Stay Informed in Coppell dot com!

City Council Meeting on Tuesday, 730p Regular Session

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:04:00 +0000

The Agenda for Tuesday's City Council meeting is available here.

CISD Middle School Strategic Plan, Action Teams Forming

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:53:00 +0000

From the Coppell ISD website:

Link

The nearly 30 member Middle School Strategic Planning Team, consisting of parents, students, community members and CISD staff, met Sept. 21-23 to set a future vision for middle schools in alignment with the current CISD Strategic Plan. The committee created 3 objectives and 6 tactics. A draft will be available on the CISD web site next week.

The next step in this process is developing Action Teams, and we need your help!These teams will meet weekly to perform research and develop a plan for recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The kickoff meeting will be on Thursday, October 8^th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Coppell Middle School North Cafeteria. Click here to register - CISD Middle School Strategic Plan Action Team SignUp

There has been some confusion on the day and time of "The Discussion".

Here is additional information and I'll put an update out when I have the information confirmed:

Everyone interested in learning more about the important issues facing CISD is encouraged to attend the monthly public forums beginning on Wednesday, October 7, from 7-8 PM in the CHS Lecture Hall. The first topic, School Finance and the Budget Beyond 2010, will focus on the state’s system of recapture and CISD budget trends over time leading up to the financial state of the district today. This session will lay the groundwork for future topics, and I hope you will find the time to join me in “The Discussion.”

9/8/09 City Council Meeting: No Property Tax Rate Increase with '09-'10 Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:35:00 +0000

Tonight's City Council meeting including 3 Public Hearings and a number of items for City Staff and City Council.

Full Agenda and packet here (.pdf, 154 pages)

Also, City Council approved the '09-'10 Budget unanimously and voted 5-2 for no Property Tax increases next year. Council members Tunnell and Brancheau voted in opposition.

Brancheau also made a statement that he didn't want to make a million dollar mistake, and that no tax increase this year was a mistake.

There were 3 Public Hearings tonight.

One on a zoning change to allow a residence in Bethel Road Estates to be made of stucco and have a 2 story residential structure on the same property (pic on right).

The second item was an ordinance change for rules for computing the number parking spaces when a business increases the amount of floor space, employees, seating capacity, etc. It was noted that some restaurants enter into agreements with other nearby businesses for overflow parking. The new J. Macklins was mentioned in sharing parking at the YMCA.

The last hearing was on "Special Definitions" to revise the existing existing definition of "Outside Storage and Display".

I watched and listened to the meeting from the Video Room on the City of Coppell's website. I updated live via Twitter at www.twitter.com/concerncoppell

As a reminder, the City shows the Council meetings live and they are also archived if you are interested in going back and watching.

The next City Council meeting is 9/22/09 at 530p. The September Planning and Zoning meeting is on 9/17/09 at 630p.

City Council Meeting, 730p Regular Session

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Direct link to .pdf Agenda

A few items from tonight's meeting:

(9) Zoning change for Bethel Road Estates to allow for stucco and to allow an additional detached, 2 story residential structure at 256 West Bethel Road
(10) Amendment for "Rules for computing number of parking spaces"
(11) Amendment to revise the existing definition of "Outside Storage and Display--Retail Stores: Retail Stores and Shops:" to include additional screening requirements
(14) adopting the '09 - '10 Budget
(15) approval of ad valorem taxes

Two items of interest:

(12) Resolution, outlining the terms and conditions of a debt service funding plan
(13) Consider approval of the written Fund Balance policy of the City of Coppell

Will be interesting to hear the discussion about a debt service funding plan and policy.

Follow updates on Twitter tonight at www.twitter.com/concerncoppell

Facebook group is located here

Coppell Residents speak out against tax increase - Coppell Gazette, 9/6/09

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Direct link via Coppell Gazette

Coppell Residents speak out against tax increase

By Jim Kilpatrick, Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, September 6, 2009 12:19 PM CDT

More than 70 Coppell residents spoke out against the proposed 2009-2010 municipal budget and the 2009-2010 proposed tax rate of .69146 at the regular meeting of the Coppell city council Aug. 25.

The meeting ran three hours and 51 minutes with residents speaking for more than two hours. No one spoke in favor of either item during the public hearing.

Dave Capps, a 23-year resident and businessman was concerned that the tax rate is too high. He said he paid more than $50,000 in taxes last year for his home and business.

“I am sure there are plenty of items in the budget that the city of Coppell is working very diligently to make cuts on during this recession. If not there should be,” Capps said.

Former Coppell mayor Mark Wolfe said he has supported every bond election for the city and school district since he moved to Coppell.

“For the first time in 30 years as a resident of this community I find myself opposed to my local government,” Wolfe said.

Senior citizens said they are on a budget and even a small tax increase would be a burden. Others said it was not the time for a tax increase.

After more than two hours the hearings were closed and council discussed what they had heard from the residents.

Billy Faught, Place 5, thanked the residents for coming out and expressing their feelings.

“There have been several comments made tonight that I agree with,” Faught said. “I feel it is a time to make some tough decisions.”

Faught ended by saying the council is listening, and “this is not a done deal.”

“Coppell has always been a paid-as-we-go city,” said Bob Mahalik, councilman Place 2. “We can’t avoid taxes completely. It is going to happen; it’s just how much and when.” He added that the council will compromise.

Marsha Tunnell, Place 4, said the council has been meeting on the budget for most of the year.

“The taxes are going to be raised, they have to be raised,” Tunnell said. “I don’t know how much, but they will be raised, but I don’t when.”

She added that the timing for a tax increase isn’t good.

“We (the council) agreed that no matter what path we take we will have to raise taxes,” said Tim Brancheau, councilman Place 1. “I hope that we have the political will as a group to follow through with our agreement.”

