Is Lancaster mayor in Perot family pocket?

It’s hard to find another explanation, unless it involves John Wiley Price

Lancaster, Texas Mayor Marcus Knight appears to continue to be fighting his city’s best interest by stubbornly supporting (along with John Wiley Price) the alleged “need” for Lancaster to join Dallas County and the North Central Texas Council of Governments in an 18-month master plan study for the Dallas Logistics Hub site, which covers Dallas, Lancaster, Wilmer, Hutchins and unincorporated Dallas County.

The 6,000-acre development, proposed by The Allen Group, a major developer of intermodal transportation sites, and partially falling in a proposed federal free trade zone/inland port area, would bring thousands of jobs and millions of tax dollars to the area.

That is, if an 18-month “study,” which appears to be heavily pushed by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert on behalf of his Perot family buddies.

So, why is Knight so in favor of the study, to the degree that, after a Dec. 8 Lancaster City Council public hearing on the matter got about two dozen comments against the proposed study, and none in favor, is keeping the public hearing “open” until a later date, presumably to get somebody, if anybody, to talk about how good the study is?

I even Googled the name of Knight’s company, “ARC Waste Hauling” + “Perot” and got no hits, thinking there has to be a connection somewhere.

Per the Observer story, we KNOW why JWP is apparently in the Perot’s back pocket. The old political phrases about “it’s all about the money” and “follow the money trail” probably could have a picture of JWP next to them for illustrative purposes.

We know that, in other cases, such as a bridge in Hutchins related to Union Pacific’s intermodal hub, JWP doesn’t like it if other political leaders won’t play ball with him, whether it’s hiring the right subcontractors, stroking him the right way or whatever.

Maybe that’s it with Knight. John Wiley Price has co-opted him in some way and gotten him to play ball, where Hutchins Mayor Artis Johnson never would.

Rather than fling around well-poisoning “carpetbagger” epithets, JWP needs to give a more convincing explanation of why he’s shooting his own constituents in the foot.

And, to avoid further speculation about his motives, Marcus Knight probably needs to do the same.

Lancaster’s white elephant on Bear Creek … the Nature Preserve?

The Bear Creek Nature Preserve (ahem, Carol Strain-Burk) is ONLY a “draw” for better quality residential development than the latest abortion-type rebirth of the Tommy Tompkins/ Steve Topletz “Preserve” IF it’s open to the public like an actual park.

Yes, I supported it when I was still the editor there.

BUT, that was on the understanding that it was going to be an actual park, not a “preserve” that was off-limits to the general public. And, after it opened, still before I left, I was informed that, “soon enough,” it WOULD be open to the public.

Well, from what Herb Booth wrote, that obviously ain’t the case.

If Parks and Rec doesn’t have the operations money for even this, then not only is Bear Creek Nature Preserve on “iffy” ground, isn’t the whole department?

Oh, and you may not have to worry a lot about this year …

BUT, if you want to succeed Joe Tillotson as mayor next year, a LOT of people will ask questions, or worse, just state opinions, about this. Not just about why it isn’t open, but why the council didn’t look at the Parks and Rec budget before it was built, to see if it could be operated open to the public.
The school district first, now city government …

Did Ricky Childers hypnotize Joe Tillotson and the Lancaster City Council?

Giving him $155,000 a year, well beyond what former City Manager Jim Landon was making, for a guy reportedly being pushed out the door at Longview, is pure crazyness.

Besides, Childers said “he wanted to come back to the Metroplex.” HELLO, City Council, you’re in a buyer’s market at that point. That’s just on the fact of him wanting to move to the Metroplex, let alone if its true that the Longview City Council was pushing him out the door. If you don’t recognize that, that’s not the best sign for your continued management of the city.

Well, if that’s what you really want, Joe, Carol, and others, and you’re dumb enough to pay that much, you got exactly what you deserve. Don’t expect me to write as much about Lancaster; time to distance my ties more.

Will the subprime collapse depress housing prices, especially in subprime-glutted suburbs?

It certainly could.

Until early 2006, the overheated lending market was pumping out money. Brokers competed to sell mortgages, and, in many cities, incentives to sell stoked home prices into double-digit yearly appreciation. Loans covering 100 percent of a home’s purchase price were not uncommon, with no down payment required. Borrowers, even with badly damaged credit, were breezing into lenders’ offices and emerging with loans that sometimes even locked them into paying more than they earned.

Now, “it’s back to the old-fashioned rules,” (Christopher) Cagan says. With less money available, and with fewer buyers and a glut of houses for sale, lenders are requiring detailed application forms and documents detailing finances and income.

