Sunday, December 26, 2021

The Week of December 27th - 31st, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

 Hello Friends!

    I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  This will be the last newsletter of 2021. All we have scheduled for the upcoming week is P&Z.  As always, please refer back to the city's calendar to see if any more have been added after this goes out.  You can do that at the following link: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php . 
    As a reminder, city offices will be closed on Monday, December 27, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Residential trash services will not be affected with Christmas being on a Saturday. For non-emergency needs during this time, please call the Waxahachie Police Department at 469-309-4400. For emergencies, please dial 911.
 
Let's get started!
 
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Tuesday, December 28, 2021
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6:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.

 
This briefing is being held to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular P&Z meeting.  It is a public meeting and residents are welcome to attend; however, public comments will only be taken during the 7:00 PM meeting.  The briefing session is not live-streamed at this time.
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7:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
A couple of cases worth noting:
 
7&8: Public Hearing on a request for a zoning change from Single Family 1 (SF1) to Planned Development Multi-Family 2 located south of FM 813 and East of Brown Street:  This case has been WITHDRAWN.  That means that the commission will not hear anything about this case, nor render a decision on this case and they do not even have any details about this case to answer questions about it.  IF the developer decides to pursue this case in the future, I believe that new notices will be sent out at that time.
 
18 & 19: Continue Public Hearing on a request by Chip Boyd, JHDMC, LLC, for a zoning change from Single Family 1 to Planned Development Single Family 3 located at 823 Ovilla Road. The applicant is requesting approval of a planned development to allow single family homes, townhomes and park/open space on 153.7 acres.  NOTE: The proposed zoning change is contingent upon City Council approving the proposed annexation case (ANX-DNX-178-2021) for this property.  Council is scheduled to take action on the item on January 3, 2022.  The maximum gross density is calculated at 3.0 dwelling units per acre (when including green spaces/parks, it looks like).  Staff is recommending approval per comments.
 
20 & 21: Continue Public Hearing on a request by Terrance Jobe, Alluvium Development, Inc. for a zoning change from a general retail and future development zoning district to a planned development mixed-use residential located West of 2374 W Highway 287 Bypass.  The applicant is requesting approval of a planned development (PD) to allow single family homes, cottage style homes, retail/office and park/open space on 188.46 acres.  NOTE: The proposed zoning change is contingent upon Council approving the proposed annexation case (ANX-DNX-200-2021) for this property.  Council is scheduled to take action on the item on January 3, 2022.  To alleviate traffic congestion on 287, developer will coordinate with the City of Waxahachie and TXDoT for the design and installation of a traffic signal at southern entrance to Montclair Heights as well as fully funding the same.  In addition, developer will cooperate fully with the adjacent property owner to the East to connect the proposed thoroughfare and provide enhanced access to FM 664/ Ovilla Road.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.
 
Please refer to the agenda packet, linked above, for the full details of each case I've presented, as well as the details on every case on the agenda.  This is a public meeting and is open to residents to attend, but is live-streamed as well at the following link:  https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php
 
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That's all for this week!  Have a safe and happy New Year's!
 
Your Friendly Councilmember,
 
Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
at No comments:

Sunday, December 19, 2021

The Week of December 20th - 24th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends!
 
    First of all, I want to take a minute and wish you all a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours!  (We have a pug-bulldog mix, hence the pug t-shirts. lol)

    There aren't a lot of meetings on the city calendar for this week, but the ones we do have are going to be pretty important.  You can refer back to the city's calendar to see if any meetings are added after this newsletter goes out (but I really don't expect that to happen).  https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php

    So let's dive in!


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Monday, December 20, 2021
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6:00 PM - City Council Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


We have a pretty lengthy meeting agenda, so this briefing will start at 6:00 PM.  Residents are welcome to attend this briefing where items for the 7:00 PM regular meeting are discussed amongst staff and Council.  (While residents are welcome to attend this briefing session, and I highly encourage it, they are not able to address Council during this time period.  Residents can, however, address Council during the Public Comments section or Public Hearing sections of the 7:00 PM Regular Meeting).  The briefing session is generally highly informational, but is not live-streamed at this time.
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7:00 PM - City Council Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


The Consent Agenda has multiple items on it, but I would like to point out one of those.  Item 5 L - Set City Council meeting of Tuesday, January 18, 2022:  Please note on your calendars that due to Dr. Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 17, 2022, we will not have our regularly-scheduled Council meeting that evening.  In this week's consent agenda, we will be voting to approve rescheduling that meeting date to Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

** If you are following any P&Z cases, we have several that have been continued to the January 3, 2022 City Council meeting, so we will not hear or take action on the following zoning cases at the 12/20/21 meeting:
 
6 & 7: ANX-DNX-178-2021
8 & 9: ZDC-162-2021: Located off 823 Ovilla Road
10 & 11: ANX-DNX-200-2021
12 & 13: ZDC-188-2021: Located West of 2374 W Highway 287 Bypass
14 & 15: ZDC-146-2021: Located along Broadhead Rd, adjacent to Howard Jr. High
 
21 - 23: Continue Public Hearing: regarding the proposed Starbucks located 1,500 feet South of Butcher Rd and East of Hwy 77.  P&Z recommended approval of this project 7-0, using the 3rd elevation option and staff recommends approval per comments as well.