Mayor Pro Tem Karen Hunt said she has not made up her mind about what should be done about the tax rate increase.

“I do appreciate all the information I have gotten from citizens, and all the additional perspectives that I’ve heard,” Hunt said. “Because it does help me navigate through this decision.”

She said she has “flip-flopped” back and forth on how she feels about the tax rate.

“Have I made up my mind (on the tax rate)? I am not sure.” Hunt said. “There won’t be (any) new tax; it’s when will there be a tax, because we need it.”

Brianna Hinajosa-Flores, Place 3, appreciated the input from the residents.

“I have read your emails and I have heard your comments I hear you loud and clear,” Hinajosa-Flores said. “I have wrestled with it and it is a difficult decision.”

Hinajosa-Flores added that no one wants higher taxes.

Marvin Franklin, Place 6, said there was not a lot of communication regarding the tax increase.

“Taxes are an issue that affects everyone, whether you are rich, poor, or middle income, and it deserved all the discussion it’s getting,” Franklin said.

Franklin added that the council needs to be creative when it comes to the budget and tax rate.

“We do not need a tax increase this year to pay all our bills for the longer term and to have a healthy fund balance,” Franklin said. “That is where I stand and I am firm in that.”

He added that the council is there to serve and protect the residents of Coppell.

“We still are going to have to pay this North Lake debt.” Franklin said.

Upcoming Coppell Events - September and October

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:44:00 +0000

All from the City of Coppell website

9/11/09

City of Coppell to Host Patriot Day Ceremony On 9/11

The City of Coppell will conduct a Patriot Day Ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2009, 9:00 a.m. at Town Center Plaza, located behind City Hall, 255 Parkway Blvd. Patriot Day is an annual observance to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. The ceremony will feature the Coppell Fire and Police Color Guards along with the Fire Dept. Bagpipe and Drum Corps who will perform traditional ceremonies to honor and pay tribute to public safety agencies and military personnel. The ceremony is open to the public.

9/12/09

10/6/09

National Night Out 2009 is scheduled for Tuesday October 6

National Night Out promotes block parties, which encourage neighbors to come outside, meet one another and unite themselves against crime in our community.  Celebrate the evening with an ice cream social, a cookout, a bounce house, or a swim party.  You can be as creative as you want to be! We will have a block party contest for the best spirit, best theme, and the party with the most attendance.  The neighborhoods that are selected as a winner receive a "2009 Block Party Winner" street sign for their neighborhood. Regardless of who gets the sign, everyone is a winner that helps local law enforcement make our streets and neighborhoods safer.  Spend the evening with the Police, Fire, McGruff, "Mr. P.C.", the Robot Car, the National Night Out Knight, The mayor and city council, and of course - your neighbors!   We look forward to seeing you at the block parties!
To register your block party, click here to download the National Night Out block party application form 2009   Forms can be returned to Officer R.J. Harr at the Police Station, 130 Town Center Bld., or by fax at 972 304 3535, or email at rharr@ci.coppell.tx.us. If you would like more information or help planning your party, contact Officer Harr at 972 304-3625. By registering with Officer Harr, your party will be placed on the visitation list.
The Police and Fire Department will be visiting block parties from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Due to the number of parties, we can not guarantee an exact time when the Police, Fire, Mayor and City Council, McGruff, and the rest of the crew will show up at your party. However, we will guarantee that you will see us at some point in the evening. As a reminder, the Fire Department is subject to emergency calls and may not be able to visit your party.
We also encourage you to help us celebrate by getting involved in our other great activities.
10/17/09

...celebrating life in Coppell.

    October 17, 2009
    5 - 10pm
    Andy Brown Community Park, East

More information about the event:
Parks and Recreation Department
972-462-5100
fax 972-462-5149
parks@ci.coppell.tx.us
To Volunteer on the Coppell CREW:
972-462-5181
slewis@ci.coppell.tx.us

Food Vendor Applications Now Available
Vendor Application Deadline is Oct. 2, 2009
Temporary Food Permit
Vendor Application

New Blog Name and URL: www.StayInformedInCoppell.com

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:34:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone that has been reading, commenting, emailing on this blog!

I am making a few changes/tweaks to the blog...one of those is the name and website address.

This blog began as "Concerned Citizen 75019" as a place for me to voice an opinion and inform those about this great city. After lots of reflection and work in the community, what I've realized is that the blog's name really didn't reflect the overall goal of mine.

Yes, I am a "concerned citizen" of Coppell, but more importantly, I am a long time resident of Coppell that wants to stay informed and help others as well. Staying informed can take on many forms, not just things that are "concerning".

In that light, I am renaming the blog "Stay Informed in Coppell". This will extend to the Facebook group as well.

I'm keeping the Twitter feed as "@concerncoppell" as the name implies that it concerns Coppell.

If you have saved the blog URL, be sure to change that to www.StayInformedInCoppell.com.

Email me if you have any questions or be sure to leave a comment!

CISD's decision on the President's address to the nation's school children

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Direct link

9/3/2009
Coppell ISD Offers Educational Opportunity
According to information provided by the U.S. Department of Education, on Tuesday, September 8 at 11 AM (CST), the President will address the nation's school children about the importance of education. During his speech, the President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning in order to be competitive in the global market. It is the decision of the district to offer live and taped viewings of the President's speech, however, teachers will not be utilizing the materials provided by the Department of Education: rather, they will make age appropriate connections between the speech and the grade level Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Parents may view the live broadcast at http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/or watch it on the C-SPAN channel or view a downloadable recording at http://www.coppellisd.com/or on http://www.ed.gov/index.html. Parents are encouraged to view the national address prior to making a decision about their child's participation.