Note a few words and phrases: “Overheated lending market” (that obviously needs to cool down); “double-digit yearly appreciation” (that isn’t sustainable now that the rug’s been pulled out); “glut of homes for sale” (which will remain unsold as part of a glut until prices are cut).

Boy, if I were a city manager (Ricky Childers in Lancaster), I wouldn’t be making noise about cutting people’s property taxes right now. The fact that you are reinforces the idea that the Lancaster City Council made a bad choice in naming you the new city manager.

Now official: Lancaster has a Nixonian city manager

I CANNOT believe the city actually hired this Ricky Childers, given this background:

When you’re getting called “Ricky Childish” and “City Mangler,” you ain’t universally popular, or close to it, and probably with good reason

First, isn't it a step down to go from a city the size of Longview to one the size of Lancaster? Of course it is, and, Mayor Tillotson and Childers, let's not lie about that or otherwise spin it?

But, if it a step down, then why is Childers "stepping down"?

First of all, this HUGE and "Nixonian" OOOOPPPPS! Fingerprinting your own city staff in Longview???

Sources say in March of 2000, while serving as the city manager of Longview, Childers ordered a number of city employees and department heads to undergo fingerprinting by the Longview police department. Why? Childers reportedly received a letter critical of his administration. He called the police who found a fingerprint on the letter. Childers then ordered certain city employees be fingerprinted to see if they had written the letter. Reached by phone, Childers refused to comment.

What the hell are you doing??

At about 55 years old, he sounds like he would want to remain a consultant; if he wanted to move to Dallas, I would think he could pick up consulting gigs.

If it walks, talks and quacks like a duck slumming downward, it probably is. That is proof No. 1.

Also, according to this online newspaper/bulletin board, several people thought he was stiffing Longview police on pay scale/salary. The Longview City Council also allegedly hired him as a consultant, plus gave him six months’ severance, rather than go through the work of firing him.

Given the above, this doesn’t AT ALL sound surprising.

A selected comment:

Rickey Childish and A.J. "Gomer" Key abolished the Community Policing program because of the political power the citizen groups possessed. If it wasn't the brainchild of Childish or Gomer, it wasn't going to exist in this City. If it meant answering to the citizens, Childish wasn't going to stand for it. Now we're all paying for it!

Joe, Carol, anybody else on the Lancaster City Council want to comment?

NO, THEY DON'T. At least not Carol. I e-mailed her a week ago when I first heard about this possibility. No response yet.

I wonder who else was on the list of finalists, too. Were they even worse?

Potential new Lancaster city manager: sounds like a BIG mistake — fingerprinting your own city staff?

When you’re getting called “Ricky Childish” and “City Mangler,” you ain’t universally popular, or close to it, and probably with good reason

Pegasus News says it’s Ricky Childers.

He was Longview’s city manager for 7 years before becoming a consultant.

But, OOOOPPPPS! Fingerprinting your own city staff in Longview???

Sources say in March of 2000, while serving as the city manager of Longview, Childers ordered a number of city employees and department heads to undergo fingerprinting by the Longview police department. Why? Childers reportedly received a letter critical of his administration. He called the police who found a fingerprint on the letter. Childers then ordered certain city employees be fingerprinted to see if they had written the letter. Reached by phone, Childers refused to comment.

WTF are you doing??

At about 55 years old, he sounds like he would want to remain a consultant; if he wanted to move to Dallas, I would think he could pick up consulting gigs either on his own or through a government consultants’ group like Ron Holiefield’s over in DeSoto.

Also, according to this online newspaper/bulletin board, several people thought he was stiffing Longview police on pay scale/salary. The Longview City Council also allegedly hired him as a consultant, plus gave him six months’ severance, rather than go through the work of firing him.

Given the above, this doesn’t AT ALL sound surprising.

A selected comment:

Rickey Childish and A.J. "Gomer" Key abolished the Community Policing program because of the political power the citizen groups possessed. If it wasn't the brainchild of Childish or Gomer, it wasn't going to exist in this City. If it meant answering to the citizens, Childish wasn't going to stand for it. Now we're all paying for it!

Joe, Carol, anybody else on the Lancaster City Council want to comment?

But, maybe he was bored. NOT!

I wonder who else was on the list of finalists, too. Were they even worse?

Lancaster EDC director leaves quietly, suddenly

Heck, I had heard nothing in the grapevine that Flip, Lancaster Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Steve Filipowicz, was thinking of leaving.