24 - 25: Public Hearing: regarding an indoor firearms training and shooting facility, located at the NW quadrant of Butcher Rd. and West of I-35S.  P&Z approved this project by a vote of 7-0 and staff recommends approval per comments as well.

26 - 28: Public Hearing: regarding a request for a Car Wash located South of North Grove Blvd. and East of Hwy. 77.  P&Z was split on this vote, with 4 commissioners voting for denial and 3 against that. Staff is recommending denial for the proposed development, mostly based upon the belief that a proposed car wash is not the highest and best use for the property based on surrounding uses.  Staff believes that the use of retail or a dine-in restaurant would be the best use of the property.  Multiple objections to the proposed project, the Crape Myrtle Express Car Wash, cite that there are too many car washes in close proximity to the location for this to be a good use of the site. There are a couple of items to keep in mind.  One, whenever a business decides on a site for development, they put in a lot of research to make sure that it will be a good investment.  Second, for this particular project, the owners are local and incurring additional expenses to make this the "biggest and best" around because it is their hometown.  Am I a fan of car washes?  No, not really, but this could actually be a good project for our town and the property owner should have the right to develop their property.  We (Council) will have to make a decision Monday.  I am undecided at this point.

** 29 - 31: Continue Public Hearing: regarding a request by Michael C Jackson for an Industrial Complex located on 341 acres, just West of Solon Rd. and East of Patrick Rd.  P&Z voted 5-1 for approval of this project at Tuesday's meeting and staff is recommending approval per comments as well.  This was a tough one for P&Z and will be, without a doubt, a hard one for Council as well.  Some things going through my mind.  For one, when my husband and I bought our house in Waxahachie, we had fields around our neighborhood.  We were told (not by the city, since we had no idea what zoning was at that time and didn't know to contact them) that those fields would remain fields.  We knew enough to ask that much, but not much more and we believed what we were told.  Within about 3 years, I believe, we had a 3 story apartment complex spring up on part of the land... We now have ANOTHER apartment complex (senior one this time) currently under construction and I'm seriously not kidding... ANOTHER apartment complex that I think has already been platted and will be starting construction probably within the next year.  My wallpaper on my phone is a picture of the sunset from next to the pond near our house and as soon as that construction is finished on the senior complex, I will never get to see the same picturesque sunset again.  We didn't want those to go there, but there they are.  What I can say though, is that we have not had any decrease in our property value or rising crime due to these buildings.  In fact, during our comprehensive plan meetings, the advisor has asked us - "Who here has ever lived in an apartment?"  I'm pretty sure every hand went up.  Apartments are a really necessary item for cities because not everyone can afford a house - especially at the prices they are going for these days.  That doesn't make them bad people.  Almost all of us have lived in them at one time or another.  There is one difference in this case compared to the Wynne Jackson Industrial Complex and that's the land around us was zoned for apartments.  We just had no idea that that was the case.
    Now, fast forward to this proposed development.  There is a subdivision adjacent to this proposed project.  This development was built next to an already existing distribution center - Walgreens.  Be that as it may, Council and staff heard the residents' concerns loud and clear and worked with the developer to get things that don't benefit any other residents in this city, but Settler's Glen. Some of those are:
    1) There will be "no direct access or curb cuts to Patrick Rd. south of Marshall Rd. in order to limit truck traffic there.  
    2) In addition, the developer has agreed (and apparently this caused a lot of issues for them, but they were able to make it work) to not have any loading docks facing Settler's Glen.  
    3) There will be a 100' landscape buffer along Patrick Rd. adjacent to Settler's Glen which includes a 6 foot earthen berm.  I have never seen this large of a landscape buffer agreed to by a developer.       
    4) Included will also be an 8' wide concrete trail and a 6' high wrought iron fence.  Some have asked about a masonry wall, but there is no need for that and if it were my house, I'd much rather look out at trees and a wrought iron gate than a concrete wall.  
    5) All trees shall be 6" minimum caliper diameter at breast height (dbh) AT THE TIME OF PLANTING.  I have NEVER seen this concession from a developer.  Usually, they will do 3" and MAYBE 4", but the developer has agreed to 6".
    6) All parking area lighting shall be designed and operated so as not to reflect or shine on adjacent residential properties.
    7) The City will provide signage restricting truck trailer traffic usage of Patrick Rd.
   
