Keller Citizen Legislature

From the ST:

A Keller family displaced from their flooded home will have a new home built for them this week by crews from the television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and Arlington-based Wall Homes.

Amber and Peter Augustin of Keller were told Monday morning that they would have their Keller Hicks Road home rebuilt for them this week and featured on the ABC show, according to a statement from the show.

In addition to construction crews from Wall Homes and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” hundreds of volunteers will descend on the property this week to build the home in 106 hours.

The Augustins’ home flooded in June 2007. They removed the rotten walls, but the family of five had to leave the home. City and county officials have told the family that the home must be raised one foot to be habitable.

UPDATE:  Actually read the press release and after looking on Google, the house in question is on Keller-Hicks road in Fort Worth, not Keller.  The house also backs up to the KISD Property that I talked about in this post.

From the FWST:

Old Town Keller Merchants Association seeks volunteers to work on the Keller train, which will be cleaned and refurbished so that tours can again be conducted. The group also seeks to start a Train Club and open a Train Museum. For information, call 817-821-9518.

On Monday:

The Keller Economic Development Board and the Keller City Council will conduct a joint meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at Keller Town Hall. The meeting is set to discuss the goals and objectives of the KEDB, the City’s incentives policy and determine target businesses that the City would like to attract.

On Tuesday:

This past Tuesday, the Council met in a work session to discuss the proposed changes to the UDC in detail. The Council is planning to continue its review during a workshop starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, and will accept comments from the public during the regular session that starts at 7 p.m.

On Wednesday:

The public is encouraged to attend and participate in a second workshop meeting on the Keller Town Center Visioning Project at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Keller Town Hall. The focus is to help develop an updated plan to guide the development of the remaining parcels in Town Center.

All items above courtesy of the Mayor’s weekly update.

From KISD:

Keller High School is proud to present Jill the Ripper. Shows will be held tonight, Saturday, Novemeber 15th, Friday, November 21st and Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 and are available at the door.

Jill the Ripper is the story of a young girl who may finally know the true identity of the infamous London serial killer, Jack the Ripper.

*This production is not intended for young audiences.*

Saturday 10:00am at keller Memorial Park the City of Keller will be having a Veteran’s Day Ceremony and dedication of “Protector of Freedom” statue.

Sunday Christian Life Church is holding a big event:

How do you plan to honor our troops this Veteran’s Day? Members of Christian Life Center in Keller answered that question in their typical fashion–BIG.

Their celebration, billed as North Texas Veteran’s Day, will be held at 129 Pecan Street in Keller on Sunday, November 9, with a C-130 flyovers and address by a two-star general. The day’s festivities, which begin at 10 a.m. and run till 4 p.m., also include a car show, a street festival, kickboxing demonstrations, and a catered lunch, free for veterans.

The idea for the celebration came from a conversation between Dr. John King, pastor of Christian Life Center, and Col. David McMinn, Commander of the 136th Airlift Wing. King has spoken to the 136th several times on leadership and a relationship developed. When Dr. King asked Col. McMinn, “What can we, as a church, do for the troops?” Col. McMinn answered, “Honor them.”

Dr. King brought that charge back to his church members, and they wholeheartedly agreed, deciding to give an entire Sunday to celebrate the sacrifice of our military and their families.

“We want North Texas Veteran’s Day to be a fun celebration for the entire family, as well as an opportunity to honor our veterans,” said Dr. John King, co-chair of the North Texas Veterans Association.

Stopped by Sabor’s on the way home from work for a quick adult beverage and to scope the place out.  Paco was right, a very nice place indeed.  The Coors Light was very cold 

Told them we would have a few folks showing up on Tuesday night to watch the returns, the bartender and the owner assured me that all four big screens would have election coverage on, and they are running a $1.50 Budwieser special.  They are also offering us 25% off their food menu.

I figure 7:00pm would be a good of time as any to get it started, so show up when you can or just drop by and have a cocktail.  They offer a full bar and a great wine list.  The humidor seemed to be well stocked and the couches and chairs seemed very comfortable for an evening of talking politics and watching the returns.  Michael Barone has a breakdown hour by hour what we might expect to see posted here.

I let them know about the contest and they told me to tell Big Bob to bring cash, they weren’t so sure about his credit.

Sabor’s is located in Arthouse at Town Center, directly across from City Hall.

I posted this under a different headline, questioning the Texas Open Meetings act, and got it all wrong.

Had lunch today at the new Zaxby’s and ran into Mayor Pat McGrail. He told me there was an article coming out in the Citizen tomorrow detailing how three City Council Members showed up for the 2:00 pm Town Center Vision Meeting on October 16th.

