What were NE Tarrant Citizens Talking about in 2004…See a year’s worth of Letters to the LNO Editor

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P.S. Many thanks from me too. I have learned that there is “no place like home.”

Chester Collingsworth Carroll

But wait, that’s not the end of that story. When the measure was brought before the entire city council, a motion was made to accept P&Z’s recommendations (including the distance restriction as modified by Sapp). City councilwoman Jo Cox then moved that it be amended from 9.5′ to 5.5′. Mayor Trevino asked Councilman Metts if he would accept the amendment, who declined. No such “parliamentary procedure” was offered during the previously mentioned P&Z commission meeting, even though both groups are supposed to follow Robert’s Rules of Order. Now, I can’t say for sure which procedure was done correctly, but it’s pretty obvious (possibly even to Maury’s dog) that it can’t be that BOTH were correct, even though they were both watched over by the same attorney. Maybe our
city attorney was taking one of his infamous naps during one of the two. The minutes of that meeting can be found here.

Sapp talks about mitigating risks, yet the ordinance specifically allowed that motor vehicles under 7′ tall be allowed in the 9.5′ “safety zone.” Maybe Sapp can explain to Maury, Dog, me, and all the rest of us, how a car in this 9.5′ zone is safer than an RV. Keep in mind, that by the P&Z’s definition, my small utility trailer that is 3′ high is an
“RV” that is not allowed in that 9.5′ zone. Reality is that the only “safety factor” involved was that it would offend a much smaller number of voters to ban RV’s in that zone, but still allow cars and trucks.

Here’s another example of Sapp playing loose with the truth. Sapp asserts that the group that Maury is a member of praised the P&Z for the effort. That is true, but to state that “It is not clear if it is Dog or Maury that disagrees with their position” is false and misleading. Our group took no official position on the final ordinance. To have done so
would have been pointless until a new council is seated. I’m vice-president of that group, and my estimate is that the vast majority of the membership opposed the setback restriction. As a matter of fact, many of our members were part of the dozen or so speakers and 133 letter writers that protested AGAINST the 9.5′ restriction that Sapp foisted on the ordinance at the last minute. Of course, all the letters and the protests were ignored, the council did what the mayor wanted, they banned those “monstrosities” that Trevino stated he wouldn’t want in his neighborhood.

The fact of the matter is that no size restrictions were brought into the P&Z discussions until Sapp’s last minute amendment. To the contrary, those attending were told from the outset by those on the P&Z that size restrictions would be inappropriate. Yet, Sapp introduced them in a last minute amendment that either hides behind safety, or ignores the safety hazard that cars and pickup trucks presents.

The initial goal of this ordinance was exactly what Maury presented, to get rid of RV’s. While the protests by RV owners (and others) severely diluted the initial attempt by the council we had at the time to ban RV’s, the council majority still succeeded in banning some.

Sapp goes on to talk about no petitions being presented to the city council. I suggest he has made the same error he accuses Maury Siskel of making in a previous column with the word “forum”. Maybe he should look up the actual definition of “petition”, and then examine records of city council meetings to see how many times citizens came forward asking (petitioning) the city council and city manager to act on the issue. The requests to the city manager were ignored, he would not place it on the agenda for discussion. Finally, when we got new city council members in place, it was acted on.

Finally, Sapp talks about our group’s “supposed support of free speech” as if our opposition to a vote was an affront to free speech. Quite the contrary, we knew from the numbers of people in the city that voted to allow such an election that it was obvious that the majority of the voters wanted the tax freeze. Sapp and those that with him tried to
convince voters to vote against it stated several times that this was not the will of the voters. That “intelligent” voters would defeat the freeze. He was wrong. The freeze passed by a 2-1 margin. The city could have been saved a costly election had the majority of the council members been in closer touch with their constituency, and realized that the people did indeed want the freeze.

Sad that Sapp resorts first to berating Kerry West for being a “disciple” of his own father, and now a retired senior citizen who wistfully, and quite humorously, includes “Dog” in his writings. If Sapp would read to understand rather than to berate, maybe he would have
noticed this in other writings by Mr Siskel.

One final note, Sapp asserts that “Contrary to the accusations of some, however, the Council does not march to the beat of my drum.” Ken, I don’t think many people are asserting that the Council marches to the beat of your drum. Realigty is that many of us believe you are merely the mouthpiece for the old-guard council majority and Oscar Mayor of bologna fame. Maury has his pet dog, and the mayor has his “lap dog.” Fortunately, it looks like things may soon change.

Herb Parsons
NRH

There is also a greater problem in the actions of Skinner. It is the “freezing” impact that will cause citizens to be fearful to seek redress from elected officials. Citizens in Colleyville should be encouraged to write letters and emails to the Mayor and Council regarding City issues and concerns. We should be able to do so in a free and open manner knowing that we may not always get the answers we want but that at least we have the right to express our opinions. However, in Mr. Skinner’s case, citizens will need to think twice for fear of being subject to an unwarranted personal attack, having their volunteer positions jeopardized or threatened and having their private communications dispersed to an unknown list. And at least in my case, there appears to be some direct attempt to try to embarrass me. Because this “freezing” impact can be so damaging to our open democratic government, I hope someone asks for an opinion from our new City Attorney whether it is legal for an elected official to in effect “selectively publish” without permission citizen complaints.

So the bottom line is this uproar all started because I complained to City Council about my girls team being booted off a public park. It is interesting that not once has Mr. Skinner indicated an iota of concern about the possibility the girls in our City could be disadvantaged and discriminated against. This is a man that has spent a great deal of time and energy trying to convince the citizens of Colleyville to spend millions of dollars to bury utility lines along HWY 26. I have been told that the best measure of a good politician is a person with a “good heart.” This is just my opinion but a person who is more concerned about burying power lines than the potential discrimination of our City’s young ladies does not seem to pass the “good heart” test.
Keith Staudt

In 1998 we negotiated a deal with TXU (when it was a whole company) to bury the overhead lines in front of our developments on 26. The agreement stipulates that when we develop the remainder of our land they, TXU will bury the lines…FREE…in exchange for committing our electric use to TXU. If one looks at our earlier developments, the Phast Phil’s and Cleaner locations…one would not find any overhead electric connections! The poles are still there…but they will come down when we or another concludes the development.

Regarding Prop 3…the landscaping on 26 was for intersections that TXDOT and the city control, not developers…intended were bricked crosswalks at the major intersections, trees, bushes and flowers in the raised medians that TXDOT will build along 26, in our city….but as a result of the defeat of Prop 3…those medians may all end up to be filled-in with cement…to avoid the ugliness of that situation was the goal and pure intent of Prop 3.

The true intentions of propositions 3 & 6 were unfortunately never presented correctly…the negative aspects, which are pretty minor compared to the benefits, were blown way out of proportion…every person of any intelligence knows that to sustain a value of any tangible item(s) they must be maintained or they lose their value. To maintain Colleyville as a superior city it has to be maintained…which significantly includes the aesthetics; the curb appeal and without great curb appeal the whole neighborhood loses value…it is a bottom line issue and a simple unarguable fact!

Mr. Staudt…your assumptions and or facts are single focused and single sourced and poor ones at that.

Kipp Whitman
Colleyville

Finally, now that the taxpayers have soundly defeated [with the exception of a needed new fire facility] the bond package, what will Mr Skinner say about the “voice of the people?” His communications constantly refer to following the will of the majority of Colleyville citizens. I think the citizens have resoundingly replied by saying don’t ask us to pay for utility company and developer boondoggles and don’t expect us to float bonds for road maintenance that should be paid from general funds. And perhaps taxpayers were even telling you to think long and hard the next time you turn away a developer that promises to increase our tax base by over a half million dollars per year. Let’s hope that Mr. Skinner shows that he can listen to voters as well as he reads emails.

Keith Staudt
Colleyville

Anne Dyson
Editor’s note:  Perhaps a majority think paying $10,000 a year in taxes is adequate and government should work harder at fiscal responsibility. Use existing taxes to fix the needs of the city versus simply asking for more money.
After all, even it is more city taxes, it is still the citizen’s money.

In a prior article, Sapp states (of Ron West) “Unless West is
clairvoyant or a behavioral scientist, perhaps he should refrain from
such a critical judgment”, but tells readers (again, of West) “He, no
doubt would have been more satisfied if the unauthorized use of the
Steven’s property had been curtailed at the outset”, and “Perhaps West
believes that only his view can be correct”, and now offers that Maury
Siskel is a disciple of West’s. Maybe it’s Sapp that’s attempting to
practice clairvoyance.

I’m not going to list all of Sapp’s accusations individually, this
little note is already getting too long, but let’s look at the political
sign issue. Here’s some facts. Ken Sapp’s PAC that was opposing the
Senior Tax Freeze put up signs that exceeded the size limits set by city
ordinances for political signs. This means that he was required to get a
permit before erecting those signs. He did not. I’m not sure if he got
the permits later, but that’s a moot point, the signs were in fact,
illegal.

Sapp makes much of his support of tax exemptions, and even talks about
private behind the scene agreements about them, but the fact remains,
the city council had the opportunity to place such exemptions in place
months before the tax freeze was voted on, and they did not. So, no such
tax exemptions were “on the table”, they only existed in Sapp’s
imagination. Again though, it’s all moot. Sapp made his views known, the
people heard, and the people voted for what they wanted. So, in spite of
the fact that Sapp believed that the exemptions he had in mind were what
were “best” for those involved, THE VOTERS DIDN’T. I know, I know, it’s
hard for Sapp and Trevino’s other disciples to understand that just
because they “know better” what’s needed for people, they don’t always
get their way.

Finally, Sapp makes dire predictions about the outcome of some unnamed
events coming up in the near future. It reminds me of similar dire
predictions he made late last year. He insisted that those seniors HE
knew didn’t want the tax freeze, and insisted that the those against it
would prevail. He was wrong. Of course, when his position lost by better
than 2 to 1, he attributed it to the notion that “more seniors must have
voted than non-seniors” (according to the Ft Worth Star-Telegram).

Like I said, Sapp’s rants are descending into a collection of parodies
of himself. His butchery of the language, his posturing that he’s
somehow better than others, and his duplicitous requests for “civil
discourse” while he personally attacks and accuses anyone who disagrees
with him is becoming a joke. Maybe we should bestow upon him the “honor”
that has been given to Donald Trump, and just refer to him by one name.
I think “The Sapp” fits well.

And yes, that’s just my opinion.

Herb Parsons
North Richland Hills

Against all bond issues, with reasons….

Some of the Colleyville bond propositions are “good ideas”, some are not.
But this is not the real issue here.

I am opposed to funding Colleyville city regular maintenance projects
through special bond propositions that wind-up as significant and permanent
property tax increases.

Typical maintenance items like these should be funded out of the city annual
budget.

Planning for these might require the city to think ahead more than a few
weeks at a time. Colleyville needs to begin analyzing forecasted street
maintenance and facilities needs weighed against funding Assistant City
Manager salaries, pee-wee football lights, denying revenue generating retail
developments along Hwy 26, and the like. We do this when managing our
grown-up business and personal budgets. Be creative and think years in
advance, not just year-to-year hoping for a bail-out at taxpayer expense.

This a bond proposition is a band-aid for poor financial planning, and I’m
opposed to it in it’s entirety for that reason.

D. Williams

Editor’s note:  I am NOT THE FOUNDER OF COLLEYVILLE CAN, I don’t know how may ways I have got to say that simple fact.  I am a charter supporter of the group’s civic activities and political positions. I have never held myself out as the spokesman for CAN, never acted in a capacity as the leader of the group, never chaired a meeting of CAN, and never acted as a moderator for CAN. If you want to know who “invests” in CAN, the group is a PAC and files the appropriate information available to the public.  I do not know who all the contributors to CAN may be since I am not the treasurer.  Finally, should you pull the public records to date, I believe you will find my financial contribution has been limited to the purchase of a couple “Support our Troops” magnetic ribbons.  If you are relying on the Courier for your facts, then I recommend you expand your horizon of research.Nelson Thibodeaux, Editor

We are experiencing tremendous population growth in this region. And, as we all know, a major reason that any family decides to locate in a particular city – or remain residents of that city – is largely predicated on the aesthetics of that city, what that city has to offer, and future anticipated home value. For a high-end residential city such as our Colleyville to sustain itself as a ‘quality of life’ city on into the future, our Colleyville must continue to improve itself, plan for the future and take advantage of its assets – especially when the timing is right – and the timing is right – right now!

True … the aggregate cost of Propositions 3 & 6 are expensive; however, those opposed lack the understanding to realize that it is less expensive to make these enhancements to Colleyville now as any future attempt would be cost-prohibitive … again, now is the only time or these enhancements will never be done.

John Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”…and that’s why I believe JFK would vote “yes” for Propositions 3 and 6. The same rationale can be applied towards our city residents regarding Propositions 3 and 6 …and the call to the residents to Approve Propositions 3 and 6. Let’s ante up the extra $20 per month and keep Colleyville a strong, beautiful and desirable city into the 22nd century.

Vote YES on Propositions 3 and 6.

Sincerely,

Kipp Whitman
Colleyville

While coverage of Ms. Steven’s plight is appreciated, full and accurate
reporting would be more of a credit to you and the Star Telegram. Ms.
Stevens deserves more consideration from the city so
your picture and publication of the issue – inaccurate and incomplete as
it is – may help.

Regards,

Ron West
North Richland hills

Over the years, all levels of government have expanded and courts have
supported the current meaning of “public use”. “Public use” includes
not only highways, schools, and so on. It now is a public use when
government condemns your property and conveys it to another private
owner who will pay higher taxes to that government; i.e., you can be
used publicly and not even be kissed!

Recent examples of this process have and are being performed all over
the nation. The process was used recently in Dallas, Hurst, Duncanville,
and Ft. Worth to cite only a few examples. Can anyone doubt that the
present NRH prevailing group will follow suite? Even including our
distinguished Mayor who asserts that he has never suggested any such
maneuver. Tee hee ….

