With vacations winding down and kids back in school, we are all making the transition from summer to fall. I hope the weather follows suit. We have been busy over the past couple of months completing transportation and capital improvement projects, finalizing the updated oil and gas and pipeline ordinances, and preparing to launch our new trash collection and recycling services. Fall is shaping up to be just as eventful as we have several major projects and initiatives that are in progress or will come to fruition.
Good News
As a Town Council, we have a responsibility to negotiate for the highest and best use of our residents’ tax dollars. We have been able to save Flower Mound tax payers $9.5 million over a five year period by completing projects and securing contracts under budget. The Cross Timbers Equestrian Trail Head, Dixon Lane, the Lake Forest Trail Extension, Wilson-Carmel Park Phase I, a new elevated storage tank, and several water and sewer lines were all infrastructure improvements and projects that will be finished at a savings to our residents.
An additional project that was also completed under budget is the Shirley Voirin Social Senior Center, which we celebrated with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on August 5. More than 150 people attended the event, and the center has been hopping ever since. Our Seniors in Motion program members were most excited about the versatile open spaces, the commercial kitchen, and the dedicated arts and crafts area.
Another initiative that will save more than $5.5 million in tax payer dollars is the new solid waste removal and recycling franchise. More than 100 residents, conservationists, and dignitaries joined the Town Council in attending the Contract Signing and Inaugural Cart Tipping ceremony on August 25 to celebrate the new partnership with Waste Management of Texas. In an unprecedented visit, Waste Management CEO David Steiner also flew in to commemorate the event.
We would also like to welcome seven new Flower Mound businesses including T X M, Inc., I T D S, Enzo’s NY Pizzeria, View Point Bank, Ehmi Nail, Salon & Spa, and a new AFLAC Regional Office in Parker Square.
In Progress
The Town Council and Staff are currently working on the final 2011-2012 budget. This year’s budget will focus on maintaining current reserve levels, infrastructure maintenance, with a primary focus on roads, maintaining the current tax rate, continuing capital improvements, and maintaining public safety service levels, including police, fire, and emergency services. The Town Council will hold two public hearings in early September, and will adopt a final budget before October 1.
The Council recently approved a redesign for Flower Mound’s various websites. The updated sites will contain all of the same great information, in a more current and easier to navigate design. E-Government features, news updates, meeting agendas and minutes, and event information will all remain primary features. The redesign process is projected to take up to six months, and the Town plans to unveil the new sites in early 2012.
As Flower Mound continues to grow, several new residential subdivisions are also in progress. The planning and Zoning Commission recently approved the record plat, the final construction document, for Terracina. Located on Chinn Chapel, north of FM407, the new Toll Brothers subdivision will include approximately 138 new homes. Toll Brothers is also currently finalizing plans for building in The Preserve, an 83-home project located at the corner of Chapparal and FM2499.
The Town Council approved Wellington Manor in August. The new 31-home K-Hovnanian subdivision is located on the northeast corner of Flower Mound Road and Bruton Orand. In addition, Toll Brothers is also constructing in Flower Mound Oaks, and American Centurion is building the second phase of Suncrest.
Transportation improvement work continues on Dixon lane, the Morriss/Gerault corridor, and several paving, reconstruction, and road repair projects. In addition, we are preparing to cut the ribbon and celebrate the opening of Garden Ridge Phase III. For a complete list of road and capital projects, please visit http://www.flower-mound.com/construct/construct_info.php.
Did You Know
The Town has initiated voluntary Stage One Conservation Measures. Stage 1 prohibits outside water use, including lawn watering, garden watering, and irrigation between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and encourages the reduction of water use through a voluntary day-of-week watering schedule. According to the voluntary measure, homes with an address ending in an even number are allowed to water on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and homes with an address ending in an odd number are allowed to water on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. A complete listing of water conservation measures can be found on the Town’s website at www.flower-mound.com.
The Flower Mound Fire Department is hosting a free Youth Fire Camp from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 24 at Central Fire Station, 3838 Forums Drive. Topics will include fire department history, stations and vehicles, what happens when 9-1-1 is called, emergency medical services, fire extinguishers, hose lines, and firefighting gear. The camp is open to Flower Mound youth who are currently in the seventh or eighth grade. Participants must provide their own lunch. For more information or to register for the camp, please call 972.874.6270, email [email protected], or visit the station.
The Friends of the Flower Mound Library recently raised approximately $3800 for the library by holding a used-book sale. We appreciate the FOFM and all volunteer organizations that work to contribute back to Flower Mound and the community as a whole.
The Town Council recently called an election for November 8 to provide Flower Mound voters with the opportunity to reauthorize three of the Town’s dedicated sales taxes. Voters will have the ability to cast a vote regarding the re-authorization of ¼ cent sales taxes that fund street repairs, police department personnel, and fire department personnel. More information regarding the sales taxes, the projects they fund, and the election will be forthcoming in future editions of the Mayor’s Message, on the website, on FMTV, and in the local media.
As you can see, there is a lot of activity throughout Flower Mound right now. We are celebrating milestones and project completions, pushing forward with an aggressive improvement campaign, and working hard to be good stewards of the Town’s budget and tax payer dollars. With school back in session, please slow down around school zones and let’s all make Flower Mound a safe place to go to school and raise a family.
Originally published in the September 2011 issue of The Cross Timbers Gazette.
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