City of The Colony Electronic Newsletter • Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020

New business hours now in effect @ City Hall

As of Jan. 7, the Customer Service counters at City Hall (6800 Main St.) are open a half hour earlier and a half hour later four days a week: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. This change will provide customers an additional hour those days in which they can come by City Hall to conduct transactions (such as paying utility bills or pulling permits) earlier in the morning or later in the evening. To offset those extensions, the counters will be open 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Fridays. As during any time the counters are closed, customers can still access their accounts online, make a payment via the automated phone system (972-625-2741, option 4), or utilize the drive-thru drop-box on the north side of the building. More information is available on our website.

Groundbreaking set for Animal Services expansion

The community is invited to join members of The Colony City Council and The Colony Animal Services (TCAS) staff in celebrating the groundbreaking of the new animal shelter office building expansion. The groundbreaking event is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Shelter, 4720 East Lake Highlands Drive. When complete, the new building will consist of a larger ADA-accessible lobby area for visitors and guests, more office space for staff, a conference and break room, and additional bathrooms and storage space. The expansion will take place in the empty area to the west of the current building. More details area available online.

New lighting adorns Wheel Zone Bike & Skate Park

Let there be light! As of last month, new solar-powered lights were installed at The Colony Wheel Zone Bike & Skate Park next to the Recreation Center. The new lights will enable skaters to late-trick late into the evening. This is especially important during the winter months when there's less daylight. The solar lights are timed to shut off at 9 p.m. For more information, contact Parks & Recreation at 972-625-1106.

CivicReady weather-alert system discontinued Jan. 1

For the past year, the City of The Colony has offered its residents access to an emergency weather-alert system called CivicReady. The service has since expired as of Jan. 1, 2020. It was provided through our website vendor and enabled residents to sign up to receive localized text-message alerts from the National Weather Service in the event of severe weather warnings. However, enrollment in CivicReady was not as robust as anticipated, most likely due to the availability of a wide variety of weather-related mobile apps and similar notification technology in the market. As stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, we must recognize when the service has become cost-ineffective in light of the lack of participation. With those factors in mind, the City has discontinued offering CivicReady. We strongly encourage our residents to make use of other mobile apps and technology that provide emergency weather notifications. Please visit our website for more information.

Christmas tree recycling continues through Jan. 12

Residents wishing to drop off Christmas trees for recycling may continue doing so now through Jan. 12. The site is at the south end of the Public Services parking lot off of East Lake Highlands Drive, across from the Animal Shelter. Signs will be posted directing residents to the site. Trees must have all lights, ornaments, tinsel and bases removed. No artificial or flocked trees. Free compost will be available sometime in the spring on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring your own containers. Additional compost will also be available later in the year. For information, call Environmental Services at 972-624-3131.

What else is In THE News?

At its recent regular meeting on Jan. 7, The Colony City Council recognized the city's Finance Department for receiving a financial transparency award highlighting the city's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report;
the City Council also approved a Specific Use Permit to allow development of "Cowboy's Tattoo" parlor at 4181 Main St., Ste. 800;
motorists are advised that on Jan. 21, two previously dormant traffic-signals along Destination Drive in the Grandscape development will be activated. Both signals are located between Grandscape Boulevard and Plano Parkway. Message boards also will be placed along the roadway to further alert drivers of the new traffic control;
city offices, facilities, and the library will be closed Monday, Jan. 20, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day; and,
as part of its ongoing SRT Fourth Lane Project, the North Texas Tollway Authority has announced the following overnight closures for January: All lanes of the Main Street/Josey underpass, including the U-turns, between east- and westbound SH 121 (the SRT frontage road) will be closed nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Jan. 6-31. Visit our website for a graphic of the closures and detour routes. Call 972-628-3134 or email [email protected] for more information.