Number 212, April 2021
City of University Park, Texas, 3800 University Blvd.
Centennial Master Plan: Focus Groups Kick-off
Last month, a virtual orientation was held for new resident volunteers who are joining the Master Plan project. Residents have been divided into 10 focus groups and tasked with studying the following areas:
 
  • Big Bets: Looking to the Future
  • City Character and Aesthetics
  • Financial Sustainability
  • General Quality of Life
  • Parks, Trails, and Green Space
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works and Infrastructure
  • SMU/HPISD Relationship
  • Utilities and Community Connectivity
  • Zoning, Development and Land Use
 
Over the next several months, groups will meet to discuss these overarching topics in detail and develop numerous recommendations for each. This summer, as the focus group work concludes, our consultant will collect the entire batch of recommendations and begin assembling a draft Master Plan. This draft plan will then be presented to the community through a Town Hall for additional feedback and direction. After additional revisions, the plan will ultimately be presented to City Council for adoption by year-end. As always, we’ll continue to report on the progress of the plan in the coming months.
Citizen of the Year search underway
The City is accepting applications for the 2021 Citizen of the Year Award. The City Council created the award to boost public awareness and appreciation for the many residents who work, often behind the scenes, to better the city's quality of life. Rather than acting out of a need for recognition, these residents are driven by a desire to contribute to their community. Whether beautifying our neighborhoods, increasing local opportunities for our youth, raising money for various worthy projects, or assisting those in need in this time of social distancing, all demonstrate an exceptional level of citizenship.

To nominate a resident of any age, click on the green button below. Nominations must be received by Tuesday, June 1. A panel of residents will select and notify the honoree the week of June 7. The honoree will receive a plaque and a special Citizen of the Year gift from the Mayor.

Nominees for Citizen of the Year must:

  • Be a University Park resident;
  • Have worked to improve the quality of life in University Park.

Current and former Mayors and Councilmembers are not eligible for this award. If you have questions about the nomination process, please call Steve Mace at 214-987-5301 or email him at: smace@uptexas.org.

Recent Citizen of the Year honorees:

2020 - Erin Schreyer
2019 - Brad Bradley
2018 - Randy James
The Catfish are waiting for you in Caruth Park - catch them while you can!
This year’s annual Children’s Fishing Derby starts on April 3 and continues through May 29. The pond in Caruth Park is stocked with 400 pounds of catfish! While at the pond, please practice social distancing and catch-and-release procedures. Throughout this time period, junior anglers and their families can enter a weekly contest on the City's Facebook page to win prizes from the UP Public Library for the largest catch. Each Monday, look for the “Catfish Contest” post and comment a picture of your biggest catch to enter! If you would like to show off your biggest catch on your own social media accounts, use the hashtag #hooklineandliteracy when posting!   
 
Related Fishing Derby activities:
 
This year, UP Parks and Recreation has reeled in some special activities, partnering with UP Public Library! On April 2 at 2 p.m., the library will present a fishing-related story on their Facebook page. In addition, the library has prepared a make-at-home fishing craft, and through May 29 young readers can access a special reading list loaded with books to get them hooked on fishing. Look for information about the craft project and the reading list on the library’s Facebook page or Instagram account.
Park Cities Recycling Event scheduled for April 17
The next Park Cities recycling event will take place in the SMU parking lot on the south side of Burleson Park on Saturday, April 17 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Here is another chance to clear out your garage, attic and closets of old financial and medical documents, outdated or unused electronics and even clothing and furniture.
Paper products and documents that can be disposed of include: Tax records, medical records, legal files, financial records, invoices, canceled checks, blueprints, contracts, payroll records, company letterhead, junk mail containing personal information and any information that contains credit card, social security, driver license and account numbers.

Accepted E-waste items include: Computers, computer monitors, computer accessories, TV’s, printers, DVD/CD players, copiers, fax machines, scanners, cell phones and chargers, external hard drives, video and camera equipment, video game systems, cables, power cords, power strips and more.

Participating firms/organizations

  • Shred-it will collect and shred all documents on-site.
  • Global Asset collects and disposes of all E-waste items. In addition to working with the City and other municipalities, the company currently supports over 150 clients in the public sector. Global Asset removes data on all collected storage devices using Department of Defense security standards.
  • Salvation Army will also be on-site. Donated items must be in working condition, and contain all parts and accessories. Clothing items must not be torn or stained. The Salvation Army will also take all wood furniture, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers and any other appliances. All donors will be given a receipt for tax deduction purposes. 

