Government transparency, a proposed power plant near Denton Airport and firefighter staffing were hotly debated topics at two forums this week for Denton City Council candidates.
Residents from the Denia Neighborhood Association questioned Denton mayoral and City Council candidates Monday about transparency and a proposed power plant near the Denton Airport for about two hours.
Other topics discussed included the building of a new city animal shelter, the candidates’ thoughts on stricter tree ordinances, code enforcement, what candidates hope to see in a new gas drilling ordinance, creating a resident-friendly and business-friendly atmosphere at City Hall, Rayzor Ranch developments and candidates’ thoughts on an indoor smoking ban.
About 50 people attended the forum Monday.
Candidates kicked off the forum by responding to how city government can be more transparent.
Donna Woodfork, a 42-year-old marketing director challenging current Mayor Mark Burroughs and former council member Neil Durrance for the mayor’s seat, said city leaders must realize “that the citizen is at the top of the organization hierarchy and that’s where we’re falling behind.”
Durrance, a 55-year-old lawyer, said transparency begins with leadership. Open and honest government and an open city must be projected by leadership and must follow the law, he said, adding that the City Council should use closed-session meetings sparingly.
Burroughs, a 54-year-old lawyer, said transparency comes from a couple of sources — treating local residents and neighborhood groups on an equal plane with business sources, experts and consultants and a respect level provided from the city.
James King, the incumbent in the Place 6 at-large seat and a 51-year-old insurance agent, and his opponent, 57-year-old coffee shop owner and veteran candidate Mike Sutton, said transparency comes down to volunteerism. David Zoltner, a candidate for the at-large Place 5 seat, said there’s a big difference between transparency and public involvement.
“You’ll never get a handle, never get a handle on transparency until you respect the Open Meetings Act and every exception to closed sessions,” said Zoltner, 65. “Transparency is one thing and one thing only and that’s the Texas Open Meetings Act and respect for the law.”
Pete Kamp, the Place 5 incumbent and a 59-year-old businesswoman, said the City Council needs to follow its attorney’s advice about whether meetings are open or closed. Many of Denton’s closed meetings occur because Denton runs its own utility. “Other cities do not, so we have more closed sessions,” she said.
Larry Frederick, a 50-year-old general contractor challenging Kamp and Zoltner for the Place 5 seat, said transparency is a connection between the public and City Council. He said it’s important to know concerns of residents before taking a vote in closed session and to be clear with them after a decision has been made.
Candidates were also asked whether they thought it was a good idea for the city to seek a state law to bypass a charter provision requiring voter approval to build a power plant and sell natural gas to industries near Interstate 35W and the Denton Airport.
Durrance said he found the council’s decision “a clear error of disrespect” to Denton residents and democratic processes. He questioned why the council went before state legislators rather than local residents. He added residents should be heard.
“If you can’t go out to the people, make your case and get it passed, then you probably don’t need to be doing it,” Durrance said.
Burroughs said the project was taken to state legislators because of a timing issue. Later in the forum, he said that it doesn’t mean residents won’t have a say on the project and that he supports an election.
“What was done with the Legislature opened a window of opportunity, and that’s all it did,” Burroughs said. “All it did was create a groundwork to identify boundaries … if it were to be enacted, and it has not … been enacted.”
King said such a power plant would benefit the city by providing an economic development tool. He later added that the project will continue to be vetted by the council, and though the city hasn’t committed to build, it does have the ability to do so. He said he doesn’t think any council would proceed with building something without the revenue source to do so.
Sutton said there’s a problem with how the city went about the project. He asked if residents hadn’t said anything about it, would the council have snuck it by them, further proving a need for open government.
Zoltner said the power plant might be a good idea and he could even be an advocate for it, but the council’s decision to bypass voters and get state legislators to pass a bill to build the plant is “outrageous.” He said he’s concerned with 12 words in the ordinance: “nothing herein shall be interpreted to otherwise limit development within the district.”
“My legal folks tell me you can break ground tomorrow on those 12 words, so I’m deeply troubled by what’s happening here. So if there’s a commitment to any of the incumbents here to go ahead and have a charter vote, let’s do it,” Zoltner said.
Kamp said the only decisions the City Council has made thus far are the boundaries, industrial and not residential. She said she supports involvement from residents and a public vote on the plant.
