Erin for Ward 8 Alderman, Springfield, Illinois

After a unanimous vote taken by the Springfield City Council on Tuesday April 16, the City of Springfield’s residential curbside yard waste pickup will continue now through December and stickers will NOT be required.

Republic Services is the City’s contractor and has divided the community into two pickup zones – North and South. The North Zone is the area north of South Grand Avenue and Old Jacksonville Road. The South Zone is the area south of South Grand Avenue and Old Jacksonville Road including residential properties around the lake.

Crews will alternate every other week in each zone picking up yard waste. All yard waste MUST be placed in brown yard waste/leaf bags or plastic containers. Plastic containers have to be clearly marked with the words “Yard Waste” and cannot be more than 30 gallons and weigh no more than 50 lbs.

Yard waste must be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. on the Monday morning during your areas yard waste collection period. All yard waste placed properly by 7:00 a.m. each Monday during the designated time frame will be picked up.

For the week of April 22, crews will be in the North.

If you feel your area was missed or have questions about the pickup schedule, please email SpringfieldYW@republicservices.com.

Read more about the program and restrictions on the City of Springfield website.

Please note: Yard waste pickup is SEPARATE from branch pickup. Branch pickup utilizes different crews and follows a separate preset schedule. Branch pickup will continue on its current preset schedule in April and May and then resume again in the fall. Complete details on this program are available online here. Remember: smaller branches may be broken up and placed in yard waste bags or containers to be picked up year-round outside the branch pickup schedule.

The Springfield Fire Department, in coordination with City Water Light & Power, will begin Fire Hydrant Testing on April 15. Testing is expected to be ongoing Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until July 15. Annual testing is essential to ensure fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes.

Water can become discolored in service areas located in the vicinity of the hydrant tests. If discoloration occurs, residents may run cold water through the tap until the water turns clear. Clothes washing should be delayed until the tap water runs clear to avoid discoloration. In most instances, the water will clear in approximately five minutes.

For information on locations of hydrant testing, residents may call the Springfield Fire Department at 217.788.8474. CWLP customers may call Water Dispatch at 217.789.2323 ext. 2 if discoloration persists or for any other questions on water quality.

The spring residential branch pickup will begin on Monday, April 8.

There will be two branch pickups for each of four City quadrants – one pickup in April and one in May.

City crews will pick up branches within each quadrant once per month. Branches must be placed curbside by 6am on the Monday of the assigned pickup week.

Ward 8 residents live within the northwest & southwest quadrants.

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WARD 8 PICKUP SCHEDULE

Weeks of April 8 & May 6: Northwest Quadrant

• The area north of South Grand Ave./Old Jack Rd. & west of Walnut St.
• For Ward 8 residents, the NW Quadrant includes the following precincts: 34, 35, 36, 42, 45, 61, 80, & 97.

Weeks of April 15 & May 13: Southwest Quadrant

• The area south of South Grand Ave./Old Jack Rd. & west of Walnut St.
• For Ward 8 residents, the SW Quadrant includes Precincts 25 & 90.

For information on the City’s spring yard waste pickup schedule, click HERE.

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Additional information is available at https://www.springfield.il.us/Departments/PublicWorks/branchPickup.aspx

Related Article: 30+ Garden Projects using Sticks & Twigs

~ Erin

 

Excerpts from SJ-R article (3/29/19)
By Brenden Moore
Staff Writer

The candidates were also asked about how they would work to fix some of the racial and economic inequities highlighted in “Segregated in the Heartland,” a series in Governing Magazine that highlighted disparities in downstate communities.

Acknowledging her status as “a white woman from the west side,” Ward 8 candidate Erin Conley said that candidates had been dancing around, offering various solutions, when “the heart of this is that we need to start having some very painful conversations.”

“It’s not just housing, it’s an attitude and it’s an experience that I cannot personally speak to very easily,” Conley said. “But I can absolutely open my heart and my mind and have a conversation that might be difficult to start, but we need to have that.”

On the issue of the Y-Block, the candidates for the most part agreed that a mixed-use development with green space and perhaps a university presence would be ideal.

“I think that anyone who’s ever been to a university campus, you’ll know that university campuses usually include green space, residential and some mixed business opportunities,” Conley said, who believed a university presence would lead to a beneficial ripple effect in downtown Springfield. “This is a prime opportunity for us.”

Full article @ https://www.sj-r.com/news/20190329/campaign-contributions-divide-candidates-in-wards-7-8-10

The City of Springfield is hosting a VOUCHER-ONLY Household Hazardous Waste Collection on May 11th, 2019 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Springfield residents who are participating in the drop off MUST have a voucher in-hand or available on their mobile device in order to dispose of their materials. Voucher will be required at time of drop off.

How to obtain a voucher:

• Participants must be a resident of the City of Springfield corporate limits
• Residents must fill out this online form or contact the Office of Public Works by calling 217-789-2255.
• Residents must include on the online form (or provide at the time of calling):
  – Full name
  – Contact phone number
  – Email Address
  – Street Address
  – Type of items that will be dropped off

Vouchers are limited and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Upon registering, residents will be given several options for obtaining a voucher.

Options include the following:

• Email to resident for mobile device download.
• Print option allowing resident to print at home or work.
• Picking-up in-person at the Office of Public Works, 300 S. 7th St., Room 203, during business hours (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday).
• Vouchers can also be mailed to the resident upon request.

The last day for mailing vouchers is Monday, May 6th. Any voucher requests made after this date will have to be picked up in-person or emailed.

On the day of the drop off, if you miss your time slot, you will not be able to make a delivery. No early arrivals will be accepted. If for any reason you are unable to make the drop off, please call the Office of Public Works so that your time slot can be given to another resident. Voucher registration will end on Friday, May 10th at 4:00 p.m.

Restrictions:

• Program is not open to businesses, institutions and not-for-profit organizations
• Vouchers are limited to one per residence. Vouchers may not be combined for delivery.
• Vouchers are valid for time slot listed only.

Drop off location:
Collection will take place at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Enter through Gate 6 (Taintor Road) and proceed to Lot 21 by following signs. Exit through Gate 7 after household hazardous waste has been delivered.

~ Erin