Little Elm begins bond package talks
By LAURA CHILDRESS

While the need to relocate and rebuild Little Elm’s central firestation is undeniable with plans for the widening of Eldorado Parkway 90 percent completed, Town Manger Ivan Langford noted during Tuesday’s council meeting that the project is merely one of many on the town’s list of capital improvements projects.

Although the rebuilding of the central firestation, now planned as part of a joint police and fire public safety facility, may be the most pressing, with the widening of Eldorado expected to begin next summer, Langford said the list of projects is long and distinguished, ranging from a recreation center to parking and street improvements in Little Elm Park to adult softball fields to a new library complex to a bridge on Witt Road.

“We have nearly $50 million in projects with no funding whatsoever,” he said.

“If we build an $8 million firestation it’s going to take away from some other projects identified as important by the council.” Langford added that the town could issue $16 million in bonds, which would increase the tax rate by around 10 cents.

With the town expecting to receive around $3 million from TxDOT for the relocation of the firestation, he noted that the council could consider issuing certificates of obligation for the remainder of the funding if it didn’t want to want for a bond election to begin construction of the new public safety facility. That, however, would reduce the amount of bonds that could be sold.

Councilwoman Beverly Hughes said that to her the public safety facility and pedestrian tunnel needed to be at the top of the council’s list of priorities.

Fellow council members argued that staffing was equally important.

Mayor Frank Kastner said that the council also needed to gather the public’s input and find out what projects the citizens feel are most important.

Toward that the end, the council authorized staff to begin seeking members for a 2009 bond committee, with a bond package tentatively to go before voters next May.

In addition, the council also authorized the formation of a charter review committee.

With the widening of Eldorado Parkway not expected to be completed until three years after the opening of the toll bridge, the council also approved a resolution requesting assistance from the Texas Department of Transportation regarding the installation of temporary traffic signals.

“We need to explore every avenue to ensure the flow of traffic through town,” Town Manager Ivan Langford said.

Langford noted the town is requesting temporary signals be installed at Garza, Clark/Hardwicke, Wynfield and Witt, as well as an emergency signal in front of the central firestation.

Doug Peach, public works director, said that while several locations had already been approved for signals, they had yet to be installed because of the pending road improvements with TxDOT not wanting to fund the projects twice.

The council also approved new water, wastewater and thoroughfare impact fee rates.

Peach noted that while the capital improvements advisory committee had recommended setting the rates at the maximum allowable by the state, staff was recommending a more moderate approach to remain competitive in the area.

Town engineer Jason Laumer added that by setting impact fees at the maximum level, the council could give the impression that the town was against further commercial development.

“If we set impact fees at the max, commercial developers could just cross us off the list,” he said.

While staff recommended that wastewater impact fees be set at 50 percent of the max, water impact fees at 80 percent and thoroughfare impact fees at 60 percent, the council approved setting the fees at 80 percent across the board, a level that would still keep the town fairly competitive in the area.

In other business during Tuesday’s council meeting: * The Little Elm Festival Committee presented a donation of $1,000 toward July Jubilee and $10,000 to the Little Elm Parks Department to upgrade electrical vendor booths for town festivals.

* The town renewed its two-year contract with Patricia Adamas as municipal court judge.

* The council approved a request by Denton County Elections Administrator Don Alexander to use town hall for county elections between August 2008 and July 2009 including the Presidential election in November. Alexander noted that only Precinct 115 will be voting at Little Elm Town Hall. Pct. 130 voters will cast their ballots at Living Word Baptist Church, while those in Pct. 135 will vote at an amenities center to be determined south of Hwy. 380. With 75 percent of the registered voters expected to turn out for the Presidential election, Alexander added that early voting will be available Oct. 27-31 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Frisco Lakes amenities center.

* The council held a public hearing and continued work on amending an ordinance to allow registered and licensed in-home daycare providers to care for up to 12 children, as provided under state regulations.

While “registered” and “licensed” providers are required to undergo training and subject to state inspections, members of the Little Elm Childcare Association noted that daycare providers who are merely “listed” with the state must simply pay a $35 registration fee and undergo a background check.  The council recommended that the new ordinance not apply to listed providers. Instead they would fall under state guidelines limiting them to three children.

* The council approved an amendment to its code of ordinances regulating alternative financial institutions including check cashing, loan and pawn shops and establishing location criteria to prevent clustering.

* The council approved an interim town center district zoning while form-based codes for the proposed town center project are developed.

* The council approved the consent agenda, consisting of the minutes of the June 3 precouncil meeting, public hearing and regular council meeting and June 10 budget workshop; a final plat of Frisco Hills Phase 1, a 292-lot development located southwest of the intersection of US Hwy. 380 and Doe Creek Road in the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction; and authorized the police department’s community services division to accept a $5,000 McGruff Grant.

* The council approved a budget amendment by the Little Elm Economic Development Corporation, providing for professional services relating to the establishment of tax increment financing districts.

* The council appointed Councilman Brandon Gerard as mayor pro tem.

* The council authorized the fire department to apply for a SAFER Grant to help provide funding for three firefighters.