“We can still have that election,” Kamp said. “Our timing is not so critical that we have to get it in there to turn someone down that is going to bring jobs, high-paying jobs, here. We can still have an election, and I support that.”
Frederick said the plant is a good idea, but he also opposes how the council went about the project. The city charter should have been followed, he said.
Woodfork said there needs to be accountability. She opposes what was done and said residents should be given the opportunity to share their comments and submit issues that concern them in an open forum.
Denton Firefighters Association
All eight candidates for council and mayoral seats took part in the Denton Firefighters Association forum Tuesday night, but after two hours of answering questions, none of them received an endorsement.
The association traditionally sponsors the forum and asks candidates questions about firefighter-related issues, and association members then meet and vote on which candidates should receive the endorsements. This year members decided not to give any of them a thumbs-up, said Mike Holdsclaw, chairman of the association’s political action committee.
“The incumbents already know why we didn’t endorse them,” Holdsclaw said. “It was because of the staffing issue when they didn’t support us. There were some knowledgeable candidates opposing them, but we didn’t feel that any of them rose to the level of endorsement.”
The forum was moderately attended by the general public. Association members used a program to present their views on an ongoing issue with the city about the number of firefighters needed to staff each engine or truck. Industry standards recommend that each apparatus hold four firefighters. In 2010, council members approved a fire department budget cutting overtime to the point that it reduced the staffing at some stations that had been able to fund four firefighters down to three. Stations 6 and 7, which serve the southern edges of the city, were running with four firefighters because it takes longer for other units to arrive. That ended with the overtime cuts.
The first question directed to the eight contenders was their willingness to instruct the city staff to discuss in good faith the issue of minimum staffing through discussions with the association. In recent years the association has enjoyed the status of “meet and confer,” which is akin to a labor contract with the city.
“I voted for meet-and-confer the first time it came to a vote and every time it has come to a vote since, and I will next time,” Kamp said.
Frederick said he plans to support the meet-and-confer issue as well.
Zoltner said he would definitely support the issue.
“I do have a lot to learn about it,” Zoltner said.
King said he supports meet-and-confer, and Sutton said he also would support the issue if he were elected.
Burroughs said that so far the meet-and-confer contract has “worked marvelously.”
“It puts the power in the hands of you guys,” he said. “It is the best way to establish priorities.”
Durrance said he supported staffing to the national standard.
“It is not only necessary, it is time,” the Denton lawyer said.
Woodfork said she has done the math and supports four-firefighter crews.
“Mathematically, I know how many it takes to put out a fire,” she said. “I want you all to go home safely to your families every night.”
All the candidates were in favor of taking the long-awaited fire and police training facility off the back burner, where it has languished for two years in the wake of budget cuts.
“Yeah, what did happen to that?” asked Sutton in answer to the question. “I’d like to know myself.”
“The great recession happened to it,” King said. “I would like to see it coming back. The plan was it would be used by other departments who would pay for the use.”
Zoltner said he knows of promises for at least 17 years but no delivery of money to build the facility has been forthcoming.
“I need to know what is going on,” he said.
Frederick said he needs more information about it.
“Once I’m involved in the budget process, I will look into it,” he said.
Kamp said she is the training facility’s staunchest supporter.
“It will be top priority in the next bond election,” she said.
Woodfork said the city must ensure proper training for firefighters and sufficient equipment.
“I want to put safety at No. 1,” Woodfork said.
Durrance said plans were in the works to build the facility when he left the council in 2001. It would be somewhat self-sustaining because other departments would pay to use it, he said.
“What happened after that, I don’t know,” he said.
Burroughs told the group that plans were drawn and some equipment already had been obtained when the downturn in the economy forced a stall. The choice to continue with the $11 million facility meant that property taxes would have to be increased. Each increase of 1 cent per $100 of property value yields city coffers $450,000, the mayor said.
“That $11 million expenditure would mean a massive tax increase,” he said.
The candidates all agreed on questions about finding a way to protect residents from the unpredictable effects of some chemicals associated with the gas well industry inside city limits. All agreed that the issue is important and needs close study.
Incumbents touted their recent vote on a drilling moratorium, and their opponents said they supported restrictions and cooperation with other entities up to the state level to protect residents.
All also agreed that fixing streets was a top priority. It is at the top of residents’ minds and it tops their priority list as well, they all said.
BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com .
DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .
