2017 Keep Utopia Beautiful Accomplishments
Community Leadership & Coordination (Administrative)
(KTB, GCAA; Contracts, Grants, Proposals; P&P Manual, Fundraising, and Volunteers)
▪ Conducted all regular monthly meetings (except June and November) of the KUB board, and held the 2017 Annual Board Retreat to review the year ended and plan for the upcoming year.
▪ Reviewed the KUB Bylaws, job descriptions, and the mission and vision statements
▪ Maintained organization of committees under the GCAA categories
▪ Sent thank you letters/notes throughout the year to any donors and community members who helped KUB; sent thank you letter and $250 to the Utopia United Methodist Church for use of their facilities in calendar year 2016
▪ Four board members attended the Keep Texas Beautiful Annual meeting held in San Antonio, June 12-14, 2017
▪ KUB Board members (2) completed a Big Give seminar and some webinars on the Big Give to learn about the special day of giving for non-profits and to determine how to participate
▪ Three board members attended two hours of Social Media and Branding Training in Concan on December 4, 2017, sponsored by Texas Hill Country River Region
▪ Three board members attended Tri-Canyon and Beyond Dark Skies meeting sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance at Garner State Park on February 9, 2017.
▪ Three board members attended Tri-Canyon and Beyond Dark Skies meeting sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance at Llano State Park in Junction on May 11, 2017.
▪ Two board members attended Tri-Canyon and Beyond Dark Skies meeting sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance at Love Creek Preserve Stewardship Center on October 10, 2017.
▪ Two board members attended the annual Bandera Electric Cooperative meeting in May 2017
▪ Completed the 2017 Governor’s Community Achievement Award application and notebook and submitted it by the February 7, 2017 deadline
▪ Completed the Annual Report and the Gold Star status documentation by the March 17, 2017 deadline and maintained Keep Texas Beautiful Affiliate Gold Star status
▪ Received a letter from State Representative Tracy King congratulating KUB on being a Gold Star Affiliate
▪ KUB donated $250 to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Keep Texas Beautiful to financially support the affiliate communities affected by the hurricane and subsequent flooding.
▪ Completed Utopia Lions Club application for monetary assistance and received a $300 donation
▪ Received the $250 Hochheim Grant to be used for the school garden.
▪ Secured $6,000 in funding from Uvalde County to offset cost of labor at the Recycling Center
▪ KUB board member served on the Cooperative Teamwork Recycling Assistance (CTRA) board as an officer (secretary).
▪ KUB board member continued to participate in the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR). STAR works on legislative and research issues and concerns to improve recycling rates, opportunities and efficiencies in Texas.
▪ KUB Board member served on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council (MRGDC).
▪ KUB Board member served on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee of Friends of Garner
▪ KUB Board member served on the Friends of Lost Maples board, working on Night Sky and Recycling programs
▪ Renewed Interlocal Agreement with Uvalde County in August 2017
▪ Adopted a position paper on the placement of communication towers in our area and placed it on the KUB website.
▪ Completed Keep Texas Beautiful surveys throughout the year such as the survey on KTB services to affiliates.
▪ Maintained KAB affiliate status as the nation’s smallest KAB affiliate
▪ Earned the Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle Award recognition
▪ Fundraising – raffle of donated items at Fall Fair; sale of KTB Christmas ornaments; sale of KUB promotional items such as T-shirts; solicited general donations to the organization at the recycling center and from sustaining members
▪ Established an Ameritrade investment account for the Beautification Endowment Fund and deposited the Garden Club funds and a substantial donation from the Chair, John Heideman. This investment account was established for the KUB Beautification Endowment Fund which was established in late 2016 to be used for maintenance and enhancement of landscape and hardscape projects for which Keep Utopia Beautiful is responsible. Board adopted a resolution that the President, Vice President, and the Treasurer of this organization are fully authorized and empowered to open a brokerage account.
▪ Received $7,570 in 2017 from the second Endowment Fund solicitation package to potential Beautification Endowment Fund donors which was prepared and mailed in December 2016.
▪ KUB received an award from CTRA for Recycling Excellence which was presented by Rachel Hering at the KUB Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on March 22, 2017.
▪ KUB presented the 2017 Award of Environmental Excellence to Lynn Scotty, a UISD teacher, for her work with the school in recycling, and KUB planted a redbud tree in Town Square in her honor.
▪ Hired new bookkeeper to maintain the organization’s books, ensure compliance with non-profit financial reporting, and assist the KUB Treasurer in reporting and developing the budget.
▪ Can now accept credit cards because of “Square” chip received from KAB for President’s Circle recognition.