    Another point to think about with regards to this project is the impact to WISD.  This project will NOT increase enrollment at WISD, whereas if a residential development went in there, that would most definitely add students to the school district.  The largest part of your property tax bill goes to WISD and if we need more schools, you can expect that to go up more.  The taxes generated by this proposed project will help not just the city, but also the school district while not causing any additional stress to WISD.
    If a residential development went in this location instead, there would be significant traffic increases in that area.  This particular project is going to actually pave and make any necessary improvements to the portion of Marshall Rd. from Patrick Rd to IH-35.  This will most likely reduce traffic flow through the Settler's Glen development as currently folks residing outside of Settler's Glen are known to cut through that development.  Marshall Rd. will be a much more appealing thoroughfare, once constructed.
    There is still a lot to consider, but my personal opinion is that this developer has done a very good job of mitigating any negative impact of their development on surrounding properties.  You could look out your back door at a wooden fence and someone's shed or a scenic trail.  I would prefer the scenic trail.  This development, if approved, will be SO much nicer than the Walgreen's Distribution center and could possibly help keep the tax rate in Waxahachie and WISD from going up.  I've always been upfront and honest with y'all and this is no different.  I understand this may be an unpopular opinion, but I genuinely believe (although in the beginning I didn't feel this way before the developer did the things we were asking for) that this is a good development and the developer's concessions that have been made for the sake of the adjacent neighborhood have been immense.  This development could help all of Waxahachie and WISD.  That being said, I always refrain from making my final decision until after I have heard all input from citizens at the public hearing.  Even with what seem to be numerous benefits, for me, this will be one of the hardest decisions I've been tasked with since being on Council.  I do not enter into it lightly.
 
33 - Convene into Executive Session for deliberation regarding real property as permitted under section 551.072, Texas Government Code.
 
This meeting will probably be fairly long, but that's to be expected with the gravity of the matters before us.   It is an open meeting, but will also be live-streamed, if you are not able to attend in person.  You can watch it at this link: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php

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Again, I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and a wonderful week ahead!

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com



at No comments:

Saturday, December 11, 2021

The Week of December 13th - 17th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends!

    While we only have P&Z on the calendar so far for this week's meetings, it will be a doozy!  So let's get started!
 
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Tuesday, December 14, 2021
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5:30 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
Conduct a briefing to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular P&Z meeting.  Due to the length of the meeting's agenda, this briefing session is starting at 5:30 PM, instead of 6:00 or 6:30 PM.
 
The briefing session is open to the public and I highly recommend all who can attend, to do so because of the amount of information that is usually covered in the briefing.  It is not live-streamed at this time.  (Please keep in mind that residents have a chance to speak at the 7:00 PM meeting, but not during the briefing session.)
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7:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
Some cases worth mention this week:
 
11 - Consider request for a Final Plat of The Oak of North Grove, located NE of the intersection of E. North Grove Blvd. and Brown St. for 162 lots - 147 single family residences and 15 open-space or park lots.  Staff is recommending approval as presented.
 
12 & 13 - Public Hearing on a request for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for a cell tower use within a planned development located at 185 Saratoga Drive.  The applicant is requesting approval to allow an existing 50' tall internet tower on 2.78 acres within the Saddlebrook Estates HOA common area.  The utility pole will be utilized for wireless to fiber circuit delivery to bring high speed internet to the residents within the surrounding neighborhood area.  Staff is recommending approval, per comments.
 
16 & 17 - Continue Public Hearing on a request for an SUP for a Starbucks located 1500 feet South of Butcher Road and East of Hwy 77.  They came to P&Z before and the commission requested better elevations, so the applicant is coming back to show the new elevation options.  Staff is recommending Option #3 and approval per comments.
 
18 & 19 - Public Hearing on a request by The Summit at Breezy Acres, for an indoor firearms training and shooting facility located in the NW quadrant of Butcher Road and West of I-35S.  Per the applicant, the facility will offer firearms instruction, hunter education, LTC classes, a full product line of sporting rifles, pistols, ammunition, optics and accessories as well as a 12 - bay/ 75' shooting range as part of its initial Phase 1 plans.  There are more details in the agenda packet link above.  There will probably be many folks who are looking forward to this facility.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.
 
20 & 21 - Public Hearing on a request for an SUP for a Car Wash located South of North Grove Blvd. and East of Highway 77.  Staff is recommending denial due to the belief that the proposed car wash is not the highest and best use for the property based on surrounding uses.  Staff believes that the use of retail or a dine-in restaurant would be the best use of the property.  They have also received 5 letters of opposition for the proposed development. 

22 & 23 - Public Hearing on a request for a Planned Development Mixed-Use Residential (PD-MUR) located West of 2374 W. Highway 287.  The applicant is requesting approval of a development of single family homes, cottage style homes, retail/office and park/open space on 188.46 acres.  At the January 19, 2021 City Council meeting, Council voted 5-0 to deny case number ZDC-72-2020 (original case number for Montclair Heights).  The developer at that time proposed a PD consisting of 394 total lots, but due to traffic concerns, Council voted to deny the proposal.   The purpose of THIS PD is to create zoning that will allow the development of 384 total lots. The applicant intends to create a walkable, interactive and high-end development by creating several open spaces - including pocket parks, an amenity park and a dog park.  ** Staff notes that the proposed zoning change is contingent upon Council approving the proposed annexation case (ANX-DNX-200-2021) for this property, which they are scheduled to take action on on December 20, 2021.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.  They have received 3 letters of opposition for this development as of the time of this report.

