Douglas Athas, City Council District 1

04/30/10

Before the Dust Settles on Brand Road - Categories: Opinions, Development, Taxes & Budget - Douglas @ 12:16:24 pm

*Truckloads of dirt from construction of the SH-190 Eastern Extension are being transferred to GISD property on Brand Rd.*

A number of people couldn't help but notice all the dirt being dumped on a lot at the northeasterly corner of Brand Rd and SH-190. Trucks form a line bringing dirt to the site and leaving for more. Traffic is kept slowly moving by workers with signs, alternately giving permission to proceed between vehicles on the road and trucks coming from the site.

Karel Holloway, Dallas Morning News reporter, gave an early alert to readers on the DMN Garland Blog of the efforts:

Company dishing the dirt on Garland schools

9:57 PM Sun, Feb 07, 2010
Karel Holloway/Reporter

***

The construction company working on the extension of Bush toll road needs to get rid of about 90,000 cubic yards of dirt. And the district needs clean fill dirt for a site at Highway 190 and Brand. The company has agreed to donate the dirt to the district.

Jess Hudson, executive director of facilities, estimated that the fill dirt would cost about a half-million dollars if the district had to buy it. The district still needs another 200,000 cubic yards and hopes at least part of that will be donated as well.

The dirt will be used to fill in the back portion of the site, bringing it out of the flood plain. Tress in that area will not be disturbed, Hudson said.

While the subject involved some serious money, it didn't keep board members from joking about "dishing the dirt" on the district.

The property was bought by the Garland Independent School District several years ago and has been the object of rumors ever since. Originally said to be the possible site of a future elementary or middle school, the property is now classified by the district as excess property. It is expected that the property will eventually be sold. Zoned "Agricultural," almost any future development will require a zoning change and an approval process that involves notices to neighbors and will ultimately be decided by the Council.

As noted above in Karel's report, much of the land is in the Spring Creek flood plain and, as can be seen in the photo, there is a strong drop from the front of the property at the road to the back. Eventual development would have probably involved exactly this same type of fill efforts but would have required trucks bringing expensive dirt from much further away. Free dirt now is a boon to the district and to taxpayers. The value of the land is enhanced, which will someday translate to an easy profit to the district. Higher land value also generally translates to better development.

Meanwhile, I know neighbors are looking forward to when the dust settles.

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[Contact Numbers—City Departments] [Citizen's Request Center]
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Reminder Saturday: Youth Job Fair and Free Trees! - Categories: Announcements, Neighborhoods, Utilities - Douglas @ 12:04:54 pm

Saturday is going to be a busy day across the city with numerous events scheduled by different groups. Two that I wanted to remind readers of:

City of Garland News Release:

Garland Youth Council Hosts Career Fair

When: Saturday, May 1, 2010

9 a.m. – noon

Where: Richland College Garland Campus

675 W. Walnut Street

Downtown Garland

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, the City of Garland Youth Council will host a Career Fair in partnership with Richland College. The purpose of the event is to help teens learn how to turn their talents and interests into a potential career.

The Career Fair will offer teens the opportunity to meet and talk with career representatives from a broad range of fields including public safety, communications, finance, hospitality, retail, business management, health care and many more. Students will be able to learn what experience and training is required for various career opportunities, and ask career representatives about their experiences working in those fields. Representatives from Richland College and the Garland Independent School District will share information about their career and technology training programs.

A series of presentations will offer insight on specific topics. The presentation schedule is as follows:

9:30 a.m. – Entrepreneurship: Being Your Own Boss

10 a.m. – Turning Your Talents Into a Career Opportunity

10:30 a.m. – Interviewing Skills: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

11 a.m. – Turning Your Talents Into a Career Opportunity

11:30 a.m. – Training & Education Options to Meet Your Goals

Door prizes will be awarded during each presentation. The event is free and open to all teens and their parents.

The Garland Youth Council is appointed by the Garland City Council to provide a form, which educates Garland’s youth to various workings of City government, and allows youth to voice ideas and concerns. All Garland teens are invited to participate in Youth Council meetings and activities. For more information, visit www.GarlandYouthCouncil.org.

City of Garland News Release

Tree Giveaway Set for April 24

The "Tree Power Free Tree" program teams Garland Power & Light with the Parks & Recreation Department to provide a free tree for Garland residents in an effort to conserve energy and beautify the community.

The “Tree Power Free Tree” program will start at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 24 at the Haskell L. Roach Garden Center, located in Winters Park, 1221 Spring Creek Drive. Staff will provide trees until 5 p.m., or until the supply of trees is gone. The supply is limited, so come early.

In order to receive your one free tree you must show you are Garland resident by providing a Texas drivers license with a Garland address or a City of Garland utility bill. Participants will be directed to line up on the southbound lane of Spring Creek Drive next to Winters Softball Complex. One tree per residence please.

The trees are Shummard Red Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Bur Oak, and Live Oak, four to six feet tall. Planting and care instructions will be provided. For more information call 972-205-3588.

Shummard Red Oak
Source: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

04/29/10

Your Non-Profit to Lose Tax Break? - Categories: Neighborhoods, Taxes & Budget - Douglas @ 11:55:54 am

From Accountants World newsletter:

One-Fourth of Nonprofits Are to Lose Tax Breaks

As many as 400,000 nonprofit organizations are weeks away from a doomsday.

At midnight on May 15, an estimated one-fifth to one-quarter of some 1.6 million charities, trade associations and membership groups will lose their tax exemptions, thanks to a provision buried in a 2006 federal bill aimed at pension reform.

"It’s going to be an unholy mess once these organizations realize what’s happened to them," said Diana Aviv, president of the Independent Sector, a nonprofit trade group.

The federal legislation passed in 2006 required all nonprofits to file tax forms the following year. Previously, only organizations with revenues of $25,000 or more — or the vast majority of nonprofit groups — had to file.

The new law, embedded in the 393 pages of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, also directed the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax exemptions of groups that failed to file for three consecutive years. Three years have passed, and thus the deadline looms.

Bill Solomon, who founded Titan Youth Development in Brooklyn to provide after-school youth sports programs, first learned about the law when a reporter called to inquire about his organization’s status. The charity received its tax exemption in 2005 — but it did not start operations until last year.

"It was merged with another nonprofit — or I guess more like operated under the other nonprofit," Mr. Solomon said. "I let this one be dormant for a while."

He said Titan had brought in about $100,000 in revenue in 2009 through fees for service and private donations, so although he did not know about the law, he has an accountant working to prepare tax forms.

The I.R.S. has long complained it lacks adequate data on nonprofit groups because so many of them did not file tax forms. Without basic facts about organizations, the agency has little chance of overseeing one of the most generous tax breaks the federal government offers.

Donors, whose appetite for information about nonprofit groups has increased exponentially in recent years, also struggle, said Robert G. Ottenhoff, who runs GuideStar, an online database of nonprofit tax forms and analysis that many donors rely on. "This is a good thing for the nonprofit sector, even though it will no doubt create a hardship for a pretty significant number of organizations," Mr. Ottenhoff said.

Ms. Aviv agreed, though she said she wished Congress had asked the I.R.S. to suspend, rather than revoke, the exemptions of nonprofits that miss the deadline.

"We need some way of tracking organizations," she said. "The system we have right now gives you no real idea of who’s in and who’s not — and how can you manage a system if you don’t know who’s in or out of it?"

The I.R.S. would rather not revoke exemptions, either, and it has made a Herculean effort to let organizations at risk know it. For example, in 2007, it sent 665,000 letters to nonprofit groups that fell below the $25,000 threshold and those above that level that had not filed.

Lois G. Lerner, director of the exempt organizations division of the I.R.S, said that while groups would lose their exemptions effective May 16, the I.R.S. would probably not send out notices until January to give nonprofits a chance to bring themselves into compliance with the law. Donors to affected groups will be able to take a deduction for gifts until formal notification is received by the recipient organization.

Small organizations are the most likely to be hit. Experts say it is likely that many of them are inactive and were unaware of the requirement that they inform the I.R.S. when they closed their doors.

"We are moving very cautiously," Ms. Lerner said. "The last thing we want to do is revoke the exemption of someone who has already filed."

