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ROWLETT RAMBLINGS

100th post

10/31/2014

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Soon, I'll be posting my 100th article since starting this blog site.  I would have to characterize my success with this blog as still unproven.  I take some solace in the belief that I am connecting with the more intelligent and informed citizenry.  I say that not to inflate your ego, but to give you some insight from my side of the keyboard. 

Of course I'm interested in my readers.  I watch things.  By watching my counter, I can say with conviction that my readership continues to slowly increase.  Over the past two weeks, I have averaged 158 hits per day.  My 2-week peak a couple of days ago was a very respectable 316 hits.  My all time record of 324 hits was achieved a couple of months ago.  My first two weeks with the blog, I averaged 63 hits per day.

The most interesting thing about my readership is the response I get.  It is quite low.  However, I know all my regular readers do not read the blog every day.  Some only "catch  up" every 3 or 4 days.  Therefore, my total number of readers would be estimated to be 400-500  persons.  I am delighted with that number.  Another interesting thing about my readers is that they don't say much. 

Typically, a gauge of reader acceptance or participation of any publication would be a high response rate.    I don't believe that's true in this case.  Please don't misunderstand.  I have absolutely nothing against Facebook.  It serves a function.  I even use it myself, occasionally.  However, I don't consider my readers to be limited to Facebook crowd only.  I consider them to be a little more sophisticated than that.  I like to think I write about more than social chatter.  Furthermore, I think my readers would read what I have to say, and if they disagreed with me, they would lower the boom.  They don't.  Therefore, I consider any absence of response as a positive.  I am writing about things that others have thought about.  I am not as much as a crusader as I thought.  It would appear to me that the only difference between me and four or five hundred other people in Rowlett is that I write about it.

But........reading and writing isn't good enough.  If you have a genuine interest in Rowlett's future, you must take action.  Now, I'm not asking for much.  You can leave the oxcarts, pitch forks,  and hungry children with dirty clothes in the garage.  We are not going to march on city hall.  We have to start slowly.  First, a little practice.  If you haven't voted by mail, or early voting, please spend just a few minutes dropping by your p0lling place and vote on Tuesday.  It's good practice and the experience will aid you in a year and a half when we have another local election.  You will need to be at the top of your game to vote in the next local election.  A couple of the mayoral candidates have already started campaigning with kissing babies and getting their name out in public.........over, and over, and over, and over......ugh.  Go vote!!

Happy Halloween!!  Took my 9 year old grandson to the Mavs game last night.  Row B seats and VIP parking.    What a blast.  Congrats to Rowlett High School marching band.  Going to the state.  All ain't bad in Rowlett.



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Comments

10/30/2014

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There are some new comments posted on the "Wha' Happened" post.
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Wha' happened in 2009?

10/28/2014

2 Comments

 
Below are some raw data.  I know it sounds like we're going to get into a boring discussion.  But, bear with me.  It will be interesting. 

I went on line and researched growth patterns of Rowlett, Rockwall, Wylie, Sachse, and Murphy.  The numbers below came substantially from the Texas State Library and Archives.  These are all towns that I compare with Rowlett and they essentially surround Rowlett on three sides.  I am not alone in observing what these cities have been doing to increase their tax base.  Other citizens have commented on the growth of these comparable towns.  These are interesting numbers and I think prove up a point.  My point is we have completely fumbled the football on nurturing Rowlett's tax base and planning for Rowlett's future.  This malfunction had opportunities  to right itself, but was terribly mishandled about the year 2009.

Let's look at the data, first.  Please familiarize yourself with some of the numbers below. 
The first thing you should notice is that this part of Texas  is doing pretty good.  In fact, our sister cities were doing very good.  Rowlett was doing okay for the most part, but just okay.  Rowlett was only ho hum for our part of the world.  But, Rowlett itself was kinda ho hum.  We had no front door........still don't.  We had no major highway during these years.  We completely ignored the lake frontages.  We had no real commercial development except along highway #66.   I wrote a newspaper column in the Dallas Morning News whereby I said the only new people we met were people that were lost and looking for directions to Rockwall or Garland.  We were growing at an okay clip simply because Dallas was spilling out over it's cup.  Rowlett was growing at about 2% a year and a lot of small towns in this country would be delighted with that. 

