Washington D.C.

I spent all afternoon on the Hill yesterday in Washington D.C..  The Arlington contingent visited the offices of Senators Cornyn and Cruz and Congressmen Barton and Veasey.  We covered several subjects from the additional funding of Handitran, to the effort to tax municipal bonds and the fair tax act.  My subject had to do with aviation.  The FAA is trying to divest itself of the responsibility to control air traffic.  (ATC)  They would like to relinquish that responsibility and give it to either a non-profit or a for profit company.  This is a bad idea on many levels, but the most important one is the safety of the traveling public.

All governments and government officials should be concerned with keeping their citizens safe, as a prime directive.  We currently move over 700 million passengers through the skies of America each year.  The FAA is charged with making that safe, and it is so effortless that we take it for granted each time we get in an aircraft.  If we shifted to private enterprise, the board of the new company would be made up of airline executives.  They’re driven by the bottom line, and answer to the company shareholders on a quarterly basis.  You can see how the paradigm shifts, and safety gets swept under the rug.  There is an argument to be made since Canada has privatized their ATC.  But Canada has 1/10^th of our population.  Most of their traffic is derived from the U.S. to their border cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.  There are very little interior flights nationally in Canada.  The only time that Canada is tasked with volume is when the U.S. Carriers leave for Europe and proceed across eastern Canada to get their spacing to join the NAT Track system and cross the Atlantic.  But there is no congestion and it is all done at high altitude with proper spacing.

I also discussed FY17 funding for our Contract Tower at Arlington Municipal Airport.  Contract towers control 28% of total air traffic very efficiently utilizing only 14% of ATC’s budget.  The reason that they are so good at their job, is that 70% of Contract Towers are manned by Veterans.  All trained and experienced in the armed forces.  Arlington needs positive controlled airspace because of all of our events.  We have 120 events a year in our entertainment district.  (Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA Final Four and National Championship games, etc.)  People come from all over the U.S. and land at Arlington Muni.  Our ramp looks like JFK.  I asked for funding for all 257 Contract Towers in the U.S. to the tune of $158.8 mil. and got support from every office.  These were the two biggest topics on the Hill and I was fortunate to lend a helping hand with my past expertise.   

TCAP (Texas Coalition for Affordable Power)

Tonight at the Council meeting there was an interesting development that may save the City tens of millions of dollars.  Arlington is the largest of 171 members of TCAP (Texas Coalition for Affordable Power).  Although we are the largest player we get no discount for the volume of electricity that we use.  I believe that the citizens of Arlington should get the lowest price per kilowatt hour.  That is my goal.  Electricity prices are linked to the price of natural gas.  Therefore, if natural gas is at a low then so is electricity.  Energy prices are as low as ever, and the way to get the lowest possible price is not to use a sole provider, but to enter a competition with several providers.  That is why I voted to table the continuation of talks with TCAP. 

Currently we are paying 7.4 cents per kwhr.  With the add-on charge it is 7.5 cents.  We are caught in a 5 yr. contract with an energy provider where we are paying twice the amount of today’s going rate.  With todays cost of energy we should be paying approximately 3.6 cents per kwhr for the same 5 yr. deal.  My proposal at this evening’s meeting will put the providers into a bidding war for our contract, and instead of coining a 5 yr. deal we should extend the contract to 9 yrs.

Our current 5 yr. contract cost is about $12 mil a year.  At a cost of 4.1 cents the cost is $6 mil per year.  TCAP states that they can coin a contract for the 4.1 cents or lower, 4.2 with the add-on charge.  I believe that the competition will give us a cost of 3.7 cents on that 9 yr. deal.   This will save the city approx.. $7 mil. per/yr. and $63 million over a 9 yr. period.  Every contract that the city has is bid through the RFP process. (Ready For Proposal)  This process is awarded to the lowest bidder.  There will be a bidding war for our contract, and the Arlington Tax Payer will be the ultimate winner.