The information above could easily affect neighborhood and smaller homeowner associations, and perhaps other small organizations where District 1 residents are involved and might want to assure there are no unintended consequences. As said to me: "Luckily, most [non-profits] have receipts exceeding $25,000 and file the Form 990 and are, therefore, not affected. However, they may be involved in smaller non-profit organizations and might appreciate this information."

A Hat Tip to Susan H and John D!

04/26/10

To Err Is Human; Being Correct Is Okay, Too - Categories: Health - Douglas @ 12:56:39 pm

There has been some reaction to my post last week listing the policies the city currently follows in regard to euthanasia at our animal shelter. The preferred practice is to use injection in most cases but the staff reserves the right to use carbon monoxide euthanasia in limited circumstances. In that post I stated that our methods are recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States as humane. In an earlier post, I noted that injection is the preferred method by both organizations and have stated that carbon monoxide euthanasia is considered humane only under specific conditions, all of which our shelter meets and the guidelines published by both organizations are strictly followed.

In an e-mail copied to the Council today, inclusion of the HSUS was called an "egregious error."

Not so: the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, a program of the HSUS, states on their website, copyrighted as of 2010, "It was recommended that carbon monoxide be described only as conditionally acceptable for dogs and cats and wildlife, with emphasis placed on the condition of the chamber and the barrel and the loading of animals into the chamber." The guidelines from the HSUS aren't secret; they are broadly posted, even at the Humane Society International.

Nothing has ever been posted to this blog knowingly incorrect and will never be. Any of us can err and I have been wrong, either by typo or reliance on a bad report. Those instances are always corrected when I learn of them. (And if the error could have led to a faulty conclusion, the error is ~~struck~~ and the correct information inserted immediately following. Typos are just corrected.) Most information presented here is linked to a substantiating source. Posts containing mere Opinion are clearly categorized. While significant effort is made to be completely accurate in all statements, should you ever find any statement that is blatantly wrong, I hope you will let me know!

04/23/10

Mixing Cell Phones and School Zones - Categories: Opinions, Public Safety, Transportation - Douglas @ 11:42:44 pm

Garland is in the news again and its unclear if its in a good way or bad way. CBS 11 News aired a story (video on right) last night that claimed Garland was maybe the only city in North Texas not enforcing the state's new no-cell-phones-in-school-zones law. That same law requires that signs be erected at all school zones before it can be enforced and we haven't done that. Their claim is that we intentionally have not done so. Since the entire Council has not discussed it since the law passed, that claim is not literally true. There are two reasons we haven't discussed it. First, we spent a lot of time discussing it a couple years ago and chose to not pass a local ordinance, and, second, I believe the Public Safety Committee looked at it, chose to recommend "no action," and any possible initiative died there.

The story claims there are no plans to change "despite protests from parents." I'm sure most parents would do anything to make the world safer for all children. However, on this subject, I've found very few that think the ban would actually make anyone safer. The first emotional response is "sure, we need a ban" but no facts support that it makes children safer.

It's very unclear what story the reporter wants to tell. He claims "while traffic zooms by in a school zone" but the video shows drivers hitting the brakes to slow to 20 mph. The station shows examples of drivers on phones, from inside [!] and outside the vehicle. The inside shot looks to have conifers on a hill in the distance, which is very unGarland-like and wasn't shot is a school zone. The video shows drivers with cell phones to their ears but it all looks to have been inserted to dramatize. Obviously the cell phone signs are not in Garland. Much of the video isn't Garland. A part that apparently was in Garland, a resident does report she's seen it happen twice.

In contradiction to most of the worries expressed in the story, in the last moments the reporter recounts "A recent study in three states by the Highway Loss Data Institute found cell phone bans have failed to reduce the number of collisions." Ironically, CBS 11 covered that story on Jan 29 soon after it was released, saying: "The study, from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found no reduction in the number of crashes in states with laws that ban handheld cell phone use. There is also no indication that the rise in cell phone use has led to a spike in car crashes, nor any difference in the number of crashes among handheld cell phone users and hands-free cell phone users."

Highway Loss Data Institute News Release, Jan 29:

Laws banning cellphone use while driving fail to reduce crashes, new insurance data indicate

ARLINGTON, VA — As state legislators across the United States enact laws that ban phoning and/or texting while driving, a new Highway Loss Data Institute study finds no reductions in crashes after hand-held phone bans take effect. Comparing insurance claims for crash damage in 4 US jurisdictions before and after such bans, the researchers find steady claim rates compared with nearby jurisdictions without such bans. The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

HLDI researchers calculated monthly collision claims per 100 insured vehicle years (a vehicle year is 1 car insured for 1 year, 2 insured for 6 months each, etc.) for vehicles up to 3 years old during the months immediately before and after hand-held phone use was banned while driving in New York (Nov. 2001), the District of Columbia (July 2004), Connecticut (Oct. 2005), and California (July 2008). Comparable data were collected for nearby jurisdictions without such bans. This method controlled for possible changes in collision claim rates unrelated to the bans — changes in the number of miles driven due to the economy, seasonal changes in driving patterns, etc.

Month-to-month fluctuations in rates of collision claims in jurisdictions with bans didn't change from before to after the laws were enacted. Nor did the patterns change in comparison with trends in jurisdictions that didn't have such laws.

"The laws aren't reducing crashes, even though we know that such laws have reduced hand-held phone use, and several studies have established that phoning while driving increases crash risk," says Adrian Lund, president of both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and HLDI. For example, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study that relies on driver phone records found a 4-fold increase in the risk of injury crashes. A study in Canada found a 4-fold increase in the risk of crashes involving property damage. Separate surveys of driver behavior before and after hand-held phone use bans show reductions in the use of such phones while driving.

The HLDI database doesn't identify drivers using cellphones when their crashes occur. However, reductions in observed phone use following bans are so substantial and estimated effects of phone use on crash risk are so large that reductions in aggregate crashes would be expected. In New York the HLDI researchers did find a decrease in collision claim frequencies, relative to comparison states, but this decreasing trend began well before the state's ban on hand-held phoning while driving and actually paused briefly when the ban took effect. Trends in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, and California didn't change.

"So the new findings don't match what we already know about the risk of phoning and texting while driving," Lund points out. "If crash risk increases with phone use and fewer drivers use phones where it's illegal to do so, we would expect to see a decrease in crashes. But we aren't seeing it. Nor do we see collision claim increases before the phone bans took effect. This is surprising, too, given what we know about the growing use of cellphones and the risk of phoning while driving. We're currently gathering data to figure out this mismatch."

HLDI researchers compared the District of Columbia's collision claim frequency trend not only with statewide trends in Virginia and Maryland but also with the trend in the nearby city of Baltimore. Again, the finding is no difference in the pattern of collision claims. Nor were any differences apparent when the researchers applied a time-based regression model to claims data for each of the study and comparison jurisdictions.

Lund points to factors that might be eroding the effects of hand-held phone bans on crashes. One is that drivers in jurisdictions with such bans may be switching to hands-free phones because no US state currently bans all drivers from using such phones. In this case crashes wouldn't go down because the risk is about the same, regardless of whether the phones are hand-held or hands-free. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia do prohibit beginning drivers from using any type of phone, including hands-free, but such laws are difficult to enforce. This was the finding in North Carolina, where teenage drivers didn't curtail phone use in response to a ban, in part because they didn't think the law was being enforced.

"Whatever the reason, the key finding is that crashes aren't going down where hand-held phone use has been banned," Lund points out. "This finding doesn't auger well for any safety payoff from all the new laws that ban phone use and texting while driving."

There is no data to support the effectiveness of bans. So far, studies show that such laws are just "feel good" laws. Consider:

In extensive online searches, I could not find a reported pedestrian accident in a school zone involving a driver on a cell phone.
One study said cell phones are the number one distraction while driving but that represented only 7% of the range of distractions, leaving the other 93% of distracted drivers unaffected and no benefit from a cell phone ban.
Texting while driving has become a much higher distraction and danger than simply talking. Such bans seldom cover texting because the phone is not next to the ear.
Most cell phone ban laws exempt hands-free use yet the distraction is the same.

"Feeling good" can make us less safe. If bans don't protect pedestrians or children, that means the danger is still there and is as great as ever. If the bans gives any false hope to a pedestrian or child that they are suddenly safer and that causes them to let their guard down to any degree, they are obviously in more danger than when they are alert and realize that all street crossings are dangerous.

