City offices, with the exception of Public Safety, will be closed every Friday until further notice. A few important items to remember during closure dates are as follows: For any Public Services emergencies such as water main breaks, street concerns, or other safety issues, contact the Chowchilla Police Department at 122 Trinity Avenue or call 559-665-8600; garbage services will not be affected and schedules will continue as normal; and utility payments can be deposited in the drop box located at the right side of the front of the Civic Center – payments will not be penalized due to Friday closures. For more information, call the City’s Public Information office at 665-8615, extension 110.

The Soroptimist International of Chowchilla is again sponsoring the Easter Coloring/Decorating Contest. This annual activity leads up to the Easter Egg Hunt that will be held on Saturday, March 30 at the Sports & Leisure Park where contest awards will be presented after 10:00 a.m.

Prizes and ribbons will be given to the talented young children that submitted their special coloring page entry.

More details are found on the Contest Entry Form that can be downloaded here.

All dogs residing within the City of Chowchilla limits that are over the age of four months must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed through the Chowchilla Police Department every year. Proof of rabies vaccination is required in order to obtain a license. You must also show proof of dog’s alteration in order to receive discounts. To obtain or renew a dog license, visit the Chowchilla Police Department during regular business hours: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Renewals only in the form of cashiers check or money order payable to the City of Chowchilla may be mailed to the department at 122 Trinity Avenue. Proof of current
rabies vaccination must also be included if not already on file or if it has expired. The fee is $9.00 for altered dogs and $18.00 for unaltered dogs. The senior discount is $4.50 for altered dogs and $9.00 for unaltered dogs. Note: A $20 late fee will be added to all fees after April 1. For further information, call the Chowchilla Police Department at (559) 665-8600.

The City of Chowchilla is pleased to announce they have contracted with Merced Transportation in order to provide a new, fixed-route transit service between Chowchilla and Merced. Chowchilla Area Transit (CAT) LINX will begin service on Monday, November 5, 2012 with three daily trips between Chowchilla and Merced. This four-month pilot program also offers daily opportunities to travel between the cities of Madera and Merced. Daily trips are scheduled to arrive at the Merced Transportation Center at 7:25 a.m., 12:55 p.m., and 5:05 p.m. Now, passengers can make connections from Chowchilla to Merced and even travel between Merced and Madera. CAT LINX offers daily service Monday through Friday, except holidays. The cost for a one-way trip is $2.50. Daily and monthly passes will be available for purchase at the Chowchilla Civic Center and other local retail outlets yet to be announced. Watch for updates on the new CAT LINX service on our website or City Facebook page or call 559-665-8655 for further information. Click here to view the route schedule times.

As a way to offer you more choices in how you pay your utility bills, the City of Chowchilla now lets you pay your utility bills online. We have partnered with Xpress Bill Pay, and all you need is an Internet connection through a Web browser and an e-mail address for this free service. It’s simple to use. Every month we’ll send you a reminder e-mail to let you know when your bill is online. Then you just log in to your account at XpressBillPay.com and view your bill. It’s formatted like your paper statement so it will look familiar to you. You can also see up to a full year’s history of your account online, so you can compare your current bill to a year ago. When you’re ready to pay your bill, select a payment type. You can pay with credit card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer. Then enter the information and you’re done! To sign up, go to our home page and click on the ‘Pay Your Utility Bill’ button and then follow the instructions from there. We even have a Questions & Answers page to answer any questions you may have about the service. It’s free to sign up and free to use. For more information, call us at (559) 665-8615, ext. 783.

The State of California’s Water Code requires the City of Chowchilla to bill all properties that have a water meter for their water consumption on the basis of the meter reading which became effective in 2011. This change in our billing practice primarily affects residential properties with homes constructed in 1992 or later that have an operable water meter. Commercial properties already pay for water consumption on the basis of a water meter reading and homes built before 1992 typically do not have a water meter installed. For more information, click here or call 665-8615, extension 783. For water conservation tips and to find rebates for water efficient products in your area, click here.

If you have an operable water meter, you'll find a usage number on your utility bill. This number represents your water usage in cubic feet. In order to know the gallon equivalent, simply multiply the usage amount by 7.48 to obtain the number of gallons that were used. Example: usage number: 3020 X 7.48 = 22,590 gallons used. The current monthly flat rate of $23.31 is for consumption under 27,000 gallons. If you exceed that, the rate increase is approx. 1¢ per every 7 gallons. This formula can help you keep track of water usage thereby encouraging water conservation practices.

This Self-Help program can assist you with roof, foundation, and structural repairs; plumbing, electrical, and heating/cooling system repairs; and handicap modifications. You may qualify if you own a house that is located within the city limits of Chowchilla; if your household income from all sources does not exceed local/state guidelines; or if you own rental property and your tenants are income-eligible. The program will not assist with fencing, landscaping, work on detached structures, or luxury items, such as swimming pools. Financing is available in the form of deferred payment loans with no interest or monthly payment, due and payable when the house is sold or transferred. For more information on this program, contact Lupe Cortez at (559) 802-1583 or (800) 722-4822, extension 583. Se habla espanol. (For the hearing impaired, press 711.)

If you are a first-time homebuyer looking to purchase a home within the city limits of Chowchilla, the City can assist you with a zero interest, deferred payment loan (no payments). All you need is a small percent of the purchase price of the property you wish to buy, the ability to qualify for a home loan with a bank or mortgage company, and an income that does not exceed household size guidelines. For more information on this Self-Help program, contact Melissa Looney at (559) 802-1649 or (800) 722-4822, extension 649. Se habla espanol. (For the hearing impaired, press 711.)

Self-Help Enterprises is offering free Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Services for those facing the prospect of foreclosure. You can call them toll-free at 1-888-412-0828 or visit their website at www.selfhelpenterprises.org. Se habla Espanol.

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