I sometimes post the Neighborhood Vitality department's Neighborhood Chatter e-news but I encourage readers to subscribe directly so you see every issue! To do so, follow the link below and click the "Join our mailing list" button on the right side.
 
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City of Garland   Neighborhood Vitality   Neighborhood Chatter   "sharing news neighbors can use"   Garland Neighborhood Management Academy   Fall 2010 Schedule August 28 - City Government 101 September 7 - Hosting a Successful Night Out Event September 18 - Energy Efficiency: Planning for the Winter October 9 - Neighborhood Power Series: The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a Neighborhood Association November 9 - Sustainable Organizations November 13 - Block Leader Training December 7 - Visioning and Goal Setting December 11 - Planning a Neighborhood Vitality Grant Project All classes are held at the Central Library, 625 Austin Street, Downtown Garland. Classes are open to all Garland, residents, property owners, and service providers.   You may register by calling Tracy Allmendinger at (972) 205-2108 or you may email the Garland Neighborhood Management Academy registration form to gnmaclass@ci.garland.tx.us. Save the Date:   Texas will celebrate National Night Out on October 5, 2010   Neighborhoods Week October 18-22, 2010   Annual Neighborhood Summit October 23, 2010 Also in the Current Issue:   City of Garland-Easy Access   Oncor Tree Pruning   Value of Neighborhood Groups City of Garland Website   Garland Vital Neighborhoods   Neighborhood Group Registration

Garland, Mayor Ron Jones, and the Garland Economic Development Partnership are spotlighted in a publication, The Role of Local Elected Officials in Economic Development: 10 Things You Should Know, recently released by the National League of Cities. It advises officials to "become informed and strategic decision-makers who can connect the policy 'dots,' be effective communicators and take a leadership role in economic development."
 

From The Role of Local Elected Officials in Economic Development: 10 Things You Should Know:"

1. Your local economic strengths and weaknesses.
2. Your community’s place in the broader regional economy.
3. Your community’s economic development vision and goals.
4. Your community’s strategy to attain its goals.
5. Connections between economic development and other city policies.
6. Your regulatory environment.
7. Your local economic development stakeholders and partners.
8. The needs of your local business community.
9. Your community’s economic development message.
10. Your economic development staff.

 
Five cities provide examples of best practices. Garland is used to illustrate "know your local economic development stakeholders and partners."
 

 
Garland, Texas (population 238,651)
 
A critical objective of the Garland Economic Development Partnership (GEDP), a collaboration of government, school and business leaders, is the retention of key businesses in the local community. A suburb of Dallas, Garland has been characterized as a major manufacturing city since the 1950s and is home to numerous Fortune 500 corporations such as Kraft Foods, General Dynamics and Raytheon.
 
In 2006, the city recognized the “Garland Top 100” businesses based on their tax value, number of employees and electric usage. The city estimates that the “Garland Top 100” represent 13 percent of the local tax base and employ 17 percent of the total workforce. City of Garland Mayor Ronald Jones and GEDP staff has visited nearly all of the top 100 manufacturing companies in Garland to hear their concerns and challenges directly.
 
According to Jones, these visits were intended to make sure that elected officials understand and recognize business needs, and that the businesses understand that the city appreciates they are part of our community. During the meetings, the mayor and GEDP staff discussed a variety of key issues, including workforce training needs, utility costs, and public safety. As a result, the city developed the Dallas County Manufacturers’ Association in collaboration with Richland College to provide specialized workforce training.
 
Contact:
Garland Chamber of Commerce
Phone: (469) 326-7444
 

 
Three of those five cities are represented on the steering committee of NLC's First Tier Suburbs Council, which recently held its summer meeting here in Garland. As the chairman, I was pleased to see the positive recognition for member cities, all of which have been working actively for years to promote economic development.
 
Even if you don't plan to be an elected official, it's a good guide to knowing what to expect of your elected officials.
 

Garland Police News Release:

Police Interrupt ATM Theft

Early this morning, an off-duty Garland Police Officer observed a suspicious truck parked next to an ATM at 2154 Forest Ln. The officer saw two men exit the truck and wrap a chain around the ATM in an attempt to steal it. The officer called in uniformed officers and when the marked units arrived, the suspects jumped back in the truck and fled, abandoning the ATM. The marked units pursued the truck into Dallas where the suspects fled on foot. Three suspects were arrested at the scene and investigators are trying to identify additional suspects. The truck was found to have been stolen.
 
Arrested were: Victor Guajardo, 19, of Dallas; Jose Hernandez, 23, of Dallas; and Michael Bernal, 22, of Mesquite. All three are charged with a second degree felony charge of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity.
 