2 comments

04/22/10

The Reprehensible Mr Athas - Categories: Opinions, Health - Douglas @ 05:42:56 pm

As well documented on this blog, a number of people from across the country have expressed their opposition to some of the city's animal control policies, especially methods of euthanasia. Our current policy states : "[S]taff at the Garland Animal Shelter will [use] injection of sodium pentobarbital for the vast majority of animals that must be humanely euthanized. Only vicious dogs, feral cats, wild animals, or other animals that present a significant danger to shelter staff when handled will continue to be humanely euthanized via respiration of carbon monoxide."

It is the latter method—carbon monoxide—to which they object, insisting it is inhumane. However, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States recognize two forms of euthanasia as humane: sodium pentobarbital injection and carbon monoxide inhalation. Every inspection has verified that our shelter operates only within the guidelines. At least one member of the media has witnessed and reported on the method.

Over the past year, animal shelter staff and administrators have made a number of changes and focused additional resources to increasing adoptions. The Council increased the size of our Animal Services Advisory Committee and it has been meeting more often. They have been working on several recommendations to come to the Council. There is no question that there was room for improvements and further improvements are ongoing, but the constraints weren't inhumanity but shelter size, number of personnel, and budget limitations. Those impediments still remain as challenges but our animal staff has accepted the challenges and moved forward.

The city manager, as part of his 2010 Management Agenda, has committed to: Increase Animal Adoption Rate through the Animal Shelter.

Increase Animal Shelter visitors through more public awareness; allocate staff time to enhance work with animal rescue groups and the community to promote animal reclaims, adoptions, and rescues,
Present a departmental policy change that will regulate the enclosure requirements for pit bull terriers or crossbreeds thereof,
Implement a new humane euthanasia policy that will minimize the use of carbon monoxide,
Continue solicitation of donations to defer some budgetary costs of Animal Shelter operations, and
Hold multiple community-wide adoption/registration events.

While some of the protesters may have been satisfied, it is apparent that others are not. Council members have been told they would try to unseat us. Unfounded supposition and misinformation are regularly spread in emails and on the Internet. It has been charged that we are damaging the reputation of the city yet they have attempted over and over to do just that.

A couple days ago, Council members received four emails with identical messages from the same company. I offered to company management to share factual information. I have since learned that those sending the emails did not represent company views and were violating company policies. Rather than react with contrition, their tactic has been to continue their attacks. This email was received today by the Mayor and Council:

THE REPREHENSIBLE DOUGLAS ATHAS

Yes, Mr. Athas’ bad behavior today has been widely circulated. For those of you not aware of his antics, Mr. Athas as many of you did received e-mails from a Garland Citizen and some of her co-workers asking that the Gassing be discontinued at the Shelter. They made the mistake of sending the messages from their work e-mail addresses.

Mr. Athas took it upon himself to look up the name of the CEO of this woman’s employer, make unsolicited contact with this CEO, and promise to forward any future messages to him. You may read for yourselves below.

"We seem to have a sudden rash of interest by your employees into our animal control center. Unfortunately, they seem to be poorly informed of our policies and the actual practices of our animal control department. If you would like factual information to share with employees, we would be happy to provide it. I will forward other messages from your company. Thank you, Douglas Athas."

By taking the time to look up the CEO of this company, and sending him this message unsolicited, Mr. Athas clearly demonstrates malicious intent. It is not the role of a City Council Person to endanger or put at risk the livelihood of a citizen. Nor, is the role of a City Council Person to engage in actions that could be considered intimidating, thus violating a citizen’s civil right to express their opinions. There is no excuse for Mr. Athas’ behavior.

At the very least, Mr. Athas owes this lady a written apology. Further, I am asking you, Mr. Mayor, and the Council to hold Mr. Athas accountable for this inappropriate behavior in the form of Public Censure. If you fail to do so, then you endorse his behavior and that would make you as reprehensible as he is.

Mr. Mayor, I expect no response from the Council, but I would like a response from you. You have always taken the moral high road since I have known you and I would be disappointed if you did not do so now.

The night before, I received a voicemail from a woman at a blocked number:

I don't live in your city—I live in Houston—and I'm very active in letting the world know that your city council gasses animals, and I just read on the gassing Garland website that you contacted a CFO of a company complaining because people in his company contacted your office regarding gassing animals. If that is not a Nazi...type...of thing to do, I don't know what is. We live in a free world and people are allowed to complain and you don't need to go the a CFO to let him know his employees are doing that. That, mister, is the worst thing any human being can do...besides gassing animals. You are a...worthless...piece of trash.

My entire message to the company is accurately presented above. No complaining. No attacking anyone. Everything that has been said is based on that single message. Obviously my offer to share the facts rather than emotion was not well received by some. It is point blank stated that I'm at fault for the improper actions of others; they are the innocents. You can see the other logical inconsistencies in the accusations—I don't need to dwell on them and choose not to.

Rather than ignoring scientific facts and blaming others, I would prefer to once again encourage those that want to help to do so in constructive ways. Our animal shelter is too small: help raise funds for a new one because there will be no bond packages for several years. We have limited personnel: work amiably with our staff to reduce their time constraints and burdens rather than the opposite. We have a very limited budget and it won't be better for several years: every bit of help to the animals goes a long way.

PS Comments are usually left open for a few days or maybe even as long as the most recent ten posts are still up. They are intentionally disabled for this post. I just didn't see much possibility of intelligent discourse, but more likely: "He's right" or "They're right" or more name calling. If there is something constructive to be done, we'll see that in deeds, not words.

04/20/10

Results: Another Front to Stop Drug Abuse - Categories: Police Department, Health - Douglas @ 11:53:03 pm

Garland Police News Release:

Operation Medicine Drop Results

This past Saturday Garland Police and the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association sponsored Operation Medicine Drop in an effort to collect unused and expired medications from Garland citizens. After the medications are collected, they are properly and safely disposed of.

Garland Officers, DEA personnel along with Citizen Police Academy Alumni staffed Operation Medicine Drop from two Garland locations. The groups took in a wide variety of medications consisting of liquids and ointments, syringes containing injectable solutions, vials of injectable solutions, medicated patches and almost 40,000 pills or capsules. The medications collected Saturday weighed in at 89.90 pounds.

This first program for Garland was deemed a success and there are plans for future drop offs. Officials believe this is another way to help in the fight against drug abuse.

Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse!

Do You Know the 13 Commandments? - Categories: Neighborhoods - Douglas @ 11:51:17 pm

The Good Neighbor Commandments

Having a good neighbor starts with being a good neighbor. Are you following the 13 Good Neighbor Commandments?

Thou shalt keep thy property free of debris, high grass, and junk cars.

Thou shalt know the names and phone numbers of at least two neighbors on thy block or street.

Thou shalt not offend thy neighbors by playing music too loud.

Thou shalt not speed on residential streets.

Thou shalt not block thy neighbor's driveway.

Thou shalt not leave thy trash bin and recycle bin on the curb after the trash pick up day.

Thou shalt remove all holiday lights when the holiday season ends.

Thou shalt call the police upon witnessing any suspicious activity in the neighborhood.

Thou shalt supervise thy children when playing in the neighborhood.

Thou shalt not hold a grudge against thy neighbor for more than one week.

Thou shalt help thy neighbor when thou hast the opportunity.

Thou shalt keep thy dog quiet during the night, no matter how thou wisheth to remain in thy comfortable bed.

Thou shalt keep thy dog (and vicious cats) on a leash at all times.

The list above is from the recent issue of Neighborhood Chatter, printed by the city's Office of Neighborhood Vitality. You can view the whole issue here. Information on subscribing was posted here. It's not too late!

Being a Tree City - Categories: Parks & Recreation, Utilities - Douglas @ 11:32:58 pm

Shummard Red Oak
Source: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

City of Garland News Release

Tree Giveaway Set for April 24

The "Tree Power Free Tree" program teams Garland Power & Light with the Parks & Recreation Department to provide a free tree for Garland residents in an effort to conserve energy and beautify the community.

The “Tree Power Free Tree” program will start at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 24 at the Haskell L. Roach Garden Center, located in Winters Park, 1221 Spring Creek Drive. Staff will provide trees until 5 p.m., or until the supply of trees is gone. The supply is limited, so come early.

