UPDATE www.cityofdenton.com Summer | 2022
Summer
Is In The Air Social Snapshots
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At Your Service
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Cultivating Change
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NEW Ordinance
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Community Events
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page 7 La’Jasha Champion, model and designer | Redbud Festival, 2022
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SOCIAL SNAPSHOTS Sharing Some of OUR Favorites!
Ever Wonder Who’s Behind The City’s Profile Posts?
MEET AMBER, Six ix local artists were chosen to create their own murals at LSA Burger Co. Artist Dan Black honored civil rights activist & Vietnam Vet Willie Hudspeth.
Answer: Old West
LSA Burger Co. Mural Project
Denton’s Digital Communications Coordinator. She’s a UNT graduate with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, so next time she asks what your favorite restaurant is, feel free to ask back
Connect using any one of our social media sites, service portals, or websites. Facebook.com/cityofdenton Twitter.com/cityofdentontx
UNT Volunteers Digging Denia
BIG thanks to UNT HR volunteers for tending to the Denia Rec Center Wildflower Garden.
Linkedin.com/company/city-of-denton Instagram.com/cityofdenton YouTube.com/cityofdenton DISCUSS DENTON www.discussdenton.com
Congratulations Citizen Police Academy Grads!
Next class kicks off on Aug. 8. For details, visit
PAY MY BILL DENTON www.cityofdenton.com/paymybill ALERT DENTON www.alertdenton.com
www.dentoncpaaa.org.
READY DENTON www.cityofdenton.com/readydenton 2
AT YOUR SERVICE NEW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Staff and City Council are at your service! City Hall and Customer Service are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., exlcuding holidays.
Newly Elected City Council Members
Significant Service Dates Holiday Closures and Service Adjustments City closures in observation of the following holidays: • Independence Day, Monday, July 4 • Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5
Brandon Chase McGee At-Large Place 5
Chris Watts At-Large Place 6
All facilities will be closed with the exception of aquatic facilities and North Lakes Driving Range. On Juneteenth only, recreation centers and summer camps will remain open. During holiday closures, there will be no curbside trash, yard waste, recycling, bulk, or home chemical collection. The collection will be delayed one day for the week following each holiday.
Upcoming Budget Dates | FY 2022-2023 Proposed Budget, Capital Improvement Projects, and Five-Year Financial Forecast
• Budget Workshop, Saturday, Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. • City Manager’s Proposed Budget, Tuesday, Aug.16 at 2 p.m.
City Department and Services Directory All department contact numbers can be accessed online at www.cityofdenton.com/directory.
Award Winning Services Tree City USA is 31 Years Denton Strong Denton earned its 31st Tree City USA recognition and 12th Growth Award. After ten growth awards, a city is designated a Sterling Tree City USA. Audit Department Receives Award by the Association of Local Government Auditors 2021 Exemplary Knighton Award for Best Performance Audit in the Small Shop category Finances Department is All Stars! Texas Comptroller’s Transparency Stars Program recognized Denton as going above and beyond in transparency efforts.
Gerard Hudspeth, Re-elected Mayor
“Thank you Denton, for allowing me to serve another term as your Mayor. It’s a great honor to serve the city I was born in, grew up in, and raising my family in.” Gerard Hudspeth, Mayor
DENTON CITY COUNCIL Gerard Hudspeth, Mayor Brian Beck, Mayor Pro Tem District 2 Vicki Byrd, District 1 Jesse Davis, District 3 Alison Maguire, District 4 Brandon Chase McGee At-Large Place 5 Chris Watts, At-Large Place 6 3
CULTIVATING CHANGE In honor of July’s Parks & Recreation Month, we’re highlighting different ways we ‘Rise Up’ to make Denton stronger and more resilient through parks & recreation.
NRPA’S PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH
Environmental Resilience In Denton, the estimated 3.5 million trees within the community provide $7.2 million in annual benefits! Trees are a good investment of our public dollars.
For that reason, the City’s Urban Forester Haywood Morgan works to mitigate the effects of urbanization and development on behalf of the community. Every dollar spent on planting and caring for a community tree yields benefits two to five times that investment—including cleaner air, lower energy costs, improved water quality, stormwater control, and increased property values. Listen and learn how Urban Forester Haywood Morgan advocates to protect one of our most precious resources.
3.5 SCAN ME
MILLION
TREES
This year marks Denton’s 31st year earning “Tree City USA” recognition, an important badge of honor for the community. Even better, the City earned the Growth Award for receiving ten or more “Tree City USA” annual designations. To learn more about Denton’s urban infrastructure and the cost benefits, visit www.dentonparks.com.
Estimated Number of Trees in Denton
Planting Seeds for Social Equity in Parks
48% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. In 2021, community feedback identified equitable access to parks as one of Denton’s biggest challenges. In response, the City embedded equity and accessibility priorities into the Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan and the 2040 Comprehensive Plan to implement change.
