Up on the Hill

For days now Durango has been scoping out the pre-drilling activities taking place near what's known as Broadcast Hill on the Tandy Hills of Fort Worth.

Now the council has voted unanimously to give an existing Fort Worth business a tax abatement to move to another location in Fort Worth.  Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  You have to read it to believe it.

So Channel 5 moves their station, Fort Worth keeps the land and mineral rights, and gives NBC 5 a tax abatement.  Yet we can't find the money to help companies who have spent decades creating business, jobs and revenue in Fort Worth?  Or to keep Arlington Heights from flooding?  Or to fix any roads?  Or to have adequate emergency services north of the loop?

Scarth and other council members pledged that the neighborhood will fully vet the land use.

Didn't they pledge Riverside Park wouldn't be flooded if the neighbors didn't want to as well?  What happened to that pledge?  Wasn't Scarth the councilman with some conflict of interest issues?  See why YOU should vote?

Something smells fishy.  It ain't just the Trinity River.

Bad "News"

Some letters to the editor today in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from THE PEOPLE point out the "news" got it wrong on their recommendations for the Fort Worth elections.  Again, please tell us WHY a supposedly unbiased news outlet would support anyone for office?  Shouldn't they report facts on the candidates and let THE PEOPLE decide?  What do they have to gain by shilling for incumbents?  ASK.

One letter concerns Sal Espino, funny, seems we mentioned some of this as well.  Did the "news" not know claims were false?  How is that?  ASK.

Another reader has some good points concerning Scarth as well.  Let's not forget about his son.

Remember, if you're not happy with what you've been getting, voting for the same old isn't going to help that.  The "news" writes all year long about the scandals and shortcomings of the city and its leaders, then come May says, reelect them...ASK - What the hell?

Fort Worth council

I'm an 82-year-old Fort Worth native and have spent most of my life living and working in east Fort Worth. I am very concerned and disappointed in the Star-Telegram's recommendation of Danny Scarth for District 4 on the City Council.

Scarth has not done anything for his own neighborhood, and he has done even less for others in the district. He's instead brought us the only toxic waste dump in the city and has never seen a high-impact gas well he didn't support, which has caused real estate values to plummet.

Let's vote for jobs and new businesses in east Fort Worth, not flooding in Riverside and Gateway parks. Let us also begin to move forward with positive improvements in District 4 by electing Lupe Arriola as our next council member.

-- Dean Hatch, Fort Worth

I have to disagree with the Star-Telegram's recommendation of Sal Espino for Fort Worth City Council District 2. In my opinion, Espino has done nothing to endear himself to the community. I find it disturbing that he is trying to take credit for the 2004 bond improvements and development along the Alliance corridor, both of which were in the making prior to his election.

Since he is proud of the improvements in Rockwood Park from the drilling money, why couldn't he have been vocal or used some of the drilling money to keep the Marine Park swimming pool open?

Perhaps he needs to look up the meaning of constituent service. If you call his office at City Hall, you will hear a long message on his voice mail detailing all the reasons why you will not get a return phone call anytime soon, if ever.

-- Lucy Aguilera, Fort Worth

What does Woodard say?

About the Fort Worth bullying concerning Riverside Park and the Trinity River Vision?

Below is his latest letter in the Fort Worth Business Press.

Gouging

Now the Fort Worth City Council on a late night vote has unanimously approved the gouging of Riverside Park, another small step in the giant mad, mad, mad Trinity River Vision eminent domain boondoggle. One step by stealthy step. That’s the history of the Billion Dollar earmark. Never a vote by the people. One little piece of the jigsaw puzzle at a time while the people sleep. After every time a new piece is fitted into the picture, they make their case: “Too late to turn back! The ship has sailed.”

In his historic 1951 address to Congress, Gen. Douglas MacArthur told that when he was asked by his soldiers in Korea, “Why surrender military advantage to the enemy in the field?” He replied: “I could not answer.”

