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Baltimore City Department of Public Works Newsletter | December 2022
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Message from the Director
Jason W. Mitchell, Ed.D.
Welcome back to the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) monthly newsletter! Our first newsletter for the Fall/Winter season was re-released last month. As we close out this calendar year, DPW remains committed to providing accurate water bills, education about our water system, solid waste services, and ensuring that residents have a seat at the table to support our service to their neighborhoods. This year, DPW has made significant improvements to our water bill operations. We accomplished this by implementing a new rate adjustment policy, the Water4All affordability program, and arming our customer service support staff with more training and development opportunities. In addition, we stabilized water/wastewater/stormwater rates, implementing the lowest rate increase since 1998. More customer service improvements are in the works for 2023. Next year, residents will have an opportunity to enroll in paperless billing. In the new year, we will roll out “Promise Pay,” introducing flexible payment options for customers falling behind on their water bills.
At the December 7, 2022, Board of Estimates (BOE) meeting, DPW responded to the findings in their biennial performance audit for the Fiscal Year 2019 & Fiscal Year 2020. During this BOE meeting, I talked about our progress with DPW’s water billing operations.
DPW has more accomplishments in store for 2023! Happy Holidays!
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DPW has made progress on two emergency water/stormwater infrastructure repairs:
North Avenue
North Avenue is on schedule to fully reopen by December 16. Work to repair the North Avenue sinkhole was delayed by three weeks due to the inclement weather experienced in November and additional time associated with installing the reinforced concrete drain. The new reinforced concrete drain was completed, and the final steel beam used for excavation support was removed. This week, contractors are on site installing storm drain manholes and local sewer and water utilities, as well as backfilling the site for restoration of the roadway and final site stabilization.
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Lake Montebello
In November, work to repair the Montebello sinkhole was delayed a couple of days due to inclement weather. The initial phase of work was to install a 48-inch water main bypass to allow the 84-inch water main to be offline to provide safe access to repair the 108-inch storm drain. The 48-inch bypass has been installed, is being chlorinated, and undergoing bacteriological testing to ensure safety. The bypass will be brought online shortly, which will assist in maintaining normal operations of the water system. Upon completion of the bypass, repair to the 108-inch storm drain will proceed.
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 Exciting things are going on in DPW. We've created a video featuring Baltimore City residents, both big and small, to show you what the city looks like through the eyes of our young residents. #DPWProud
Marcia Pearl is the winner of our Cleaner, Greener, Beautiful Baltimore Logo Design Contest. DPW wanted a logo that reflected the agency's' volunteer and community engagement efforts to eradicate the City of blight. We will soon release a plan to eliminate blight and reduce illegal dumping throughout the City. The Logo Design Contest exemplifies Director Mitchell's priority of involving the community in our work. Without each and every one of you, a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Baltimore would be impossible.
Ms. Pearl is the Principal designer at Pearl Graphics in Baltimore, Md. Ms. Pearl collaborates with clients to produce engaging content for all media platforms.
She has served as Associate Professor of Digital Media Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Alabama State University and Visiting Professor of Graphic Design and Interactive Media at James Madison University.
She earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design and a Master's of Professional Studies in the Business of Art & Design from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
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The 2023 Baltimore City Department of Public Works Calendars are on the way. In late December, the DPW calendars are expected to start arriving in Baltimore City mailboxes. Residents can also request calendars by calling 311.
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 BMore LOVE Network
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We are pleased to introduce the BMore LOVE (Learn. Organize. Volunteer. Engage.) Volunteer Network. A new initiative aims to build a culture of service and volunteerism in Baltimore City.
Striving to improve and sustain vibrant communities, DPW will recruit, train, provide materials and resources, and organize a high-quality, diverse network of dedicated volunteers who will instill a sense of pride in every community.
With this new program, DPW will be able to combat illegal dumping, promote anti-littering and proper trash disposal, and save our environment by protecting and conserving our water, minimizing food waste, and recycling.
The BMore LOVE Volunteer Network will allow schools, businesses, nonprofits, faith-based institutions, and communities to host, organize and participate in activities and events supporting DPW efforts to keep Baltimore cleaner, greener and beautiful.
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 Resident Advisory Council
DPW Director Mitchell has launched the Department’s first-ever Residential Advisory Council (RAC). Members of the new RAC will provide the Department with community-based input and guidance on critical DPW operations.
The RAC comprises approximately 14 Baltimore City residents representing each Council District and six (6) representatives from DPW and other agencies with a cross-section of community-based interests. This will include neighborhood associations, vulnerable populations, businesses, and faith-based and educational institutions.
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Eco-Warriors of the Future- Schools Competition
DPW invites elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high (9-12) schools located in Baltimore City to participate in the 2022-2023 Eco-Warriors of the Future Competition.
The Eco-Warriors of the Future Competition encourages elementary, middle, and high schools to join the City’s efforts to make our city a cleaner, greener, beautiful Baltimore.
Eco-Warriors of the Future Competition encourages students, their families, and school communities to work collaboratively to tackle environmental issues. Eco-Warriors serve and protect our environment and communities by proactively rising to the call to action to promote a clean living and healthy, sustainable city.
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Using the portal allows you to manage your water bill account without leaving home or picking up the phone. The portal provides your billing, payment, and water consumption history all in one location. You’ll have the option of signing up for alerts that inform you when an unusually large amount of water is being used in your home. The more you know about how much water you use and when you use it, the better you’ll be able to manage your water usage. DPW has made it easier to register for the portal. City water customers can find their activation codes on the back of their monthly water bills.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree
or
Set Your Tree Out for Collection
 DPW will offer free tree mulching services to Baltimore City residents from Tuesday, December 27, 2022, through Saturday, February 4, 2023. Tree mulching is a drop-off event. Residents must bring their trees to the Northwest Residential Drop-off Center, located at 2840 Sisson Street, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Please make sure that all ornaments, tinsel and other decoration have been removed from your tree prior to mulching. Residents should bring bags or containers to collect mulch for their own use.
Curbside Tree Collection For residents who cannot bring their tree for mulching, DPW will offer curbside tree collection starting Tuesday, December 27, 2022. Please set out with weekly trash collections.
Leaf Collection Season is Here!
Leaf Collection Season is Here! Bagged leaves are collected on regularly scheduled trash collection days. DPW solid waste crews will collect up to five (5) bags of leaves from each address weekly.
Please call 311 to schedule a pickup if you have more than five (5) bags. Leaf collection season will run from October 24, 2022, to January 9, 2023.
Please call 311 before 6 p.m. on Sunday to arrange a leaf collection for the following Monday. Residents may schedule multiple appointments up to two months before the pickup date. Multiple appointments may be scheduled until all of your bagged leaves are collected.
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The new North West Neighborhood recycling drop-off center is located in the Glen Fire Station parking lot at 2700 Glen Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215.
Residents can drop off their single-stream recycling Tuesday through Saturday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. during the B week collection schedule.
| December 11, 2022 |
December 25, 2022 |
| January 8, 2023 |
January 22, 2023 |
| February 5, 2023 |
February 19, 2023 |
Monday, December 19 – First Day of Chanukah/ Hanukkah
Wednesday, December 21 – First Day of Winter
Sunday, December 25 – Christmas Day
Monday, *December 26 – Christmas Day Observed, City Offices & Sanitation Yards will be closed.
Monday, December 26 – First Day of Kwanzaa
Sunday, January 1 – New Year's Day
Monday, *January 2 – New Year's Day Observed, City Offices & Sanitation Yards will be closed.
*Trash and Recycling will not be affected.
Looking to start a new career? The Department of Public Works is hiring! For more info on postings visit Job Openings | Baltimore City Department of Public Works
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