By Patrick Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem
Hello Citizens, it has been an honor to temporarily represent Double Oak as Mayor Pro Tem for this Great Town called Double Oak. Here are some updates on what has been happening in Double Oak over the past 30 plus days.
Appointment of New Mayor
On Monday Aug. 1, the Double Oak Town Council took consideration and action on accepting the resignation of Mayor Von Beougher. The resignation was accepted by the council and now the council has the task of filling the vacancy and appointing a new mayor until the next general election in May 2023.
If any town citizen or town council member is interested in being nominated for the open position of mayor, please contact any one of the five town council members: Patrick Johnson, Connie Schoenrade, Scott Whisenhunt, Casey Parsons, and Jean Hillyer through their town emails, or visit the Town Council pages on the Double Oak website for additional contact information at www.doubleoak.texas.gov
Due to the needs of the Town Council to focus on the 2022-2023 Budgeting Process in the next town council meetings, council will postpone the nomination and appointment of a new mayor to a future meeting agenda item.
TRIP 22 Road Bond Package
On Aug. 16, the Denton County Commissioners Court unanimously called for a $650 million bond election to improve roads, bridges, and highways for the Nov. 8, general election. The TRIP 22 bond election is the first road improvement bond program sought by Denton County since 2008.
Double Oak is a part of TRIP 22. Precinct #4, project #97 references Double Oak with a Kings Road project. This would encompass Kings Road from Shiloh to Waketon roads.
There have been no discussions or designs for this project with Denton County or any engineering firms. The Town of Double Oak and its citizens will have input into the project. I have a commitment from the County Commissioner Precinct #4 that this project will not be a four-lane road.
These projects do not fund or happen overnight, however the Town of Double Oak should begin soon to take input and do the proper due diligence on the type of road that would be needed.
2022-2023 Budget Public Hearings
The dates have been set for public hearings on the budget for 2022-2023. The first public hearing is coming up on Sept. 19 and the final hearing and approval of tax rate will take place on September 22nd both at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall. We look forward to having our citizens take part in these public forums. Thank you in advance to all that can attend.
Waketon Road
Progress continues on the Waketon Road project. The work is now being done on the south side of Waketon and is moving along well. The lane is being prepared for final grading and I would expect concrete prep to follow shortly after. There may still be potential delays and changes to the schedule due to supply chain issues. The town will keep you updated as these come up.
Town Council Meeting Tips
Our attendance at our town meetings has been tremendous. Thank you to all who are regular in attendance and to those who attend with specifics on their minds. Our meetings are open to all citizens of Double Oak and are held on the first and third Mondays of each month.
When citizens enter the town meeting chamber there is a table to the right of the door upon entering. On the table are two sign-up sheets for citizens’ comments. One is for non-agenda items, meaning that you are wanting to comment on items not on the planned agenda and the other is for public comments specific to agenda topics to be covered during the meeting being attended. Please use the proper sign-up sheet for your citizen comments.
The sign-up sheets are collected just prior to the start of the meeting so to ensure you get signed up to be heard please do so by 6:55 p.m. In my early experience in leading the meetings it is always distressing for the council to know that someone has signed up on the wrong sheet and then we cannot listen to their comments. We want all citizens to be heard.
I am humbled to be a part of the Town of Double Oak town council. I look forward to serving the citizens in the best possible capacity I can moving forward.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update but more importantly for being involved citizens in this Great Town called Double Oak!
Sgt. Clint Murphy
The Double Oak Police Department is mourning the loss of Sgt. Clint Murphy on Aug. 26. Sgt. Murphy was a 27-year veteran in which he served almost 8 years in Double Oak. He was an outstanding supervisor and detective.
Sgt. Murphy was loved by his subordinates and was always available to them, and ensured they had the tools to do their job. He was someone who let the officers know they could depend on him if they needed immediate attention. His hard work and dedication never went unnoticed, and he received commendations along with a Meritorious Award at the Double Oak Police Department’s first annual police banquet.
Sgt. Murphy will be missed at the Double Oak Police Department as well as the community. Please keep our department and his family in your prayers.
Any opinions expressed in this update are my thoughts and not officially those of the Town of Double Oak or the Town Council. I welcome all comments and suggestions. Do not miss any exciting news or updates, please visit the Double Oak Town website at www.doubleoak.texas.gov. In addition to contacting Town Hall at 972-539-9464, Double Oak citizens may reach me at [email protected].