There is some light down this tunnel; the federal Supreme Court has
agreed to hear a case on this specific issue being brought by the State
of Connecticut and a private property owner. There are extensive legal
arguments on both sides and there is little basis for assuming how the
Court will rule in a year or so. In the meantime, there can be little
doubt how the NRH Council will lean. Changes in the Council composition
next May can go far to remove this threat to property owners. (Also
might even bring some sense to NRH business signs and residential
driveways.) It is not too early to begin thinking how you might vote in
May 2005.

But anyway, Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year to all
three sides of the argument…
Sincerely,
Maury&Dog
NRH TX 76180

The highway patrolman estimated her car was actually traveling through
the air 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver’s side
sun-visor – NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICE, along with the airbag warning. We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed, but we don’t tell them to use the cruise
control only when the pavement is dry.

The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the
patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car
and sustained severe injuries. If you send this to 15 people and only
one of them doesn’t know about this, then it was all worth it. You might
have saved a life.

Dennis Johnson
Colleyville

We need single member districts so the council members will be held accountable by their constituents. Under the current system the average taxpayer has no voice.

It is time to have our voice heard.

Andrew Wolff
North Richland Hills

Just so Sapp doesn’t accuse me of plagiarism, the above came from a web
site   and is an online version of the American Heritage Book of English Usage.
While it’s a fairly common mistake, one would think that someone
speaking of the failings of “seemingly educated people” would know the
difference.

Sapp went on to say “It is indeed laughable to assert that a response to a scathing allegation is deemed an ‘attack.’ A ‘counter attack’ is a more accurate definition.” What he fails to mention is that the “scathing allegation” he refers to was sent in a PRIVATE email to him. Hardly an attack. His PUBLIC “counter attack” was indeed the real attack. He also fails to mention, and failed to publicly accept or acknowledge, that I apologized for my comments, explaining that I was given misinformation. The person that gave me the wrong information even apologized to Sapp. It also bears mentioning that my apology was written
and sent before his column appeared, yet he never mentioned it in his
attack in LNO against me.

Sapp asked “Is it possible that Siskel and Parsons view only their positions as responsible civic response and only opposing opinions as ‘attacks?'” I’ll answer that one directly. No Sapp, I don’t consider any opposing viewpoint to be an attack. I do consider the following samples, what was the term you used – ah yes, drivel, to be examples of attacks:

“Bumbling Ludicrous Outrageous Gobbledygook” to describe Ron West’s
activities. Ironic though, that Sapp headed a PAC to defeat the senior tax freeze, and Ron headed the move in favor of the tax freeze, and the tax freeze passed. Not bad for “bumbling”, huh? But, I digress. More examples of attacks from Sapp:

“These folks are doing nothing more that exploiting the sensitivity of  some seniors out of revenge for prior political encounters.” speaking about those that supported the tax freeze and fought for it.

“Jumping to inaccurate and emotional conclusions is something Mr. Parsons has a habit of doing. He claims to be an honorable person who tells the truth.” Sapp never even acknowledged (even though he had first hand knowledge to the contrary) that I didn’t “jump to any conclusions”, I was given inaccurate information by someone that was there.

“North Richland Hills has its share of arm chair lawyers who attempt to
try cases in the media.” in reference to Suzette Christopher expressing
her opinion about the legal happenings in our city.

Seems that it’s Sapp that holds the view that it only his position (and those with similar position) is responsible civic response, and all others are worthy of derision.

One of the things Sapp said that I DID agree with was “The zeal to create a more sensational and eloquent ‘gotcha’ has increased the tendency for participants in the debate to stray from an acceptable standard of positive and ethical behavior. This needs to end.” He then went on to say “When is the best time to start setting positive leadership examples? How about now?”

Unfortunately, I guess he was talking to “them”, and not himself.

Herb Parsons
North Richland Hills

Spending money burying power lines along Hwy 26 and millions on
“beautification” is money wasted. The law of unintended consequences is
looming to drive existing business and potential new businesses further away
with any construction along this corridor.

Efforts to reposition Colleyville’s “downtown” to a retail center overlooks
the inescapable fact that our location will always work against us. We
don’t sit along the a major highway interchange and never will. It’s just
the way it is. Retail businesses thrive where the traffic is high and draw
is from every direction. Colleyville draws from a segment of Colleyville’s
residents and businesses – and that’s about all we can ever hope for. A
successful business plan needs to be based on this fact. Money poured into
window dressing will not change this. Hwy 26 is littered with dead,
terminal, and struggling businesses that cannot generate traffic for a
viable long-term business plan. These tend to serve as warning buoys to
prospective businesses. Buried power lines and flowers won’t change this
one bit.

Location, location, location – and we don’t have it as far as big retail
business is concerned. We need to face up to this fact. Our property taxes
are sky-high already. We’ll never pull revenues from DFW Airport or the
Mills, like Grapevine does, and we won’t ever have the commuter
through-traffic like Southlake. I’m as optimistic as anyone, but it
important to visit the real world periodically. Working in big retail for
30 years has driven this point home.

Colleyville is indeed a great community in which to live and work. We need
to make sure that we first carefully fund and maintain the roads and
infrastructure we already have, live within our fiscal means (it does not
take a rocket scientist to conservatively project this). After this is done
then we might fund the city & council’s pet projects… “nice-to-haves”,
once they’ve passed a real sanity-check, from our believable and foreseeable
revenues – all without creating debt burden for years to come.

Name withheld by request
Colleyville

REF:  NRH Council member wants to know why press knows before her!
Editor:
In 1983, I was living and working in another state. Upon arriving at work one morning I found my coworkers standing in a group with downtrodden expressions. The morning newspaper was thrust into my hand. That was how I found out my job was moving to Dallas: the press.

It continues to be the press that keeps me informed as a NRH Council member. Long before my I get a call from City Hall, if I ever do, the phone rings and it’s the press. Sometimes I find things that happen in my city online before I get an Official Notification.

When I took office in May, I thought that only the citizens were kept in the dark about the things that go on. I have been unpleasantly surprised. I, too, am left out when I need to know something important. Perhaps the reason is so I will continually have to say, “I don’t know.” Or maybe so I will have to keep repeating, “Where did you hear that?” There appear to be people who want me to look ignorant of the important issues facing the citizens of our city.

Should it have been the press that told me:

A warrant was thrown out in an appeal in a criminal case?

The city was accused of destroying evidence in a civil trial?

A council member is resigning?

The Police Chief was stopped for driving erratically?

The Police Chief was suspended from his position?

Or any of the other matters on which I have to rely on the press for information?

Is this the Open Government so many of our citizens have been asking for? It’s certainly not what I am seeking.

Nancy Bielik
NRH City Council

It is irresponsible to expect the residents to pay for the burying of the power lines and then to expect the businesses along Hwy. 26 to increase their budgets to connect to these buried lines if needed. I do not see this as a part of the residents’ vision for this city. The vision is that we want good, responsible, tax revenue generating businesses in Colleyville that will take some of the tax burden off of the residents. But, you should already know that by sitting in a city representative’s position for the last 1 1/2 years. That vision does not require buried power lines. If the power company or TXDOT wants them buried, let them pay for it. If the businesses are wanting this, let them pay for it (I doubt they can add that into their own budgets). Don’t ask the residents to pay for this unnecessary luxury, since most of us don’t live near the power lines and we don’t even notice the ones that are above ground now as we drive Hwy. 26. Power lines are not buried along most of 1709 and Southlake seems to be growing and dealing with it just fine.

I also think that it is a good idea to put the City Attorney position under the microscope at this time. Twenty-plus years is a long time for anyone to be in this kind of position of authority, and council (attorney) needs to be objective, consistant, and unbiased in the opinions that it gives to the city. Before any pay increase is approved, a review of all matters concerning the position and the guidelines for this position should take place. Thank you Ms. Dolan for not being bullied into ‘falling into line’.

Thank you for your time, and I hope that council members will act responsibly and in the best interest of the taxpayers in this matter. I ask that everyone stop playing politics (I realize that your term, the mayor’s, and Ms. Dolan’s terms are up this May), really be objective this time, and let’s get down to the real business at hand–being responsible with and being honest and held accountable to all of the residents with our tax dollars that we already pay each year to this city. I’ll be following through all of the media/communication choices available to us. Again, thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Lisa Bernardo
Colleyville Resident

I was criticized by Siskel for not taking a position with him on an issue that was before the council as we spoke and for which I did not have adequate facts to appropriately respond. He may find this frustrating but taking positions on issues “off the cuff” without proper vetting may be his practice, it is not mine.

I have never implied that our city is perfect and my perspectives on certain issues may differ from city practices. When these differences occur, my methodology is to use diplomatic methods to influence a more desirable outcome. This contrasts with the tactics used by those who seek instead to defame individual character and criticize virtually everything. We will see over time what NRH citizens see as the most acceptable approach.
Ken Sapp
North Richland Hills

Second, on the proposed bond issue, I am totally against spending a dime on burying power lines along Hwy 26/Colleyville Blvd. The fact that TXU, Verizon and any cable carrier have power lines above ground is reason enough to believe that the lines are doing their job. Buried cable is a nice touch but not a necessary expense.

Third, Colleyville is a great community to live and work in and as a resident I am primarily concerned about the city and it’s ability to provide the kinds of service the citizens have every right to expect from the city. Our roads definitely need some attention, several of us are still fighting the sanitary issues associated with failing septic tanks in periods of heavy rain. Many of the areas of the city need upgraded water lines and so it goes. Developing a constructive plan to upgrade and improve the infrastructure of our city and specifically our city services would be a far better use of the bond monies.

Forth, our police and fire personal do a wonderful job and are there whenever they are needed. I am not positive but I believe they haven’t had a decent pay raise in 2 or 3 years. Entry level public servants in several other cities begin at a higher initial salary and I think we may be losing talent to these other cities.

Finally, I am speaking out now as a private citizen even though I am currently a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Dolan
Colleyville

I suppose grass will need to be replanted after power line excavation and this task could be accomplished with a few hundred pounds of Bermuda seed for a few hundred bucks. That issue alone is for 3 mm to be spent on landscape. Ludicrous, and Mr. Skinner  should get his aspirations in concert with tax payers needs.

Were it not for the expenses of the library, we would not need to float a bond for street repairs. This is a normal, reoccurring expense of any city and should be funded with revenue income from water/sewer utility, Ad Valorem taxes, and sales tax revenue. Unfortunately, those dollars are now being spent in support of an unaffordable library, thanks to Skinner and his former council cronies.

A special thanks to Ms. Dolan for taking her elected position as a serious responsibility.
Dennis Johnson

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother?
It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to
control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between
now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you
have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.
They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the
mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost.
I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the
party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

And oh, by the way Merry Christmas !

Morris Usry
Colleyville

Our city was ruled to have illegally destroyed evidence in one of those
above described cases. Again, only a passing mention from Sapp as he
blasts a critic of the action.

A city councilman was responsible for a traffic fatality, and never even
received a traffic citation for it. Sapp remained silent on the matter.

Our city attorney was reported to have been sleeping during a council
meeting, and Sapp never writes a word about it.

Exactly who IS Ken Sapp writing for? Looks to me like his goal is to
attack those that dare speak up agains the existing city leaders. I
suspect we’ll soon see what his “reward” is.

Herb Parson
North Richland Hills

Perhaps some suggestion of Sapp’s thinking can be illustrated by a somewhat unrelated face to face conversation I once had with Sapp. He was unwilling to even express an opinion to me as to the legality of a city official amending (clarifying?) a city ordinance by simply adding the official’s own private footnote to that ordinance; no discussion and
no vote by the council — the official just adds his own “clarification footnote” and publishes the ordinance. Does Ken Sapp really not even know the proper procedure for amending a city ordinance? He was unwilling to express an informal opinion. This kind of lapse is not very promising for an NRH city official. I suppose he proposes to serve on
the city council sometime in the future. What dubious qualities will he add to his already flawed ‘service’ on our P&Z Commission — just what NRH needs — one who is not willing to understand the impropriety of such willy nilly personal, private amendments to city ordinances. I hope we will do better. Maybe I could drop by City Hall and write a few ordinances ….
________
The only way to make sure that city officials don’t abuse their power is
to not grant it to them in the first place.

Maury Siskel
North Richland Hills

Congratulations on your award. I am pleased that law enforcement recognized the work you do and equally pleased they chose to publicly recognize LNO and you. Again, congratulations on a job well done.
Tom Dolan
Colleyville

You guys are awesome!! We don’t subscribe to the newspaper because we don’t have time to read it. Thanks to you guys we have been keeping up on the home invasions.

Thanks,

Debbie Hedges
Colleyville

Randy Willis

I agree with the valid uses for eminent domain, such as the widening of 820. But I sure am glad I don’t live within spitting distance of an expanded Loop 820 or other property these council members and/or private developers feel would benefit them more than my family occupying our small home. Regarding the case of Southwestern Illinois Development Authority v. National City Environmental, L.L.C., where a taking of additional land to expand parking for a racetrack in Illinois was attempted through eminent domain, the above referenced text further states on page 917, “The owner of the adjacent property challenged the taking, contending that it was for private, not public use. Ultimately, the Illinois Supreme Court sided with the property owner. According to the court, the power of eminent domain is to be ‘exercised with restraint, not abandon,’ and it was a ‘violation of the constitutional public use limitation for a government agency to take unoffending property in order to convey it for the expansion of parking of another private business.’ Other courts in the early 2000’s have reached similar conclusions in cases involving takings for purposes that are not clearly in public interest.”

With comments such as those recently made by Councilman John Lewis and others of his opinion, I think citizens of NRH may have another issue looming on the horizon that goes far beyond what can be parked in one’s driveway or whether there should be a senior/disabled tax freeze. We must be careful that our attention is not redirected.