Public Awareness (Fall Fair; Website Development; Fundraising, and Volunteers)
▪ Participated in the 2017 Fall Fair on November 4 by operating public information/
education booth; 12 volunteers worked a total of 35.5 hours; educating Fall Fair attendees on what KUB does; handing out portable ashtrays and promotional items (wildflower seeds packets with KUB printed on them); selling $204 in raffle tickets, and accepting $57 in donations for a total of $261
▪ Updated the website throughout the year as needed based on projects and activities and received 33,644 page views.
▪ Facebook site/page, with more than 400 “likes” and 391 followers, was updated throughout the year as needed based on projects and activities.
▪ Displayed all the KUB awards received since the organization began in 2008 in a case at the Utopia Library along with the updated brochure which outlines the organization’s programs
▪ Facilitated numerous newspaper articles and received/earned more than 206 column inches of coverage in area newspapers and a full-page article in the Bandera Electric Cooperative magazine for a total estimated value of $16,000.
▪ Facilitated numerous project flyers throughout the year about KUB activities and programs and created KUB “picture” bookmarks which carry our mission and a “Thank You” to volunteers and donors
▪ Gave a presentation on KUB programs and the Big Give at the Senior Citizens Center on Friday, December 1, 2017 where approximately 25 people
▪ Held a Volunteer Appreciation/Awards Luncheon on March 22, 2017 at the Senior Citizens Center with approximately 50 volunteers in attendance where special recognition was given for those contributing significantly. KUB promotional items, such as T-shirts and KUB volunteer stickers, were presented to all and a founding board member was recognized and presented with an appreciate gift. The outgoing Chair was awarded a Keep Texas Beautiful license plate in appreciation.
▪ Held a Volunteer Appreciation gathering for library garden volunteers on April 25, 2017.
▪ Reprinted “Welcome to Utopia” brochures which contains information on local services, churches, organizations (including KUB and Stars Over Utopia), and events.
▪ KUB served as a Sponsor of the Girl Scout Give-n-Color 5K Fun Run and also provided Clear Stream recycling bins for the event.
▪ Purchased/placed a continuing edition advertisement in the Utopia Times, the school newspaper, which displays KUB’s logo, website, and major objectives of Ending Littering, Improving Recycling, and Beautifying Utopia.
Education (Community/School Education & Outreach; Keyhole Garden; Stars Over Utopia Program; Watershed Issues; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Provided information to Utopia ISD about Don’t Mess with Texas Scholarship and offered assistance with student applications
▪ Provided information to Utopia ISD about KTB awards and offered assistance with student applications
▪ Board member gave presentation to UISD teachers about the Waste-in-Place curriculum for secondary students which is progressive year-to-year and is all online and available to KAB affiliates.
▪ Distributed 2017 Don’t Mess with Texas calendars to the 3rd grade teacher, at the Fall Fair booth, and at the Recycling Center
▪ Worked with the Utopia 7th grade class, Gang Green as they are known on campus, on recycling throughout the year
▪ Continued Key Hole Garden with Utopia ISD and KUB; Kindergarten and 3rd graders weeded, mulched, and planted the garden during GUCU
▪ Board member served as an advisor on the 7th Grade “Gang Green” for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years
▪ Thirty-six KUB volunteers contributed more than 508 volunteer hours for set up, collection, tear down and clean-up at UtopiaFest September 22-24, 2017. Sorting was done on-site by the Green Team Volunteers so very little separating at the Recycling Center was needed. Though Gate Education was cut short, KUB talked to at least 1,000 people coming in on Thursday and Friday before 5 PM. Held conversations with approximately 110 individuals at the KUB Booth about litter, butts and trash and at least 52 at the SOUP booth on Saturday. Another good year for minimal litter and “No Butts on the Ground”! Collected 4.875 pounds of butts (estimated at 2,000 cigarette butts per pound) or 9,750 cigarette butts. The Sisters reported there were almost no butts after the final clean up.
▪ A Stars Over Utopia booth was operated at the Utopia Fall Fair on November 4th, 2017.