When they get three bridges built over a non-existent drainage ditch, I can hear their predictable unarguable gotcha!: “Too late! That ship has sailed!” Then, when I am asked, as I will be, “OK, letter writer, what do you say now, I’ll reply like the General: “I cannot answer.”

Oh for one courageous voice on a council, commission or chamber of commerce that will ask, “Don’t you think we should put this thing up for a vote by the people like we did in 1973 on the Trinity River Canal before it is undeniably too late?”

– Don Woodard

The Fort Worth Way Spreads

To the Tarrant County Culture of Corruption.

Last night the Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously to let the Tarrant Regional Water District do whatever they want.  They must have gotten the memo in the paper this week that said they'd do that regardless.  After all, it's the Fort Worth Way.

Kudos to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for finally mentioning that someone actually owns the land the Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision "Authority" want.  And how many jobs has Randle Harwood had with the city? Was he "acting" when he was part of the city's Trinity River Vision department?  How much does that department cost the taxpayers?

Markus Kypreos said he doesn't believe that the plan will move as smoothly as city officials think, particularly because the city hopes to expand the park on about 20 acres of farmland and build the soccer fields there. The property is not for sale and likely never will be at the $136,900 price that officials estimate, said Kypreos, an attorney for the owners.


If the land is never acquired, the city "would have to find another place in the park system" to build those fields, said Randle Harwood, acting director of planning and development for Fort Worth.

Trinity River Toilet

The Trinity River Vision/Riverside Park Plan draws more attention to the dirty dealings of the Trinity River and the Vision.

Water testing shows high levels of E. coli.  The Tarrant Regional Water District disagrees.  Show of hands on WHO is surprised by either of those statements.

Woody Frossard, the water district's environmental director, said the Friends of Riverside Park tested for fecal coliform bacteria rather than E. coli, which is the state standard. When the fecal coliform bacteria readings are translated into E. coli measurements, they are close to acceptable levels, Frossard said.

"They're right at the level identified by the state," Frossard said. "They're not out of the norm. It may or may not be a reportable event."

This is the same portion of the Trinity river that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported as having the highest levels of PCB's.  And the same portion where the Trinity River Vision Authority is promoting tubing? WHO do YOU believe?

Read the article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  YOU can't afford not to.

Tarrant County Citizens Ignored...Again

The Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision "Authority" are at it again.  WHO do these people work for?  It's obvious they don't work FOR THE PEOPLE.  And WHY was the Tarrant Regional Water District created?  FLOOD control and water supply.  Do YOU believe the Trinity River Vision is flood control?  No one else does either.  Removing the levees sound like a good flood control plan to YOU, Arlington?

Recently the Tarrant Regional Water District gave themselves a raise.  Now they have decided they own part of the land in the Riverside Park "deal" and they don't care what the residents want or say.  They don't own all of that land.  ASK them.

Then ask YOUR Congresswoman WHY her son is ignoring her constituents?  ASK WHY she is.  ASK YOUR "leaders" why the Tarrant Regional Water District would carry on with their plans if opposed by the City and THE PEOPLE.  Then ASK the media WHY they don't report any of it.  Also ASK WHAT the Trinity River Vision "Authority" or the Tarrant Regional Water District has to do with streetcars.

Read about the latest scheme in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Don't miss the comments from THE PEOPLE.

Ending two years of wrangling with neighborhood residents, Tarrant Regional Water District officials say they plan to use Riverside Park for floodwater storage even if the city of Fort Worth opposes the idea.

Putting the floodwaters there is part of developing the sweeping. $909 million Trinity River Vision project that stretches from downtown's near north side to Gateway Park on the city's east side.

The announcement, made at Wednesday's Trinity River Vision Authority board meeting, effectively ends a contentious two-year process that has been criticized by neighborhood groups that have opposed shifting floodwaters to the park.

J.D Granger, executive director of the authority, and Jim Oliver, general manager of the water district, said they learned during a recent title search that they already owned some of the land and had the rights for flood easements and didn't need city approval. The authority, a flood control and economic development agency, is a political subdivision of the water district "If I had known, we wouldn't have been going through this process the last two years," Granger said.