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Garland Crime Stopper TIPS line: 972-272-TIPS (8477).
 

Victor Guajardo

Jose Hernandez

Michael Bernal

 

 
[It also might be noted that this location is only a block from the police station.]
 

Development has always followed transit lines. A more modern concept, transit-oriented development (TOD), attempts to maximize the development potential at transit stations. Mockingbird Station along the DART line was the first recognizable TOD in the Metroplex. Many have followed and each with its own character. The recent development we have seen Downtown Garland is another budding example.
 
The DART station least recognized throughout the system has been our Forest/Jupiter station. No one has been knocking on our doors expressing interest starting major new development at that station in spite of favorable zoning initiated several years ago. Part of the challenge has been the limited potential development area. To the south is only industrial development and that's not likely to change. To the north is a river of dense traffic, Forest Blvd, and beyond are multiple properties with diverse ownership, pretty much the maximum challenges for a developer.
 
While I recognize those challenges, I've always felt the station had significant development potential, partly because I have spoken to almost every property owner in the area at one time or another and most would like to see new development. However, to develop a workable plan that encapsulates the area's potential and creates a vision for the property owners, investors, developers, and the area's residents is a significant hurdle. Such hurdles are not easily assailed and usually doing so takes money and the assistance of experienced professionals.
 
We are finally preparing to ascend that hurdle. Neil Montgomery, planning and development director, sent word to the Council last week that the city had received a grant to start the planning process. As the area is also one of the nodes being studied for enhanced economic development efforts, this is very timely news.
 

 
Mayor and Council,
 
I am pleased to inform you we received notification from the North Central Texas Council of Governments that the City has been awarded $120,000 for the preparation of a redevelopment plan for the area surrounding the Forest Jupiter DART station. Our application was ranked 2nd of the 28 projects submitted by various municipalities and agencies in the region and is one of only nine to be funded.
 
This project will result in a detailed implementation strategy for the redevelopment of this area, which is one of the Catalyst Areas identified in the draft Economic Development Strategy, and will be an integral part of our Citywide efforts.
 
I want to thank the Council for your continued support as we move forward with our long range planning and redevelopment plans. Without this, from both a policy standpoint as well as through budget support, these efforts would not be possible.
 

 
My appreciation to Mr Montgomery and his staff for their continued efforts to seek grants and other opportunities that will benefit all Garland residents and especially the long efforts to map a new vision and future for Garland that started with Envision Garland and will, hopefully, be in place by year's end. If so, my primary reason for holding this office will have been realized. (There are still plenty of things that need to be done though.)
 

From North Texas Tollway Authority:

Construction Moves Forward as Eastern Extension Project Nears Half-way Point

The much anticipated President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension project is nearing the half-way point and is expected to open to traffic in approximately 18 months. The Eastern Extension is a portion of the outer loop around Dallas and its suburbs that connects Interstate 30 to the existing President George Bush Turnpike. It is part of the Loop 9/State Highway 190 corridor first envisioned in the 1960s.
 
The new six-lane toll road will extend the Bush Turnpike by nearly 10 miles. Divided into five sections, the NTTA is constructing four sections, while the Texas Department of Transportation is constructing the fifth section.
 
Preliminary work began in 2007 when TxDOT provided the NTTA a $160 million toll equity grant for right of way acquisition and utility costs. The grant represents a partnership among various agencies and a commitment to improve mobility for North Texas. Project partners include TxDOT, Dallas County and the cities of Dallas, Garland, Rowlett and Sachse.
 
The project is expected to open to traffic in fourth quarter 2011.
 
For more information about the Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension or other NTTA projects, visit www.ntta.org.
 

 
The opening of the Eastern Extension of SH-190 will provide a new route for Metroplex traffic and open doors for north Garland businesses. Also, as future construction on I-635 impedes traffic through that familiar corridor, many drivers will choose the SH-190 alternative. The extension will be a boost to drivers and businesses in Garland, Sachse, and Rowlett.
 

The Council recently approved changing the management structure at Firewheel Golf Park to reflect the financial challenges that municipal courses have been facing, especially from harsher-than-usual weather and a recession. An article in today's Dallas Morning News (Metro Section) focuses on area courses and covers those changes at Firewheel.
 

From the Dallas Morning News:

Dallas-area municipal golf courses feel financial strain

10:04 PM CDT on Friday, July 23, 2010

By IAN McCANN / The Dallas Morning News
imccann@dallasnews.com
 
It's a tough time in the municipal golf business.
 
People have less money to spend on greens fees, and the weather since last fall has been unpredictable, even by North Texas standards.
 
