Dallas City Council

It's City Council Election Time in Dallas. Too Bad Your Vote Doesn't Matter.

Every week, managing editor Patrick Williams disappears into his office and reemerges a cranky, nicotine-addicted, third-person-referring superhero we like to call Buzz. Well, hey, would you look at that? There's an actual bona fide Dallas City Council election this Saturday. Sure doesn't seem like ... More >>

Company Wants Dallas to DNA-Test Dog Poop. Angela Hunt, For One, Is For It

Every day, the dogs of Dallas leave behind an astounding amount of shit. The city mailed out a water-quality PSA over the summer that included a rough figure, which was somewhere in the range of several hundred thousand pounds per day if memory serves. Some of that is picked up and thrown in the gar ... More >>

Watch Yesterday's City Council Debate on Municipal Judges Get Ugly

Yesterday, the Dallas City Council approved a new slate of municipal judges after months of contentious debate. The city's court system was seen by some as too lenient and not generating as much revenue as it should. In shot, they were too damned fair. What had been a mostly arcane debate boiled ov ... More >>

Dallas Passes Twice-a-Week Watering Restrictions; Watering Can Stocks to Soar?

A key battle was won this morning in what cable-news commenters might call the War on Sprinklers: The Dallas City Council just voted 13-2 to permanently limit sprinkler use, either by hose or by automatic system, to two days per week, in what can only be seen as a huge victory for the hand-held wate ... More >>

The Historical Figures To Be Turned Into Giant Puppets For Calatrava Bridge Bow

Barefoot Sanders​I seem to recall there was some discussion in October about West Dallasites famous enough to include in that parade of giant puppets scheduled to march across the Margaret Hunt Hill during opening-weekend festivities planned for early March -- ah, yes, there it is. So happens the ... More >>

Jasso Acknowledges She's Drawing a New Redistricting Map to Present to City Council

Photo by Patrick Michels​So far, there's been little indication that the council has any interest in reopening the debate over the new council-districts map approved (barely) on October 5 and dispatched to the Department of Justice three weeks later. As you may recall, six council members did ask ... More >>

As Dallas City Manager Inches Closer Toward a Proposed Budget, Some Revealing Insights

​Dallas City Council remains on vacation till August (well, not everyone), but City Manager Mary Suhm and her staff remain at work needing to trim $20 million more out of the FY2011-12 budget to balance that sucker. Hence the memos sent to the council and mayor last night: One deals with just some ... More >>

Deep Ellum Brewing Plans Brew-B-Q, Peticolas Zoning Approved, Whole Foods Will Fill Your Growler And More Beer News

​Angela Hunt, Dwaine Caraway, Dave Neumann and the rest of the Dallas City Council may not agree on everything, but you know what can unite them? Beer. Michael Peticolas' zoning change request, which we mentioned back in March, was unanimously approved at yesterday's council meeting. The change al ... More >>

Rawlings Takes Shot at Natinsky For Not Speaking Up When Council Loosened Ethics

Photo by Sam MertenRon Natinsky and Mike Rawlings at an early mayoral candidate forum​Two weeks ago, Schutze noted that the city council -- very quietly, very nonchalantly, very consent-agenda-y -- loosened up its own restrictions governing when and how developers with zoning cases at City Hall co ... More >>

How Much Does That Love Field Chili's Make a Month and Other Concessions-Bidding Q&As

From the Love Field Modernization Program website​No doubt you recall the hubbub surrounding the Love Field concessions-bidding process that consumed much of last year as Mayor Tom and the council argued over no-bid contracts for incumbents Gilbert Aranza, Helen Giddings and Eddie Bernice Johnson. ... More >>

Leppert Defends Defense of Marriage Act

Patrick Michels​In the comments below, a Friend of Unfair Park notes that shortly before Mayor Tom Leppert said his farewells to the Dallas City Council, he hopped on his Twitter account to take issue with President Obama's announcement that he believes Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is ... More >>

It's a diary of a mad year as Buzz recalls a P.O.'d 2010.

Why Dallas Can't Strengthen Anti-Idling Rules

​On March 23, 2007, the Dallas City Council signed off on the anti-idling ordinance, which went into effect October 1, 2007, and penalized vehicles weighing more than 14,000 pounds from idling for more than five minutes between April 1 and October 31 -- the so-called "ozone season." Drivers caught ... More >>

For 43 Years, Former Redbird Airport Had a Restaurant. Next Week, It Will Once More.

​Casa Blanca Restaurant opened at Redbird Airport back in '60 and was there all the way till the '03 redo, at which point the doors shuttered and the city put out the call for bids. It took a while -- five years -- but in the summer of '08 the Dallas City Council's Economic Development Committee g ... More >>

Less Than Two Years After Redo Began on White Rock Lake Spillway, an Official Dedication

​As you no doubt recall, the rains of March '06 wreaked havoc upon the White Rock Lake Spillway -- retaining walls collapsed, and huge hunks of land were swallowed by the storms. Which is why, in August '08, the city council agreed to spend $16,748,070 to not only repair the damage, but upgrade th ... More >>

Knocking Down the Historic Demolition Ordinance That's Before the Council Today

​Five years ago a fierce battle was fought to stop the demolition of a house on my block in Dallas's first and oldest historic district (The Swiss Avenue Historic District). Blogista (and friend) Sharon Boyd called those of us who wanted to save the house "Preservation Nazis," which I guess is be ... More >>

Locked Out of LTV Tower Redo, Developer Sends City Council a Very Pointed Letter Today

​Curtis Lockey and Craig MacKenzie, erstwhile developers of the LTV Tower 1600 Pacific Building and subjects of my column in the current edition of the paper, have sent to Dallas City Council members and city staffers a letter alleging deliberate discrimination against low-income persons and famil ... More >>

So, If The Mayor's So Unhappy With Love Field Deal, What's He Gonna Do About It?

Tomorrow, the role of Laura Miller will be played by Tom Leppert.​So tomorrow's shaping up to be a very interesting Dallas City Council meeting: As Rudy Bush wrote yesterday, the mayor's mighty unhappy with the no-bid concession contracts being doled out to Dallas Love Field Joint Venture and Huds ... More >>

Take One Guess Why Council's Messing With Judicial Nominating Commission

​Interesting item on the Dallas City Council's agenda this morning: "Judicial Nominating Commission." (It's Action Item No. 5, for those playing along at home.) City Attorney Tom Perkins is offering the council three alternative ways to fix the body that vets candidates for municipal judgeships. S ... More >>

AT&T Performng Arts Center, You're Awesome. Tell Me, Why Are You So Awesome?

​On Monday, the Dallas City Council's Quality of Life Committee's getting a visit from AT&T Performing Arts Center President and CEO Mark Nerenhausen, who will update the council on the AT&TPAC's Accomplishments in the First 90 Days. The briefing doc that was just posted is mostly a scrapb ... More >>

Buzz Gives '09 a One-Fingered Wave Goodbye

There's One Dallas City Council Member Selling His Home for the Holidays

​May I interest you in a five-bedroom, 5,214-square foot circa-2002 McMansion near Stevens Park Golf Course? It's a bit on the pricey side at $1,045,000, but look at all the amenities:Stone & stucco exterior w-circular turret, stunning formals with barrel groin vault & cathedral ceilings, ... More >>

We Wondered What Happened to the 330-Unit Complex Planned Next to Farmers Market

View Larger MapSpeaking of Dallas Farmers Market ...It was exactly one year ago that the Dallas City Council agreed to give Trammell Crow Residential $2,687,500 out of the Farmers Market TIF to expedite the construction of what was then known as the Alexan Farmers Market Project. The city also agree ... More >>

City Council to Put Two of Its Commissions Out of Commission. Sorry, Kids.

Peter Hill is the chair of the Youth Commission. For now.​The city's Commission on Productivity and Innovation, born from the ashes of the alluringly named Privatization Technical Subcommittee, was created to advise the Dallas City Council and the city manager how to make City Hall run more effici ... More >>

Design for (Free) Living

​Earlier this year, the Dallas City Council said it wanted no part in plans to turn a former hotel at 1011 S. Akard Street into a home for the homeless. Perhaps you recall said brouhaha, the result of which will be 250 low-income apartment units once developers Ted and Larry Hamilton can give thei ... More >>

Who'd Turn Down Free Tickets to Paradise? Apparently, Not the Dallas City Council.

​Regarding yesterday's item concerning the Dallas City Council's retreat to Paradise tomorrow, Jaynie Schultz, vice president of the Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center, sends this reply about her family's Very Special Gift to our elected officials:After learning that the Dallas City Council was ... More >>

When You Go Down to City Hall Today, Just Make Sure You Pay the Parking Lot Box

Should be an interesting Dallas City Council meeting today -- if, that is, the Deep Ellum Association knows it needs to send its people to City Hall before 1 p.m., as the council will vote on the parking-boot ordinance well before lunch break, according to city officials to whom we spoke last night. ... More >>

How Do You Save a "Mostly Dead" Mall?

From the Urban Land Institute report on Southwest Center: "More than half the floor space is vacant -- feels lonely"Back in April, the Dallas City Council agreed to spend $120,000 in economic development grant money so the Urban Land Institute could "assess redevelopment options" at Southwest Center ... More >>

If Council Gives Its OK Wednesday, New Booting Ordinance Takes Effect July 24

Turns out, after months of trying to come up with some solution for Deep Ellum and downtown's parking-lot boot boom, the Dallas City Council's ready to vote on the issue after all. A proposed amendment to Chapter 48C of the Dallas City Code has been added to this week's council meeting -- it's Adden ... More >>

Five Easy Pieces: How to Fix Dallas's Very Broken, Busted Municipal Courts System

Back in March, the Office of the City Auditor noted that the Dallas Municipal Court system is all kinds of messed up. Which is why the Dallas City Council's set to get briefed Wednesday on an efficiency study aimed at cleaning up the mess -- though how much time the council spends with the briefing ... More >>

City to Take Stack of Downtown Dallas Master Plans, Turn 'Em All Into One "Area Plan"

Flickr user: Stuck in CustomsIn December 2007, the Dallas City Council was briefed on the Office of Economic Development's long-term wish list for the central business district: Revitalizing Downtown: Creating Anchors to Build the Core, the Roadmap 2008-2015. The doc set specific benchmarks to be re ... More >>

Ron Price Is Very, Very Proud of Academic Accomplishments in South Dallas

Mark GrahamRon PriceDallas school board trustee Ron Price made it official at 3:44 p.m. on January 30, when he turned into the City Secretary's Office paperwork announcing that he's running for Carolyn Davis's District 7 seat on the Dallas City Council. (Ex-City Manager Richard Knight Jr., now in th ... More >>

The Arts District, "Not a Way of Life"?

Courtesy Dallas Center for the Performing ArtsHow appropriate: On the very day the Dallas City Council's Quality of Life Committee will discuss the Arts District Master Plan -- or, more specifically, the Dallas Arts District Strategic Assessment and Action Plan -- Architectural Record weighs in with ... More >>

Stroll to the Future: Walkable Neighborhoods are Next for Dallas

Welcome to Seinfeld America, a fine place to take a walk that's coming soon to Dallas

Smoking Bans: "An Affront to Freedom ... An Assault on Small Business"

Friend of Unfair Park "Peterk" forwards along this item from this morning's National Review Online, which excerpts a Friday story from the Financial Times concerning the "law of unintended consequences" created by smoking bans -- like, ya know, the one the Dallas City Council passed two weeks before ... More >>

The City's Considering Those Streetcars. But, See, They Cost Money.

Seven months ago, the word "streetcar" started showing up on Unfair Park -- seems Jim's plenty keen on the idea, along with other trolley-touters who look to yesterday's transportation option as tomorrow's development generator. Which is why, as the Dallas City Council's Transportation and Envi ... More >>

Look Out, Don Hill. Because Allen McGill Isn't Going Down Alone.

DEEP Roundup of Clubs Under Review

Democracy in Action

Sharon Boyd messes with the Ol' Dirty Blockers

C'mon Get Happy

Even Buzz finds something to smile about in 2006

Jock Strapped

Laff in the Dark

For Dallas, for the city council, for now, this was good

Letters

Puppet Samba

By pulling strings, road hustlers can make the city council dance

Buzz

Disorderly retreat

Legal Learning Differences

Somebody on the Dallas City Council skipped school the day they taught the U.S. Constitution

Budget Blues

This year's round of Town Hall budget meetings shows we get the government we deserve

What the doctors ordered

City Hall's Slam-Dunk Gang

Quick--someone take a pulse. The Dallas City Council hasn't peeped in months. And John Ware and Ron Kirk are looking awfully well-fed.