In order to receive your one free tree you must show you are Garland resident by providing a Texas drivers license with a Garland address or a City of Garland utility bill. Participants will be directed to line up on the southbound lane of Spring Creek Drive next to Winters Softball Complex. One tree per residence please.

The trees are Shummard Red Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Bur Oak, and Live Oak, four to six feet tall. Planting and care instructions will be provided. For more information call 972-205-3588.

04/16/10

Reminder: Recycle Old and Unused Medicines - Categories: Police Department - Douglas @ 06:00:00 am

Garland Police Department News Release:

Operation Medicine Drop

Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse!

When: Saturday, April 17, 2010

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Garland Police Department Old Fire Station #4

1891 Forest Lane 3424 Broadway

The Garland Police Department and the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association want you to participate in Operation Medicine Drop. Garland residents are asked to clean out their medicine cabinets of unused or expired medications and prescriptions. Then bring them to the Garland Police Department building at 1891 Forest Lane or the Old Fire Station #4 at 3424 Broadway. Drop-offs can be made between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Garland Police will dispose of these expired and unused medications properly.

04/15/10

Speaking of GYC: Job Fair - Categories: News - Douglas @ 12:13:36 pm

City of Garland News Release:

Garland Youth Council Hosts Career Fair

When: Saturday, May 1, 2010

9 a.m. – noon

Where: Richland College Garland Campus

675 W. Walnut Street

Downtown Garland

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, the City of Garland Youth Council will host a Career Fair in partnership with Richland College. The purpose of the event is to help teens learn how to turn their talents and interests into a potential career.

The Career Fair will offer teens the opportunity to meet and talk with career representatives from a broad range of fields including public safety, communications, finance, hospitality, retail, business management, health care and many more. Students will be able to learn what experience and training is required for various career opportunities, and ask career representatives about their experiences working in those fields. Representatives from Richland College and the Garland Independent School District will share information about their career and technology training programs.

A series of presentations will offer insight on specific topics. The presentation schedule is as follows:

9:30 a.m. – Entrepreneurship: Being Your Own Boss

10 a.m. – Turning Your Talents Into a Career Opportunity

10:30 a.m. – Interviewing Skills: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

11 a.m. – Turning Your Talents Into a Career Opportunity

11:30 a.m. – Training & Education Options to Meet Your Goals

Door prizes will be awarded during each presentation. The event is free and open to all teens and their parents.

The Garland Youth Council is appointed by the Garland City Council to provide a form, which educates Garland’s youth to various workings of City government, and allows youth to voice ideas and concerns. All Garland teens are invited to participate in Youth Council meetings and activities. For more information, visit www.GarlandYouthCouncil.org.

04/14/10

Inside Look to Garland Youth Council - Categories: Guest Bloggers, Boards & Commissions - Douglas @ 05:55:20 pm

Several Garland students from Distict 1 serve on the Garland Youth Council. The youngest is Paige Pospisil. She originally wrote the following article for The Greenskeeper, the newsletter of the The Greens of Firewheel and the Greens Estates homeowner associations. She (and her family) have consented to share it with District 1 readers as a Guest Blogger.

When appointing representatives to the GYC, I look for several qualities. Maybe the most important to me is the ability to communicate effectively, to write well. Numerous applications each year are not proofread before being submitted. To the round file. Others say their reason is that it would look good on their resume or college application. Same file. Honesty counts but it doesn't overcome other deficiencies. Paige urges other students to apply. I wholeheartedly endorse her suggestion and additional information is here. If you know someone interested, do encourage them...and suggest they proofread their application.

Paige makes it obvious that she communicates well. Our district is fortunate to have such outstanding members serving as our representatives .

By Paige Pospisil
District 1 Representative
Garland Youth Council

Garland Youth Council Provides a Wonderful Experience

*Paige Pospisil*

Hi, my name is Paige Pospisil. I am a member of the Garland Youth Council (GYC) and a sophomore at Naaman Forest High School. I have served on the Garland Youth Council since my appointment in July 2009. This is the first year in which sophomores have been selected to serve, so I am especially honored to have been chosen.

The Garland Youth Council is a great group of bright, highly motivated, and community-minded high school students who bring a wealth of ideas together to help Garland teenagers learn about the effects of drugs, alcohol, and teenage driving. The entire GYC is dedicated to encouraging teens to becoming more involved in the community and being aware of driving safely. One of the Youth Council’s goals continues to be to help stop the number one killer of teenagers in America – car crashes.

Last October, four members of the Garland Youth Council were appointed to the 2009-10 Congressional Youth Advisory Council by U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd District – Texas). Congressman Johnson selected 45 students for this honor.

Benefits of Teens in the Driver Seat Program
In 2007, the GYC and student representatives from all seven Garland ISD high school campuses launched the ‘Teens in the Driver Seat’ (TDS) Program in our area. This teen-led initiative emphasizes the dangers most common to young drivers: driving at night, cell phone use/texting, speeding, low seat belt use, and alcohol. The program’s goal is to make teen drivers and their passengers more aware of the behaviors that put them at greater risk of being involved in a car crash. The program utilizes the power of peer-to-peer communication to spread its message. The TDS student representatives and school sponsors attend some of our meetings. Together we develop awareness programs to help educate teens about safe driving.

There is some great news to report! Researchers from the Teens in the Driver Seat Center of the Texas Transportation Institute reviewed both driver behavior and crash statistics in Garland and Mesquite during two periods: from 2002 through 2005, and 2006 through 2009. While both cities experienced improvements during the study period, those in Garland were more dramatic:

The number of teen crash fatalities in Garland dropped from 9 to 1. The number in Mesquite fell from 4 to 2.
The percentage of all crashes that involved a teen driver in Garland dropped from 28 percent to 16 percent. In Mesquite, that percentage fell from 24 percent to 22 percent.
In addition, Garland teens also demonstrated higher seat belt use and lower cell phone use behind the wheel than their counterparts in Mesquite.

The researchers attribute the improvements to a combination of two factors: the state’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) law – which places restrictions on drivers for the first year that they hold a license – and the Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) Program, which is designed to reinforce the GDL law through peer influence. The TDS Program has been active in Garland’s seven high schools since 2006, whereas the program is not active in Mesquite.

While serving on the Council, I have met a lot of really fun people and especially appreciate the support of Mrs. Dorothy White and Mr. Daniel Krzyzanowski, City of Garland employees who serve as staff liaisons for the Garland Youth Council. They have great ideas for the meetings and really know how to run the Council. My extremely busy academic and extracurricular activities have resulted in me missing a few meetings. Fortunately, they are flexible and understanding about other commitments that Youth Council members have throughout the year. We meet twice a month; at one meeting, a guest speaker talks about drug abuse, balancing money, or a specific occupation. (The Garland Youth Council is very fortunate to have outside speakers to share their experience, skills, and knowledge.) During the second meeting, we plan events and discuss upcoming activities in Garland.

Events Conducted by the GYC
We try to present events throughout the year and offer fun things to help get kids more involved with the community. In September 2009, GYC had a booth at the Special Events Center that featured information about teenage driving and safety precautions regarding driving. GYC sang Christmas carols at a retirement home for Christmas.

On March 6, The Garland Youth Council hosted its annual “Teens in the Driver Seat” Day event at Firewheel Town Center. The event focused on safe driving for teens. Each student team facilitated a game or activity to help their peers understand these important safety messages. Some of those activities included a chance to wear a special set of goggles that simulated the effects of alcohol, participation in a seatbelt pledge drive, and much more.

On May 1, at Richland College in downtown Garland, the GYC is hosting a big career fair so families can talk with different company representatives about jobs and gain more information about a specific occupation of interest.

We have more events planned for the year. You can get more information about upcoming events, the Garland Youth Council, Teens in the Driver Seat Program, and other organizations at www.garlandyouthcouncil.org or by calling 972-205-2879.

Consider Applying for the GYC
I definitely recommend submitting an application to join the Garland Youth Council if you are going to be a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior next year. It’s been a lot of fun and a great experience for me! Applications are currently being taken and should be submitted by May 14, 2010 to Mrs. Dorothy White. The process includes completing an application, getting two letters of recommendation, and writing a paper about how you could help or benefit being in this group. We will really miss all of the seniors that will be leaving next year!

