City of Germantown
The City’s Senior Leadership Team met again earlier today to discuss the City’s response to the winter weather and severe cold impacting the area. Here is the most important information we have to share at this time:
CITY FACILITY CLOSURES
City Hall, Germantown Parks and Recreation, Germantown Performing Arts Center and the Germantown Community Library will be closed to the public on Wednesday, January 17. Police services will be accessible through the back entrance of City Hall, opposite the Farmington Boulevard entrance. While City Hall is closed, City staff members will be working remotely to continue to maintain services for Germantown residents. For questions or concerns, residents may continue to contact Customer Service at (901) 757-7200 or [email protected].
Report non-emergency situations to dispatch by calling *54 from a cell phone or (901) 757-7338 from a landline. In case of an emergency, call 911.
Germantown Municipal Court will not take place on Wednesday, January 17. Cases will be rescheduled for February 21.
Germantown Athletic Club will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14. Child care will NOT be available and group fitness classes will be canceled.
SOLID WASTE COLLECTION DELAYED
Due to landfill closures, there will be no solid waste collection on Wednesday, January 17. As of now, collection will occur as follows:
- Wednesday route customers will be collected on Thursday, January 18
- Thursday route customers will be collected on Friday, January 19
- Friday route customers will be collected on Saturday, January 20
- Monday route customers will be collected on Monday, January 22
- Tuesday route customers will be collected on Tuesday, January 23
Collection should resume as regularly scheduled on Monday, January 22. Any overflow trash should be bagged and placed at the curb to be picked up once collection resumes.
ENERGY CONSERVATION ALERT
Due to subfreezing temperatures throughout the southern United States and unusually high demand for electricity across the Tennessee Valley, TVA and MLGW have issued an “energy conservation alert” effective at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16. Customers are asked to voluntarily reduce electrical usage as much as possible to reduce the likelihood of brownouts and blackouts.
Fast energy reduction will make the biggest immediate impact:
• If you are drying clothes, turn the machine off and let the items continue air drying. The clothes dryer is a huge energy hog.
• Set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower to avoid unnecessary operation of the blower on your furnace or electric heat pump.
• Unplug electric vehicles.
• Turn off all electric space heaters.
• Turn off all interior lights during the day and keep on only enough light at night to feel safe. Don’t forget indoor and outdoor holiday lights, as well as your outside porch light.
• Do not run the clothes washing machine or the dishwasher, and if possible do not use the electric range or electric oven for cooking during the conservation alert.
• Do not use blow dryers, toasters, or other high consumption appliances that use electric resistance as their heat source.
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer on, but keep the doors closed. Every time the door is opened the inside warms up a bit and energy is needed to bring the temperature back down.
• Turn off and unplug everything that isn’t in use and turn off electric power strips. That way you cut vampire energy use as well.
TRAFFIC AND ROAD SAFETY
The Germantown Police Department advises that roads are covered in snow with a few areas of patchy ice. Conditions are expected to worsen overnight. Those who can stay home should do so. If you must venture out on the roadways, use extreme caution. In addition, motorists should treat any intersections with traffic light outages as a four-way stop.
Germantown Public Works crews have been on duty since 5 a.m. today and will keep a similar schedule tomorrow. Roadways continue to be treated.
PROTECT YOUR PIPES FROM FREEZING
Prevent frozen pipes during frigid temperatures by following these tips:
- Set home thermostats above 55 degrees Fahrenheit during cold weather.
- Drip cold water in your faucets, particularly the one farthest from your main valve or on exterior walls.. Moving water keeps pipes from freezing.
- Find shut-off valves in case of emergencies.
- Insulate pipes in unheated areas.
- Open cupboards and vanities to warm your pipes.
For information about City-related closures or service disruptions during inclement weather, register to receive community or weather text alerts using Germantown Alert at Germantown-TN.gov/alert or visit the City’s website.