24 & 25 - Continue the Public Hearing on a request by Chip Boyd, JHDMC, LLC, for a planned development to allow single family homes, townhomes and park/open spaces on 153.7 acres located at 823 Ovilla Road. This PD would allow the development of 464 total residential lots, of which 370 lots will be single family residential and 94 lots will be developed as 28' wide townhome lots.  The applicant intends to create a walkable and interactive development by creating several open spaces (31 acres total) including pocket parks and a dog park.  ** The proposed zoning change is contingent upon City Council approving the proposed annexation case (ANX-DNX-178-2021) for this property, which Council is scheduled to take action on at the December 20, 2021 Council meeting.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.

26 & 27 - Continue the Public Hearing on a request by Michael C. Jackson, Wynne Jackson for an Industrial Complex use on 341 acres, located West of Solon Road and East of Patrick Road.  The applicant intends to create an industrial planned development in 2-3 phases, consisting of manufacturing and warehouse distribution.  There are currently no confirmed tenant(s) at this time.  ** Landscape Buffer (Adjacent to Settler's Glen neighborhood): A 100' landscape buffer shall be provided along Patrick Rd. where adjacent to the existing Settler's Glen neighborhood.  Within that landscape buffer, a 6' earthen berm shall be provided along with trees spaced at one tree per 50' of adjacency to the roadway, a minimum 8' wide concrete trail, and a 6' high wrought iron fence.  All trees shall be 6" minimum caliper diameter at breast height (dbh) at the time of planting.  This landscape buffer and the more mature trees at time of planting are very big "gets" for the Settler's Glen community.  Developers don't often do a concession to this level, so I'm very pleased that they have stepped up to do this to mitigate the impact of their development on Settler's Glen, should it be approved.  Staff has received 9 letters of opposition for the proposed development inside the 200' notification buffer and 5 letters of opposition for the proposed development outside the 200' notification buffer.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.  The P&Z commission and City Council will definitely be thinking very hard about this case for sure.

Please feel free to review the agenda packet link above for the full details on every case on the agenda.  This is a public meeting and citizens are welcome to attend in person.  The meeting will also be live-streamed at the following link: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php .
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These are all of the meetings that we have scheduled as of right now.  There may be a notice of possible quorum for the City Council that is posted next week, so please revisit the city's calendar to see if that is added at a later time.  The link to the calendar is here: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
 
I hope that everyone has a great rest of your weekend and have a great week ahead!!
 
Your Friendly Councilmember,
 
Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
at No comments:

Saturday, December 4, 2021

The Week of December 6th - 10th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends!
 
    I want to first thank each and every one of you who reached out about my decision not to run for Council again.  It really warms my heart to know that I've made a difference!  Thank you very much!

    Next, we have a busy week ahead of us at the city.  I'll go through all the meetings that are posted as of now, but please refer back to the city's calendar to see if any new ones are added throughout the week: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php

    Also, we have lots of great events going on around the holidays, so please check out the Waxahachie Convention and Visitor's Bureau website for lots of festivities:  https://www.waxahachiecvb.com/
 
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Monday, December 6, 2021
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6:30 PM - City Council Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


This briefing session is being conducted to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular meeting.  If you intend on going to the meeting, I highly encourage all residents to attend the briefing session as well.  These briefing sessions are very informational, but are not yet live-streamed.
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7:00 PM - City Council Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 

The P&Z items are all fairly routine in nature, but I'd like to highlight two cases that may be of interest.

16 - 18: Public hearing on a request for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for a Hospital (Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility) use within a General Retail zoning district located East of the intersection of Indian Drive and Brown Street. The ClearSky Rehab Hospital is a facility that will provide care for patients recovering from stroke, heart attack, brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic conditions, cancer and pulmonary conditions.  It is proposed to operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  The P&Z Commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of this case and staff are recommending approval as well.  I think this will be a very useful facility for Waxahachie residents.

19 & 20: Public Hearing on a request for a zoning change from Single Family - 2 zoning to Planned Development - Single Family -2 to allow an existing additional Single-Family residence for rent use located at 314 Kaufman Street.  Our current ordinances don't allow for an accessory structure to be metered separately and rented out.  There are no official city records that indicate any permits issued or inspections done at the subject property, so staff has concerns regarding the safety of the structure as a habitable use.  At the P&Z meeting, the Commission voted 5-2 to recommend denial of this case. Staff is also recommending denial.

