October 29, 2018 Newsletter
Council to Approve Even More Apartments
Your apartment loving city council will be in their glory Tuesday evening, getting the opportunity to approve two letters of “no objection” for apartments, and then a public hearing to approve a Robert Kimble's high-density proposal.
Arlington is a city where citizens are relegated to being spectators rather than players. The SPECTATOR helps citizens know what is happening on the field. Only the few on the in-house team are allowed to play ball in Arlington. The SPECTATOR helps citizens understand the game.
October 29, 2018 – Volume 11 Number 42
GAME SCHEDULE:
Monday, October 29, Early Voting Continues.
Tuesday, October 30 Arlington City Council meetings, Arlington City Hall, 101 W Abram St, 10:00am, 2:30pm, 6:30pm.
Wednesday, October 31, Halloween.
Thursday, November 1, AISD meeting, AISD Administration Bldg, 1203 W Pioneer Pkwy, 7:00pm.
Friday, November 2, Early Voting Ends.
Tuesday, November 6, Election Day.
Sunday, November 11, Veterans Day.
Tuesday, November 13 Arlington City Council meetings, Arlington City Hall, 101 W Abram St, times TBD.
Thursday, November 15, AISD work session, AISD Administration Bldg, 1203 W Pioneer Pkwy, 7:00pm. Public comment may not be accepted.
Thursday, November 22, Thanksgiving.
From THE LOCKER ROOM
Arlington City Council Update
The Arlington City Council will meet this coming Tuesday, October 30. The first of two committee meetings is at 10:00am. The afternoon session begins in executive session at 12:15pm (with the open session to start no sooner than 2:30pm), and the evening meeting at 6:30pm.
Committee Meetings
The first of two committee meetings begins at 10:00 am and is scheduled for an hour to discuss hotel design standards. This is more along the lines of where to allow and not allow, and types (eg. full service) vs. anything to do with building design standards. The presentation: [ https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/258954/Review_of_Hotel_Development_Guidelines.pdf ].
The second committee meeting is scheduled for 30 minutes and begins at 11:15am. The agenda has just one item, an neighborhood engagement program. The presentation: [ https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/258154/Neighborhood_Engagement_Program.pdf ]
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session begins at 12:15pm in executive session. There are five items on the executive session agenda: 1) legal issues regarding gas drilling, 2) Zack Maxwell lawsuit, 3) sewer easement settlement, 4) performance review of council appointees, and 5) Offer$ of Incentive$ to Business Prospect$
The open portion of the afternoon session will start the later of end of executive session or 2:30pm, or no earlier than 2:30pm.
The agenda for the open portion of the meeting contains one work session item (Downtown Master Plan) and two informal staff reports (short-term rentals and putting technology to work newsletter).
The 83-page [with lots of pictures requiring some juice to download] Downtown Master Plan work session presentation: [ https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/257875/1_FINAL_Downtown_Master_Plan_CC_Work_Session_103018.pdf ]
The allowing of short-term rentals are expected to be handled by an SUP. Staff expects these ordinances to pass at the January 29, 2019 council meeting. [the staff report: https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/259178/Gincy_s_ISR_FINAL.pdf , and proposed SUP form https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/259175/Draft_SUP_Application_Form.pdf
]
Evening Meeting
The 6:30pm evening meeting has an agenda that includes one executive session item, three sets of minutes, 17 consent agenda items, and two public hearings.
The last two consent agenda items are for “No objection” classifications from the council for apartments. The last one is for 184 units at Mayfield and New York.
The first public hearing has been continued several times. It is for undeveloped land at 2170 E Lamar Blvd where the applicant wishes to build several buildings, including a five-story office building and a 110-120 unit limited service hotel.
The second public hearing [with a lot of butt-kissing expected] is for Robert Kimble's 358 apartments on just over six acres, falling just under the 60 units/acre max allowed, at 505 E Lamar Blvd.
Your city council loves its apartments.
AISD
The next scheduled meeting is Thursday, November 1.
Press Box
VIA Ride-share
The September numbers are in, and September was the best month for the program, with net revenues over $17K. That is still a major loss when looking at the profit/loss information. [ http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_22.html ] Arlington Taxpayers are still paying for a lemon. While the company, VIA, is doing quite well [they have a contract for nearly a million dollars for the year—no problem].
