Sign up now for one cart recycling

Starting in January 2011, the city of Fort Wayne will begin delivering recycling carts to residents who wish to participate in the new One Cart Recycling Program.

For more information or to sign up for a free recycling cart, visit here or dial 311.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

Leaf pickup 2010

From www.cityoffortwayne.org:

Each fall, the City of Fort Wayne provides curbside leaf pick-up for City residents. Again, this year, the Street Department will conduct two leaf pick-ups in each neighborhood. Leaf collection will begin October 25, 2010 and run through December 10, 2010.

• Rake leaves to the park strip area, not into the street, or put them in biodegradable yard waste bags and set the bags at the curb for collection.

• The planned schedule may change due to inclement weather or if the volume of leaf pick-up in a particular week requires more time in the area. Please visit the City’s website during leaf season at www.cityoffortwayne.org or call the Leaf Hotline at 427-2302 for locations of where crews will be picking up leaves each day.

• If you use biodegradable bags, call 3-1-1 (or 427-8311), for pick-up within two business days.

• REMEMBER...
Burning leaves within the City limits is a violation of City Code. The fine is $50, $75 after 30 days. (Ordinance #74.70)

OCTOBER 25 – DECEMBER 10, 2010

• Please have your leaves ready for pick-up on the first day of your scheduled week. The Street Department will be in your area sometime that week to collect your leaves, weather permitting.

SOUTH - Oct. 25-29 and Nov. 15-19
NORTH - Nov. 1-5 and Nov. 29-Dec. 3
CENTRAL - Nov. 8-12 and Dec. 6-10

The shortened week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 22-24 will be a catch-up week.

(Limberlost Acres is in the NORTH section. Ed. note)

Want a lower speed limit in our neighborhood?

The city is now allowing neighborhoods to request that their speed limit be lowered from 30 mph to 25 mph. To accomplish this, a petition must be signed by 75% of the residents of the neighborhood. Limberlost Acres has 68 houses, so that would be 51 signatures required. Once approved, the city would post signs at our entrances, although the association would have to pay for the signs at approximately $50 a piece.

Anyone interested in petitioning for a lower speed limit is asked to contact Scott Naltner. Scott is not organizing the effort, but would simply put those interested in contact with each other so that there would be no duplication of effort. Scott may be reached at snaltner@theallianceonline.com

For more information, call the city’s trafic engineering office at 427-1172.

Following is an article from the Journal Gazette about this issue:

Published: September 9, 2010 3:00 a.m.
City to allow speed-limit petitions

Benjamin Lanka | The Journal Gazette
Fort Wayne neighborhoods can now require drivers to go slower when traveling their streets.

The Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved an amendment to the city’s street-calming policy to allow residents to petition to have neighborhood street speed limits lowered to 25 mph.

Gina Kostoff, board chairwoman, said the change will help people who feel traffic is unsafe in their neighborhood.

“We do get a lot of complaints about traffic going through very quickly,” she said.

Under state law, vehicles on any city street without a posted speed limit must follow a 30 mph limit. In Fort Wayne, most neighborhood streets have no speed limit signs, making 30 mph the default.

Councilwoman Karen Goldner, D-2nd, suggested lowering all neighborhood streets to 25 mph, but such a change would cost the city about $300,000 in new signs.

Shan Gunawardena, city traffic engineer, said state law allows the city to lower any speed limits to 25 mph without conducting a traffic study, which is why that new limit was selected.

Residents or neighborhoods who want to take advantage of the new policy must petition his office and obtain signatures from 75 percent of all property owners. For more information, call the city’s trafic engineering office at 427-1172.

Residents asking for the change would be responsible for paying for the signs, which Gunawardena estimated at $50 each. The city would install the signs.

Goldner said the new policy is a good compromise because it gives residents the opportunity to lower speeds and spares the city additional costs.

She said the petitions don’t have to come from an official neighborhood organization but can come from any resident.

The policy applies only to neighborhood streets, not residential areas on collector streets such as Fairfield or Vance avenues. Neighborhood streets are typically the last to get snow removal.

Garbage and recycling survey

The city of Fort Wayne has a garbage and recycling survey available at their web site here.

Or go to http://cityoffortwayne.org/publicworks/solid-waste-management/155-solid-waste-contract-committee.html

There is an online version as well as a printable one.

Make your opinion count!

Green Factoids from the Green City Newsletter

Turn off the tap! Turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, which equals 240 gallons a month. Find out more about using water wisely. Water Sense

Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power). Find more tips here.

Test your Home for Radon. Radon gas occurs naturally but is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Nearly 50 people a day will die from indoor exposure to radon. Fortunately, this is a health hazard with a simple solution. How do you conduct a test? Most home improvement/hardware stores sell radon test kits. Follow the package directions on placement of the device and where to send it after the test to get your reading. Radon Testing

It's that time of year again

Each year, Limberlost Acres collects $30 from each household to help defray association expenses. Some of those expenses are:

* Snow plowing
* Mowing of pond property
* Paying property taxes on pond property
* Maintaining signage

Please make your check for $30 payable to "Limberlost Acres Community Association" and mail or deliver to:

* Scott Naltner at 10221 Limberlost Trail
- OR -
* Cheryl Allen at 10207 Jamaica Drive

When you meet your obligation, it helps us meet ours.

Thanks!

Small pet warning

Those of you with outdoor cats and small dogs should be aware that in our neighborhood there are hawks by day and owls by night that might be a threat to your small pet. These predators are more interested in rabbits and mice, which is a good thing, but they may mistake your puppy for a meal. So keep an eagle eye to the sky while little Fifi does her business!