The city’s irrigation ordinance was adopted to focus on water conservation and to help ensure future availability. Full compliance with the ordinance has been phased in over two years to allow businesses and residents ample time to plan for and implement the necessary changes.

New irrigation systems should be designed and installed by a licensed irrigator. Homeowners may continue to install their own systems, but must comply with state regulations. The installation of a new system requires a permit and payment of the associated fee. Because of the new state inspection requirements, the fee has been adjusted to $100 for residential systems and $150 for commercial systems. All commercial systems were to have rain and freeze sensors by January 2010.

New systems must:

Not spray on structures such as fences or retaining walls
Not have spray heads located within 4 inches of surfaces such as sidewalks or buildings
Not spray if landscaping is less than 4 feet in width (use bubblers or drip systems)
It is a violation to:

Irrigate during precipitation or freezing temperatures (rain, snow, etc.)
Water areas such as sidewalks or streets
Irrigate with a broken or missing sprinkler head
Allow system leaks or problems that waste water
As winter approaches, it is critical to ensure that systems are compliant for safety reasons, as freezing temperatures can cause water from improper irrigation to form hazardous ice across streets and sidewalks. A city permit is not required to install sensors on existing irrigation systems. For more information, call Water Utilities at (972) 721-2281.

Source: City of Irving

Acceptable Items:
Pool & yard chemicals
Batteries, all kinds
Automotive fluids, oil filters
Paint & home repair products
Household cleaners and chemicals
Fluorescent light tubes/bulbs
Craft / hobby supplies

Unacceptable Items:
Business or medical waste
Containers larger than 5 gallons
Explosive or shock sensitive materials
Common recyclables
Smoke detectors or other radioactive materials
Automotive Tires

WHAT: Home Chemical Collection Day
WHEN: Saturday, November 13, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
WHERE: Irving Mall (In the parking lot on the west side of the Mall)
WHO: All Irving residents

Proof of Irving residency will be required (current driver’s license and utility bill).

For more information, call Solid Waste Services at (972) 721-8059.

Relocating existing services and increasing number of visitors
The City of Irving is relocating the Northwest and Southwest pool operations to the new center. The location offers twice the amount of surface water than the Northwest and Southwest pools combined, and is expected to attract five times the customers of the Northwest and Southwest facilities.

Better amenities
Aquatic center features include:
Zero-depth entry splash pool with a water playground
Several spray jets and a current channel
Four-lane lap pool with a rock climbing wall, waterfall and wet deck
Shaded toddler pool with zero-depth entry, small fountain and water slides
Large bath house with restrooms, lockers and showers
Concession stand and first aid room

Convenient location
The new state-of-the-art facility is conveniently accessible by DART bus routes and marks the second aquatic center to be built in Irving since 2008. Free parking will be available on the east side of Dry Branch Creek with a pedestrian bridge linking to the facility on the west side of the creek. For more information, call (972) 721-2501.

Source: All About Irving (AllAboutIrving@listserv.ci.irving.tx.us)

Irving’s at-large voting system, which is open for residents to vote for all candidates, has been divided into six single-member voting districts. Only residents living within a specified district’s boundaries will be able to vote for candidates who run for a seat in his/her respective district. Single-member districts include Places 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Two city council seats, Places 2 and 8, as well as the mayor’s seat, will remain at-large, meaning any Irving resident may vote for the position.

The changes follow an ongoing exchange between city leaders and federal court. City representatives have been in communication and full cooperation with the federal court to ensure that the district redesign is in compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

This year, council seats for Places 1, 2 and 7 are up for election. Places 1 and 7 are single-member districts and Place 2 remains at-large. Interested Irving residents may pick up a filing packet at the City Secretary’s Office on the fourth floor at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd. For questions about the election process, call the City Secretary’s Office at (972) 721-2493.

A PDF of the new voting districts may be found here.

Source: City of Irving

The City Council just passed the first readings of proposed rate hikes. The same increases will have to pass another round of votes at a council meeting next month before they take effect. The council voted 6-3 to increase both water and sewer fees by 5 percent and franchise fees on the municipal services bill by 2 percent.

Council member Beth Van Duyne and Tom Spink are more often than not the only two people on the losing end of council votes. Van Duyne must have been surprised at how tonight’s votes went. When Mayor Herbert Gears read the outcome as 6-3, Van Duyne swung her head around to the large screen that displays how each member voted.

Joining Van Duyne and Spink in voting against the rate increases was Gears himself. The mayor last year took the proposed rate increases off the agenda. They are back again after City Manager Tommy Gonzalez repeatedly tried to get council members to see that the money is needed to maintain the city’s aging water and sewer lines.

These are the City Council members voting to raise fees in Irving!!

Allen Meagher ccouncil@cityofirving.org Phone: (972) 313-0808
Lewis Patrick lpatrick@cityofirving.org Phone: (972) 790-6478.
Rose Cannaday rcannaday@cityofirving.org Phone: (972) 871-0019
Rick Stopfer ccouncil@cityofirving.org Phone: (214) 876-7172
Sam Smith ccouncil@cityofirving.org Phone: (972) 253-8202
Joe Phillip jphilipp@cityofirving.org Phone: (972) 650-8382

See DallasNews article here.

Public Input Opportunity
Residents will have an opportunity to provide input on the city’s future water and wastewater plans at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Those unable to attend the meeting may post comments online at www.cityofirving.org. Select “Public Input Opportunities” on the left side of the home page.

Click here for more information on the city’s future plans, including a list of neighborhoods to receive upgrades this year.

Source: All About Irving

Highlights of the enhanced guidelines include:
* Prohibiting commercial vehicle idling in excess of 15 minutes within residential areas or within 300 feet of a residential structure.
* Prohibiting devices that cause vibration beyond the boundary of the source property.
* Limiting construction and repairs generally between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekends.
* Testing of emergency signals only between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

“Our goal is to provide the public with a greater understanding of the ordinance and to offer a more comprehensive list of prohibited conduct,” said Police Chief Larry Boyd. “We are hopeful that the enhanced ordinance will be a more effective tool for law enforcement.”

Additional changes to the ordinance included the elimination of outdated language. Violations of any ordinance clause may result in a fine. For more information, contact the Irving Police Department at (972) 721-2661.

Source: http://www.cityofirving.org/news-articles/1009-noise-ordinance.html

Posted Oct. 1