City Propositions
...A
Sell bonds to do more streets. 2008 left a very bad taste in my mouth, when those bonds where used to shrink the lanes on downtown Abram St. [without advertising that to the public]
...B
Sell bonds to do park improvements. Is it really worth going in debt for?
...C
Sell bond for improvements at fire stations. Again, worth going in debt for?
...D
Sell bonds to make aesthetic improvements to several city builds, mainly city hall, because the mayor thinks it the worse looking building [??] right next to the new library.
...E
Term Limits for the mayor and city council. Most Definitely Needed!!!
Early Voting Continues Thru Friday, November 2
November 6, 2018 Ballot
US Senator – Strongly Support – Ted Cruz
US Representative, D6 – Ron Wright
Governor – Strongly Support – Greg Abbott
Lt Governor – Strongly Support – Dan Patrick
Attorney General – Strongly – Ken Paxton
Comptroller of Public Accts – Glenn Hegar
Commish of General Land Use– Miguel Suazo
Commish of Agriculture – strongly Sid Miller
Railroad Commissioner – Christi Craddick
Justice, Supreme Court, Pl2 – Jimmy Blacklock
Justice, Supreme Court, Pl4 – John Devine
Justice, Supreme Court, Pl6 – Jeff Brown
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals – Sharon Keller.
Judge, Court of Appeals, Pl7 – Barbara Hervey
Judge, Court of Appeals, Pl8 – Michelle Slaughter
State Board of Educ, D11 – Pat Hardy
State Board of Educ, D13 – Denise Russell
State Senator, D10 – strongly – Konni Barton
State Rep, D94 – strongly – Tony Tinderholt
State Rep, D96 – strongly – Bill Zedler
State Rep, D101 – James Allen
Justice, 2nd Court of Appeals District, Pl5 – Dabney Bassel
Family District Judge, 322 Judicial District – James Munford
Family District Judge, 323 Judicial District - undecided
Criminal District Attorney – Sharen Wilson
County Judge – hold your nose – Larry Meyers
District Clerk – strongly – Thomas Wilder
County Clerk – Mary Louise Garcia
Tax Collector – strongly – Wendy Burgess
County Commissioner, Pct 2 – Andy Nguyen
Tarrant JP, pct 2 – h your nose – Ernesto Gloria
Tarrant JP, pct 7 – strongly – Matt Hayes
County Prop A JPS bond – Against.
City – Prop A street bond – Against.
City – Prop B parks bond – Against.
City – Prop C pub safety bond – Against.
City – Prop D making aesthetic impr to the outside of city hall - strongly opposed - Against
City – Prop E Arlington City Council Term Limits - Very Strongly Support - FOR
HELPFUL CONTACTS
The Spectator . ...ArlSpectator@yahoo.com
The Arlington Voice (online newspaper covering Arlington) www.arlingtonvoice.com
Opinion Arlington (comment on issues of Arlington) www.opinionarlington.com
City of Arlington website www.arlingtontx.gov
e-mails of mayor and council
.............................. first.last@arlingtontx.gov
mayor = jeff.williams
district 1 (north) = helen.moise
district 2 (sw) = sheri.capehart
district 3 (se) = roxanne.thalman
district 4 (west) = kathryn.wilemon
district 5 (central/east) = lana.wolff
district 6 (all) = robert.shepard
district 7 (all) = victoria.farrar-myers
district 8 (all) = michael.glaspie
city council grades:
http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank.html
AISD website ....................... www.aisd.net
e-mails of the AISD board .....
whole board ..................... - board@aisd.net
Fowler ......................fowler.aisd@gmail.com
Hogg ......................- bowie@bowiehogg.com
Reich......................... - areich.aisd@tx.rr.com
Walton ............. - pollywalton.aisd@gmail.com
Hibbs ........................ - hibbsaisd@gmail.com
Mays ............ - keciaforarlington@gmail.com
Chapa........... - chapa.aisd@gmail.com
NW Arlington Newsletter:
SE Arlington Blog
www.fishcreekmonitor.blogspot.com
Age-Friendly Arlington
www.agefriendlyarlingtontx.org
Texas Legislative Online
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx
The Texas Bond Review Board ....
http://www.brb.state.tx.us/lgs_search.aspx?action=city