For more details on these cases or other items on the agenda, please refer to the agenda packet link above.  Also, this meeting is open to the public to attend in person, but will also be live-streamed at the following link: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php

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Tuesday, December 7, 2021
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5:00 PM - City Council and P&Z Joint Work Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


This should be a very interesting work session.  It is being held to hear a presentation and hold discussion on a proposed master planned community development, Haven Ranch, located in our ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction), just South of Lake Waxahachie.  There is a map and description of some of the amenities, including Haven Park, which look like it could be a great thing if accessible to all Waxahachie residents.  I look forward to hearing the presentation.  This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend.  It will not be live-streamed.
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6:00 PM - Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC)
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


At this meeting, we will be discussing and reviewing growth scenarios and future land use categories.  This is a great opportunity to be involved in the planning of the future of Waxahachie and this meeting is open for all residents to attend.  It will not, however, be live-streamed.

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Thursday, December 9, 2021
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4:00 PM - Mid-Way Regional Joint Airport Board Regional Meeting
Upstairs Common Area of Mid-Way Regional Airport
131 Airport Dr., Midlothian, Texas


5 - Consider contract with Don Jackson Construction for the six unit box hangars

6 - Discuss having a safety seminar with tenants on airport flight pattern operations

This is a public meeting and residents are welcome to attend, but it will not be live-streamed.
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5:30 PM - Heritage Preservation Commission Regular Meeting
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


4 - Consider approval of renewal HT tax exemption applications

5 - Consider approval of new HT tax exemption applications

This is a public meeting and residents are welcome to attend, but it will not be live-streamed.
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That's all for this week's meetings.  Lots of good things going on in the city right now.  I hope y'all have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week ahead!

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com


at 1 comment:

Friday, November 26, 2021

The Week of November 29th - December 3rd, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends!

    I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  While there are no city meetings posted for this upcoming week, I did want to make an announcement that I do not plan to seek re-election to the Waxahachie City Council in May 2022 in order to spend more time with my family.  I will serve the remainder of my term until a successor has been elected.  I really love this city and the people in it, so I will still be involved at some level.  Plus, I'll still make myself available for questions after my term ends.  It has truly been an incredible experience to have had the honor of serving you, the residents of Waxahachie.  Thank you so much for allowing me to have this opportunity!
 
    For more information on the May 2022 election, you can follow the City Secretary's page on the city website here: https://www.waxahachie.com/departments/city_secretary/elections.php  Usually in mid-December, the City Secretary's office will put out a packet for those interested in running for Council with all the information you need contained within it.  You simply have to stop by City Hall once they are available and pick one up.

    I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and week ahead!  

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
at 1 comment:

Saturday, November 20, 2021

The Week of November 22nd - 26th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

 Hello Friends!

    First of all, I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! As posted on the City's official Facebook page - City Offices will be closed on Thursday,
November 25 and Friday, November 26, in observance of Thanksgiving Day. For non-emergency needs during this time, please call the Waxahachie Police Department at 469-309-4400. For emergencies, please dial 911. 
 
    So far for this week, we only have the Planning & Zoning Briefing and Meeting on the city's calendar. You can always refer to the city's calendar here: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
 
 
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Tuesday, November 23, 2021
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6:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
This briefing is being held to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular P&Z meeting.  Citizens are welcome to attend this briefing in person.  It is not live-streamed at this time. 
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7:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


5 - Consider request for a plat of The Fitzgerald, for 184 unit apartment complex just East of 240 Park Place Blvd.  This land was zoned for multi-family use many years ago.  The applicant is meeting the requirements for the plat and therefore the commission must approve the plat.  Staff is also recommending approval.  (If you wish to address the commission regarding this case, you must do so during the public comments portion of the meeting, since this is only a "consider request" on the agenda rather than a public hearing.)  Even though many may not want this complex to come to fruition, it is unfortunately one of those things that we must approve if they meet the requirements.  It should, however, be the last of the apartments built in the area of Park Place and Garden Valley Parkway.

12 & 13 - Public Hearing on a request for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for a Starbucks located just South of Butcher Rd. and East of Hwy 77.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.

14 & 15 - Public Hearing on a request for a SUP for a Hospital (Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility) located East of the intersection of Indian Drive and Brown Street.  The ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital is a facility that will provide care for patients recovering from stroke, heart attack, brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic conditions, cancer and pulmonary conditions.  Staff is recommending approval per comments.

18 & 19 - This Public Hearing has been continued a couple of times, but it will be coming before the commission at this meeting.  It is a request for a Zoning Change from Future Development to Planned Development - General Retail located along Broadhead Road in between Howard Junior High and the Knights of Columbus facility.  For several reasons, staff is recommending denial.

For more details of any of these cases or others not mentioned above, please refer to the agenda packet, linked above.  This meeting is open to the public to attend, but will also be live-streamed at the following link: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php
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That's all for this week's newsletter!  I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead and a great Thanksgiving!

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
 
at No comments:

Saturday, November 13, 2021

The Week of November 15th - 19th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends!
 
