City Council Preview – February 4, 2014
Your friendly neighborhood City Council meets once again on Tuesday at 4:30pm for a Work Session followed by a Regular Session at 6:30pm – both at the main City Hall at 215 E. McKinney Street in downtown Denton. Click here for a full agenda.
DENTON: MOSQUITOES’ WORST NIGHTMARE
During a council luncheon on Monday, we heard a report detailing the 2013 West Nile response plan by the city of Denton. Thanks to a dedicated and remarkably talented crew of city staffers and a strategic partnership with UNT, Denton’s approach to tracking, mapping, and data collection of the city’s mosquito population during West Nile season is among the very best in the nation. Check out our own Dr. Ken Bank’s publication on the subject in an edition of the very popular Stormwater Journal. If you haven’t already, take a look at this great GIS mapping tool indicating trapping events in the city.
FOOD TRUCKS – REVISIONS TO THE ORDINANCE
You might recall a series of public discussions this past summer in the ramp up to w
hat was supposed to be a 6 month review of the recently enacted food truck ordinance. The revisions to this ordinance have now been recommended to the council and we are set to vote on them. One particular provision – a rule prohibiting the operation of food trucks in parking places on city streets – has raised significant concern among many operators and downtown businesses who have developed positive, symbiotic relationships with these new food entrepreneurs. I am sympathetic to their concerns and look forward to the discussion. This new food truck culture has brought new life and new possibilities to new areas of downtown – it is not clear to me that making things harder for them to operate a business is the course we ought to be taking.
THIN LINE FILM FEST – FEB 12-16
Denton’s Thin Line Film Fest is coming up in a couple of weeks – this time with the addition of a live music line-up. We’ll be considering several requests for noise ordinance exceptions and alcohol sales during our meeting. Make sure you check out this cultural treasure for the city of Denton – go here for more info.
EXTENDING THE GAS DRILLING “STANDSTILL AGREEMENT”
The coexistence of gas drilling and neighborhoods has understandably resulted in several concerned citizens. We have been under a “Standstill Agreement” with EagleRidge Operation since December in the hopes of arriving at some global agreement addressing several city concerns. Those discussions continue to happen (I am part of the negotiating team for the city). In order to keep the talks going, we need to extend the agreement through March 4. For some context, consider the map below:
The green stars represent existing gas wells, many of which were drilled as far back as 2001. The most recent ordinance – particuarly the 1200 foot setback requirement – combined with a dense population and geological considerations has more or less resulted in a de facto ban on new fracking operations in the core of the city, East of I35. We now have to tackle the very significant problem of existing well sites West of I35. A successful resolution/agreement at the end of these Standstill Negotiations will go a long way toward addressing many of the issues concerning our citizens.
SUBSTATIONS!!
We will have two public hearings on two separate substation projects in the city – one north of Riney Road and East of Bonnie Brae Street and another located northeast of the intersection of Geesling Road and Blagg Road.
One Comment
Re: “One particular provision – a rule prohibiting the operation of food trucks in parking places on city streets – has raised significant concern among many operators and downtown businesses who have developed positive, symbiotic relationships with these new food entrepreneurs.” Anyone know what are the general arguments in favor of this change? Are other businesses requesting the change?