Gini Parsons
North Richland Hills, TX

Nancy Bielik
NRH City Council

Thank you very much for running the story about Crown of Life Lutheran Church’s Friends and Family Day. It was a great success – we had an estimated 742 folks show up along with a live broadcast from KLTY and even the KLIF van was there handing out voters registrations. We appreciate
the fact that you were able to get the word out, many people mentioned your site specifically. Thanks again,
Roger Wallace

Thank you so much for the opportunity to run the ad for Peanut. As of last
evening, she has been adopted by a wonderful lady who found her in your
on-line news! She fell in love with Peanut at first sight & Peanut loved
her too!

I am a daily/avid reader and will continue to tell my friends and co-workers
about LNO!!!!

Thank you again!

Pam Misialek

Dear Editor:
Thank you so very much. Words cannot express our appreciation.
Billye Westin-Flores

Editor’s note:  LNO put the author of the email below in touch with a number of options.

Several citizens have raised questions regarding the environmental impact of the Pecan Creek gas station and its proximity to Bear Creek. Similar questions were raised with Service Star this summer and they responded that all layers of state and federal regulations are scrupulously complied with as the last thing a major company such as Shell wants is an environmental mess. I understand their motivation to be a good corporate citizen in this regard; however, I wanted to independently verify with outside sources if any unique problems were apparent when underground petroleum tanks are installed near a creek or other water source. Here is what I found out.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality [TCEQ] has regulatory authority in Texas for everything connected with the installation, monitoring and removal of underground petroleum tanks [UPT]. TCEQ regulates and licenses [and has authority over] contractors who must be approved by TCEQ inorder to install and remove the tanks. TCEQ also has the authority to fine and penalize companies and individuals for non-compliance and other violations of its rules. You can visit TCEQ at www.tceq.org. It has a very comprehensive website.

I spoke with Rashonda Mayes, an Environmental Investigator with TCEQ, and this is what she told me. The focus of TCEQ with underground tanks is a five point program: corrosion protection, release detection, spill and overfill prevention, financial assurance and self-certification. She explained what that means as follows.

1. Corrosion Protection. The concern here is that the underground tanks are not subject to corrosion as this is the greatest source of leakage from UPT. According to Ms Mayes, older tanks are generally constructed of steel which has been shown to corrode over time. Newer tanks are constructed of fiberglass which does not have the same susceptibility for corrosion. In fact, there has not been a single case of a fiberglass tank leaking due to corrosion.

2. Release Detection. All tanks have a self-monitoring sytem that should detect any variances [thus,detect a leak] on a daily basis. Using the data from the daily monitoring, the stations must provide TCEQ with monthly reports attesting to no leaks being detected.

3. Spill and Overfill Prevention. The concern here is to make sure that when filling the tanks, adequate safeguards exist to prevent spillage. Thus, the UPT installers need to utilize “spill buckets” or over-fill systems to prevent environmental problems when tank trucks refill the underground tanks.

4. Financial assurance. Any entity that owns a gas station needs to maintain $1 million in liability coverage just in case a problem occurs. In certain cases, entities can avoid the liabilty coverage if they can establish a significant financial reserve in excess of the afore-mentioned coverage.

5. Self-certification. Every gas station must go through a certification process every year in order to be eligible to continue to receive and sale gasoline. The certification process goes through the TCEQ. The contractors that install the tanks must also continually go through a recertification process.

I specifically asked Ms. Mayes if any specific regulations or procedures needed to be followed when UPT were installed near a creek or other water source. She replied that no such special rules applied or existed and that they would follow the normal rules which are designed to prevent leaks and spills in any situation. She did mention, however, that secondary containment systems have been installed when some of the older UBT were placed in proximity to a major acquifer. The decision to do a secondary containment system would be up to the contractor. She also mentioned that some companies now routinely install secondary containment systems in any event.

I also discussed the issue of installing a UPT near a creek bed with a contractor licensed with TCEQ. He replied that if something were out of the ordinary due to to the creek and soil bed, he would hire a licensed structural engineer to make a report that would be forwarded to the TCEQ. However, he had never had any situatuion that had ever caused that to occur.

Both the contractor and Ms Mayes agreed that the the major oil companies are best in terms of compliance with all TCEQ regulations. They all agree that the bad press and clean-up is so expensive that it is clearly understood by the majors that prevention and compliance is by far the best [and least expensive] alternative.

I hope this information will be helpful to all the people who have raised questions concerning the proposed Shell station at John McCain and Highway 26.

Keith Staudt
Colleyville

Do you know of any treatment facilities, support groups, practitioners etc., in the Ft Worth Area who deal with these “adult children” with congenital heart disease.

It has been prayer and medical science, along with expertise in the practice of medicine that have kept Wayne alive. His quality of life is poor from that standpoint of his stamina, his developmental delay and inability to attend school as a mainstream student. He did “graduate” high school with most of his classes being taught by a tutor who would visit the home there in Mineral Wells. This was mostly for his “self-esteem” and of little-to-no value in the full quality of life or in the field of gainful employment.

Wayne wants to work and has frustrations when he tries and cannot. Also, there is a great stigma attached (and understandably so in view of liability issues) with these children. Each one really needs to be analyzed on a case by case basis and not in generalities. The SSA doesn’t know what to do with him in terms of supporting him. He was on SSI until the magic “adult age of 18” and now has no financial or medical support.

His family are on poverty-level wages and cannot afford to give Wayne the things he desparately needs. He is still being seen, however, by physicians and has scheduled check-ups. I and my family get the feeling that Dr. Lai is put in an awkward position and is at a loss in what to do with Wayne. I have no idea how many others are in Dr. Lai’s care that would be comparable to Wayne.

Please feel free to share this message with any and all others who may be able to render some assistance with our dilemma. This child has lived to be 25 for a reason, and we’re so happy for that. But, we’d like to see him get the finest available care and resource assistance that is due him and children in his demographic age group.

In general, it seems to me that these children who have lived to and through adolescence are in a difficult situation in finding the right specialists and specialty healthcare facilities peculiar to their situations.

Any advise you can give us will be so much appreciated. Thanks for indulging me in this lengthy e mail inquiry. This is a very emotional to me and his mother especially.

God bless,

Billye Westin-Flores, grandmother
Editor’s Note:  Viewers with information can respond to: Webmaster@LocalNewsOnly.com for forwarding.

Thank you so very much for the coverage of today’s New Teachers’
Luncheon hosted by the Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation.
Your efforts to publicize our community’s unified support of
education in the GCISD are very much appreciated.

Janice Kane, Executive Director
Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation

Jamie Thibodeaux
Colleyville

Thank you so much. It is exactly what I was looking for. Maybe it will help refine my search.
Please accept my thanks once again.
Doris L. Gracia

editor@localnewsonly.com wrote:

This appears your stepmother’s information.

Lyons Betty Estelle 06-26-1986 TARRANT

July 30, 2004 @ 7:33 am

In 1985 or 1986 my stepmother was killed in a horrible car accident.
Since then, I have wanted to visit her gravesite at Bluebonnet Hills
Memorial Park. I have researched their website and nothing comes up with
her name. I was only fifteen or sixteen at the time, so I really don’t
know if she went by another name. She was a real estate lady, her name
was Betty Robson Lyons ( I thought). She was killed by a hit and run. I
think in February 1985 or 1986. She had two daughters, one still
attended at Grapevine High School. Her name was Christy Robson. Is there
a website or archives of your paper that has Obituaries from that year.

Thank you for your effort.
Doris L. Gracia

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Colleyville Councilman Tom Hart for his assistance in helping this viewer.

I want to speak up in support of Dusty and the use of the tennis courts. A few years ago, my son took group tennis lessons with Dusty. My son is not a sports lover and would rather sit and play video games. However, Dusty has the ability to engage the kids and keep their interest while teaching them the skills for Tennis. A couple of times someone would substitute for Dusty and it just wasn’t the same. My son would lose interest during the lesson and I would have to urge him on.

Since there is a reservation policy in place for the tennis courts, it seems unreasonable for someone to expect to walk up and get a court. Since there are few courts in Colleyville and we do have an excellent Tennis program, it’s understandable that the courts would be hard to come by.

Dusty is a valuable asset to our youth in Colleyville. I was glad to see that they offered him a contract to continue teaching in Colleyville. I would much rather have our kids working out with Dusty than sitting in front of the TV. I would imagine that he reserves his courts just like everyone else and that’s the fees that you see paid to Colleyville. In exchange, Colleyville gets to advertise an excellent Tennis program for group and private lesson for their parks department without spending $20,000 to keep tennis pro on staff. Seems like a good plan to me.

Delanie Alcorn-Jones
Colleyville

I was quite surprised after reading the article on the tennis courts that the city was in the business of providing the facilities for personal gain to selected individuals. Doesn’t seem to make too much sense that citizen tennis players have a difficult (at best) time of being able to play on a city court. I always believed that city funded facilities were for the benefit and use of its citizens, not those who had to pay a third party for the privilege of being able to make use of them (i.e. through lessons, associations, etc).

Maybe now we can look forward to Jerry Jones refocusing his search for a new Cowboy stadium from Arlington to Colleyville!!

Michael T. Muhm
Colleyville, TX

I say leave the rooster alone, we have loved hearing him crow for many years. He also crows at daybreak. Guess the female at 5616 Bransford Rd is not awake to hear that.

Brings back great memories of my childhood and being at my grandmothers farm in TN.

Also let the developer build his development. It could be called “Roosters Roost”.
Lila Coley
just off Bransford Rd.

Editor
RE: Mircea Volosen
“He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men.
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”

-Immanuel Kant-

The quote speaks for itself.

Thank you.

Christine Cattell
Plano, Texas

Bill Barzelay
4508 Alexandra Drive
Colleyville, TX 76034

My friend wants to receive LNO. Will you please add her address to your list? Please add:
DanaDW@xxxxxxx

I am pleased to be able to read and know what is going on in my area.

Thank you.
Mary Coe
Editor’s Note:  Your friend has been added.  To subscribe, a viewer can simply go to the opening page of http://www.LocalNewsOnly.com or http://www.LNO.info , put a valid email address in the space provided and then click on read news.  As set out on this page, this automatically adds one to the opt’d in list for future headline alerts.

Dear Editor,

Justice has been served by the conviction of Dr. Volosen although I
do not feel that it warrants spending time in jail. We all love our pets and
they are part of our family. Whatever caused the doctor, especially a vet
to do the heinous crime is unimaginable, but it happened.

How about community service hours at the local humane society where
instead of being a ward of the state and a liability, he becomes an asset to
the community and allows him to start to feel good about himself again.

Everyone deserves a second chance.!!!!

From a lover of all pets,
ANDREW S. WAYNE
Colleyville

Just some advice. You stated that the upcoming tennis tourney you have in Southlake “attracts players ranked between 100 and 300”. No player ranked in the 100’s in their right mind would go to that tournament with a prize of 10k. That’s $1,300 to the winner. More like 300 to 1000 rankings. You are a newspaper that should correctly research and print news, not just throw out numbers to make your little town look good.

Robinmselig@aol.com
Editor’s Note:  Well alrighty then!  The information came from City of Southlake.  LNO has forwarded your observations and requested their comments.

Michael T. Muhm, Colleyville

Editor’s Note:  Dale has retired and no longer is involved with the Little Known Facts Radio and Newspaper syndicated programming.  Your inquiry has been sent to Dale.  Side Note:  Dale Robertson is the cousin of this Editor’s wife Jamie.

“The city staff estimated that a 3.5% percent tax-rate increase would pay
for almost $16.9 million in capital projects, while a 7 percent tax rate
increase would pay for about $40.9 million in projects.”

The city staff has presented charts and tables that show it will take a tax
rate increase from $.3474 in 2004 to $.4126 in 2009 to pay for $16.9 million
in capital projects and a tax rate increase from $.3474 in 2004 to $.4872 in
2009 to pay for $40.9 million in projects. The math is real simple, that’s a
7% tax increase EACH YEAR for five years making the total increase 40% to
pay for the $40.9 million.

Colleyville citizens are very interested in this as they demonstrated in the
recent election, but your paper has not told them this or given them
information to educate them on the issue. The article comes across as a
means to cover the political backside of the individual that your paper
recommended to the voters a year ago.

Please do the right thing and provide a more in-depth article or editorial
that corrects this error by presenting all the facts to Colleyville
citizens.

Please attempt to provide full disclosure to Colleyville citizens, not just
political sound bites.

Thanks,
Richard Newton
Colleyville

Tom Dolan
Colleyville

The chart (Click Here), provided by the City of Colleyville, and available in the CIP workshop packets states that fact in clear terms below.  The fact Ms. Schroeder either did not avail herself of this information or simply misunderstands the tax impact, her article is misleading and misrepresents a critical element in the tax increase formula.

I respectfully ask the Star Telegram to print a correction immediately to this article that explains the tax increase is every year for five years and the compounded interest rate increases in Scenario B below “7% Tax Rate Increase”, that lists the potential bond capacity at $40 million AND provides a chart showing the increase is EVERY YEAR for five years.
Clif Holliday
Colleyville

The Star Telegram can and should play a role in delivering accurate, pertinent information to Colleyville citizens. Today you played a role in delivering false, divisive information. Whether that was intentional (and I don’t believe it was) or accidental, you have a responsibility to correct it quickly and in a manner that will be noticed, not buried in a “clarification” statement somewhere three weeks from now. A follow-up article would be appropriate. Please step up to the plate and do what’s right, not just for Colleyville, but for your own reputation as well.

Thank you.
Linda Newton

I understand from your lno site that Colleyville City council is televised locally.
You seem to be up on this – I’ve searched elsewhere and not found the answer.
Can you tell me what channel and/or the schedule if they are not live?

Thanks,

Dale
Editor’s note:  The Colleyville City Council is broadcast live on Comcast Cable on the first and third Tuesday of each month on Channel 16.

We didn’t give them hell. We told the truth and they thought it was hell.

