Sunnyvale Review
On The HORIZON
It’s the beginning of a new fiscal year for the Town, and with a fresh start, comes fresh ideas, initiatives, and goals to serve you more effectively. While we have a new Mayor, three new Councilmembers, and a new year to look forward to, the Council, Staff, and fellow citizens continue to seek ways to make Sunnyvale the best it can be, offering value for your tax dollars not available in other towns.
Town of Sunnyvale 127 N. Collins Rd. Sunnyvale, TX 75182 (972)226-7177 www.townofsunnyvale.org
From the Mayor Change is Good... This past May, residents of Sunnyvale voted in three new council members and a new mayor to lead the town. Many individuals indicated that even though they had appreciated the previous council and their service, they were ready for a change - a change in the approach of how to get things done in the town with a proactive approach to public safety, infrastructure improvements, transparency in government process, conservative fiscal management, and attracting more quality businesses to Sunnyvale. With the fresh perspectives and business experience brought in by our new members, complemented with the municipal experience of the veteran council members, there was a tremendous melding of minds, and this new council body was ready to go to work for their citizens. The single collective focus of every council member on doing what is best for Sunnyvale was evident when the body worked with staff for the last several weeks in reviewing and approving the 2019 town budget. The latest town updates are shown below: •The new one-million-gallon water tower is operational, and the old rusty tank has been decommissioned. •A project schedule has been established for the expansion of Collins Road (Hwy 80 to Tripp) with the bid for construction to go out in January, 2019. •We have approved $200k for Nance Road expansion. •We have approved $200k for rehabilitation of the Long Creek Sewer line. •We are working closely with Dallas County to establish interlocal agreement for additional road work improvements. •Dallas Sheriff Office (DSO) has provided an exceptional police service to Sunnyvale for years, and we greatly appreciate these men for their service. But the DSO contract had gone up by 17% in 2017 and by 47% in 2018. Public safety is a paramount priority for the council, and we are also sensitive to the financial impact of the DSO contract to our town. Thus, our staff is seeking the services of a consultant to make recommendations on police service options that the town can consider. It is the intent of the council to form a public safety citizens committee to work with the consultant in shaping the future police service for Sunnyvale. Note: The town manager and I have met with the Dallas County Commissioner and discussed our town’s concern on the DSO charges. The 2019 DSO contract came in with a 4% increase. •Fire and Emergency Management Service – As the town continues to grow, the department
has experienced an increase in demands for its service. Even though improvements have been made to the equipment and vehicles, communication provider (DSO) is deficient in the areas of emergency dispatch and communications. The current provider fails to meet the National Incident Management System communication standards. Staff has recommended and the council has approved a plan for Sunnyvale to transition our fire & EMS dispatch service to the City of Mesquite, joining the Garland, Mesquite, Rowlett and Sachse Radio System. •Transparency in Government Process – Council agenda now gets distributed by the middle of the week prior to the council meeting, Mayor Saji George and any citizen can sign up to receive a copy of the agenda in sajigeorgetexas@ their email by contacting our Town Secretary at rachel.ramsey@ gmail.com townofsunnyvale.org. Town meetings are now live-streamed to or allow anyone to join in remotely if unable to attend in-person. mayor.george@ Our Town website, townofsunnyvale.org, has been redesigned to townofsunnyvale.org enable easy search and more up-to-date information. •Economic Development – Three new businesses broke ground in the last two months. •Financial conservatism is a priority of this council. Even with the numerous infrastructure improvements and public safety programs that our council is working to implement, the total tax rate for 2018-2019 (rate of 0.412900) is slightly lower than the tax rate for 2017-2018. I want to thank all of our staff who works to serve every citizen and the council day in and day out. Without them and their efforts, this town would not be what it is today. This group includes the folks who mow the grass, enforce our town code, welcome everyone who comes to the town hall with a great Texan smile, maintain our water and sewer lines, and the police fire, and EMS team who show up to check on us and to take care of us in case of an emergency. When you see them, please let them know that you appreciate their hard work. The other group who deserves much appreciation and recognition are the many volunteer who serve on our council, boards and commission. Personally, I am very grateful to each one of them and feel very privileged for the work they do and the sacrifices they make for this town. Finally, I appreciate each one of you who has contacted me over these past several weeks and shared your thoughts, ideas and concerns. Thank you to each one of you who shared your perspectives with me during the National Night Out, Sunnyfest, Library Renaming Ceremony and other public events. I have greatly enjoyed sitting down with many of you over a cup of coffee or a meal. At any time, if I can be of assistance, please feel free to reach out to me on my personal email at sajigeorgetexas@gmail.com or at my town email address mayor.george@ townofsunnyvale.org. Thank you Mayor Saji George
New Fiscal Year new budget & taxes
Since June, the Town Council & Staff have been hard at work preparing for a new year. After six public meetings, two public hearings, and countless hours of review, the Council approved a new budget and tax rate to go into effect October 1st.
