As my term as Mayor comes to a close, I want to thank Flower Mound residents for giving me the opportunity to serve our Town. Reflecting on the last three years, I can’t help but to feel proud of what the Town Council has accomplished and the milestones we’ve reached.
In December 2018, Town and local officials cut the ribbon on the new Flower Mound Town Hall. The facility brought over staff from Engineering, Planning, and Environmental Services into one building, while also doubling the size of the previous Council Chambers. The new facility not only gave citizens and staff a significant upgrade in quality and size, but it also saved the Town $300,000 a year in rent paid to occupy space outside of Town Hall.
The Flower Mound Public Library’s much-anticipated expansion was completed just last year and includes a new children’s story time and program area, quiet reading room, teen section, additional study rooms, outdoor reading patio, increased parking, and more. If you haven’t gotten a chance to stop over and check out all the new amenities, I highly recommend doing so.
And just a few months ago, the Flower Mound Fire Department’s Fire Station No. 7 was brought into service. Located at 2777 Skillern Rd., the facility serves the central part of Flower Mound along Grapevine Lake and improves our emergency response times.
I’m also extremely proud of the park improvements that have been made over the last three years. Together, we celebrated the grand openings of Heritage Park Phase III and IV, which included the addition of the splash pad, performance pavilion, 18-basket disc golf course, wildlife encounter trail with 12 life-size bronze sculptures, decorative entry circle, and additional parking. In addition, we upgraded playground equipment at Bluebonnet, Oak, Stone Creek, Thrush, Gerault, and Lakewood parks. Big things are also on the horizon with construction now underway at Canyon Falls Park.
As requested by Flower Mound residents, we worked to expand our cultural arts programs and events. In 2019, we kicked off the Town Hall Art Display, which features two- and three-dimensional pieces from artists around our community. Town staff also unveiled the Traffic Signal Box Art Project, which invites artists to display an original design on a traffic signal box within Town, as well as created the “Chalk the Walk” chalk art contest. We are also excited to host the inaugural Art in the Park Festival on Saturday, May 8.
In addition, we approved the Town’s first general Homestead Exemption, broke ground on Lakeside Village within the Lakeside DFW development, and made significant improvements to our infrastructure.
While I never expected to be mayor during a global pandemic, 2020 proved how valuable kindness and community can be. In order to put the health and safety of our residents first, I signed several disaster declarations and we had to make some difficult decisions in canceling many special events. We were all forced to do things differently, but I saw firsthand how this community comes together to help our neighbors in need.
Even though I am stepping away from mayoral duties, I know I’ll find ways to still be involved. After being active in Town service for more than 17 years, it’s impossible to completely step away. It seems like just yesterday I took my seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission, when in fact that was in 2004. Throughout my service I have taken every commitment seriously, and have spent countless hours speaking with residents, researching issues, answering emails and phone calls, and working with staff.
Your elected officials are indebted to each and every one of you who have chosen to make our community your place to live, work, and play. Whether we agreed or disagreed on decisions, we always had you – the residents – on our minds.
Serving as your mayor has been a high honor and privilege. Flower Mound will always hold a very special place in my heart, and I am excited to see the vision of the Town’s long-term plan brought to life in the years to come.
 GIF.gif)
