City Council meets Dec. 20

Mesquite City Council will meet on Dec. 20 at City Hall, 757 N. Galloway Avenue. The Pre-Meeting begins at 5:15 p.m. in Training Rooms A and B followed by the Regular Meeting at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Members of the public, applicants and interested parties may attend the meeting in person. The public attending the meeting will have the option of wearing a face covering but the city will continue to implement social distancing measures with limited seating. Members of the public desiring to comment during Citizens Forum must preregister as follows: Send an email or call the City Secretary on or before 3 p.m. on Dec. 20 at sland@cityofmesquite.com or 972-216- 6244. Provide the City Secretary with your name and address. Comments on agenda items may be made during the meeting or by submission on or before 3 p.m. on Dec. 20 to the following email address: sland@cityofmesquite.com. View meeting agendas online. The City broadcasts meetings via Facebook Live and at www.cityofmesquite.com/WatchCouncilMeetings.

Carols and Cocoa

On Dec. 18, join family and friends in singing traditional Christmas carols plus our very own "12 Days of Downtown Mesquite" carol at the new Front Street Station event area. Enjoy complimentary cocoa, cookies and a family friendly holiday movie starting at 4 p.m. Visit www.dowtownmesquitetx.com/events for more information.

Mesquite Symphony Orchestra presents Home for the Holidays

Ring in the holiday season with your family and the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra (MSO) on Saturday, Dec. 18. The MSO, led by Felix Torres, will showcase their Home for the Holidays Christmas program at the Mesquite Arts Center, 1527 N. Galloway Avenue. There will be two shows at 5 and 7:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mesquitesymphony.org.

Shop Mesquite this holiday season

Have some last minute shopping before Christmas? This holiday shopping season shop and dine in the community to help support the local economy and businesses. The Shop Mesquite campaign promotes the Shop Local webpage that features an electronic rolodex of businesses located in Mesquite with featured stories, videos and more on places to shop, eat and experience in Mesquite.

Avoid traffic with alternate driving routes

Worried about traffic while out holiday shopping? The City continues to promote alternate driving directions to shoppers for key destinations in Mesquite, such as Town East Mall, with the www.cityofmesquite.com/ShoppingRoutes webpage. The page offers ways to shop more and drive less by using different roads to travel and avoid traffic.

Enjoy A Christmas Story by the Mesquite Arts Theatre

This December, you and your family can enjoy the holiday classic, A Christmas Story by the Mesquite Arts Theatre. Follow 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $10 for kids. Visit mesquiteartstheatre.org/tickets to purchase your ticket.

Councilwoman Debbie Anderson and Florence Ranch

City celebrates 150 years of Florence Ranch Homestead

Councilmember Debbie Anderson, representing Mayor Daniel Alemán Jr. presented a proclamation to Julia Schultz Morris on Saturday, Dec. 11 in honor of Florence Ranch Homestead's 150th anniversary. The proclamation was presented at Christmas at the Ranch, which celebrated Florence Ranch Homesteads history and honored the Florence family and their contributions to the development of the City of Mesquite. Read the proclamation.

Holiday season safety tips

The holidays are a time of joy but it is also a time to remember not to become a victim to a crime of opportunity. The Mesquite Police Department is reminding citizens how they can be safe this holiday season. Watch the Mesquite Minute to learn more.

Properly dispose of fats, oils and grease during the holidays

Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) is the residue left over from cooking meat, butter, sauces, oil and dairy products. FOG and debris poured down drains can cause expensive sewer backups to homeowners. The City’s Utilities Division is providing free grease disposal bags during the month of November to Mesquite residents at the Water Billing Office, while supplies last. Also, used holiday cooking oil may be recycled for free at the Dallas County Home Chemical Collection Center, 11234 Plano Road, or at a drop-off location listed on the Defend Your Drains website at www.defendyourdrainsnorthtexas.com. For more information about FOG and the free grease disposal bag watch this video or visit, www.cityofmesquite.com/FOG.

Contact Us

Use the free myMesquite platform to submit service requests to the City of Mesquite. Send requests for street repair, crime concerns, park issues and more from your computer or mobile device. Visit www.cityofmesquite.com/myMesquite for details.