At Tuesday's meeting, Granger said city officials can determine what recreational enhancements they want added to the park but said that location will be used for flood storage.

Libby Willis, president of the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods, said her group has known for several years that the water district already had the authority.

"This has been the plan all along," Willis said. "I think they're tired of diddling around. They've decided it's time to quit playing around and the citizens' opinion evidently doesn't matter."

Willis expressed frustration that the city has had rounds of public meetings and promised that flood storage wouldn't be placed in Riverside Park if the public opposed it.

Floodwaters will be diverted by a bypass channel away from downtown Fort Worth, allowing the levees to come down and development along the Trinity River on the near north side.

YOU are invited

We were sent information about this upcoming meeting. YOU might want to attend.

And you might want to attend Fort Worth City Council pre-council in the morning. While it's called the Riverside Park Expansion, it really means the Trinity River Vision. Ask WHO owns the land they are wanting to flood? The city doesnt. Ask HOW they are trying to obtain it.

TRTC Monthly Membership Meeting
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
8:30 a.m.
Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC)
2nd Floor Conference Room
1001 Jones Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

***
Don't miss this important meeting at which members of our local delegation will provide a preview of the upcoming 82nd Legislative Session and a look at the state of transportation.

The following legislators are scheduled to be in attendance:
State Senator Wendy Davis
State Representative Lon Burnam
State Representative Diane Patrick
State Representative Mark Shelton
State Representative Todd Smith
State Representative Vicki Truitt
State Representative Chris Turner

Fort Worth Agenda

Where will YOU be August 3rd?  At the Fort Worth City Council meeting.  Something on the agenda for everyone. 

Want to hold a meeting or event in your neighborhood?  Well, Fort Worth doesn't want you to so they are setting up their own roadblocks.   WHO was on the committee?  You would think neighborhood associations?  Nope, just one of those.  Oh and those Fort Worth events?  Yeah, they don't have to comply to the new plan.

Read about it in the FW Weekly here (Special-ly Peeved).  Kudos to Libby Willis for continuing to bring these issues to light.

Willis also complained about how the ordinance was crafted: Only one of 10 members of the council-appointed committee that drew it up represented neighborhood associations; the rest were downtown business and chamber of commerce types.

The ordinance sets up lots of hurdles for those kinds of events: sizable security deposits to be paid, appearances before two city-appointed committees for approval, heightened security, and a requirement for petitions signed by anyone who lives nearby. Of course, events that cause truly major hassles, like the Main Street Arts Festival, the stock show, and anything at the Texas Motor Speedway, would be exempt.

Also, on the agenda - the contract for the Air Quality Study and the vote on taking land by eminent domain for the Trinity River Vision.  Of course, it is not worded that way, it is called the Riverside Park Expansion. Sounds friendlier and less costly/politically connected, doesn't it?
That's the Fort Worth Way!

WHO's Listening?

Lots of folks now.  Love the FW Weekly article title.  YOU have to read it all, especially if you live in Fort Worth.   If you don't beleive this is how things are run here, attend a council meeting or watch one online.  Then GO VOTE in May.   Rumor is Moncrief will be bailing by then, so that when this mess of a city explodes (literally) he'll have already ridden off into the sunset with his gas millions.  Regardless, LISTEN and VOTE.

One of our contributors told you about the last Riverside Park meeting and we filled you in when Mayor Moncrief rudely addressed Libby Willis.   The FW Weekly tells you what you didn't hear about conflict of interest, silencing of citizens and neighborhood groups, backroom deals, deals with the gas industry and pawnshops, CCPD shell game, deals cut for the Trinity River Vision...the list goes on and on.  It would be comical if it weren't all true.



Many neighborhood representatives now say they believe they and their views are less welcome at city hall, that important decisions affecting their areas are being made without consulting or in some cases even informing them, unless it’s almost too late for them to organize effectively. And when the neighborhood folks show up at city hall anyway, no one is listening.

