News and Announcements

Boil Water Notice for Community Public Water Systems

August 4, 2021

Due to a main line break that reduced distribution system pressure, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the City of Leonard/TX0740005 public water system to notify all customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.

In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Woody Patrick at (903)449-6868.

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City of Leonard Public Works is hiring.

Please see below for job posting and application.  

CITY OF LEONARD PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE

Public works employees perform various construction and maintenance needs, and work a variety of tasks to include, but are not limited to, parks, streets, sewer, water and building maintenance. The position requires operation of City of Leonard-owned vehicles, such as pick-up trucks, backhoes, bucket truck, personnel lift, street sweeper, dump truck, roller, zero turn mowers, brush hog/shredder, jet machine, as required. The operation of power tools and equipment, hand tools, chain saws, air compressors, will be required. Working around moving equipment and machinery is required. Qualified candidates must be able to lift 40 pounds regularly and 75 pounds on occasion, must have a social security card and valid Driver’s License, and must pass drug, back x-ray and background checks (each background is evaluated and considered individually). Resumes are accepted; however, a City Application is required. Pay DOQ. The City of Leonard is an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission employer. The City does not discriminate against race, age, color, or religious preference.

Public Works Application

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MEMORANDUM

Dear Citizens,

We here at the city would like to inform you of an update in our standard procedure. Per our ordinance, ARTICLE 13.02, and Utility Service Agreement, accounts which are not paid by the 15^th of each month are assessed a late fee of $15. Accounts not paid by the 25^th or so are disconnected for nonpayment and charged a $50 fee which shall be paid before service can be restored. Further, if an account remains unpaid by the 10^th of the month following a disconnect notice, the account shall be closed and the deposit applied to the balance.

As a reminder, since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 and until October 15, 2020, the City offered grace to our customers in the following ways:

• Accepted payments by phone for services
• Suspended credit card fees for payments made by phone
• Suspended late fees for late payments
• Suspended disconnects for nonpayment
• No accounts closed for nonpayment

We are happy to have been able to help our customers through a difficult and unsure time. As we return to a sense of normalcy, and since we seek to continually improve our process to better serve the city, July will mark the first month that our process directly reflects our policy/ordinance. Late fees, disconnects, and the closing of accounts are an unpleasant but necessary part of the process. We want to advise our customers of the timeline and obligations they agreed to when signing the service agreement. Please refer to ARTICLE 13.02 in the city ordinances or your Utility Service Agreement for the billing process and timeline.

Utility payment options (additional to in person) include:                   

1. Pay online.
2. Mail a check to PO Box 1270, Leonard, TX 75452.
3. Deposit a check or money order with payment stub into the green night-drop box behind city hall (south of post office box). (NO CASH)
4. City of Leonard offers a free Direct Debit program for your convenience. Download form here.

Please call City Hall at 903-587-3334 if you have any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation as we improve our service to the city.

City of Leonard

Utility Billing Department

City Hall will be closed,

Friday July 2^nd at 3 P.M. and Monday, July 5^th

in observance of Independence Day.

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June 25, 2021

Dear Leonard residents, Mosquito spraying will continue this evening starting at dusk. Thank you.

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Click the link below to read the 2020 Consumer Confidence Report for Public Water Systems for the City of Leonard

2020 Consumer Confidence Report For Public Water Systems CITY OF LEONARD.pdf

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Attention, Citizens:

Tight grid conditions expected due to high number of forced generation outages

Grid operator requests energy conservation

AUSTIN, TX, June 14, 2021 – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking Texans to reduce electric use as much as possible today through Friday, June 18. A significant number of forced generation outages combined with potential record electric use for the month of June has resulted in tight grid conditions.

Generator owners have reported approximately 11,000 MW of generation is on forced outage for repairs; of that, approximately 8,000 MW is thermal and the rest is intermittent resources. According to the summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy, a typical range of thermal generation outages on hot summer days is around 3,600 MW. One MW typically powers around 200 homes on a summer day.

"We will be conducting a thorough analysis with generation owners to determine why so many units are out of service," said ERCOT Vice President of Grid Planning and Operations Woody Rickerson. "This is unusual for this early in the summer season."

According to generation owners, the number of outages should decrease throughout the week.

Wind output for today is expected to be 3,500 to 6,000 MW between 3 and 9 p.m. This is roughly 1,500 MW lower than what is typically available for peak conditions. Wind output is expected to increase as the week goes on.

Today’s peak load forecast may exceed 73,000 MW. The peak demand record for June is 69,123 MW set on June 27, 2018 between 4 and 5 p.m.

Please take these simple actions to help reduce electric use:

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher – every degree of cooling increases your energy use by six to eight percent.
• Turn off lights and pool pumps and avoid using large appliances like ovens, washing machines and dryers.
• If you don’t need something – we are asking you to turn it off and unplug it if possible.

 Visit the Power to Save website or your electric provider for more ways to conserve.