04/13/10

Trash-Off: Don't Mess with Garland - Categories: Parks & Recreation, Health - Douglas @ 06:28:25 pm

City of Garland News Release:

Record Numbers Participate in Garland Trash Off

How much litter can a group of volunteers collect in 3 hours? In Garland 600 volunteers can collect more than 4 tons of litter on a sunny Saturday morning, while enjoying the great outdoors and participating in a project that helps beautify all of Garland.

Keep Garland Beautiful hosted the Don’t Mess With Texas Trash Off on April 10 and witnessed a record turnout to pick up litter in neighborhoods, around schools, in parks and along streets. More than 500 volunteers returned to Granger Recreation Center for the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic, door prizes and awards.

Nicholas Hasselschwert turned in four full bags to win the award for Most Litter Collected by an Individual. Nicholas mentioned that he collects litter almost every weekend. LDS Church Fourth Ward won the prize for signing up 150 volunteers and returning the most litter. They returned 103 bags and countless other items too large to bag. The Garland High School National Honor Society won the Most Unusual Item Found Award for retrieving a child’s pink and purple bicycle buried in mud in a creek.

"Volunteers working for a common cause can make a real difference in a city’s appearance," remarked Lorrie Reeves, City of Garland Environmental Waste Services Project Coordinator. "We appreciate everyone who picked up litter and celebrated with us. We also thank our sponsors who helped make our event successful."

04/12/10

Will Dallas Vision Migrate to Garland? - Categories: Opinions, Transportation, Development - Douglas @ 12:35:36 pm

Today's Dallas Mornting News, Metro section, carries a story on the Garland Road Vision Study that has been underway in Dallas. I was representing Garland at the Regional Transportation Council meeting when the grant was approved for NCTCOG to help fund the study. There has since been a series of meetings with stakeholders as a part of the visioning process. It has been my hope that the vision would be one that could be a boost to the area and naturally transcend to Garland.

Garland Ave on our side of the city limit is one of the areas that the staff has been working with consultants to study as part of the economic component of Envision Garland.

Garland Ave is a major entryway to the whole of Garland. Our long range success as a city is strongly affected by how we address our side of Garland Ave/Rd and will be strongly affected by how Dallas addresses their side. Right now, the challenges are very similar. To say that I'm anxiously waiting to see the results of both studies is an understatement.

From the Dallas Morning News:

A vision takes shape for Garland Road

12:56 AM CDT on Monday, April 12, 2010
By NANCY VISSER / The Dallas Morning News
nvisser@dallasnews.com

Picture this vision of Garland Road in East Dallas:

New development south of the White Rock Lake spillway offers apartments, shops and restaurants overlooking the creek. People walk there from the lake or bike along the nearby Santa Fe Trail.

A trolley runs the length of the corridor from Gaston Avenue to LBJ Freeway. Riders can stop at the Arboretum and then get back on to dine at Casa Linda Plaza.

"We're going to set this up and sell it. And they're going to say, 'That's where we want to build.'"
Sheffie Kadane,
[Dallas] City Council member

Kids climb an observation deck at a park along the Kansas City Railroad yard to watch the trains switch cars.

Young professionals walk from new townhouses near Jupiter Road to a farmers market at White Rock Marketplace.

These concepts are part of the Garland Road Vision Plan, which is nearing completion and could be used to guide private development, transportation improvements and beautification projects for years to come.

A final public meeting held Thursday produced no opposition to the general plan. Now, urban planners HOK Consultants will prepare the plan for presentation to city officials.

Luring new business
If the council adopts the plan, it would establish rules for what future development and public projects would look like. The hope is that new business will be attracted to the corridor as the changes take place.

"We're going to set this up and sell it. And they're going to say, 'That's where we want to build,' " said Sheffie Kadane, City Council member for that district.

Garland Road, which is old Texas 78, was developed with little regulation. As a result, it has a confusing array of signs, an odd assortment of businesses, six-lanes of roadway with concrete medians, very little landscaping and few continuous sidewalks.

Several years ago, former City Council member Gary Griffith proposed the idea for the Garland Road vision project. An advisory committee raised $30,000 and got a $120,000 grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments to pay for the study, which began last fall.

Through a series of public meetings, the consultants learned that residents there love their neighborhoods, which include Forest Hills, Little Forest Hills, Casa Linda, Casa View and Lochwood. They also favor the unique businesses and appreciate the beauty of White Rock Lake and the Dallas Arboretum.

New Plans for a busy thoroughfare

The Garland Road Vision Study identifies five proposed sites for mixed-use development that could include residential, retail, restaurants and office space. They are:

Higher standards
But they want higher standards for the stretch overall. And based on that input, the consultants addressed these three areas:

Development: Five areas were identified for mixed-use development that would include restaurants, retail and residential space. Mark Bowers of HOK Consultants said they were identified in part because they had large parcels with single owners, which would be more practical for developers in search of opportunities.
     Margaret Bell, a Lochwood resident and member of the advisory committee, said the mixed-use development would attract young professionals, who would then attract better restaurants and other businesses.
     Isaac Bowman, who lives in Casa Linda and is building in Little Forest Hills, encouraged the consultants and advisory committee last week to find ways to increase the tax base to support the proposals.
     "Don't get me wrong," he said. "I don't want it to look like McKinney, where every gas station looks like every dry cleaning business in the area." But, he said, there's a clear need to attract better businesses.
     He noted that he and his wife spend their money outside the area, driving 30 minutes round trip to eat out and shop for groceries in Lakewood.

Mobility: Residents made it clear that they don't want Garland Road widened, but they want it to flow better.
     "Believe it or not, sidewalks are one way to solve the mobility problem on Garland Road," said Bowers, the HOK consultant. "There are 70 bus stops, some of them spaced close together, because there are no connected sidewalks and people need to get to bus stops from their neighborhoods."
     He said DART could eliminate two-thirds of the bus stops if people could walk along Garland Road from their neighborhoods.
     People also requested DART light rail or some kind of trolley or tram system. The consultants found that a rubber-tire trolley could be implemented with minimal investment.

Beautification: Consultants' sketches show sidewalks, trees, underground electrical lines, lights and medians with rock landscaping.
     Gerry Worrall, chairman of the advisory committee, said he particularly likes recommendations for natural stone, trees and landscaping similar to that found at the lake and arboretum.
     "Pick up that flavor and carry it on," he said.
     The plan also includes an observation deck at the train yard, a dog park near LBJ Freeway, community gardens or art parks and a farmers market at White Rock Marketplace.
     Once the plan is adopted, the people involved will begin to look for grants or government funding for some of the projects.
     Worrall said the advisory committee was going to disband once the study was complete but has decided to continue. "We will go forward in some form for funding or advocacy or coordination," he said.

1 comment

04/09/10

Be Safe: Opportunity to Recycle Old and Unused Medicines - Categories: Police Department, Utilities, Health - Douglas @ 12:11:22 pm

Garland Police Department News Release:

Operation Medicine Drop

Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse!

When: Saturday, April 17, 2010

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Garland Police Department, or Old Fire Station #4

1891 Forest Lane 3424 Broadway

The Garland Police Department and the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association want you to participate in Operation Medicine Drop. Garland residents are asked to clean out their medicine cabinets of unused or expired medications and prescriptions. Then bring them to the Garland Police Department building at 1891 Forest Lane or the Old Fire Station #4 at 3424 Broadway. Drop-offs can be made between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Garland Police will dispose of these expired and unused medications properly.

Don't throw away or flush your medications.

Bring them to our drop-off locations and we'll dispose of them safely.

We are providing the community a safe way to dispose of unwanted medications while keeping them out of the wrong hands, as well as, protecting our water supply from contamination by pharmaceutical chemicals.

We will accept all forms of medications (pills or liquids). Please remove or mark through your personal information on all labels. All medicine bottles are recycled.

This program is organized and managed by the Garland Police Department with support from the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association. If you have any questions regarding this program, please call the Garland Police Department at (972) 205-2041.

04/08/10

March Crime Stats Take Another Dip - Categories: Police Department - Douglas @ 12:44:15 pm

Reported incidents were lower again in March. That follows the low in February, which was the lowest reported crimes since November, 2008.