▪ Continued agreement to manage a fund, set up by a local resident, to incentivize people to change their outdoor lighting to dark sky approved lighting
▪ Participated in the Big Give SA on May 4, 2017 where $5,440 was collected for the organization from 39 donors; won $500 in prize money because KUB collected the most in Uvalde County; publicized KUB’s participation in the Big Give SA on the KUB Facebook page; and educated the public and donors on KUB mission, programs, and activities
▪ Four Board Members attended the Keep Texas Beautiful annual conference June 12-14, 2017 in San Antonio where board training was received on numerous topics
Beautification and Community Improvement
(Town Beautification & Decorations; Maple Tree Project; GCAA Landscaping; GUCU; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Maintained the five (5) landscape projects and Town Square throughout the year by watering, mowing, weeding, and repairing them
▪ Maintained the 63 Bigtooth Maple trees in the right-of-way along FM 187 south of town throughout the year – watering, weeding, mowing around the trees, and spraying for weeds and pests such as ants
▪ Replaced three (3) Bigtooth Maple trees on FM 187 south of Utopia with a Burr Oak, a Cedar Elm, and a Chinquapin Oak (45 gallon containers)
▪ Placed locks on the water access at the Windmill GCAA landscape project (FM 187 at FM 1050) and replaced the old faucets in Town Square with tamper resistant ones to keep people from “messing’ with them or stealing water.
▪ Between January 1, 2017 and May 7, 2017, volunteers worked a total of 65.5 hours at the Beverly Walton Memorial Garden at the library. Time was spent in weeding the garden, keeping sidewalks and driveway free of leaves, picking up trash and limbs, and watering. An additional 36.5 hours were given by volunteers (most were KUB board members) from June 1 thru November 30, 2017.
▪ Thanks to the help of numerous volunteers giving 37 hours, a concrete slab was poured and then a metal building 8’x 6’ was installed in the northeast corner of the library property. The shed will house equipment/tools and chemicals used by the volunteers to maintain the library garden.
▪ Finished the signage project at the Beverly Walton Memorial Garden that was started in 2016. A total of 48 signs were placed in the garden. Information about the native plants included names, water usage, deer resistant status, height/spread, light requirements, evergreen/deciduous status and special remarks.
▪ Worked to receive 6 truckloads of mulch from Bandera Electric Cooperative and placed mulch at Utopia Park entrance for use on KUB and park projects.
▪ Conducted the Great Utopia CleanUp in April 2017 in conjunction with the Great American CleanUp and Earth Day where more than 225 volunteers worked 941 hours to clean up 24,639 pounds of litter, debris and bulky waste.
▪ Held Bulky Household Trash Day on Thursday, April 20, 2017 and continued the “repurpose station” for reuse of items. 19 volunteers worked a total of 99.5 hours where 60 loads yielded 6.2 tons of bulky household trash and 2.1 tons of scrap metal; $357 in donations were received.
▪ Beautification committee continued to work with TxDOT landscape architect and project managers on construction of the 2014 GCAA landscape project. The landscape project was started in July 2016 and was finished in November 2016 but was not officially turned over to KUB for maintenance until February 2017.
▪ Placed a string of LED lights to the 2014 GCAA landscape project for additional illumination of plaques and placed solar lights (donated by board member) on the Big Rock project at the county line.
▪ Continued to work with Lou Waters to repair the 2010 landscape project at the north “Y” which was damaged in an August 9, 2016 traffic accident.
Litter Prevention & Clean Up; Litter Law & Illegal Dumping Enforcement
(Cigarette Butts; Adopt-a-Hwy; Trash-Off; First Monday Cleanups; Container Lending Program; UtopiaFest; Graffiti; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Completed quarterly Adopt-a-Highway pickups – February 8, 2017 (9 volunteers/4 bags); April 7, 2017 (11 volunteers/2 bags); October 11, 2017 (6 volunteers/7 bags); and December 28, 2017 (11 volunteers/7 bags)
▪ Participated in the Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off on Saturday, April 7, 2017
▪ UISD 3rd graders entered the Don’t Mess with Texas calendar contest
▪ Emptied the 2 Don’t Mess with Texas trash barrels placed in Town Square to collect trash throughout the year; put them to use at UtopiaFest and Fall Fair.
▪ Completed First Monday Town Clean-ups for 7 months where 18 people spent 21.8 hours collecting 19.25 bags of trash
▪ Completed the Keep America Beautiful Litter Index on September 8th, 2017 and tabulated figures resulting in a 1.34 Litter Index for the community, which is a slight increase over the 1.107 Litter Index in 2016.
▪ Completed the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program using ash receptacles at the 2017 UtopiaFest where 4 pounds, 14 ounces, or 9,750, cigarette butts, were collected
▪ Received cup-holder ashtrays and pocket butt boxes from Keep America Beautiful for the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program; handed out 100 cup-holder ashtrays and 500 pocket butt boxes at UtopiaFest and did public education via signage, banners, and one-on-one education as part of our litter prevention program. Also distributed approximately 100 cup-holder ashtrays at the KUB booth during the Fall Fair.
▪ Continued working with business owners to get cigarette disposal receptacles in front of their businesses and replaced ash receptacles in front of the Utopia Post Office. EMS requested an ash receptacle that was installed.