However, if a student is in a high school Social Studies-related course at the time of the live broadcast, those parents may need to make a decision regarding their child's participation prior to the broadcast.

Should the CISD Administration find that the speech is at all objectionable, the digital recording will not be shown in class. In addition, we trust our great social studies teachers to lead whatever discussions are appropriate according to our TEKS and the age of the student.

At the high schools, the speech will be aired live for those students who are in subject-appropriate classes (i.e. social studies, government, etc.) at the time of the live broadcast. The digitized recordings may be viewed when appropriate during the remainder of the week. Parents will have the opportunity to have their student “opt out” of the viewings by submitting a written note to the main office. The note must also include the student's name and their grade level. Those students will be provided an age appropriate alternative activity by their teacher and will not be penalized in any way.

At the middle schools, the President's speech will be digitally recorded for viewing during Social Studies classes on Thursday and Friday. Parents will have the opportunity to have their student “opt out” of the viewings by submitting a written note to the main office. The note must also include the student's name, grade level, and the name of their social studies teacher. Those students will be provided an age appropriate alternative activity and will not be penalized in any way.

For the elementary grades, students will be viewing the digitally recorded speech during their social studies lesson on “Patriot's Day,” Friday, 9/11. After pre-viewing the speech, if parents decide to limit their child's participation, they will simply need to submit a written note to their child's teacher: those students will be provided an age appropriate alternative activity and will not be penalized in any way.

Coppell ISD values the support of its school community as a partner in offering the very best educational opportunities for all students. CISD Administrators and staff take the role of educator and protector very seriously and hope to make this a positive experience for all students.

Posted by Coppell ISD at 5:00 PM

Your Voice Has Been Heard: The Franklin Compromise

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:45:00 +0000

In a fantastic display of representative government, the Public Hearing on the proposed Property Tax increase came to a close Tuesday evening.

Town Hall had plenty of Coppell citizens out in force to voice their opposition to the proposed Property Tax increase.

In what looks like "The Franklin Compromise", City Council listened to citizen after citizen voice their opposition to a proposed property tax increase. If you remember from the 8/25 meeting, Marvin Franklin was the only City Council member in opposition to a Property Tax increase, as well as Mayor Peters.

Mayor Peters stated that their were 23 signed up to speak in opposition and 1 in favor.

Before the floor was opened to the public, Mayor Jayne Peters and City Manager Clay Phillips opened with comments. Mayor Peters made a statement to "get the facts straight about the Northlake development".

Mr. Phillips (picture on left) discussed in detail how the City got to where it is now with our General Fund and fiscal stability.

As each speaker expressed their opposition to the increase in Property Taxes, there was applause by the majority of the room.

After all the speakers were heard, Mayor Peters declared it was 'time for City Council deliberation and discussion'.

In what appears to be a 5-2 majority, City Council has listened to the citizens and is prepared to not raise taxes for the '09-'10 budget. There was general concern that there would be a need to raise taxes the following year to pay down the Northlake bond.

I was using Twitter to update live and capture comments from the meeting. Thanks to the City of Coppell for streaming the meetings live from their City website. I was able to participate in this meeting while being out of town on a business meeting.

If you would like to read all of the detail of last night's meeting, go to www.twitter.com/concerncoppell.

Great job Coppell! Last night was a great example of how representative government works and thank you Marvin Franklin and Mayor Jayne Peters for their leadership, as well as all of City Council for listening and understanding the right course of action.

The actual vote is on September 8th. Stay tuned and thank you for all of the comments on the blog. More to come on Stay Informed in Coppell!

The Final Public Hearing is TONIGHT (Tuesday) at 6pm!

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:34:00 +0000

Just a reminder that tonight (Tuesday, 9/1) is the Final Public Hearing on the proposed Property Tax increase for the '09-'10 budget.

The agenda is here (.pdf)

I know there's conflicts with some of CISD's curriculum nights, so I'm sure we won't have as many tonight as were there last week.

I hope that you can make it.

It is an earlier start...6p. I would expect the meeting is around 2 hours.

Be sure to follow the Twitter account at www.twitter.com/concerncoppell. I'll be updating live via Twitter.

Is 85% really 85%?

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:05:00 +0000

The official vote of the Northlake bond issuance.

Just as a reminder, there are plenty of people that like to say that 85% of you voted for this. But if you look at the numbers, the real story is that of those that voted, 85% were in favor of the bond issuance.

Of the nearly 21,000 eligible voters in 2006, only 2,795 people voted. As you can see, 2,375 voted in favor and 420 voted against.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that we shouldn't of voted for this bond, I just want to clear up how those stats are being thrown around from City Council members and others.

Approximately 13% of eligible voters actually voted. Of those 13%, 85% of them voted in favor of the bond issuance.

85% of nearly 21,000 would be nearly 18,000 people...and that isn't what happened. It was only 2,375 that passed the bond issuance.

Just trying to keep you informed. Remember, the FINAL Public Hearing on the proposed Property Tax increase is TODAY, Tuesday at 6pm.

Follow in between the blog posts on Twitter. Go to www.twitter.com/concerncoppell. I will be sending updates over Twitter starting tomorrow evening.

Opinion - Former Coppell Mayor Mark Wolfe

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Submitted from Former Coppell Mayor, Mark Wolfe after 8/29/09 Dallas Morning News article Coppell weighs tax increase for North Lake land debt

The Truth about Coppell and Taxes

The citizens of Coppell have been put in a hard dilemma. Some present and past city leaders had to be tough and show Lucy Billingsley and the Billingsley Corporation who was “boss” over the controversial Cypress Waters development at Northlake. In the end, the citizens of Coppell get to pay $26 million in land debt, only the first of more debt for the Northlake development. This is after the city and school district spent well over $2 million in legal fees. And in the end, Lucy Billingsley gets to build her dream, Cypress Waters, with even less dollars than originally projected. The citizens of Coppell are just now realizing the total story.

