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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-09-02 Euless Articles FIS TRIBUTED TO: PAGE_l OF / IVIAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIiv1 HENNIG MCKtV11E RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT FOUNG JVCDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBR4RYREF ANLVIAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED_ a DATE OF ARTICLE__ la S NEWSPAPER FWST ' FINANCE 1 Effless budget calls for lowerinLy tax rate By ELLENA R MOMUSON Proposed Euless budget STARTEUGRAM STAFF WRITER $124,870 last year, meaning Adopted Proposed Percent ' that tax bills will increase for 2004 05 budget 2005-06 budget Change EULESS — City budget most homeowners.Including Total budget revenue $T!,#330tZ36 planners hope to succeed the standard 20 percent 197 " Total budget expenditures $69063576 $72111,197 44 where many of their area homestead exemption; the � ' counterparts have failed: owner of an average-priced General fund reverrtae fi4S186` " $74,661 ; lowering the property tax house would pay $509.42 in General fund expenditures $23,624,845 $24651037 ' 1 4.3 rate. city proP Yert .taxes u from General fund reserves $4 ,� `k. _ � � .; Most residents will still $494.49. P fProposed new 2005-06 budget items , ' pay slightly .higher taxes The total proposed bud- 4 percent employee pay adjustments under the proposed 2005-06 get, including all funds, is Three new firefighters $140,654, budget. And city employees $72.1 million, up 4.4 percents MIT ; , could see a 4 percent raise. from last year.Euless benefits ' What it means to The proposed property tax from significant new-home you rate for the fiscal year begin- growth and moderate com- The city's tax rate of 49.5 cents per$100 of assessed property value would drop to 49.1 ning Oct. 1 would fall to 49.1 mercial growth. Dallas/Fort cents.At that rate,the tax bill for the owner of an average-priced house with a 20 per- cents from 49.5 cents per$100 Worth Airport is also helping, cent homestead exemption would be$509.42,up from$494.49 last year.The average of assessedvalue. The with Euless gaining tax rev- value of a house in Euless is$129,689,according to the Tarrant Appraisal District,up.. decrease proves that proper- enue from a rental-car facili- from$124,870 last year. ty appraisal caps and revenue ty in the city limits. SOURCE:City or Euless ' caps, both suggested in the The city has 374 full-time STAR-TELEGRAM last legislative session, are employees, includhig 122 in not needed,City Manager Joe the Police Department and ' Hennig said. 70 in the Fire Department. "This should send the sig- Those numbers include sev- nal to anyone looking that we eral proposed positions, are fully capable of managing 'such as three more firefight- ' that on our own,"he said. er/paramedics and two dis- A public hearing and a patchers. council vote on the proposed budget are set for Tuesday. ONLINE:www.ci.euless.tx.us ' The average Euless home Ellena F.Morrison,(8I7)685-3888 is valued at$129,689,up from emorrison@star-teleg►am.com DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRLVI HENNIG MCKAVIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBR4RYREF ANIMAL CNTR ' DATE DISTRIBUTED 1 5 DATE OFARTICLE I a NEWSPAPER FWST PUBLIC SAFETY ' Law 0milcellphone, p � use by new drive- rs ■ In 2001, more than 1,000 of the The law is an amendment by state since 1999.He says his research shows 336,665 crashes in Texas were Rep.Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, that talking on the phone while driving ' related to cellphone usage, accor- to a transportation bill by Sen. Jon increases the probability for accidents ding to the most recent statistics. Lindsay, R-Houston. The bill closed — even when using hands-free loopholes on commercial driver devices. By MELISSA SANCHEZ license laws and brought other state In 2001,1,032 of the 336,665 crashes SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM laws into compliance with federal laws, in Texas were related to cellphone Newly licensed teens won't be talk- Lindsay spokeswoman Cari McAdams usage,according to the most recent sta- ing while they drive anymore — at said. tistics from the Texas Department of least for the first six months. "Some people say, `It's my right to Public Safety. A law effective Thursday prohibits use a cellphone in my car,'but every- Keller resident Linda Bjerga won't them from using cellphones and any one's rights end when they start to let her kids become, statistics them- other wireless communication devices infringe on someone else's,"Menendez selves. while driving. Violators can expect said. - Bjerga's daughter Kjerstin is a 15- tickets and fines of up to$500 in some Menendez has been pushing for year-old Keller High School sopho- cities,police said. stricter cellphone laws for all drivers more who just got her driving permit and will be licensed in December.But a.m. for the first six months after the ballet student already knows she'll receiving their license, Euless police be forbidden to talk while taking a spin. Cpl.James J.Gordon said.