COVID-19 Advisory: For your safety and ours, all personnel working the event will be wearing facial coverings when they remove items from your vehicle. Please stay in your vehicle as your recycled/donated items are being removed.
Help the City fight the bite
Now that spring is here and summer is just around the corner, here are simple steps residents can take to control mosquitoes. As always, the effort centers on eliminating standing water.  
 
To control mosquito breeding:
 
  • Use automatic sprinkler systems wisely
  • Don’t over irrigate
  • Cover trash containers so they don’t collect water
  • Change water in wading pools, pet dishes and birdbaths several times a week
  • Keep backyard pools clean
  • Keep unnecessary plant growth cut back
  • Clean or replace clogged roof gutters and downspouts
 
To protect yourself and family members:
 
  • While outside during dawn and dusk hours wear long sleeve, loose and light-colored clothing
  • Use insect repellents that contain DEET
 
Residents can report standing water locations to City staff. Dial 311, or call the Parks and Recreation Department at 214-987-5488. Residents can also call to arrange for a free property inspection and onsite advice on how to control mosquitoes.
 
During the summer and early fall, when mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus or are especially plentiful, the City will use social media and our website to notify residents in a timely fashion about targeted overnight fogging efforts aimed at controlling the mosquito population.
The City’s twice-a-week water conservation measure is still in effect with outdoor watering days determined by street numbers.
 
Even - Residents with addresses ending in an even number can use automatic sprinkler systems on Sundays and Thursdays.
Odd - Addresses ending in an odd number can use automatic sprinkler systems on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Buildings or facilities with multiple addresses will water based on their lowest street address number.
Prescription Drug Take Back Day - April 24
Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., University Park residents can dispose of accumulated unwanted, and unused prescription drugs by stopping by the Fire Station side of University Park City Hall at 3800 University Blvd. This effort, hosted by UPPD, is part of a nationwide drug disposal program started by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
A reminder - Residents don’t have to wait for a national Drug Take Back Day event to dispose of prescription drugs. The Police Department has a MedReturn box at City Hall. It’s located inside the building’s 24-hour entrance (3800 University Blvd.) next to the City’s 911 call center. The MedReturn box will not accept liquid medications, inhalers, needles, syringes or lancets.
Stormwater improvements continuing
For the next several months, the intersection of Turtle Creek and Southwestern and the 3400 block of Southwestern between Hillcrest and Turtle Creek will be closed to through traffic. Residents living on the block will have limited access during and after construction hours.

These closures are part of ongoing stormwater improvements. This portion is scheduled to last through this August, weather permitting. We thank you for your patience and cooperation!

Here's more on the City’s Stormwater Improvement Project.
Message from the Friends of the UP Public Library
The Friends of the University Park Public Library ran a Pop-Up bookstore in Snider Plaza, called Second Chapter, for six months ending this past February. We want to thank residents for the incredible support we received for this “quarantine project.” To everyone who shopped, donated books, and volunteered their time or talents to Second Chapter, THANK YOU! It was truly a community effort. 
We are pleased to report that we sold approximately 10,000 books and generated over $25,000 in sales that will ultimately benefit our local library. While we are now popped down, the Friends of the UP Public Library is exploring alternative avenues to keep Second Chapter alive in the future, albeit in a different form.

We enjoyed seeing many of your faces as you visited the store and hope you will consider becoming our “Friend” more officially by joining the Friends of the University Park Public Library. Joining the Friends is a great way to get involved in our community and give back to the Library. Since the Library opened in the Plaza at Preston Center in 2013, the Friends of the University Park Public Library has raised over $1,800,000 to provide high-quality materials, services, technology, and programs.

2020 was a transformative and historic year for the Friends, truly “one for the books.” We cannot wait to see what the upcoming year will bring! If you would like to be a part of our story and join the Friends of the University Park Public Library, visit our website at the link below to join and learn more. To our current Friends members, thank you for your continuous support. We would not be where we are today without your generosity!
Post garage sale details on City’s website
Residents can advertise garage and estate sales on the City’s website. The list shows address, dates and hours of operation for each sale. To post the information, residents should submit a service request using the website’s Resident Online Center, or they can call 311. All requests must be made one week in advance of the sale date. Please note the following when conducting a garage or estate sale:

  • Sales cannot be located in the front yard. Sale hours must be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
  • Each property is limited to a maximum of two sales per year.
  • Only one sign (maximum 2 square feet) can be displayed on a sale site. Additional signs cannot be placed on neighboring properties, utility poles or on the City’s rights-of-way.