    It's so beautiful outside, I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!  We started out by going to the Veteran's ceremony at the Civic Center this morning and it was just a beautiful tribute.  We came home, had lunch and then went to one of the city parks near our home.  I'm pretty sure I've said before, but it is such a blessing to live here!  
    We only have the City Council briefing and meeting on Monday posted for this upcoming week, but please refer back to the city's calendar on the website to see if any are added during the week.  You can find that here: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
 
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Monday, November 15, 2021
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6:00 PM - City Council Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
This briefing session is being held to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular meeting.  It is open to the public to attend, but it will not be live-streamed.  If you want a chance to address Council, please do so during the Public Comments portion of the 7:00 PM meeting.
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7:00 PM - City Council Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 

5f - This is an item that showed up on the agenda for review by the WCDC last week and was unanimously approved at that meeting.  This is a request to allow for a private sanitary sewer easement within Waxahachie Sports Complex property.  Staff has no concerns regarding this request.  I found it to be an odd request, so I spoke with city management about it and they explained that it just allows the applicant, in this case, Mr. Singleton, the ability to have easement access so that he can tie in to the sewer system and be able to develop/sell/whatever his property.  If he messes anything up (ie - sidewalks) in the process of the sewer connection, he would be responsible for making repairs and fixing anything of that nature.  So, at first, this request seemed weird, but it isn't anything to cause concern.

12 & 13 - This is the P&Z case for the industrial complex that has applied to rezone lane near Settler's Glen.  The applicant has requested a continuance to the 12/20/21 Council meeting.  That means that Council won't hear any testimony or discuss the case at this Monday's meeting.

** 23 - Consider proposed ordinance adopting Historic Residential Design Guidelines.  I'm still in the process of reviewing the guidelines book that I received yesterday, but it looks to be a great thing to protect our historic homes.  I am speculating here, but I bet that the city could put a copy of them on the city's website for ease of access for homeowners looking to do any work to their historic homes once they are approved.  It would most likely be here on the website if they are to do that: https://www.waxahachie.com/departments/heritage_preservation/index.php  In the meantime, there is a plethora of great information in that link regarding our heritage preservation.  If you wish to speak on this item (although there's not much to go off of in the packet) you must do so during the Public Comments portion of the meeting, since this is not listed as a public hearing.

** 25 - Consider proposed ordinance regulating the operation of golf carts on public roadways.  There have been several citizens who have been interested in this.  You can read the proposed verbiage and summary in the agenda packet, linked above.  If you'd like to address Council on this item, please do so during the Public Comments portion in the beginning of the meeting, as this is not listed on the agenda as a public hearing.  I would love your feedback.

There are many items on this meeting's agenda, but I think I covered those that have garnered the most interest.  Please review the agenda packet link above for full details on every item.

This is a public meeting and is open to residents to attend; however, it will also be live-streamed for your convenience.  The link to view the live-stream is: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php

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That's all so far for this week!  I hope everyone has a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week ahead!

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
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Saturday, November 6, 2021

The Week of November 8th - 12th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends!
 
    There is so much coming up in the City of Waxahachie!  The CVB has posted their 2021 Waxahachie Holiday Event Listings here: https://www.waxahachiecvb.com/p/events/waxahachie-holiday-event-listings-2021  I highly recommend going through and marking your calendars for those events that you don't want to miss. One of my favorites is the Christmas Parade and Community Tree Lighting, but there really are so many great events coming up!  
 
    We have several meetings this coming week, so let's get started.  As always, please refer back to the city's calendar to see if there are new meetings added throughout the week (which rarely happens, but is possible.)  https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
 
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Monday, November 8, 2021
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8:30 AM - Firemen's Relief & Retirement Fund Regular Meeting
Waxahachie Fire Station No. 2
1601 Cleaver Street
 

6 - Discuss and consider TEXPERS membership renewal

7 - Discuss and consider changes to TEXPERS Bylaws

11 - Discuss and consider investing with State Street Institutional Index Fund

There are several items on this agenda.  You can see them in their entirety by clicking on the agenda packet link above.  This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend.  This meeting will not be live-streamed.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2021
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3:00 PM - Waxahachie Community Development Corporation (WCDC) Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.

 
3 - Reorganize the Board
 
*** 5 - Consider request to allow for private Sanitary Sewer Easement within Waxahachie Sports Complex property.  The attached contract states that the city would allow for this easement in exchange of $10 for the .45 acres of land for the easement.  I don't know about you, but that seems crazy to me -- although I do concede there may be unusual circumstances which merit a transaction of this kind. I will be interested to hear how the request is presented. Also, it looks like the land owner who is requesting it has the same address as Citizens National Bank.  The proposed contract is located in the agenda packet, linked above.  That is all the information I have on this item at the moment. *** 

8 - Consider award and supplemental appropriation for the synthetic turf improvements project phase 2.  Transforming the ball fields to turf has significantly increased their usability and is bringing tournaments in to Waxahachie - which is great for our local businesses and hotels.