Arlington Commons Groundbreaking

Yesterday at 4:00 people gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Arlington Commons.  Now the removal of apartments and the improvement of the neighborhood was one of my campaign resolutions.  I promised that I would do something about the apartment problem in and around the Collins/Lamar Overlay.  This is my answer. 

I have worked closely with Bob Kembel, the Viridian developer, to insure that this project is a success, and that a quality product would be assured.  At one point the project was in severe jeopardy, and during and Executive Session of Council, the former Mayor and I had some words that were not pleasant.  The result of that exchange resulted in a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday.  Another controversy of this project dealt with the narrowing of Lamar by one lane going west.  The picture below  is one of the original pictures that was shown to the citizens at the at the Apartment Town Hall Meeting at the Convention Center.  You can plainly see that the traffic going west on Lamar is depicted as one lane.  There is a linear park and also parking in front of the complex.  This lane reduction was also depicted in the original 380 agreement that was approved by Council unanimously.  At some point in the process the Thoroughfare Plan had to be amended to coincide with the 380 agreement.  That amendment occurred about two months ago. 

We have said all along that this investment in our community would spur other investment.  The mini center across the street from the complex has been purchased and redeveloped already.  The renovation is estimated at around $1 million, and new businesses are already opening their doors.  AISD will spend $7 million in redeveloping Roquemore Elementary School, into the Jimmy and Laura Jones Fine Arts Academy.  Parkway Central’s park will get a facelift, and a linear park will run down the middle of Lamar.  It is hard to believe that the metamorphosis is here.  But when you think back to the slums that were there just a year ago and what is about to happen, you have to be excited for North Arlington.

Jimmy Bennett

Yesterday afternoon Jimmy came into my office and let me know that he had pulled his name from the May 7th ballot, and that he would not be seeking a fifth term in office.  Jimmy has served his city for the last eight years and done so with class and humility.  I consider Jimmy one of my closest friends on Council.  Someone who's door is always open, and no matter how elementary the question, he always treated you with respect and sincerity.

A position on Council is not the most rewarding of jobs.  It seems that no matter what position that you take, on any given subject, you are always 49% wrong.  The people that you represent on that side of the fence will let you know in no uncertain terms what they think of your position and the horse you rode in on.  Financially, there is no reward, so you do this for the sake of your community, with a servant's heart.  Jimmy epitomizes this virtue, in that all of his campaigns were run unpretentiously and a genuine respect for his opponent.   Jimmy's financial expertise has been something that Council has come to depend on.  He has served on our Economic Development Committee, Financial Committee and also as the Treasurer for the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon and part of the evening with Jimmy and we talked about his decision.  He feels that it is time for him to step down from his obligation and pass the baton to someone that has fresh ideas and a passion for community service that would compliment Council.  Personally it frees up time for a passion that he would like to pursue.  All in all Jimmy is in a good place with removing his name from the ballot.  His body of work has been beyond reproach.  He can be very proud of the legacy that he has left behind.  Adios buddy!  See you on the golf course and at the cigar shop. 

Chick-fil-A Opening

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting of the new Chick-fil-A on Collins Street.  This establishment is the largest Chick-fil-A in the Republic of Texas.  It is the third largest in the United States, and it is right here in North Arlington.  The proprietor is Ms. Carmenza Moreno, and she is simply a spectacular individual.  She is the first Hispanic female to own a Chick-fil-A franchise, and she has been so successful in her current location that she decided to expand rather than purchase another franchise.  Chick-fil-A corporate philosophy is based on Christian views and values.  All Chick-fil-A stores are closed on Sundays so that their employees can attend church and recognize the Sabbath.  Ms. Moreno is such a giving person that she takes this opportunity to allow charities to utilize her parking lot for events that are scheduled on Sundays when the store is closed.  Organizations such as the Lamar High School Band and Big Brothers and Big Sisters are among the charities that benefit from Ms. Moreno’s generosity. 

I would like to think that Carmenza’s Grand Opening, coupled with Champions Park and eventually Stadium View projects will continue investment in our community.   Events such as these will regenerate interest in the Collins corridor and make a significant contribution in revitalizing commerce in North Arlington.