— Her parents don't even let her have the When young drivers are pulled over° radio on while she's learning to drive, for other probable cause, the license she said. issue date will show if they are in vio- Linda Bjerga said her daughter will lation of the law,Gordon said. have a cellphone when she does start Fines will vary by city,but violators driving but will only be allowed to use will have committed a class C misde- it when she is parked or out of the car. meanor and receive a ticket and fine, "There is too much multitasking police said. , involved with driving to add a cell- For more information, go to phone in also,"Linda Bjerga said. wwwcapitol.state.tx.us. Another law effective Thursday will prohibit anyone under 21 years old from driving between midni ht and 5 Melissa Sanchez.(817)685-3806 g msanchez@star-telegram.com FISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE I OF l 1AYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT OUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANI L CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED 9 �oZ / J8/a 9- DATE OF ARTICLE NEWSPAPE ssejs People ' Harold D. Samuels, chairman of the board of JPS Health Network in Fort :.. Worth, was installed as chairman-elect of ' the board of directors of the Texas Healthcare Trustees. His term is effective Sept. 1.Samuels is president of Samuels& Associates,a manufacturers'representative firm in Euless_ SAMUELS 1 ' Myers Pest&Termite Services,head- quartered in Euless,is the first termite con- tractor in Texas to be certified by the ' National Association of Home Builders Research Center in its National Housing Quality Certified Trade Contractor pro- gram. 1 DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF / MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY MAI HENNIG MCK41VIIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG AlcDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF ANLVIAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED la �-S DATE OF ARTICLE �� 9 /0 S` NEWSPAPER FWST r www.star-telegram.com -Pteal Estate Texas Motor 35W 35y ua Speedway.,,", Flower 1 J `. Mound Alliance WISE COUNTY Airport DEN IN COUNTY TARi1WT COUNTY z DALLAS UNTY 17D 11441., R a Grapevine 2s x < ' 81 � 287 635 L 377 26 1 `' aus ru.. g 287 121 ° a ' ,Investor purchases 620 _121 ':"""N;^ z w 183 " { m :100-unit complex Wing �ooP 2 EULESS-A California -' 121 investor has bought Hillside Village Apart- FDC# WDrfh ments at 306 Vine St.in Eu- less. 5�w 30 Arlington iso The listing price for then '` ® a Grand Praine oov 100-unit property was $2,725,000. : I' aos Gary Huikovich of Ebby 20U 620 , zo Halliday Realtors represent 377 ed the buyer.Steve Fithian and Scott Henderson,bothM sw � , { _ s7 J a t� 0115 `4 i of Sperry Van Ness,repre r .:E E3 ze7 ze7 sented the seller10 _ —Andrea Jares c � W. __ - FISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE ' OF MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRh�I HENNIG MCX41VIIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT IOUNG MCDONALD COLLINS PVILHITE GETCHELL LIBR.4RYADMIN LIBRIRYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED �7 nl � O � DATE OF ARTICLE �� ' U S_ NEWSPAPER FWST ' New shopping centers EULESS I RETAIL cblle videfoot ,Vineyard . Another shopping pp g c enter Glade Rd. Village planned along Texas 121 planned 4A§ w° y ' Cheek-Spar er Rd. ■Vineyard Village,anchored by Lowe's and LA Fitness, -0 8 off is expected to open in October 2006. 157 Euless $ ANDREA ARES Y J Lowe's, LA Fitness, Wa- ' srAx- iEGxnM STAFF wxrx chovia Bank, Taco Cabana, Bedford ` EULESS —A Hurst deve- Mattress Giant and Starbucks In 3n � Loper is planning to start con- have signed leases to join the struction this year on a Vineyard Village project, ac- ' R Bedfortl © 400,000-square-foot shop- cording to Burk Collins&Co., ping center at the southeast which is developing the cen- STAR-TELEGRAM/TIM BEDISON corner of Glade Road and ter. Other large retailers are Texas 121. - - by-anchored shopping center also negotiating for space I on two of the corners,said Ian there, as are businesses seek . Pierce, spokesman for The mg pad sites,according to then Weitzman Group, a Dallas- company. Yx based. real estate-services Cogstruction is expected to y company. startn