Parents encouraged to take part in Blue Sky Initiative
Initiative asks for parents' help to improve air quality
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Q: What is the Blue Sky Initiative?
A: The Blue Sky Initiative encourages parents to improve the air quality around schools by reducing vehicle idling times on elementary school campuses. Parents agree to turn off their engines if they expect to idle for more than one minute. Unnecessary idling pollutes the air, increases bad ozone, wastes fuel and causes excess engine wear.
Through a partnership with VISD, the Blue Sky Initiative has also retrofitted all Victoria school district school buses with a filter system that reduces emissions by approximately 70 percent and improves fuel performance. For more information about the Blue Sky Initiative, visit the City Web site at www.victoriatx.org and click on Environmental Services.
Q: Will the Victoria Police do a security survey of my home?
A: Yes. The Crime Prevention Unit located at the Victoria Mall Police substation has officers who will do a security home survey free of charge. A Home Security Survey is an inspection of your home that covers the type of lighting, doors, locks, and windows in your home. The inspection reveals areas of your home that need security improvements and how to make those improvements.
Also the inspection may qualify you for a reduction in your home owner's insurance premiums. Officers are certified with the Texas Department of Insurance and they will perform the inspection and sign the necessary form for the insurance premium reduction. For further information on security surveys for your home, call 361-485-3808 or e-mail cguerra@victoriatx.org.
Q: When is the next book sale to benefit the Victoria Public Library?
A: The Friends of the Library will host the next book sale on Monday, Sept. 14. The sale is scheduled from Monday, Sept. 14 through Saturday, Sept. 19 in the Bronte Room at the Library. Hours for the book sale are 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. There is a special pre-sale event open only to members of Friends of the Library. For more information, please call the library at 361-485-3302.
Incidentally, for those not familiar with the Friends of the Library organization, this outstanding group of volunteers helps raise funds for the library to purchase new library materials, to support further staff development, for computer software and to fund special programs like Victoria Reads and the Thursday Film Series.
Q: My neighbor has a junked vehicle in his yard. Can I report this code violation online at the City Web site?
A: Yes. Our Code Enforcement Department is part of Development Services. If you browse to the City home page at www.victoriatx.org, click on the Development Services department link. In the "General Information" box on that page, click on "Report a Code Violation" and fill in the boxes to submit your request. Currently the online code reporting system works with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla browsers.
Q: Is there a voluntary group I can join that helps Victoria respond to emergencies like floods and hurricanes?
A: Yes. The new CERT Program (Community Emergency Response Team) is a brand new organization that trains local volunteers to help respond to large-scale emergencies in Victoria. This program is run by the Victoria Office of Emergency Management. Through this program, volunteers are trained to support first responders in many ways including assisting with local evacuations and traffic control, inland search and rescue activities, operating points of distribution, setting up emergency shelters, assisting first responders as needed, setting up emergency generators during power outages, assisting emergency communications and many more tasks. For more information on the CERT program, call 361-485-3362, or e-mail the Office of Emergency Management at brosbottom@victoriatx.org.
Send your questions and comments for any city department or activity to City of Victoria, Public Information Office, P.O. Box 1758, Victoria, TX 77902, or pio@victoriatx.org.