The meeting did not have a posted agenda, therefore it is not allowed to have a quorum show up and discuss items that may come before them at a later point. I know Councilman Mitch Holmes stated on this blog they were asked who wanted to show up for what meeting at their City Council Meeting on October 7th. I know P&Z Members were asked the same question at our meeting.

To be fair, I haven’t read the article nor did I want to interrupt the Mayor’s lunch to discuss this in more detail, so I don’t even know who is in violation.  I do know the Mayor told me he stayed away from both meetings to make sure there wasn’t a hint of a violation (two council members and the Mayor do not technically make a quorum, but the law is so widely interpreted by the courts, you go out of your way to make sure you don’t violate it).  I am interested to hear the excuse given by the offending council members, and why one didn’t get up and leave when three showed up?

UPDATE:  The Mayor called and wanted to clarify things, said that Ray Brown did leave after he realized there were three council members there and that his concern was more on how it would read in the paper rather than the three members being there.  He read the blog and wanted to make sure I reported it right.  As I said, I didn’t want to interrupt his meal any more than I did, so maybe I jumped the gun.  My apologies. We will see the reaction after the paper comes out tomorrow.

UPDATE #2:  Councilman Mitch Holmes responds in a comment on this post basically summing up what the Mayor said to me in his voicemail, but with more detail.  I’ll repost it here so it will be read by those that just scan the site and don’t read the comments (the juciest part of KCL)

The mayor told me Tuesday night he likes to stick to two council members max at any unposted event to avoid the appearance of a quorum, that appearance being drawn from the fact that three votes can make a majority vote in session. Personally, I disagree… if a quorum is legally defined in the Charter as four, and three appears less than four, then three doesn’t appear to be quorum.

Regardless, respecting the mayor’s preference for the more conservative approach, not to mention Doug’s litany of AG questions, we had a mix-up when three showed up. To keep the mayor’s wishes, Councilman Brown left within just a few minutes… five by my estimate. I sat next to him in the back, and didn’t even know Councilman Baker was in the front of the room until he stood up and walked back to Ray to discuss which of them would leave. Then Ray got up, whispered to me he was leaving, and left.

To explain the mixup, Ray told me Tuesday night that two weeks earlier, when the mayor was confirming attendances, both he and John heard the mayor and me agree that I’d attend the evening session. I don’t doubt they understood that, but I agreed to attend the afternoon session, and put the 2:00 time in my BlackBerry as we spoke. Plus, their understanding would have destined the evening session to the same dilemma, so my case is almost made. The only question, then, is how five of us thought we were attending two events, with no more than two attending either one.

I can’t answer that. But between the letter and intent of the Charter, copied above by Jim… which allows three to attend… and Ray’s leaving within the first few minutes of the 2:00 session… reducing council attendance from three to two… I think there’s only enough substance left in this story for the most conspiring of theorists. In fact I think it’s a non-story and will be interested to read what the Keller Citizen makes of it.

I absolutely agree with Jim that the Texas Open Meeting’s Act hurts cities, particularly when there is a town hall meeting that several elected officials might want to attend out of interest for their community. But I also don’t see why we don’t just post them, and let them come. I feel I missed too much of what was said at the 7:00 session by trying to watch it in a 2 1/2 inch box. And the mike never gets passed around very well during the spirited exchanges, so the viewing audience misses that entirely. Then there’s the absolutely vulgar sound the podium mike makes to the viewing audience when it gets gnarled around.

Update #3: I went to the Keller Citizen office to get an advance copy of the paper. The story mentioned that three council members attended the 2:00 meeting, but said nothing at all about quorums or the Texas Open Meetings Act.
–Jim

Update #4: I renamed the post and apologize to the readers for getting this all wrong. - Doug

From the School District:
4th grade music students from elementary schools around the district have been chosen for the Keller ISD Honor Choir Concert. These students were among several who auditioned earlier in the school year for a spot in the Honor Choir. In the end, seven students from each school were selected.

On Friday, November 7th, starting at 8:00 a.m., those students, along with their music teachers, will attend an all-day workshop at Fossil Ridge High School where they will continue rehearsing several pieces of music for the Honor Choir concert which will be held that evening. The concert will begin at 7:00 pm at Fossil Ridge High School and is open to parents and the community. Congratulations to all of KISD’s Honor Choir students and their music teachers!

