Welcome to Cedar Hill
June 28, 2007
I had the opportunity to attend a block party this past weekend in one of Cedar Hill’s neighborhoods. The folks who lived on this block sat out chairs, set up tables and cooked hot dogs. An ice chest contained bottled water and soft drinks. Children played outside with each other as the adults visited.
I really enjoy those events. It is nice to see neighbors making an effort to get to know each other. This type of community spirit is refreshing.
It also gave me the opportunity to talk with residents about any concerns they had about Cedar Hill. Most people I talked to were pleased with Cedar Hill and its direction. But one concern was repeated by several of the neighbors — code enforcement. Read more
District Hopes Bonuses Will Attract Top Teachers
June 28, 2007
By FRANK TREJO / The Dallas Morning News
Some things speak louder than words.
That’s what Cedar Hill school district officials are counting on as they launch a new “sign-on bonus” program designed to attract the best qualified teachers in the most crucial fields to their campuses.
Starting this month, district officials are offering bonuses of $3,000 to $7,500 for teachers hired for the 2007-08 school year in areas such as math, science, Spanish and bilingual education. The top amount is for teachers who have a master’s degree in math or science.
While offering such bonuses is not uncommon in the area, Cedar Hill ISD’s appear to be substantially larger than others. Read more
A Redevelopment Proposal
June 22, 2007
I’m not opposed to stealing ideas, especially if they are good ideas and can help Cedar Hill.
One such idea is Richardson’s redevelopment plan. The idea is that we give people an incentive to fix up their aging homes.
Here’s how it works.
Let’s say you have a $100,000 home that is in need of significant repair. If you spend, say $20,000, on improvements, the value of your home will increase because now it is in better condition. But here’s the rub. You get a double whammy because you have to pay for the improvements to your home and you have to pay higher property taxes because the value of your home has gone up.
The Richardson redevelopment plan lets the homeowner avoid the redevelopment penalty. They won’t have to pay — or technically they get a rebate — on the increased taxes resulting from the improvements.
Builder Permit Ordinance
June 22, 2007
An excerpt from the Today Newspaper for June 21, 2007:
The council also unanimously OK’d an ordinance that would require builders to register with the city and provides for penalties if projects are never started or left abandoned.
The ordinance came about after attention was drawn to the number of abandoned properties in Lake Ridge, a neighborhood that has been heavily hit by the problem.
Councilmember Wade Emmert added language to the ordinance that would keep builders from doing business in Cedar Hill if they have problems on file in another city but haven’t built anything in Cedar Hill yet.
“Why should we wait for someone to hurt our residents if they’ve already done it somewhere else before?” Emmert asked when proposing his motion.
The Problem of Foreclosures
June 13, 2007
Yesterday, I attended a Foreclosure Summit sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The summit was entitled, “Preserving Homeownership: Addressing the Foreclosure Issue” and it provided a lot of good information.
Foreclosure and mortgage fraud are two separate issues — both of which are a concern to cities. The truth is that most foreclosures occur without any fraud. Changes in employment, personal issues or a change in the economy all contribute to foreclosures.
The widespread use of adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) have also contributed in recent year. It is almost becoming an epidemic and it is not limited to Texas.
Questions Turn Personal at Forum, Part 2
June 7, 2007
By LOYD BRUMFIELD / Today Newspapers
Though it was a forum between two candidates running for a seat on the Cedar Hill City Council, schools were the main topic of concern - along with the sexual orientation of one of the candidates.
Place 5 incumbent Makia Epie and challenger Jason Russell addressed the issues at a forum held May 29 at the Cedar Hill Recreation Center and sponsored by the Kingswood Homeowners Association and the High Pointe Public Improvement District.
The two candidates will face each other in a June 16 runoff election. Epie received the most votes of four candidates running for Place 5 in the May 12 election, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a runoff with Russell, who finished second by 14 votes over current Cedar Hill School Board member Valerie Banks. Read more
Questions Turn Personal at Forum
June 7, 2007
By LOYD BRUMFIELD / Today Newspapers
While issues about a candidate’s personal life took up a lot of discussion time at the May 29 city council runoff election forum, issues that will actually affect the city were also addressed.
The Kingswood Homeowners Association and High Pointe Public Improvement District sponsored the event, featuring Place 5 candidates Jason Russell and incumbent Makia Epie.
Both candidates were asked about the problem of increased foreclosures in Cedar Hill.
“Home ownership is a dream for everybody, and adjustable-rate mortgages in and of themselves are not evil,” Epie said, adding that he works for an organization that works to help more people become homeowners without predatory lending practices.
“(Adjustable-rate mortgages) have helped a lot of people get into homes, and it is possible to refinance, but it doesn’t happen like that for everybody.”
