By Copper Canyon Major Sue Tejml
Judge Mary Horn declares Burn Ban effective immediately for all Denton County
With extreme, unrelenting heat and scant rainfall, all vegetation in the County is stressed! Dry leaves are falling from trees; parched lawn grass feels “crunchy” when you walk on it; shrubs and flowers are dying back from heat stress and lack of water. Such pervasive dry tinder – on the trees, shrubs, and on the ground – creates an immediate fire hazard. California and other western states currently have pervasive wildfires that are extremely hard to contain. We do not want that threat of wildfires to explode in our County, so please personally observe the burn ban!
Argyle Fire Chief Mac Hohenberger said his fire crews recently responded to THREE grass fires within two hours in the same area of the intersection of I-35W and FM 407. The fires were located separately geographically, so they were not started by rekindling of an original burn. The Chief also noted that responding to fires in this heat was also very stressful for our firefighters, who must still be in full bunker gear for their own personal protection from the flames. The Chief also said that ambulances were transporting many construction workers to hospitals due to heat exhaustion.
Upper Trinity Regional Water District declares Drought Contingency Alert
Upper Trinity supplies wholesale water to multiple municipalities and water districts in Denton County, including our Cross Timbers Water Supply Corporation.
Lewisville Lake is Upper Trinity’s main water source, and the extreme heat is causing the lake to evaporate as are other reservoirs in North Texas.
Upper Trinity posted: “The lack of meaningful rainfall and continued high temperatures are leading to high water use among Upper Trinity’s customers. Upper Trinity has determined that water demand is approaching a level that will cause a reduced delivery capacity for all or part of its transmission system. Therefore, Upper Trinity is initiating its Stage 1 Water Watch of its Drought Contingency Plan.”
Cross Timbers Water Supply is in Water Rationing Stage 3 – Orange!
CTWSC supplies retail water for drinking and irrigation to Copper Canyon, Double Oak, Bartonville and unincorporated county areas like Canyon Oaks subdivision. All water members are in an assigned Letter Zone – A, B, or C. All of Copper Canyon north of FM 407 is in yellow Zone B and can only water out doors once a week on Wednesday. (Other areas can find their assigned Zone and only one allowed outdoor watering day per week on the CTWSC website.)
(1) Effective immediately, no watering Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays
(2) All outside watering prohibited, except on designated one day per Zone.
(3) No New Lawn Exemptions.
(4) Landscape watering should be avoided from 6-8 a.m. and 5-9 p.m.
(5) Filling of swimming pools must be scheduled with an assigned date & time.
(6) Washing of vehicles is prohibited.
Copper Canyon’s Railroad Crossing Quiet Zone should be effective Sept. 1st
Our Town Engineer Brian Haynes with Halff Associates has completed the lengthy 21 page document required for “Notice” to the Federal Railroad Administration (FTA). The Notice certifies that all construction has been completed on Copper Canyon’s three railroad crossings. This allows the three crossings to be added to the U.S. DOT National Highway Rail Grade Crossing Inventory of Numbers/Roadway. The Quiet Zones should be effective by September 1st for railroad crossings on Copper Canyon Road, Orchid Hill Lane, and Chinn Chapel Road.
Town Attorney is Clarifying Copper Canyon’s Home Occupation Ordinance
Home-based businesses are allowed in Copper Canyon, as long as they are not intrusive on other residents’ quiet enjoyment of their home and surroundings. The limitations include only one family member employee, limited number and time of coming and going of clients or students or deliveries, no outside storage of supplies or equipment, no intrusive noises or smells or sights, no advertising on or off site.
Common home occupations are for professionals like accountants and attorneys and resident sales persons for insurance, real estate, and non-bulk storage of products. Also, music teachers for a limited number of students – if the sound outside the home is not intrusive on neighboring residents. Welding and manufacturing activities are not allowed.
It is very difficult to write a Home Occupation Ordinance that covers all possibilities. And, if a Copper Canyon resident believes the neighboring home occupation is intrusive on their quiet enjoyment of their home and immediate surroundings, they can file a complaint in Municipal Court under our Nuisance Ordinance.
Scope of the Worldwide Refugee Crisis is Huge!
“The tally of people displaced from their home countries has hit nearly 70 million…even more than in 1945, during the refugee crisis that followed World War II. Three geopolitical hotspots bear most blame:
Burma, South Sudan and Syria. Civil war and ethnic strife are pushing millions of their people to the road for Europe or Asia. Last year, those three countries accounted for most refugees.
Central America is also in turmoil. Violence and poverty will keep sending waves of immigrants to the U.S.’s southern border, seeking a way in.
Venezuela and Mexico could be next…. ticking time bombs waiting to go off and send folks fleeing to neighboring countries if violent crime in either nation turns even worse than it already is.” [The Kiplinger Letter, July 13, 2018, Vol. 95, No. 28]
We Want to Hear From You
You are always welcome to come to Council Meetings and personally address the Council with any concerns or suggestions you may have. Or call, text, or email us in advance.
Town Administrator Donna Welsh: [email protected], Town Hall office 940-241-2677 Ext. 3
Mayor Sue Tejml: [email protected], personal cell 940-368-1085
Mayor and Council: email on Town website www.coppercanyon-tx.org or Google “Town of Copper Canyon” for the website.
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