A day to remember

If this were any other day, it would be the typical day with a full schedule. However, today is not a regular day. It is September 11th. We can never forget the sacrifices our military is making and also the loss of life of our fellow Americans on 9/11.

I started out the day in a normal way; at a meeting at 7:30AM in Plano! The meeting lasted a little over an hour and I started the drive over to Frisco City Hall. I spent the next hour or so catching up on messages and e-mails before starting a staff meeting at 11AM to discuss a symposium that I will be presenting at in October. It is about public/private partnerships and sustainable development.

From there, I rushed over to The Tribute golf course in The Colony. The Texas Fallen Soldiers Project was holding a golf tournament to bring awareness to the project. I spent some time with some of the families of fallen soldiers. I was very touched by the entire event. Seeing an uncle carrying the portrait of his nephew and place it on a stand and walk away was a moment that is hard to explain. As I looked at him, you could see the tears in his eyes and he softly said he didn't think it would be that hard. I can only say that these young men and women who lost their lives protecting our freedoms are the real hero's. They have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and I was honored to be in the same room as their families and to hear their stories.

If you have not visited the Texas Fallen Soldiers Project web site, please take a moment to do so. If you find it in your heart to help - you are helping in a small measure those families who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Phil Taylor is a special person who has touched the lives of so many. Until you see his work and the impact he makes on those who are hurting, you cannot understand the importance of this project.

Unfortunately, I could not stay long at the tournament. I left there and rushed over to Arlington to attend the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) meeting. This was a very important meeting to me and to our City. The RTC revised their bylaws to allow Frisco a voting position on the board. This was one of my goals during the campaign and I am excited that we have achieved this milestone for our citizens. Many people have worked on this issue for some time, including previous Mayor Mike Simpson and our city staff. Also, the City of Allen and Mayor Steve Terrell has been a great partner as we worked together to get additional representation on the RTC.

I left Arlington at 3:30, but had to rush back to Frisco for a quick debriefing at our Emergency Operations Center regarding Hurricane Ike. I can tell you that our City and staff is working hard to ensure the safety of our community. We are also working with the State of Texas to help other communities. The best place to get information about Hurricane IKE is to dial 211 to access the State of Texas information system. Also, please visit the City of Frisco web site for additional and up-to-date information.

We finished the debrief in just enough time for me to rush over to Pizza Hut Park and the "Paint the Town Red" 2008 BREP appreciation reception. The turnout was large and was filled with many of our business community partners. I enjoyed speaking to the group and appreciate all that our Chamber of Commerce, Frisco EDC and City of Frisco do for our community. The event was a huge success!

Hurricane Ike

I thought I would share the preparation for Hurricane Ike with our citizens. Not everyone is aware that all local, regional and state governments work hand-in-hand on issues such as natural disasters.

Ike is predicted to make landfall near Corpus Christi late Friday or early Saturday. It is estimated that it may be a low category 4 hurricane.

If the current pattern holds true, it may pass along the west side of the D/FW Metroplex. Heavy rains are expected if this takes place with as much as 4+ inches of rainfall over 24 hours, sustained winds of 40-50mph and other damaging weather. Of course, any of this can change, so watch the weather channel!

The State of Texas has mobilized and it will be a fairly significant operation for the next few days. Citizens are being evacuated from the Costal Bend area.

Frisco has sent ambulances to the area to help in the evacuations. Additional resources may be committed as needed.

I hope everyone stays safe and thank you to all the volunteers from Frisco who have mobilized in this effort.

Leadership north texas

I attended the North Texas Commission Orientation and Workshop at DFW Airport today. I serve on their board as a representative from Frisco. The NTC is a regional organization that has a purpose of enhancing and promoting the economic vitality and quality of life in the DFW Metroplex. The NTC is a non-profit consortium of businesses, cities, counties, chambers of commerce, economic development entities and higher education institutions in the North Texas Region.

The Commission is the only public-private regional organization committed to enhancing the overall economic vitality and quality of life of North Texas. Some of the solutions they are working on include the 2001 Super Bowl Task Force, Literacy Initiatives, Airport & Aviation Advocacy, Air Quality Initiatives, Logistics Development & Advocacy, Leadership North Texas, Regional Marketing, Regional Water Resources, Surface Transportation Funding, Workforce Development and Innovation Economy Task Force.

Speaking of Leadership North Texas, the next class will begin in January 2009. For more information on the LNT program, contact Dan Petty or Kimberly Walton o the North Texas Commission at 972-621-000 or dan@ntc-dfw.org or Kimberly@ntc-dfw.org

Dove Hunting and New Roads

What do Dove Hunting and New Roads have in common? Nothing really; I just thought that was a good title for the two things I am going to write about.

Dove Hunting season as started. This time of year, our Police Department usually gets swamped with calls about gunshots in the city. That is when the dispatcher will tell our citizens that dove hunting is allowed. At about that time, the Mayor and Council will receive an e-mail or call about how we should do something about it. My answer is that we already have. Let me explain:

The City of Frisco has an ordinance on the books that does not allow fire-arm discharge in the City Limits. However, the State Legislature passed a bill that allows hunting on private land. We are a home-rule city and we can pass ordinances as long as the State does not over-ride them with state statute. In this case, the city ordinance is over-ridden by the state law.

The land must be a minimum of 10 acres for shotgun, pellet guns or archery and 50 acres for pistol and rifle. The land must not have annexed in 1981, which is all of Frisco. If this is a concern for you, I encourage you to contact your State Representatives and Senators to let them know how you feel.

Now, on to new roads. It is official, the 121 Tollway is now open. Notice I did not call it "S.H. 121". With the opening, the road is now a tollway. For those of you that got used to taking the Preston Road and DNT bypasses, unless you want to pay toll, you will now have to stay on the service road.

Other roads that were recently opened include the Independence expansion from Rolater to Main, Cotton Gin Road west of the Dallas North Tollway and Rolater between Coit and Independence. With your support, we will keep expanding our road system.

I hope everyone is having a safe Labor Day with their families!