Camp Baltimore Registration Open Now

Take Simple Steps Now to Prepare for Seasonal Stresses & Strains on the Water System

Take Simple Steps Now to Prepare for Seasonal Stresses and Strains on the Water System

 

BALTIMORE – The year 2016 greeted us with a historic snowfall in January, but Baltimore City Department of Public Works Director Rudy S. Chow, P.E., reminds residents that “We still have several weeks of winter to go.” Last year, the temperatures plunged into the single digits twice on the week of President's Day and below freezing temperatures were consistent until early-mid March. Currently, forecasts are calling for low temperatures in the single digits by this weekend and the Baltimore area may not break out of the sub-freezing range for a while. Residents are reminded to take the following steps to protect their pipes. When the mercury remains below 25 degrees: Run a thin stream of water from a faucet overnight. Moving water is less likely to freeze than still water Make sure interior plumbing that may be exposed to cold air is insulated Make sure outdoor spigots are turned off from the inside and drained from the outside A frozen or broken pipe can cause damage and be expensive to repair A frozen service line, leading from the water meter to the property, may require an invasive procedure to be dug up and replaced -- at the owner's expense. Did you know? The meters installed throughout Baltimore and more than one-third of Baltimore County as part of the BaltiMeter upgrade are intentionally designed to break if the water inside them freezes? That’s right! It is far easier and less costly to replace a meter than to dig up and replace a broken pipe. Speaking of pipes, our crews and on-call contractors, will work day and night as necessary to repair damaged pipes and meters. But it is far easier and more convenient to prevent breaks than repair them. Homeowners are encouraged to explore the extra step to protect their pipes, and their pocketbooks, with a water and sewer line protection plan. For additional information, call HomeServe at 1-855-807-6631 or visiting www.homeservusa.com. For water service emergencies call 311 or 410-396-5352.

Baltimore Education Coalition's Legislative Preview Night 2016

Youth Works Pre-Registration is Up

Youth Pre-Registration 

You must do two things to get registered:

1. Pre-register online between January 4 and March 11, 2016
2. Once you have registered, we will contact you by email for all future contact to set up an in-person certification interview between January 25 and April 2, 2016

PRE-REGISTER ONLINE:

If you have never signed up online for YouthWorks: 

1. You must use your current, active email address to create an account at on the YouthWorks page.
   • If you do not have an email account: You can setup one for free through Google/Gmail
2. Go to youthworks.oedworks.com between January 4 and March 11, 2016 and complete an online application
   • If you are having problems creating your account: Email ywhelpdesk@oedworks.com
3. You will receive a confirmation email with the date, time, and location of your in-person certification interview.
4. If you are under 18 and do not currently have a work permit, apply for a work permit HERE. After completing the work permit, print it out, sign it and have your parent/guardian sign it and bring it to your certification appointment. Continue by reading the ATTEND AN IN-PERSON CERTIFICATION INTERVIEW section below...

If you have ever tried to sign up online for YouthWorks: 

1. You must use the same email account you used to create an account at youthworks.oedworks.com previously.
   • If you have forgotten your password: click 'I forgot my password' on the log-in page and the system will send you your password in the email address you used last year
   • If you have forgotten which email you used: Email ywhelpdesk@oedworks.com
2. Go to youthworks.oedworks.com between January 4 and March 11, 2016 and complete an online application
   • If you are having problems creating your account: Email ywhelpdesk@oedworks.com
3. You will receive a confirmation email with the date, time, and location of your in-person interview.
4. If you are under 18 and do not currently have a work permit, apply for a work permit HERE. After completing the work permit, print it out, sign it and have your parent/guardian sign it and bring it to your certification appointment. Continue by reading the ATTEND AN IN-PERSON CERTIFICATION INTERVIEW section below...

ATTEND AN IN-PERSON CERTIFICATION INTERVIEW

• Once your pre-registration form has been successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with the date, time and location of your in-person certification interview within 5 days of your submission. It will be some time between January 25th and April 2nd, 2016.
• If you never had a YW interview or did not provide all your necessary documents in your previous interview(s), you will need to bring the following to your appointment:
  • Birth certificate
  • Social Security card
  • Proof of identification (Maryland state ID or school ID)
  • A printed and signed copy of your pre-registration form
  • Verification of family income at your certification appointment
  • Ages 14-17: A signed work permit
  • Men ages 18+: a printed copy of your selective service registration verification  

• If you went through a YW interview last year and brought all the necessary documents, you will need to bring the following to your appointment:
  • Proof of identification (Maryland state ID or school ID),
  • A printed and signed copy of your pre-registration form,
  • Verification of family income at your certification appointment
  • Ages 14-17: A signed work permit
  • Men ages 18+: a printed copy of your selective service registration verification  

HIRE ONE YOUTH

Hire One Youth is a program where employers will pay for youth's wages themselves. Sometimes, Hire One Youth participants are more likely to receive more than minimum wage and continue working for their placements after the summer than YouthWorks participants. In addition, Hire One Youth participants get to have a special job-readiness training that will teach them important job skills to help them get better jobs in the future. If you are interested in Hire One Youth, tell us when you come in for your interview and we can tell you more.

Note: Completing the above process does NOT guarantee a YouthWorks summer job.