I had the privilege to meet privately with Lucy Billingsley two times during the negotiations of Northlake between Billingsley Corporation and Coppell. Both times were lengthy and pleasant meetings. The first meeting was at the beginning of the controversy of Northlake and Ms. Billingsley repeated several times in her willingness to work with Coppell, her desire to be a good neighbor, grant land for Coppell schools, etc. The second meeting was months later. By that point she had long realized that Coppell did not want to work together and while the City of Coppell and the Coppell ISD had spent over $2 million in legal fees attempting to block her development, she knew in the end that she would prevail. She had the favor of the City of Dallas, the Texas courts and Texas law on her side. Coppell’s actions between these two meetings had been disappointing at best. A former city leader told two African-American Dallas City Councilmen that the city did not need to negotiate with Dallas since these two councilmen would soon be in jail anyway over alleged crimes. Rarely did the minority members of the Dallas City Council vote with the then Mayor Laura Miller. But Coppell’s attitude prompted a Dallas City Council unanimous vote in favor of Billingsley and against Coppell. The local Coppell newspapers rarely, if at all, reported such incidents. Stories such as this could be found in The Dallas Observer and the Dallas Morning News.

So Lucy Billingsley decided to wait it out, knowing that in the end she would prevail. But the final outcome could not have been sweeter for Billingsley. Coppell paid millions for land and a lake that they do not need and will eventually remove a power plant – all on land that is in the City of Dallas, and all at the expense of the Coppell taxpayers. Lucy, well, she gets to build her 10,000 unit development complete with all Dallas city services and Coppell schools at Coppell taxpayer cost.

The saddest part of this commentary is that the vast majority of citizens never had the opportunity to view the original or current proposal of Cypress Waters. Lucy Billingsley came two times to my company and met with my agents and shared her vision and dream. Most of the agents were impressed. I think most of Coppell could have been as well before the need to spend over $26 million for a land purchase that we may never use.

Now, the City Council wants to raise taxes five cents to pay for the first of several bonds for Northlake. And they are seeking this increase with no fiscal cuts, no staff decrease (even if through attrition) and a huge overage in the city’s fund balance. Today, Coppell has a bloated city government with 2.5 times more employees at 40,000 population than we had at 25,000 population in the mid 1990s.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture. That is why the citizens of Coppell are finally saying, “No New Taxes".

Mark Wolfe

Next Coppell Public Hearing

Tuesday, September 1^st, 6:00 pm

Coppell City Hall

Article in the Dallas Morning News

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:22:00 +0000

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Coppell weighs tax increase for North Lake land debt

10:53 PM CDT on Saturday, August 29, 2009

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
bformby@dallasnews.com

The Coppell City Council is considering raising residents' property tax rate as much as 5 cents – but the city isn't in financial straits.

City services aren't being threatened. Staffers aren't facing pink slips. And the general fund has a healthy surplus.

The council is trying to figure out the best way to begin paying down $26.5 million in bond debt from the purchase of land outside the city limits. It's the same land that voters overwhelmingly approved buying in 2006.

"The only reason there's a question about raising taxes on the table is the North Lake debt service," City Manager Clay Phillips said.

Almost everyone on the council agrees that at some point the city will have to raise taxes to pay down the debt. Some favor phasing in a five-cent increase over two years.

The question at ongoing council meetings is whether to increase taxes this year as residents muddle through a historic recession – especially when their past tax contributions have created a $10 million general fund surplus that is not currently earmarked for other expenditures.

The council is to have a public hearing on the matter Tuesday. It's scheduled to vote on the final rate on Sept. 8.

At last Tuesday's public hearing, more than 150 residents packed the council chambers to show their disdain for higher taxes. Many wore T-shirts that said, "No new taxes."

But some residents say it's not just a possible tax increase that has them stirred up. They say a majority of council members haven't publicly discussed the matter enough.

They wonder whether the issue would be on the table if the next council election wasn't more than 18 months away. And they accuse officials of making up their minds before hearing from residents.

Talks of a recall effort have already begun.

North Lake is just north of LBJ Freeway, connected to Coppell by a small strip of land. But the property borders Coppell and Irving and is mostly in the Coppell school district. Coppell and its school district bought parcels of the land as part of settlement agreements stemming from their opposition to long-held plans for development in the area.

The city issued about $26.5 million in bonds last year to buy about 468 acres, all but about 100 acres of which is lake acreage. The annual payments for the debt are about $2.8 million.

Mayor Jayne Peters wants to hold off at least a year before raising taxes.

"With these economic times, do we need to be raising the tax rate?" she said. "Based on the fund balance, we can afford to absorb it."

But Peters will only get to vote on the matter if there's a tie. And so far, only council member Marvin Franklin has publicly voiced opposition to raising taxes.

The current tax rate is 64.146 cents per $100 of assessment, which amounts to a tax bill of about $1,603.65 for a $250,000 home.

According to a budget memo presented to the council earlier this summer, the tax rate at some point will have to go up to 69.146 cents per $100 of value to service the debt. That's an increase of about $125, or 7.8 percent, for a $250,000 home.

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How To Get the Most Out of this Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:44:00 +0000

I've had a lot of people tell me this is one of the first blogs they have read. A lot of you have also learned about Twitter from this blog.

I decided to put together an informative posting to help those that are new to "social media" to learn even more. If this is all basic for you, just skip this posting!

Have fun and email me if you have any questions...or better yet, leave a comment!

There's a lot of information at your finger tips on the blog. This is designed to help you get a feel of all of the information that is available to you. Click around and explore!

Don't know what Twitter is?

No problem! Watch this quick video!

There's a lot of information at the bottom of each blog posting.