▪ Worked with the Texas Department of Transportation on the illegal dumping at a scenic overlook on FM 337 between Vanderpool and Leakey throughout the year and was instrumental in removing a number of tires and trash.
▪ Beautification committee worked on “eye sores” in town throughout the year by identifying areas needing attention, picking up trash on town lots (with permission of land owners), and contacting landowners about unsightly outside storage
Solid Waste Management
(Bulb-Eater; Bulky Household; E-Waste; UR Operation; Drug Take-back; Oil Containment; UtopiaFest; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Operated the Utopia Recycles Center 52 weeks out of the year and served 2,691 customers
▪ KUB volunteers handled recycling by maintaining Clear Stream containers, and sorting on site plastic, aluminum, cardboard and tin
▪ Shipped 60.06 tons of recyclable commodities from Utopia Recycling Center in 2017 with net income of $10,122 commodity sales
▪ Collected donations at the recycling center
▪ Completed a full year of collecting cardboard from commercial establishments in Concan at the County Citizen’s Collection Station in the custom-designed trailer. The County towed the trailer back and forth; UR unloaded the trailer.
▪ Valdez & Son Scrap Metal agreed to take the tin cans as the value of steel had dropped so much during 2017 that it would be an expense to KUB to ship them to the MRF. This allowed the UR to continue accepting cans at no cost to KUB.
▪ Researched and tested how to recycle computers and televisions since transportation costs for E-Waste are too high to provide this service at no cost.
▪ The storage building at the recycling center was wired for electricity by a volunteer which makes it considerable more convenient to run the air compressor for the forklift.
▪ Held Bulky Household Trash Day on Thursday, April 20, 2017 and continued the “repurpose station” for reuse of items. 19 volunteers worked a total of 99.5 hours where 60 loads yielded 6.2 tons of bulky household trash and 2.1 tons of scrap metal; $357 in donations were received
▪ Thirty-six KUB volunteers contributed more than 508 volunteer hours for set up, collection, tear down and clean-up at UtopiaFest September 22-24, 2017. Sorting was done on-site by the Green Team Volunteers so very little separating at the Recycling Center was needed. Though Gate Education was cut short, KUB talked to at least 1,000 people coming in on Thursday and Friday before 5 PM. Held conversations with approximately 110 individuals at the KUB Booth about litter, butts and trash and at least 52 at the SOUP booth on Saturday. Another good year for minimal litter and “No Butts on the Ground”! Collected 4.875 pounds of butts (estimated at 2,000 cigarette butts per pound) or 9,750 cigarette butts. The Sisters reported there were almost no butts after the final clean up.
▪ Held E-Waste Collection Days on November 28 and 30, and December 5, 7, and 9, 2017 in conjunction with America Recycles Day: 15 volunteers worked a total of 50 hours to collect and package 2,700 pounds of electronics from 30+ customers who donated $530 for the service. The cost of recycling and shipping is in excess of the donated amount and collection of e-waste will be evaluated for 2018.
▪ Continued recycling used motor oil and petroleum fluids; 400 gallons of used petroleum-based automotive fluids were picked up May 5, 2017 and we were charged $45 since oil prices were low. Also one drum of used oil filters was recycled at this time.
▪ Continued the ClearStream loan program
▪ Collected fluorescent bulbs for bulb eater – collected printer cartridges
▪ Continued using hired contract worker, which had begun in October 2013, for Recycling Center
▪ Repaired brown baler and the pallet jack during the year at the Recycling Center
▪ Continued ClearStream recycling collection at the school with the 10 containers in hallways at the school, students and staff were educated by the 7th grade Gang Green about how to properly use the bins. Gang Green manages the bins.
▪ Successfully conducted the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program at the 2017 UtopiaFest where 4 pounds, 14 ounces, or 9,750 cigarette butts, were collected and 400 pocket ashtrays and 100 cup-holder ashtrays were distributed.
▪ Worked with the CTRA and the Carton Council to continue recycling cartons by working with the UISD cafeteria, the main source of cartons, and by accepting them at the Recycling Center on a regular basis. Received a $2,000 grant to assist with the carton recycling program and entered into a two-year agreement to educate and build awareness about carton recycling and to grow collection programs. CTRA is responsible for reporting to the Carton Council.
▪ Reported on the Keep America Beautiful Dr. Pepper/Snapple Park Recycling Bin grant for recycling bins in parks – 22 were placed in the Lost Maples State Natural Area and 5 were placed in the Utopia Park and San Jacinto square (Town Square).
▪ Worked with Utopia Park to place Clear Stream recycling containers in the park and pick up the recycling on a regular basis.