December,with open ! As the population grows, t ing scheduled for October developers will bring in retail- 2006. ers, Pierce said. He points out Collins, who bought ther that many large developments ' land in June,said he had had his y such as these grow in phases, eyes on the area for years. He increasing with the number of purchased 33 acres from the shoppers moving to the-area. Wilkes family and 14 acres "The retail market is pretty from Univest Properties of Dallas. STAR-TEL11 EGRAM ARCHIVES/JEN FRIEDBERG strong, and Northeast Tarrant County is definitely one of the "You've of Grapevine, Irv- Developer Burk Collins has eyed g P residential hot spots, which ing and North East malls-all the Texas 121 corridor for years. manes it a retail hot spot," he ' retail hubs—and there's kind said. "And it is a relatively af- of a black hole, so to speak, .project. fluent community." here,"Collins said. The land sale for that pro- • Access to these proposed Burk Collins expects at least ject happened this month. shopping centers will get a half of the development to be These two projects will de- boost in the next year as Glade leased before construction be- velop most of the remaining Road is widened to four lanes gins. land in the northern part of Eu- all the way to Texas 360, Hen- "I'll bet by the time I start less,City Manager Joe Hennig nig said. Construction will ' construction, it's almost full," said. The area is in a corridor start this fall,he said,and con- ,he said. that includes some of the high- tinue until next year. It was the second major re- est-income cities in Tarrant Burk Collins&Co.has deve- tail construction project an- County. doped a number of shopping pounced in less than a week "Obviously, the market has centers across the Metroplex, along Texas 121.Last week,de- demanded this," Hennig said. including North Hills Village velopers said they were plan- "When we force things too ear- in North Richland Hills,Irving ning 800,000 square feet of ly to occur,they are not always Market Center near Irving shopping space on the west successful.These are evolving Mall and Northside Market- side of Texas 121 between because the market is ready." place on Jacksbora Highway in Glade and Cheek-Sparger The intersection has grown Fort Worth. roads. That site is just across as a shopping destination,with An -the highway from the Collins SuperTarget and a Hebb Lob- aiL.ea Jstara res, eleg 685-3851coin y aj�.es@star-telegram.com DISTRIBUTED T0: PAGE OF l MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCK4MIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG AIcDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF AN1JV1AL CNTR 3 DA TE DISTRIB UTED s DATE OF ARTICLE 15 L -) s NEWSPAPER FWST EULESS 3 - Rules forportable stora eg drafted ■ Permits for temporary stuff their stuff in temporary becoming a more commonly residential storage contain- storage units—called.PODS, used option," said Mike ..+ ers could last longer than or Portable On Demand Stor Collins, Euless city planning 21 days. age,by one of the top compa- and development director. nies in the industry — that Calling it a proactive move, By ELLENA F.MORRISON can be dropped off,filled and Euless officials hammered out + STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WR= removed. details for an ordinance gov- EULESS — The pod peo- And Euless could be the erning temporary outdoor ple live among us. first Texas community to storage units during Tues- They spurn the traditional consider attaching city regu- day's precouncil meeting.The moving company or the even lations to limit the time PODS ordinance could require resi- more traditional remedy of remain in place,officials said. dents to purchase a $15 per- friends with trucks.Now they "It seems like this is J mit. Then PODS or similar7Eulest structures could remain inbudget place up to 21 days. The per- mit could be purchased onlyouncitwicea year,according to the ved a $73.8 million total operating pending ordinance. budget Tuesday. Containers can vary in size K The property tax rate for but commonly are at least 8 the fiscal year beginning Oct. feet-tall and 12 to 16 feet long. 1 will fall to 49:1 cents from The crates usually sit in a dri- 49.5 cents per$100 of veway or yard, but under the assessed value.Despite the proposal could not sit in city drop,most Euless taxpayers .a rights of way or public streets. will see a small increase on "The point is that we don't tax bills.The average Euless p home's value is assessed at want them in our neighbor- $129,689,up from$124,870 hood forever,"Councilwoman last year.Including the stan- Linda Martin said. dard 20 percent homestead Mayor Mary Lib Saleh exemption,the owner of an agreed,saying,"Some people just average-valued house will" park it out there and leave it." pay$509.42 in city property But Councilman Leon taxes,up from$494.49. It City employees will receive Hogg pushed for a longer a 4 percent raise. time limit. His suggestion of SOURCE:City of Euless approving the permit month to month could make it into of the woods,"Collins said. the ordinance's final draft. Founded in 1998, Florida- The council will vote on based Portable On Demand the issue next month. Storage PODS is one of the Euless officials found sim- best-known portable storage ilar guidelines in Pennsylva- companies. About 63,000 nia and California,but not in PODS containers are in ser- Texas. . vice nationwide. "It's new to us in this neck ONLINE:www.ci.euless.tx.us FISTRIBUTED T0: PAGE / OF a MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITY ATTORVEY CRI1V HENNIG MCKAVIIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT rUNG MCDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBR4RYREF ANLV14L CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED� /2- /0 S DATE OFARTICLE 8 /� l D`�' NEWSPAPER FWST OUNTY BOND PROPOSAL A" 912 • it, Vad projects ofered for 'consideration I Tarrant County has alto- ing from the individual cities. Carmichael attributed the endorsed by both cities,Curtis ated $200 million for trans- . County Transportation project's hefty price tag to the said. ortation projects in next Planner Randy Skinner said cost of building bridges across "With all the growth occur- year's bond proposal. less than 70 percent of the the Trinity River. ring in North Richland Hills ' $200 million would likely go Several of Arlington's pro- and Keller,it's certainly a need By AMAN BATHEJA toward projects submitted by jects are related to congestion in this area,"Curtis said. STAR TELEGRAM srAFF VWM the cities. About $40 million near the popular attractions of Commissioners appointed a Highlighting the intense will be used at the discretion Six Flags Over Texas, Hurri- committee last month to eval-. terest in curbing congestion, of commissioners toward cane Harbor,Ameriquest Field uate the submitted projects. ities have submitted more transportation projects.in their and the future Cowboys stadi- The committee is scheduled to an $534 million in trans- precincts,Skinner said. um. begin reviewing the projects J`drtation projects for Tarrant The cities were told the Carmichael said only one this fall and could make rec- unt commissioners to con- projects must address either project — $5 million for ommendations early next year, er as part of an upcoming . congestion or air quality, be widening Johnson Avenue Skinner said. bond package. "strategically significant" and from Collins Street to the "Hopefully we'll have an tA total of 112 projects were ready for implementation ,Nolan Ran Expressway P Y P y — is equal distribution of projects bmitted by cities hoping to within a few years. needed because of the planned throughout the county," said ab a piece of the$200 million With 42 submissions, new stadium for the Cowboys. Euless Cit Ma - Y y Manager Joe Hen the county has allocated for Arlington's proposals make up North Richland Hills sub- nig, a member of the commit- Jansportation projects in next more than one-third of the mitted seven projects,but city tee. ear's bond proposal,commis- total projects. public works director Mike Skinner stressed that the. oners learned Tuesday. "It's a wish list for the city," Curtis called expanding the projects will be thoroughly Earlier this summer,county said Mindy Carmichael, engi- North Tarrant Parkway and reviewed and only some of the miicials announced that $200 neering operation manager for Rufe Snow Drive his highest best projects will likely be llion of an estimated $350 Arlington. "If we had all the priorities. approved. million bond proposal would money in the world, we'd like Curtis said he divided the "Unfortunately we can't pay ictoward transportation pro to build these projects." $32 million endeavor to widen for all of it,"Skinner said. ts. Cities had until Aug. 19 Arlington also submitted the North Tarrant Parkway In other court action, com- submitt projects for the the most expensive project, into two projects so that the missioners dropped the bond. requesting construction of a part of the parkway that enters accounting firm of Deloitte& If approved by voters, the new section of Ballpark Way Keller could be submitted sep- Touche and hired the Fort Vndent package would pay for 50 from Green Oaks Boulevard to aratel .Y Worth-based firm of Weaver of the accepted pro- the city limits estimated to That project, estimated at and Tidwell to conductthe jects,with the other half com cost$42 million. $21.2 million, was jointly annual audit of the county's DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE a? OF AIA YOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRLYI HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG A&DONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANLVIAL CNTR DATE DISTRIB UTED 9 /°? /0'5 DATE OF ARTICLE NEWSPAPER FWST Top county road projects 3 Cities have submitted 112 trans- Widen Texas 26 from four to six portation projects estimated to lanes between Pool Road and cost more than.