Be sure to read the Comments that have been left and if you want, add your own.

This is one of the best parts about blogs vs. traditional websites or newspapers, because your voice can be heard immediately.

Down the right side of the blog gives you some more navigation.

Check out what former Mayor's have to say about the proposed Property Tax increase.

See the most recent comments and contact me if you would like.

Down the right side of the blog is even more

information for you to dive into. See what

is being said at the @concerncoppell Twitter

page and also what is being said about "coppell"

anywhere and everywhere on Twitter.

Even more information for you to dig into down on the right side of the blog. Click around and see what is available.

If you have some great Coppell websites that I've missed, be sure to email me!

WBAP Reports on the 8/25 City Council Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:52:00 +0000

Conversation Tuesday night during the City Council meeting
Unfortunately, Marvin Franklin wasn't listed in this segment as a Council Member that was opposing the Property Tax increase.

Segment on Wednesday at 3pm

Pictures from the City Council Meeting, 8/25

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:27:00 +0000

www.flickr.com

K. Todd Storch's City of Coppell - No New Taxes photoset

Article in NeighborsGo today

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:14:00 +0000

Link is here

story

Biz Haddock, left, and Tanya VonZurmuehlen sell T-shirts for $3 each before Tuesday’s public hearing regarding Coppell’s proposed property tax rate increase. The T-shirts read, “No Tax Here!!”

contributor information

Lindsey Bever

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WBAP Reports Before the 8/25 City Council Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Here's some audio clips from WBAP's coverage leading up to the 8/25 City Council meeting.

You can follow WBAP on Twitter here

These are from 8/17/09 and 8/18/09:

Last Night's City Council Meeting/Public Hearing - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:31:00 +0000

READ PART 1 HERE

The Public Hearings were now closed and it was time to hear from our elected officials.

I wish I had a transcript of this discussion, but I just don't have the time to go back and listen to the live feed (anyone interested in taking on that project for me???? nudge nudge!!).

What I was able to do was use the Twitter account to provide live feedback. If you don't know about Twitter, I highly recommend you sign up, get a free account and follow @concerncoppell. If that is too much to do, then just save the website bookmark and read frequently.

Billy Faught was the first to speak and he thanked everyone for taking time out of their day and evening to join in this discussion. The citizen's didn't seem to care for his comment Faught: I'm not sure where to go from here. This was a forum for the citizens to discuss. I agree w many of you that this is a hard time

about 11 hours ago from Tweetie
One resident was very frustrated by Mr. Faught's comments that she publicly disagreed with Mr. Faught's comments and left the room. Obviously an awkward moment for the room, Mr. Faught commented, "maybe if I talk longer, everyone will leave". It was definitely said in humor to help the room.
One by one, the City Council members spoke.
Some highlights from the council members that are obviously in favor of some type of tax increase:Mahalik: hate to tell you, but the school system is going to raise taxes on you double digits. u want quality of life, you have to pay 4 it
Faught: we are trying to make right decisions for the future. there are no conspiracies here.
Mahalik: now is the time for hard decisions. we will compromise, i'm sure we will. taxes are coming, it is a matter of when
Tunnell: every meeting is public and you are invited to join us. we have projects that we haven't done so we didn't have to raise taxes
Tunnell: you need to take those $15M of expenses and consider them with Northlake.
Tunnell: we will raise taxes.
Brancheau: we decided last night that we are going to have raise taxes. robbing peter to pay paul isn't the way to run a government
Brancheau: I hope we have the political will to follow through with our agreement to raise taxes
Hunt: we did decide as a group that we will have to raise taxes. we know what deficits are coming.
Hunt: I appreciate all of the additional comments and discussion from the citizens. there won't be 'no new tax'.
Hinojosa-Flores: thank you for being here. i took a paycut last year and i understand about no higher taxes. i hear you loud and clear
Hinojosa-Flores: maybe this isn't the year to raise salaries. maybe next year.
Council Member Franklin was the only member to voice an opinion in opposition to the tax rate increase next year. Some highlights:Franklin: there wasn't a lot of communication at the last meeting. it deserves discussion.
Franklin: we are here to serve and protect you. to help enhance your quality of life. lets state some facts. we have ways to be creative
Franklin: we do not need to raise taxes next year if we are creative. we can do this. i am firm in that. we can keep taxes flat.
Franklin: we are going to have to pay our debt. we will. i don't subscribe to the notion that citizens will forget about Northlake
Franklin: one of the scenarios that city staff put together was a zero increase. it is prudent. we can do it. the risk is marginal.
Franklin: right now, plain 'ol fiscal prudence is necessary. our resources are our people.
Franklin: i will not support any tax increase. [APPLAUSE!!]

Mayor Peters then closed down the meeting with these comments:

Mayor Peters: Representative government is a good thing and our citizens should feel proud about their voice.

Mayor Peters: Ditto to Council Franklin's comments and statements. We don't have to raise taxes next year. And we shouldn't.

Mayor Peters: Next public meeting is September 1st with the vote on September 8th

Some final thoughts I have about last night probably could be summed up by a short conversation I had with a local Coppell newspaper Citizens Advocate's Editor, Jean Murph.

She was sitting next to me at the back of the room and asked me something like, was I happy with Monday night's budget workshop meeting?

My response was something like, 'well, I wouldn't say I was happy about it because all of City Council didn't flush out the final issues that taxes didn't need to be raised next year.'

Then, and this is where it became clear to me why I've been passionate about getting involved with our Municipal government....Ms. Murph asked me why I didn't feel like this issue had been discussed properly, because tonight was the first Public Hearing to do just that.

Reflecting on this question last night and this morning, it hit me that if the citizen's of Coppell hadn't been informed, hadn't had good discussion before Tuesday night's meeting, there was a good chance their voices could not have been heard.