▪ 245 pounds of batteries, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable, and 2 cell phones were shipped during 2017 in the on-going battery collection program
Community Leadership & Coordination (Administrative)
(KTB, GCAA; Contracts, Grants, Proposals; P&P Manual, Fundraising, and Volunteers)
▪ Conducted all regular monthly meetings (except June and November) of the KUB board, and held the 2017 Annual Board Retreat to review the year ended and plan for the upcoming year.
▪ Reviewed the KUB Bylaws, job descriptions, and the mission and vision statements
▪ Maintained organization of committees under the GCAA categories
▪ Sent thank you letters/notes throughout the year to any donors and community members who helped KUB; sent thank you letter and $250 to the Utopia United Methodist Church for use of their facilities in calendar year 2016
▪ Four board members attended the Keep Texas Beautiful Annual meeting held in San Antonio, June 12-14, 2017
▪ KUB Board members (2) completed a Big Give seminar and some webinars on the Big Give to learn about the special day of giving for non-profits and to determine how to participate
▪ Three board members attended two hours of Social Media and Branding Training in Concan on December 4, 2017, sponsored by Texas Hill Country River Region
▪ Three board members attended Tri-Canyon and Beyond Dark Skies meeting sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance at Garner State Park on February 9, 2017.
▪ Three board members attended Tri-Canyon and Beyond Dark Skies meeting sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance at Llano State Park in Junction on May 11, 2017.
▪ Two board members attended Tri-Canyon and Beyond Dark Skies meeting sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance at Love Creek Preserve Stewardship Center on October 10, 2017.
▪ Two board members attended the annual Bandera Electric Cooperative meeting in May 2017
▪ Completed the 2017 Governor’s Community Achievement Award application and notebook and submitted it by the February 7, 2017 deadline
▪ Completed the Annual Report and the Gold Star status documentation by the March 17, 2017 deadline and maintained Keep Texas Beautiful Affiliate Gold Star status
▪ Received a letter from State Representative Tracy King congratulating KUB on being a Gold Star Affiliate
▪ KUB donated $250 to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Keep Texas Beautiful to financially support the affiliate communities affected by the hurricane and subsequent flooding.
▪ Completed Utopia Lions Club application for monetary assistance and received a $300 donation
▪ Received the $250 Hochheim Grant to be used for the school garden.
▪ Secured $6,000 in funding from Uvalde County to offset cost of labor at the Recycling Center
▪ KUB board member served on the Cooperative Teamwork Recycling Assistance (CTRA) board as an officer (secretary).
▪ KUB board member continued to participate in the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR). STAR works on legislative and research issues and concerns to improve recycling rates, opportunities and efficiencies in Texas.
▪ KUB Board member served on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council (MRGDC).
▪ KUB Board member served on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee of Friends of Garner
▪ KUB Board member served on the Friends of Lost Maples board, working on Night Sky and Recycling programs
▪ Renewed Interlocal Agreement with Uvalde County in August 2017
▪ Adopted a position paper on the placement of communication towers in our area and placed it on the KUB website.
▪ Completed Keep Texas Beautiful surveys throughout the year such as the survey on KTB services to affiliates.
▪ Maintained KAB affiliate status as the nation’s smallest KAB affiliate
▪ Earned the Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle Award recognition
▪ Fundraising – raffle of donated items at Fall Fair; sale of KTB Christmas ornaments; sale of KUB promotional items such as T-shirts; solicited general donations to the organization at the recycling center and from sustaining members
▪ Established an Ameritrade investment account for the Beautification Endowment Fund and deposited the Garden Club funds and a substantial donation from the Chair, John Heideman. This investment account was established for the KUB Beautification Endowment Fund which was established in late 2016 to be used for maintenance and enhancement of landscape and hardscape projects for which Keep Utopia Beautiful is responsible. Board adopted a resolution that the President, Vice President, and the Treasurer of this organization are fully authorized and empowered to open a brokerage account.
▪ Received $7,570 in 2017 from the second Endowment Fund solicitation package to potential Beautification Endowment Fund donors which was prepared and mailed in December 2016.
▪ KUB received an award from CTRA for Recycling Excellence which was presented by Rachel Hering at the KUB Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on March 22, 2017.
▪ KUB presented the 2017 Award of Environmental Excellence to Lynn Scotty, a UISD teacher, for her work with the school in recycling, and KUB planted a redbud tree in Town Square in her honor.
▪ Hired new bookkeeper to maintain the organization’s books, ensure compliance with non-profit financial reporting, and assist the KUB Treasurer in reporting and developing the budget.
▪ Can now accept credit cards because of “Square” chip received from KAB for President’s Circle recognition.