There are many interesting items on this agenda.  You can see them all in the agenda packet linked above.  This meeting is open to the public to attend in person, but will not be live-streamed.
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4:00 PM - Mid-Way Regional Airport Board Regular Meeting
Upstairs Common Area of Mid-Way Regional Airport
131 Airport Dr., Midlothian, Texas


5 - Introduction of New Board Member, Jennifer Chelwick

6 - Discuss Future Development of the Airport

7 - Update on Phase 1 and 2 of the Security Fence Project

8 - Consider Moving forward with the Runway Rehabilitation Project

This is a public meeting and residents are welcome and encouraged to attend; however, it will not be live-streamed.
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5:15 PM - Impact Fee Capital Improvements Advisory Committee Regular Meeting
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
4 - Reorganize the Committee
 
6 - Presentation to discuss Impact Fee revenue and expenditures for the 2020-2021 fiscal year
 
This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend.  It will not, however, be live-streamed.
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6:15 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 

This briefing is being held to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular P&Z meeting.  It is open to the public to attend, but is not live-streamed at this time.
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7:00 PM - Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.

 
We have a long agenda this evening, so I'm only going to highlight a couple of cases that might be of interest.
 
*** 9 & 10 - The public hearing for ZDC-155-2021 (the Jackson Wynne Industrial Complex near Settler's Glen) will be continued to the Tuesday, 12/14/21 P&Z meeting at 7:00 PM.  This means that the P&Z commission will not hear testimony nor make a decision on this case on Tuesday, 11/9, as we had previously thought.  I know a lot of residents have been interested in this case, so if you can please help me spread the word about the continuance, I would really appreciate it. ***

*** 28 & 29 - Public hearing on a request by Quickway Signs for an Electronic Message Sign use located at 505 W. Marvin Ave, for the First United Methodist Church.  Normally, sign hearings don't generate much opposition; however, due to the historic nature of this neighborhood, there has been an outpouring of opposition to this case.  Staff is also recommending denial.  You can read the letter from the Church's pastor in favor of this sign, as well as the reasons folks are recommending denial, in the agenda packet above.  ***
 
32 & 33 - Public hearing on a request for a zoning change from a future development zoning
to planned development -general retail, located East of Howard Junior High School, along Broadhead Road. Staff is recommending denial of this project.  While the elevations that the applicant has presented are great, the layout of the entire project is really awkward, in my opinion.  It would also take out most, if not all of the mature trees on that lot, and replace them with townhomes overlooking the Sports Complex trail.  If they simply wanted to do the general retail piece there, and leave the rest of the lot wooded, that would be a lot more palatable, but as presented, it feels like they're just trying to cram too much into that space.  Especially being adjacent to a middle school, I really don't think that this is a good plan at this time. I'm glad that staff is recommending denial (which is not something that I say very often at all).

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Thursday, November 11, 2021
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City Offices will be closed on Thursday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans Day.  For non-emergency needs during this time, please call the Waxahachie Police Department at 469-309-4400.  For emergencies, please dial 911.

Thank you - today and every day to our Veterans and their service to our country.



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Saturday, November 13, 2021
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10 AM - 11:30 AM: Ellis County Veterans Ceremony
Waxahachie Civic Center

While this is not a city-sponsored event, this patriotic musical program is a really moving tribute to our Veterans.  All patriots are welcome, veterans and non-veterans.

For those who use Facebook, here is a link to the event: https://fb.me/e/2qzxD1u0u
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I hope that you have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week ahead!!
 
Your Friendly Councilmember,
 
Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com





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Saturday, October 30, 2021

The Week of November 1st - 5th, 2021 in the City of Waxahachie

 

Hello Friends!

Happy Halloween!  I hope that everyone has a very fun and safe weekend!

Before I start on this week's meetings, I wanted to remind everyone that Tuesday, November 2nd is Election Day.  Here is a sample ballot showing the 8 Constitutional propositions we will be voting on: http://www.co.ellis.tx.us/DocumentCenter/View/14862/_211102_SampleBallotGeneric?bidId=  Here is an explanation of each proposition from the Secretary of State's website: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/2021novballotlang.shtml  Polls will be open from 7am- 7pm at the following locations: http://www.co.ellis.tx.us/DocumentCenter/View/14879/Election-Day-Locations-Nov-2021
 
We have several meetings this week.  In case any more meetings are added after this newsletter goes out, please refer back to the city's calendar on the website: https://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php
 
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Monday, November 1, 2021
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5:00 PM - City Council Work Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 
 
This hour-long work session is dedicated to hearing a presentation regarding the Wynne Jackson Industrial Complex project, located near the Settler's Glen subdivision, West of IH35, between Patrick and Solon. This project is approximately 353 acres of Single Family zoned land that this particular developer wants to change to Light Industrial zoning (think distribution centers, not factories with smokestacks).  Staff is in support of this zoning change.  Council will not be making any decisions on this case during the work session or even at the 7:00 PM meeting.  This work session is for informational purposes and to get questions answered.

