CITY OF MASON BEGINS CRITICAL WATER CONSERVATION PLAN
The public water system of the City of Mason has reached a Critical, Level 2 condition recently, and the City Administrator John Palacio has implemented additional water conservation measures. While we do not fear immediate water shortages, we feel it is necessary to move beyond voluntary measures to protect the water levels for everyone. As the hot summer winds continue to blow and the dry conditions only worsen, the City of Mason will now begin enforcing mandatory water conservation measures throughout the community. Rather than immediately banning the use of water for outdoor sprinkling, we will limit each water customer to watering only twice a week and only between the hours of 7:00 pm and 10:00 am, or hand watering at other times. We ask for everyone to water on its set days and continue our water conservations Plans:
- · All even numbered houses can water twice a week either on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between the hours of 7:00 pm and 10:00 am.
- · All odd numbered houses can water twice a week either on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday between the hours of 7:00 pm and 10:00 am.
- · You will be allowed to hand water if you so need to.
We will be monitoring outdoor watering from private wells within the City as well as from the public water system since all of the water comes from the Hickory Aquifer and the negative impacts from depleting that water source will affect everyone in this community.
We hope that everyone will cooperate and limit all non-essential water use. We will begin immediately to monitor water use and will issue warnings and turn off unnecessary water uses as well as water sprinklers running during the heat of the day. Beginning August 31st, we will shift from monitoring and warnings to issuing citations and fines for watering other than between 7:00 pm and 10:00 am and for other non-essential water use or waste. If there is no significant rain in the next couple of months we may have to move to a Level 3 Water Rationing stage, but we believe that with your help and cooperation we may not need to move to that restrictive stage. Your grass and plantings may suffer a little, but we are most concerned to protect the water supply for the critical daily needs of our residents, not just the wants of a few. As we try to protect the health and safety of our town, we hope that you will help and that we will soon be blessed with rain that might limit this current drought.
City of Mason
Rate and Fee Changes
For Garbage Collection & Landfill Rates
Effective November 1, 2020
Garbage Collection:
- Residential, one pick up per week $ 22.00 $ 24.00
- Commercial, curbside collection per week $ 26.00 $ 28.00
- 3 Yard Dumpster
One pick up per week $ 85.00 $ 94.00
Two pick ups per week $ 145.00 $ 160.00
Three pick ups per week $ 200.00 $ 220.00
Four pick ups per week $ 260.00 $ 285.00
Five pick ups per week $ 310.00 $ 340.00
Landfill Rates:
- General rate for City residents $0.06/lb ($10.00 min)
- General rate for County residents $0.08/lb ($15.00 min)
F. Brush, limbs, yard debris, tree removal $0.02/lb ($5.00 min)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
From the Office of CITY OF MASON – JOHN PALACIO
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) have been closely working together with numerous state health agencies to provide the public with educational materials on how to stay safe with regard to COVID-19.
At this time, there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, however, there are precautionary measure that will help to minimize or even avoid the contraction of the coronavirus:
· Frequently wash hands with soap for a duration of at least 20 seconds;
· Cover mouth with a clean tissue or inside of elbow when coughing or sneezing;
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
· Stay home if flu-like symptoms are present, as well as, drink plenty of fluids;
· Visit local clinic as necessary.
For more information about the prevention and treatment programs, please visit the Center of Disease Control website – www.cdc.gov – or the Texas Department of State Health Services website – www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus .
It is critical that we AVOID panic! Please continue to check this website for local updates, should there be a need for Mason County and City of Mason to take further action.
CITY CORNER by Mayor Brent Hinckley
Last Friday I, along with several other local citizens, attended a town hall gathering with our retiring Congressional Representative Mike Conaway. This was a part of a tour of the District for Mike to say a heartfelt “thank you” for the support and involvement of our local citizens in listening and recommending policy directions in Washington, DC that impact our west Texas region. Mike Conaway was sworn in as a member of Congress in January 2005, and has faithfully served as our voice for sixteen years. He has chosen not to run in the current election and shift the focus of his leadership and service back to a more local and regional basis rather than the national scene. Coincidentally, I was sworn in as Mayor of our beautiful town in May of 2005 and met Mike for the first time shortly after that here on the Square, and I have felt a connection and friendship with him for these many years. One of the things that I have particularly enjoyed about being with Mike occasionally through the years is that in addition to his strong support of agriculture and our Texas economy in Washington, he has also always maintained his strong faith and is always willing to share his views on how we can best live and serve within the context of our current situation and society.
One of the points that he made on Friday, which I have tried to share with you through these columns, is the need for all of us to step away from the constant bombardment of negativism and critical political opinions being magnified on social media, and refocus on the individuals around us and the positivity of our many blessings. Facebook and Twitter along with all of the other electronic interactions have become so corrupted by the current political environment that they are worse than the rumor mill in every small town, even magnified many times over. It would be nice to think that in a couple of weeks with the election behind us that the harsh negativity would cease, but I fear and most of us expect that we may never go back to a “neighborhood of sharing and a front porch type of conversation” on electronic media. I for one am joining the growing crowd of people exiting every involvement in that type of media, much as I did over thirty five years ago when I became disgusted with TV and removed it from our home, never to allow one back again. I am going to look for the ways I can bring positivity and community caring back into my life and the conversations and interactions that I have around town and with my family.
Another important point that Mike touched on, and that I feel is important to all of us is that we need to be reminded to seek new and different ways to be of service within our community. The very best role of elected officials is to be a “servant” to the needs and expectations of the group that elected you, and those public servants that I have most admired have known and understood that concept as the core of their leadership. Once I swear in a new Mayor for Mason on November 16, it is my sincere intent to step away from daily City business and allow the new leader to provide the vision and guidance for our town. At the same time I am going to be looking for new ways that I can shift my service and commitment within our community. I would suggest that as we look forward to the new year in just a couple of months that we all set aside the challenges and complications that the year of 2020 has given us, and seek new paths to be the “servant” we are called to in our community, using the special gifts that we have each been given. I know several people who have taken a positive approach during these pandemic times to reach out and expand the ways that they serve those less capable, and they have each found new friends, activities and blessings as they embraced community service.
In two short weeks Election Day will be behind us, and which ever candidates receive the most votes we can individually take a deep breath of fresh resolve and set a new path for our lives. I will be “retiring” from this public job that I have had for too many years, but each of us also has the opportunity to reset our goals and our lives to move forward in a positive and productive way. I challenge you to set aside that which is old and “all such things as these: anger, rage, malice and slander” so that you might be filled with the beauty and joy that is all around us. Each day is a new opportunity to start anew in becoming the best person that you can be. Our families, neighbors and our entire community need each of us to move on from the current cloud of negativity and challenge, to embrace the full life of working together to build up this the best hometown in Texas.