However, over those sleepy years, something began to happen in Rowlett.  The long awaited Geo. Bush Toll Way and DART were coming to town.  There seem to be a new awareness about Rowlett.  Citizens began to think about what Rowlett could be.  Someone noticed, "Hey, we have a lake in the middle of our town."   We had a pretty nice town in 2009 and construction either had started or was beginning to start on the toll way and the DART station.  Life was good.  The future was bright.

Then something happened.  Look at the statistics above.  In 2009, Rowlett flat lined while our sister cities continued on with excellent growth.......and this was during the real estate recession.  From 2009 to 20012, Rowlett dropped to an average annual increase in population rate of 0.7%  while our sister cities continued on at rates of 5%, 9%, 11%, and 24%.  Rockwall had the closest rate and it was seven times higher than Rowlett.  Other rates were 13, 16, and Murphy's ridiculous 34 times Rowlett's growth rate.  These growth rates were flying in the face of Rowlett's economic stimulus of the GBTW and DART.  Rowlett was  getting more stimulus than any other city and dying on the vine.  It was abrupt, immediate, and nearly brutal.  Rowlett just stopped..........as did the tax base.  Actually, the tax base began to erode a bit because nothing was being added and the properties that were on the tax roll were depreciating in value.  Our tax revenue was dying for lack of new blood, leaving the only options of raising the tax rate and take away much of the senior's  exemption. 

Wha' happened?  Do you have a clue?  Is it fixed?  How do you fix something if you don't know the problem?  The numbers above are not mine.  They were compiled by the State of Texas.  Those numbers are facts.  There is no spin.  You could not set off a nuclear bomb in Rowlett without harming Rockwall, Sachse, Wylie, and Murphy.  However, somehow something happened to Rowlett that did not have an effect on the other towns.  Based on their superb growth record, they were totally unfazed.  What happened? 

Aw.  Come on, now.  Tell me what happened.

Okay, now you say there is some commercial development in Rowlett.  There is.  All of it is on Lakeview Parkway.  This development has nothing to do with GBTW  or DART.  It would have happened anyway because Dallas continues to spill out over it's cup. 

The awesome wisdom coming out of 2009 provided for office  and distribution centers built on toll ways.  You don't build office buildings and distribution centers on toll ways without other free access some way.  This wisdom has essentially deed restricted North Shore.  Two major upscale neighborhoods were denied zoning.  These two subdivisions would have produced $1.2 million a year in tax revenue.  One other  subdivision was approved if you like urban living.  That is, houses about 12 feet apart and lots about the size of a souped-up throw rug.    There will be parks, tho. 

We have learned about 380 Grants.  That way we can give away the store in the interest of "progress."  My last count was about $11 million for  The Village.  We won't get any tax revenue from The Village for 15 years.  We learned to give away valuable land in downtown Rowlett to applicants that have never run a restaurant, let alone the three restaurants promised.  The citizens don't even know if the people the land was given to can even perform.   Apparently, we have other apartments working thru the system somewhere.  I don't know what we're giving them. 

I think some good will come out of some projects, but I don't expect a glowing report anytime soon.  The misuse of North Shore is just downright nuts.  The Dallas Morning News has an article almost every day about business growth just 20-25 minutes up the toll way crying out for upscale housing and our "leaders" can't read.   The toll road provides a very comfortable commute for these executives.   The growth numbers are saying Rowlett is way behind area cities in residential development,  but our "leaders" can't add.  I'm afraid to ask if our "leaders" can hear.  They don't seem to listen. 

