Sam Houston Avenue Block Party

Thank you, Huntsville, for helping us kick off the closure of Sam Houston Avenue in the most exciting way possible! We hope we saw you at the Block Party and you got to leave your mark on the street. The afternoon was filled with dancing, paint, lots of glitter, confetti and a little bit of a mess but we loved every second of the party!

Thank you for your continued patience as the City works on improving drainage through the Town Creek Drainage Project. (We think of the detours as giving you a fresh view on your City, and allows you to drive routes you may never take!)

Memorial Day Solid Waste Changes

All City facilities will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29. The Solid Waste and Recycling facility will also be closed, and there will be no garbage services that day.

Residential Service - If your cart is normally picked up on Monday, it will be picked up on Wednesday for that week. There will be no yard waste services that week. The rest of the pickups for the remainder of the week will remain the same.

Commercial pick up - If your dumpster is normally serviced on Monday, you will be serviced on Tuesday. Additional trucks will be running this day, so if you are normally picked up on Tuesday, you will still be serviced on Tuesday. The rest of the servicing for the remainder of the week will remain the same.

Expert in Every Office

Meet Kevin Byal, your new Building Official. Kevin began working for the City in late March.

Kevin grew up and spent most his life in Thornton, Colorado (just north of Denver) before he found his way to Texas in 2000. He has been employed in municipal government for over 24 years, working in building permitting and inspection departments. Prior to that Kevin owned an electrical contracting business.

"I am most excited about getting to know fellow employees and the citizens of Huntsville", Kevin told us about his new role in the City.

If you see Kevin working in the field, be sure to welcome him to Home Sweet Huntsville!

City Council Considering a New Smoking Ordinance

During the 2017 City Council Strategic Planning session, the Council identified their desire to focus on improving overall City appearance. Goal #1, City Appearance - Provide policies, amenities, and events that enhance the City’s already beautiful and historic natural environment. Within that goal was Objective #2 - Review and consider various proposals for an updated smoking ordinance.

After the adoption of the Strategic Plan, City staff began reviewing similar ordinances from 10 cities that are similar in size, budget, and demographics to Huntsville.

Before presenting a new ordinance for Council consideration, the City invited 30 local businesses and restaurants to attend meetings to share their input and ideas regarding a new comprehensive smoking ordinance. The businesses were those that might be the most impacted by a more restrictive ordinance (some locations are already smoke-free).

The new updated ordinance proposes restricting smoking in workplaces, bars, restaurant patios, bowling alleys,indoor restaurants and various other places defined within the ordinance. The current ordinance that is in place was adopted in 1987.

At the April 18 City Council meeting, the updated comprehensive ordinance was on the agenda for a first reading, meaning Council heard the item and allowed for public comment but no action was taken. The ordinance will be on the agenda for the May 2 City Council meeting to be voted on. You can view the proposed ordinance in the April 18 City Council packet at http://huntsvilletx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8617 on page 137.

If you are unable to attend the May 2 City Council meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall, you can watch it live on Channel 7 or live streamed from the City website at http://huntsvilletx.gov/550/Watch-Meeting-Videos.

Financial Literacy Month

In observance of April being proclaimed Financial Literacy Month by Mayor Andy Brauninger, the Huntsville Public Library will host the SHSU Student Money Management Center’s month-long series of financial workshops. Join in on the remainder of the fun at the Huntsville Public Library. Check out the calendar of events at http://huntsvilletx.gov/532/Teen-Services.