This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend.  Generally during work sessions, there is not a place where folks can make comments on what is being presented, but they often hold invaluable information.  I strongly recommend all those who are interested, to try and attend if possible.  It will not be live-streamed.
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6:00 PM - City Council Briefing Session
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


This briefing is being held to discuss items for the 7:00 PM regular meeting.  As with the work session, there is generally not a place for the public to make comments on items; however, the sessions and briefings are often full of information.  You are more than welcome to attend the briefing in person.  It is not live-streamed at this time.
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7:00 PM - City Council Regular Meeting
Council Chamber, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


19 - Consider proposed Resolution of votes cast to elect Directors for the Ellis Appraisal District for the years 2022-2023.  Because this item is not listed as a public hearing, if you'd like to have input on it, please mention it during the public comments section of the meeting at the beginning, or contact Council prior to the meeting.  The candidates are listed (in the order they appear on the ballot) as: 1) Logan Brady 2) Walter Erwin 3) Richard Keeler 4) Brett Kemp 5) John Knight 6) Ken Marks 7) Dani Muckleroy 8) Ryan Pitts.  There is a little paragraph about each candidate in the agenda packet, linked above.

22 - Consider request for funding from Sims Library for Bookmobile in the amount of $200,000.  Again, this item is not listed as a public hearing, so please provide input during the public comments portion of the meeting, or contact council members prior to the meeting.  As the City Council liaison to the Library Board, I've been privy to multiple meetings discussing the bookmobile.  It would sort of act as a second library branch, and one that is portable to be able to bring books, along with internet access to people in various areas of town.  The library does a great job of laying out their justification for this expenditure and how they can help residents of Waxahachie in the agenda packet, above. Our library has remained relevant in an ever-increasingly digital world by the numerous programs they offer for all ages.

23 & 24 - Convene into Executive Session & Reconvene regarding:
a) Consultation with attorney regarding pending or contemplated litigation
b) Deliberation regarding real property 
 
When Executive Sessions occur, the Council, city attorney and key staff members retreat to the Council Conference Room where private discussions are held.  There is only action taken on items when the Council reconvenes into the Council Chambers and then takes action.  Sometimes, we reconvene only to announce no action will be taken.
 
The Council meetings are open to the public and we highly encourage all residents to attend.  For those unable to make it to the meeting in person, Council meetings are also live-streamed on the city's website at: https://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php
 
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Tuesday, November 2, 2021
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**** Election Day ****  Information provided in the beginning of the newsletter, as well as on the Ellis County Elections website: http://www.co.ellis.tx.us/629/Upcoming-Elections
 
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Wednesday, November 3, 2021
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12:00 PM -  Civil Service Commission Regular Meeting
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


5 - General Commission Business
a) Consider the appointment of the new Civil Service Director
b) Consider the appointment of the new Civil Service Board Member

7 - Waxahachie Police
a) Action Items:  Certify Police Entrance Eligibility List created by Police Entry Test completed on October 16, 2021

This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend; however, this meeting will not be live-streamed.

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Thursday, November 4, 2021
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*** 8:30 AM *** - Ribbon Cutting for the new large Pavilion and Columbarium at the Waxahachie City Cemetery
City Cemetery Pavilion, 300 S. Hawkins St.
 
Per our Director of Communications & Marketing: The newly-completed pavilion and columbarium is located near Richards Park in the Waxahachie City Cemetery and offers a covered space for ceremonies and gatherings, as well as alternative burial options for cremated remains.  The new, beautifully landscaped structure offers a lovely option for a final resting place where loved ones may visit any time.
 
We would love to have residents come out and see the recent improvements made at our cemetery. 
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9:00 AM - Cemetery Board Regular Meeting
City Cemetery Pavilion
300 S. Hawkins Street, Waxahachie
 

This meeting is being held on site after the ribbon cutting ceremony.  The board will then:
 
3 - Reorganize the Board
 
4 - Approve the minutes of the City Cemetery Board meeting of September 2, 2021
 
5 - Discuss cemetery activities
 
This is a public meeting and you are welcome to attend.  The Cemetery Board meetings are not live-streamed.
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3:00 PM - Park Board Regular Meeting
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.
 

3 - Reorganize the Board

5 - Discuss park events and activities

6 - Hear update on park projects

This is a public meeting and all residents are invited to attend.  Park Board meetings are not live-streamed at this time.
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4:30 PM - Keep Waxahachie Beautiful Committee Regular Meeting
Council Conference Room, City Hall
401 S. Rogers St.


4 - Discuss Keep Waxahachie Beautiful events and activities

5 - Discuss and consider mascot and slogan for Keep Waxahachie Beautiful

6 - Discuss and consider a process of assigning tasks to committee members

This is a public meeting and you are more than welcome to attend.  KWB Committee meetings are not live-streamed at this time.  There is also a public comments section at the beginning of the meeting should you have an item you'd like to address the commission about.
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Those are all of the city meetings listed so far for this first week of November 2021!  Whew! There's a lot going on!  There are a lot of events for the holidays coming up as well.  Our CVB's events page is a great resource to keep on your radar so you don't miss out! https://www.waxahachiecvb.com/events

Please feel free to contact me regarding any item mentioned above or if you have any questions with which I can help!

I hope you have a FANTASTIC rest of your weekend and a WONDERFUL week ahead!!

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson, CMO
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com

 


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