Sincerely,

Suzette Christopher

Two patrons of the GCISD made inaccurate comments about the rebuttal I wrote on May 7th in their letters to the editor in the Fort Worth Star Telegram NE section on May 13th. One writer either did not do his homework or did and chose to make false statements. His first obvious mistake is he insinuates that the relationship between TASA and CMS was not disclosed at the time of the audit. On page 4 of the GCISD audit it details the relationship between TASA & CMS. His second mistake is he implies Kevin Singer works for CMS. Dr. Singer is a voluntary board member and does not receive compensation from the CMS board. His third egregious error is the accusation that the auditors did not disclose working relationships with the current superintendent. On page 6 of the GCISD audit, the audit team wrote they were acquainted with the superintendent and it had no impact on their judgment.

At the July 23rd, 2001 trustee meeting, all of the relationships and associations about the audit firm and the superintendent were very clearly and fully disclosed. The CFO of GCISD, Hank Johnson, and the Superintendent, Dr. Kevin Singer, both made statements that contradict every misrepresentation made by this writer. Why didn’t this person check the public sources before making these untrue statements? My belief is that perhaps it is his intent to perpetuate a deceptive myth. The second writer attempts to generalize the statements made in my May 7th column as ‘allegations’. My rebuttal is fact based and I am not ashamed of the truth. Let me reiterate even more strongly, I can defend my statements in court.

In my opinion, these letters shows the desperation of the campaign they are waging for their candidate. A writer who fails to investigate or substantiate his public remarks, I believe, shows a darker side as to the intent. An individual who is deceptive and dishonest has no place on the board of trustees. That is why I am vigorously campaigning and supporting the election of Lisa Hall to the GCISD board of trustees.

Mark Born
Former GCISD Trustee and
Board President 2001 to 2002

Jody Short
Colleyville

All elections are important and it is a privilege, no a responsibility as Americans to use that right to vote for who we believe is the best candidate, or at least the candidate that best represents our views. Your next opportunity to use this cherished right is this Saturday, May 15th when we elect governmental leaders and possibly even more importantly, our school board leaders. These individuals will be directing our children’s education.

I believe that Bob Crane, who is running for Place 3 on the GCISD school board would be an excellent choice. I have known Bob and his family for over 18 years and have worked with him at a major corporation in the area during that time. He has been directly involved in the decision making process for hundreds of millions of dollars and programs that affect numerous employees. Bob has always been determined to understand the details behind the processes and digs deeply, until he is satisfied that we have a win-win solution.

Given today’s tight budgeting responsibilities, Bob is our guy, as he will certainly challenge the when, where and why, as it relates to how the district plans to spend our finances. He is also a forward thinking individual that will bring new and exciting ideas to the table. Bob Crane is the right man for the job – – – he WILL Make it Happen!

Ric Carlson
Grapevine, Texas

Thanks

Tom Lisle
Colleyville, Texas

Michael T. Muhm, Colleyville

We have known Bob Crane and his family for many years. In our opinion, the GCISD is very fortunate to have someone of his caliber and integrity to be willing to give of his talents and time to help us with the challenges that we are facing. We need School Board Trustees that have the business and financial backgrounds to ensure that our tax dollars are being spent wisely and we need people with experience in management oversight to ensure that what has happened to some of our neighboring school districts does not happen here in the GCISD.

Bob Crane is a man of principal, is a good listener, respects differences of opinion and can bring consensus with complex issues. He is a proven leader in business and is dedicated to improving the GCISD where his two daughters go to school. We encourage you to join us and vote for Bob so together we can make a positive change to our school board.

George and Charlotte Curry, Grapevine

We have been following the articles in the newspaper and have tried to keep abreast of the issues with our school district and was very impressed with the answers and composure that Bob Crane demonstrated at the public forum last month. We think that he provides us with the opportunity to positively change the make up of the school board without the usual bantering and politicking that goes on. Bob Crane brings the education, experience and management know how that is needed to over see a school district as large as ours. It is not intuitive nor does it make sense to believe that just anyone has the background to manage a budget and revenue stream in excess $80M annually. Though we have some very well meaning people that also want to serve their community we want our representative to have the skill sets required to do the business that they are elected for, to have the courage to ask pertinent and relevant questions and to have proven leadership and decision making ability to represent the best interests of all the parents, students, administrators and tax payers in our district. We urge you to join us and vote for Bob Crane – Trustee Position #3.

Jim and Jill Wagner, Grapevine

Dear Editor,

In the GCISD Place 4 race we have read that Fiona Sigalla understands the trustee’s role of accountability and that she asks tough questions. If we hold others to a certain level of accountability and infer that if someone makes a mistake, that they are most likely hiding something, then we ourselves must be held to that same standard. In other words, we are judged by the same standards by which we judge others.

In reviewing the Campaign Finance Reports filed by Ms. Sigalla, there are numerous items that the Texas Ethics Commission requires to be completed, that were omitted from the forms. The telephone number of the Campaign Treasurer, the purpose of all campaign expenditures, and the date of one campaign expenditure were not completed. Granted these are minor items, but if this same type of information were left off a report she received from the Administration, would Ms. Sigalla have required more accountability?

To infer that only those that stand apart and cause division are the responsible trustees and that they are the only ones that ask tough questions is a false and unfair assumption. I believe that all of the GCISD Trustees are honest, hard working individuals who really care about the greatest asset of our district, the students. For any organization to be successful, be they our families, our companies, or our Board of Trustees, the members must be able to work together. Working together does not mean they cannot disagree, but they must always maintain a mutual respect. We are past this point in our Board of Trustees and it is time to make a change so that we can get back to the important task of educating, supporting, and encouraging our children. I encourage you to vote for Lisa Hall in the GCISD School Board Election on Saturday.

Carl Ball
Colleyville, Texas 76034

I had the privilege of working closely with Bob for 20 years. When I had a
particularly tough issue Bob was the first person I went to for ideas. Bob
has a unique way of looking at issues and while we did not always agree, the
value of the discussion and different perspective was always beneficial and
appreciated.

Bob’s opponent is running on her record of volunteerism in the local schools
and while commendable, in no way prepares nor QUALIFIES her to make the
kinds of decisions expected of Trustees.

I urge you to vote for Bob Crane for Place #3.

Sincerely,
Joe Buchanan
Colleyville, TX

Gary R. West
Colleyville, Texas 76034

Katri Laurimaa
Colleyville, TX 76034

Dear Editor:

Parents and taxpayers can be grateful that Fiona Sigalla, candidate for the Grapevine Colleyville School Board, is the real thing.
An economist with the Federal Reserve Bank, Fiona is recognized as an expert on the Southwest economy, quoted in national and local media — including the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.
A dedicated mother and school volunteer on three PTA boards, Fiona has coordinated talent shows, DWI prevention programs and district-wide friendship chains sent to Austin. As a trustee, Fiona has fought for smaller class sizes, stronger math curriculum, and reading, gifted and foreign language teacher positions lost in budget cuts.
Fiona understands a trustee’s role of oversight and accountability. Fiona’s education, graduate degrees and professional experience provide her the ability to analyze a $100 million budget and recommend ways to minimize state “Robin Hood” payments.
How fortunate we are to have Fiona Sigalla! Please join other smart and conscientious voters and re-elect Fiona Sigalla to a second term on the GCISD School Board.

Joan Shaw
4504 Alexandra Drive
Colleyville, TX 76034

Dear Editor:

Fairness in judgment, open mindness to new ideas, and a proven track record of experience are qualities most of us want to see in our elected officials.  Dana Feldman, Colleyville City Council candidate, has demonstrated these qualities and her ability to work cooperatively with citizens to achieve common goals.

Serving on the Colleyville City Council two years ago, Dana Feldman was a leading advocate for building a new public library.  With a graduate degree in library science, Dana was dedicated to providing a library filled with books, staffed by professionals, with substantial research and reference services and children’s programs.

Dana, an attorney specializing in real estate and corporate law, was part of a hard working team that encouraged significant quality development. The result is destination shopping including Market Street, Town Center and the Villages of Colleyville.  We now enjoy many new restaurants, cafes, shops, as well as a beautiful new City Hall and Justice Center in the center areas of our city.

Running for a second term, Dana is focused on increasing quality commercial development to Colleyville to further support our tax base.  She continues to be concerned with improving infrastructure, including street intersections, drainage, expanding athletic facilitates and park areas.

Help us elect Dana Feldman to Colleyville City Council who will remain a responsive and respectful city representative for all of us.

Rosina Volpicella-Ludwig
Colleyville

Tom Hart – He has served with honor, integrity and distinction as the
Chairman of P & Z before that body had all the troubles it now has. He will
bring rock-solid stability, class, and fairness to the Council!

The opponents of these candidates are a very different picture!

Rich Hendler’s opponent doesn’t know or care about youth sports. She has no
experience in city government (or any other kind for that matter) and is
beholden to the Chamber of Commerce and to our Mayor.

Jon Ayers’ opponent was on Council, and lost her re-election bid by one of
the largest majorities in the history of Colleyville. We don’t want another
two years of her.

Tom Hart’s opponent has had some very hard times in his life, and I do feel
sorry for him, but that is no reason to vote for him! He seems to continue
to make bad judgments, his latest being voting for a tire store/gas station
on Colleyville’s northern entrance. Bad judgments are not a good
qualification for Council.

Most of all, the opponents of Hendler, Ayers, and Hart are all ‘in the
pocket’ of our mayor/king. They will support his continued vetoes and they
will support his ‘secret’ (its no longer secret, Joe) 40% tax increase!

Elect Hendler, Ayers, and Hart to really move Colleyville forward and to
stop King Joe from enacting his secret tax!

Clif Holliday
Colleyville

Oversight of a budget of almost $100 million and new legislative proposals for state funding are two important reasons to re-elect Fiona Sigalla. An economist and former legislative policy advisor, Fiona is the right person for the right time. A voice, not an echo, is what is needed to do the job.

William Barzelay

May 5, 2004 – A Response to Mr. Ken Sapp’s Campaign Letter of May 4th.

Mr. Sapp, who I previously labeled a “spokesperson” for the incumbents, has now shown that he is indeed a spokesperson for the incumbents. He may even be campaigning for the next election for city council in NRH. Certainly with his campaign efforts and distortions, he would be qualified for the job. The following are excerpts from his letter – followed by my responses.

Ø What type of government do you want?

Responsive, responsible government that treats the citizens with courtesy and respect.

> A central issue spurring this opposition slate is citizen’s property rights. The passage of an RV
> parking ordinance last fall gave rise to protest from RV owners and a rallying cry to “kick out” the
> existing representation. Since it’s passage, the ordinance has been referred to the Planning and
> Zoning for possible revision.

In reality, the council referred the multiple parking ordinances back to P&Z to defer the wrath of the voters until after the election. Our understanding is that there is to be very little change and the existing enforcement date is set for October 1, 2004. All of the obnoxious ordinances are in full effect on that date.

> While the opposition cites “individual property rights” it is unclear as to what this means. Some
> insight into how to bring about governmental can be gleaned by viewing the website . Mr. West is a
> trustee of an organization called Texans Against Intrusive Government and strongly supports civil
> activism to limit Government.

Civil activism is running for office to change the things you do not like. The current council calls me a “radical” because I question and challenge the actions of the council. The TAIG Website referenced by Mr. Sapp was used to fund a lawsuit in an attempt to remove the requirement for a Social Security Number for Drivers Licensing. The site was created and supported by one of my sons that I am very proud of. I supported his efforts by handling the contributions to pay the legal fees associated with the lawsuit. The organization is now disbanded and their cause was lost.

> While we could all cherish our freedom, this does not mean we can live without some rules to guide the
> achievement of a productive and civil society. The balance between government and personal freedom is
> a tenuous one and the methods for achievement of that balance are important to civilized government. An
> important factor to be considered by every voter during this election is if the techniques suggested
> by Mr. West’s organizations are the correct avenue to accomplish it.

The dispute with the existing council is the question of whether we need 2000+ ordinances on the books of the city to govern every aspect of our lives. Further, we question the authority of the council to take control of all private property in front of one’s home and – if you live on a corner lot – the property from the side building line to the street. We question their right to rule all pole signs as “eyesores”. We question their arrogance. I personally support the theory that the less government required – the better for everyone’s freedom.

> In selecting leaders we should recognize that leadership requires that tough decisions be made
> decisions even in the face of opposition. It is also important that we realize that possible errors in
> judgment can be made and that it is a person’s character that will determine the best corrective
> action. North Richland Hills needs leadership that recognizes change is inevitable and responsible
> leadership is needed to guide a 50 year old city that has grown from a prairie town to a city of
> 60,000 residents. It is for the voters to decide who has the qualities.
We agree completely with this paragraph with the addition of verbiage that indicates that real leaders listen to their constituents and seek their input. Our current leadership does not seek this input and treats the citizens who voice any opposition with utter disrespect. We also would question the use of elective office for personal gain such as contracting with the city to build streets or gaining free use of BISD land for a cement mixing plant over the objections of residents.

> In addition to “individual property rights,” the campaign literature of Christopher, Bielik, Cox and
> West favors age 65 tax freezes and reduction in excessive city spending. The incumbents claim
> responsible financial management and suggest waiting a few months until the Governor Perry’s tax
> proposals are vetted before making irrevocable changes to the city tax structure.

This “excuse” did not keep them from issuing over $7 Million in new city debt to be paid back over the next 15 years at the council meeting before last. Responsible financial management has not and does not apply to their runaway spending – only to keeping the taxes at the highest legal rate possible without a roll back. The current council is already planning to spend your tax increases for all years in the future.