Even though the previous overall total (February) was low, it did set a recent record for home burglaries (16) but we saw only six in March. Those six incidents were spread across the whole district; no one neighborhood was targeted. Non-residential building burglaries were restricted mostly to commercial areas. There was one exception in a neighborhood. Vehicle burglaries (17) were about the average of what we usually see. More of those incidents were in neighborhood areas.

Overall reports of theft were also low with shoplifting incidents much lower than we usually see. Those are the incidents where someone is caught. For the other thefts, there is seldom an immediate arrest. Typically, those thefts are in commercial areas but an alarming number were in residential areas this last month. It really does pay to remain alert and suspicious. It also pays to know your neighbors and to be watchful for each other.

If you want to review the areas that have reported incidents over the last month, download the complete report here for address-by-address information that includes your neighborhood. If you are a Garland resident reading this but do not live in District 1, you can get reports for your area here on the Police Department's website.

Offense

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

[Return to Website] [District 1 Development Updates and Interactive Map]
[Contact Numbers—City Departments] [Citizen's Request Center]
More local news: [DMN Garland Blog] [DMN Garland Community] [Around Garland] [The Garland Texan]

04/07/10

Reminder: Kid-Centric Seminars Start Tonight - Categories: News - Douglas @ 12:46:41 pm

A growing body of research demonstrates strong connections between the design of schools and learning. Indoor air quality, amount of natural lighting, opportunities to exercise, classroom sizes and school organization are all critical elements in children's health, development and performance.

The two free seminars on school design will start tonight in Addison. This is truly a unique opportunity to learn more about the growing information that links how schools are designed and the effects on our children.

Wednesday, April 7th and Wednesday, April 14th
7:00 p.m. - 10:00pm

Addison Conference Centre
15650 Addison Road
Addison, TX 75001

Tonight's first presenter, Victoria Bergsagel of Architects of Achievement, is scheduled to be on KERA's Think with Krys Boyd, starting at noon. The broadcast will probably be available through the archives available at the KERA link.

I was told that GISD representatives will be attending. I hope to see you there.

UPDATE: KERA has posted the audio file (MP3 format) on their website under Architecture & Achievement. Well worth the time to listen.

[Return to Website] [District 1 Development Updates and Interactive Map] [District 1 February Crime Stats]
[Contact Numbers—City Departments] [Citizen's Request Center]
Local news: [DMN Garland Blog] [DMN Garland Community] [Around Garland] [The Garland Texan]

Moving "Across the Fence" Conversations to the Web - Categories: Neighborhoods - Douglas @ 12:14:07 pm

City of Garland Neighborhood Vitality Press Release:

Neighborhood Chatter

"sharing news neighbors can use"

Felisa Conner and the Office of Neighborhood Vitality are pleased to announce the bi-weekly electronic publication, "Neighborhood Chatter."

Neighborhood Chatter is a way to provide you with timely information and announcements without flooding your inbox with numerous e-mails. We welcome your wonderful neighborhood stories and ideas to include in the e-newsletter. Information must be submitted no later than the Wednesday prior to publication. Publication dates are provided in the newsletter.

If you would like to sign-up for this electronic publication, you may send an email to Tracy Allmendinger at tallmend@ci.garland.tx.us.

Summer Nutrition Program Spreading News - Categories: News - Douglas @ 12:08:17 pm

City of Garland Press Release:

Stamp Out Child Hunger!

When: Saturday, May 1, 2010

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Eastside Church of Christ

501 Helen Street

Garland, Texas 75040

To kick off the 15th year of the City of Garland’s Summer Nutrition Program, the Fair Housing Office is hosting a Stamp Out Child Hunger event!

Enjoy bounce houses, face painting, games, and food, and entertainment. Mayor Ronald E. Jones will share his thoughts on the importance of the Summer Nutrition Program. The event is free and open to the public.

This kickoff event is intended to raise awareness of the program and promote better participation and support. In 2009, the program provided approximately 110,000 free meals to the children of Garland and we anticipate the need being even greater this summer. Please come out and help Stamp Out Child Hunger in Garland!

Contact Pamela Harris at pharris@ci.garland.tx.us or 972-205-3382 for additional information about the Summer Nutrition Program.

04/06/10

White Powder Letters Received at Two Elementaries - Categories: News - Douglas @ 05:33:18 pm

*Video frame from Dallas Morning News online video*

Dallas Morning News reporter Karel Holloway posted on the DMN Garland Blog this morning that a white powder had been found at Ethridge and Armstrong elementary schools. She has also written a story for tomorrow's paper that is available online. I suspect it might be updated before it hits the printer. We do know the substance has been determined to be harmless and students had returned to class.

A video report with school officials is here.

A major crime has been committed, two schools evacuated, and major disruptions to school and law enforcement operations have occurred. As reported in the online report linked above, "Police said the powder was harmless and that the FBI and postal inspectors were investigating. Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said it was too early to speculate on the motive of whoever sent the letters. The FBI is asking anyone with information about the letters to call 972-559-5000."

Directly from the FBI:

U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Dallas Division
SAC Robert E. Casey Jr.

One Justice Way
Dallas, Texas 75220
972-559-5000
dallas.fbi.gov

Media Release

April 6, 2010

WHITE POWDER LETTERS RECEIVED BY TWO SCHOOLS
IN THE GARLAND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Special Agent In Charge Robert E. Casey is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the person or persons responsible for sending two letters containing a white powder substance to the Ethridge School in Garland, Texas, and John Armstrong school in Sachse, Texas:

Earlier this morning two schools within the Garland Independent School District received letters, through the U.S. Mail, containing white powder. The Garland Police and Fire Department along with the Sachse Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI responded to the scene. Initial field testing indicated the substance within the envelopes was not toxic and there was no threat to anyone’s health or safety. Further laboratory testing is being done in an effort to identify the substance within the envelopes. One school district employee at Ethridge School, who had been exposed to the white powder, was taken to a local hospital as precautionary measure.

The sending of threatening or hoax letters containing a white powder substance is a violation of Title 18, Section 844 (e) and is punishable for up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each letter sent.

SAC Casey has previously stated, and reminds those who may be inclined to send a letter with powder in it, that sending a hoax letter threatening imminent death and containing unknown substances is a serious crime that drains precious, limited, first responder resources. Today’s mailings resulted in police, fire, and hazmat teams responding to emergency calls in two separate locations, causing anxiety, disruption, and financial costs. Threatening letters, whether they contain white powder or not, even if their threat is a hoax, will be thoroughly investigated by the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service and other law enforcement agencies.

Anyone having information about who may be responsible for sending these white powder hoax letters should call the Dallas FBI Office of the FBI at 972-559-5000 or their local police agency.

My First Official Potty Post - Categories: Utilities - Douglas @ 01:51:43 pm

City of Garland Water Utilities Press Release:

Fix That Leaky Flapper!

A leaking toilet in your home is like flushing money down the drain. If your toilet is leaking or running constantly, you could be wasting 200 gallons of water (or more) every day. That is water you are paying for and not using.

In an effort to fix those leaky flappers, Garland Water gave away almost 500 Fluidmaster® Whisper Fill Valve and Flapper toilet kits during the month of March. The program was so popular, Garland Water and Home Depot will repeat the offer on two Saturdays in April.

City of Garland Water Utilities will give away FREE Fluidmaster® Whisper Fill Valve and Flapper toilet kit on April 17 and 24, 2010, at the Home Depot at Firewheel. To receive a free kit, Garland residents should bring the program coupon that they received in their March, 2010 City of Garland utility bill, or a copy of their most recent City of Garland utility bill, to the Home Depot at 3261 North George Bush Highway, between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. The kits are limited to one per household.

For more information about the Fluidmaster product included in this toilet repair program, call 972-205-3285.

Fix the Leak!

04/05/10

North Texas GP&L to Join South Texas Co-op for West Texas Line - Categories: Utilities - Douglas @ 11:12:05 pm

Appearing before the Public Utility Commission are GP&L Director Ray Schwertner and Mayor Pro Tem Laura Cox. Councilman Larry Jeffus sits top right. Also attending the hearing were City Attorney Brad Neighbor and Assistant City Attorney Mark Dempsey.