Public Awareness (Fall Fair; Website Development; Fundraising, and Volunteers)
▪ Participated in the 2017 Fall Fair on November 4 by operating public information/
education booth; 12 volunteers worked a total of 35.5 hours; educating Fall Fair attendees on what KUB does; handing out portable ashtrays and promotional items (wildflower seeds packets with KUB printed on them); selling $204 in raffle tickets, and accepting $57 in donations for a total of $261
▪ Updated the website throughout the year as needed based on projects and activities and received 33,644 page views.
▪ Facebook site/page, with more than 400 “likes” and 391 followers, was updated throughout the year as needed based on projects and activities.
▪ Displayed all the KUB awards received since the organization began in 2008 in a case at the Utopia Library along with the updated brochure which outlines the organization’s programs
▪ Facilitated numerous newspaper articles and received/earned more than 206 column inches of coverage in area newspapers and a full-page article in the Bandera Electric Cooperative magazine for a total estimated value of $16,000.
▪ Facilitated numerous project flyers throughout the year about KUB activities and programs and created KUB “picture” bookmarks which carry our mission and a “Thank You” to volunteers and donors
▪ Gave a presentation on KUB programs and the Big Give at the Senior Citizens Center on Friday, December 1, 2017 where approximately 25 people
▪ Held a Volunteer Appreciation/Awards Luncheon on March 22, 2017 at the Senior Citizens Center with approximately 50 volunteers in attendance where special recognition was given for those contributing significantly. KUB promotional items, such as T-shirts and KUB volunteer stickers, were presented to all and a founding board member was recognized and presented with an appreciate gift. The outgoing Chair was awarded a Keep Texas Beautiful license plate in appreciation.
▪ Held a Volunteer Appreciation gathering for library garden volunteers on April 25, 2017.
▪ Reprinted “Welcome to Utopia” brochures which contains information on local services, churches, organizations (including KUB and Stars Over Utopia), and events.
▪ KUB served as a Sponsor of the Girl Scout Give-n-Color 5K Fun Run and also provided Clear Stream recycling bins for the event.
▪ Purchased/placed a continuing edition advertisement in the Utopia Times, the school newspaper, which displays KUB’s logo, website, and major objectives of Ending Littering, Improving Recycling, and Beautifying Utopia.
Education (Community/School Education & Outreach; Keyhole Garden; Stars Over Utopia Program; Watershed Issues; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Provided information to Utopia ISD about Don’t Mess with Texas Scholarship and offered assistance with student applications
▪ Provided information to Utopia ISD about KTB awards and offered assistance with student applications
▪ Board member gave presentation to UISD teachers about the Waste-in-Place curriculum for secondary students which is progressive year-to-year and is all online and available to KAB affiliates.
▪ Distributed 2017 Don’t Mess with Texas calendars to the 3rd grade teacher, at the Fall Fair booth, and at the Recycling Center
▪ Worked with the Utopia 7th grade class, Gang Green as they are known on campus, on recycling throughout the year
▪ Continued Key Hole Garden with Utopia ISD and KUB; Kindergarten and 3rd graders weeded, mulched, and planted the garden during GUCU
▪ Board member served as an advisor on the 7th Grade “Gang Green” for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years
▪ Thirty-six KUB volunteers contributed more than 508 volunteer hours for set up, collection, tear down and clean-up at UtopiaFest September 22-24, 2017. Sorting was done on-site by the Green Team Volunteers so very little separating at the Recycling Center was needed. Though Gate Education was cut short, KUB talked to at least 1,000 people coming in on Thursday and Friday before 5 PM. Held conversations with approximately 110 individuals at the KUB Booth about litter, butts and trash and at least 52 at the SOUP booth on Saturday. Another good year for minimal litter and “No Butts on the Ground”! Collected 4.875 pounds of butts (estimated at 2,000 cigarette butts per pound) or 9,750 cigarette butts. The Sisters reported there were almost no butts after the final clean up.
▪ A Stars Over Utopia booth was operated at the Utopia Fall Fair on November 4th, 2017.
▪ Continued agreement to manage a fund, set up by a local resident, to incentivize people to change their outdoor lighting to dark sky approved lighting
▪ Participated in the Big Give SA on May 4, 2017 where $5,440 was collected for the organization from 39 donors; won $500 in prize money because KUB collected the most in Uvalde County; publicized KUB’s participation in the Big Give SA on the KUB Facebook page; and educated the public and donors on KUB mission, programs, and activities
▪ Four Board Members attended the Keep Texas Beautiful annual conference June 12-14, 2017 in San Antonio where board training was received on numerous topics
Beautification and Community Improvement
(Town Beautification & Decorations; Maple Tree Project; GCAA Landscaping; GUCU; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Maintained the five (5) landscape projects and Town Square throughout the year by watering, mowing, weeding, and repairing them
▪ Maintained the 63 Bigtooth Maple trees in the right-of-way along FM 187 south of town throughout the year – watering, weeding, mowing around the trees, and spraying for weeds and pests such as ants
▪ Replaced three (3) Bigtooth Maple trees on FM 187 south of Utopia with a Burr Oak, a Cedar Elm, and a Chinquapin Oak (45 gallon containers)
▪ Placed locks on the water access at the Windmill GCAA landscape project (FM 187 at FM 1050) and replaced the old faucets in Town Square with tamper resistant ones to keep people from “messing’ with them or stealing water.
