I hope everyone had a chance to come out and enjoy last month’s Independence Fest at Bakersfield Park. With numerous family-friendly activities, great live music, spectacular fireworks, and no admission fees, Flower Mound had a record turnout of 12,000 people. The dunking booth featuring many of our area elected officials was quite popular and may need to become a permanent part of the event. We are all looking forward to next year’s July Fourth Celebration.
In addition to enjoying the Independence Day festivities, the Council also focused on business and participated in the semi-annual strategic planning session on July 13 – 14. These sessions are critical in providing a guide for the future and setting objectives for the upcoming year. Our main focus during this session was economic development and how Flower Mound can streamline our processes without sacrificing quality.
In order to improve our procedures and attract additional quality development, the Council has formed a Development Process Review Committee. The committee will be charged with reviewing and understanding existing Town development ordinances, identifying any processes that act as unnecessary obstacles in the development process, suggesting needed amendments, and establishing a public review process for the identified ordinances. With a competitive mindset, the committee will also examine surrounding communities’ development regulations and be open to utilizing methods that would be beneficial to Flower Mound. Our community’s long-term success will always remain our top priority throughout this process.
The Council also heard an update from The Retail Coach and TIP Strategies during the strategic planning session. A national retail consulting, market research, and development firm, The Retail Coach will provide a comprehensive assessment of Flower Mound and is compiling and analyzing data that will help determine retailers and restaurants whose site selection criteria match well with Flower Mound. TIP Strategies is a company specializing in economic development strategic planning and will match the Town’s assets with national and international trends and identify industries that have the highest potential for thriving and bringing high-quality jobs to our community.
Council approved Kroger’s $14 million expansion and renovation project for the store located at the intersection of Cross Timbers and Long Prairie Roads. This 20,000 square-foot expansion will bring an additional 80 jobs to Flower Mound and increased shopping opportunities for area residents. We appreciate Kroger investing in our community and striving to better serve shoppers. I am confident this is the right decision for our Town.
In other news, I encourage you to visit the Town’s new website at www.flower-mound.com. Town staff has worked over the past several months to develop the Flower Mound website to be more user-friendly and easier to navigate. It also has several new features such as a rotating slideshow on the front page, expanded Town calendar, improved search engine, and a “Notify Me” option, which allows users to be notified via e-mail or text of the latest news and calendar updates. With residents’ interests in mind, Town staff is also in the process of creating the new Town Council, Boards, and Commission document archival system, which will become available in the upcoming months.
This fall, the Town will also unveil the enhanced Shop Flower Mound program, titled “Living Local.” Living Local will feature a mobile website listing all retailers and restaurants for anyone wishing to take advantage of Flower Mound’s numerous shopping and dining opportunities. It will also have a new third component, a directory of the Town’s medical community. With this tool, residents will be able to quickly identify all Flower Mound has to offer.
As a Council Member, I am excited to be part of such a wonderful community that cares about its future and I look forward to continue serving Flower Mound and working together with residents to help our Town reach its maximum potential.
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