As a result, cities and their golf course operators are feeling financial strain.
 
Garland bought out its contractor. Mesquite took over operation of its course and spent $500,000 on equipment and capital improvements. Richardson is pouring tax dollars into its golf fund for the first time in at least a decade.
 
"There's a lot of inventory, and there's limited discretionary dollars," said David Morgan, the assistant city manager who oversees Richardson's Sherrill Park Municipal Golf Course. "The golf market has been a challenge for a number of years."
 
Richardson has had to dip into its golf fund reserves to pay for debt and operations in recent years. But it has had enough in the Sherrill Park till to cover that until this year. The city will put $425,000 into the golf fund, a move that city officials said they hope will be a one-time measure.
 
"We have a real interest to drive rounds next year," Morgan said.
 
Richardson lost money in two ways: Rain in the fall and late spring kept players off the course, and dismal conditions of the greens forced the city to discount fees to play at Sherrill Park.
 
Heavy usage has compacted the soil, making the greens drain poorly. That, combined with an annual chemical treatment and high sodium content in golf course well water, hampered the grass' growth this spring. Richardson used an agronomist to help restore the greens, and regular pricing is again in effect.
 
Rounds are expected to be down about 20 percent this year at the 36-hole layout in Richardson, from about 100,000 each of the past two years.
 
Garland, too, has seen a drop in rounds at 63-hole Firewheel Golf Park. Through June, nearly 60,000 rounds have been played, down about 7,600 from the same time last year.
 
In response, the city is spending $671,000 to buy golf pro Don Kennedy's equipment, mostly golf carts. The city is entering a six-month contract with Kennedy to run the course, with a $69,000 monthly management fee. Out of that, he will have to pay for staffing the course in addition to paying himself. The city will keep the $2.3 million in annual course revenues but will assume costs of running the facility.
 
"We feel this will allow Don to focus more on making the golf operation more successful," city spokeswoman Dorothy White said.
 
Rounds played at 18-hole Mesquite Municipal have been flat from last year, an annual pace of about 36,000 rounds, since the city took over operation in May. It closed the course for nearly a month to perform building and course maintenance.
 
"The management was no longer able to sustain operations out there," said Cliff Keheley, Mesquite's parks and recreation director. "We felt it was better to take it into direct public control."
 
He said he expects last year to have been the bottom, and full city control should only be temporary. Keheley said that once the city restores the course's condition and the economy recovers, the city will be in a better position to once again outsource the operation.
 
While running golf courses is forcing cities to dip into their cash reserves, they remain committed to the golf business. Local municipal courses aren't expected to join the 100 to 150 public courses (both publicly and privately owned) nationwide that a recent National Golf Foundation report said could close in each of the next several years.
 
A key to keeping a golf course alive, the report said, is ongoing maintenance and a commitment to improving the course.
 
That's happening in Plano, which will respond to a decade-long decline in rounds by closing the aging Pecan Hollow Golf Course this fall for a yearlong, $9 million renovation.
 
"The course conditions have been declining, and that's why we're doing the renovation," said Jim Fox, Plano's park services manager. "We want to be proud of this facility."
 

Office of the Governor News Release:

 

 

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Rick Perry

 

Texas Declared America's Top State for Business

CNBC Ranks Texas as No. 1 Business Climate in the Nation

 
AUSTIN — Texas is America's Top State for Business, according to a CNBC study that scored each state based on 40 different measures of competitiveness.
 
"This designation reinforces the fact that the Lone Star State is the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family thanks to our low taxes, reasonable and predictable regulations and skilled workforce," Gov. Perry said. "These policies have helped keep our economy comparatively strong through the national economic downturn, and will continue to make us globally competitive in the future."
 
CNBC scored each state using publicly available data to determine the rankings. States received points based on ten broad categories including: cost of doing business, workforce, economy, education, quality of life, technology and innovation, transportation, cost of living, business friendliness, and access to capital.
 
This ranking adds to the growing list of accolades for Texas' business climate. No other state is home to more Fortune 500 companies, and Texas is the nation's leading exporting state for the eighth year in a row. Additionally, Texas was recently named the "Best State to Do Business" by CEO Magazine for the sixth year in a row, and six of Texas' metro areas were listed as "America's Recovery Capitals" by Forbes and Moody's Economy.
 
Texas created more private sector jobs than any other state in the nation over the last 10 years. Additionally, Texas' unemployment rate remained steady at 8.3 percent in May, well below the national average.
 
The complete CNBC study is available on www.topstatesforbusiness.cnbc.com.
 