> Lower taxes are a hot topic and serve as a motivational campaign theme. The question is what
> are we willing to give up in exchange for lower taxes? Just stating “better management” is
> inadequate evidence to deliver lower property taxes. Careful budget management and controlled
> spending is required but the opposition has been unclear as to what specific items they would eliminate.
>
> Do you want to live in a city with asphalt versus cement roads? (Do you mean asphalt like the nice new Glenview Drive between Grapevine Hwy and 820?) How about fewer parks, older fire
> trucks, a rusting water tank, no golf course or water park? Certainly there are some areas where
> discretionary spending could be eliminated but each of these areas typically has a support from the
> members of the community who benefit from it.

This is a real red herring if there ever was one. Isn’t this the mayor and city council that just spent a couple of hundred thousand on the pavilion at Iron Horse but made the decision that we only had the money to staff two of the three ambulances owned by the city to serve our needs? The city council that is spending over $600,000 on a ground level water tank, part of which is to sand blast lead based paint off of it? Do we want our taxes to double over the next 7 years because of runaway spending? The challengers are simply talking about REDUCING the RATE
Of GROWTH of our local GOVERNMENT – not CUTTING anything other than future runaway spending.

> Most residents also do not realize that it is more than spending that affects property tax. There are
> other components. Only about a third of city revenue comes from property tax. Fees and sales taxes
> compose the other two-thirds. With this in mind, we have to be cautious to build an infrastructure that
> will support an established property and sales tax base to sustain the city in the future when growth
> will no longer fuel revenues.

Most of our citizens do realized that all fees, sales taxes, fines, impact fees, water bills, sewer charges and everything else the city council looks at – have gone up dramatically over the past 10 years. If spending doesn’t impact taxes – why do they need so much money?

> Each of the incumbent council members has put in years of voluntary service to gain experience in
> city operations by serving on Boards and Commissions. The opponents contend that just makes
> them insiders but this is a very obtuse view of public service. Government of a city the size of NRH
> is a complicated process and requires vision as well as prudent management. My observation of the
> existing council is that they are committed to the future of NRH.
Unfortunately, all members of all boards and commissions are hand picked and appointed by the Mayor and City Council. The current council votes 7-0 on virtually all issues. This would lead one to believe that a) they are in the pocket of the incumbents just waiting their turn to rubber stamp current activities, or b) Mr. Sapp is starting his campaign for a council seat early.
>
> I applaud anyone who seeks public office, but the third largest city in Tarrant County is not the
> place to put on the “training wheels.” This election seems as much about style as substance and I hope
> all the candidates and citizens of NRH will benefit from this election experience.

Citizens are already reaping the benefits of opposition as evidenced by Mr. Sapp’s last column on LNO. For the first time in some time, the council took some time to try to justify the extraordinary expenses associated with the water tank reconstruction. I would take exception to the “style vs. substance” statement since all challengers have clearly stated issues facing the city. So far the incumbents haven’t talked about issues, they only say “re-elect me”!

Ø Clearly there valid points of consideration in each of the candidates campaign positions. ….

Now – if we could just get the incumbents to address any of the issues brought up by the challengers – the voters would have real information to select their government from. Whatever training the existing council may claim, it must have lead them to believe that they were royalty deserving of adoration and praise from the serfs of the city. That must change. The voters are the owners of the city and the council and mayor are supposed to be public servants – not public masters.

Everyone should remember that
“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”
Author: Andrew Lack
Please make YOUR voice be heard by voting for the candidates of your choice.

Responses by: Ron West, Candidate for NRH City Council – Place 4

Editor of LNO

I really do not wish to engage in a “war of words” through emails to the editor, so this will be my last comment on this. Actually, my original response was mostly to redirect readers to our real web site, not the one that Mr Sapp was leading readers to believe represented our group.

Mr Sapp is correct, I did not go into any of the details about the meetings that the P&Z have been holding concerning the parking restrictions. I avoided doing so primarily because that was not the thrust of my letter, but also because it had already gotten so long.

Yes, all were allowed time to speak. I don’t know that I would say “ample”, a single opportunity of 4 minutes is a very short period, and more than one person was cut off (myself included). Issues brought up after a person speaks cannot be re-addressed by that person. City representatives were under no such restriction.

And, our group HAS praised the meetings. That can be seen on our website, and by talking to members. However, there are some concerns, caused by the statement by Ms Stout that the city intends on keeping the ordinances “largely intact”, and by Don Bowen’s (the P&Z chairman) statement that the ordinances would not be repealed, a statement he’s made before the hearings were even completed. We’re also concerned when we’ve seen the 17 people who spoke against the ordinances closely questioned by the panel, and the 1 person who spoke in favor of them not questioned. These actions make it appear that those making the “decision” already have an agenda planned.

It is still the belief of many in our group that the referral back to P&Z was a political ploy. The clearest indication of this was the council refusal to repeal the ordinances. A moratorium can end with the ordinances still in place. The city council did not want to repeal the ordinances, because they were well aware that those opposed to them were now awakened, and would immediately begin the process for a referendum if new ordinances were passed.

Mr Sapp mistakes my concern for anger. I’m not angry over all of this, I don’t own an RV, and my boat trailer (and my boat) are at Lake Grapevine. I’ll even extend an open invitation to take Mr Sapp sailing sometime. No, I’m not angry – I am, however, concerned about the level of openness of our current city government. People have been denied the opportunity to speak at city council meetings, while those that are hold the “party line” of the mayor have been allowed. Requests to put issues (not only THIS issue, but others) on the agenda have been ignored and denied. The mayor and city council members have incorrectly cited the open meetings act using it as a shield to avoid answering questions at meetings. All legal, but hardly fair. Mr Sapp spoke of “training wheels” in his previous email, and unfortunately, that is the pervasive attitude of the current city council. Now that they’re “trained”, they no longer need to hear from the public, they know what is best for us, without consulting us.

My Sapp may be right, the electorate may choose to continue with what they’ve got. We have a city of 60,000 citizens, 32,000 of which are actually registered to vote. Less than 2,000 of them showed up at the polls at the last city election. Our group is working to change that, to make people more aware of what’s going on. If we have 30,000 votes at this election, and the current council stays in place, that would thrill me more than if we have 2,500 votes, and we replace the incumbents.

I think though, that those that are expecting politics in North Richland Hills to be “business as usual” are in for a surprise. Even if the election doesn’t come out the way we hope, our city has already begun to change.

Herb Parsons
Vice-president
NRH Citizens

It saddens me to know that there are people slandering his good name even after we will no longer be receiving the benefits of his service. I ask readers to seek out the truth and see whose integrity is clearly faulty. I do not believe attacking another person publicly for one’s own gain shows integrity.

I believe that these attacks have increased because school personnel had the courage to inform the public about the reason for Dr. Singer seeking employment outside our district. If you vote for a person who drove our superintendent out, you will not be voting for a person who is supported by our teachers. Dr. Singer was very clear about his wishes to support our teachers through pay raises.

I will be voting for Lisa Hall and Nancy Copeland.
Signed, Kimberly D. Roney

A Response To Herb Parsons

Mr. Parsons is correct to state that citizens were not allowed to speak at the city council meeting about the RV ordinance. The matter is before the Planning and Zoning Commission of which I am a member.

What Mr. Parsons did not state is that generous time is being provided to members of his group to provide testimony to the P & Z about their concerns relative to the ordinance. Every attempt has been made to allow testimony and to secure the information required to make a recommendation on this issue. These hearings are conducted the first Thursday of each month and the public is invited. I do not believe anyone has been denied the opportunity to present their thoughts on this matter. More importantly, the P & Z recommendation is only that, it is not a final ruling. After the proposed ordinance has been referred back to the council, they will have an opportunity to deliberate and have further hearings on the draft before they take final action. This process is a lot more open than the impression provided by Mr. Parsons.

Members of the Council have stated on several occasions that their passage of the ordinance was perhaps too hasty and they did not realize the full impact it would generate. To get this issue out of the sensitivities of the political realm, the Council referred the issue back to P & Z for a full investigation. We were told to take as much time as needed but to do what we thought was in the best interest of the city of NRH. A similar approach was used to redraft a controversial ordinance governing above ground utilities and the outcome was very positive. I believe the Council was attempting to learn from their prior experience.

I appreciate Mr. Parsons’ concern over this issue and respect his activism. I do not know what the final outcome will be for this ordinance since a discussion of a draft recommendation has yet to occur. I can assure him this, however, it will be only after a great deal of investigation and considerable thought that a recommendation will be made to the Council for their action.

He can maintain his anger on this issue during the interim or wait until he is sure he has something to be angry about. I recognize that our government is not perfect and we must weigh the overall merits of what is best for NRH in the long term. I believe the sitting council to be the best choice on the basis of their overall leadership, not a single issue. I believe the electorate will uphold my recommendation between now and May 15.

Ken Sapp
North Richland Hills

This is in response to Mr Sapp email to the editor.

Mr. Sapp is right about one of the central issues spurring the candidates was the so called “RV Parking Ordinances.” It should also be pointed out, that when these ordinances were passed in October, our group began to form to oppose them. We attended meetings to show our disapproval of the ordinances. Our intention, from the outset, was to change the ordinances. At the first city council meeting I attended as part of this group, we were told, by our mayor, from his chair at the city council meetings, that the ordinances were here to stay, and that if we didn’t like them we could work to change the city council at the elections. We’ve answered that challenge. For Mr Sapp, a sitting member of the current city administration, to now act as if we’re some sort of wide-eyed fanatics because we’ve done so, I find distasteful.

I’ll also point out the ordinance was passed in October, and immediately found opposition. The referral back to P&Z only occurred after weeks of regular protests from our organization. Even after it was sent back, the mayor, and his representative at the P&Z meetings JoAnn Stout, steadfastly maintained their position that the ordinances should remain “largely intact.” Our group believes that the referral to P&Z was a political ploy, and only occurred because the elections were nearing, and the referral to P&Z effectively silenced all discussion at regular city council meetings. As a matter of fact, at a recent city council meeting, a report was scheduled, but only the P&Z spokesman and JoAnn Stout were allowed to speak. NONE of the “regular citizens” that oppose the ordinances were allowed to speak, because it was not an open hearing. Further evidence that the referral was a political ploy can be found by Ms Johnson’s comment that the challenge candidates were campaigning on an issue that’s “no longer there” (from an article in the Star-Telegram). Ms Johnson would have had readers believe that the ordinances are gone. They’re not. The sitting council refused requests to repeal them. Instead, they implemented a moratorium on enforcement. Yet, Ms Johnson stated they weren’t there anymore.

Mr Sapp pointed readers to a website run by Mr West, but Mr West is not a representative for our group, nor is he even a representative for the other candidates. He has been endorsed by our group, as have the other candidates. A much better representation of our group’s intentions and history would be found at WEB SITE LINK I will also state here that these candidates all filed after being requested to do so by members of our group. To point to any other group as representative is misleading.

On the issue of the senior property tax freeze, I find it interesting the Gov Perry’s special session is regularly referred to by the current council, as well as Mr Sapp, but reality is that the issue was brought to the city in October, well before the special session called for by Govern Perry, and our group’s request was regularly refused. No reason was given, we were just refused.

I disagree with Mr Sapp that the current slate “deserves another term”. I’ll give an example of why I feel they DON’T deserve another term. At a city council meeting I attended 6 weeks ago, I gave a presentation on 7 steps I felt the council should take to make city government more open to the citizens. After the presentation, the mayor instructed the city attorney to respond to my requests, as some of the requests involved open meetings requirements. At the end of that meeting, Mr Sapp approached me, and told me that it was a good presentation, politely given, respectful, and well presented. He mentioned that he too had brought up several of the issues to the mayor and the city council in the past.

Two weeks later, I got a response from the city attorney. He ignored two of the seven issues I brought up. One of the two that he addressed, he completely mis-stated my position. On the one issue, my request that the mayor and the city council stop using the open meetings act as a shield when citizens request facts during the citizen presentation portion of city council meetings, he stated that I “demanded” (I didn’t, I requested) that they do so. He went on to state that the city council would continue the practice out of caution. I’ll point out here, as I did then, that the open meetings act specifically allows such responses. I didn’t even ask that the mayor answer such requests, only that he stop misleading people by saying that he’s not permitted to answer by the open meetings act.

This type of response is why we need change in North Richland Hills. It’s time we got “old-school” politicians out of office, and brought in people that are open to citizen input. The current council has repeatedly shown they do not wish for their agenda to be disturbed by those that disagree. “Public hearings” are held, then the pre-printed responses are read by city council, clearly indicating that decisions were made prior to the hearings. If two years of “training wheels” are what are needed to get the current unresponsive city council replaced, then I, for one, am all for it. North Richland Hills citizens need to wake up, and make their voice crying for change be heard, by voting for Jo Cox, Ron West, Nancy Bielik for City Council, and Suzette Christopher for Mayor.

Herb Parsons
Vice-President
NRH Citizens

What type of government do you want?

The citizens of North Richland Hills will answer this question between now and May 15 through the election of a Mayor and three council representatives.

Mayor Oscar Trevino, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Tolbert, Councilman Scott Turnage and Councilwoman Joann Johnson are facing opposition from a slate of political newcomers. Opponents include Suzette Christopher who is campaigning for Mayor while Nancy Bielik, Jo Cox and Ron West are competing for the respective council positions.

A central issue spurring this opposition slate is citizen’s property rights. The passage of an RV parking ordinance last fall gave rise to protest from RV owners and a rallying cry to “kick out” the existing representation. Since it’s passage, the ordinance has been referred to the Planning and Zoning for possible revision.

While the opposition cites “individual property rights” it is unclear as to what this means. Some insight into how to bring about governmental can be gleaned by viewing the website . Mr. West is a trustee of an organization called Texans Against Intrusive Government and strongly supports civil activism to limit Government.

While we could all cherish our freedom, this does not mean we can live without some rules to guide the achievement of a productive and civil society. The balance between government and personal freedom is a tenuous one and the methods for achievement of that balance are important to civilized government. An important factor to be considered by every voter during this election is if the techniques suggested by Mr. West’s organizations are the correct avenue to accomplish it.

