From the Department of Business and Professional Regulation:

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation is the agency charged with licensing and regulating businesses and professionals in the State of Florida. Our mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly.

Unlicensed activity exists within various professions regulated by the department but is most commonly found in the construction and electrical trades. Unlicensed activity affects law-abiding, state-licensed professionals by taking away their business and causes personal and financial harm to consumers. Through our attempts to increase public awareness and by engaging in proactive enforcement, our department works to eliminate unlicensed activity.

• Some of the construction trades requiring a state license are: air-conditioning, building contractors, general contractors, electricians, plumbers, home inspectors, mold-related services, pool contractors and roofers.
• Before you hire a contractor, ask to see the state-issued license. Also, verify the license number with DBPR and check for any complaints. Check with your local building department for any local license and to verify whether a permit is required for the work being performed.
• Get a written estimate from several licensed contractors. Make sure the estimate includes the work the contractor will do, the materials involved, the completion date and total cost.

Unlicensed activity is against the law. The department urges you to report any suspected unlicensed activity by emailing ULA@MyFloridaLicense.com or calling the Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 1 (866) 532-1440.

For a complete list of the professions regulated by the department please visit our website at www.MyFloridaLicense.com.

As the holiday season is approaching, this quick reference guide will help residents plan ahead to recycle the usual containers, cans, and cardboard boxes, and provide tips on what to do with those unique holiday items. Recycling and disposal options for Hillsborough County Solid Waste customers are available at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/RecycletheHolidays or by calling (813) 272-5680.

Solid Waste Facility Holiday Closures:

All Hillsborough County solid waste facilities, including Community Collection Centers, yard and wood waste, transfer stations, resource recovery, and the Southeast County landfill, will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26; Friday, Dec. 25; and Friday, Jan. 1.

Recycling Food and Beverage Containers in Blue Curbside Cart:

Recyclable food and beverage containers should be emptied and rinsed before placing them loose in the blue recycling cart.

• Plastic bottle and containers No. 1-7
• Aluminum, tin, and steel cans
• Cartons, such as those for soy milk, juice boxes, chicken broth, etc.
• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic bags, film, or shrink wrap are NOT recyclable in the cart

Recycling Paper and Cardboard in the Blue Curbside Cart: 

Place all items loose in the blue recycling cart.

• Any paper that is clean and easily tears
• Newspaper, office paper, junk mail, paperback books, magazines, etc.
• Flattened cardboard boxes
• Paperboard food boxes, cereal boxes, and paper towel rolls
• Greeting cards and wrapping paper, as long as it is free of ribbons, foil, and other non-paper items
• Gift bags, tissue paper, ribbons, and bows are NOT recyclable in the cart

Recycling Electronics:

• Items containing a digital display or circuit board, including televisions, computers, laptops, mobile devices, stereo equipment, gaming consoles, VCR/DVD players and printers, may be safely recycled at any of the Community Collection Centers for no additional fee.
• Small bathroom and kitchen appliances such as toasters, crock pots, electric skillets, blenders, hair dryers, and curling irons may be discarded in your gray garbage cart.

Recycling Live Christmas Trees:

• Curbside pickup of live Christmas trees is available by following these steps:
  • Remove all decorations, lights, and tinsel
  • Cut the tree into sections no larger than 4-feet long and 6-inches in diameter
  • Place curbside on your regular yard waste collection day
• Drop off live trees at one of the following Yard Waste Processing Facilities, after removing all decorations, lights, and tinsel:
  • 346 Falkenburg Road in Tampa
  • 13001 U.S. 41 in Gibsonton
  • 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa

Tips for Other Items:

• Styrofoam packing materials can be disposed of in the gray garbage cart or dropped off for recycling at the Dart Container Corp. facility, 4610 Airport Road in Plant City. Styrofoam food trays and egg cartons can be recycled at most local supermarkets in special bins.
• Oversized and large volumes of flattened cardboard boxes may be recycled at any of the Community Collection Centers for no additional fee.
• Used household cooking oil may be recycled at the County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers or at any CORE station for no additional fee. Visit www.HillsboroughCounty.org/CORE for locations.
• Plastic bags and film can be recycled at most local supermarkets in special bins. Loose and soiled bags and film should be placed in the trash cart.
• Strings of holiday lights may be safely disposed of in the gray garbage cart or recycled as electronics at any of the Community Collection Centers for no additional fee.
• Pre-lit and artificial trees should be discarded as trash.
• Holiday decorations and ornaments should be discarded as trash.
• Excess trash that will not fit in the gray garbage cart may be disposed of at any of the Community Collection Centers when accompanied by a copy of the resident’s Hillsborough County Tax Bill. Fees may apply for food waste.

Complete details on Hillsborough County Solid Waste facility locations, hours, and disposal guidelines are available at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/SolidWaste.

The Covington Estates Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2015 has been cancelled.  Our next scheduled meeting will be Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

Additional information on the Covington Estates Board of Directors meetings can be found on our Board of Directors page.

There will be no garbage collection service on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th.  Regular service will resume on our next scheduled collection day.

• Garbage Pick up: Monday & Thursday
• Recycling Pick up: Monday
• Yard Waste Pick up: Thursday

Other Important Reminders:

• Three-Foot Rule – At the curb, place the carts at least 3 feet away from other carts, mailboxes, cars, trees, shrubs, fire hydrants and utility poles.
• Everything Must Fit Inside The Carts – Items left outside the carts cannot be picked up by the mechanical arm on a collection vehicle and will not be picked up.
• Garbage, recyclables, and yard waste should be placed out no later than 6:00 AM on  collection days.  Carts are required to be kept out of sight on non-collection days.

Covington Estates HOA would like to remind residents that:

1) Vehicles are not permitted to park in the street
2) Vehicles parked in driveways are not permitted to block the sidewalks
3) Residents need to adhere to the posted 20-miles per hour speed limit

Please take the time to remind all of the drivers in your household as well as visitors to obey the speed limit, come to a complete stop at the stop signs, and drive cautiously throughout Covington Estates.

At 20 mph the stopping distance needed is 69 feet. Statistics have shown that the incident of pedestrians and bicyclists hit by a car are three times higher in a residential neighborhood that those recorded on the highways.

Thank you for your cooperation. Keep Covington Estates Safe!