Yes, the City of Coppell does post all of the public meetings on their website the way they need to, but information travels in ways that isn't just one way and as busy as most people are with school starting, there is only so much you can keep up with about every detail.

In fact, that is why we elect City Council members to do this work for us. To keep up with the issues, to understand all the details and represent us.

So my thoughts have come down to a few questions and statements:

If last night was the first Public Hearing...the first night that City Council could hear from the people that elected them, why did Council Member Brancheau say there was an agreement after Monday night's special budget workshop meeting with at least 4 City Council members to raise taxes?

Was the decision to raise taxes going to be made without any public input from the Public Hearings?

Did last night's meeting matter to the majority of our City Council?

What if only a few citizen's were at last night's meeting and didn't know about this until after it was voted and passed on September 8th?

Thank you Marvin Franklin and Mayor Peters for your thought process about next year's taxes.

If it isn't necessary to raise them next year, why would they be raised?

It seems that our Councilmember's need to realize and appreciate public opinion. This type of debate is healthy and necessary to keep the interests of our City at the forefront.

If any City Council members were aggravated or irritated about the amount of people in the room or the applause for speakers opposing a tax rate increase or the freedom to wear a T-Shirt that say's "No New Taxes", then I would ask those City Council members why chose to be elected and why they choose to serve our city and our citizens.

This is one man's opinion, but after speaking and hearing from so many of you, I know I am not alone.

The next Public Hearing is September 1st at 6p. Be there.

Last Night's City Council Meeting/Public Hearing - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Tuesday, 8/25/09 at 730pm, City Council began their meeting (agenda).

The Executive Session/Workshop began at 530p.

Two items on the agenda were designated "Public Hearing"; Item #12 was the proposed '09-'10 budget and Item #13 was the proposed Property Tax increase for the '09-'10 budget.

The room was a standing room only crowd. There were over 100 people that had to stand and then city employees brought out chairs for the outside of city hall for people to sit.

There were plenty of people that had worn their "No New Taxes" white T-Shirts and all ages, men and women proudly displayed their displeasure with City Council's proposed Property Tax increase.

I would estimate that there were over 200 people at the meeting, but I admit, I didn't get a chance to count all of the chairs at the beginning of the meeting to figure out the seating capacity (could someone from the City email me this number?!).

Before the Public Hearing began, Mayor Peters told the room that there was a 60 minute time limit on Item #12 and Item #13 for citizen's comments. She asked for a motion to extend the one hour time block and no City Council member asked for motion to be passed. Mayor Peters explained that each speaker could have up to 5 minutes, but keeping it to the point and taking less than 5 minutes per speaker would allow for more people to speak.

The Public Hearing began and the first citizen to address City Council was a business owner; 'raise taxes and we lose business'.

After each citizen spoke in opposition to the Property Tax increase, there was applause from the crowd. Mayor Peters, repeatedly requested that the applause be kept to a minimum after the speakers or not applaud as a matter of decorum. It was apparent that the applause was irritating a few City Council members, especially Marsha Tunnell and Billy Faught.

Speaker after speaker, citizen after citizen stories were told to the City Council. Stories of how a downturn in the economy has lead to lost jobs, reduced pay and reduced family expenses. Business owners told stories of how the downturn has lead to reducing their staff and cutting expenses. Some tears were shed with some speakers telling their stories of husband's losing jobs and what sacrifices their families had to make over the past year.

There was a shift in the citizen's comments from personal stories of how the economy has hit them, to more focus on what has the City done to trim and cut expenses like the rest of the citizens have had to. The blue signs that have been erected in the city took more than one hit as poor spending as well as the new lit street signs on the traffic lights.

One resident, dedicated his yesterday to read over the 287 page budget to figure out how the city has trimmed expenses to justify a tax increase. He said he couldn't find them.

As the public hearings came to a close, there was anticipation from the room to hear what the City Council members had to say. It seemed fitting that Councilmember Tunnell moved to close discussion on Item #13 as she repeatedly leaned over to ask Mayor Peters to remind the citizens to stop applauding. The allotted time had expired and now, it was time to hear from our elected officials.

Read the details of last night's meeting at the @concerncoppell Twitter feed

Full pictures on Flickr page

Part 2 to follow soon.

Monday Night's Budget Workshop Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:47:00 +0000

The overwhelming response from Coppell citizens lead to a Monday night Budget Workshop meeting. At 6p, there was a special budget workshop (agenda) for City Council and staff to discuss the proposed property tax increase for the '09-'10 budget.

Coppell's city staff put together 5 different scenarios for discussion, ranging from no taxes raised next year to the full 5 cent increase. Each scenario also proposed different tax increases in year 2 and possibility year 3.

The meeting began around 630p and went to 930p and at the end of the night, there seemed to be a compromise met by at least 4 council members. A 2.5 cent property tax increase next year and 2.5 cent property tax increase the following year.

Marvin Franklin led discussion on how a zero tax increase next year made sense as it was one of the fiscally prudent scenarios presented by city staff and that any tax increases for next year wasn't a good solution. Mr. Franklin spent lots of time relaying the voices of Coppell and that if it didn't make fiscal sense to not raise taxes next year, why would the City Council vote in favor of an increase (?).

Both Marsha Tunnell and Tim Branchaeu both worried that another year of no tax increases for debt service for the Northlake bond issuance would be another year that citizens would forget about the debt. Ms. Tunnell said she was in favor of a compromise of a 2.5/2.5 cent increase over the next two years and wouldn't be a City Council that would back down due to an email, name calling campaign or mass hysteria of citizens.

It is very important that you show up at the City Council meeting on Tuesday night. You will have an opportunity to speak and share your thoughts after signing up for Public Hearing item #13.

