Property Codes Get A Final OK
October 21, 2005
By LOYD BRUMFIELD
News Editor/Today Newspapers
Several months of meetings and workshops with citizens groups came to an end Oct. 11 when the Cedar Hill City Council unanimously updated the city’s property maintenance regulations and minimum housing requirements.
“It’s a special night for neighborhoods,” said Council member Wade Emmert, who headed a citizens advisory committee dedicated to property maintenance and housing. “It is my belief that no matter which side of the highway you live on, everybody is entitled to safe, clean neighborhoods.”
Emmert’s comments drew applause from the crowd during the short meeting. He also thanked committee members and the city staff.
“At the end of four separate meetings, there was a unanimous show of support adopting the minimum housing standards,” he said.
Council member Daniel Haydin, who seconded Emmert’s motion, was the first to make a motion to approve property maintenance regulations.
“The staff took a lot of initiative in working with other cities trying to find common ground on code enforcement,” Mayor Rob Franke said. “Johnny (Kendro) and Stacey (Graves, code enforcement officers), we appreciate all your hard work.”
Franke pointed out that this year’s budget calls for hiring a third code enforcement officer, which illustrates the city’s commitment to basic standards of living.
Most of the minimum housing requirements are common-sense regulations, including ensuring that homes and businesses be free of electrical and plumbing hazards.
In addition, the new regulations require that every residential dwelling unit (with the exception of efficiency apartments) have a minimum square footage of 120 feet and include a kitchen, bathroom and at least one bedroom
The property maintenance regulations also include requirements that properties be maintained in a “clean, safe and sanitary condition,” and yards and business areas must be free of “rubbish, garbage, junk or waste which constitute a public nuisance or which are contrary to the public health, safety and welfare.”
Also, residents are now required to keep their fences in good condition, although they are not required to have fences. Under new regulations, any missing or broken slats must be replaced or repaired, and leaning portions must be straightened.
Overgrowth of trees and shrubs must be curbed and can’t create hazards or obstructions, and residents and business owners are expected to keep their properties free from insect and rodent infestation, the new codes state.
Loyd Brumfield can be reached at cedarhill@todaynewspapers.net.
School-City Building OK’d
October 20, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
The Cedar Hill school board has approved a developer’s agreement for a $26 million facility it will share with the city. The Cedar Hill City Council agreed to an identical agreement last week.
By late 2007, the facility will make Cedar Hill unique in that school administration, police, courts and City Hall will all be at one site.
“We’re married, and no divorce is possible,” Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke told chamber of commerce members Tuesday concerning the joint-use facility agreement. “The cost of going back is too great.”
The joint-use government facility will total about 119,000 square feet, with nearly 25,000 square feet being shared between the district and the city. The city would pay about $19.9 million, and the school district would pay about $6 million.
Jim Gibson, Cedar Hill schools superintendent, echoed the finality of the agreement.
“This is a developer agreement where the city will be the developer,” Dr. Gibson said. “It’s not totally unlike a developer in the private sector when you have an agreed-upon price for the project.”
Negotiations for a joint-use government facility – which will be on Uptown Boulevard – began about a year ago. Officials with the city and school district said attorneys had to basically create an agreement.
“This agreement opens up a lot of other things we can do together,” Mr. Franke said. “Knowing we can do a project like this together is the key to that happening.”
Mr. Franke said other joint projects might include improving communication between the city and school district police departments, or community events. “We could eventually share even more staff,” he said.
The next major document for the parties to hammer out is the operations agreement.
E-mail hbooth@dallasnews.com.
Cedar Hill Teachers Surprised to Find Annual Raises Absent
October 9, 2005
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
Cedar Hill teachers got an unwanted surprise when they opened up their September paychecks – no raises.
Some teachers say district administrators have practiced subterfuge, or at the very least, haven’t been forthcoming about the absence of any compensation package this year.
“Teachers are paid based on the number of years they’ve been teaching, so every year we have an additional year teaching and we see an increase in pay,” Cedar Hill High School art teacher Barbara Lee said. “We’re not talking about a lot of money here, but you always look forward to that first paycheck of the year. When we got that paycheck in September and found out it was the same amount as last year, it was tough.”
District officials blame the lack of a pay raise on state legislators, whose inability to cope with public school financing left districts funding their own payroll increases.
Cedar Hill schools Superintendent Jim Gibson sent an e-mail to teachers in August notifying them that there would be no salary increases this year.
Other nearby school districts, though, were able to eek out at least some sort of marginal pay raise for employees.
The neighboring DeSoto school district gave its teachers an 8 percent increase off the midpoint salary. It amounted to about a $3,500 annual increase for the average teacher. Duncanville and Lancaster gave 3 percent increases.
Dr. Gibson acknowledged his district is in the minority when holding back salary increases this year. However, he said district staff would approach the school board at its meeting Oct. 17 with a recommendation for a salary increase this year.
“Several things have come together,” said Dr. Gibson, who added CHISD is on a July 1-June 30 fiscal year. “Our final certified values came in, and our attendance has been up.”
Texas public schools receive funding based on their average daily attendance.
Dr. Gibson said the problem with the district’s attendance increase is that much of it is attributable to Hurricane Katrina students.
“We don’t know how long they’re going to be with us,” he said.
Tom Sappington, an English as a second language teacher, said the pay issue has led to a lack of trust.
“They haven’t said, ‘We’re in a tight spot,’ or anything like that,” he said.
Mr. Sappington, Ms. Lee and others also question whether teachers new to the district with the same experience level as continuing teachers are getting paid the same salary.
But Dr. Gibson said the teachers who have continuous service with the district are getting paid slightly more than teachers new to the district with the same experience level.
Dr. Gibson said it wasn’t long ago that Cedar Hill school district had a negative fund balance. The state comptroller’s office did a performance review – which the Legislative Budget Board now handles – in 2002. The agency issued 68 recommendations for the district, including improving the fund balance and addressing a top-heavy staff at the high school.
“Some districts dipped into their reserve fund to pay for salary increases this year,” Dr. Gibson said. “Even without raises, we spent some of our fund balance this year. We’re up against it.”
E-mail hbooth@dallasnews.com
Welcome!
My name is Wade Emmert and I am a Council Member for the City of Cedar Hill. This web site is a way for me to share with you some of my thoughts about issues important to the City.
It is my sincerest goal to be a good steward of the citizens’ trust. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to serve you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at Wade.Emmert@cedarhilltx.com or (214) 740-3164.