City of University Park
   June 2020
Welcome to UPdate .   This mid-month publication provides residents with timely information about upcoming City projects, programs and events. You can sign up for things too.     
CITY HALL
Council to consider expanding Holmes Aquatic Center offering for summer 2020
Last month, after an in-depth presentation from staff, with concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the City Council decided to limit activities at the pool to lap swimming only, beginning no later than July 1.

Tomorrow night, because State guidelines have evolved and residents have voiced a desire for more amenities, the City Council will consider potential expansion of programming options beyond lap swimming. Click on the button below for more information.
Rotary Club July 4 Festivities
Although the parade and Goar Park festivities will not take place next month, the Rotary Club is offering several fun activities to provide you and your family with ways to demonstrate the love you have for our country and our neighborhoods!

This year's theme of  Stars, Stripes and Service is also centered on generating community support for the North Texas Food Bank, so they can continue to provide critical assistance for thousands of local families in this sudden and continuing time of need.

We hope you will sign-up to participate in the activities and that you will support the food bank, and ask your neighbors to do the same!
Take the Master Plan Survey

Residents now have the opportunity to take an online survey to provide us with guidance on numerous long-term community concerns. 

The survey is just 20 questions and should take about 10 minutes to complete. Gap Strategies, the consulting firm assisting us with the project, worked hard to strike a balance between length and the collection of needed information. Data collected from the survey will help to build a foundation for our new Centennial Master Plan. This fall, after Gap has had time to analyze findings, there will be additional opportunities for input from you and your neighbors with town hall and stakeholder meetings. 

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same!
PUBLIC WORKS
Stormwater detention project in Caruth Park
Excavation is well underway in Caruth Park in conjunction with a project to improve the City’s stormwater system and reduce potential flooding in nearby neighborhoods. The first step involves construction of an underground detention structure in the park. Once in place, the structure will increase the capacity of the City’s stormwater system by 11 acre feet. That equates to just over 3.5 million gallons.

Crews are removing dirt from the site at a fairly fast pace. In the next few weeks, materials will start to be delivered in preparation for the installation of the detention structure. Stop by the park and check out the progress for yourself through the viewing windows in the construction fence!  
Milling & Repaving progress

Similar to efforts during recent several summers, crews are resurfacing streets in locations throughout the community. The project will continue through late July.   

Most of the work will take place in the southern portion of the city. Crews will work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. If weather causes project delays, some Saturday work may be authorized. For most segments, the resurfacing effort will take less than two days. Flag crews will be present when lanes are narrowed for resurfacing occurring on a segment of Hillcrest and on segments of Preston and Lovers.

Many streets have already been repaved. Click the button below for a full schedule and map of project locations.
UP PUBLIC LIBRARY
UPPL will reopen on Wednesday, June 17
Curbside service still available
 
UP Public Library is set to reopen on Wednesday, June 17, and we can’t wait to see you! In conjunction with best-practices for limiting the spread of COVID-19, for your safety and for staff safety, here are things you need to know before coming to the library about our occupancy limit, the reservation process and our cleaning practices:

  • Onsite use of the library is for University Park residents only.
  • Because no more than 50 people will be allowed inside the library at any one time, phone reservations are recommended before you and your family visit.
  • Reservations can be made by phone at 214-363-9095, Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
  • Once you have made a reservation, please make every effort to be on time.
  • Everyone who visits onsite will be allowed to stay for 45 minutes at a time. 
  • You will be asked to sign in as you begin your 45 minute visit.
  • If the 50-person limit is reached, those who have been onsite the longest will be asked to conclude their visit. 
  • Each hour, library staff will clean and disinfect all touchable surfaces for 15 minutes.

Changes to amenities

  • You can reserve one of three study tables in the main portion of the library for 45 minutes at a time, but our study rooms are still closed to the public.
  • The magazine reading room is open, but seating will be limited to one person at a time.
  • All public computers have been removed, including all catalog touch-screens.

Curbside service is still available

  • Curbside service is available to all library card holders. Just place your items on hold as you normally would by either using our online catalog, calling the library at 214-363-9095, or using the library’s app.
  • Curbside service is available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Saturday.
  • When your items are ready, a library staff member will call you. Please wait for the phone call before coming to the library for your items. A text from the library may not mean that your items are ready for pick up.
  • When you pull to the curb in front of the library’s entrance, call us at 214-363-9095 to let us know that you are here. Please do not leave a message.
Don't forget to sign up for a Summer Reading Program!
Kids' Summer Reading Club - For readers 0 to 12 years old   
 
Register   each of your children and log their reading hours (or books read) online to earn prizes! At registration, be sure to opt-in to receive weekly details about accessing our virtual family performer programs.
 
Please note that summer reading sign-up prizes, yard signs, and hourly prizes can be picked up from the library using Curbside Service. 
 
At the end of the program, the HPISD school whose students read the most will be awarded the Readers Cup Trophy! Hyer Elementary won the trophy last summer.
 
All hours and books must be logged online by 8 p.m. on July 31 for children to be eligible for prizes. Prizes must be collected by August 31.
Teens' Summer Reading Club - For readers ages 13 - 19 years old
 
Teen Summer Reading Club is a fun collaboration between the University Park Public Library and Highland Park Library. Each week, participants who log reading hours online will be entered into a drawing to win a gift card from a local business.
 
Details
  • To participate and be eligible for prizes, students must register
  • Each hour logged earns the participant 20 points
  • If the participant attends the monthly virtual programs, they earn 25 bonus points each time they attend (plus they are free and fun!)
  • To complete the program, participants must earn at least 500 points (or read 25 hours)
  • At the end of the program, participants who have earned 500 points will be entered into the grand prize drawing - one winner from UP and one from HP.
Grown UP Summer Reading
 
All enrolled participants will receive a yard sign. To participate, once you’ve finished a book or completed a challenge, enter it into the database. Participants will be entered into weekly drawings for prizes. Readers may also post what books they are reading so that others can get inspiration for their next read. The program runs until July 31. 
Upcoming City Meetings & Events