The Budget
In accordance with best practices, the budget not only provides an overview of revenues and expenses, but lines out the strategic goals of the Council, the short-term factors impacting the organization, and long term goals, and capital improvement projects. The primary focus of increased spending in the upcoming year is Public Safety. The addition of three full-time Firefighter/EMT’s, changes to our Fire & Medical Dispatching services, and a study to review options for Police Services will ensure public safety needs can be met for our growing community.
TAXES
The adoption and levying of taxes is a complex calculation outlined by the state legislature. This year, the Town Council adopted a tax rate of $0.412900, which is lower than the previous year’s rate of $0.413088; however, because appraised values increased, and the total property tax dollars to be received will increase, we are required to notice the new tax rate as a tax Main t e na Rollback Rate increase. & Op e rat nce ions e t a R The adopted tax tive c e f rate will result Ef in approximately $4.1 million dollars of revenue for Town Ta xa operations and ble Va $900 thousand lue for existing debt Appraised value obligations. Debt Service
Please join us for the
Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Friday, December 7th 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall
Doris Padgett PUBLIC LIBRARY Math Tutoring: Thanks to our partnership with Mathnasium Mesquite/Sunnyvale, the Doris Padgett Public Library now offer free math tutoring for elementary and middle school students every Saturday from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM at the library! Please call us at (972)226-4491 for more details. Space is limited. Emergency Preparedness: The Doris Padgett Public Library is dedicated not only to entertain and educate you and your family, but also to providing you with the information you need to live a better life. With that in mind, the library’s Emergency Preparedness classes are designed to help you keep yourself and your family safe and prepared for the worst. Classes are free and open to the public. No reservations required. Schedule: • 11/15 6:00 PM: Money Matters: Financial Preparedness • 12/20 6:00 PM: Preparing Emergency Kits
Book Club: The Sunnyvale Public Library Book Club meets on the first Saturday of the month at 1:00 PM to discuss our monthly book and enjoy light refreshments. If you need a copy of the book, be sure to come by the library: we have multiple copies of each book available for checkout and past book club selections available for purchase! If you have a book you’d like us to consider for reading, let us know and we’ll try to incorporate your selection, as well as suggest something new we bet you’ll love! Schedule of Upcoming Books: • 11/3 2018: Follow The Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington • 12/1 2018: The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman Story Time: The library holds our weekly story time every Wednesday morning at 11:00 AM. Children ages 2-6 are invited to hear some great stories and make a fun craft they can take home!
Ground Breaking With seven major development projects currently underway in Sunnyvale, it has been a busy, successful year for the Sunnyvale Economic Development Corporations. Thanks to incentives totaling $633,000 we are experiencing increased interest and businesses focused on serving our community. Lineage Logistics is in the middle of adding approximately 94,000 square feet to their existing facility on Long Creek Road, an expansion expected to add 25 additional jobs to their workforce and will be the company’s first fully automated development in North America. Long Creek Crossing is a master planned development located at the southeast corner of Collins Road and Highway 80. The development will begin construction with a medical office building, and includes additional lots for retail and restaurants. Sunnyvale Centre is another master planned development at the southwest corner of Collins Road and Highway 80. QuikTrip will soon call this development home and hopes to open in March, 2019. There is spurred interest in other available lots to include retail, restaurants, and possible hotels. Kearney’s Feed Store, located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Town East Boulevard and Belt Line Road, is being redeveloped into a restaurant with outdoor seating, games, and live entertainment. The Barn at Long Creek, located at the southwest corner of the intersection of South Paschall Road and Hwy 80, will be a wedding and event venue matching the rural character of the community. Sunnyvale Park Square, located between Town Hall and Trinity Capital For more info contact: Bank, is a new addition to the Town Center area and will add a multiTraci Anderson use facility for restaurants, retail, professional offices, and collaborative Economic work spaces. Development Director Vince Hagan Concrete Batching has plans to expand their site with the (972) 203-4154 addition of a professional office building as well as a lunchroom for its traci.anderson@ employees. townofsunnyvale.org
Town of Sunnyvale 127 N. Collins Road Sunnyvale, TX 75182
Sunnyvale Review COMMUNITY CALENDAR NOVEMBER 5th - Board of Adjustments Meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall 6th - Election Day 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Town Hall 7th - Town Hall Meeting, Proposed Charter Amendments, 7 p.m. Town Hall 12th - Town Council Meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall 16th - Special Town Council Meeting, 1 p.m. Town Hall 19th - Planning & Zoning Commission, 7 p.m. Town Hall 27th - 4B Development Corp. Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Town Hall 28th - 4A Development Corp. Meeting, 5 p.m. Town Hall
DECEMBER 3rd - Board of Adjustments Meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall 4th - Library Board Meeting 6 p.m. Doris Padgett Public Library 7th - Christmas Tree Lighting, 6:30 p.m. Town Hall 10th - Town Council Meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall 17th - Planning & Zoning Commission, 7 p.m. Town Hall HOLIDAY CLOSURES: Thanksgiving November 22nd & 23rd Christmas December 24th & 25th
Dates and times are subject to change. Please visit townofsunnyvale.org for current meeting information.