It is spring and the weather is just fantastic. Jena and I are out cleaning our flower beds and planting new flowers, I guess some spring cleaning. All in an effort to keep our property looking respectable. Copper Canyon is a special place to live and own a home. We should use this time of year to bring our properties to a level of tidiness we want for ourselves and bring respect to our neighborhoods. When friends drive thru our neighborhoods, the respect we have for our neighbors and for Copper Canyon shows loud and clear.
Your town council just finished the fiscal review for the year with completion of our annual audit. Our new audit company–it is good practice to change every four to five years– gave us an excellent rating. This is also the first time we have finished this required audit before the state-mandated deadline. Councilmembers Janae Newton and Jeff Dahl provide financial leadership through monthly budget reviews with town staff members Troy Meyer and Sheila Morales. This repeat analysis we started has multiple individuals keeping an eye on how your money is being spent. The report said we are on track for the year and staying under the proposed yearly budget. Another added item we did was ensuring at the monthly council meeting a budget summary is presented, so you can look for yourself. I want to say thanks to our financial team.
Last month we passed an update to our building and fire codes. Moving from a building code of 2009 to 2021–most recently nationally accepted– means new construction standards will guide future construction. This is important as we will have at least two new housing developments starting construction soon. The fire code standards were updated also from our 2021 to 2024 standards. Although most of the updates suggested by the fire marshal are for commercial buildings and don’t affect Copper Canyon, there were a few small adjustments for new construction on homes. These would not affect already built homes. I do wish to remind those who might have an electronic gate on their personal driveway, please ensure the fire department has any codes needed for access. This will only help you and your family should an emergency occur on your property.
Your police department is undergoing some changes and upgrades too. We did have one of our officers decide to leave to go back to his hometown and teach. We thank him for his service and time helping setup our new department. I have established an interview and selection process as we look for a replacement candidate. Nothing has changed for you should you have an emergency or need assistance. If you need immediate help, please dial 911 and Denton County will contact Copper Canyon police directly. That’s not the only change occurring. We have a new police car. This one car will take the place of the two older high maintenance vehicles that were chosen when starting the force. The new car is a hybrid and should be out on patrol in April. We will then auction off the two older SUV’s that will leave us with three vehicles. I am sure Chief Tighe would be happy to give you a tour of the new SUV, so bring the kids by and say hi.
We are looking forward to starting construction for upgrading the Town Hall Council Chambers. We hope new microphones and visual system will not only make “in room” presentations better but also enhance your YouTube viewing. A reminder that we will have our annual “Shred Day” April 25th. That will be at Town Hall from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. See the town website for a list of materials acceptable for shredding. Also don’t forget about our annual 4th of July parade. It’s a big one with the 250th Anniversary of our nation.
Last item for this month, Town staff and council are doing a final review of a new website for you. This revamp will allow you easier access to town information. Thank you for your attention to the Mayor’s column each month.