In selecting leaders we should recognize that leadership requires that tough decisions be made decisions even in the face of opposition. It is also important that we realize that possible errors in judgment can be made and that it is a person’s character that will determine the best corrective action. North Richland Hills needs leadership that recognizes change is inevitable and responsible leadership is needed to guide a 50 year old city that has grown from a prairie town to a city of 60,000 residents. It is for the voters to decide who has the qualities.

In addition to “individual property rights,” the campaign literature of Christopher, Bielik, Cox and West favors age 65 tax freezes and reduction in excessive city spending. The incumbents claim responsible financial management and suggest waiting a few months until the Governor Perry’s tax proposals are vetted before making irrevocable changes to the city tax structure.

Lower taxes are a hot topic and serve as a motivational campaign theme. The question is what are we willing to give up in exchange for lower taxes? Just stating “better management” is inadequate evidence to deliver lower property taxes. Careful budget management and controlled spending is required but the opposition has been unclear as to what specific items they would eliminate.

Do you want to live in a city with asphalt versus cement roads? How about fewer parks, older fire trucks, a rusting water tank, no golf course or water park? Certainly there are some areas where discretionary spending could be eliminated but each of these areas typically has a support from the members of the community who benefit from it.

Most residents also do not realize that it is more than spending that affects property tax. There are other components. Only about a third of city revenue comes from property tax. Fees and sales taxes compose the other two-thirds. With this in mind, we have to be cautious to build an infrastructure that will support an established property and sales tax base to sustain the city in the future when growth will no longer fuel revenues.

Each of the incumbent council members has put in years of voluntary service to gain experience in city operations by serving on Boards and Commissions. The opponents contend that just makes them insiders but this is a very obtuse view of public service. Government of a city the size of NRH is a complicated process and requires vision as well as prudent management. My observation of the existing council is that they are committed to the future of NRH.

I applaud anyone who seeks public office, but the third largest city in Tarrant County is not the place to put on the “training wheels.” This election seems as much about style as substance and I hope all the candidates and citizens of NRH will benefit from this election experience.

Clearly there valid points of consideration in each of the candidates campaign positions. While the existing Council has some areas for improvement, they deserve an additional term of working together to achieve it. Vote for Trevino, Tolbert, Turnage and Johnson for another term.

Ken Sapp
NRH

Did you “run off” Dr. Singer?
No, he’s an adult and is responsible for his own decisions. Dr. Singer’s job was to oversee a $80 million-plus, taxpayer-funded business—our school district. I am only one of seven trustees. He made a career decision to move on. Six members of the GCISD board gave him a nearly 10 percent raise, but he declined it. I wish Dr. Singer well and thank him for the good work he has done here.

Why did you vote against the nearly 10 percent raise for Dr. Singer? Wouldn’t it have been less expensive than a search firm to replace him?

Salaries must be set based on what is appropriate for the market. In my opinion, the superintendent’s salary is appropriate, based on his years of experience as a superintendent and the size of the district. Also, Dr. Singer’s salary includes a sizable benefits package that makes comparing salaries to other districts difficult. For example, after the nearly 10 percent raise that was offered to Dr. Singer, his salary would have increased from $151,000 to $160,000, but his total compensation would have increased from roughly $177,000 to $193,000.

While Dr. Singer’s decision has led to a regrettable situation for the district and the need to hire a search firm, at the end of the day, this was his decision. As with any company that loses an employee, the district will find another capable leader. I did not believe it was in the best interest of the district to increase the salary of an employee that has indicated a desire to leave, merely to avoid the cost of searching for a replacement.

Why do you ask so many questions?
For me, the question is why isn’t everyone else asking questions? The majority of GCISD trustees have a record of agreeing with the superintendent probably 95 percent or more of the time. So, I guess it is out of character for a GCISD trustee to ask questions and sometimes vote against the superintendent’s recommendation. But I am asked to cast votes, and I am committed to casting the best vote I can every time. I carefully review and often research the issues facing the board and am happy to explain every vote I take. Our district deserves no less from its school board.
Many times, the questions I ask have been posed to me by parents/teachers/taxpayers. As a school board member, I feel it is my responsibility to fairly represent the views and concerns of those I serve within the GCISD community.

What do you see as the role of the school board?
The school board is charged with setting the goals of the district. The board is responsible for assuring that the administration meets the needs of all the students and puts processes in place to implement district goals. The board approves all policies and the budget. This approval process is crucial for proper oversight of the district. The board must be sure that budget allocations are in the best interest of students, parents and taxpayers and advance the goals of the district.

Are you responsible for canceling Baccalaureate?
Baccalaureate is alive and well and will be held for both GHS and CHHS this spring. The school board did not consider or approve any decisions regarding Baccalaureate. I, as an individual trustee, cannot instruct the superintendent to do anything and would never have asked that this service be cancelled, particularly since my son, as a graduating senior, will be participating this year.
The school district can no more cancel Baccalaureate than it can legally operate it. Some parents contacted Dr. Singer because they were concerned that the district might be breaking the law by having employees help organize Baccalaureate. Apparently Dr. Singer agreed, as he implemented steps to make sure that district staff members follow the law and not participate in Baccalaureate.

What do you think of the athletic program?
Athletics teach our children about a healthy lifestyle, teamwork and competition, all life-long skills. I benefited greatly from participating in athletics throughout high school, earning a letter in swimming. During college, I was a proud member of the Seattle Rugby Team. I continued to play rugby in graduate school.
I believe that GCISD athletic programs are among the best in the state and should stay that way. I also believe that they should be continually reviewed, along with other programs, to be sure that we are being as efficient with our tax dollars as possible. I was saddened when we implemented pay-for-participation because I believe our programs should be equally accessible to all children.

What are some of the issues you’ve asked questions about?
They include:

ROBIN HOOD: Under “Robin Hood,” we pay more to the state than we have to. For example, when we carry too large of a fund balance, we have to send more money to Austin. It also increases our Robin Hood payment to buy buses from our operating budget instead of our capital budget. This year, those actions cost us roughly $3.5 million.

TEACHERS RETIREMENT FUND: Last year, the district hired a company, Total Compensation Group (TCG), to advise us on setting up an extra teachers’ retirement account, much like a 401(k). A proposal was bid, and only one firm responded: TCG. The district put part of the teachers’ salaries in this fund, forcing them to use TCG and a committee made up of district administrators as an investment adviser. In my opinion, this plan has higher fees than necessary and doesn’t give employees enough control over their money. Other things about TCG raise red flags for me. If you want to know more about this, ask me; I’ve done a lot of research on it.

SALE OF DISTRICT PROPERTY: Three times, I have objected to district proposals to sell property without a current appraisal and when the buyer’s and seller’s agents were the same people.
CURRICULUM AUDIT: I questioned why the full board and the public were not made aware of Dr. Singer’s relationship to the firm that conducted the GCISD curriculum management audit in 2001. At the time, the public and the newspapers—as evidenced by the stories they were writing—were told that TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators) was conducting the audit. The contract was signed by TASA and the audit report indicates it was conducted by TASA.
More than a year later, I learned the audit had been done by Curriculum Management Systems (CMSi), on whose board Dr. Singer is a member. In fact, Dr. Singer was a vice president of the firm and worked for it (doing an audit in addition to being our superintendent) while the GCISD audit was being done. Additionally, the chief auditor of the audit report is an owner of the company and was on the board of directors with Dr. Singer.
I believe these relationships violate the “principal of independence” that is vital to the audit process.

One of the audit’s recommendations was that the district conduct training, and soon after the audit was complete, the district hired CMSi to conduct that training. The school board was unaware that this company was being used for training and did not approve funds for it; rather, the money was taken out of individual school’s campus funds.

Fiona Sigalla
Place 4 GCISD Board of Trustees

Mel Manuel
Colleyville

Editor’s Note:  Anyone in public office is subject to the “wrath” of opinions from residents that may not always agree with their stand on any particular issue, e.g. you sir on the gas/station tire store.  I am well aware of how the system works since I have served on City Council.  I am not sure what “trashing” you refer, however given specific information LNO will be happy to post the correction upon receipt to clear up any facts overlooked.  LNO carried a very critical article on the proposed gas station/tire store.  Based on the comments heard by council members, I am not aware of anyone that was in favor of the project.  The developer can always come back with another plan, regardless of the outcome of the vote.  The “with” or “without” prejudice difference simply allows the developer to present an alternative plan, if any, without having to wait 12 months.

Mr. Editor….After watching the great job our Colleyville Heritage HS Debate Team did for us on Wednesday night, a revelation hit me. We now have our own local Hillary…..Any of us who watched the last State of the Union Address by President George W and the motions and facial expressions of discuss and/or confusion by Senator H Clinton as she was closely covered by the national TV could see less polished but similar actions being played out right here in Colleyville……and not by the kids on the stage . Ain’t it a shame.Hank Smyth

To the Editor,

In response to the council meeting on 4-20-04 and the Cantrell subdivision, I agree that the council should have been more stringent with the density of this project. One of my concerns, and I’m not up on all of the procedures, is that this plat made it through P & Z without an engineered design and a developer that is not sure where he’ll put the drainage water. Without a good plan, it will certainly create more of a drainage problem for someone, but no one knows where that will be yet.

And I am concerned with the traffic issue and the emergency access issue between Colleyville Elem. and Colleyville Middle schools to Bogart. If an emergency occurs during the morning or afternoon rush, the emergency vehicles will have to wait in line to get onto this access road.

The other concern that I have is that the developer used school attendance numbers that GCISD uses district wide, but Colleyville Elem. does not fit the ‘normal’ numbers. The school population has grown by 130 students since May 1999–29 of those just since Aug. 2003. The district is now faced with an overcrowded issue at this school that is going to require an approval of a future bond package by the voters that will address the issues of the number of classrooms this school needs. But to say that this subdivision will only bring in 13 students to attend ALL schools (K – 12) is absurd. Anyone that looks at the characteristics of this subdivision of 32 lots should know that it will be filled with families with school age children, many more than the 9 elementary age students that the developer suggests.

I believe the council should work more directly with the school district AND the administration at CES when it comes to getting the realistic facts and not rely solely on the developer’s presentation for future subdivisions in this area of Colleyville. This area is the last frontier of Colleyville land and the development of it will greatly impact our schools, roads and infrastructure in this area. It’s important to have a good business relationship with developers, but when it comes to this particular city business, the actions of those voting ( P & Z and the council) should reflect a long-term responsibility to the city and citizens of Colleyville.

I challenge this city council and the next council to begin standing firm on the density and open space guidelines set in the land developement code. They not only have been set in such a way to try to preserve some of the things that make Colleyville a nice place to live, but I’m sure that our water and sewer lines and their capacities have been installed with regards to those guidelines. I ask that the P & Z and city council think about the long-term effects that their continual exceptions to this matter will have on our city and our schools.

And in defense of Mayor Hocutt, I think it was Mayor Pro Tem Tigue that ‘rattled off’ the physicall improvements that were necessary. This developer had no idea of the ‘little things’ that he was going to do in this subdivision. And frankly, if it’s not on paper, you can’t hold them to the probably will do and the promises. If they were going to approve this project, then I’m glad that they did require some of those things, like the masonry fence between the homes and the school. And Mayor Hocutt did have a legitiment concern over the numbers that were being used for the school impact.

I also challenge the elected officials in this next year to put ALL politics aside, and start working together and moving forward. I think that we have a few that try, but we’ve got to get rid of the Camp A and Camp B sides and come together like mature adults that are here to make a positive impact. And let’s get a P & Z that makes good decisions about the projects that they approve for future hearing by the council. I don’t care if they’ve served the city before or not. If they’re willing, qualified and have a genuine interest in helping the citizens and this city, then approve them and let’s get on with business.

Thank you for the opportunity to voice an opinion on this matter.
Lisa Bernardo
Colleyville

It is exactly this kind of treatment that repulses developers from our city.
The recent Economic Development Task Force pointed this out as one of the
major impediments to responsible development in Colleyville. This
micro-management is paralyzing to anyone trying to work with our city. Of
course, this Council has been so paralyzed itself by our Mayor’s continued
vetoes of P & Z appointees that nothing has been done regarding the Task
Force report.

We must develop a more professional approach to the government of our city.
This current blatant ineptitude is an embarrassment to us all. This Council,
or the newly elected one, should take the EDTF Report a first priority item.

Clif Holliday
Colleyville

Letter to the Editor,
Subject: Sound Financial Planning saves NRH Tax Payers Millions

Nearing the end of my first year as a Councilman in the City of North Richland Hills, I had the unique opportunity to assist in presentations, along with Mayor Oscar Trevino, Councilman Frank Metts, City Manager Larry Cunningham and staff, to the Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and the Standard & Poor’s Rating Group. The purpose of the presentations were to seek favorable ratings by the two firms in order to finance various projects approved in the 2003 Bond Election and to refinance current debt from previously approved Bond Election of 1994.

Having had much experience in finance, both in the “Corporate World” and as an “Entrepreneur” who founded, grew and eventually sold a successful manufacturing business, I already had a sense of the fine job our City Government and Staff do in managing city revenues and expenses. But participating in the bond rating meetings brought a new appreciation of current funding policies. I learned at these meetings what an important part “Reserve Funds” played in gaining a favorable bond rating. Both rating services, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s stressed that our policy of maintaining a health level of reserves made possible their recommendations to maintain our rating of Aa3 and AA- in spite of the reduced revenues experienced by NRH during the economic downturns of recent years.

These ratings afforded NRH a “True Interest Cost” of 4.073% for the 2004 Bond Sale and refinancing of current debt. The savings to our taxpayers alone on the refinancing is $783,621.69. You can quickly see, with this savings, along with the favorable bond rates earned through our fiscal policies in years past, how millions of dollars of interest expense have been saved. It comes then at no surprise that NRH Credit Ratings were ranked in the top 2% of municipalities in the State of Texas and the top 10% nationwide.

John H. Lewis, NRH City Council Place 1

I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight.

