Best Trash is trying to collect all of the food debris people have had to throw out due to power outages around Houston.  This means they do not have room to collect grass clippings at this time.  Other waste providers are going through the same thing as this hurricane is widespread over the greater Houston area.  Best Trash hopes to be able to collect grass clippings next week.

Storm debris is not part of regular trash collection. Cleaning your yard after the storm is considered storm debris and needs to be separated from your regular trash.

Please place grass clippings in clear bags or brown paper bags so Best Trash can determine that it is not storm debris.  Household trash should be placed in white bags to clearly distinguish it from storm debris.

The Fairfield MUDs are scheduling a special storm debris pickup like we did in May.  Anticipated date is August 1, 2024.

Thank you for your patience in this extremely trying time.

CUSTOMERS OF THE FOLLOWING MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS:

• Harris County MUD 322
• Harris County MUD 354
• Harris County MUD 396
• Harris County MUD 397

You may disregard anything you see regarding the need to boil water.  The Fairfield districts provide water to their customers from water wells in Fairfield.  They do not receive any water from any other source, including the City of Houston.  The Districts’ water system operated during and after Hurricane Beryl at a pressure which was sufficient to meet all standards of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Precinct 3 Residents,

Precinct 3 Road and Bridge crews and contracted trucks will be starting debris pickup on Monday, May 20th. Our area stretches from The Villages up to Cypress, through Tomball, Spring, Humble, Atascocita, then down the San Jacinto River through Huffman, Crosby, Highlands, and Baytown to Channelview. We were especially hard hit in Cypress and The Villages areas.

We expect debris operations to last for weeks to months, so please be patient as we move through the affected areas. Each debris zone where debris has been reported will have assets assigned. Presence will be heavier in the most impacted areas.

The most impactful things you can do to help are as follows:

• REPORT DEBRIS to our hotline by calling 713-274-3880, this greatly helps with planning and staging of assets. You can also call Precinct 3 dispatch at 713-274-3100, if the debris hotline is busy.
• Follow the debris staging/sorting guidelines in the attached handout (vegetative, construction, appliances, electronics, hazardous)
• If at all possible, do not park cars on the street near or across from debris piles. Our trucks and equipment are very large and if an area is not able to be accessed we will have to return later once obstructions have been removed.

Please know that we understand how traumatic and disruptive an event like this can be. Many of our crews who will be working in your areas are also Precinct 3 residents with property damage and power outages… this makes us especially proud to be serving you. Thank you for your partnership in the recovery efforts.

Sincerely,
Tom Ramsey
Commissioner Precinct 3

STORM DEBRIS PICKUP STARTS TUESDAY.

Best Trash will pick up STORM DEBRIS ONLY throughout Fairfield on Tuesday, May 28, and Wednesday, May 29, with any remaining areas covered on Friday, May 31. This extra pickup is being sponsored by the Fairfield Municipal Utility Districts. If you miss this pickup, residents may call 713-274-3880 to request pickup of storm debris from Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey.

Construction of Phase I of the trail project being funded by Harris County Water Control & Improvement District No. 155 (the “District”) will kick off in January. Minor layout activity will begin over the next two weeks with some flagging to identify the trail location. The District anticipates that construction equipment will be on site and construction will commence the last week of January. The project should be completed by May.

The project is located along the north bank of Channel A (the channel running adjacent to Cypresswood Drive) from Crescent Lily to Fairfield Falls Way. The project will consist of an approximately six foot wide concrete sidewalk with grouped tree plantings, benches, trash bins, and doggy waste stations.

If there are any questions or issues regarding the construction, residents should contact the District’s engineer, Larry Mueller at lmueller@bgeinc.com or 713.488.8212. Residents may also provide comments to the District’s Board of Directors at their regular monthly meetings at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month at Bradford Creek Clubhouse or by emailing Meghan.tricarico@nortonrosefulbright.com, the District’s paralegal.

The goal of the District’s trail project is to provide connectivity and beautify the Fairfield trail system, so it can be easily enjoyed by all residents. The first phase of the project will provide better and safer access to the middle school for kids walking or riding bikes.

The location of Phase 1 is shown on the map below:

With freezing temperatures right around the corner, it’s a good time to refresh ourselves on precautionary measures for drops in temperature and cold weather.

The Four P’s to Prepare your Home this Winter:

• People
• Pets
• Pipes
• Plants

People

• Avoid going outside if it is not necessary. If you do, make sure you layer up from head to toe.
• To keep you and your family safe, it is imperative your home is warm.
• Make sure your heat is set to an appropriate temperature to make your entire home comfortable. Remember, heat rises so if you sleep upstairs, your room may be warmer than rooms downstairs.
• If you use a fireplace, make sure you have a screen to catch any embers that might escape or a rolling log.
• Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
• If you smell smoke or see flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Pets

• While protecting your family, it is imperative to protect your pets as well.
• Pets, like humans, are vulnerable to cold temperatures. If not taken care of properly, they can succumb to frostbite and even hypothermia.
• If you have a dog that typically lives outdoors, consider letting them inside when temperatures drop to freezing. While their fur does help to keep them warm, it provides little help in freezing temperatures.
• If you absolutely cannot bring them inside, make sure they have a warm shelter, plenty of food and fresh water so it does not freeze.
• If your pet looks like it has any symptoms resembling frostbite or hypothermia, call your vet.

Pipes

• Turn off the sprinkler system shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the sprinkler system backflow device. A diagram is shown below.
• Release the water pressure from the bleeder valves. The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing you may have not shut the valves off completely.
• Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device. Insulate your backflow device. Most hardware/home services stores carry backflow insulation supplies.
• Make sure to cover all your exposed pipes with a cover. You can also cover your pipes with towels, duct tape or another adhesive strip as long as they are wrapped tightly.
• You can also open up the cabinets to let warm air circulate throughout your home. Just make sure any harmful chemicals are out of reach for children and pets.

Plants

• When cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to bring in all of your outdoor plants.
• If you can’t bring in the plant, cover it with a blanket to make sure they do not die.

Other Tips

• Don’t forget to make sure your car is okay for the freezing temperatures. Check your anti-freeze and your batteries. Also make sure to check your tire pressure and the tread.
• Speaking of cars, make sure when you are on the road that you are mindful parts of the roads may be frozen, particularly bridges. Do not speed and never slam on the brakes.
• Make sure if you use a generator, it is outdoors. Do not use a generator inside, including in your garage.

The North Harris County Regional Water Authority is immediately terminating Stage 1 of its’ Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), pursuant to Article III, 2 (B). Please continue to conserve water to preserve our natural resources.