Epie said there is “clear and convincing evidence” that predatory lending is taking place, not just in Cedar Hill, but everywhere. Read more
Red-Light Cameras Going Up
June 7, 2007
By LOYD BRUMFIELD / Today Newspapers
The Cedar Hill Police Department has recorded an estimated 200 violations since May 14 at its one red-light camera at Belt Line and Clark roads.
Four more red-light camera intersections went online June 5, and a fifth is scheduled to be operational by June 20.
Like the first camera at Clark and Belt Line, the others will operate under a 30-day warning period for drivers before violations will be recorded for real.
FM 1382 is the focal point for most of the cameras. One is going up to observe the westbound service road at FM 1382 and the Highway 67 overpass and another is going up at the eastbound service road. Read more
Small Town Saturday Night
June 7, 2007
By JOANNA CATTANACH / The Dallas Morning News
CEDAR HILL - The city of Cedar Hill is getting back to its roots this weekend during the annual Small Town Saturday Night.
“It’s a harkening back to a simpler time,” said Patty Bushart, manager of the Main Street program and Neighborhood Services coordinator.
“People bring their lawn chairs and enjoy their evening.”
This year’s entertainment includes local favorite the Tim Jones Band, featuring lead vocalist Tim Jones, Arjuna Contreras on drums, Reginald Wright on keyboards and Fredrick Nichelson on bass guitar.
“It’s the epitome of laid-back,” said Ms. Bushart.
The festivities start at 6 p.m. and visitors are encouraged to relax and enjoy music as well as offerings from local vendors. Read more
Water & Wastewater Budget Considered
June 4, 2007
Do me a favor. Go into your bathroom and flush your toilet. If it works, say a little thanks to our Public Works Department.
Public Works is one of those city functions that people don’t realize how important it is until it stops working. We have a lot of dedicated employees who make sure the water and wastewater systems work. Of course, that is not the only thing they do, but it is an important part of their charge.
The city budget for all those water and wastewater projects is being considered by the council this Tuesday night. We break out our water and wastewater projects from the main budget so each of the projects can get the attention they deserve.
Our projects are listed on a large spreadsheet, with budget numbers when available. For each project, we determine if they can be funded in the next 5 years. If so, we put them on the scheduled year. If not, they are pushed to a “Future Projects” category.
Each year, we re-evaluate our schedule of projects to make sure it is consistent with our vision and to make sure it meets our most important needs.
I’ll post an update to this post after the meeting.
Cedar Hill Mayor, Emmert Sworn Into Office
June 4, 2007
by Loyd Brumfield / Today Newspapers
Two Cedar Hill city council members were sworn in to office during a May 22 meeting, while a third found out his position on the ballot for the June 16 runoff election.
Incumbent Makia Epie will appear first on the ballot, followed by challenger Jason Russell. One of the two will represent Place 5 once the results are counted.
Epie received the most votes of any of the four candidates in Place 5 during the May 12 election, and Russell was second after fending off a challenge from current Cedar Hill School Board member Valerie Banks.
Incumbent Mayor Rob Franke took the oath of office along with Place 3 incumbent Wade Emmert.
“It’s just a blessing in my life to be able to serve this town,” Franke said. “I’ve been in office for almost 10 years and I’ve loved almost every minute of it.”
That last comment drew laughs, and Franke added that he has been an elected official longer than the length of time he’s held any other job.
Emmert expressed his thanks to the voters.
“This is one of the greatest honors in my life,” he said. “The city has been so blessed, you need only to look around to see all the growth we’ve been experiencing, and I’ve been really blessed to be a part of it.”
A humorous moment occurred when City Secretary Frankie Lee said Emmert was from Place 5, which made Epie leap out of his seat and look concerned, while the rest of the audience laughed heartily.
The council also issued a proclamation in support of the Juneteenth celebration scheduled for June 16 at Valley Ridge Park.
Each year a different Best Southwest city sponsors the event, and it’s Cedar Hill’s turn in the rotation.
Franke presented the proclamation for this year’s event to Lacey Smith, Cedar Hill’s special events coordinator, and to Carolyn Campbell “from the All-American city of DeSoto!” Franke said enthusiastically.
This year’s event is scheduled from 4-10 p.m.
“Our showpiece event is a Buffalo Soldiers re-enactment,” Smith said.
In another presentation, the city paid tribute to Wildwood, a subdivision in Lake Ridge, by giving it a Premier Neighborhood Award.
The award comes with a sign at the front of the neighborhood and a $250 contribution to its National Night Out activities.
The council also recognized Cedar Hill High School junior Courtney Streat as its STAR Student of the Month for May.
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.