04-21-2014 - there will be a council meeting....  more will be placed here before the meeting.

04-17-2014 Thru 04-19-2014: Council Retreat - Well it is not quite a long distance our of town.  It will be at Castle Hills Golf Club.  Do I find this necessary?  NO WAY!  I think the City of Lewisville has plenty of meeting places to have these meetings without spending the money somewhere else.  Besides, it is so inconvenient to to the staff as well.  The only good side of this is that they are not holding it in Fort Worth like they did before I was on Council.  If I was still on Council, I would have wanted it at a City Building.  See the Agenda and Schedule.

     You can attend the Retreat and you can come and go as you please.  You will notice reference to meals on the agenda in the link above, I removed them below..  These meals are for the Council and Staff.  This is not meant to feed visitors, however, I have seen council members invite a few people to join them.  I recommend that visitors bring food to eat.

A G E N D A - 2014 ANNUAL RETREAT WORKSHOP SESSION at The Lakes at Castle Hills Golf Club.  April 17-19, 2014.

• Thursday, April 17, 2014
  5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Bus Tour of Castle Hills (The tour will depart from the Lakes at Castle Hills Golf Club at 5:00 p.m.)
  7:00 p.m. Dinner served
  7:00 p.m. Discussion of Lewisville Vision 2025
       1. Recap of 2025 Process
       2. Vision statements
       3. Goals
  TBD Adjourn

• Friday, April 18, 2014
  8:30 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
  9:00 a.m. Discussion of Lewisville Vision 2025
  1. Discussion of Big Moves
  TBD Adjourn
  Council will adjourn for lunch at approximately 12:00 p.m. and reconvene at 1:30 p.m. (A quorum may be present. No business will be discussed during lunch.)

• Saturday, April 19, 2014
  8:30 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
  9:00 a.m. Discussion of Lewisville Vision 2025
       1. Discussion of Big Moves
       2. Wrap Up
  11:00 a.m. Lunch served
       2. Discussion of Next Steps
  TBD Adjourn

• The City Council reserves the right to adjourn into closed session at any time during the course of this meeting to discuss any of the matters listed above, as authorized by Texas Government Code Section 551.071 (Consultation with Attorney), 551.072 (Deliberations about Real Property), 551.073 (Deliberations about Gifts and Donations), 551.074 (Personnel Matters), 551.076 (Deliberations about Security Devices) and 551.087 (Economic Development); and Texas Tax Code, Section 321.3022(i)(Individual Sales Tax Information).

04-08-2014:  Conundrums: The six contradictions of socialism in the United States of America:

1. America is capitalist and greedy - yet half of the population is subsidized.

2. Half of the population is subsidized - yet they think they are victims.

3. They think they are victims - yet their representatives run the government.

4. Their representatives run the government - yet the poor keep getting poorer.

5. The poor keep getting poorer - yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about.

6. They have things that people in other countries only dream about - yet they want America to be more like those other countries.

Think about it!

04-07-2014:  Lewisville City Council Meeting:  Please look over the Agenda - Short Version or the Long version with backup material.  If the links do not work, the City's site generates links that may change and therefore go to www.CityOfLewisville.com and look there. {Click Mayor and Council, then click City Council Meetings, then click 2013 Agendas and Minutes.}  Please look over the long version which has some backup material that might peak your interest.  The Following are items that I think might interest you most:

• 6:00 PM - WORKSHOP SESSION - Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items. This is a regularly scheduled open meeting.  If you get there late, just walk in quietly and take a seat along the wall.
  • A. Discussion of Amendments to Emergency Water Management Plan and Ordinance
  • B. Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items
• 07:00 PM, Lewisville City Council Meeting:   Please see the agenda.  There are several items that you should look over.  If you are going to give input (do not have to speak unless you want to but speaking is better), fill out a card before the meeting starts.
  • ITEM 11: Consideration of an Ordinance Amending the Lewisville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 11, Article V, Sections 16-252 Through 16-259, Emergency Water Management; and Approval of Revisions to the Water Conservation and Emergency Water Management Plan.
    AFTER MEETING COMMENTS:  From the City Communications Director:  Council approves year-round watering restrictions.  With no end in sight to the severe drought gripping our state, Lewisville City Council has amended the city’s Emergency Water Management Plan to set year-round restrictions on outdoor watering for all customers.
         The changes, which go into effect on May 1, limit customers to two outdoor waterings per week on assigned days. In addition, during the hotter months from May to September, daytime watering will be prohibited in most cases. The restrictions will apply to all City water customers.
         These restrictions are almost identical to those used during July and August of 2013, and which resulted in about a 10 percent reduction in water use citywide compared to the same two months in 2012. They are essentially the same as the voluntary measures already in place year-round.
         Watering schedule for residential customers will be determined by street address.
    • Those properties with an even-numbered address (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) or no street address will be allowed to water on Tuesday and Saturday.
    • Properties with an odd-numbered address (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) will be allowed to water on Wednesday and Sunday.
    • Commercial and multi-family customers will be allowed to water on Monday and Thursday.

