City Newsletter - January 2021

January 2021

CITY NEWSLETTER

City News

2020 was a crazy year for all of us. We all experienced many ups and downs. But through all of the challenges, the City of Robinson was able to make a lot of progress and accomplished several goals. Here are just a few of the things the City was able to achieve:

Created Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #1 and entered into an agreement with McLennan County for their participation in the zone.
Negotiated a developer’s agreement with Waco Infinity Properties for the development of the Heights addition on Loop 340.
Negotiated an abatement agreement with Encompass Health for the construction of a $26 million 40 bed physical rehabilitation hospital
Construction began for the $26 million Encompass Health 40 bed physical rehabilitation hospital
Worked with the Waco Industrial Foundation to develop a vision for their 635-acre property in Robinson
Continued construction of street projects with construction being completed on Meadowbrook, Brewster, Waverly, Elizabeth, and Sun Valley
Began design of the 2020 street projects to reconstruct or reclaim: Emberwood, Dogwood (Betsy to Lou), Karnes (Old Robinson Road to Lou), Betsy, Margaret, Susan, and Dayton (Loop 340 to Denison)
Completed the final phase of the South Pond force main reroute project
Completed construction of the million-gallon elevated tank off of I35.
Slurry sealed N. Cedar Ridge Circle, S. Cedar Ridge Circle, and Cedar Break
Slurry sealed the streets in the Harris Village subdivision,
Chip sealed S. Old Robinson Road from E. Rocket Road to the Castleman Creek bridge
Completed the Castleman Creek bridge

With everything we accomplished in 2020, we look forward to all the ways we can serve our citizens in 2021. Here’s a shortlist of our goals:

Continue to maintain services through the pandemic
Continue to expand economic development efforts
Maintain, and where necessary, improve current levels of service to meet demands
Continue to improve responsiveness and overall customer service
Continue implementation of the Capital Improvement Plan
Enhance financial policies that guide future decision-makers
Provide the tools necessary for employees to safely do their job
Continue to address infrastructure issues to improve transportation, drainage, water and sewer issues around the City
Continue to expand the Street Maintenance Program
Maintain the City’s financial reserves to enhance overall financial stability
Continue to implement the City’s long-term vision

Eco-Friendly New Year

The new year has arrived, and I’m sure we are all relieved to say goodbye to 2020. Have you decided on your 2021 resolution yet? If not, how about making one to lead a more eco-friendly life? It may sound intimidating, but you can easily accomplish this goal by making one small change at a time. Need help getting started? Here are a few tips:

What and How to Recycle Properly: Recycling with Robinson and Waste Management is simple. No sorting on your part; just toss it all in the recycle bin! Make sure to rinse anything that has food particles on it. Many of us focus only on recyclables in the kitchen, but don’t forget the rest of your house! Those shampoo bottles and empty toilet paper rolls are recyclable too! Not sure what you can recycle? Click here. (Recycled items should not be bagged.)
Hard to Recycle Items: Have items you want to recycle that are not accepted through the Waste Management recycling program, like glass? Wal-Mart, Target, and some other stores will take various recyclables. Call these stores for more information. Have electronics you want to recycle? Check with Best Buy!
Avoid Disposable and Single-Use Products: As Americans, we are surrounded by plastic. It is convenient, cheap, and durable. The problem is it leads to pollution and only adds to our landfill. Plastic can take anywhere from 500 – 1,000 years to degrade, and with the average American throwing away 185 pounds of plastic per year, you can imagine how quickly discarded plastic can pile up. It seems near impossible to get away from this disposable, single-use product lifestyle, but you can help create a healthier world by ditching disposable items for reusable ones. Take reusable shopping bags when running to the grocery store, use a reusable water bottle instead of always buying plastic water bottles from the store, or purchase reusable sandwich bags you can wash instead of throwing away a handful a day. There are unlimited resources out there that can help you switch out single-use items for reusable ones.
Stop Wishcycling: Wishcycling is when you toss something in the recycle bin that you think, and hope, is recyclable, but in reality, isn’t. By putting non-recyclable items in the recycle bin, it can cause many problems down the line. One major issue is that it can waste time and money for the facilities that process recyclables. Even worse, you might unintentionally be increasing what goes to the landfill if a whole batch of recyclables becomes contaminated. Learn more about wishcycling here.
Hazardous Waste Disposal and Collection: Tossing pesticides, household chemicals, sharps, electronic waste, or other hazardous material in the trash is bad for our environment. Waste Management offers hazardous waste collection right at your door! The best part? Hazardous waste collection is included with your solid waste services! It's an easy and safe way to dispose of these hard-to-recycle items that almost every household accumulates. Schedule your pick up today or find more info here.
Start a Compost Pile or Bin: Food scraps and yard waste make up about 30% of what we throw away. By composing, not only can you stop these items from going to the landfill, but you will also have nutrient-rich soil that you can use on your lawn or in your garden. Find out the basics of composting here.
Conserve Energy by Turning Off What You Are Not Using: Conserving energy is one of the easiest things you can do. Open your curtains and blinds to use natural light when possible, and turn off lights in rooms as you leave them. Be sure to unplug seldom-used items or items not in use. While you might not have your TV on and your computer might be “asleep,” they are still using energy. You can also turn off your air or heat when it is nice out and open your windows to get fresh air in.
Turn Off Water When You Aren’t Using It: Each American uses an average of 88 gallons of water a day. Cut down on your water usage by turning off the faucet when you are not actively using it. By turning the water off when you are brushing your teeth, you can save around 8 gallons a day. Are you hand washing dishes? Rinse multiple dishes at once instead of leaving the sink running to rinse each dish as you wash it. Leaving your faucet running for 5 minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons of water.
Wash Full Loads of Laundry in Cold Water: Save water AND energy when doing laundry. A standard washing machine uses an average of 41 gallons of water per load. Conserve water by washing only full loads of laundry. If you need to wash just a few things choose the correct load size and cycle. Better yet, if it’s few enough items, handwash them in the sink! When doing laundry, be sure to use cold water. Most of the energy a washing machine uses comes from heating the water.