I will say that tonight was disappointing because increasing taxes next year, even 2.5 cents doesn't make sense when the money is there to pay the debt service without this increase.

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NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND AGENDA, AUGUST 25, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Here is the agenda for Tuesday's night meeting.

If you plan to speak about the proposed Property Tax increase, you will want to sign up for the Public Hearing #13 (see below).

Meeting begins at 730p and you will want to get there a little early to sign up.

NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND AGENDA

AUGUST 25, 2009

JAYNE PETERS,		KAREN HUNT,	Place 7
Mayor		Mayor Pro Tem

TIM BRANCHEAU,	Place 1	MARSHA TUNNELL,	Place 4
BOB MAHALIK,	Place 2	BILLY FAUGHT,	Place 5
BRIANNA HINOJOSA-FLORES,	Place 3	MARVIN FRANKLIN,	Place 6

CLAY PHILLIPS, City Manager

MEETING TIME AND PLACE:

Call to Order	5:30 p.m.	Council Chambers	(Open to the Public)
Executive Session	Immediately Following	1^st Fl. Conf. Room	(Closed to the Public)
Work Session	Immediately Following	1^st Fl. Conf. Room	(Open to the Public)
Regular Session	7:30 p.m.	Council Chambers	(Open to the Public)

Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Coppell, Texas will meet in Regular Called Session on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, at 5:30 p.m. for Executive Session, Work Session will follow immediately thereafter, and Regular Session will begin at 7:30 p.m., to be held at Town Center, 255 Parkway Boulevard, Coppell, Texas.

As authorized by Section 551.071(2) of the Texas Government Code, this meeting may be convened into closed Executive Session for the purpose of seeking confidential legal advice from the City Attorney on any agenda item listed herein.

The City of Coppell reserves the right to reconvene, recess or realign the Work Session or called Executive Session or order of business at any time prior to adjournment.

The purpose of the meeting is to consider the following items:

ITEM # ITEM DESCRIPTION

Call to order.

EXECUTIVE SESSION (Closed to the Public)

Convene Executive Session

Section 551.071, Texas Government Code - Consultation with City Attorney.

Discussion regarding the Northlake Settlement.

WORK SESSION (Open to the Public)

Convene Work Session

Presentation by Michael Morris regarding DART.

Discussion regarding the S. H. 121 Sound Walls.

Discussion regarding the Oak Fest Celebration and the Facilities Use Policy.

Presentation by staff regarding Alternative Fence Materials.

Discussion regarding the Noise Ordinance.

Presentation of Monument honoring Fallen Police Officers.

Discussion of Agenda Items.

Adjourn Work Session.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Service Announcements concerning local civic events and no Council action is required or permitted.

REGULAR SESSION (Open to the Public)

Convene Regular Session.

Invocation.

Pledge of Allegiance.

Report by the Library Board.

Consider approval of a proclamation naming September 7, 2009 as MDA Day, and authorizing the Mayor to sign.

Consider approval of a proclamation naming September 6-12, 2009 as National Payroll Week, and authorizing the Mayor to sign.

Citizens' Appearances.

CONSENT AGENDA

Consider approval of the following consent agenda items:

Consider approval of minutes: August 11, 2009.

Consider approval of authorizing the City Manager to negotiate an Interlocal Agreement with the North Texas Tollway Authority allowing for the painting of the 121 Sound Walls at no expense to the City of Coppell and authorizing the Mayor to sign the Interlocal Agreement.

Consider approval of awarding Bid #Q-0109-01 -Vehicle Exhaust Removal/Filtration System grant to Air Technology Solutions, Inc. in the amount of $106,045.00; and authorizing the City Manager to sign.

Consider approval of an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Coppell, Texas, as amended, by amending Article 6-16, Alcoholic Beverages, Section 6-16-4, City Facilities, to add Subsection “C”, to provide for a permit to consume, possess or sell alcoholic beverages in certain city facilities; providing for the City Manager to establish rules and regulations concerning the granting of the permit; and authorizing the Mayor to sign.

Consider approval of an ordinance approving a negotiated settlement with Atmos Energy Corp., Mid-Tex Division, regarding the Rate Review Mechanism filing and finding the attached Tariffs implementing new rates within the corporate city limits of the City of Coppell are just and reasonable; and authorizing the Mayor to sign.

END OF CONSENT

PUBLIC HEARING:

To receive public comment concerning the proposed 2009-2010 Municipal Budget.

PUBLIC HEARING:

To receive public comment concerning the proposed 2009-2010 tax rate of 0.69146.

Consider approval of an Ordinance of the City of Coppell, Texas, approving an amendment to Ordinance No. 2008-1205, the budget for the Fiscal Year October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009, and authorizing the Mayor to sign.

Consider approval of a resolution authorizing At Your Service Catering and Event Planning as the single vendor for alcohol sales at Oak Fest 2009, implement a $1,000.00 permit fee, authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary permit documents, and authorizing the Mayor to sign the resolution.

City Manager's Report.

Project Update and Future Agendas.

Council Committee Reports.

Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD/Lewisville ISD – Tunnell

Coppell ISD – Mahalik and Hinojosa-Flores.

Coppell Seniors – Brancheau and Faught.

Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition – Peters and Hunt.

DFW Airport Board – Peters.

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) – Brancheau

Metrocrest Hospital Authority – Tunnell.

Metrocrest Medical Foundation – Mahalik.

Metrocrest Medical Services – Hinojosa-Flores.

Metrocrest Social Services – Franklin.

North Texas Council of Governments – Tunnell.

NTCOG/Regional Emergency Management – Faught.

North Texas Commission – Hunt.

Senior Adult Services – Franklin.

Necessary action resulting from Work Session.

Necessary action resulting from Executive Session.

