Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Help divert green waste from the landfill by recycling your Christmas tree.  Trees will be picked up for recycling for two weeks following Christmas, from Dec. 26th through Jan. 6th.

Residents with curbside trash collection can recycle their trees by placing them in their green yard waste bins on the regular pick-up day. Trees should be cut into 4-foot sections and must fit within the yard waste container. Please remove any ornaments, tinsel, or tree stands before placing the tree in the container.

Flocked trees cannot be recycled, but will be collected if they are cut into 3-foot sections and placed into the regular trash bin.

Santee residents without curbside collection, such as apartment dwellers, can drop off their trees at the Waste Management Recycle Center in El Cajon at 925 O'Connor Street, one block south of the West Bradley Avenue and Johnson Avenue intersection.

The recyle center will be open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information contact Ed Ruiz at (619) 258-4100 ext. 128.

Change in Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

Disposing of household hazardous waste, such as old paint or used motor oil can be done at no cost for Santee residents by calling (619) 596-5100 for an appointment at the Waste Management facility in El Cajon.

Santee’s hazardous waste program has been so successful that city funds set aside to subsidize disposal costs for residents taking their waste to a regional disposal facility in Poway have been exhausted.  Santee residents may still dispose of hazardous waste at the Poway collection center at 12325 Crosthwaite Circle, but they will now be charged a disposal fee.

By calling ahead to make an appointment with Waste Management, Santee residents can still dispose of household hazardous wastes for free. Residents may transfer up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds of waste per visit. Proof of residency is required.

It is unlawful to dispose of household hazardous waste in regular trash bins or down storm drains. Please protect the environment and your fellow citizens by following proper disposal methods.

City Wide Paving Project Update

Carlton Hills Drive

Concrete work has started and will continue for approximately 6 more weeks.  Pedestrian ramps will be installed at each street intersection.   Isolated areas of concrete repairs will also be made.  No parking signs will be placed at the construction locations 48 hours in advance of the work.

The next phase of work after the concrete work will be the replacement of storm drains along Carlton Hills Blvd.

After the storm drain replacement work is completed, asphalt patching and a final asphalt overlay will be completed on the entire length of Carlton Hills Blvd. 

If you have any questions, please contact Toby Espinola, P.E., City Project Manager, at (619) 258-4100 x 174.

Eye in the Sky Protects Holiday Shoppers

This odd-looking contraption that looks like a guard tower mounted on a cherry picker is designed to intimidate would-be thieves at shopping centers and malls throughout the county.

The device, known as Skywatch, is being deployed intermittently in Santee by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to protect shoppers during the holiday season.

The tower is equipped with a special camera that features a high-resolution lens that can focus on suspects who are prowling cars and record their activities. The camera can zoom in on vehicle license plates and, using night-vision technology, can also detect weapons and other suspicious items hidden in bags or pockets.

The Sheriff's Department, which has used Skywatch the past four years, plans to move it around to various shopping centers and malls through January 1.

Sign Up for Winter/Spring Classes

Families got a chance to see their children perform dance and music routines at the city of Santee’s first Dancing in the Park event on Saturday, Dec. 10 at Town Center Community Park. Mother Nature cooperated with perfect weather for those performing at the outdoor stage, including this acrobatic hip-hop dancer.

Registration is now open for the winter/spring class schedule, which features an enhanced variety of class offerings in dance and music, plus enrichment courses in everything from art to cooking. 

The new Recreation Activity Guide is available online here.

Trash: Keep A Lid On It

During the ho-ho-holidays, don’t forget to keep a lid on the extra amounts of trash.

If you remember to cover or close the lids on trash and recycling bins, you’ll prevent trash from littering our streets. Much of that litter ends up in storm drains, where it gets carried into local waterways such as the San Diego River.

On average, each person in the United States generates more than four pounds of trash per day. We can make the world a better place if we remember these words: reduce, reuse, recycle.

This message is brought to you by the clean water folks at Santee City Hall.

Sponsors Needed for Dog Bag Dispensers

Businesses or civic-minded groups can combine community service with grassroots marketing by sponsoring one or more of Santee’s 35 dog waste bag dispensers.

The dispensers, which offer free bags to dog owners using city parks and trails, are vital for proper disposal of pet waste and for reducing bacteria carried by runoff into local waterways.

Santee’s Community Services Department has partnered with Encinitas-based C.A. Advertisers, which today completed installing new bag dispensers citywide. The firm is also soliciting sponsorships to pay for the bags. Sponsors are acknowledged for their contribution with a small sign fixed to the bag dispenser.

The new sponsorship program is intended to offset the city’s $8,000 to $10,000 cost to supply 250,000 dog waste bags annually to the public.

Businesses interested in sponsoring a bag dispenser should contact Meghan Kudera at C.A. Advertisers at 858-703-7167 or via email at Meghan@CaliforniaAdvertisers.com.