Blue Santa

Thanks to all the amazing citizens that helped us out with Blue Santa! We were able to give 111 kids a Christmas they otherwise wouldn’t have had this year!

Surge Testing for COVID-19

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is partnering with the State of Texas and local officials to offer temporary COVID-19 surge testing in McLennan County. The Community Based Testing Site program will provide COVID-19 “surge testing sites” for a limited period in areas where there has been a recent and significant increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in partnership with local communities and private companies. Saliva based tests are being administered at select testing sites, which many people may find more comfortable than the nasal swab tests. The purpose of surge testing is "so that every American who needs a COVID-19 test -- including those who do not have symptoms -- can get one. Offering different types of tests helps us meet this goal," says ADM Brett Giroir, M.D., HHS assistant secretary for health.

Pre-registration is required to be tested at any of these sites. They are requesting that you bring a printed copy of the voucher to the testing site, or bring the phone you signed up with. The registration personnel will need your voucher number from your confirmation email.

Find the dates and locations of the testing sites here.

COVID-19 Vaccine

The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine was distributed in mid-December. The focus was on facilities that indicated they would vaccinate at least 975 front-line health care workers. For the second week of vaccine distribution, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced that 16 providers in McLennan County would receive 2,700 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 200 of those allotted for the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.

The Health District is working with the other providers in McLennan County to ensure that all Phase 1, Tier 1 individuals have access to the vaccine. Tier 1 includes front line health care workers in hospitals, long-term care facility staff, and residents, EMS providers, and home health care staff. For more detailed vaccine distribution information in Texas, visit the COVIDWaco website.

The Health District asks that in the months ahead, please continue to wear your masks, wash your hands, and maintain social distancing to prevent community infections and death.

There is a lot of confusion and uncertainty around the vaccine. This one differs from other vaccines because it teaches your cells how to make a protein instead of putting a weakened or inactivated germ into your body. The CDC and FDA both have provided information to help you better understand the COVID vaccine.

CDC information

FDA information

Bulk/Brush Dates 2021

Christmas Tree Disposal

Did you have a fresh Christmas tree for the holidays? Do you know what to do when it comes time to dispose of the tree? You have several options! The city is providing a roll-off dumpster as an option for citizens to dispose of their trees. This is located on Strauss behind the Police Department through the end of January and should only be used for real Christmas tree disposal. A second option is to utilize the bulk/brush curbside pickup included with your solid waste service. If you chose to utilize the curbside option, just make sure that the branches and tree trimmings are no greater than five inches (5”) in diameter and are cut, tied, and bundled in five-foot (5’) lengths. A third option is to bring the tree to one of the City of Robinson's monthly bulk/brush days held on the first Saturday of every month (unless a holiday bumps it to the following week). The next bulk/brush day will be this Saturday, January 9th. Another option available is Keep Waco Beautiful's Chipping of the Green event Saturday, January 9th from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. at Paul Tyson Field in Waco.

Spotlight

The City Council will meet in person and virtually for the January City Council Meeting.

The meeting agenda and packet will be posted online here. Para la agenda en español, visite este sitio web.

The telephone and video meeting will be hosted through WebEx. The City has set up a section on our website to provide instructions on how to both view and submit a public comment for the meeting and navigate the virtual event. The access code, password, and toll free number will be provided in the agenda.

Public comment will only be allowed via telephone or video conference via WebEx if choosing to attend remotely. All speakers must register to speak at least two hours in advance of the meeting. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting under the public comment item. Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting starting in order to speak. Written comments may also be submitted two hours in advance of the meeting. To register to speak or to submit written comments, please email the City Secretary, Misty Cryer.

An audio recording of the virtual meeting will be made available to the public in accordance with the Open Meetings Act upon written request.

There is now a central hub for all residents living in McLennan county to get the latest local updates and information on COVID-19. Find the website and lots of community resources here.

Recycling is picked up every other week on your designated collection day. Can't keep track of which week is a recycle week? Download the Recycle Coach app today and never miss recycle week again!

Bulk/Brush Day is January 9th. City staff will NOT be available to help place bulk items in the containers so make sure to bring enough help to get items in the 40-yard roll-off.

Reminder: customers have the option to set bulk/brush items at their curb to be collected weekly, during their normal collection day. For hazardous materials, customers may use the At Your Door Special Hazardous Waste Collection offered monthly with their Waste Management services.