There is damage that has been done.  Much can not be reversed.  It is my ardent hope that we can rectify the situation and administer to any remaining assets in the manner in which they should be.  In 2008, I wrote a column in the Dallas Morning News whereby Rowlett was at a crossroads.  I wrote that the decisions we make in the next few years would effect Rowlett for the next 100 years.  I wrote that we will have one chance to get it right.  Others have copied that line and dropped it at an appropriate time.  I meant it.  The others were just being cute.

So......what happened in 2009?

Well, I'll give you a clue.  All the decisions above were substantially the result of the same culture that was instilled in Rowlett in 2009.  The decisions above were made by Staff, P&Z, and City Council members that are residue of that 2009 incident.  Some are still around and continue to control much of Rowlett's misguided planning .   Have you figured it out, yet?

Lynda Hubble was hired as City Manager in 2009.  Rowlett promptly flat-lined.  DART and the Geo. Bush toll way were  not enough to re-start the breathing.  Growth was stifled.  Just look at the numbers.
2 Comments

380 Grants revisited

10/26/2014

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There has been some recent email interest in 380 Grants........presumably because they come into play on the recent downtown land give away for restaurants.

If you would revisit some blog posts in May, say May 26 thru May 31, there is considerable discussion of 380 Grants.  There is also some 380 Grant discussion continuing into June.    It's good review. 

Frankly, I am kinda upset because Rowlett "officialdom" doesn't explain how 380 Grants work.  They would be better informed than I.......and certainly more official.  Altho, I did get my initial information from the State Comptroller's Office.

The mayor has made recent comments regarding the misinformation circulating around......specifically regarding the Blacklands Corridor.  I have a novel idea.  Why don't we review the issue of  misinformation out of city hall? 

Below is an answer I sent to an inquiring mind.
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I don't know the particulars of the 380 Grants.  However, I did call the Texas Comptroller's office and talked to a very helpful person in that department.   

Essentially, he told me that 380 Grants were grants devised to help with financial aid and incentives for developers wishing to start development in a city.  The city earmarks certain funds that come in during the regular course of collecting taxes.  These funds are  then set aside for their special purpose.  More recently, those funds would be allocated to return the purchase price of the land for the restaurants to the developer. 

 To simplify matters, the city  sets aside regular tax money to return to the developers in the form of 380 Grants.  It's my understanding that this is not special tax money.  It comes right out of the general fund.   What particularly irritates me is the fact that Rowlett staff writes these staff reports, knowing full well the citizens may read them, and still they do not explain where 380 Grants come from.  I think it is blatantly misleading and manipulative to refer to 380 Grants without explanation, thus leading a casual observer into thinking this must be Texas or USA money.  It isn't.  It's your local money.  

When the Staff Report says the developer is "purchasing" the land, it is horribly misleading.  The city is giving the developer the money (380 Grants) to buy the land.  What angers me about City Council is that they know this is going on.  They quietly endorse this behavior to keep the citizens off their back.  They know there is less "blowback" if the citizens are ignorant of the fact that their money went into building a pastry restaurant instead of repairing a street.  The payback from a pastry restaurant would take many, many years to recover with sales taxes.

I'm not convinced a pastry restaurant will even work in downtown Rowlett.  Council just wants something to be built in downtown so that they can brag about the good work they're doing.  They totally "blew" the vetting of the restaurant land give away.
 

This type of misleading behavior just angers me "a whole bunch."

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Free flow of information

10/25/2014

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Many times on this blog site, I have written that opposing opinions to mine do not bother me.   It is far more important to me to have intelligent debate, based on a review of the facts, rather that opposing opinions that are totally unsubstantiated by facts.   I have written that that is the American Way.  That is the best way in which to probably make the right decisions.  In my way of thinking, there is nothing more of a waste of time than listening to opinions in which no facts are cited.  Those opinions are meaningless and worthless. 