Adjournment.

____________________________________

Jayne Peters, Mayor

CERTIFICATE

I certify that the above Notice of Meeting was posted on the bulletin board at the City Hall of the City of Coppell, Texas on this 21^st day of August, 2009, at __________________.

____________________________________

Libby Ball, City Secretary

DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING THIS AGENDA IS AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE (www.ci.coppell.tx.us) UNDER PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, COUNCIL PACKETS.

PUBLIC NOTICES

STATEMENT FOR ADA COMPLIANCE

The City of Coppell acknowledges its responsibility to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. Thus, in order to assist individuals with disabilities who require special services (i.e. sign interpretative services, alternative audio/visual devices, and amanuenses) for participation in or access to the City of Coppell sponsored public programs, services and/or meetings, the City requests that individuals make requests for these services forty-eight (48) hours ahead of the scheduled program, service and/or meeting. To make arrangements, contact Vivyon V. Bowman, ADA Coordinator or other designated official at (972) 462-0022, or (TDD 1-800-RELAY, TX 1-800-735-2989).

Proposed Coppell City Tax Increase—Public Input is Part of Process

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:38:00 +0000

Editorial: by Lou Duggan

On Aug. 25th the Coppell City Council will meet at City Hall in public hearing for raising city taxes 5 cents. Mayor Jayne Peters has publicly opposed the Council’s proposed tax increase. “In my opinion,” Peters said, “this is not the time for a tax rate increase in the City of Coppell. These are the worst economic conditions that we’ve faced in our entire lifetime. Many families and businesses are struggling. We need to demonstrate a compassion and sensitivity to the plight of our residents and businesses.”

Citizen interest in a public hearing appears to be gaining momentum as a result of the Mayor’s opposition. E-mails are flying across the internet. Citizens are questioning the City’s justification for a tax increase. A lingering recession, some folks living on credit cards to make ends meet, more than 7% unemployment in Coppell, homes in foreclosure, layoffs and fear of job losses rippling throughout North Texas—all these factor into this discussion. Now, combine these factors with some previous issues that have created citizen anger and we have an environment rife with emotion. Contrast the above with the Mayor’s assertion that a no-tax-increase budget could actually cover anticipated and budgeted items and still leave a generous General Fund to cover unexpected shortfalls.

The Mayor is taking the tax rate issue to anyone who will listen. “Between now and the final vote on the budget on September 8,” Peters said, “I make the offer to visit with any group or individual who wants to join the discussion. I want to hear from residents, from business owners, from tax payers. I invite our citizens to join the discussion.”

In their defense, the Council has been seeking public input on the budget process for months. Due to a lack of significant public input, the Mayor has taken the issue to the people. Certainly, now that a budget has been officially presented, the Council will welcome such citizen input. “In this representative form of government,” Peters said, “I welcome the dialog, the discussion, the debate, the deliberation that has to occur when we consider moving forward with a decision of this importance. The debate doesn’t have to be divisive or destructive – I contend that reasonable people can disagree respectfully. However, I do believe that the dialog, discussion, debate, deliberation is an essential element of representative government at its best.”

Keep in mind that public input represents a positive aspect of our government. It is the basis of the democratic process at the grass roots level. And, it is this process that our elected officials are sworn to uphold.

However, contributing to public concern is the belief that the City has not done a good job of demonstrating a real need for a tax increase. The City has officially experienced less than 1% property devaluation compared to last year. Thus, Coppell tax revenues will be close to the same as last year while other cities will experience serious revenue declines. There have been no budget cuts, no perceived cost cutting, no reduction of services, no employee layoffs, and no pay reductions. On the contrary, a no-tax-increase City budget—as affirmed by City staff--would still fund a staff salary increase of 2%. And, the Mayor relates that such a budget—with no tax increase—would also cover debt service, a healthy fund balance, and proposed expenses. Also, such a budget would include funding the Northlake debt service commitment with no anticipated affect on the City’s AAA Bond rating.

So, with citizens cutting back and looking for ways to survive this recessionary time, the Council’s actions don’t create confidence in the need for a tax increase. Therein exists the problem: a real need for a tax increase has not been demonstrated by the City or perceived by the public.

Proposed tax rate increase triggers debate: NeighborsGo Article

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Link: http://www.neighborsgo.com/stories/40879

story

contributor information

Lindsey Bever

All

Surrounding Cities are not raising taxes

noreply@blogger.com (Stay Informed In Coppell) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:23:00 +0000

If you spend just a little time looking to gather information about the city budgeting process, it won't take long to see what other city's plans entail.

Yes, every city has their specific challenges and issues, but I believe it is important to recognize those cities that have been working hard to reduce expenses and keep from raising taxes.

A few items of note:

Carrollton:

MatthewMarchant

Matthew Marchant

Tonight Council tentatively agreed on a budget without raising taxes. Kudos to the 'new guys' for hanging in there. Final vote next month.9:56 PM Aug 18th from web
We are within $70k of balancing our ~$80mm general fund budget even though we have 3.7% less revenue this year compared to last year.

10:00 PM Aug 9th from web

Cedar Hill:

WadeEmmert
Wade Emmert

Budget done! No tax increase and no layoffs. Result of fiscal discipline during good years. #goodgovernment5:18 PM Aug 14th from Ping.fm

Plano:
Plano rethinking Property Tax Hike

If you know of any other links that would be informative, please leave a comment!

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More information about the event: Parks and Recreation Department 972-462-5100 fax 972-462-5149 parks@ci.coppell.tx.us	To Volunteer on the Coppell CREW: 972-462-5181 slewis@ci.coppell.tx.us
Food Vendor Applications Now Available Vendor Application Deadline is Oct. 2, 2009 Temporary Food Permit Vendor Application