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Dallas City Hall
District 12
Enews
September 29, 2020
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Connecting You With City Information, News, and Resources |
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Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn
Current Council appointments:
*Government Performance and Financial Management, Vice Chair
*Public Safety
*Housing and Homeless Solutions
*COVID-19
*Legislative, Vice Chair
*Regional Transportation Council
*City Council Representative to Texas Municipal League Policy Summit
*National League of Cities Youth, Education, and Families Council
*Women in Municipal Government
Need some help?
Community Resources are available to assist with utility payments, employment assistance, food pantries, childcare assistance, seniors, homeless, mental health resources, and more. Please visit:
FREE COVID-19 testing locations:
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Hello District 12,
A new season has begun with gorgeous fall weather, Friday night high school football, and for the Jewish faith, a new year. May it be a season of good health, happiness and success for all.
Please continue to follow the COVID-19 protocols by wearing masks when you are with people who do not live with you, maintaining 6' distance, and washing your hands frequently. Also, please consider getting a flu shot this year, even if it is not something you typically do.
The city council passed the annual budget with a small tax rate decrease, more dollars for road repair and maintenance, and key services like libraries and parks funded for when the city manager determines they can fully open.
The public safety budget, which was at risk of $7 million in cuts to police overtime from an amendment supported by other Councilmembers, was revised after public outcry. The revision reinvested the $7 million in civilian staff for the police department and programs suggested by the Mayor's Task Force on Violent Crime. These are important items to fund, but the Police Chief and City Manager made it clear the police overtime was needed. Please know that DPD will still show up when you call 911, even if the overtime dollars run out. In that scenario, the City Manager will ask the city council to take dollars from the emergency reserve account. The proposed budget already had a decrease to overtime and the passed budget actually funded police overtime at $11 million less than what was spent this fiscal year. Because this is irresponsible budgeting, and there are 600+ less Dallas police officers than ten years ago, and we are facing more murders and aggravated assaults than we have seen in more than ten years, I could not vote in favor of this budget. The budget passed on a vote of 9-6.
I believe the city council missed an opportunity to lower tax rates further, invest more in street repair, help address known poverty issues and urgent needs in the city. The city also did not live up to a contract signed just last year regarding pay for police and firefighters/EMTs. Instead, many pet projects passed, again, with a 9-6 split on most votes.
I appreciate all the input and support from District 12 residents through the budget process and welcome your continued feedback.
If you need help with anything, please contact us at the phone number and email below.
Regards, Cara
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A Bunch of Miscellaneous Things... |
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Mosquitoes are a big problem this year. With no hard freeze last winter, they seem to be everywhere. The City of Dallas tests mosquito pools all over the city and has found many positive for West Nile Virus. When found positive, the big trucks come to spray in the evening. They will not come spray unless they find a positive West Nile Virus mosquito. To report standing water or mosquito problems Dallas residents should call 3-1-1. To be added to the City of Dallas Do Not Spray list contact 3-1-1. For additional information on mosquito control, visit www.dallascitynews.net/fightthebite.
- Dallas Love Field, which is fully owned by the City of Dallas, has soared to the top spot on the list of North America's best large airports, according to rankings released by J.D. Power. Can't wait until we all feel comfortable getting on a plane again!
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National Night Out 2020 is on Tuesday, October 6th and it is going virtual. There are planning ideas on the City's Planning and Urban Design webpage here: https://www.dallascitynews.net/2020-national-night-goes-virtual. You can pick up a party packet (while supplies last) starting 10/1 by contacting: Jared Pomponio at 214-670-7253 at the North Central police station.
- Some good news... The Dallas Business Journal has a story that despite some companies pausing projects due to COVID-19, Texas has more potential corporate relocations and expansions in the pipeline than before the pandemic hit, according to a top state economic development official.
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Statistics shared by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce: Since 2008 our statewide percentage of high school graduates attempting a post-secondary credential has dropped from 60% to 49% and our percentage of students succeeding in earning a degree have dropped from 33% to 29%. Only 2% of our high school graduates earned vocational certificates, something our workforce desperately needs.
- Alleys reconstruction was approved last week for: 4204-4328 Country Brook, 6203-6251 Gray Wolf Trail, 6211-6247 Bentwood Trail, 5211-5315 Hilton Head Drive, 4708-4724 River Hill Circle, 5310-5420 Hilton Head Drive, 5305-5323 Harbor Town Drive, 18627-18851 Park Grove Lane, 4007-4131 Kirkmeadow Lane, 5902-5942 Tree Shadow Trail, and 5901-5923 Flintshire Court.
