Census forms will be hitting mailboxes soon, and the City of Montrose is asking residents to take the time to participate in this important and historical count of our nation’s population.

With one of the shortest questionnaires in history, the 2010 Census asks for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and whether you own or rent your home. It takes only about 10 minutes for the average household to complete. Responses to the 2010 Census questionnaire are required by law. All responses are used for statistical purposes only, and are strictly confidential.

The census population totals determine which states gain or lose representation in Congress. It also determines the amount of state and federal funding communities receive over the course of the decade. [Visit the 2010 Census Web site…]

The City of Montrose Animal Shelter will be holding a Low Cost Spay/Neuter and Vaccination Clinic for cats and dogs on Friday, March 19. The clinic will be at the Animal Shelter, located at 3383 N. Townsend in Montrose.

The vaccination clinic will be open any time between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but an appointment is required in order to spay/neuter a pet.

The link below provides a fee schedule for all vaccinations/surgeries provided at this clinic. Please plan on paying with cash or a credit card - no checks will be accepted.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call the Montrose Animal Shelter at 240-1487 [Additional info...]

The City of Montrose will hold its annual Spring Cleanup during the weeks of April 5th and April 12th. Residents are invited to participate and help usher in the spring.

Spring Cleanup collections for the area north of East Miami and South 5th will be made from April 5-9. The area south of these streets will be served from April 12-16.

All items must be placed at curbside by 7:00 a.m. Monday of the pickup week for your area. To avoid disruptions to the routine residential trash service, please do not allow cleanup items to block access to city trash containers.

During the cleanup, City crews will collect landscape materials (such as leaves & grass clippings), scrap materials, unmounted car/small truck tires and unwanted appliances.

Tree limbs, routine household trash, hazardous materials, electronic devices, paint and large truck/tractor tires are NOT included in this service. The City provides a Green Waste Drop Off Center for items like tree limbs, which will open on Monday, May 3.

The Montrose County Landfill will also host a Free Dump Day on Saturday, April 17 for city and county residents.

Spring Cleanup services are provided to city residential sanitation customers only. For further information about this and other special sanitation services provided by the city, call Public Works at 240-1480. [View the Map...]

Eight city residents have officially qualified to have their names placed on the ballot for the upcoming City of Montrose regular general election.

The election will be for three council seats; Districts I and II, both four-year terms, and the two-year At Large seat. Candidate petitions have been verified for the following individuals:

District I
Brent Wallace
Thomas A. Smits
Jesse Bailey

District II
Carol A. McDermott
Bill Brougham

At Large
Bill Patterson
Raymond J. Rose
Pat Treacy

A drawing to determine the order that the candidate’s names will appear on the ballot will be held at City Hall on Wednesday, February 17 at 10:00 a.m.

The City of Montrose regular general election will be conducted by mail ballot on April 6, 2010. Residents who wish to vote in the election must register to vote at the Montrose County Clerk’s office at 320 South First Street by Monday, March 8. Ballots will be mailed to all active registered voters in the City of Montrose during the week of March 15. Registered voters who do not receive a ballot should contact the Montrose City Clerk’s office at 240-1430.

Ballots may be returned by mail to the address printed on the ballot envelope or they can be deposited in ballot boxes at City Hall. Ballots must be submitted by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, April 6, 2010.

Detailed election information, including candidate bios, can be viewed at the link shown below. [Additional info...]

A few reminders about the city’s snow removal routes and policies will help residents cope with recent snowfall.

Since it is impractical for the city to perform snow removal operations in every part of the city, “snow routes” have been established to focus the city’s efforts on primary transportation corridors. These routes have been scaled to fully utilize the city’s snow removal equipment. A map of the routes can be viewed in the link shown below.

While the city does not perform snow removal operations in residential areas except under extreme conditions, city crews do respond to safety hazards at intersections and obstructions to storm drains or gutters caused by accumulated snow and ice.

Of course, there are many hazards inherent to snow and ice and residents should use caution when walking or driving under these conditions.

Residents can help ease the impact of snowstorms by keeping public sidewalks free of snow and ice as required by city ordinance. Please help keep gutters and storm drains open by NOT shoveling snow into the street. Diligence in removing snow and ice from sidewalks is an important courtesy to your fellow residents and contributes to everyone’s safety. [Snow Routes Map...]