Fireworks Prohibited

The City of Watauga prohibits the possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling, and use of fireworks within City limits.  This includes firecrackers and sparklers.  The current fine for violating this mandate is up to $200.00, not including court costs.  Keep yourself and your family safe by attending a professionally managed and organized fireworks display.  Click here for a list of 4th of July celebrations in our area.

Union Pacific Railroad
Crossing Closures

The Union Pacific Railroad will be closing the following crossings beginning June 13, 2009.  Each crossing will be totally blocked and traffic will be detoured around these work zones by RoadSafe Traffic Systems, who will provide off-duty police officers to work the crossing closures during this process.  Only one crossing will be closed at a time to give the public and emergency vehicles access around these intersections.  The affected intersections are:

• Watauga Road at Hwy. 377

• Basswood at Hwy. 377

• North Tarrant Parkway at Hwy. 377

World Health Organization (WHO) Declares Flu Pandemic

World health authorities have declared the swine flu to be a pandemic - the first global epidemic in 41 years - as the number of infections has risen in the United States, Europe, Australia and South America.  As a result, WHO has raised the pandemic alert status to Level 6, the highest possible.  The long-awaited decision is scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly circling the globe.  To date, 74 countries have reported nearly 27,737 cases, including 141 deaths.  The last pandemic - the Hong Kong flu of 1968 - killed about 1 million people.

• World Health Organization Website

• Key Facts About Swine Flu

• Texas Department of State Health Services

Garbage Collection Rates Decrease

The contract between Community Waste Disposal (CWD) and the City of Watauga provides for an annual rate adjustment.  The rate adjustment is composed of two factors: changes between the prior year and the current year in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and the 13-week average price of diesel fuel for the first quarter of the calendar year.  This year, the CPI impact was an increase of 0.62%, while the fuel component was a decrease of 4.69%.  The net impact on the total residential rates was a decrease of $0.39 or 4.07% from the prior year.  These new rates went into effect on July 1, 2009.

Tarrant County Debuts New Property Fraud Alert Service

According to the FBI, property and mortgage fraud is the fastest growing white-collar crime.  The Tarrant County Clerk's Office now offers a free on-line automated service in which Tarrant County property owners (residential and business) can sign up to have their name monitored for possible fraudulent activity.  A common property fraud scenario involves falsifying documents in order to obtain a fraudulent mortgage in someone else's name. 

It takes less than 60 seconds to sign up, and participants will be notified only when the exact name they have provided is listed as a "Granter" or "Grantee" on any of 90 different document types recorded in the Clerk's Office.  The alert system is customizable in that alerts can be generated by e-mail or telephone call.  Tarrant is the first county in Texas to offer the Property Fraud Alert Service to its property owners.  Click here to learn more about this service and to sign up or call (817) 884-1111.

Important Information for Oncor Customers
Regarding Trees & Power Lines