Prepare yourself for what is likely to be another long Denton City Council meeting this week as we meet for a Work Session at 1pm followed by a 6:30pm Regular Session. Go here for the full agenda with backup material. Here are some notable items on the agenda:
THE CONVENTION CENTER RE-EMERGES AT RAYZOR RANCH
A Denton Convention Center, an idea which last summer and fall suffered from growing community criticism, is now seemingly emerging as part of the development on the Southern portion of Rayzor Ranch. The scope of the project, at least as the city is concerned is significantly different. O’Reilly Hospitality Management proposes to construct, own, and manage the hotel and convention center on its own. The discussion before the council is whether or not to continue discussions that would involve city-based incentives from sales taxes, property taxes, hotel occupancy taxes, and additional help from the city to offset construction sales taxes.
The proposal before us is very vague at this point. The level of incentives from all of these funds as well as the specifics of what the funds are earmarked for has not yet been disclosed to the council.
Anyone watching the evolution of this side of Rayzor Ranch has noticed a significant divide between what was originally proposed to the city and how things are taking shape. What was once compared to the upscale retail experience of Southlake and Highland Village is now delivering precisely what Denton has already and could easily get without the aid of economic development incentives: WinCo Foods, Chili’s, Raising Cane’s, In-N-Out Burger, Envy Spa, Great Clips, Penn Station subs and Sleep Number.
While having some prospect for retail in the immediate vicinity of a convention center is a big change to it’s previously proposed location, it’s unclear that the likes of WinCo, Chili’s, and Great Clips are the types of amenities that would be both an attraction and an example of the “original and independent” experience we’d hope our out-of-town visitors would have.
PRELIMINARY BUDGET DISCUSSIONS
Perhaps the most powerful role of the Denton City Council is the oversight and approval of the annual budget. It’s what we all learned in grade school government class as “the power of the purse.” We are blessed to be in a city which is experiencing growth in our two main revenue streams: property taxes and sales taxes. As such, we are in the fortunate position to be able to make sound financial decisions and investments that both provide our citizens the services they need and desire and look ahead to the future growth and possibilities for our city.
Click here for the powerpoint presentation for this item.
Under the advice and direction of the Council Committee for Citizen Engagement, the city budget process has become increasingly transparent, user-friendly, and accessible via the city’s website. Citizens are also encouraged to submit their own budget proposal for consideration through this simple Citizen Budget Submission Portal. How would you like to see us prioritize city spending? Submit and let us know!
PROHIBITION OF PARKING ALONG EAST SIDE OF LOCUST
The city has proposed an ordinance prohibiting parking on the East side of North Locust from Parkway all the way North to University Drive. For years, the section between Oakland and University has been designated as no parking (only recently have the “no parking” signs been removed). The question is whether to restore that section back to its original no parking status and extend it South all the way to Parkway.
Several values are at play here that make this a very interesting mobility and traffic safety issue:
– Street parking is a known traffic calming device. Removing this “friction” from a street already conducive to high rates of speed only exasperates the problem.
– At the same time, much of that problem is the direct result of a decision made to make Locust and Elm one-way streets – seemingly a change to allow for traffic to flow through the square unimpeded at a relatively rapid pace. There’s likely a long-term, though ambitious, solution to this problem.
– Increasing bicycle infrastructure throughout the city is another important value. Locust and Elm stand as significant North/South corridors for bicycle traffic to and from major centers such as downtown, TWU, and the commercial areas along 380. The removal of parking along that corridor allows for the urban shoulder to realize its potential as a wide bicycle lane.
MORE DISCUSSION AND OPTIONS ON THE FRACK BAN AND RELATED ORDINANCES
A couple of weeks ago, I posted an article making the case that, while difficult, a full repeal of our frack ban might be our best strategy moving forward in the long-game toward restoring local control in a post-HB40 legal and political environment. Many in the community came forward encouraging us to give the citizens more time to consider other options, concerned with both the optics and consequences of having the citizen-initiated ban overturned.
On today’s agenda are two possibilities with a similar aim: declaring the ban unenforceable either through an amendment to the original ordinance or a separate, stand-alone ordinance.
The legal sands are shifting by the day and I look forward to hearing from both our legal team and our citizens on this important issue.
But it is important for the community to understand that, in light of our current inability to enforce the fracking ban, oil and gas development will, for now at least, continue in the city of Denton. It is also important to understand that HB40 has drastically altered the legal landscape for cities seeking to reasonably regulate oil and gas-related activities in their communities. In a post-HB40 world, cities around Texas aren’t wringing their hands trying to figure out how to ban fracking, rather they are trying to figure out how to legally impose something greater than a 100 foot setback.
In light of this, we will be considering sending our pre-HB40 gas ordinance revisions back to the Planning and Zoning Commission for additional post-HB40 analysis. We have a moratorium ending in August and it seems to be in the city’s best interest to have an enforceable and defensible set of regulations on the books when the drilling and fracking rigs come back into town in greater numbers. More on this as we begin this process.
As always, please let me know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. Please leave them below or contact me at kevin.roden@cityofdenton.com or 940-206-5239.