City offices, with the exception of Public Safety, will be closed every Friday through June 2012. Chowchilla City Council and staff have been vigilant during the ongoing fiscal crisis to strictly monitor the City’s budget.  Employee furlough days were established to help with cost savings. The additional Friday closures, in addition to the furlough days, will assist with staff productivity and efficiency allowing the reduced number of staff time to catch up on their workload.

Although offices will be closed on Fridays, telephone calls will be received and most City operations, such as CATX, will continue as normal on non-furlough Fridays. See our Calendar of Events to see affected furlough Fridays. 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, call 559-665-8615, extension 305 during regular business hours and for after-hour assistance, 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.

Chowchilla PAL Warriors Wrestling, led by Officer Manuel Ramirez, welcomes boys and girls 5-18 years old regardless of skill level or school affiliation. Practices will be at the Wilson Middle School wrestling room (S. 13th St. and Trinity Ave) and will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for K-5 grades and 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for 6-12 grades. PAL plans include adding a mixed martial arts program in the near future. For more info on PAL Warriors Wrestling, click here or call (559) 665-8600.

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 (call for hours). 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.

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.

This is a great opportunity to get involved in your community!  The City of Chowchilla is seeking applicants for two City Airport Committee vacancies. The two new members will be filling the terms which will expire January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014. The application and additional information is available here. For more information, call Administrative Services at 665-8615, extension 112 or 705 or come by the Chowchilla Civic Center.

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 after January 1, 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.

Efforts are being stepped up to enforce the City of Chowchilla’s Administrative Citation Program and citations with fines are now being issued to violators. City staff has begun issuing citations for various violations with the primary focus targeting water waste or non-compliance of watering regulations, dangerous animals or animals at large, graffiti, and ongoing code violations. Fines for code violations will range between $50 to $100 for the first violation with fines increasing for subsequent violations. For more information, contact the Community Development Dept. at 665-8615, ext. 787. Please do your part and follow the City rules. Click here to view the watering rules or call us at (559) 665-8615 for more information. 

The City of Chowchilla’s Homebuyer Assistance Program offers affordable secondary mortgage financing to first-time homebuyers. The program is designed to provide the additional financing needed to keep a first mortgage payment affordable. Homes may be new construction or existing single family homes and they must be located in the city limits of Chowchilla. There are loan, property and eligibility requirements. Participants must also complete a free homebuyer education course. The Homebuyer Assistance Program is funded by the State Department of Housing and Community Development Grant Programs. Self-Help Enterprises contracts with the City of Chowchilla to determine eligibility. For more information, contact Maria Gonzalez with Self-Help at (559) 802-1643.

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.selfhelphomeownership.org. Se habla Espanol.

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