▪ Between January 1, 2017 and May 7, 2017, volunteers worked a total of 65.5 hours at the Beverly Walton Memorial Garden at the library. Time was spent in weeding the garden, keeping sidewalks and driveway free of leaves, picking up trash and limbs, and watering. An additional 36.5 hours were given by volunteers (most were KUB board members) from June 1 thru November 30, 2017.
▪ Thanks to the help of numerous volunteers giving 37 hours, a concrete slab was poured and then a metal building 8’x 6’ was installed in the northeast corner of the library property. The shed will house equipment/tools and chemicals used by the volunteers to maintain the library garden.
▪ Finished the signage project at the Beverly Walton Memorial Garden that was started in 2016. A total of 48 signs were placed in the garden. Information about the native plants included names, water usage, deer resistant status, height/spread, light requirements, evergreen/deciduous status and special remarks.
▪ Worked to receive 6 truckloads of mulch from Bandera Electric Cooperative and placed mulch at Utopia Park entrance for use on KUB and park projects.
▪ Conducted the Great Utopia CleanUp in April 2017 in conjunction with the Great American CleanUp and Earth Day where more than 225 volunteers worked 941 hours to clean up 24,639 pounds of litter, debris and bulky waste.
▪ Held Bulky Household Trash Day on Thursday, April 20, 2017 and continued the “repurpose station” for reuse of items. 19 volunteers worked a total of 99.5 hours where 60 loads yielded 6.2 tons of bulky household trash and 2.1 tons of scrap metal; $357 in donations were received.
▪ Beautification committee continued to work with TxDOT landscape architect and project managers on construction of the 2014 GCAA landscape project. The landscape project was started in July 2016 and was finished in November 2016 but was not officially turned over to KUB for maintenance until February 2017.
▪ Placed a string of LED lights to the 2014 GCAA landscape project for additional illumination of plaques and placed solar lights (donated by board member) on the Big Rock project at the county line.
▪ Continued to work with Lou Waters to repair the 2010 landscape project at the north “Y” which was damaged in an August 9, 2016 traffic accident.
Litter Prevention & Clean Up; Litter Law & Illegal Dumping Enforcement
(Cigarette Butts; Adopt-a-Hwy; Trash-Off; First Monday Cleanups; Container Lending Program; UtopiaFest; Graffiti; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Completed quarterly Adopt-a-Highway pickups – February 8, 2017 (9 volunteers/4 bags); April 7, 2017 (11 volunteers/2 bags); October 11, 2017 (6 volunteers/7 bags); and December 28, 2017 (11 volunteers/7 bags)
▪ Participated in the Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off on Saturday, April 7, 2017
▪ UISD 3rd graders entered the Don’t Mess with Texas calendar contest
▪ Emptied the 2 Don’t Mess with Texas trash barrels placed in Town Square to collect trash throughout the year; put them to use at UtopiaFest and Fall Fair.
▪ Completed First Monday Town Clean-ups for 7 months where 18 people spent 21.8 hours collecting 19.25 bags of trash
▪ Completed the Keep America Beautiful Litter Index on September 8th, 2017 and tabulated figures resulting in a 1.34 Litter Index for the community, which is a slight increase over the 1.107 Litter Index in 2016.
▪ Completed the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program using ash receptacles at the 2017 UtopiaFest where 4 pounds, 14 ounces, or 9,750, cigarette butts, were collected
▪ Received cup-holder ashtrays and pocket butt boxes from Keep America Beautiful for the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program; handed out 100 cup-holder ashtrays and 500 pocket butt boxes at UtopiaFest and did public education via signage, banners, and one-on-one education as part of our litter prevention program. Also distributed approximately 100 cup-holder ashtrays at the KUB booth during the Fall Fair.
▪ Continued working with business owners to get cigarette disposal receptacles in front of their businesses and replaced ash receptacles in front of the Utopia Post Office. EMS requested an ash receptacle that was installed.
▪ Worked with the Texas Department of Transportation on the illegal dumping at a scenic overlook on FM 337 between Vanderpool and Leakey throughout the year and was instrumental in removing a number of tires and trash.
