For those who forgot the phrase “Meet and Confer,” you may want to reintroduce yourself to the city’s agreement with Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue that saved the city $22 million during the “painful, painful, painful” dog days of 2010, when Mary Suhm had to gut $131 million from…
So, maybe you noticed: On Monday we checked in to see how progress, or whatever, was going with efforts to redo 1401 Elm Street. That’s the George Dahl-designed building Mike Sarimsakci was going to spruce up with $30 million in TIF money from Dallas City Hall. Except, turns out, the…
I warned you: Yesterday’s item about Uplift Education’s intention of opening a charter school in the old Baylor building in Deep Ellum was just the first of many to come. Here’s the second, because yesterday I’d left a message for Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano, in whose district Deep…
Not two years ago Dallas city officials believed, based upon information provided by HNTB, that to bring the unaccredited Trinity River levees back to that so-called 100-year flood level of protection, it would cost anywhere from $100 million to $150 million. The solution: cut-off walls sunk into the levee, around…
While we await our recap from a raucous Ross Ave. last night, let’s begin with this bit of … well, not sure it’s breaking news, not exactly. Because, after all, we’ve known for months now that Sylvan Thirty — the long-proposed, much-talked-if-not-shouted-about mixed-use development on the site of the former…
Quick test: When you think Craig James, what comes to mind? A. SMU and New England Patriots football player and long-time sports announcer. B. Texan, father, husband. C. Who the hell is Craig James? D. Senate candidate and taxpayer. You’re right! And today, James took his “plethora of experience” to…
On Wednesdays I keep the city council broadcasts dialed up in the office for the high irritainment value. Besides, you never know what’ll happen. Take yesterday, for instance. There were a few things I wanted to keep an eye on, but at the bottom of the bottom of the list…
Someone asked yesterday if and when Omni’s going to move its HQ to the city of Dallas. Well … if you’ll look at the council’s agenda for today, it’s right there: items No. 54 and 55. The first one’s for a mammoth tax abatement agreement for 10 years; the second,…
A few weeks ago, following City Manager Mary Suhm’s sneak peek at the 2012 bond program that will be but a fraction of a fraction of its mammoth $1.35-billion ’06 predecessor, I asked City Hall spokesman Frank Librio if there’s a doc listing all the things that have and haven’t…
Left a message this morning for Paula Blackmon, chief of staff to Mayor Mike Rawlings, to talk about his decision to pull out of a long-scheduled meet-and-greet with the citizens tonight at Kiest Park on Hampton. It’s been on our schedule for a month, and just Monday morning he (or…
So much for that Bike Plan briefing. The council’s transpo committee didn’t have time to get it today, so it’s been backbenched for now. Shame too, since Street Services second-in-command Beth Ramirez’s pavement markings briefing was so fascinating, as in: Did you know it costs anywhere between $17,400 to $24,500…
Given Texas’s dicey history with electoral rights, the Obama Administration has expressed concern in recent months about the state’s new Voter ID law, which requires voters to bring government-issued identification to the polls. So the state, naturally, is suing to put the new and allegedly discriminatory law into action. Like,…
At this morning’s Quality of Life Committee meeting, we finally got to hear about that proposed new home solicitation ordinance with which we wrapped last week. We know what you’re thinking, and let us reassure you right away: Your Girl Scout cookies should be unaffected. Exhale. As City Attorney Tom…
The American Library Association, in town since Friday, begins its wind-down at the Dallas Convention Center this afternoon, when Lisa Loeb does her thing. But this morning, a Friend of Unfair Park notes: The state of the Dallas Public Library system is very much on the mind of ALA President…
Back in September it was revealed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants back $15 million it gave to the city for the Dallas Floodway Extension project, insisting those federal funds were improperly advanced beginning with the first payment made back in ’04. In the words of Col. Richard…
One week ago this morning we were writing about Israel “Dallas” Torres’s over-the-weekend accident on the Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct, where a motorist sent the veteran cyclist to intensive car. As Jason Roberts noted then, and as the council’s Transportation and Environment Committee will be reminded again at 1 today, the…
Been trying since yesterday without any luck to reach City Attorney Tom Perkins to talk about his scheduled appearance Monday in front of the council’s Quality of Life Committee. The topic, for which 45 minutes have been carved out: “Home Solicitation Ordinance.” Which, from the looks of the briefing documents…
MasterPlan Consulting’s Dallas Cothrum, the eyes and ears at Dallas City Hall for several energy companies interested in drilling in the city limits, is becoming quite prolific. Last week, we posted the gist of his letter to the drilling task force, which says that their recommended 1,000-foot set-back requirements from…
Saw a piece outta Tulsa yesterday that said Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr.’s in town trying to convince Dallas companies to move to his patch of God’s country. And, sure enough, when he called me back last night around 9 he was at dinner at Truluck’s on McKinney. First thing I…
Seems Mayor Mike wasn’t done talking about his decision not to sign the same-sex marriage pledge officially unveiled at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in D.C. today. Because hours after we spoke Thursday morning, he took to his Facebook page to post the following:Upon taking office, I made a conscious…
Dallas Area Habitat For Humanity recently announced it would be razing Ollie’s Place this morning, a convenience store turned bar turned “hidey-hole for drugs and other criminal activity” . It’s the seventh building to be knocked down and eventually rebuilt as part of Fight the Blight, Habitat’s 25th anniversary celebration…
The Dallas Voice ran a piece last night in which Mayor Mike Rawlings’s chief of staff, Paula Blackmon, explains why he’s not joining more than 70 other mayors in supporting same-sex marriage at a press conference tomorrow to be held during the U.S. Conference of Mayors in D.C. Todd Gillman…