Percent of Denton residents within a 10-minute walk of a park based on race/ethnicity.
Based on the Trust for Public Land (TPL) ParkScore® index rating system, 48% of Denton residents currently have a park or trail within a 10-minute accessible walk of where they live. This means that approx. 72,000 residents don’t have a park within walking distance of where they live. To ensure that no resident is more than a 10-minute walk from a park or trail, the City is partnering with TPL to increase the percentage of residents who are within a 10-minute walk to a park to 70% by 2040. The 2019 Bond Program provides funding for the acquisition of land to help meet that goal. 4
Learn more @ www.tpl.org/city/denton-texas.
Maria Crane @ North Texas Daily
NEW Non-Discrimination Ordinance Denton City Council passed a new nondiscrimination ordinance on March 22 that will go into effect begining July 20, 2022. The nondiscrimination ordinance will go into effect beginning July 20, 2022. The ordinance prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on the following protected classes: race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The language in the ordinance essentially mirrors federal and state nondiscrimination laws. Complaints that fall within existing federal and state agencies’ jurisdiction will be referred to those entities. Complaints that cannot be referred will be contracted through a third party to conduct investigations, which may include reviewing statements, conducting interviews, or contacting witnesses.
To read the ordinance in its entirety or to review exclusions and frequently asked questions, visit www.cityofdenton.com. 5
Upcoming
Community Events MOVIES IN THE PARK Dive in Movie: Coco July 8, Water Works Park 7 p.m., Gates open 9 p.m., Movie begins www.dentonwaterworks.com. FREE Movie in the Park Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban July 29, Quakertown Park 7 p.m., Food trucks and fun 8:30 p.m., Movie begins www.dentonparks.com.
EVENTS AROUND TOWN
All-Weekend Long, July 2-3
Although the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain on July 2, it took them two more days to wrap up the Declaration of Independence revisions. In keeping with history, we plan to make it a two-day celebration so that you can celebrate July 4 with family and friends. On Saturday, July 2, we’ll host the traditional Liberty Fun Run, parade, and Jubilee festivities in downtown Denton.
July 2 Festivities
7:30 a.m. | 24th Annual Liberty Run 5k and 1-Mile Walk $25 per person; preregistration closes June 15 and reopens raceday onsite at 6:30 a.m. The entry fee includes a race t-shirt and swag bag. In addition to 5K placement awards, we’ve added a category for “Most Festive Runners.”
Yappy Hour at the Dog Park Friday, Aug. 5, 6-9 p.m. North Lakes Dog Park www.dentonparks.com
9-10 a.m. | Yankee Doodle Parade Check-in and staging begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Wells Fargo parking lot, and floats will roll out at 9 a.m. The parade route starts at the Wells Fargo lot on the corner of Austin and Hickory Streets. From there, it goes around the square, then down McKinney Street to Denton Civic Center.
Hunting Season Opening Day Seasonal permit sales open Aug. 22 and hunting season is Sept. 1-May 31. www.dentonparks.com
10 a.m. - noon | July Jubilee After the parade, join us at Denton Civic Center and Quakertown Park for free family fun with live music, inflatables, face painting, and more. The Hot Dog Eating Competition begins at 11:30 a.m. Food trucks will be onsite.
94th North Texas Fair & Rodeo Aug. 19-27, Fairgrounds www.ntfair.com.
10 a.m. -1 p.m. | Senior Center Picnic, ages 50+ Join us for games, entertainment, and brisket or pulled pork BBQ from Righteous BBQ with chips and an ice cream treat! Tickets are $8 per person; register in advance or at the door.
Dog Days of Summer Sept. 10, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Civic Center Pool www.dentonparksfoundation.org Denton Blues Festival Sept. 16-18, Quakertown Park dentonblackchamberonline.org
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Independence Day Celebrations
July 3 Fireworks
Kiwanis Fireworks at North Lakes Park Same show, different location. Join us for a community fireworks show at North Lakes Park by Denton Kiwanis Club. Fireworks will launch from the edge of the pond adjacent to the disc golf course. Final updates and the traffic plan will be posted no later than 48 hours before the show at visit www.cityofdenton.com/fireworks.
Sunday, July 3
www.cityofdenton.com/fireworks 7
Do You have Mad Balancing Skills? Use the City’s Balancing Act budget simulation program for the General Fund and share feedback on what new services and projects you think the City should fund in the 2023 Fiscal Year. The General Fund is the City’s principal operating fund with the fewest restrictions on how the money is spent. This simulation doesn’t include funds outside of the General Fund. This is YOUR opportunity to show us how you would spend your tax dollars.
www.cityofdenton.com CORE VALUES | Integrity, Fiscal Responsibility, Inclusion, Transparency, Outstanding Customer Service