School / Music Teacher

Basswood Elementary / Heidi Chandler
Kaylee Velasquez, Kayla Chanthavong, Berri Craddock, Anna Rivas-Arias, Frantony Lewis, Caitlyn Booth, Gina Hume

Bette Perot Elementary / Stephanie Hein
Eliana Allen, Meaghan Hunt, Cydnie Jones, Rylee Jones, Hannah Mailhos, Cossette Rodriquez, Benton Westbrook

Bluebonnet Elementary/ Mary Carla Whitaker
Zachary Hotze, Julianna Thomason, Mikayla Emmert, Dylan Ogle, Madeline McNew, Noelle Mansilla, Sarah Phillips

Caprock Elementary / Andrea Hutchison
Victoria Cueva, Abbie Ellis, Serena Gomez, Stephanie Kilutu, Rosa Lopez, Makaylah Ramirez, Alyssa Sweet

Eagle Ridge Elementary / Alisa Grogan (sub)
Caitlyn Boyd, Zachary Murry, Cianni Powe, Monica Roach, Elaina Romero, Ysabelle Smith, Sarah VandeBrake

Florence Elementary / Lynda Knagg
Justin Harder, Harrison Schroeder, Olivia Shaltry, Annessa Robbins, Madison Buatte, Alexandra Sisson, BreAnn Barker

Freedom Elementary / Kelly Iverson
Elizabeth Beavers, Adelee Carreno, Elizabeth Collins, Scott Grant, Rachel Hundley, Claire Newton, Kameron Wheat

Friendship Elementary / Bethany Rinn
Brittany Adams, Brooke Cobb, Cole Davis, Mackenzy Lackey, Willy Lin, Avery Nevoit, Thomas Stephens

Heritage Elementary / Paula Olson
Brenna Braun, Sydney Brun-Ozuna, Stacy Eddington, Morgan Good, Kayla Kane, Sara Manning, Brianna Mendez

Hidden Lakes Elementary / Laura Israel
Natasha Santiago, Bethany Bahr, Ellie Cornwell, Anna Morgan, Kourtney Williams, Brighton Forsgren, Jensen Eggleston

Independence Elementary / Becky Puckett
Brynli Bishop, Olivia Burnett, Hope Feuling, Analia Kistler, Francesca Lopez, Kaitlynn McClay, Austin Pickell

Keller – Harvel Elementary / Tamara Masters Shelby Keith, Madison Tavarez, Cana Swiatocha, Carli Estes, Melanie Mayfield, Ryanne Johnson, Samantha Mohr

Liberty Elementary / Julie Michaels
Alexiss Brandon, Jordan Dixon, Payton Harris, Meagan McCright, Claycee Redford Lone Star Elementary / Sheila Rollings
Addison Angelo, Angela Buchholz, Lauryn Davis, Mikael Kohler, Jackson Kromer, Zachary Hartman, Peyton Simpson

North Riverside Elementary / Becky Compton
Rezana Kaba, Tori Moona, Laura Gonzalez, Taylor Richard, Jarret May, Matthew Garcia, Janifer Russell

Park Glen Elementary / Mary Dunn
Ingram Brueck, Miranda Day, Jessica Healey, Monica Hernandez, Michelle Howard, Sydney Lowe, Jordan Vincze

Parkview Elementary / Kathy Dobson Victoria Carpenter, DePhil Iteka, Brooke Lindsey, Kelsey Parks, Rhyse Smith, Reigan Wallace, Joey Williamson

Shady Grove Elementary / Kelly Davisson
Adrienne Hinojosa, Melanie Kolodziej, Vickie Koprovich Ashley MacDonald, Reagan Miller, Michael Vorwaller, Anna Watkins

Whitley Road Elementary / Veronica Simpson
Brooke Chavez, Danah Berry, Hayley Mooney, DellaAnn Gregg, Kacie Masters, Alyssa Jones, Morgan Welborn

Willis Lane Elementary / Alicia Wappel
Maddison Brandley, Robert Cascella, Connor Kirkwood, Hailey Newgard, Cody Pearson, Caroline Richards, Azalea Rosales

Woodland Springs Elementary / Stephanie Burton & Christie Lujan
Caitlin Cosby, Hannah Davis, Avery Lindley, Alex Lujan, Nam Nguyen, Graham Plummer, Aleah Turon

Congrats to all that were selected, including one little blonde from Shady Grove.  I’m glad she sings like her mother and not her dad.

Just received an email from Chris Fuller with some good news.  I’m not taking credit for this, but I’m glad it’s happened.

Doug,

 The City will be conducting a second public input meeting for the Town Center Visioning Project.  The meeting date has not yet been determined but will likely be held the second week in November.  The intent is to involve the public prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

 A date in November will be selected and public notices will be mailed and advertised this week.  That will provide a four week lead time before the meeting.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 Thank you,

 Chris Fuller

 

I highlighted the important parts.  Score that a victory for open and transparent government. 