 
Aaron Demerson from the Governor's Economic Development Office addressed Rep Angie Chen Button and other community leaders this morning during her quarterly roundtable meetings where she solicits input from constituents. Mr Demerson outlined the positive economic outlook in Texas, especially compared to the rest of the country. Texas has become more competitive in recent years thanks to a number of programs that are used to attract business, including the Texas Enterprise Fund, which has benefited several Garland companies.
 

Click Graphic to Enlarge

CNBC Report

Job Creation

Job Growth

Unemployment Rate

House Prices

Foreclosures

Council held a one-day retreat in town to discuss such issues as the budget and economic development. It was actually very informative.
 
Our theme was "Back to the Future" as we looked at past decisions and the modern affects. I'll post bits and pieces as I get opportunity.
 
Speaking of which, posting was very light last week. I was without cell coverage, Internet, or air conditioning. I was roughing it with the Boy Scouts of Troop 57 in Oklahoma.
 

Incidents of reported violent crimes were down sharply from May but the overall number of incidents only fell slightly.
 
Burglaries rose. Home burglaries were up some but still historically low (average for last three years has been over eight per month). Most burglaries to other buildings were during two short sprees. On the residential side, the Greens neighborhood had five reported incidents in three days. On the business side, several Firewheel Town Center businesses reported incidents over two days. Only two other incidents fell outside those two areas and times. Vehicle burglaries have now been the same for three months, 22 reported incidents.
 
Thefts fell (5.5 incidents below the monthly three-year average). The incidents of shoplifting were less than half of the thefts reported, markedly lower than most months.

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

Our flag has changed, here with 48 stars, as has our country but our love of freedom has never changed.   Everyday, Americans across our land and across the planet are working to hold our freedoms. All Americans by refusing to be anything but free hold our freedoms.   On this day, the Fourth of July, we celebrate the freedoms that our forefathers fought and died to obtain for themselves and all their progeny, and to set forever a shining example for all to follow.   To preserve those freedoms, our Founding Fathers labored to combine their aspirations, their experiences, and their studies into a government that would be a protector of those freedoms. They experimented but ultimately created the Constitution of the United States by which we all now live, to build a living fortress around the words of the Declaration of Independence. These words are the genesis of this day:   "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."   While our Fathers did not know precisely how to sculpt the government that would stand against all challenges to our freedoms, they were confident in a model that was self-regulating, that relied on the will of the people to drive it, and that was malleable by future generations. That it has stood so well and with so little adaptation is a credit to how inspired their hands were.   This day marks not the beginning of the government under which we live but the first realization of the freedoms endowed to all peoples. That our Fathers chose to enumerate some of those freedoms in the Bill of Rights, their realization that some freedoms were inviolate—speech, religion, bearing arms, among others—they sought to set as foundations those certain freedoms that when tempered or withdrawn cause all other freedoms to collapse.   This is Independence Day. This is Freedom Day. May we always hold it true and be faithful to our Fathers and fathers and mothers that that for many generations have spoiled their limbs, broken their backs, and spilled their blood that we might stand here in the glow of liberty and limitless aspirations.

 
UPDATE: I don't know the source of this graphic (I just grabbed it from an email sometime) but it is a style and period very similar to that of Jasper Johns and may be a copy of one of his numerous works.
UPDATE2: My suspicion seems to have been confirmed and the original of the flag above appears to be the same as in the collection of the late author Michael Crichton. Further, the painting was sold at Christie's on May 11 for $28,642,500.
 

City of Garland News Release:

Celebrate! July is National Park and Recreation Month

Since 1985, the National Recreation and Park Association has designated the month of July as National Recreation and Parks Month. In Garland, recreation facilities and parks are busy with campers, athletes, picnickers, swimmers and other parks and recreation enthusiasts all year long. For those who haven’t explored Garland’s many beautiful parks in a while, July is a fantastic time to experience the many benefits of parks and recreation. Log on to www.garlandparks.com to learn more about summer programming, volunteer opportunities, and community events.
 
This year, the Garland Parks and Recreation Department has many reasons to celebrate. Playgrounds at Winters Park and Audubon Park were completed, planning for extensions to Duck Creek, Spring Creek Greenbelt, and Spring Creek Forest trails is underway, renovation to Bradfield Recreation Center will soon be underway, and Harris Hollabaugh Recreation Center, Garland’s sixth public recreation center, will open this fall.
 
"As we observe Park and Recreation Month, we recognize the vital contributions of employees and volunteers throughout our community who maintain, staff, and plan parks and recreation facilities," explains Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department Managing Director Jim Stone. "These dedicated professionals and volunteers keep our public parks clean and safe for visitors, organize and coach youth sports teams, provide educational programming on health, nutrition, and fitness, advocate for more open space and better trails, and fund raise for local improvements. They work tirelessly to ensure that public parks and recreation facilities are safe and accessible places for all Garland citizens and visitors to enjoy."
 
