Welcome to UPdate. This mid-month publication provides residents with timely information about upcoming City projects, programs and events. You can sign up for things too.
| | |
Santa Around Town begins December 15
Get ready, UP! Santa Claus is coming to town! Before his big trip around the world on December 25, Santa will once again tour the City’s neighborhoods with help from the University Park Fire Department.
This year, Santa will be traveling in a smaller UPFD fire vehicle instead of the traditional fire engine. This change helps ensure everyone’s safety and allows the Fire Department to move more easily through crowded neighborhood streets during this popular annual event.
The fun begins tonight, December 15, and continues through Friday, December 19, starting at 6 p.m. each night.
Santa Tracker
If you want to wave at Santa as he rides by, consult the color-coded City map below. Better yet, during his five-day visit, go to the City's website for more Santa Around Town information, including the Santa Tracker and a Route Locator Tool, where you can type in your address and see when Santa will pass by your house!
| |
As the weather gets cooler, in addition to using your fireplace, it's possible you will also plug in a space heater or two! While portable heaters can bring warmth and comfort to particular areas of the home, you certainly don't want to create a fire hazard when you use them. Please remember that it is never a good idea to plug your portable heater into a power strip.
The Texas Department of Insurance has produced this short video with more space heater safety tips.
| | Remaining holiday programs at UPPL | | |
December 18 from 4 to 5 p.m. – Holidays are Here with Mrs. Claus
Welcome the holiday season with very special guest Mrs. Claus! Enjoy stories, songs, and photo opportunities for all ages.
December 18 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. - Candy Cane Making Demonstration with PapaBubbleDFW (Ages 3+)
Join PapaBubbleDFW portable candy company for a candy cane making demonstration! Watch as the candy canes are created, then take one home for a tasty holiday treat.
| | Holiday collection schedule | | |
Christmas tree recycling
Don’t forget to recycle your Christmas tree! The Sanitation Division will pick up discarded trees on scheduled collection days from front curbsides. Before setting your tree out for collection, remove the tree’s stand and all ornaments, lights, tinsel and plastic. The City composts clean trees, but can only do that if they are free of all decorations. If you live south of Lovers Lane collection is free if the tree is at the curb by January 15. For residents who live north of Lovers Lane, curb collection is free through January 16. Please place your tree at the curb by 7 a.m. on the last collection day. After those dates, the collection fee is $33.30. If you place your tree at curbside and do not remove the tree stand, lights or ornaments, your next monthly water bill will show a $33.30 charge. For more information, call the Sanitation Division at 214-987-5451, or dial 311.
Would you like to receive an email reminder to set your tree out? Click on the bar below to sign up for reminders!
| | |
Yard waste reminder
If you have brush, leaves, or grass clippings that need to be disposed of, please place the waste in a proper biodegradable paper yard waste bag (see photo). After the Sanitation department picks it up, the yard waste is sent to a compost facility that cannot process materials such as plastic. Proper yard waste bags may be purchased at home improvement stores, including Lowe's, Home Depot, or Target, and they can also be found on Amazon!
Also, a reminder that residents may place up to eight yard waste bags in the alley. Anything more than that must be placed on the parkway for pickup.
| | |
Holiday Package Thefts
Package thefts occur year-round, but they are more common during the holiday season with the constant delivery of online gifts. Here are some tips to prevent package thefts and to keep your orders safe:
- Use smart package lockers (such as Amazon locker) or convenience stores like the UPS store
- Have packages delivered to your workplace or office
- Install security cameras
- Require signature on delivery
- Require a vacation package hold if you are out of town
- Sign up for tracking alerts so you can arrange to be home when the package is scheduled to be delivered
| |
This holiday season, take a minute or two to make sure that your vehicles are locked and remember to take your keys/key fobs, packages, and other valuables inside with you. Once inside your house, it's always a good idea to lock those doors too. If you encounter a crime in progress, UPPD does not recommend confronting criminals. Please call 911 and our officers will respond.
Together, let's make this holiday season less welcoming for thieves!
| | It's time to get your 2025 Resident Parking District stickers | | |
Our annual parking sticker application process is underway for those who live in residential parking districts (aside from the high school district, which follows the academic calendar). Existing stickers will expire on December 31, 2025, and the new parking district stickers are valid through December 31, 2026. Two stickers and two year-long visitor placards per household are provided free of charge.
There are a couple of different options to obtain your parking permits:
For any questions or assistance, call Dawn Kossmann at 214-987-5355.
| | ADA Transition Plan Development | |
Last spring, the City contracted with Kimley-Horn for development of an ADA Transition Plan. ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is a law that that ensures people with disabilities have access to public spaces and services.
An ADA Transition Plan is a roadmap that helps communities meet these legal requirements and ensure that their public rights-of-way and city-maintained facilities and parks are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
The Transition Plan includes:
- identifying barriers throughout the community,
- setting priorities for which barriers should be fixed first,
- scheduling and budgeting for improvements, and
- monitoring progress for the plan
Over the last six months, city staff has been working its consultant to gather data and conduct a self-evaluation. As part of this data collection, you may have seen members of our team using various tools to document current conditions.
The next phase of the project involves engaging the community to gain feedback on how to best prioritize safety improvements for the City. In January, the City will be launching an interactive mapping tool and survey for participation from residents and stakeholders.
By creating an ADA Transition Plan, the City is reaffirming its commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and meeting the needs of all community members. Be on the lookout for additional information for how to get involved in this important process!
| | |
Oncor contractors plan to begin trimming trees in various areas in the City in mid-December.
Visit the City's website for a map of the trimming areas. Homeowners in the work areas should receive a door notice from Oncor a week or two before work begins.
Why is the work necessary?
Trees that grow near power lines pose a serious safety risk and are one of the top causes of power outages each year, along with lightning and wildlife.
Under Texas law, Oncor may prune or remove trees that interfere with the reliability and integrity of electrical service within their service area. When this happens, Oncor follows generally accepted industry guidelines and best practices.
Learn more about Oncor's tree trimming practices.
| | FRIENDS OF THE UP PUBLIC LIBRARY | | |
This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Library Support
Looking for the coolest present for the book lover in your life? Share your love of the UP Public Library with a friend or family member by buying them a Membership to the Friends of the UP Public Library. It is a unique and thoughtful gift that benefits our community for years to come. In addition to supporting the Library, membership to the Friends includes benefits based on the donation level you choose. Levels start at $25.
We will inform the recipient of your generous gift. Or if you prefer, we will send the information directly to you along with a festive gift box and a special card explaining how this gift will help support and grow our local library.
| |
Meet Me at the Library Series: Rusty Williams, January 13
The Friends is pleased to host Rusty Williams, author of Deadly Dallas: A History of Unfortunate Incidents and Grisly Fatalities, which weaves together stories of the surprising perils of city life at the turn of the twentieth century. Stampeding livestock on city streets, untrustworthy elevators, collapsing buildings and exploding boilers are only some of the unexpected hazards early Dallasites faced at a time when technologies were shifting and the city was experiencing explosive growth.
This Meet Me at the Library Presentation will be held on Tuesday, January 13 in the UP Public Library 3rd Floor Community Room at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. The program is free and open to all but reservations are highly recommended.
| | STAY CONNECTED TO THE CITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA | | | | |
