November 5, 2018 Newsletter
Major Traffic Headaches
As if the closure of HWY360 at Abram St this current/past weekend was not enough, beware, I-30 will be closed next weekend.
Tuesday is Election Day!!!
Arlington is a city where citizens are relegated to being spectators rather than players. The SPECTATOR helps citizens know what is happening on the field. Only the few on the in-house team are allowed to play ball in Arlington. The SPECTATOR helps citizens understand the game.
November 5, 2018 – Volume 11 Number 43
GAME SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, November 6, Election Day.
Sunday, November 11, Veterans Day.
Tuesday, November 13 Arlington City Council meetings, Arlington City Hall, 101 W Abram St, times TBD.
Thursday, November 15, AISD work session, AISD Administration Bldg, 1203 W Pioneer Pkwy, 7:00pm. Public comment may not be accepted.
Thursday, November 22, Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 27 Arlington City Council meetings, Arlington City Hall, 101 W Abram St, times TBD.
From THE LOCKER ROOM
Arlington City Council Update
The Arlington City Council met this past Tuesday, October 30. The next council meetings will be Tuesday, November 13.
Committee Meetings
The first of two committee meetings discussed hotel design standards. This is more along the lines of where to allow and not allow, and types (eg. full service) vs. anything to do with building design standards.
The second committee meeting discussed a neighborhood engagement program.
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session began without Mayor Williams, as Mayor Pro-Tem Glaspie opened the meeting.
The open portion of the afternoon session had Williams make an appearance.
The Downtown Master Plan took center stage. The consultant did a presentation with formal votes happening during November. A part of the presentation had the consultant state that flexibility was important, especially when considering mixed-use commercial use on the ground floor. The flavor this month for downtown areas is “townhouse villages” [There is no telling what the flavor will be next month. All we do know is these consultants continue to get paid the big bucks for basically worthless information and throwing garbage against the wall to see what sticks.]
Short-term rentals (STRs) did generate some debate. The minority opinion of District 1, Moise, appears to be to allow them in only certain areas. There also appears to be debate whether the SUP expense is justified.
Evening Meeting
The evening meeting saw all council members present. When they got to the consent agenda, there were two speakers on “no opposition” classification for tax breaks for the Spanish Park Apartments, 420 W Park Row. One speaker was for and one was against. The consent agenda was approved, 9-0. After the vote council member Capehart wanted to be against the second reading at 2328 E Park Row. Shepard wanted to show abstained for a $521K construction contract (FM Utilities, LLC). [Zero mention was made of the “no objection” tax break of 184 new apartments at New York and Mayfield]
The first public hearing had been continued several times. It is for undeveloped land at 2170 E Lamar Blvd where the applicant wished to build several buildings, including a five-story office building and a 110-120 unit limited service hotel. It was approved, 9-0.
The second public hearing was for 358 apartments on just over six acres, falling just under the 60 units/acre max allowed, at 505 E Lamar Blvd. It was approved, 9-0.
Your city council loves its apartments.
There were eight speakers during citizen participation. The first two were extremely unhappy of how staff failed to hand their situations.
The third speaker spoke about the police shooting killing a citizen, and a meeting that the NAACP and police department had. She wanted the officer fired.
The last five speakers spoke on different aspects of short-term rentals.
AISD
The next scheduled meeting is Thursday, November 15.
Press Box
VIA Ride-share
The September numbers are in, and September was the best month for the program, with net revenues over $17K. That is still a major loss when looking at the profit/loss information. [ http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_22.html ] Arlington Taxpayers are still paying for a lemon. While the company, VIA, is doing quite well [they have a contract for nearly a million dollars for the year—no problem].
City Propositions
...A
Sell bonds to do more streets. 2008 left a very bad taste in my mouth, when those bonds where used to shrink the lanes on downtown Abram St. [without advertising that to the public]
...B
Sell bonds to do park improvements. Is it really worth going in debt for?
...C
Sell bond for improvements at fire stations. Again, worth going in debt for?