I sent off an email to the Mayor as I stated I would in an earlier post.  I explained that I was extremely disappointed in the timing of the meeting on Thursday and that he and staff should have done a better job letting the public know about the Thursday meeting.  Late tonight I received a response from Assistant City Manager Chris Fuller.  In carrying on the tradition of being completely open, here is the entire email:

Mayor McGrail has asked that I respond on his behalf regarding the Town Center Visioning Project process.

It is not staff’s intention to limit public input regarding the Town Center Visioning Project process.  There will be several opportunities throughout the process for the public to provide comments and recommendations regarding development standards within the Town Center zoning district.  The Workshop being conducted by the facilitator at 7pm on the 16th is one method for soliciting citizen input.  (As an aside, the workshop being held on the 16th will be televised, recorded, and available as streaming video on the City website.)  Citizens who are unable to attend the workshop, or who would like to submit additional information after the workshop, will be able to fax and email comments to staff throughout the month, as well as provide input at the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council public hearings (dates TBD).  Staff has also developed a webpage, accessible through the City website, that is intended to inform the public of current Town Center Visioning Project events and to provide additional avenues to submit public comments.

Among the goals of this project is to engage as many of the citizenry as possible.  To do so, staff has mailed workshop notices to all Homeowners Associations within the City and to property owners within 200 feet of the Town Center zoning district.  The notices were mailed 10 days prior to the Town Center Visioning Project Workshop, which is the notification standard for rezoning public hearings.   Staff has also emailed a number of individual citizens who have been involved in previous Town Center discussions and activities.  In addition to the notices sent to advertise the Workshop, staff has mailed notices informing property owners within 200 feet of the Town Center zoning district and to all HOAs within the City of the continuing public comment period through the end of the month, staff’s fax and telephone numbers, and email address.

Notices advertising the October 16 Workshop meeting were also sent to subscribers of the Mayor’s Update, and listed throughout the City website including the following locations:  the Homepage Calendar, the Homepage Highlights, the Keller News, Community Development Events and Community Development News.  Announcements were made at the October 7 City Council meeting as well as the October 13 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.  A notice was posted in the October 12 Fort Worth Star Telegram Northeast Edition.  Additional newspaper notices will be published in The Keller Citizen advertising the public comment period as well as postings throughout the City website, including the upcoming Mayor’s Update.

The Workshop being held on the 16th is simply an instrument for gathering citizen input.  No decisions will be made, no votes cast, no plans unveiled.  The purpose is to invite public participation.  City staff will not be present at this meeting so that the facilitator can receive unfiltered, unbiased comments, opinions, and recommendations directly from citizens throughout the City.  Citizen comments received after the 16th will be forwarded to the consultant (and to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council) and will be included in any reports and analyses regarding the Town Center Visioning Project.

Citizens who are unable to attend the Workshop will be able to access a recording of the meeting through the website.

Thank you,

Chris Fuller

Assistant City Manager

City of Keller

I like Chris a lot and think he is a remarkable hire for the City of Keller.  But, (there is always a but isn’t there?) Chris wasn’t here last fall, he didn’t experience the outrage of the citizens when Keller Station came on the scene.  The staff should have went out of their way to make sure this news got out in a better fashion than what happened.  As I stated, even as a member of P&Z we weren’t notified until last night.  Councilman Holmes has made a comment on another post stating basically the same thing, and he’s an elected official.

Chris states that the information is all on the City’s website, but really, how many people besides us weirdo’s that read and post on this blog read the City’s website on a weekly basis?

I now understand that there will be further opportunities to elaborate on the TC Vision project, but when you hold your first meeting before it makes the local paper it doesn’t look good.  I’m afraid it could poison the project before it gets off the ground and it’s too important a project to let that happen.  This is what the citizens want, public input into changing the Town Center UDC.  The people just wish to be heard.

What should have been a positive for the City has quickly turned into a negative because of lack of communication.  In a town of nearly 40,000 sending out a few hundred postcards and notifying the HOA’s doesn’t cut it.  Heck, I took it upon myself to email Hidden Lakes HOA and have yet to receive a response.

Maybe I’m being overly sensitive on this and please tell me if I am.

I do know one thing, me speaking out on this issue isn’t going to look good in my P&Z reappointment interview.  But you got to do what you got to do.

From the City’s website:

A public hearing for the Davis Blvd (FM 1938) road expansion has been scheduled for Thursday, November 6, 2008. The hearing will be held at the Cross Timbers Community Church, 2525 Florence Road, Keller, Texas. Displays will be available for viewing at 6:30 p.m. with a formal hearing commencing at 7:00 p.m.
TxDOT Public Notice Public Hearing-Davis Blvd Construction.pdf