The recent "dust up" between Councilman Rick Shefield and myself clearly sets out my point.   Rick seemed to feel he was clearly justified in reaching a conclusion and casting a vote without sharing the facts with the Rowlett citizens.  I strongly deny that right to do so.  I wanted to know the questions and answers discussed in this "giveaway."  I presumed the citizens of Rowlett would, also.  However, Rick wasn't the only one to take that position.  I received a call from another council member.  In that call, a similar comment was made.  It was said that they, too, were satisfied with the answers given in Executive Session, in which no citizen was welcome.   That story didn't get any better the second time I heard it. 

In my opinion, the facts of which are substantially supported by my previous blog postings, our city council and staff are either withholding information or manipulating information to achieve certain preordained results.  I am saddened by this.  I fault staff for much of this and the city council for allowing it to happen.  As I wrote earlier, they could have been telling jokes in Executive Session.  The citizens would never know.  To double-down and look over the top of their glasses and chastise me for sarcasm, is almost a surefire formula for additional new and better sarcasm. 

There is no shame in publically debating an issue, then  losing to a superior argument.   There is shame in manipulating the facts or denying access to the facts.  What happened to "transparency?"  It never did exist, anyway. 

To hide a weaker position in a debate behind elitist behavior is just downright unacceptable; in my opinion, of course.  You guys make up your own minds.  It's only your money, town, and future.





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Another comment from Mike

10/24/2014

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Mike Lancaster posted another comment.  I blew up the first one.  It's only fair to blow up this one, also.
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Ron,

Thanks for the kind words. There are a great many other people in Rowlett who deserve them more than I ever will, so I accept your thanks for them.

Your mention of the word "logjam" brings to mind another thing that was wrong with the Blacklands Corridor, at least for the majority of people in Rowlett. That road would simply make things worse for us by allowing greater numbers of vehicles (especially trucks) to get from points east & north to the PGBT. Where were the plans to effectively move those vehicles from there to the rest of the metro area, or beyond? Traffic planning for the DFW area has to include complete solutions, not half-baked ones like this.

As to the back-and-forth between Rick and you concerning the "math," I think you're both right. He is correct in saying he didn't make up the numbers, and dividing the larger by the smaller does give a result of approximately 11. I should not have made fun of that estimate or the manner in which it was presented. Rick is a good guy and he was trying to make his point that he believes the deal is good for the city, and therefore for the taxpayers. While I don't agree with his appraisal of the deal, I feel I owe him an apology.

As Rick is entitled to his opinion of the deal, so are you. I happen to agree with your position on this and thank you for continuing to work for the citizens of our community in an unofficial capacity through your blog. I hope your readership continues to increase so greater numbers in our community will inquire deeper into the business of the city.

While I question some of the recent decisions of the council, I respect them individually and as a whole for their efforts on our behalf. I know they are privy to information that I am not, and so, once decisions have been made, even those that I don't like, I believe they are representing us to the best of their ability and hope events work out to prove me wrong and them right.

Keep up the good fight!

Mike Lancaster



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Bye Bye Blacklands Corridor

10/23/2014

1 Comment

 
Well, if the proposed Blacklands Corridor is not dead, it is certainly on life support.  It looks like only TxDot can save it, and I think that is unlikely. 

It's failure is pretty understandable.  First, the developers made absolutely deplorable assumptions about the Texas people.  Their attitude seemed to be that they were wanting the citizens to support giving up their land for the tollway, help the developer's profit motives,  and not need give anything in return.   They further  brandished around the Imminent Domain hammer in a form of threat.   They offered to give absolutely nothing in return for the confiscated land.  You know, I wasn't born in Texas, but I've been here over 50 years.  I know this.  Only a fool would attempt to take something from a Texan and offer nothing in return; particularly when a threat is "hinted."  That is a receipe for at least a fist fight.  The turnpike executives should have been smarter than that.  They weren't. 

However, only the small problem was fixed.  The big one was not. 