His new home is in Apache Junction, Ariz., a community with a large snowbird population in winter,

From Today Newspapers:

“It’s a unique opportunity in an area of the country I’ve visited before and was very interested in,” he said. “I will have the opportunity to be their first full time director and create an office with three employees. I just got all the right signals from them when I interviewed. They’ve had a coordinator position that was part-time and now they’ve realized they need someone in this capacity full-time. It’s a very unique community. It has a population of around 42,000-45,000 but between October and April it has 30,000 winter visitors. So right now, there’s more than 70,000 people there.”

Filipowicz was in Lancaster for nearly six years, a tenure that included starting a monthly Business Retention and Expansion Program including the mayor, city manager and chamber president.

Filipowicz began his new job Jan. 26. The city of Lancaster is now faced with another high profile hire it will need to make relatively soon.

City Manager Jim Landon recently announced he’s leaving to take the same job with Palm Coast, Fla.

I halfway agree with John Carona

The state senator wants to keep cities from profiting off red-light cameras.

Hey, everybody who drove Collin County northeast of McKinney on 121 remembers the speed trap called Westminster.

I can understand that Corona has similar concerns about cameras.

Maybe his bill can be tweaked to refer to “windfall profits” rather than all profits.

And, yes, I know Lancaster has plans for them.

Lancaster Outreach Center now being charged for Rec Center for fundraiser

Boy, that’s tough. I can see Jan Belcher’s position about worrying about “opening the floodgates” to other non-profits.

But, you can always make it a case-by-case basis. And, if you don’t want to make the call, punt it to the city council.

And, if other cities are supporting their outreach centers, waiving the rental fee sounds like the minimum the city could do here.

Don’t know if someone in Lancaster had a complaint against Chief Knopf, but …

If somebody was alleging racial bias in Fire Department hiring, they’re wrong

To put it bluntly: you can’t be biased against people who aren’t even applying for jobs.

The Civil Rights Division of the Texas Workforce Commission gave the Lancaster Fire Department a clean bill of health on hiring practices.

The department tested 108 people for various positions during the period under review by the state, presumably in response to comment from someone.

Of those 108, one was African-American and six were Hispanic.

You can’t hire black firefighters if none are applying. It’s that simple.

Lancaster development code 2007: Some suggestions

About a month ago, I said Lancaster was still, in my opinion, one development code behind the curve.

I wasn’t specific that I was talking primarily about design standards, not zoning classifications or similar.

With that said, then, here’s some of my suggestions for design ideas to incorporate in the next development code, from big to small.

1. Insulation — let’s say all new houses have to have R-13 minimum in the walls and R-25 in the roofs; that’s not too much to ask. I’d actually prefer something like R-19/R-30, but am being lenient.
2. Windows — must be at least double-paned; preferably glazed to boot
3. Some sort of “Energy Star” type rating, if this is legally allowable. Just like you have a sticker on the new fridge that says, “This model will take $$X per month to operate,” put that on new houses.
4. Developments of 50 or more houses have to use at least 2 percent recycled material.
5. Soffits MUST have at least 18 inches of overhang on sides and 24 inches front and back. I have NEVER gotten this idea of building houses without eaves, especially when every extra bit of shade in the summer keeps the body of the house cooler.
6. To riff on The Preserve, for standard zoning, not PDs, let’s then have a “take two” list of other design elements, at least two of which would have to be included with each new house. And, please don’t count chinzy items such as brick mailboxes.

Anyway, that should be enough to get the ball rolling. I have no doubt other people can offer additional ideas.

Complaint point, related to No. 5 — what’s with houses being built without screen/storm doors on the front?

Another not-so-happy New Year for Lancaster: another trucking industry lawsuit?

The Lancaster City Council approved a new truck route ordinance at its Dec. 11 meeting.

Unfortunately, expect the three more-established large trucking companies in Lancaster, and the Texas Motor Transportation Association, to sue the city just like they did two years ago.

However, this time, in light of judge’s comments from that suit, the city has done an official traffic safety study. Also, I-20 access road construction, including a special truck ramp to bypass the Houston School Road intersection, should address other legal challenges.

So, will Big Trucking waste more Lancaster taxpayer money, or will it do the responsible thing?

Lancaster Economic Development Corporation doesn’t get The Preserve’s demise either

LEDC Executive Director Steve Filopowicz, in his monthly update note for the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce newsletter, says:

LHS will become a 5A school… AND we really will need a second high school within five years,

Possibly wrong on the first count (Red Oak will be 5A before Lancaster, at the least) and definitely wrong on the second.
LISD Superintendent Larry Lewis has been predicating his call for a second high school in part on expected city approval of rezoning for The Preserve, the 800-acre planned development proposed by Steve Topletz of D.R. Horton and other fame.

