August City Update & Event News/Information
Dear Neighbors,
As we make our way through the hottest part of the summer, know there is a lot happening in our city.
I am reminding residents to be especially mindful of gas leaks which are being caused by shifting soil. The dry shifting soil is moving pipes and foundations. If you smell natural gas around your house or near your gas meter, leave the area and call 911 or the Atmos Emergency Line at 1-866-322-8667. Do not start motor vehicles, turn on lights or have a cell phone in or around the area where you smell gas. Leave your residence and wait outside.
I know this first-hand as the shifting ground broke my gas line on Friday night. Both the fire department and Atmos said it was caused by ground movement of pipes.
Keeping your home foundation watered at a consistent level will help reduce movement.
If you find yourself in need of a cooling down, take a visit to the Manske Library, The Branch Connection or the Rec Center. All of these offer a great retreat from the heat. Don’t forget about the Frog Pond and pools!
Redistricting continues to be a topic of discussion. Please see information on that below.
Feel free to stay in touch with me if you have a question, comment or concern about things happening in our city .
Again, thank you for your support and, more importantly, your friendship. I cannot tell you how much it means to me.
Terry
CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD SPECIAL REDISTRICTING WORKSHOP
The City Council will conduct a special Redistricting Workshop on Tuesday, July 26, at 7pm at City Hall to review proposed maps and have further discussion about the process. The public is invited to attend.
I do not know whether the mayor will allow members of the public to comment.
AUGUST CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Upcoming City Council meetings for August are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, August 2nd and 16th, at 6pm, in the City Council Chambers. The meetings are open to the public. The Study Sessions will take place at 3:00pm prior to each meeting in the upstairs meeting room.
Citizens are always welcome to address the City Council on any topic during the Citizen Comment portion of Council meetings or on agenda items at the proper time during a Council meeting provided they have signed-up in advance per the Mayor’s order. Citizen Comment Forms must be submitted no later than 5:30pm on Council meeting days. Citizens are given 3 minutes to speak to any topic as long as they are cordial and don’t make disparaging remarks to Council or staff. This is your time to bring issues to the attention of Council and the City.
The agenda for the Council Meetings and Study Sessions may be found by clicking on AGENDA.
Call 972.919.2503 for more information about speaking.
Supplies are still needed, especially clear backpacks or the funds to purchase them.
Please let me know if you would like to donate to this event to help children in Farmers Branch.
I’ll be happy to put you in touch with the event organizers.
GREEN GRABBER PICK-UP SCHEDULE FOR BRUSH AND BULK
The week of August 1st, will be Bulk Item Pick-Up Week. The Green Grabber will pick up BULK items on the same day as your recycling bin pick-up. Bulk consists of furniture, mattresses, appliances, etc.
The other weeks of the month the Green Grabber will only pick-up BRUSH.
Please do your part to help us save our landfill by separating your brush and green items from bulk items and put brush out the remaining three weeks of the month.
Residents may call for a “special bulk pick-up” by The Green Grabber. Special Pick-Up’s are done on Wednesdays. Call 972-919-2597.
FREEBIES FOR ACTIVE ADULTS AT THE BRANCH CONNECTION
The First Monday Breakfast for August takes place Monday, August 1st, at 8:15am at The Branch Connection and will be limited to the first 100 active adults. Free for TBC members and $5 for non-members. Come join us for some good food, meet new neighbors and see what all is happening at TBC!
Also, don’t miss the FREE Friday Franks hot dog lunch scheduled for Friday, August 19th, from 11:30 to 12:30.
Join The Branch Connection today and take advantage of these and so many more fun activities! Click NEWSLETTER for The Branch Connection Newsletter.
Come join us for Coffee with a Cop on Saturday, August 6 from 9 to 11am at the Starwood Cafe, 12990 Bee Street #140.
No agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers in your neighborhood. We hope to see you there!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR…HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION EVENT, NOVEMBER 12TH
Saturday, November 12th, from 9am till 3pm, at the Farmers Branch Service Center, 13333 Senlac Drive
Free Household Hazardous Waste Disposal of the following items:
Chemical products for home use
Paint and home repair products
Lawn & garden chemicals
Aerosol sprays
Pool chemicals
Craft & hobby supplies
Cleaners & polishes
Batteries of all kinds
Automotive fluids & oil filters
Fluorescent light tubes
Computers and cell phones
Please help us save our landfill and dispose of these items properly at this event… Never in your garbage. Thank you!
CITY COUNCIL STILL DISCUSSING NEW DISTRICT LINES…WHAT IS REDISTRICTING?
May residents have asked me, what is redistricting and why do we have to do it? Allow me to explain as simply as I can….
Because Farmers Branch has council districts, we are mandated by federal law to look at the size of each voting district every 10 years and re-balance districts to make sure we have approximately the same number of residents in each district. In addition to the number of residents in each district, we have to look at the ethnic composition of the city and make sure that all residents are represented equally.
A number of years ago, the federal court ordered that Farmers Branch have one minority-majority council district. That became District 1, which was comprised of primarily Hispanic residents. Today, Hispanics live in many other parts of our city but many still live in District 1.
How are Districts formed?
The process began earlier this year with the formation of a citizen-led Redistricting Committee. The Committee, comprised of two representatives from each council district, used the latest census data to review where residents live, as well as, other information. This was done on a street by street basis to get to the eventual goal of having equally balanced districts. The Committee then submitted their recommendations to the City Council. One goal of Redistricting is to try and preserve neighborhoods as much as possible and not split representation within neighborhoods.
Does the City Council have to accept the Committee recommendation?
No. The City Council has the authority to accept or reject any recommendation by the Committee. They can even create their own plan. The process does need to be completed by October.
Where are we now?
Several members of the City Council did not like the proposed redistricting maps put forth by the Committee. What they noted was that many neighborhoods were going to be split or divided, which is not the goal of Redistricting. They felt that lines were going to be moved indiscriminately and that in some instances, would cause them to lose many voters.
One example of a district being split is on the West Side or Mercer Crossing area. The committee proposed to split Mercer Crossing into two districts. The current representative for the area would lose half of the area to someone who is not familiar with and has never met the residents of the area. That’s not the goal of redistricting.
To hear more about the Redistricting process, attend the special City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 26, at 7pm, at City Hall.
CURRENT DISTRICT MAP
Click here for the full report on REDISTRICTING. Click on 2022 Final Report to see entire report.
MAKE PLANS NOW FOR….
Tickets for one the hottest bluegrass festivals in the nation are now available. The Bloomin Bluegrass Festival will be October 15 & 16 at the Historical Park, 2540 Farmers Branch Lane.
We’ll have two stages and two days of traditional and progressive bluegrass along with offerings of Americana and country sounds. Impromptu jam sessions are also common throughout the festival grounds.
Click BLUEGRASS for complete information.
UPCOMING CANDIDATE MEET & GREET
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2022
Speakers 6:30p-8:00p
Gussie Field Watterworth Park Pavilion, next to City Hall
Bring lawn chairs/blankets to keep comfortable on the greenspace
Cold water will be provided. No alcoholic beverages.
People will be available in the City Hall parking lot to assist you.
Scheduled Speakers
Tan Parker, Candidate for State Senator, D 12
Melisa Denis, Candidate for State Representative, D 115
Faith Johnson, Candidate for Dallas County District Attorney
Lauren Davis, Candidate for Dallas County Judge
JJ Koch, Dallas County Commissioner
Shelly Akerly, Candidate for Dallas County Treasurer
Jerry Jones, Candidate for Dallas County Constable
As you can see, there’s lots happening in our city… Click on the following links to see what else is going on:
Farmers Branch Historical Park
Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce
Please let me hear from you regarding any questions, comments or concerns you have about our great city. Thank you again for allowing me to be of service to you.
Terry
Terry Lynne
214-244-1615 cell