywhere in the city, report it to
Community Services. See how below for 3 easy ways to report.
Dial: (940) 349-8743Email: CIS@cityofdenton.comDownload: Engage Denton or
report online at www.engagedenton.com
2. Record The City diligently monitors for graffiti, but the fastest and easiest way we are able to see it is from you! Take pictures for program reporting, Police, and insurance.
3. RemoveRemove the graffiti from your property within 24-48 hours to prevent graffiti from spreading and reoccurring. Maintaining the appearance of your neighborhood decreases crime and increases quality of life. Contact
the City at (940) 349-8743 for free removal.
For more information on how to wipeout graffiti, visit www.cityofdenton.com/CIS.
March in Texas means that temperatures are starting to warm up and the start of ozone season is here.
Ozone is one type of air pollution that influences the North Texas Region’s air quality index, a system of measuring the quality of our air. Ozone is strongly influenced by meteorological conditions and is more prevalent during the months with high temperatures.
To help all of our citizens stay air aware this ozone season, the Denton Sustainability Department has updated its air quality website with plenty of helpful resources, many that come from our regional partners at Air North Texas and their mascot Arlo the Airmadillo!
On the site you will find the current air quality index, informational materials about ozone pollution, as well as a link to sign up for alerts so you can be notified when poor air quality conditions are expected.
We also ask that on ozone action days, when
conditions are likely to produce high levels of ozone, our residents take actions that help reduce ozone forming pollutants. Some of these include:• Reduce driving• Refrain from using gas powered lawn equipment
• Conserve electricity
For more details and to sign up for air quality alerts please visit bit.ly/AirQualityDenton and follow the City of Denton Sustainability Facebook Page for more ways to improve our air quality!
Be Air Aware
With spring coming and the likelihood of stormy weather, unexpected damages to your property’s electrical system could occur.
To prepare you for potential weather-related damage,
Denton Municipal Electric (DME) created a guide on what to do in case you face any electrical damages.
Take the following steps to properly repair or replace your electric meter equipment:
• Contact a licensed electrician to obtain the
required electrical permits from the City and complete the necessary repairs. • For any questions regarding permitting or exceptions to permitting, call the City of Denton Building Safety Division at (940) 349-8360 or
email building@cityofdenton.com.• After repairs have been made or equipment has been replaced, your electrician must contact the Building Safety Division to schedule an inspection.
• The Building Safety Division will notify DME when your inspection passes, so electric service can be restored.
In the upcoming storm-season, if you see an orange notice on your door from DME, it is because your
property’s electric meter equipment is damaged and currently without electric service. If you receive a notice, follow the instructions on the notice to restore power to your property.
For emergency repairs after 4 p.m., weekends, or
holidays, call (940) 349-7000.
How to Repare Electrical
System Damage