PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING Barton Hills Village will hold a public budget hearing at the Village Hall, 199 Barton Shore Drive, on Monday, March 10, 2014 beginning at 6:00 PM. A copy of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014-2015 will be on file and available to the public in the Clerk’s Office after March 1, 2014. The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be the subject of this hearing.
WATER CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT The attached annual report for calendar year 2013 is published in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and summarizes the status of the BHV water system during the last calendar year. Please read it carefully and contact the numbers given for questions or concerns. [posted on website]
PLANNING COMMISSION A Special Meeting of the Barton Hills Village Planning Commission will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 6:30 PM at the Village Hall. Revision of the zoning ordinance will be the subject of the meeting. Text of the proposed zoning ordinance is published on the website (www.vil-bartonhills.org) under the Ordinances tab and is also available from the Clerk’s office.
IN SYMPATHY Deepest sympathies to the family of Donald C. Smith, long time former resident who passed away recently.
H2O HEROS The Saving Water Saves Energy project of the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) has launched a “Pledge, Save, Win” Contest to encourage homeowners in the watershed to tap into saving water, energy and money now through March 31, 2014. The project will pay the first quarter water bill, up to $250, of three lucky winners.
The average person in the United States uses 99 gallons of water per day for things like bathing, cooking and laundry. Even changing simple habits, like turning off the tap while brushing teeth, can save 8-12 gallons per day. The goal of the contest is to raise awareness and promote water conservation and efficiency as a means to save. According to HRWC sources up to 13% of the nation’s electrical energy goes to pumping, treating and heating water supplies. It is hoped that the contest will inspire families to consider their water use and how it relates to issues like energy and climate change.
There are just three steps for entering the contest. First, users should go to www.h2oheroes.org, to watch a 60-second public service announcement. Second, the family pledges to do one or more activities to save water daily. Third, the family must report what they did to save water. Reporting can come in the form of videos, photos or other creative ideas. Winners will be selected based on creativity and effectiveness. To help jumpstart a family’s efforts, www.h2oheroes.org has many tips and tools, including an online savings calculator from the Alliance for Water Efficiency. Winners will be announced by April 15, 2014. The Saving Water Saves Energy Project is made possible by a grant from the Masco Corporation Foundation. See www.hrwc.org/our-work/programs/saving-water-saves-energy.
HRWC is a nonprofit coalition of local communities (including Barton Hills Village), businesses, and residents established in 1965 to protect the Huron River and its tributary streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater. HRWC works to inspire attitudes, behaviors, and economies that protect, rehabilitate, and sustain the Huron River system. Services include hands-on citizen education, technical assistance in policy development, and river protection and monitoring projects. See www.hrwc.org for more information.
THINK SPRING! With all the white still surrounding us, thoughts of spring may be a major antidote to cabin fever. While you’re leafing through seed catalogs and dreaming of warmer days, please keep these things in mind:
–Planting gardens is a fine activity. However, if you’re planning a significant landscaping project, please check with the Clerk’s office about necessary permits for walls/fences and soil erosion controls.
–Take a look at where the snow is piled up this year, for reference when you think about plantings, lights, sprinklers and other aspects of landscaping. Such items that are beautiful in the warm weather are invisible under the snow, making it difficult for the snowplow drivers to determine where to drive. The trucks plow from the road towards your house and the snow has to go somewhere at the end; an important thought to consider when planting bushes or placing decorative elements.
–If a sprinkler system is part of your dream, please keep water conservation in mind. Systems with moisture sensors will save energy and money as well as providing just the right amount of water for your location.
–Consider using native plants which have adapted to regional conditions over a long period of time. They are drought resistant due to deep root systems, disease resistant, require little to no fertilizer and improve soil quality while working in community with each other and other habitat members.
Only 10 days until Daylight Savings Time begins (March 9)!
Only 21 days until the first day of Spring (March 20)!
(Any guesses on the last day of snow melt? Or ice melt from Barton Pond?)