▪ Beautification committee worked on “eye sores” in town throughout the year by identifying areas needing attention, picking up trash on town lots (with permission of land owners), and contacting landowners about unsightly outside storage
Solid Waste Management
(Bulb-Eater; Bulky Household; E-Waste; UR Operation; Drug Take-back; Oil Containment; UtopiaFest; Fundraising; and Volunteers)
▪ Operated the Utopia Recycles Center 52 weeks out of the year and served 2,691 customers
▪ KUB volunteers handled recycling by maintaining Clear Stream containers, and sorting on site plastic, aluminum, cardboard and tin
▪ Shipped 60.06 tons of recyclable commodities from Utopia Recycling Center in 2017 with net income of $10,122 commodity sales
▪ Collected donations at the recycling center
▪ Completed a full year of collecting cardboard from commercial establishments in Concan at the County Citizen’s Collection Station in the custom-designed trailer. The County towed the trailer back and forth; UR unloaded the trailer.
▪ Valdez & Son Scrap Metal agreed to take the tin cans as the value of steel had dropped so much during 2017 that it would be an expense to KUB to ship them to the MRF. This allowed the UR to continue accepting cans at no cost to KUB.
▪ Researched and tested how to recycle computers and televisions since transportation costs for E-Waste are too high to provide this service at no cost.
▪ The storage building at the recycling center was wired for electricity by a volunteer which makes it considerable more convenient to run the air compressor for the forklift.
▪ Held Bulky Household Trash Day on Thursday, April 20, 2017 and continued the “repurpose station” for reuse of items. 19 volunteers worked a total of 99.5 hours where 60 loads yielded 6.2 tons of bulky household trash and 2.1 tons of scrap metal; $357 in donations were received
▪ Thirty-six KUB volunteers contributed more than 508 volunteer hours for set up, collection, tear down and clean-up at UtopiaFest September 22-24, 2017. Sorting was done on-site by the Green Team Volunteers so very little separating at the Recycling Center was needed. Though Gate Education was cut short, KUB talked to at least 1,000 people coming in on Thursday and Friday before 5 PM. Held conversations with approximately 110 individuals at the KUB Booth about litter, butts and trash and at least 52 at the SOUP booth on Saturday. Another good year for minimal litter and “No Butts on the Ground”! Collected 4.875 pounds of butts (estimated at 2,000 cigarette butts per pound) or 9,750 cigarette butts. The Sisters reported there were almost no butts after the final clean up.
▪ Held E-Waste Collection Days on November 28 and 30, and December 5, 7, and 9, 2017 in conjunction with America Recycles Day: 15 volunteers worked a total of 50 hours to collect and package 2,700 pounds of electronics from 30+ customers who donated $530 for the service. The cost of recycling and shipping is in excess of the donated amount and collection of e-waste will be evaluated for 2018.
▪ Continued recycling used motor oil and petroleum fluids; 400 gallons of used petroleum-based automotive fluids were picked up May 5, 2017 and we were charged $45 since oil prices were low. Also one drum of used oil filters was recycled at this time.
▪ Continued the ClearStream loan program
▪ Collected fluorescent bulbs for bulb eater – collected printer cartridges
▪ Continued using hired contract worker, which had begun in October 2013, for Recycling Center
▪ Repaired brown baler and the pallet jack during the year at the Recycling Center
▪ Continued ClearStream recycling collection at the school with the 10 containers in hallways at the school, students and staff were educated by the 7th grade Gang Green about how to properly use the bins. Gang Green manages the bins.
▪ Successfully conducted the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program at the 2017 UtopiaFest where 4 pounds, 14 ounces, or 9,750 cigarette butts, were collected and 400 pocket ashtrays and 100 cup-holder ashtrays were distributed.
▪ Worked with the CTRA and the Carton Council to continue recycling cartons by working with the UISD cafeteria, the main source of cartons, and by accepting them at the Recycling Center on a regular basis. Received a $2,000 grant to assist with the carton recycling program and entered into a two-year agreement to educate and build awareness about carton recycling and to grow collection programs. CTRA is responsible for reporting to the Carton Council.
▪ Reported on the Keep America Beautiful Dr. Pepper/Snapple Park Recycling Bin grant for recycling bins in parks – 22 were placed in the Lost Maples State Natural Area and 5 were placed in the Utopia Park and San Jacinto square (Town Square).
▪ Worked with Utopia Park to place Clear Stream recycling containers in the park and pick up the recycling on a regular basis.
▪ 245 pounds of batteries, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable, and 2 cell phones were shipped during 2017 in the on-going battery collection program