Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-12 Euless Articles H-E-B places bond on ballot to replace Trinity, Bell high schools, 4 elementary campuses BY TOM JOHANNINGMEIR PUBLISHED AUGUST 22, 2023 2:56 PM UPDATED AUGUST 22, 2023 4:47 PM The Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district is asking voters to approve a nearly $1 billion bond package to replace L.D. Bell and Trinity high schools as well as four elementary campuses. The board voted 7-0 Monday night to place two propositions on the Nov. 7 ballot. Proposition A, at $979.3 million, would replace the high schools, four elementary schools, convert Bell Manor Elementary for the alternative KEYS High School and provide safety and security upgrades. Proposition B, at $18 million, would be for technology. The proposals would cost 13.76 cents per $100 of valuation, or $414 for the owner of a $350,000 home with a homestead exemption. It would be $344 if voters approve a school tax break in November. A facility planning task force of school board members and other leaders in Hurst, Euless and Bedford recommended the package. The last bond election in 2017 renovated the junior high campuses. Both high schools are more than 50 years old. Trinity’s campus in Euless would be replaced in phases. Its 11 buildings have cracked pipes and foundation problems, according to the district. A new building would be constructed next to the existing L.D. Bell in Hurst. Bell Manor Elementary would be renovated for KEYS High School, and a new campus for Bell Manor would be built. Hurst Hills Elementary in Hurst and Wilshire and Midway Park elementary schools in Euless would also be replaced. Knightvest Capital Completes Sale of a Value- Add Multifamily Community in North Texas Published: Aug. 30, 2023 at 9:03 AM CDT DALLAS, Aug. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Knightvest Capital, a vertically-integrated multifamily investment company, announced the sale of Reagan at Bear Creek, a 216- unit garden-style housing asset in the North Texas suburb of Euless. Originally built in 1998, Knightvest Capital first acquired the property in September 2017 after identifying an area where low construction volume, strong population growth, and a limited supply of high-quality rental housing presented a compelling opportunity. Over the past several years, Knightvest deployed its playbook to renovate and reposition the property with quality finish-outs and luxury upgrades to the amenities. As a result, the premium renovated units achieved a strong 80% rent increase over acquisition rates, which helped enable Knightvest to deliver outsized returns to investors. "Over the past 15 years, we've refined our strategy and built the winning team that continues to exceed expectations. The sale of this property is a perfect example of the type of outsized returns that can be achieved through our differentiated approach," said David Moore, Knightvest Founder and CEO. "We've always worked hard to position the company for success regardless of external market dynamics. After two acquisitions in the past several months, this sale is yet another example of how we're focused on staying active through the consistent execution of our strategy." The transaction closed on August 23, 2023. Judge declares new Texas law that would erode cities’ power to enact local rules unconstitutional BY JOSHUA FECHTER PUBLISHED AUG. 30, 2023 A sweeping new Texas law aimed at undermining the ability of the state’s bluer urban areas to enact progressive policies is unconstitutional, a Travis County judge ruled Wednesday. State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble made the ruling just days before the law — House Bill 2127, which opponents nicknamed the “Death Star” bill — is slated to take effect on Friday. The Republican-backed law aims to stop local governments from enacting a wide range of progressive-leaning policies by barring cities and counties from passing local ordinances that go further than what’s allowed under broad areas of state law. The law is still expected to go into effect, but Houston City Attorney Arturo Michel said Wednesday's ruling gives cities fodder to counter any lawsuit against local ordinances challenged under the umbrella of HB 2127. The state has already appealed the ruling, a spokesperson for the Texas Attorney General's Office said. Local officials balked at the law’s passage earlier this year, blasting it as a massive, vague and possibly unconstitutional power grab by the state that could prevent them from meeting local needs and needlessly disrupt how the state has operated for nearly a century. Houston, later joined by San Antonio and El Paso, sued the state last month alleging that the law conflicts with a portion of the state constitution that allows cities to enact their own laws. During a court hearing Wednesday morning, lawyers for the state argued that such a law is within the state’s purview. But the judge sided with cities. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner celebrated the ruling. “The Governor’s and Legislature’s ongoing war on such home-rule cities hurts the State and its economy, discourages new transplants from other states, and thwarts the will of Texas voters who endowed these cities in the Texas Constitution with full rights to self- government and local innovation,” Turner said in a statement. “This self -defeating war on cities needs to end.” HB 2127 — carried during this year’s regular legislative session by state Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock and state Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe, both Republicans — marked Texas Republicans’ most expansive attempt yet to weaken local governments in their years long campaign against the state’s major metropolitan areas, which account for most of the state’s economic growth and often are governed by Democrats. “The judgment today by a Democrat Travis County District Judge is not worth the paper it’s printed on,” Burrows said after the ruling. “The Texas Supreme Court will ultimately rule this law to be completely valid. The ruling today has no legal effect or precedent, and should deter no Texan from availing themselves of their rights when HB2127 becomes law on September 1, 2023.” Gov. Greg Abbott and business lobbying groups, chiefly the National Federation of Independent Business, had long sought such a law — complaining of a growing patchwork of local regulations they argue overwhelmingly burdens businesses. “Texas small businesses are the backbone of our economy,” Abbott