$534 million for Texas 114. Tarrant County commissioners 6.Arlington,$19.9 million- to consider as part of an upcom- , Construct a new road at Bowen ing bond package.The 10 most Road,from Sublett Road to Turn- expensive proposals are: er Warnell Road. 1.Arlington,$42 million- 7. Saginaw,$18.9 million-- Construct a new road at Ballpark Widen Bailey-Boswell Road Way from Green Oaks Boulevard between Old Decatur Road'and to the Arlington city limits. Blue Mound Road from four to 2. Fort Worth,$24.7 million sit'lanes. -Widen East Rosedale Avenue 8. Fort Worth,$15.9 million from two to four lanes between -Widen East Rosedale from four U.S.287 and Loop 820,and add to six lanes between Interstate a right-of-way. - 35W and U.S.287. 3. Fort Worth,$22.2 million 9. Fort Worth,$15.6 million -Realign Farm Road 156 around -Construct a new road at East Alliance Airport. First Street,from Beach Street 4. North Richland Hills, to Oakland Avenue. $21.2 million-Widen North 10. Richland Hills,$14 mil- Tarrant Parkway from Davis lion Reconstruct Baker Boule- Boulevard to Whitley Road. vard between Booth Calloway S.Grapevine,$20.1 million Road and Texas 26. books. against the change,expressing Commissioners voted 4-1 in concefn over Weaver and Tid- favor of the switch, citing well's lack of experience in Weaver and Tidwell's lower auditing large counties. bid and a desire to support a local firm. Commissioner AmanBatheja (817)390-7752 Marti VanRavenswaay voted abatheja@Star-telegram.commil .r l Y . r FISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE l OF / MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRM HENNIG NICIE41VIIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT UNG AIcDONALD COLLINS fVILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANIM,lL CNTR OR DATE DISTRIB UTED q l a / S DATE OF ARTICLE 9 / /O s NEWSPAPER FWST CITY OF EULESS BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS ' The City of Euless is currently accepting applications for volunteer positions on various Boards and Commissions to be appointed in October 2005.Time and frequency of meetings vary, depending upon the board or commission on which you serve. The following Boards and Commissions will have openings: Civil Service Commission, Economic Development Advisory Board, Historical Preservation Committee; Library Board, Parks and Leisure Services Board, Planning & Zoning Commission, HEB ' Teen CourtAdvisory Board,and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Applications and additional information on these boards are on the website www.d.euless.ta.us. You may also contact the City ' Secretary's Office for an application at 817-685-1434. Applications must be completed and returned to the City Secretary's Office by'Friday,September 16,2005. Susan Crim City Secretary DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE l OF l MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CREW HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADIVIIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED /� �`� DATE OF ARTICLE_ / L/0,5_ , NEWSPAPER FWST Woman missing for three weeks' , EULESS-Police are asking for the public's help in finding a woman who has'been missing for about three weeks.Kristen Eliza- beth Charbonneau;24,was,last seen leaving Baby Dolls,her workplace,on Farm Road 157 on Aug.11.She was drunk and 'n was asked to leave,police said.When a CHARBONNEAU taxi arrived to pick her up that afternoon,she was gone,said Euless police Sgt.Troy Remington. Her boyfriend reported her miss- ing Aug.13.Police found no evi- dence of a crime,but relatives believe there was foul play,police said.Charbonneau is 5 feet,3 inches taQand weighs 103 pounds. Anyone with information should call police at(81.7)6851538. -Leila Fadel r DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE OF/ tAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT OUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATEDISTRIBUTED �/� DS DATE OFARTICLE /'2/� NEWSPAPER FWST r LABOR DAY CLOSINGS r Euless—City offices and the VYI- r library will be closed.Trash collec- tion is unaffected. r r r r r 1 r r r r r r r r