Texas muni carving out its own portion of CREZ build-out following court decision

Lynn Doan
SNL Power Daily
April 1, 2010

A Texas town expects to hammer out a deal within days that will entitle it to a part of the state's $5 billion transmission grid build-out.

Taking advantage of a recent court decision, the city of Garland, Texas, told the Public Utility Commission of Texas on April 1 that it is "trading drafts of an agreement" with South Texas Electric Cooperative Inc. to jointly develop two transmission projects as part of the state's competitive renewable energy zone initiative, known as CREZ.

In January, a Texas District Court judge reversed and remanded portions of a PUCT order selecting transmission providers to build the CREZ lines, which will connect the state's wind-rich regions to major load centers. Judge Stephen Yelenosky determined in his order that the commission essentially excluded municipal electric utilities from participating in the bidding process.

The city of Garland, the municipality that appealed the decision in court, had unsuccessfully sought to build a portion of the project.

As part of the agreement being hammered out, South Texas Electric Cooperative and the city of Garland's not-for-profit electric utility, Garland Power & Light, would be joint owners of two CREZ projects. South Texas Electric Cooperative would manage and construct the lines, and the city of Garland would buy the undivided interest from the cooperative for the facilities once the lines are energized, the city's utility director, Ray Schwertner, said during the PUCT meeting.

"The process up to the lines being energized, all of the [certificates of convenience and need], the landowners, the construction and meeting schedules and so on, STEC will be taking care of," Schwertner said.

Schwertner said he has held "lengthy discussions" with the board of directors, management and staff of South Texas Electric Cooperative. The city and the cooperative are ready to "move forward and put together a project development agreement," he said.

The agreement is subject to approval by the Garland City Council and the PUCT.

Schwertner confirmed that the PUCT would maintain jurisdiction over the reliability of the lines, despite them being owned by the city.

South Texas Electric Cooperative originally had been assigned to build $105 million of CREZ lines, totaling roughly 75 miles.

Garland applied to participate in the construction of transmission lines from the West Texas wind farms to more populated areas in the eastern half of the state. All power consumers in the state will be charged for use of the transmission lines. To offset the cost to GP&L customers, the Garland-owned utility sought to operate part of the lines. However, the Public Utility Commission passed over Garland's request. The reasons given did not seem valid and Garland sued to reverse the PUC decision. Travis County District Court Judge Stephen Yelenosky agreed and directed the PUC to reconsider.

Several weeks ago the PUC did offer Garland the opportunity to join with either South Texas Electric Cooperative or Lower Colorado River Authority to obtain rights to operate a portion of the CREZ line from West Texas. On Apr 1, GP&L Director Ray Schwertner returned to Austin to give an update on his progress. He reported that GP&L had reached a basic agreement with STEC to build and operate part of the line. STEC would probably build the line and then Garland would operate a portion.

The effort has been uphill the whole way and much of the credit for success goes to Mr Schwertner but others have played significant roles. Outside Garland, our state senators, John Carona and Bob Duell, and their staffs, worked tirelessly to assure the city received a fair shot. I learned a long time ago that no deal is complete until the papers are all signed—and they are not—but there is light ahead.

The meeting can be viewed at the PUC website (Apr 1, Part 1, just past the 2:06 mark) or the relevant part can be downloaded here. Both options require the RealPlayer SP video application, a free download at that link.

Dashboard Report: Several Sectors on Watch List - Categories: Taxes & Budget - Douglas @ 07:18:51 am

**Sales Tax** (Current vs Prior YTD): Sales tax revenues plunged just over a year ago and have been down since. However, recent months show some recovery.

The Budget and Research Dept provides the Council and administrative staff a monthly report covering numerous revenue centers and other trends that give a snapshot look at the current fiscal and general health of the city. The Management Dashboard Report for the period ending Feb 28 has twelve areas on the Watch List because they currently are showing negative trends:

Building Permits
Foreclosed Properties on Market
Sales Tax Revenue
Landfill Revenue
SafeLight Revenue
Water Consumption
Wastewater Consumption
Utility Disconnections
General Fund Overtime
Firewheel Golf Revenue and Rounds
Priority One Response Time
Graffiti Work Orders

Several are only slightly on the negative side while others are indicative of a longer trend. Data from national and local trends are captured in the report. On the positive side, examples are: slight improvement in the local unemployment rate; sales tax vs budget and property tax vs budget; while some utilities are down, electric consumption is up slightly; police calls are down, as are code compliance complaints; and food inspection scores are up.

Between these two lists, only a few ares are mentioned here. Follow the link above to download the whole report.

04/03/10

Who Cut the Friday Night Lights? - Categories: Utilities - Douglas @ 10:10:05 pm

Seriously, this post has nothing to do with football.

A transformer malfunction at the Firewheel substation (near N Garland and Campbell Avenues) threw most of the Firewheel neighborhoods into the dark Friday night. For those affected, it might be some small consolation to know that the city manager, director of GP&L, and numerous other city staff members were in the same situation.

GP&L crews were able to quickly isolate the problem but solving it was not as easy. Still, lights were back on relatively soon by rerouting trunk lines from other nearby substations. These large transformers are very expensive so it is hoped that the actual problem was something much more minor.

GP&L's reliability is extremely high, among the best in the country. Compared to most other utilities, incidents like this are rare. In the recent storms that blacked-out many areas across North Texas, sometimes for days, very few GP&L customers were affected and then only for a short period. (When I tried to buy a new sleeping bag for a camp out, many stores had very low stocks because there had been a run on sleeping bags as temperatures inside homes plugged to the 30's, but not in Garland.)

Another problem has not been fixed. One more annoying than the lights being out. When customers are able to find the trouble number to call, they are reaching a recording that says to leave a message with their address (and account number? How do find your account number with the lights out?). In reality, any major system disruption is automatically detected and crews dispatched. Reaching the recording probably means crews are already on the way. But really, it's impossible to leave a recording and feel "it's okay now."

Personally, I don't know the reason why that problem has been allowed to linger. I was told Friday that it is definitely being addressed. I'll get more information and post an update when I know the answers.

04/02/10

Officer's Reputation Continues to be Heart of Pending Drug Trial - Categories: Police Department - Douglas @ 08:12:11 am

From the Dallas Morning News:

Former boss testifies that he doubted Garland narcotics detective's accuracy

12:00 AM CDT on Friday, April 2, 2010
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
teiserer@dallasnews.com

The former commander of the Garland narcotics unit testified Thursday that he doubted the credibility of a former detective whose work has become the subject of a wide-ranging review by prosecutors.

Lt. John Orozco, who headed the narcotics unit until last fall, testified that other narcotics detectives had previously expressed concerns about the accuracy of Officer Dennis Morrow's reports and that he worried that Morrow was cutting corners. He also said he had difficulty managing Morrow, whom he described as a "high producer."

"There were instances that would involve reports ... not being accurate," testified Orozco, a 20-year veteran.

Orozco's testimony came during a pretrial hearing in which two former Garland narcotics detectives, Daniel Colasanto and Cliff Wise, previously testified that Morrow inaccurately wrote in a July police report that Tramane Hooks lunged for $150 worth of crack cocaine stored in a hotel room refrigerator, resulting in his arrest on drug delivery charges. The officers testified that the inaccuracies were part of a pattern by Morrow and that they doubted his credibility.

Morrow has denied any wrongdoing in the drug arrest, and a Garland police internal investigation cleared him. Morrow, Wise and Colasanto were among a group of Garland officers transferred out of the narcotics unit last year after the Hooks arrest.

"The only way the system works is when you trust police officers to be credible," said defense attorney Bill Wirskye. "Here you have a police officer who some of his own co-workers and his own supervisor do not trust. It certainly calls into question each and every case he was involved in."

During the hearing, Orozco testified that Officer Marc Mendoza called him the day after the Hooks arrest wanting to have lunch to discuss concerns about the case. "He made a reference to wanting to get together due to the fact that we need to have an intervention with Officer Morrow," Orozco said.

Mendoza has previously denied in sworn testimony having expressed any concerns to Orozco about the Hooks arrest.

Over lunch, Orozco testified, Colasanto told him that he believed Morrow had lied in the Hooks report. He said Mendoza did not disagree with Colasanto's assessment.