2016

Well it’s been about three weeks since I have posted on this blog.  Since that time the Christmas ornaments have been pulled out of storage and put back in.  I trust that you all have had a wonderful holiday season and now it is time to start the grind of a new year.  2016 will pose some challenges and hopefully some turnaround not only for our city but for our country as well. 

We will have a new president one way or another.  Politically it is shaping up to be a Presidential slugfest and it will be very interesting watching its evolution.  I will be seeking a third term as your representative in Arlington’s North District.  I have been blessed to have had the opportunity for the last four years to represent you.  In doing so, I have had the opportunity to participate on a Council that is dedicated to making Arlington a better place to live.  We set the table for General Motors to invest $1.4 Billion dollars into their Arlington plant.  We have approved investment around the Ballpark with $200 Million dedicated to Texas Live, a new hotel and convention center.  We have attracted the largest home builder in the country to build his headquarters here.  D. R. Horton chose North Arlington because of the attributes that we offer.  Our first Fortune 500 Company!     Three of the four apartment complexes are down and building will start on the Arlington Commons this month.  Another $200 Million investment in our community that will raise the property values for the surrounding home owners.  Across the street the strip mall is undergoing renovation in anticipation of increased business.  The new library will start construction in the first quarter of 2016, and across the street another $49 Million project, 101 Abram is moving along rapidly.

 Back up north Viridian continues to evolve with 600 lots either complete or under construction, and it will start construction on the commercial aspect of the community as the next step in its evolution.  Champions Park has started construction along Collins and will hopefully bring in quality retail and restaurants as a result of Greenway Associates efforts.  Across the street, the TXDOT property is still being shopped by Trammel Crow, and we hope that 2016 will bring a tenant forward to allow the building of a class A office space complex.  The MGM Grand is still on the horizon for 2016.  We have a timeline for this project and we will see if the developer has the horsepower to fill his financial obligations required by this timeline.  Ditto golf course will start its renovation, striving to make it a top tier quality course here in North Arlington. 

 I have also lead the charge in creating an Economic Development Corporation within the city.  This Corporation will be able to fund projects like the Senior Center and a Multi-Generational center.  Again the table has been set for the voters of Arlington.  The funding for the EDC will come from a ¼ cent sales tax increase.  That money will allow us to fund these projects.  Every other city in the Metroplex save one (Sachse) is operating at 8 ¼ cents sales tax.  This issue will be on the November ballot, and I ask you all to support it and allow Arlington to continue its growth and broaden its service to the community.

As you can see 2016 is shaping up to be a challenging year with remarkable opportunities.  I hope to be able to continue my participation in these challenges.  I will need your vote in May to give me that opportunity.  Thanks for your confidence.

Ball Park Development

Now that this has been posted on the city website, it must be ok to talk about it, since these discussions were in executive session.  Glory Park was the original development planned for this area.  It folded when the financial institutions were challenged in 2008.  A developer arrived on the scene about 3 yrs. ago and his family owned company has been very successful at developing areas around major sports complexes.  He has formed an alliance with the Texas Rangers, and approached the city with a development plan that is very aggressive.  The picture above contains a 100,000 sq/ft of entertainment, restaurant and bar facility, a 50,000 sq/ft Convention Center, and a 300-400 room hotel. 
 


This development will be in front of the Council on the 15th of the month.  The entire project will cost $200 million, with the entertainment venue scheduled to open on opening day 2017.  You have asked for development in and around the Ball Park, and hopefully you will have it on Tuesday evening.  Our City Manager Trey Yelverton, and his Staff have been working feverishly to get this accomplished by the end of the year.


Several Councilmembers, including myself, have made the trip back to see the developer at his family owned headquarters.  A few have also made the trip up to St. Louis to look at a similar development called Ball Park View.  This is a first class establishment, owned and operated by people that have been successful in a host of other cities.  They are excited about Arlington and we are fortunate that they came to us.  Go Rangers!