Well, we really didn’t have that much urgency for a second high school before The Preserve got canned; we have none at all now.

Filipowicz writes the comments as part of a semi-tongue-in-cheek “crystal ball,” but it’s clear the tongue isn’t that much in cheek, and this is serious.

City manager Landon, Chamber prez Johnson just don’t get it on The Preserve

I overheard Lancaster City Manager Jim Landon and Lancaster Chamber of Commerce President Joe Johnson talking today after the Best Southwest Chamber of Commerce luncheon. (Story about ExxonMobil’s localized version of spinmeistering upcoming next week in Today Newspapers and here.)

They were discussing the aftermath of the Lancaster City Coucil’s rejection of planned development rezoning for the 800-acre The Preserve at Monday’s meeting. Both said they expected “piecemeal” development, if standard residential development 50-100 acre lots can be called “piecemeal.” Johnson said that southside residents will never get the large-lot homes they’re wanting this way.

Well, he and Landon are missing the boat in a couple of ways.

First, as long as it keeps its current agricultural zoning, it will get nothing but large lot homes.

Second, Steve Topletz refused to put build-out rate equity standards for large and small homes in his last update proposal for The Preserve. Joe, Jim, why would you trust him to build large-lot homes at all without such a restriction?

The fact that, as was pointed out in Monday’s meeting his “seniors” apartments in the proposal weren’t age-restricted to actually be seniors’ apartments, should have provided further caution to our civic leaders.

But it didn’t.

Sidebar note: Kudos to Mayor Pro Tem Carol Strain-Burk for her “cross-examination” of Topletz consultant Ted Wilson Monday. She controlled the flow of questioning, kept his answers tightly confined and otherwise did a good job.

The Preserve: “Just above the minimum” for Lancaster

But, isn’t that a part of our development code shortfall in general?

Sonia Zielke is right: maybe The Preserve needs to be put on hold until the city’s development code is updated. And, Dick Headen officially took care of that with his motion to deny Planned Development zoning to the 800-acre project Dec. 11.

You may say: Wait a minute. Didn’t we upgrade the development code just over a year ago?

Yes, and we’re still one development code behind the curve.

(Sorry, Jim Landon. But, you should know that it’s true.)

Everybody talks about how the Lancaster School District is at least one bond issue behind the curve.

But, the same is true of the city and development code.

And, arguably, that’s part of why the school district is behind the curve.

Lack of a better development code is a big reason why Lancaster has so many low-dollar houses here and had even more come in 10-15 years ago.

Wait a minute, again. Didn’t this fine city have a commercial real estate agent as it’s mayor about 15 years ago?

Apparently, Margie Waldrop missed the boat on that issue, though. Of course, people on “the other side,” like Nancy Moffett, arguably missed the boat too.

So, we sit at least one development code behind the curve, and with City Manager Jim Landon leaving, it will be three years before anything new is done.

The Preserve is dead -- blogging the Lancaster City Council meeting

Comparing apples to bowling balls

Jerry Sylo is baiting-and-switching, or comparing apples to bowling balls, to compare estate lots in The Preserve’s proposal to the five-acre A-O lots if Steve Topletz can’t get rezoning for the land. Smooth, yes, with that claim, but a 14,000-square foot lot is not a five-acre lot.

Now, that’s not to say five-acre lots would sell. But it is to say that Sylo’s comparisons aren’t even in the same solar system.

But, this is all academic, isn’t it? Thanks to Councilman Dick Headen’s impatience, or whatever, The Preserve has been pickled, sliced and diced, turned into compote and then put out for compost, by a 5-2 count.

That said, Sylo is right that city code has little in the way of design controls – if we’re talking straight zoning. But, again, let’s compare The Preserve to Mills Branch.

Because Mills Branch was also a PD and not straight zoning, it must be noted that it does have design standards, and that, IMO, these standards are superior to what Sylo is offering for The Preserve. Not to say otherwise, about Sylo’s comparing a PD to straight zoning, would be not to mention comparing oranges to bocce balls.

And, The Preserve’s acreage is larger than all three of the original Mills Branch developments combined.

Sylo talks about planting 2,300 new trees. Even throwing out all the cedars that are not on the city’s tree preservation list, and throwing out the scraggly volunteer starters, there’s still hundreds of trees in 800 acres that ARE protected.

So, this offer isn’t much beyond what is required by city ordinance.