...D
Sell bonds to make aesthetic improvements to several city builds, mainly city hall, because the mayor thinks it the worse looking building [??] right next to the new library.
...E
Term Limits for the mayor and city council. Most Definitely Needed!!!
VOTE FOR PROP “E”!!!
November 6, 2018 Ballot
US Senator – Strongly Support – Ted Cruz
US Representative, D6 – Ron Wright
Governor – Strongly Support – Greg Abbott
Lt Governor – Strongly Support – Dan Patrick
Attorney General – Strongly – Ken Paxton
Comptroller of Public Accts – Glenn Hegar
Commish of General Land Use– Miguel Suazo
Commish of Agriculture – strongly Sid Miller
Railroad Commissioner – Christi Craddick
Justice, Supreme Court, Pl2 – Jimmy Blacklock
Justice, Supreme Court, Pl4 – John Devine
Justice, Supreme Court, Pl6 – Jeff Brown
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals – Sharon Keller.
Judge, Court of Appeals, Pl7 – Barbara Hervey
Judge, Court of Appeals, Pl8 – Michelle Slaughter
State Board of Educ, D11 – Pat Hardy
State Board of Educ, D13 – Denise Russell
State Senator, D10 – strongly – Konni Barton
State Rep, D94 – strongly – Tony Tinderholt
State Rep, D96 – strongly – Bill Zedler
State Rep, D101 – James Allen
Justice, 2nd Court of Appeals District, Pl5 – Dabney Bassel
Family District Judge, 322 Judicial District – James Munford
Family District Judge, 323 Judicial District - undecided
Criminal District Attorney – Sharen Wilson
County Judge – hold your nose – Larry Meyers
District Clerk – strongly – Thomas Wilder
County Clerk – Mary Louise Garcia
Tax Collector – strongly – Wendy Burgess
County Commissioner, Pct 2 – Andy Nguyen
Tarrant JP, pct 2 – h your nose – Ernesto Gloria
Tarrant JP, pct 7 – strongly – Matt Hayes
County Prop A JPS bond – Against.
City – Prop A street bond – Against.
City – Prop B parks bond – Against.
City – Prop C pub safety bond – Against.
City – Prop D making aesthetic impr to the outside of city hall - strongly opposed - Against
City – Prop E Arlington City Council Term Limits - Very Strongly Support - FOR
VOTE FOR PROP “E”!!!
HELPFUL CONTACTS
The Spectator . ...ArlSpectator@yahoo.com
The Arlington Voice (online newspaper covering Arlington) www.arlingtonvoice.com
Opinion Arlington (comment on issues of Arlington) www.opinionarlington.com
City of Arlington website www.arlingtontx.gov
e-mails of mayor and council
.............................. first.last@arlingtontx.gov
mayor = jeff.williams
district 1 (north) = helen.moise
district 2 (sw) = sheri.capehart
district 3 (se) = roxeanne.thalman
district 4 (west) = kathryn.wilemon
district 5 (central/east) = lana.wolff
district 6 (all) = robert.shepard
district 7 (all) = victoria.farrar-myers
district 8 (all) = michael.glaspie
Charlie Parker Blog:
http://arlingtondistrict1.blogspot.com/
city council grades:
http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank.html
AISD website ....................... www.aisd.net
e-mails of the AISD board .....
whole board ..................... - board@aisd.net
Fowler .....................fowler.aisd@gmail.com
Hogg ......................- bowie@bowiehogg.com
Reich......................... - areich.aisd@tx.rr.com
Chapa .....................- chapa.aisd@gmail.com
Walton .. ................ - pollywalton.aisd@gmail.com
Hibbs ........................ - hibbsaisd@gmail.com
Mays ............ - keciaforarlington@gmail.com
School board grades:
http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_1.html
NW Arlington Newsletter:
SE Arlington Blog
www.fishcreekmonitor.blogspot.com
Age-Friendly Arlington
www.agefriendlyarlingtontx.org
Randol Mill Park Nature Area
Texas Legislative Online
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx
The Texas Bond Review Board ....
http://www.brb.state.tx.us/lgs_search.aspx?action=city