Some see an organizing principle at work here. From gas drilling regulation to pawnshops to park protection, these leaders say they see city hall as protecting the interests of money –– drillers versus the people who live near wells, the rich part of town versus the not-so-rich, pawnshop corporations versus the people who end up paying enormous interest rates for payday loans –– rather than the interests of citizens.

In the Riverside area, the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association has been fighting the city on a variety of issues, the foremost of which is their effort to save Riverside Park, which the city has proposed to use as floodwater storage as part of the Trinity River Vision project.

“Riverside is being carpet-bombed by the programs that the city has decided to push,” said attorney and neighborhood resident Robert Gieb.

The group has had numerous meetings with city officials, including their own council representative, Sal Espino, only to be told they don’t really represent the area.

Gieb believes city officials have targeted his neighborhood because they are too scared to take on the wealthier West Side, where the new flood storage area originally was supposed to go. However, when that portion of the plan was revealed, the very rich landowners who were targeted to lose their properties raised such hell, threatening lawsuits, that the floodwater storage area was suddenly diverted to the East Side.

When the excavation of their park was proposed, Espino at first vowed that the project would not proceed without the approval of the Riverside neighborhood associations. In three of the four open meetings, the Riverside Park project was voted on, and the majority of those voting opposed it, according to the League of Neighborhood’s president Willis.

“We didn’t toe the line with the city, so the city realized that [the splinter group] would do anything that [city officials] want them to do,” said Gieb. “They hooked onto them and declared that they are a real organization.”

But the city staff told the association that the apartments were not specifically for the homeless but would be “affordable” housing for those employed. It was only through questioning at a public hearing that Councilman Jungus Jordan and city staff acknowledged that the housing project was going to be used for the chronically homeless.

Maybe it was the gas drilling, she said, an issue that put the city council at odds with thousands of its citizens who felt –– and still feel –– that the city has failed to protect their safety and health from the environmental dangers of drilling, compressor stations, and pipelines.

When the city council appointed a panel to study the situation, only one of 10 members was from a neighborhood association. The rest represented downtown business interests, chambers of commerce, and the convention and visitors bureau.

Eastside activist and former president of the Brentwood-Oak Hills Neighborhood Association, Rita Vinson pointed out that night that just before the issue came to a vote, Cash America donated a strip of land near its headquarters on West 7th Street to the city for expansion of a Trinity River bridge. It may have been Cash America just doing business “the Fort Worth Way” as Moncrief said that night, referring to the pawnshop giant’s just being a “good neighbor,” but, Vinson said, “For those representing the interests of the public, the perception of a conflict of interest is as damaging as a real conflict.”

Some observers see what is happening with neighborhood groups as part of a wider power grab by the mayor and council. In February, the council angered a wide cross-section of the community when council dissolved the citizen-appointed board of the city’s Crime Control and Prevention District and named itself as the new board.

That move was opposed by the Fort Worth Police Officers Association as well as members of the volunteer Citizens on Patrol, one of whom, Camille Drinan, said that she felt “betrayed” by the council decision — especially since the taxpayers had just been asked last November to reauthorize the district and its dedicated tax income for five more years. Opposition to the change was heated, with accusations flying that the city, facing a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, just wanted to get its hands on the lucrative income from the crime-control tax district, an accusation that council members just as heatedly denied.

So much for the “Fort Worth Way,” Vinson said. “I would be happy never to hear the term again,” she said. “[It] began as a genteel expression to characterize the way we Fort Worth folks want to conduct business — polite and respectful –– but it has become degraded to the point of seeming smarmy or even worse: a tool for controlling and silencing opposition.”

Dirty Water

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram interviewed the City of Fort Worth concerning the concerns folks have with making Riverside Park a flood storage area.  Of course, the City says it's safe and the water quality is all good. And the Trinity River Vision will solve all your problems...well, they didn't say that exactly, that's just what they'd like you to believe.

Three short months ago the Fort Worth Star-Telegram claimed "And some of the highest poisonous readings of polychlorinated biphenyls -- or PCBs -- were found at sample sites in Tarrant County." 

So, which is it?  And WHO do you trust to tell you the truth? The City? The TRV planners?  The newspaper?
 