         To further reduce water use during peak summer months, outdoor watering between May 1 and Sept. 30 will be allowed only between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
          There are provisions for variances in certain circumstances, including:

    • Properties with irrigation systems that do not tap into the City water supply. This includes properties with their own water well, and properties that have an approved detention system that recycles the irrigation water.
    • Properties too large for all irrigation zones to be watered within the allowed time. Those properties can request a variance allowing them to spread their watering into additional days, but with each zone only being watered the approved number of times.
    • Properties that install new sod or landscaping. A variance can be requested to allow more frequent watering for a set period of time to allow the new plantings to become established.

         Lewisville purchases water from Dallas Water Utilities, and thus is required to adopt similar conservation provisions to those applied in Dallas. Similar restrictions already have been adopted in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and many other cities in the region.
         If the North Texas water crisis worsens and additional conservation measures are needed, Lewisville could implement additional restrictions. This could include weekly outdoor watering or a complete ban on outdoor watering.

04-05-2014: Volunteer Opportunity PLEASE SIGN UP!

We still need about 5 people to help set up on Friday from 5-7pm.
We need a lot of people to sign up for the 11:30-1:30 shift and the 2-4 shift.

SEND THIS OUT TO FRIENDS or ORGANIZATION YOU KNOW BY EMAIL OR  FACEBOOK.  We need to get the word out to anyone who might be able to help us on Saturday.

Just go to your Volunteer Registration System is: http://volunteer.fmsc.org/Register/mobilepack/event.aspx?event=1404-10 or www.fmsc.org

Or reply to me to get you registered.

It’s all about feeding hungry children  Thanks for your help in this great event.

• Feed My Starving Children will be assembling meals at Garden Ridge Church of Christ, in Lewisville (102 N Garden Ridge Blvd). No donations.  The church has already paid for all the ingredients and now people are needed to help assemble the meal packages.  Multiple stations to add ingredients into meal pouches.  The food will be shipped to those starving overseas.  It is a very worthwhile endeavor.  Please volunteer and help out.  You will be glad you did.

  • Sign-ups are now available here.

  • Watch the video..

  Courtesy of YouTube:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ech5XOryipM

• AFTER EVENT MESSAGE from Phillip:  Thank you for the amazing job you did at Feed My Starving Children.  Your joy of working and helping others was once again on display at this great event. Here are the stats of what you did.
  • You made 108,864 meals.
  • This is enough food to feed 298 children every day for a year!
  • There were 426 volunteers, most from GR, but also many from our community.
  • Danny, Michelle and Christine of FMSC were very complimentary of the hard working, joyful people we have here at Garden Ridge.

  Thank you for making a difference Friday and Saturday and for the food that will be life in a child in a few weeks.  We should know soon as to where this food will be delivered.  Thank you for being Christ to the world.  Because He can do anything,  Philip

03-17-2014: Lewisville City Council Meeting:  Please look over the Agenda - Short Version or the Long version with backup material.  If the links do not work, the City's site generates links that may change and therefore go to www.CityOfLewisville.com and look there. {Click Mayor and Council, then click City Council Meetings, then click 2013 Agendas and Minutes.}  Please look over the long version which has some backup material that might peak your interest.  The Following are items that I think might interest you most:

• 6:30 PM - WORKSHOP SESSION - Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items. This is a regularly scheduled open meeting.  If you get there late, just walk in quietly and take a seat along the wall.
  • A. Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items
• 07:00 PM, Lewisville City Council Meeting:   Please see the agenda.  There are several items that you should look over.  If you are going to give input (do not have to speak unless you want to but speaking is better), fill out a card before the meeting starts.
  • THERE ARE A FEW TO LOOK AT!

03-03-2014: Lewisville City Council Meeting:  Please look over the Agenda - Short Version or the Long version with backup material.  If the links do not work, the City's site generates links that may change and therefore go to www.CityOfLewisville.com and look there. {Click Mayor and Council, then click City Council Meetings, then click 2013 Agendas and Minutes.}  Please look over the long version which has some backup material that might peak your interest.  The Following are items that I think might interest you most:

• 5:30 PM - WORKSHOP SESSION - Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items. This is a regularly scheduled open meeting.  If you get there late, just walk in quietly and take a seat along the wall.
  • A. Financing Structures for Denton County Fresh Water Supply District Bonds
  • B. Review of Waste Management Franchise Options
  • C. Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items
• 07:00 PM, Lewisville City Council Meeting:   Please see the agenda.  There are several items that you should look over.  If you are going to give input (do not have to speak unless you want to but speaking is better), fill out a card before the meeting starts.
  • ITEM 16. Consideration of a Franchise Ordinance for the Collection of Residential Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste, Bulky Waste, Recyclables, and Multi-Family Recycling; and Containerized Commercial Solid Waste With Waste Management of Texas, Inc.

    ADMINISTRATIVE COMMENTS: The extension of the current franchise ordinance will expire on May 18, 2014. The existing agreement has been modified and includes options for Council to consider either retaining twice per week residential garbage collection (rate increase of $0.85/month) or movement to once per week garbage collection in 96- gallon carts (rate decrease of $1.11/month). Residential recycling service will remain as once per week in carts. The other decision point will be regarding mandatory multi-family recycling service. If Council opts for multi-family recycling addition options for service enhancement the initial rate will be $1.18 per apartment unit per month. The City of Lewisville Charter requires two readings of this ordinance, with 30 days in between.

    My Comments: This is a quality of life issue to me.  I like my stinky trash/garbage/throw-a-aways picked up twice a week and I am willing to pay the increased cost of $0.85/month to continue picking it up twice a week.   The council says that they are going to save the citizen $1.11 per month.  They will be talking about it at the workshop also.  You can speak at both times if you wish.  To be clear, I am against this change.
    After Meeting Comments:  It passed, Garbage will be once a week...  :(
    OK, some more venting... I will much better...  Much of this I wrote in another social site.
    - It definitely is going backwards. Going to from one to two times a week was a great improvement.
    - Cutting service by 50%... That is, Lowering the number of pickups to 50% of the time.  But how come not lowering the trash fees by 50%??? Going to one day a week thus cutting service by 50%. 2 times is going to now be 1 time and that is literally half. 50%, 1/2, divided by two... It cannot be any clearer. Yet someone wanted to argue the math. Go figure...
    - I read somewhere that the trash cans are not going to cost the city or citizens anything.... SERIOUSLY? Who would ever believe that stupid comment? I can assure you that Waste Management is NOT going to do it for free. There was also a mention of $2 Million over ten years.
    [NOTE: I like my $15 huge rubber made trash can. It has lasted at least ten years. Seems like a waste to not be able to use it anymore.]
    - The current rate of $12.57/month three trucks that come out for our current service. 2 trash and 1 recycle. IF the trash business was a linear business.... Which I am sure it is not... SOOOO, the current rate of $12.57/month will be $13.42 ($0.85 more) if we keep it at two days a week. Or cut the number of pickups in half and it will be $11.46 ($1.11 less). If it costs $13.42/month for THREE TRUCKS a week, then how come it is not cut in down to TWO-THIRDS to $8.95/month? ...... $11.46 minus $8.95 is $2.51/month/account that they are keeping to buy trash cans. Isn't math fun? AND I know that I do not know all the aspects of the trash business. I do know that I am willing to pay $0.85 more a month than I am paying now for that third truck to come around on a second day to haul my trash away. [That is, if their operations are linear on the cost of what it takes to send trucks out, etc... ]
    - I do not remember the amount of homes in Lewisville now but basically, it is about 19,000 homes. [See the NTCOG Housing estimate for 2010 online on page 12.  It actually states 18,711 housing units about 4 years ago and homes have been built since.]
    - Saying "All of the arguments I've seen so far bemoaning the travesty of adding 4 more days between pickups are extremely weak" is nothing more than a psychologically worded statement to make those people, who may cower from opposition, doubt their opinion if it is against the point of view. I tell all of you, do not be ashamed of what you want. Stand up for it. Win or Lose by your votes. Your opinion is important to you... Even if I disagree, I respect your right to have an opinion. But be active. Participate. Local government affects your lives directly and you should be active.
    - The council has to read this two more times with 30 days in between before they can actually take action. Therefore, is it too late? NO! If you go to each council meeting in numbers and speak, you may just make a difference. In large numbers... [Council meetings are 1st and 3rd Mondays at 7 PM]. HOWEVER, the council has been talking about this for over a year and making every effort to get the word out. It truly boggles my mind why people have not been complaining all along. I have been talking about it for about a year on this blog. And it has been in the Newspapers several times and the other blogs too. Again, it is not too late to complain and attempt a change.
    - the new cans are nice and large and will add decor as they sit outside homes and fences. [For the libtards, let me be clear, The cans are nice and large but the decor part was pure sarcasm].
    - I also heard, it is not going to cost the citizens anything...  SERIOUSLY? Again, someone is doing it for free?  NOT!  If you live in Lewisville, aren't you a citizen? Or supposedly a citizen? How are you not paying your taxes? Even if you rent, part of your rent pays the taxes. [ I just wanted to point out another of the ignorant statements I read].

    - I just wanted to point out that setting up contracts for service like trash pickup is something that the Council is supposed to do. The City staff implements the will of the Council.

    - You can tell the City Council you disagree. There is still time since they cannot take action until it has been read three times. At least they are not supposed to take action.

  • ITEM 17. Consideration of a Supplemental Appropriation From the General Fund in the Amount of $1,750,000 for Land Purchases. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMENTS: Acquiring additional land is an important aspect of meeting the future needs of the City. Due to the limited availability of vacant land in Lewisville, City staff needs the ability to respond quickly to real estate opportunities as they arise. The current fund balance (after required operating reserves) in the General Fund can be used for land purchases.
    My Comments: What land are they going to buy that they need to have $1.75 Million on hand?  Sounds kind of shady to me....  In a time when they should be concentrating on getting out of debt, they want to pull money to buy land?  When I was on the Council, there was talks of buying more "green space" but in my opinion it was really to purchase land so that a few people could look at trees out their back window instead of roof tops.  I am not opposed to buying green space but that paradigm was started decades ago as part of mitigation to purchase non-buildable areas like flood ways and call them park areas.  I am not in favor of buying more green space adjacent to other park areas in order to prevent building on private property.  Again, the council is NOT saying what property they want to buy with the money.  What are they planning that they are not being transparent about?
    After Meeting Comments:  It passed.

02-23-2014:

• Early voting continues all across Texas – See my recommendations at http://gorena.org/voting-schedule.htm  for Denton County and State Elections.

  • 7A-7P all week thru Friday.

  • See the voting rosters at http://www.votedenton.com where can see who has voted and on which primary (Democratic or Republican).

  • Apparently voter turnout has been lower than past similar elections – at least in Lewisville. I think it is attributed to the new Voter ID law.

  • be sure that your spouse and friends go vote also.

• HEADLINE: Former Member of the Supreme Court Wants to Add These Five Words to the Second Amendment
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/21/former-member-of-the-supreme-court-wants-to-add-these-five-words-to-the-second-amendment/
  MY COMMENTS: The 2nd amendment is really intended to be two groups that are allowed to have arms.. One must really look at the way they wrote and spoke back then. The statements are basically that States can have a militia for security to be free and the other is about the people who have a right to bear arms so that they can protect themselves from an overbearing government - and that it "shall not be infringed."…. It truly is a checks and balances thing. There was a revolution for a reason… Does the Declaration of Independence ring a bell (1776)? So look at it as two statements on the same topic in the Bill of Rights (1789)..
  Amendment II as it was written (I colored it to emphasize the two statements):
  - A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
  And then what the Libtards want it to be which will totally change the original intent by removing a comma and adding the words to be one statement:
  A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed.
       Again, notice how the Founding Fathers write and Read more about the Bill of Rights (1789) at http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/
  And see the transcript of the time at http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

• HEADLINE:Proposal to Split California Into Six States Clears Major Hurdle — Here Are the Proposed New States
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/22/proposal-to-split-california-into-six-states-clears-major-hurdle-here-are-the-proposed-new-states/
  MY COMMENTS: That would mean ten new senators from California.....  I would not want to see that.  They would ruin this County.

• HEADLINE: She Was Fired For Carrying a Concealed Weapon to Work In Violation of Company Policy — Now She’s Suing
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/22/she-was-fired-for-carrying-a-concealed-weapon-to-work-in-violation-of-company-policy-now-shes-suing/
  MY COMMENTS: It will be interesting to see if anything comes of this…. It will be about Business Rights...

• HEADLINE: She Allegedly Went on a Simple Jog in Her Toe Shoes. So Why Did She End Up Screaming and in Handcuffs? ‘I Didn’t F**king Do Anything Wrong!’
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/21/i-didnt-fking-do-anything-wrong-why-did-a-woman-allegedly-on-a-jog-end-up-screaming-and-in-handcuffs/
  MY COMMENTS: the majority of the population in Austin is very Liberal. And I wonder what they will do as they are arrested for no reason? I find it strange to arrest someone for jogging. I am glad I don’t jog. {Yeah yeah – I know it shows. :}}

• HEADLINE: White House Not Commenting on Federal Monitoring of Newsrooms
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/21/white-house-not-commenting-on-federal-monitoring-of-newsrooms/ 
  MY COMMENTS: Did you know that the Countries in the world were ranked about the freedom of their press? Did you know that the Reporters Without Borders ranked USA at 46th? YES, 46th! See http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/18/united-states-press-freedom-ranking-drops-sharply-report-says/ 

02-16-20144:  Early Voting Starts Tuesday...  See my Primary Recommendations.

01-27-2014: Lewisville City Council Meeting:  Please look over the Agenda - Short Version or the Long version with backup material.  If the links do not work, the City's site generates links that may change and therefore go to www.CityOfLewisville.com and look there. {Click Mayor and Council, then click City Council Meetings, then click 2013 Agendas and Minutes.}  Please look over the long version which has some backup material that might peak your interest.  The Following are items that I think might interest you most:

• 6:30 PM - WORKSHOP SESSION - Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items. This is a regularly scheduled open meeting.
  • A. Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items
• 07:00 PM, Lewisville City Council Meeting:   Please see the agenda.  There are several items that you should look over.
  • Item 10. Consideration of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 11, Signs, by Amending the Regulations Related to Political Signs.
    ADMINISTRATIVE COMMENTS: H.B. 259 (83rd R)) prohibits a city that owns a building used as a polling location from restricting electioneering while voting is taking place. The proposed ordinance establishes reasonable regulations concerning the time, place, and manner of electioneering on public property utilized as a polling site.

01-06-2014: Lewisville City Council Meeting:  Please look over the Agenda - Short Version or the Long version with backup material.  If the links do not work, the City's site generates links that may change and therefore go to www.CityOfLewisville.com and look there. {Click Mayor and Council, then click City Council Meetings, then click 2013 Agendas and Minutes.}  Please look over the long version which has some backup material that might peak your interest.  The Following are items that I think might interest you most:

• 6:30 PM - WORKSHOP SESSION - Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items. This is a regularly scheduled open meeting.
  • A. Discussion of Regular Agenda Items and Consent Agenda Items
• 07:00 PM, Lewisville City Council Meeting:   Please see the agenda.  There are several items that you should look over.
  • Item 5. Second and Final Reading: Consideration of an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Lewisville, Texas Extending the Term of an Ordinance Granting a Collection of Residential Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste, Bulky Waste, Recyclables and Containerized Commercial Solid Waste to Waste Management of Texas, Inc.; and Providing an Effective Date.
    My Comments: This is a quality of life issue to me.  I like my stinky trash/garbage/throw-a-aways picked up twice a week and I am willing to pay the increased cost of less than a dollar a month to continue picking it up twice a week.   The council says that they are going to save the citizen money by going to once a week.  Technically, they are correct but by how much? About $1.11 per month.  Or we could keep everything the same for about $0.95 cents more per month that we are paying now.  That is basically only $0.24 for each of the four extra pickups we could have.  I am willing to pay a whole quarter (a whole 25 cents) to keep each of those 4 pickups. I do not know when their decision was actually voted on to make this choice as I have not missed a meeting.  Their was a presentation on the options at the October 21, 2013 workshop meeting.  It was discussed but I do not remember an official vote to make the change in the regular council meeting.
  • Item H. CLOSED SESSION: In Accordance with Texas Government Code, Subchapter D,
    1. Section 551.072 (Real Estate): Property Acquisition
    2. Section 551.074 (Personnel Matters): City Manager - Deliberation of Appointment, Employment, Duties
    3. Section 551.087 (Economic Development): Deliberation Regarding Economic Development Negotiations.

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