wrote on X, th e social media platform previously known as Twitter, during Wednesday’s court hearing. “Burdensome regulations are an obstacle to their success.” Annie Spilman, NFIB's Texas director, blasted Wednesday's ruling. "The Texas Constitution makes perfectly clear that the Texas Legislature can preempt local ordinances," Spilman said in a statement. "Mere opposition to the scope of the law, does not make the law unconstitutional. ... Instead of filing frivolous lawsuits against the State and trying to regulate small businesses out of existence, local officials should focus on addressing the concerns of their constituents." Just how many local ordinances will become illegal under the new state law remains unclear owing to how broad it is, city officials and progressive groups have said. But there are some concrete examples. The law, for example, prevents cities from passing local ordinances that require employers to provide paid sick leave to their workers — as Austin, Dallas and San Antonio have attempted, though courts blocked those laws before they could take effect. It will also bar cities from enacting protections for tenants facing evictions — at a time when the number of eviction filings in Texas’ major cities exceeds pre -pandemic levels. And as Texas increasingly endures brutal summer heat waves, the law wipes out mandatory water breaks for construction workers passed by Austin and Dallas. Wednesday’s ruling “allows critical, life-saving local policies to remain in place … reflecting the importance of local leaders being able to respond to their communities’ urgent needs,” a coalition of progressive and labor groups including the Texas AFL -CIO and Local Progress Texas said in a joint statement. The law seems to be having the chilling effect that lawmakers inten ded. After it passed, San Antonio officials scaled back a proposed water break ordinance of their own. “When you get right down to it, this law is anti-democratic,” San Antonio City Council Member Teri Castillo said. “It takes the power and freedom away from everyday Texans who deserve to have their voices heard. And it directly contradicts the values that I know Texans hold true.” Even as local officials have increasingly pinpointed some of the ordinances that could become illegal, the true scope of the new law remains unknown. City leaders believe it will take several lawsuits to figure out which local ordinances can stay on the books. Correction, Aug. 30, 2023 at 7:34 p.m.: A previous version of this story incorrectly said a Travis County judge blocked House Bill 2127, a state law that would limit local governments' ability to create new ordinances, from taking effect. While the judge declared the law unconstitutional Wednesday, she did not stop the law from taking effect. Mary Lib Saleh, first female mayor of Euless, recalled as mentor, strong leader BY ELIZABETH CAMPBELL | SEPTEMBER 01, 2023 5:58 PM Former Euless Mayor Mary Lib Saleh was recalled Friday as a strong leader and mentor. Saleh, who served as mayor from 1993 to 2014, died Wednesday at 92. She brought numerous national awards to the growing community on the edge of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. “I literally loved her,” said Euless mayor Linda Martin, who replaced Saleh and described her as a treasured mentor and friend. Martin said she had no intention to run for mayor, but Saleh kept encouraging her. “She was a larger than life person. She was just so kind and even when she was giving you direction, she did so very graciously,” Martin said. She described how everyone works together as a team in Euless in large part because of Saleh. While raising her five children, Saleh was active in the PTA, and she served on numerous boards and committees at Ash Lane United Methodist Church where she and her husband, Raymond, also taught Sunday school. Saleh also served on numerous boards throughout Tarrant County, including chair of the Tarrant County Mayors Council, director of the Northeast Leadership Forum Mayors Roundtable, chair of the Harris Methodist Health System Board of Trustees, chair of Region 8 of the Texas Municipal League, and chair of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition Committee. As mayor, Saleh garnered numerous national awards for Euless, including the Tree City USA Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation, the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and recognition as the Best Small City in Texas to Raise Children by Business Week Magazine. Saleh also wanted to see women involved with government. She formed Women in Government to provide educational opportunities for women elected in Tarrant County. Saleh served seven terms as mayor after serving four years on the Euless City Council. Hurst mayor Henry Wilson described Saleh as a leader who always stood up for people in Euless. “She was a very fine leader, and she cared about her people,” Wilson said. Wilson said Saleh was always supportive of the other cities in the H-E-B corridor, and Hurst and Euless work well together. But he also joked about their high school football rivalry. “She and I had one difference. When Trinity and Bell played, she always rooted for Trinity,” Wilson said. Her son Randy described Saleh as a wonderful entertainer who loved hosting and going to parties with his father, who was an aircraft engineer. But she always put her family first. “She was always volunteering, and taught us all about the importance of volunteering,” Randy Saleh said. He described how his mother grew up in the Depression and raised her younger brothers and sisters when her mother had to work to support the family. Saleh loved the outdoors and had a love for horticulture and ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Her son said their backyard was always manicured with a coy pond and many flowers. Saleh was born May 4, 1931, in Atlanta, and married her husband in 1952. He was an aircraft technician for the Vought Corporation, and transferred to Euless in 1964. An open celebration of life memorial is scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Mary Lib Saleh Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Pam Atchison (Bob) of Shreveport, and Mrs. Penny Stephenson (Craig) of Edmond, Oklahoma; and three sons, Ricky Saleh (Jina) of Corona, California, Rory Saleh (Karen) of Phoenix, and Randy Saleh (Carolina) of Bedford; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; a sister, Jaquelyn Eggerton of Orlando, and a brother, J.R. Roseberry of Tybee Island, Georgia.