And if you store contaminated soil on this site, what happens when it floods?
 
While we are on the Riverside Park subject, what happened to the "northern expansion piece"? The land of an individual being threatened by eminent domain for the Trinity River Vision. 

Keep in mind, if they weren't messing with the river, they wouldn't need flood storage.

Click to watch a video about

the Riverside Park issue....

Water's getting deep...

We received this from one of our favorite contributors, thank you Eagle Eye!

Lone Star -

We attended the Riverside Park public meeting last night and were appalled by the condescending tone of the city officials that were leading it. Randle Harwood (Director of Trinity River Vision/City of Fort Worth employee- we learned this later, he introduced himself as "working in the City Manager's office") and Sal Espino (City Council) and Michael Someone? were all irritated that the public was asking questions. Isn't that what a Public meeting is for?

There were police at this meeting too. Is that a requirement? It seemed strange for a public input meeting on a park, that was held in a church.

J.D. Granger was there, though he didn't speak and wasn't introduced. There were other members from the Tarrant Regional Water District, in attendance, as well, not sure of their names, but saw their marked vehicles parked outside.

There were many valid points made by concerned citizens. Not many valid answers from the city.

Towards the end someone yelled "You are out of order!" Not sure if it was Sal or the gentleman who was speaking, because it was a little heated. By the time it was over, Randle Harwood was red faced and sweating and Sal Espino gave a frazzled, loud, exasperated speech and concluded, "We are going to end this meeting".

The citizens seemed to be taken aback by that, they still had/have questions!

The city folks seemed more concerned about putting sticker dots on the options. Someone asked what if you don't like either option? That was another question that went unanswered. They also asked why the option the city seemed to prefer (that costs more) had a fancy name, while the other one was named "Option".

We learned last night that the "Northern Expansion" piece is privately owned land, and the land owner (who was present) was never contacted by the city. We also learned that none of us knew about the first three public meetings because the notification process was "going door to door".

WHAT? Is that legal? Did they go to every door in Fort Worth? (Obviously not or the property owner that is having land threatened would have been notified?) And, as you would logically ask, WHO went door to door?

We were told that the PCB's in sediment have declined, or remain unchanged, since the 1970's and 1980's? Is this true? Wasn't it in the paper recently that they are the highest levels in the Tarrant County portion of the Trinity?

Best we could tell, the options range from $3 million dollars to $4.8 million. Seems like a lot for a park with no restrooms. Yes, you heard that right. No potty's.

The money portion was a hot button of course. Funding is made up from gas revenues, TRV funds, and Valley Storage Construction? Say it's Federal funding, they also say it's been appropriated. Some people argued the fact. So another Trinity River Vision/Fort Worth City employee, Mark Rowser(?) said $52 million has been appropriated, in which $12 million has been spent and $40 million remains. This was a little confusing as one of city rep's had said "future bond programs and gas revenues" will help complete the funding and maintenance.

There was also an argument with a citizen and Harwood about the Trinity Uptown EIS and the standard flood protection requirements.

Someone asked about voting on the northern expansion piece since it's $2.9 million of the total cost. We didn't hear a clear answer to that. Or much else. It's suppose to be presented to council in June. Mark your calendar, if it's anything like last night, you won't want to miss it!

Eagle Eye

Choices...

Where will YOU be tonight?

The Riverside Park meeting about your tax dollars and eminent domain being used for the Trinity River Vision or the meeting in Keller about your tax dollars being used to fund a private development that can't pay for itself.

Decisions, decisions...

Pick one and go. Then tell us what you learn!

EVERYONE IS INVITED

Come to the Riverside Park meeting Tuesday!!

Hear the "options" and be heard.

Additionally, providing flood storage in Riverside Park by excavating certain areas — a result of the Trinity River Vision project — is an option that is being considered. This option, if pursued, would have the benefit of unleashing federal resources for improving Riverside Park.

The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. March 23 at Fort Worth Harvest Church, 620 N. Chandler Drive. A Spanish interpreter will be available.