Contrary to recent unfounded and false accusations by a fellow trustee, I do not have a conflict of interest—real or perceived—between the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and my current employer, Peoples Publishing Group. I have attached a copy of the letter from my employer, Peoples Publishing Group, dated September 30, 2002, to Dr. Kevin Singer regarding a product mailing that was sent—in error—to the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD.

Please note paragraph 3 of this letter that states: “Please understand these mailings are automatic in nature, and we had every intention of pulling the mailing for your district. Although we wish to ensure that this does not happen again, we want you to know that Jesse does not receive economic gain that may result from any of your educators purchasing our materials. There is no benefit, either direct or indirect, that is awarded to Jesse for such transactions. In fact, Jesse has not only requested that he not be included on such mailings, but that we exclude him from any economic gain he could possible get from purchases that are made independently from your district.” The financial restrictions outlined in this letter are still in effect today. Please feel free to print this letter in its entirety because it is indeed a public document and is a matter of public record.

I have gone to great lengths to be completely above board regarding my role as the Regional VP for my company as well as my role as a GCISD Board Trustee. I have filed the affidavits as required by law and have abstained from voting on items that directly pertain to Peoples Publishing Group as well as my wife’s company, Pinnacle Education Associates.

I pride myself on being open, honest, and fair. I will continue to strive to excel in my efforts to do what’s best for our children, our schools, and our school district. I have not and will not take my responsibilities as a Trustee lightly nor will I use my position for monetary gains.

Anyone wishing to discuss this matter with me may do so by contacting me at (817) 707-7600.

Sincerely,

Jesse G. Rodriguez
GCISD Board Trustee

The following was provided by Mr. Rodriguez as a copy of a letter sent by his employer to Superintendent Singer:
September 30, 2002

Dr. Kevin Singer
Superintendent
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
3051 Ira E. Woods Ave.
Grapevine, TX 76051

Dear Dr. Singer:

You and a number of your educators recently received a mailing of our Measuring Up materials with a letter stating that Jesse Rodriquez is the contact person for those who may wish to purchase our product. We sincerely regret that this letter went out to your school district as it may have caused some concern that Jesse Rodriquez is an employee of ours while serving on your school board.

Jesse is a highly valued employee of ours. We also know that his board work with your district is very important to him on a personal level. We sincerely apologize if we may have raised a concern or created any inconvenience to you, your staff, the board and others who may be concerned.

Please understand these mailings are automatic in nature, and we had every intention of pulling the mailing for your district. Although we wish to ensure that this does not happen again, we want you to know that Jesse does not receive economic gain that may result from any of your educators purchasing our materials. There is no benefit, either direct or indirect, that is awarded to Jesse for such transactions. In fact, Jesse, has not only requested that he not be included on such mailings but that we exclude him from any economic gain he could possibly get from purchases that are made independently from your district.

I am especially sensitive to this situation as I too was on a school board while working in my current capacity. So we respect the need to avoid even the appearance of any conflicts.

Please accept our apologies. We will make every effort to avoid this situation again.

Kind regards,
Matti Prima
President, Educational Development Division

Editor:
In all the years I served on the Colleyville P&Z, I was always told that the members of P&Z, like all city appointees, serve at the pleasure of the City Council and that the Council could remove anyone whenever they wanted. I can assure you that the former Mayor and Council wouldn’t have hesitated in “un-appointing” anyone. I seriously doubt that the rules have changed. The Charter hasn’t been rewritten. However, I note that it does say that the attorney should not only be licensed but competent.

Bottom Line — We are bordering on the death of common sense here. What a bunch of hoo-ha!

And while I’m at it –
Reading the story about Councilman Skinner releasing privileged information was like deja vu.

The last time a member of our esteemed City Council released privileged information it cost us a City Park and the original Trail System. What’s it going to cost us this time?

With several highly contested elections right around the corner, I would like to hear from area citizens about what they believe good city government is. Perhaps LNO would consider running a forum. I’ll start by saying that to me one component of good city government is leaders who have no intention of receiving personal wealth through their service to the city and its citizens.

Luann Edwards
Colleyville

Perhaps Mr. West could avoid confusion if he clarified what is fact and what is opinion. In a previous column he stated “while we disagree with him (Mr. Sapp), we strongly support the right to express his opinion.” Now, in a change of direction, it appears he believes my opinions are not my own but those of the sitting City Council.

I do not have an issue with Mr. West personally, I do not know him well enough to make that type of conclusion. I just do not agree with taking a negative approach to everything and everyone. Am I to assume that because I disagree with him on his style, I am now to be his next target for public defamation?

Leadership involves making tough decisions even when there is personal or political risk in doing so. Leaders make mistakes, they are not infallible. What is important for us to evaluate, however, is what they may learn from these mistakes and what they do to correct them.

Since Mr. West has no public record for us to review under the cold light of history, we cannot evaluate the decisions he might have made and the circumstance under which he made them. We can only assume what type of leader he might be based on his credibility and demeanor. Whether he is on the right side of the issues and if he is using the correct tactics to present them will be decided on May 15. However, that’s just my opinion.

Ken Sapp
North Richland Hills

Hi this is Jay Armstrong. I saw your notice about the Lion’s Club scholarship on LNO. I just wanted to touch base with you, as I was a recipient of your fine offering 2 years ago. Just wanted to drop you a quick note and tell you again how appreciative I was of receiving this award. At that time, I entered TCU and went there for a full year and left with a 3.43 grade point average. At which time I decided I would like to transfer to The University of Texas. Luckily, last fall I was accepted, and currently am in the middle of my first semester here at UT. Living in Austin is very different than living in Southlake, but I love it here.

I thank you once again, for selecting me two years ago and just wanted you to know that it helped me start on the right road to college. I know your new receipients will feel as grateful as I was for your assistance.
Jay

Hello Editor

We have forwarded your email to the Southlake Women’s Club

Dear Publisher,

Regarding the “moral turpitide” issue involving Mark Jones and his obligation to disclose, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. The same Council that passed a resolution condemning Janet Jackson’s breast exposure at the Super Bowl evidently can’t quite figure out how to deal with a P&Z member [and City Council candidate] who drives drunk, causes an accident, leaves the scene, and continues to drive recklessly while in possession of an armed handgun. On top of that, the guy is affiliated [either by stupidity or on purpose] with a fringe extremist group that on its website promotes a book called “The Myths of Slavery.” Folks, Colleyville doesn’t need this embarrassment. The good people in this town don’t need a lawyer’s opinion on “moral turpititude” to know how to deal with this. This is a simple right and wrong. It was wrong to do the offense [by the way, community standards on drunk driving today are much different and far less tolerant than in 1967–the case sited by the City Attorney] and it was even more wrong to hide the crime from the citizens.

The citizens of Colleyville need to trust the judgment of our public officials. It looks to me that Mark Jones has three stikes against him on this count — [1] the crime, [2] the non-disclosure and [3] the connection with the fringe group. In my game, three strikes and you’re out. There are decent people in this city that can replace Mr. Jones. I urge the Mayor and Council to use common sense in determining what offends community standards. If they do that, I know they will do the right thing.

Keith Staudt
Colleyville

Have you paid those taxes?

Did you file any personal property taxes for the heavy equipment located in other locations in the city of North Richland Hills?

Have you paid those taxes?

You apparently chose not to answer these questions when I asked them
approximately a week ago. In light of the claims in your campaign
letter, maybe you will respond to this citizen now.

Herb Parsons

Hi Ken,

While I strongly disagree with your latest column in LNO, I would like to redirect you to the Open Letter sent to Mayor Trevino.

In the heat of a campaign – facts often get lost.

Please note, that as of this date, Mayor Trevino has not seen fit to
produce the requested proof of payment of the taxes in question.

Please also note that not a single member of the City Staff nor the City
Council has responded in any manner.

Please note that the “sweetheart deal” with BISD gave Mayor Trevino a
significant advantage over all other bidders for local contracts and saved him significant money for the rebuilding of all projects he wished to bid due to the
proximity of his cement mixing operations to the jobs.

Please note that over 20 citizens of NRH protested the plant on BISD
land but were totally ignored by the Planning
& Zoning Commission as well as the City Council. (Minutes of the
meeting are available for your review.)

Please note that the “BISD Foundation” is chaired by C. A. Sanford, who
was the campaign manager for Bob Griggs campaign for State Representative. Does this indicate a favor for favor situation? Bob Griggs initiated the request
to allow Trevino to use the BISD land (that Griggs did not own).

Please note that if our facts are correct ( and we have done extensive
research on them), then Mr. Trevino or his company owes the City of NRH a significant sum of money for business personal property taxes.

Please also note that if our facts are correct Mr. Trevino owes BISD
significantly more tax money than he “paid” as a contribution to the BISD foundation.

Please also reconsider your comment about “what other companies do”.
Would it make it right for our Mayor to violate the law and ignore taxes just because other companies do so? If  anything, our Mayor should be held to a higher standard because he has both tax and spend authority.

Lastly, please note the reference to the City Charter which is quite  clear. If the Mayor owes taxes – which in this particular case would be by his failure to render business personal property as required by State Law, he is ineligible to serve as Mayor or run for the office of Mayor in the upcoming election. All
businesses in Texas were given an opportunity to place business personal property on the tax rolls with an amnesty through December 1, 2003. Mr. Trevino apparently ignored this opportunity to do the legal and right thing.

Please think again your comments in LNO because it is truly an open forum that allows differing opinions to be seen by the public. LNO does not edit nor distort the facts to appease or please anyone. The headlined article in the Star Telegram must have been heavily influenced by the Mayor because it had little to do with our Open Letter. I am most hopeful that the Star Telegram will do a better job of reporting on this situation in the
very near future.

Our questions are not rhetorical – and they would have been asked
whenever we uncovered the facts mentioned above.

Regards,

Ron West

Ref:  Mark Jones DWI
Dear Publisher,

Your disclosures on Mark Jones regarding his criminal history is serious stuff. The charges are bad enough but the fact that he has not disclosed this while serving on P&Z and running as a candidate for City Council is outrageous. We are not talking about something done a long time ago during one’s youth–rather this happened only 5 years ago! In fact, he accepted his P&Z appointment while he was on probation. Crashing into a car in broad daylight while drunk, leaving the scene of the accident, driving recklessly [all the while in possession of hand gun] and deliberately concealing your past are not the type of qualities that befit a leader of our community. It is very fortunate no one was hurt in this incident.

I know Colleyville leaders have differences on issues facing our city but this is one subject where the city must be united. I call on Mark Jones to immediately resign from P&Z and to drop his City Council race. If he does not do so, the Mayor and Council should ask for his immediate resignation. Yes, good people make mistakes and can be forgiven but forgiveness requires some act of contrition. If ever a person has effectively disqualified himself from public service, it is Mr. Jones. The City of Colleyville deserves much better than this!

Keith Staudt
Colleyville

Ref: Donation of Railroad Cart to Colleyville
Dear Editor,
This is the project of Councilman Hendler. I have been deferring the need for change to Mr. Hendler. I’m not sure what motivated his activity, other than a perception that the overall donation policy of the city needed refining and updating to comply with legal requirements of permanent transfer of ownership. Based on what I was told the policy needed minor adjustments. I don’t believe Mr. Hendler is unnecessarily burdening the council or staff with this request.

In addition, should a unique opportunity present itself, please be assured that the City Council is capable of reacting on short notice and need..

If you have other issues with the policy I respectfully suggest that you speak with Mr. Hendler personally to clarify the issue.

Regards,
Mark Skinner
Mark Skinner is Colleyville Councilman Place 1

Editor:

I was happy to see the letter from Mr West concerning Mayor Trevino’s
unpaid business property taxes. I too had been looking into this issue
for a couple of weeks, and independently found much of the same
information. However, Mr West gives Mayor Trevino’s company too much
credit.

Mr West’s letter stated “… We have also found that Tarrant County
taxing entities do not receive revenue transfers from Denton County
where JL Steel has filed and paid taxes.” The truth of the matter is
that J L Steel still has not FILED a personal property tax return in
Denton County. Rather, they paid the estimated assessment given them by
the appraisal board.

This may sound like a minor issue, but it represents an attitude. This
is a man that is entrusted to run a city whose primary income is from
taxes paid by businesses and citizens, and yet the company he partially
owns and completely runs pays none of their share of taxes in North
Richland Hills, and fails to file the proper returns in either Tarrant
County or Denton County.

I suspect that J L Steel chose to pay the assessed value because it was
lower than the real value. Maybe they’ll file, and we’ll know the truth,
or maybe Mayor Trevino will continue to place his interests above that
of the citizens he is supposed to serve.

Herb Parsons
Vice President – North Richland Hills Citizens

Unless such proof of payment does exist, and is presented to the public- this will be an issue that will be presented to all potential voters  contacted for the upcoming election.

Regards,

Ron West

Then check out the expenditures (budget) the council has voted each year over the past 5 to 7 years. Calculate the increase in percentages.

If you actually do any homework, you will find that our elected officials are spending more and more money – much, much faster than population growth would indicate. Budgets are growing faster – much faster and taxes are growing at an annualized rate of 8 to 10% by property valuation increases. Some cities are budgeting 8 to 10% or more increases in future revenue from increased property valuations alone.

Check out Chief Mendoza’s needs for the rapidly growing population by comparing percentage increases in his budget against percentage increases in expenditures.

Now, if you accept the challenge of truly finding the facts, consider the following. Freezing taxes for seniors simply fixes their property taxes as long as they stay in their existing house. (The house continues to face ever upwards appraisals just waiting for the next occupant.) There is NO loss in revenue only the Loss of INCREASED taxes from the seniors house. If this is not accomplished, then seniors, facing a minimal 8% valuation increase each year, will see their property taxes DOUBLE over the next 10 years.

I don’t think you were writing about an issue of fairness and I doubt that any of us can truly afford the status quo as you suggest. If we do, we will be like the frog placed in cold water that is gradually brought to a boil. The real problem you should be writing about is runaway government spending.