In order for we in North Central Texas to continue to enjoy the fruits of prosperity, the metroplex must continue to prosper.   It must not stagnate, or worse, reverse it's plight, such as Detroit.   It must continue to grow and create well paying jobs.  It must develop a superb lifestyle.  Most people don't live in the whole city, but just part of it.  The Murphys, the Wylies, the Rockwalls, and the Rowletts can create their own personalities, depending on the ingredients available to them.  This growth and prosperity would most assuredly produce another 200,000 residents in the northeast corner of the metroplex over the next 20 years.  That is where the vacant land is.  When this land fills up with homes, the traffic situation will be horrendous unless some planning is done now.  Highways #78 and #544 are inundated to the north.  I-30 is like LBJ during rush hours.  Rowlett is a joke on Lakeshore Parkway during rush hours just before entering the Bush Tollway.  The stop light salesman made a fortune selling stoplights on Lakeshore Parkway........then forgot how to time them.  These bottlenecks are just a preview of what's to come. 

The Blacklands Corridor apparently has been defeated.  There were circumstances under which I think the toll way would have been acceptable.  Unfortunately, the developers did not come forward with the right conditions to properly  allow  the communities they needed to participate in the rewards.  They didn't bring anything of value to the table.  They didn't have anything to trade.  Understandably, they got beat down.     

But, the real problem did not go away.  In fact, I know nothing on the horizon that attempts to mitigate the coming logjam. 
1 Comment

good stuff in Texas

10/22/2014

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Ya know, Texas has lots of good wonderful stuff.  Beaches, forests, prairies, oil, industry, charm, etc., are all part of Texas.  However, the very best thing Texas has is October. 
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Kudos to the city.

10/21/2014

0 Comments

 
There are some things I don't write enough about.  Frankly, I just don't have the time.  However, I think about them.  Those things are the small things that Rowlett "officialdom" gets right.  There are many dedicated employees in various departments that someone in "officialdom" had to have the good sense to hire.  There are good dedicated employees and department heads that I know personally and they do a great job.  There are individuals that volunteer their time to further the benefits of living in Rowlett; to help make Rowlett a good place to live.  Good examples are Mike Lancaster, of Keep Rowlett Beautiful, and Wayne Baxter and Lonnie Cornwell of the Parks Advisory Board.  There are many, many others. 

This morning, I received a generic email from the Mayor.  Todd was requesting that all citizens who still had debris remaining from the windstorm a couple of weeks ago, to fill out a form  on line and the city would get to them.  That was a nice gesture, the thought of which was originally conjured up by someone in "officialdom" that cares.  Maybe it was Todd.  Maybe someone else in "officialdom."   But, whoever it was, good job. 

My blog is about a single purp0se.  It is about the nurturing of the tax base.  That purpose requires good real estate development logic and good development underwriting criteria.  It also requires free flow of pertinent information from Rowlett "officialdom" to the citizens.  It is imperative that the citizens are comfortable with the knowledge that is being shared by "officialdom."  That knowledge is necessary to throw their support behind Rowlett leadership.   Remove the free flow of  knowledge, and you remove the support.  That has not always been true of Rowlett leadership.

It is easy for me to write about things I know about, but sometimes forget the other things I know to be good.  That is not my intention.  Actually, if our "officialdom" weren't such blockheads about tax base, I wouldn't have much to write about.  Our tax base would be growing like a weed.
0 Comments

Dumb and dumber

10/19/2014

0 Comments

 
Ya know, I was sitting here staring at a blank screen, not thinking about anything in particular.......but thinking about things in general.  I thought about some of the information that city hall should have told us.  Then I thought about what had been withheld.  I thought about the Facebook messages and the short politispeak speeches given at council meetings and city hall's attitudes in general.  It occurred to me that all of Rowlett "officialdom" must think that no one in Rowlett achieved anything higher than a 3rd grade education.  I would not characterize Rowlett residents exactly that way.  In fact, I think you have to be pretty dumb to do that.

Have you heard anything about 380 Grants, yet?  How many office complexes and distribution centers are lined up for North Shore land?  Does the city of Rowlett still think it's investment in the Villages is $6 million?  You still think the city gets the land back if the restaurants don't work?

If you "buy into" that, I can see where the confusion comes. 
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