News

AMARILLO –  The City of Amarillo will implement the following service schedule for the Thanksgiving holiday: The Thanksgiving schedule for Solid Waste (trash pickup): Residential customers: Thursday routes will be collected on Wednesday (Nov. 27).  Friday routes will be collected on their normal schedule. Commercial customers: Thursday routes will be serviced Friday (Nov. 29). Friday routes will operate on a normal schedule. Curbside collection: No curbside collection will be available Thanksgiving Day. Curbside service will resume Friday (Nov. 29). Brush sites will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. The city landfill will be closed Thanksgiving Day and will reopen Friday (November 29).

AMARILLO –  With the holidays approaching and a construction project in progress, Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (RHAIA) is providing additional parking beginning Thursday through January 6. “Overflow parking will be available due to a construction project and the anticipated increase in travelers due to the holidays,” said COA Director of Aviation Michael Conner. “The construction project will impact parking spots in the outdoor parking lot, so we wanted to provide travelers with additional parking options.” Overflow parking will be available as adjacent parking areas become full. Signs are posted at the airport to guide the public to additional parking. Parking fees for all parking areas remain the same. For more information go to: www.fly-ama.com/parking-transportation/general-parking In addition, a map is provided for overflow parking areas.  ###

AMARILLO –  Amarillo City Council has unanimously approved a series of organizational updates for City of Amarillo (COA) government for 2024/2025. “This new organizational chart approved by city council will provide an array of improvements to city government,” said City Manager Grayson Path. “These changes will assist us with addressing numerous current and future vital city infrastructure needs. In addition, city departments with similar purpose, oversight and responsibility will be consolidated under assistant city managers and the deputy city manager to serve the community more effectively.” Highlights of the 2024/2025 COA Organization Chart: ###

AMARILLO –  The application deadline for the City of Amarillo’s Business Improvement Grant Program (BIG Program) has been extended to November 29. The BIG Program provides matching grants for commercial property owners in the Barrio, Eastridge, North Heights and San Jacinto neighborhoods to make improvements to the exterior of their property. The program includes matching grants of up to 50 percent of total project costs, with a maximum match of $20,000 for projects costing $40,000 or more. For more information on the BIG Program, go to www.amarillo.gov/departments/economic-development/business-improvement-grant ###

AMARILLO – In compliance with new federal regulations to reduce the risk of exposure to possible lead sources in city drinking water, the City of Amarillo (COA) is conducting an assessment of all water service lines connected to the COA water system. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) in November 2023. After a comment period, the EPA announced the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in December 2023. The LCRI was approved by the White House on October 7. All COA water lines are in the process of inspection. The initial inventory of water lines was released online October 16. Notifications will be mailed to homes by November 15. Notifications will include information placing water lines in one of the following categories: Unknown, Galvanized or Lead. Water lines that existed prior to the Lead Ban of January 1, 1989, and have yet to be onsite examined will be in the Unknown category. All Unknown water lines will be evaluated by October 2027. “The LCRI – a nationwide requirement – will help ensure that all water lines connected to the City of Amarillo water system meet or even exceed federal safety requirements,” said COA Assistant City Manager Floyd Hartman. “All City of Amarillo water lines will be inspected onsite to meet this federal requirement.” Water service lines are a combination of public/private entities. The COA is responsible for identifying the whole of the service line from the water main (public side) and from the water meter to the service connection to the residence (private side). The LCRI does not apply to plumbing within the home. Inspections are typically performed inside the meter box. In some cases small holes (potholes) may be dug to verify service lines within the boundary of the private side. These holes