I doubt that you will do the homework above – but if you do, I would issue a challenge to really tell the people the real facts about the “Status Quo”.

In 1997 the City of Fort Worth collected approximately $100,070,018 in property taxes.
In 2002 the City of Fort Worth collected approximately $ 202,595,163 in property taxes
This is a growth in the property taxes of 102.45% or about 17% per year.

Compare that to population growth which I believe is less than 3% per year for this period. (You should have access to the actual %)

I am not privy to the City of Fort Worth’s budget – but I bet if you take the time, you will see that it is increasing even faster than the property tax revenue due to many other sources of income that they have increased such as water, sewer, fees and fines.

If you really believe what you wrote – then join the other frogs in the pot. Government wants to spend your money too.

Regards,

Ron C. West
NRH

Doug McDougal

Nelson,
I read with interest this afternoon the article written by Linda Baker concerning the posting of the agenda for the P&Z Commission for this evening. While it is correct that we had an incorrect link for the tonight’s meeting, it was noted and corrected by staff early this afternoon. We do take pride and make it a priority to provide public notification of meetings. I know you can appreciate the difficulty in links working correctly since I have noted to you a few times of “dead” links or wrong links for previous LNO articles.

Regarding the bulletin board location, we actually have two bulletin boards for posting of public meetings (not just one as referred to by Mrs. Baker). Each bulletin board is located adjacent to the public entrances to the City Hall. Meeting the state requirement, staff posts all regular Board and Commission and City Council meetings at least 72 hours in advance of a meeting. In addition to these public notifications, staff also sends letters to property owners within 200 feet of a proposed zoning change. Along with this direct public notification effort, we also post a sign on the property that is visible from the street. In the case of the Shelton Road zoning case, we have received several letters from property owners and even a petition provided for Commission consideration.

Thank you,
Bill Lindley
City Manager

Editor’s Note:  Thank you for correcting that there are now two locations for the bulletin boards.

However, the posting on bulletin boards is an archaic tradition that started well before the instant communications of the Internet. Ms. Baker informed staff last week of a similar error on the city’s web site.   While correcting the link is good, it would seem to LNO correcting the information a few hours before the actual meeting is hardly adequate. As the Editor of LNO and a citizen of Colleyville, I would be much more comfortable with an answer less defensive and more determined to correct lingering errors of this nature.  As you well know the margin for error by a city staff member is very small.  Errors by city staff can create substantial problems for everyone.  For example, LNO received incorrect information from the City Secretary’s office on attendance records of P&Z members in the past.

While I appreciate your attention to LNO broken links, LNO is not the official site of the City of Colleyville. Regardless, we will continually strive to improve and welcome the opportunity to correct our oversights.
While the article was clearly identified as Linda Baker’s perspective, I believe she made some important points that should be considered.

Wood’s final comment ,“Seniors deserve not to be taxed out of their homes “ deserves the full and undivided attention of every citizen in this County. Those words have been echoed throughout the land. They infer that we throw old people out of their homes because of taxes. Simply not true. I defy Mr. Wood to find the Senior that had their homestead taken for taxes in Tarrant County. There are a multitude of safeguards to prevent just that. To imply in any manner anything different is nothing more than fear mongering in the lowest form.

There is a vacuum of factual information on this subject. That is what the supporters of this law are betting on. There are no organized groups for the poor and working class families of this community. There voices have been drowned out by the time-rich and well-funded senior lobby groups. We have assembled, using actual facts and figures from the Tarrant Appraisal District, a series of overviews on this subject. You can find many more points of discussion about this matter available on the website, Click Here. The forums and editorials and graphs are filled with information that you should consider before making your decision.

It is a bad law. You should not implement it. Do not quietly give in to the threats. Represent all the people.
Sincerely
Ray Ecklund, Haltom City

Now is a good time to act since the sitting council has voted to hold
the rate on property taxes for the last 11 years thereby raising
taxes by 62.2% (not to mention increases in fees, fines, water and
sewer rates, etc.). Since some members of the council are now
up for re-election – quick consideration and positive action by the
council on this matter might create a more favorable platform for
the upcoming elections in May.

There are a lot of seniors in NRH and they are motivated to vote. If
you are comfortable with your current record then I am sure
you can disregard this request.

Seniors deserve not to be taxed out of their homes – I hope that you
will consider the freeze.

Regards,

Ron C. West
North Richland Hills

February 13, 2004 @ 9:39 am
Editor
Why is the recycling company that Colleyville contracted with last year (IESI)no longer picking up corrugated cardboard for recycling? I am an avid
recycler and am disappointed that the city would allow them to stop picking up corrugated cardboard. A letter was sent to all residents with the new guidelines for recycling and it states that corrugated cardboard can
not be put out for recycling.
Vincent Kijowski
Editor:  We have forwarded you question to Colleyville City Manager Bill Lindley and requested a response from his office.

February 16, 2004 @ 11:49 am
IESI’s mailing incorrectly stated that they do not collect cardboard material. As part of our recycling program this type of material continues to be collected. We have directed the company to contact our customers to correct this incorrect information.
Bill Lindley, Colleyville City Manager

Dear Editor,
To you and all your readers, I’d like to invite you to an art show. The
Bear Creek Quilt Guild of Keller with members throughout this N.E. Tarrant
County area is presenting a quilt show February 20th and 21st, 2004 at the
Grapevine Convention Center, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily. I am sure many of
your readers would take issue that a quilt is not a piece of art. They
would be wrong. The quilts that you will view at this show are not your
great grandmother’s quilts. Not to say that grandma’s quilts were not
art–they were and are. What you will see will be new interpretations of
the art form using different fabrics, dies, machine skills, needle skills
and the creativity of a new generation of quilt makers.

In the early 1970’s there was a renewed interest in quilt making, since
many felt that we were losing these skills. The old skills of hand
quilting, appliqué’ and piecing are still honored, researched and preserved
by today’s quilt guilds. However, like any art form, it evolves. The
creativity of the artist changes and alters the form to his vision.
The Bear Creek Quilt Guild will display over 200 quilts most of which have
never before been on view to the public. There is a small admission fee of
$5.00. Don’t let that stop you from treating yourself to a day of quilt
art, meet some of the creators and see for yourself how this old art form is
evolving in today’s society.

Linda Basden, member and exhibitor

Perhaps this new stretch of roadway should be named Ed Baker Expressway!

Dennis Johnson
Colleyville

Clif Holliday
Colleyville

She completely missed a major point.  It is a conflict of interest for
her to promote her companies products in GCISD facilities while she is on the school board.  I’ve only read about it, but I thought it
admirable that Jesse Gonzalez sought to make full disclosure about the sale his company made to GCISD.  From what I’ve read the sale amount was small, just over $1000, and came through a request from a GCISD employee not a solicitation by his company.  Let’s face it this purchase was an
insignificant amount to GCISD and Gonzalez’ company.

Regards,
Jim Graham

Good column. Serving on city councils and school boards may be the most
thankless tasks in politics. You notice very few of them ever get
elected to anything else.

I forwarded the front page to my daughter and son in law. They tell me
they actually use Boudreaux’s Butt Paste on our grandson (They say it’s great for a chapped butt.)

James Ellis
Humble, Texas

LNO:
What is the latest news on Karen Lucchesi, did she get her delay?

A Brown
Bedford

Publisher Note:  Ms. Lucchesi’s appeal to remain out on bond was rejected by Federal Judge John McBryde around 6:30 PM on Thursday January 29, 2004.  Lucchesi surrendered to Federal U.S. Marshals at 2:00 PM today (Jan. 30) in Fort Worth.  There has been no confirmation of where she will be sent.  The family plans to keep pursuing a full appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans.

Editor:  Ref: Pit Bull put down

You are so one sided, you make me sick! You can only sell news stories with blood, guts and violence. You make money on other people’s heartaches. There is no such breed as “PIT BULL”. This is the label you news media freeks have given any dog that looks like an American Pit Bull Terrier. This was not a registered dog, it was a mutt of some sort. This dog was only 1 years old, you said it was 5. It was Mr. Garvey’s family house pet. It had NEVER bitten anything. Mr. Garvey is one one who caused all this, NOT THE DOG! He is the one that was irresponsible by removing the leash in a public place that caused this chain of events. If the dogs punishment was death, what should the irresponsible person’s punishment be for causing this? A little dinky $175.00 vet bill payment? Have you visited the horse since the vet did $175.00 worth of work and washed the blood off? Where is the follow-up story on the horses injuries? Oh, but that does not sell any papers, the truth, does it? You continue to cause more damage for our breed than you will ever know because you choose to print and ad-lib to stories like this.

You make me sick! Missy, Owner Lover, and Defender of The American Pit Bull TerrierEditor Note:
The Pit Bull was reported exactly as the Animal Control Officer and Police Incident Report dictated. The owner of the pony declined to speculate publicly on the long term prognosis for the Shetland, as it is his daughter’s beloved pet.

The Arp/Myers money machine NEEDS to be investigated
by the FBI. (it will be forthcoming soon) The whole
situation reeks of illegal payoffs. They think they
are above prosecution thru all the shell companies
created for The Village of Colleyville

Randy Ward
Colleyville, Texas

Editor:

I have done my best to stay out of what passes for politics in this town. But today, Donna Arp has spit in my face, and slapped it. A few short years ago, she stated that she would not accept a job from Richard Myers. It would have been a “conflict of interest”. Well guess what princess. It was a conflict then, and it still is. She sits on the TIF board of this town, she pushed for the 7.5 million to be gifted to Richard Myers for her “crown jewel” The Villlages. Her group even had the audacity to compare it to the to the Square in Southlake. Our town hall was relocated to this new location, as was our library. Nice concept, one problem, it’s a flop. The streets are too narrow, there isn’t near enough room, and there isn’t enough parking. From what I have seen, we are on the verge of having our first Apartment complex here in Colleyville. The proposed living spaces above the shops will soon have to be used for something else. More money will obviously have to be poured into this project, and I, for one, am not comfortable having Donna Arp having any part of the decision making on this concern.

It is obviously time for a wakeup call here in Collywood. Elected officials are elected to represent the citizens. Not private investors, not their own financial gain. Simple rule of thumb. If it is not to the benefit of the majority, it becomes special interest. And if it’s special interest, it goes against what is best for the majority. And if an elected official gains from that process, it is downright wrong. What has happened here is just that. It is the epitome of what is wrong in politics. And the fact that she still holds a hand in this game is criminal. I live in Colleyville, I pay my taxes here, I go along with the majority, like it or not, and I have been quiet, til now. This was a dececeitful, dishonest, disgusting, open handed slap in the face to this town. I hope the present mayor and council are paying attention. This is just plain wrong.

Thanks for letting me vent. Trip Baker Colleyville

Editor:
Is anyone really surprised by this? If they are, then they’ve been living with the wool (or should I say, the fur) over their eyes for the last 3 – 4 years.

I am requesting that the whole mess with The Villages, the ‘land donation’, the increases of TIF money awarded, the moving of City Hall and Library, and the obvious ‘money under the table’ deals between Arp and Myers should immediately be investigated and possible litigation by the city and the citizens. Who do we contact to register a formal complaint and request? I don’t want to pay for this man’s gain–what happens since he is not fulfilling his part of the deal (return of tax revenue)? I say we ask for a return for a portion of the money from him immediately since he has broken ‘contract’ with the city and the planned use of property, and hasn’t held up his end of the bargain.

I, for one, am tired of seeing Donna Arp’s picture in the paper every week. She may be involved in a number of ‘charitable’ organizations, but I think that her favorite charity is herself and what benefits her first and formost. Thank goodness that she’s gone from public office (let’s not support another future political run for this woman), but we now have to live with her poor handling of city affairs and our money.

And I don’t want to see any more pictures of Richard Myers with any other implications that he’s done so much for this city. Wait until the repayment of the funds is demanded and the tax revenues haven’t supported the amount needed, guess who will be paying–the taxpayers.

Colleyville, WAKE UP!! I urge everyone to take notice and really look at the issues, the people, and their qualifications and character in this next election in May. It’s time for a new camp in town!

Also, thanks to LNO for always telling it like it is. If we only had the other local newspaper, the truth would certainly not be told. I know that there is some history between both owning parties of the local paper and LNO, and people can say what they want to say about motivations. But, the truth will always come out at some point of time, and it’s usually found on LNO.

Anonymous (Someone That Never Bought Into Their Game) Colleyville Resident
(email verified to author and valid address)

Editor:
Could LNO please provide more information on rezoning at The Village? (1/2/2004 Editorial — Birkes)

City Staff knows nothing about this.  Tom Miller is apparently working on development adjacent to The Village but it is not part of The Village proper.

Luann Edwards
Colleyville

Editor Note: LNO has no independent knowledge of the rezoning, this was an email not an editorial, as such we do not know the writer’s source of information.

Editor:
The Village is a great concern. The TIF money was established and given to the developer of the Village to develop new Commercial Business in Colleyville but it quite obvious that this development is struggling to get established and now it looks like what was to be Commercial Businesses is now having a zoning change to high density multiple family dwellings. This will not bring the anticipated tax revenue to pay back the money that was given to the developer.

Maybe I am not aware of or do not have the facts straight but I remember that the funds that were to be paid out of the TIF were to re-generated with new tax money with the new businesses. I do not see that happening.

Do I have it wrong?

Jerry Birkes
Colleyville, TX

Nelson, Congratulations on hitting 800,000! That is remarkable. What a great
job you all have done in making this a truly significant news organ in
northeast Tarrant – tomorrow the world!

Bye the way, it seems that while we are celebrating the finish of the
improvements to Rte. 114, we should take a minute to thank then mayors Gary
Fickes (Southlake) and ED Baker (Colleyville) for being in the vanguard of
the original driving force (at great political cost to both of them) behind
getting this project moving.

Clif and Alice Holliday
Colleyville