Wellsville City Utah Website

In connection with our Founders’ Day celebration, city employees have recovered many of the lawn chairs that mysteriously disappeared. These chairs are being stored in the garage next to the city office. If you are missing any lawn chairs, come to the city office to claim your chairs.

This is another in a continuing series of articles to inform Wellsville citizens about Storm Water Runoff

As storm water runs off from a building or driveway it carries with it fertilizers, salts, insecticides that were applied too heavily, too carelessly, or too near the time of a storm. Storm water also carries oils, paint, chrome, and other products that may chip or seep from automobiles.

Another contaminant carried in storm water is the fecal material from dogs, horses, and other animals. These harmful contaminants stay suspended and are taken downstream to food producing agricultural fields, livestock watering systems, and fish inhabited waterways.

Residents can make a big difference. Here are 12 things you can do to prevent storm water runoff pollution:

1. Use fertilizers sparingly and sweep up driveways, sidewalks, and gutters
2. Never dump anything down storm drains or in streams
3. Vegetate bare spots in your yard
4. Compost your yard waste
5. Use least toxic pesticides, follow labels, and learn how to prevent pest problems
6. Direct downspouts should be away from paved surfaces; consider a rain garden to capture runoff
7. Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway
8. Check your car for leaks and recycle your motor oil
9. Pick up after your pet
10.  Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly
11. Keep grass clippings out of curbs and away from banks of waterways
12. Find proper receptacles for hazardous waste

Remember it’s not only in keeping with city ordinances, but it helps to keep Wellsville a beautiful, healthful city.

Work is underway on the new Wellsville City 1-million gallon reservior located near the gravel pit. Pipe for the waterline that will connect the new reservoir to the culinary wells has been delivered, and excavation is nearly complete.

The recent home fire in Wellsville should serve as a reminder to all of us to review our emergency preparedness readiness. At a minimum we should do the following:

• Test smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and replace the batteries semi-annually (when daylight savings time starts and ends is a good time to do this).
• Ensure that your children and the elderly/infirm know how to evacuate the home quickly in an emergency, and know of alternate ways out if the usual exit path is unavailable. Have family practices on how to ‘get out quickly and safely’.
• Review the recharge dates and usage instructions on your fire extinguishers.
• Review the family ‘gathering’ spot in case of an evacuation from the home.
• Remind family members of the out-of-area contact person and phone number to call in case the family becomes separated.
• Instruct family members that in the case of a fire they are not to attempt to gather personal belonging, nor should they re-enter the home after they have left it. Fire and smoke can spread quickly and wasting even a few seconds in evacuating could prove deadly.

 If you think this can’t happen to you, review these facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• On average in the United States in 2009, someone died in a fire every 175 minutes, and someone was injured every 31 minutes.
• About 85% of all U.S. fire deaths in 2009 occurred in homes.
• In 2009, fire departments responded to 377,000 home fires in the United States, which claimed the lives of 2,565 people (not including firefighters) and injured another 13,050, not including firefighters.
• Most victims of fires die from smoke or toxic gases and not from burns.
• Smoking is the leading cause of fire-related deaths.
• Cooking is the primary cause of residential fires.

Finally, to improve your skills in emergency preparedness, consider attending CERT (Community Emergency Response Training). Wellsville will join with Cache County next spring in offering this training. It covers all types of emergencies and could prove invaluable to you and your family.

For more information on all emergencies,visit Be Ready Utah.

Open Burning is only allowed from October 1 through October 31. Before you burn, you must obtain a Burn Permit from Jerald Leishman at 245-3121. Burning without a permit is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of $1,000.00.

The following is taken from the Cache County Fire District website: http://www.cachecounty.org/fire

The fall open burning season in Cache County will be from October 1 through October 31. Anyone wishing to burn tree limbs, branches, leaves, garden clippings, and bushes may request a burn permit from the Cache County Fire District at 755-1670. Burn permits in Logan City (716-9505) are limited to canal companies and areas of the county recently annexed. Burn permits for residents of North Logan City (994-1530), and Smithfield (563-3056) must be issued from their respective fire departments. A burn permit may be issued by your local municipal fire chief. No burn permits will be issued by the county on Sundays.

General public burn permits will not be issued if the air quality clearing index is below 500 or on yellow or red burn days. Burning of agricultural lands, fence lines, ditch banks, and commercial orchards are exempt from this restriction; however, individuals are required to notify their local fire department of such burns.

Burning of household or construction waste, rubbish, cardboard, plastics, tires, hazardous chemicals, fuels, and other processed or man-made materials is prohibited. Burn piles and fires are to be kept small. All open burns must be 50 feet from any buildings or construction. Someone 18 or older must be with the fire at all times. A water source must be kept nearby. All fires must be out by dark. If there are any complaints from neighbors or if the smoke obstructs traffic, you may be asked to extinguish your fire. If your fire extends beyond your control you should immediately call the fire department at 911.