As for Jerry Forsee, if he wants to money-drop (instead of name-drop) that his company works on $2-10 million properties, fine. But, would you really build houses worth that much surrounded by $150,000-225,000 houses? I think not. Instead of my previous Lancaster Today comment on gated communities, that putting a gate around a pigsty doesn’t change the pigsty, this would be just the opposite. You’d be gating out a pigsty while still making people living in The New Jerusalem gated community still drive through the pigsty every day.

I hadn’t mentioned the lack of age-restrictions in the “seniors” apartments, though I’ve known about it. Would be nice to have that put in place.

Hello, Steve Topletz. I hope you’re reading, listening, and if not “quaking,” taking serious heed.

And, if “The Preserve” is too fancy a name, we could always call it “Hank Haney Estates,” should you bring this back for another shot.

For more in-depth coverage from a straight news angle, see the afternoon of Dec. 14 or later.

Further notes on The Preserve and Blogging the Nov. 12 Lancaster City Council meeting

Karen Mitchell said large lots at The Preserve would be bought by executives at The Allen Group’s Dallas Logistics Hub, University of North Texas ― Dallas and Lancaster Airport.

Well, other than the airport manager, I don’t know of ANY executives at Lancaster Airport. While many in the city, including yours truly, would love to see the airport develop into a truly executive airport, that’s a LONG way into the future, if at all.

UNT-D? As noted in this post, its growth rate continues to be slower than desired ― or initially “sold.” Let’s not put too many eggs into that basket.

The Logistics Hub? Let’s wait and see just when The Allen Group starts building, how much it builds, and how many executive jobs it has before we start believing too many promises there, either.

And, as noted here, The Allen Group may just not build out everything it has talked about.

Anyway, Lisa Stephani hit on a number of big issues. A well-organized presentation, in which she even did some nice intellectual judo on some of Ted Wilson’s own stuff.

Finally, a note or two on The Preserve vs. Mills Branch.

No, I don’t believe The Preserve should look just like Mills Branch. But, the idea that Mills Branch has “no development standards,” as Namom Hollis claims, well … “sorry.” Having sat through much, if not all, of every P&Z and City Council meeting on Mills Branch, and having editorially supported it, that’s just not true.

You residents: if it were a choice between Mills Branch standards and current standards The Preserve’s developers propose, for which would you vote?

I mean, it sounds like Hollis is comparing The Preserve to some … to some … to some D.R. Horton development.

I’m sorry.

Oh, and if you can comment on how slow Mills Branch sales are, what’s that say about the top end of The Preserve?

But, but, but … Mills Branch has build-out requirements for its different sizes and prices ranges to all be built out at a roughly equitable rate, and that aren’t segregated by neighborhood.

Now, that said, I don’t necessarily agree with every development angle residents of the southside have. I think you can add dollar value through design quality, materials standards and lot location (yes, somewhat in the general lines of Mills Branch type development) than they may think.

I also don’t like gated communities; I find them snobby, to put it bluntly. Of course, I’ll never make enough money in three lifetimes of working jobs like I do now to ever afford living in such a place.

City joins school district in going anti-union

The city approved its own prevailing wage scale at the Nov. 13 Lancaster City Council meeting, getting ready to issue construction bonds from the 2005 bond issue. It’s required to either use the federal, worker-friendly, union-wage based Davis-Bacon scale or else one of its own. Guess which option the city chose?

It’s stuff like this that keeps Texas a low-wage state.

The Preserve: Just because you talk $1 million homes doesn't mean they'll be built

Sorry, Mr. Hollis, that's one of the concerns with The Preserve — people see no guarantee you'll build any of the bigger houses after you build all the small ones. Hello, Joe Johnson and Jim Landon, are you listening?

If you want to guarantee to build out all price ranges at the same time, you could alleviate these fears.

And the "seniors" apartments — are they age-restricted?

And what guarantees do we have on anything from Steve Topletz? Ask Hank Haney about that, about how Topletz and D.R. Horton pulled the rug out from under him.

Preserve passes P&Z 3-2

Sadly, from the little amount of revision Topletz did to his original plan.

Glad to see both Giles and Shields voted no. Cannot believe Carlton Standish voted yes AFTER ORIGINALLY SAYING THIS COULD BANKRUPT THE CITY.

Let DeSoto have it, if they're threatening to go west. Call the bluff.

Well, maybe 80 percent of landowners will petition against it and force a supermajority three-quarters approval when it comes before the Lancaster City Council.

Apologies to Polly Shields that I initially reported the vote incorrectly.