How to track electricity demand

• View daily peak demand forecast, current load and available generation at http://www.ercot.com.
• Follow ERCOT on Twitter (@ERCOT_ISO) and Facebook (Electric Reliability Council of Texas).
• Sign up for the ERCOT mobile app (available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play).
• Subscribe to the EmergencyAlerts list on http://lists.ercot.com.

Consumer assistance

Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline – 1-888-782-8477

Figure: 30 TAC §290.47(c)(3)

Boil Water Notice Rescinded May 17, 2021

On May 13, 2021 the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the City of Leonard public water system, TX 0740005 to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of May 17, 2021

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Woody Patrick at 903- 587-3334.

The eight-inch water main was repaired, thus, restoring the City water pressure.

Dear Leonard Residents: Spraying for Mosquitos will begin every Monday at Dusk, weather permitting. Thank you.

Dear City of Leonard Water Customers,

On this month’s water bills, you will notice the City has issued a 10% credit to each water account per our previous notification.  The discount is based on the full amount of your last bill which covered the time of freezing temperatures (bill date 3/8).  We understand the inclement weather may have caused instances of service interruption, undue consumption, or other hardship beyond your control affecting your February water bill.  It is our hope this credit helps to alleviate any resulting effects of the weather during the last billing period.

1. Water bills for the February-March billing period have been mailed, and should be delivered this week. 
2. E-bills were uploaded yesterday afternoon for accounts enrolled in electronic billing through the E-Commerce website.
3. ACH drafts typically drawn on the 1^st of the month are being drafted on or around the 7^th.
4. ACH drafts typically drawn on the 15^th of the month are being drafted on or around the 15^th.
5. Due dates have been extended to 4/20 for this bill only.
6. Late fees will apply to payments received after 4/20.
7. If you do not receive your bill, please contact City Hall and we will be happy to get you a copy. 

We apologize for any confusion this may cause and appreciate your patience while we return to our regular billing cycle.

Please contact City Hall if you have any questions. 

903-587-3334

utilitybilling@cityofleonard.net

Thank you,

The City of Leonard

Helpful Links:

ACH Enrollment Form

E-Billing Registration Instructions

Pay Your Bill Online!

Water Loss Claim Form

Water Loss Claim Policy

To help fund some of the infrastructure projects in the city, the City of Leonard is applying for grant funds from the Texas Community Development Block Grant, and they require a response from every home in town regarding family income.  If you have not already done so, please take a few moments to answer the community survey.  Thank you for your participation in helping further the city's repairs and enhancements.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N9PNBNV

City of Leonard Water Customers,

The February bill is ready and should be received by eBill and in the mail this week. Since this bill was sent out later than usual the due date has been extended to March 23^rd. Payments that are set up to be drafted will all be done on the 15th.

If you have experienced a Loss of Water to due a leak, or other water loss, the Loss of Water Policy and Form can be found at www.cityofleonard.net on the “Customer Service/Utility Billing” page under the “City Services”. Full details are on the policy and completed forms can be turned in to City Hall or emailed to utilitybilling@cityofleonard.net

As a courtesy, automatic ACH drafts have been temporarily disabled for customers with excessive usage for this billing period. Please make alternate payment arrangements by the due date and contact City Hall if you need to file a water loss claim.  ACH will resume as usual in April.

Thank you,

The City of Leonard

Attn: City of Leonard Water Customers

At this current time, the City wants you to be aware of a few things regarding Utility Billing.

• Due to the inclement weather interrupting billing operations, the utility bills for the January-February period will be delayed this month.  Bills are normally mailed the last week of the month and are due by the 15^th of the following month.  We are estimating that you will receive your bill approximately one week later than usual.
• There will be added considerations for the utility bills including service dates January 15 through February’s bill date.  We understand several weather-related situations may be impacting your bill this month and the City will do its best to accommodate those situations. 
• Due to the above, the late date (in March) will also be extended.  Please stay tuned for more specific dates and details as we work through the aftermath this situation.
• The utility bills for the billing period of December 15 through January 15, which were due February 15^th, are still due and payable, and are subject to regular fees and penalties (although delayed). 

We apologize for any inconvenience and confusion, and we thank you for your patience and cooperation as we recover from this extreme weather event.

Thanks,

The City of Leonard

For the purposes of tracking and reporting damages to Fannin County Emergency Management, we are asking residents to notify City Hall of any damages incurred at their home, business, or property during the winter storm.  You can send the property address and a brief description to utilitybilling@cityofleonard.net. (for example, loss of livestock, property damage, leak damage, etc.) 

Thank you for your assistance.

Effective immediately, the City of Leonard will no longer be issuing burn permits.  Residents are required to follow TCEQ Outdoor Burn Rules RG-049. 

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/comm_exec/pubs/rg/rg-049.pdf

The City of Leonard strives to provide transparency to its citizens.

We encourage you to browse this web site for financial reports, agendas and minutes of meetings as well as city services and other important information.

The City of Leonard Code of Ordinances are also now available.

To access them, click the City Government tab, select Code of Ordinances from the drop-down menu.

Emergency Notification System

for more information click the link below