Orozco also testified that on another occasion, he was present during an informal meeting with Mendoza and other officers in which they confronted Morrow about issues related to honesty. He said he also heard one narcotics detective state that not one word that comes out of Morrow's mouth could be believed.

Under questioning from Wirskye, Orozco said he also would have put a stop to it if he had known that any officer was getting informants to sign pay sheets that didn't have the amount filled in. Morrow testified last week that he sometimes engaged in this practice.

The practice appears to violate the unit's procedures, and is one deemed questionable by law enforcement experts because of the potential for abuse.

Since the hearing began last month, Morrow has been transferred from his job patrolling the streets of Garland to a desk job in the quartermaster unit. Narcotics unit detectives have also been ordered within the past week to cease using paid informants.

The hearing continues next Thursday.

The article above is in today's Metro section of the Dallas Morning News. Related posts:

Mar 19: Police Department in Spotlight
Mar 28: Trial Probe Has Become Three-Ring Circus

State: Money Back for Energy Conservation - Categories: Utilities - Douglas @ 07:55:58 am

From Texas Government Insider, Apr 1:

Texas appliance rebate form registration begins Monday

Click for link to Comptroller's online site. Other rebates and incentives are also detailed.

Kickoff of the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program begins Monday, when Texas consumers can begin obtaining rebate forms for purchase of select ENERGY STAR appliances. Those rebates will apply to the purchase of energy efficient appliances to replace older appliances.

The program, administered by the State Comptroller's Office, offers an online reservation system and a toll-free phone number for consumers to sign up on a waiting list for any guaranteed rebates that are unused. However, getting on the waiting list does not guarantee a rebate. Consumers can save up to $1,200 on air-source heat pumps, up to $1,000 on central air conditioners and hundreds of dollars on refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dishwashers and hot water heaters.

Funding for the program is limited and only two appliance rebates will be issued per household. Registering will allow consumers to print or receive the application forms needed to mail in and receive rebates after qualified appliance purchases. Texas received approximately $23 million in stimulus funding for the program. To access the online reservation system and for more information, click here, or call toll free 877-780-3039.

04/01/10

Grade Is In: City High Performing - Categories: Neighborhoods, Development - Douglas @ 11:07:13 pm

City of Garland Press Release:

Garland Recognized as "High Performing City"

The City of Garland has been identified as a "high-performing city" in the State of Texas’ Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), and as a result, Garland is eligible for an increase in current grant fund allocation.

In early 2009, the City of Garland received a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) called the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). The City of Garland also received funding from the State of Texas as part of a similar program (Texas NSP). The funding can only be used to acquire and remodel vacant, bank-owned foreclosures, and can only be sold to owner-occupants.

On March 16, 2010, a representative from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs conducted a review of Garland’s performance to date in the Texas NSP. The review found our program efforts are accomplishing the program’s goals, with all property acquisition funding either committed before the deadline or scheduled to be committed before the end of March. Consequently, the State housing representative recommended a 25% increase ($307,000) in funding due to our excellence in compliance. The City of Garland will be submitting a formal request to accept this additional funding.

The City of Garland was also identified as a "high-performing city," which means Garland, along with any other "high-performing cities," will be considered as top applicants for recaptured funds, which are those funds that other cities have not committed by their given deadlines. The amount available is unknown at this time, but there are numerous cities that have not met their commitment schedules.

The State representative also commended the City’s leveraged funds and partnerships that are merged with the GREAT Homes initiative, such as the use of CDBG-R (energy efficiency upgrades) grants and departmental contributions, stating that Garland is the only city he has seen with such a comprehensive, coordinated effort.

The GREAT Homes initiative was created in 2009 using various grant funds to meet key neighborhood strategy objectives:

Upgrade existing housing stock, with emphasis on energy efficiency and increasing potential home value

Serve as a catalyst to revitalize neighborhoods

Encourage home investment in the community

Provide market rate and below market rate housing for potential income eligible homeowners

The first GREAT Homes remodels are scheduled for completion in April 2010 in the Walnut program area. A kick-off meeting to educate Walnut neighbors about the GREAT Homes program was held on March 30, 2010 at Bradfield Elementary.

I'm quite proud of how our city staff members have designed and implemented this program—and revised it as necessary. Read more on the GREAT Homes program here.

Foreclosures can be devastating to neighborhood property values. Taking the worst houses doesn't necessarily mean you're doing the most good for the neighborhood. Revamped homes need to maximize the positive impact to the neighborhood. A house on the entry edge to a neighborhood may be more positive than one buried deeper within. Developing the selection criteria and having the persistence to see the program advance must be a large part of what impressed the state's representative.

High expectations of ourselves as a city can lead to high performing results!

Ah, Politics Is Going to the Dogs - Categories: Elections & Politics - Douglas @ 12:15:14 pm

If you're involved with neighborhood groups in North Texas for a while, you'll eventually meet Avi Adelman. He taught web site basics here at one of the annual neighborhood leadership summits and he usually attends the Dallas Homeowners League's Boot Camp that many neighborhood association members from Garland have also attended.

He has been a most outspoken advocate for his neighborhood in the Lower Greenville area of Dallas, including posting videos of people too drunk to properly control their actions after a few hours at one of the local bars known to many generations of Dallasites. An avid supporter of the police and enforcement of parking regulations, he puts it all out there on his website: BarkingDogs.org.

Word comes today:

Lowest Greenville's resident curgudgeon and neighborhood activist will formally announce that he is a candidate for the Dallas City Council.

The announcement will be made outside the Dallas SPCA center on Industrial / Riverfront Boulevard this afternoon.

Sources in his nascent campaign have reported he will legally change his name to "Barking Dog" in order to take advantage of his popularity and media attention when people go into the polling booth.

BD's campaign slogan will be "We need a BARKING DOG on Dallas City Council. He'll bite for us."

Here is a sample of the first bumper sticker -

I couldn't help but smile. I was very involved in student government at UT and remember stories of when Amy the Wonder Dog, a golden retriever, was elected student body president. I got there not long after the presidential duo of Arts and Sausages, who campaigned that if elected, they'd do nothing. They won. (Any coincidence that their names sounded like a dog food brand?) If memory serves, they stuck to their campaign promise.

This post is not an endorsement of Avi—I don't have any business getting involved in Dallas politics to any degree. I don't even know if he's serious. (It is April Fools Day, you know.) If he is, I hope he has fun. If not, he still brought a smile and some fond memories of less politically relevant times, when you could run a campaign for dog food and everyone was happy to receive a "good boy" as thanks for a job well done.

	When:	Saturday, May 1, 2010
		9 a.m. – noon
	Where:	Richland College Garland Campus
		675 W. Walnut Street
		Downtown Garland

When:	Saturday, April 17, 2010
	10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where:	Garland Police Department	Old Fire Station #4
	1891 Forest Lane	3424 Broadway

	When:	Saturday, May 1, 2010
		10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
	Where:	Eastside Church of Christ
		501 Helen Street
		Garland, Texas 75040

04/30/10

Company dishing the dirt on Garland schools

Garland Youth Council Hosts Career Fair

Tree Giveaway Set for April 24

04/29/10

One-Fourth of Nonprofits Are to Lose Tax Breaks

04/26/10

04/23/10

Laws banning cellphone use while driving fail to reduce crashes, new insurance data indicate

04/22/10

04/20/10

Operation Medicine Drop Results

Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse!

The Good Neighbor Commandments

Tree Giveaway Set for April 24

04/16/10

Operation Medicine Drop

04/15/10

Garland Youth Council Hosts Career Fair

04/14/10

Garland Youth Council Provides a Wonderful Experience

04/13/10

Record Numbers Participate in Garland Trash Off

04/12/10

A vision takes shape for Garland Road

04/09/10

Operation Medicine Drop

Don't throw away or flush your medications.

Bring them to our drop-off locations and we'll dispose of them safely.

04/08/10

04/07/10

Neighborhood Chatter

Stamp Out Child Hunger!

04/06/10

Media Release

Fix That Leaky Flapper!

04/05/10

Texas muni carving out its own portion of CREZ build-out following court decision

04/03/10

04/02/10

Former boss testifies that he doubted Garland narcotics detective's accuracy

Texas appliance rebate form registration begins Monday

04/01/10

Garland Recognized as "High Performing City"

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