Municipal Trash Cans are Coming !!!!

Municipal Trash Cans are Coming to Baltimore City:  You may already have heard of the City’s plans to provide 65-gallon Municipal Trash Cans to every household that currently receives mixed waste collection services by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. The delivery of the cans is expected to start in the latter part of February 2016. It will take nearly seven months for all eligible properties to receive their cans. The delivery will be preceded by a door tag notifying residents that the can will be delivered in about 10 days. Each can will come with an insert reminding residents how to use and care for the cans.
Based on what we’ve seen in other cities, as well as a pilot program in two Baltimore communities, we believe this strategy will help keep our neighborhoods and waterways clean. I am enthusiastic about the positive impact the Municipal Trash Can program will have on our City and its residents, and I am asking you to help share our message.
Containing mixed refuse in durable containers, such as the new Municipal Trash Cans, is one of the best ways to reduce debris and litter, keep food away from rats, and create cleaner neighborhoods. Each trash can has an attached lid to prevent trash from blowing away, and wheels to make them easy to move. It is essential that households use the new trash cans to see these expected improvements.

Key Municipal Trash Can Facts
• Cans will arrive early 2016 (starting latter part of February), and residents will be notified by mail approximately one week in advance of the arrival of the cans. The delivery will be preceded by a door tag notifying residents that the can will be delivered in about 10 days, and updated delivery schedules will be posted on DPW’s website, PublicWorks.BaltimoreCity.gov.
• Current trash collection days will remain the same; rear collections will remain in the rear of households, and front collections will remain out front.
• The cans remain the property of the City and should not be altered or defaced with letters, names, stickers, numbers, or symbols.

Limited 35-Gallon Option: In addition, owners of properties that are part of a block-long group and have front collection and no rear storage criteria are eligible to receive a smaller 35-gallon can. Requests for smaller cans must be made by calling 311 by February 19, 2016. There is no need for homeowners to call to receive the standard 65-gallon can.

Additional information on the Municipal Trash Can Program is available online at http://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/Bur....
DPW stands ready to work with communities to ensure successful implementation of the Municipal Trash Can Program and to create cleaner neighborhoods. For more information, please contact the Communications and Community Affairs Division for assistance, 410-545-6541 or send an email to publicworks@baltimorecity.gov. –Jeffrey Raymond, Chief, Communications and Community Affairs , Department of Public Works

Real Food Farm Summer Jobs for High School Students

Please help us spread the word!

The Institute For Integrative Health & Real Food Farm are teaming up again to hire high school youth for the summer! If you know a high school student who is interested in being active this summer and gaining experience with farming, cooking, and leadership, please support them in applying. Applications are due by Friday, February 26.

·  Mission Thrive Summer - for students who have completed 9th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade who are interested in cooking, farming, fitness, and nutrition.
·  Applications are online, due by Friday, February 26
·  In-person interviews will be held at the end of March.
·  To be eligible for Real Food Farm summer jobs, students must also register with Baltimore City's

YouthWorks program and attend their YouthWorks certification appointment.
Feel free to contact Molly at rffeducation@civicworks.com with questions.

City's Fall Leaf Collection Program begins October 19

City's Fall Leaf Collection Program begins October 19  

BALTIMORE, MD — The temperatures are falling, and so are the leaves. If raking those leaves is part of your weekend plans, remember to call 311 to schedule a Monday pickup of your bagged leaves.

Leaf collection season begins Monday, October 19, and will continue through Monday, January 4, 2016. The Department of Public Works Bureau of Solid Waste will collect bagged leaves every Monday throughout the season.

Even though street sweepers now visit every City neighborhood, these machines are NOT designed to collect leaves and residents should NOT let leaves collect in the curbs and gutters. Leaves will only hinder the ability of the street sweeping machines to thoroughly do their job.

Solid Waste crews will collect bagged leaves by appointment; up to 20 bags of leaves will be collected from each address every Monday. However, residents must call 311 before 6 p.m. on Sunday to schedule a collection for the following Monday. Citizens may make multiple appointments for up to two months prior to the pick-up date.

The Bureau of Solid Waste will also continue to collect bagged leaves on the regularly scheduled trash collection day.  Solid Waste crews will collect up to 5 bags of leaves from each address every week.

Residents need to put leaves in clear or labeled bags and place them at their regular mixed refuse collection location and not in the public right-of-way. Altogether, with Monday collections and regular mixed refuse collections, the DPW will collect, in total, up to 25 bags of leaves per week, per residence.

As a reminder, residents can also drop off bagged leaves at one of the five Citizen Convenience locations:

Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:  

Quarantine Road Sanitary Landfill – 6100 Quarantine Road

Western Citizens’ Convenience Center- 701Reedbird Avenue

Eastern Citizens’ Convenience Center- 6101 Bowleys Lane

Northwest Citizens’ Convenience Center - 2840 Sisson Street  

Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Northwest Transfer Station – 5030 Reisterstown Road

The Mayor’s Fall Cleanup is on October 24. This will be another opportunity for residents to rid their neighborhoods of leaves and debris. Call 311 to register for the Fall Cleanup. Residents who participate in registered neighborhood cleanups may apply for credits against their Stormwater Fee.