Maitland City Talk

Have a safe holiday

The holiday season is a time of year for celebration, reflection and joy. It’s also a time of year jam-packed with events, performances, and gatherings. As you decorate your home and entertain guests during the festive season, we include suggested best practices from the National Fire Protection Association.

Holiday home decor

• Replace holiday lights with signs of wear and tear, such as loose bulbs and broken strands.

• Purchase holiday lights evaluated against national standards for safety and function. The package will bear the label of an independent testing laboratory.

• Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the maximum number of holiday-lights strands to connect in one sequence.

• Use clips, not nails, to hang lights and extend the life of the strands.

• Keep emergency exits, such as doors and windows, clear of decorations and other obstructions.

Entertaining

• Test home smoke and carbon-dioxide alarms before guests show up at your home.

• Communicate your home fire escape plan to guests.

• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.

• Store matches and lighters away from the reach of children and pets in a locked or high cabinet.

• Wet cigarette butts with water prior to disposal.

Apply these tips to protect you and your family during this joyous time of year. The Maitland Fire Rescue Department, Maitland Police Department, and city of Maitland wish you a happy and safe holiday season. Happy holidays!

New water, wastewater, and irrigation rates effective Jan. 1, 2015

The city’s water and wastewater utility system is self-supporting. Revenues collected from customers support the costs of operating, maintaining, repairing, and financing the utility. In 2014, City Council authorized a study to review the utility’s financial requirements and redesign rates to recover costs. Similarly, staff has identified roughly $14.8 million in capital improvement projects to be completed through fiscal year 2019. Capital improvements include necessary repairs and upgrades to utility infrastructure that is, for the most part, older than 30 years.

To fully fund much-needed infrastructure updates and the costs of providing utility service, authors of the study recommended that City Council increase water and wastewater rates by 14.9 percent. After holding three public meetings in September and October, the City Council adopted the recommended rates on Oct. 13. The rate increase will fund the capital improvement projects, costs associated with compliance with rules of national and state regulators, and the seamless service of the water and wastewater utility.

This adjustment is necessary so the city can continue to provide high-caliber water and wastewater service to residents. For the average residential customer, this will mean approximately $6.34 more on your monthly utility bill. For more information or to review a copy of the utility rate study, please visit the city’s website at itsmymaitland.com