As part of a summer full of activities and community celebrations, help Garland celebrate this month that highlights the hard work and passion of public park and recreation supporters across the country, and the joy that comes from our places and spaces.
 
For more information on Park and Recreation Month activities call the Garland Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department at 972-205-2750 or log onto www.garlandparks.com.
 

The newest entrance to Garland, on the SH-190 Eastern Extension, takes shape as the new bridge across Rowlett Creek draws closer to completion (see Section 28 on map below). The overpass ahead is Firewheel Parkway. Home Depot can be seen in the distance. Best Buy is to the left and Firewheel Town Center is to the right.

From NTTA President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension Update:
 

President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension Click graphic for large version

The Eastern Extension is a portion of the outer loop around Dallas and its suburbs that connects Interstate Highway (IH) 30 to the existing President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT). It is part of the Loop 9/State Highway 190 corridor first envisioned in the 1960s. Construction on the approximately 9.9-mile corridor began in October 2008. The project is expected to open to traffic in fourth quarter 2011.
 
Milestones

• A $160 million toll equity grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to the NTTA was approved for right of way (ROW) and other costs on August 23, 2007.
• A three-party agreement among the NTTA, TxDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was executed in November 2007.
• In addition, a TxDOT/NTTA two-party agreement was executed, allowing eminent domain proceedings for critical ROW acquisition to begin; property acquisitions are ongoing.
• TxDOT approved a revised schematic on March 7, 2008.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 404 permit was approved April 25, 2008.
• The City of Dallas (Dallas Water Utilities, or DWU) agreement for the Lake Ray Hubbard bridge was approved by the Dallas City Council and NTTA Board of Directors in May 2008.
• A rail-crossing agreement with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) was approved by the DART Board and NTTA Board, also in May 2008.
• FHWA approved the Final Environmental Impact Statement Re-evaluation on July 1, 2008.
• A groundbreaking for the first construction contract, Section 30, from north of the future Merritt Road to south of Main Street in Rowlett, took place August 21, 2008. Construction began on October 13, 2008.
• All five sections of the extension were officially under construction by mid-March 2009.

Corridor Updates

• A migratory bird survey found no nesting birds in the remaining ROW of Section 28, which allowed clearing and construction to begin. The contractor’s earthwork subcontractor received a Nationwide Permit 33 from the USACE for the installation of a construction access road across Rowlett Creek. The contractor has constructed ramp detours and installed a temporary traffic signal for the intersection of State Highway 78 and the eastbound frontage road.
• In Section 29, crews began installing front panels for the retaining wall at the Miles Road bridge. Crews also continued installing the retaining walls at Merritt Road. In addition, workers continued installing moisture-treated subgrade at Miles and Merritt roads.
• In Section 30, the contractor continued work on the future Merritt/Liberty Grove connector, a new culvert and the placement of various retaining walls and water lines throughout the project. Placement of the bridge decks at the Liberty Grove bridges has begun, and the Kirby Road detour adjacent to Rowlett High School was constructed.
• The Section 31 contractor continued installing underground utilities and doing earthwork from the southern project limit proceeding north. Crews also continued the moisture-treated subgrade work near the southern project limit and installation of the retaining walls at the south end of the project near Miller Road to Lake Ray Hubbard. In addition, the contractor began working on the southbound frontage road north of Miller Road.
• Section 32 is being constructed by TxDOT.

Next Steps

• Open the service road in front of the Mariners Cove subdivision in Rowlett, Section 30
• Switch DART service to temporary tracks in Section 30
• Continue construction on all sections

Corridor Details

• Project limits: Extends the PGBT from SH 78 to IH 30
• Project length: Approximately 9.9 miles
• Anticipated project cost: Approximately $1 billion
• Anticipated NTTA cost: Approximately $623 million
• Anticipated opening date (all sections): Fourth quarter 2011

Project Partners

  TxDOT, Dallas County, Dallas, Garland, Rowlett, Sachse
 

 
The north Garland section, Section 28, is nearing the final grades for the roadway and for entrance and exit ramps. Lanes are beginning to take shape in the canyon section near Firewheel Town Center. The new ramps to Lavon Ave (SH-78) are also taking shape. Changes in the roadway elevation, not yet started, is forcing the construction of new ramps. The large panels used to construct the retaining walls have been stacked in several locations as that work starts. Opening is still expected in the fourth quarter, 2011.