- If you're a new HOA president or apartment manager, please call or email the District 12 office so the list can stay up to date. There are times we have information to share with you directly.
- You can now track the status of homeless encampments. The Office of Homeless Solutions and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) division have collaborated to create a live dashboard which shows the status of service requests related to homeless encampments. The dashboard pulls data each day from existing service requests including service request status, comments, location and length of time open. The dashboard can be filtered by council district (we are district 12) for tracking the progress of encampment resolution efforts. Here's the link to the dashboard: https://dallasgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ccd41f0d795f407a94ae17e2c27bf073
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Parkland will offer Walk-in Wednesday flu shot services at all of its community-based health centers from 9 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 4 p.m. No appointment is needed. For a list of locations, please visit www.parklandhospital.com/locations.
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The State Fair is cancelled but there is a State Fair drive through experience. Learn more and get your tickets at www.BigTex.com.
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Hillcrest Green Park is continuing to make progress. If you've driven by, you can see the pavilion installation has begun, the center lawn area's grading and sub drainage is nearly complete and the pavers and wall tile are nearing completion. The ribbon cutting date has not been set, but it will be late October or early November. Retail leases continue to be strong and the developer is very pleased with the response. Page 11 has a listing of signed leases for the property and more are coming soon. https://shopcompanies.com/sites/default/files/Hillcrest%20Village%20Presentation.v2_0.pdf?v=1599595509
- The family homeless shelter is still under negotiation with the city real estate office so there is no new update.
- Dallas Animal Services has a grant to help people struggling to pay for pet food or veterinary services. To access help, just call 311. The goal is to help people and pets stay together, even through really rough times.
- The Cotton Belt Rail line has begun construction in the other cities along the line. Permits for Dallas have not been released, as the transportation department engineers make sure all elements of the contract are followed, including the pump station we were able to get moved to the NE corner buried underground instead of the SW corner in a building behind homes. Once permits are released, Hillcrest Road will probably be closed for 6 months from McCallum to McKamy as they redesign the road to be 18 feet below ground level. An enews with all the specifics will be sent and I'll be able to provide an update every two weeks on construction.
- If you believe you are facing unlawful eviction, please contact the Dallas Office of Fair Housing and Human Rights, 214-670-3247.
- In the 2017 bond, voters approved funding to repair and restore buildings at Fair Park. With the State Fair cancelled (drive through Fair experience is open!), you may not get a chance to see all of the progress. The Hall of State, which is nearly complete from its $14 million renovation and restoration project, has had a full restoration to the exterior, ADA improvements, plumbing and HVAC upgrades, and interior restoration, including lighting fixtures. The historic gem will reopen to the public in October. Visit www.dallashistory.org for more information.
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Renner Frankford Library will join Timberglen Library and Fretz Park Libraries with the Library to Go program starting 10/1.
Many people have asked when the libraries will open, and the answer is unknown at this time. Because the City of Dallas is still under an emergency health order, the City Manager is the sole decision-maker on reopening city services. There is a reopening transition plan that has been pushed back several times as the city experienced spikes in COVID-19 cases.
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TONIGHT! RSVP before 5pm if you'd like to attend. |
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Ladies, do you feel left out of the conversation about improving public safety in Dallas? If you live or work in Dallas, let's work together to make sure ALL of our children, seniors, families, and businesses can thrive in a safe city. If you'd like to be part of the movement to make Dallas the safest large city in America, let's start talking about how to make it happen! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/fjK5iAUPH61cUKvx5
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Elections are run by the county, not by the city. If you have questions about mail-in voting, polling locations, COVID-19 procedures, or anything else, please contact your county office. Here are the websites for the county offices:
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Navaz and I are thrilled to have a new staff member joining the District 12 office starting October 1. He's already a City of Dallas employee, is bilingual, and is transferring from Library Services. A proper enews introduction will be in the next edition. |
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Last Chance - Census Ends 9/30/20 |
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In District 12, we're #2 for response rates in the city, but that still means about 30% of our district hasn't completed the census yet.
Every person counted helps determine how funding for roads, fire trucks, and schools will be allocated. Please fill it out today by going to www.2020census.gov. It is quick, important, confidential, and legally required for all who live in the United States.
Please take a minute to mention the census to a friend, your adult kids, your parents, and neighbors and let's make sure as many people as possible have responded. Thanks for your help!
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Need help, got a question, or want to give input?
Email: Cara.Mendelsohn@DallasCityHall.com
Office phone: (214) 670-4067
Text phone: (214) 490-1036
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