The Mayor's Blog
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens and friends of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our
community. I wanted to write and give you an update of some of the activities
during the month of November, and I also wanted to include some of the great
events that happened the first part of December.
In November, I continued my visits
to our elementary schools talking to our students about our local, state and
federal governments. I had the opportunity to meet with the Hartman Elementary
first graders and the school’s Student Council. I also spoke to the third
graders at Akin Elementary and Birmingham Elementary. In December, I was also
able to make my first school visit to Whitt Elementary and talk with the first
graders.
November also meant a trip to Austin
for Emergency Management Training provided by the National League of Cities.
This class helps a mayor understand how to respond and react if a community ever
has to go into a State of Emergency. I was very pleased to see that all of the
planning stages that they suggested and recommended are already in place in the
city of Wylie. A special thanks to our staff for their forward thinking in
putting these plans in place.
During the month, some of our
community leaders had the chance to meet with some of the candidates for the
upcoming county election. The Primary Election will be held in March and the
General Election will be in November of next year.
In November I also met with Carey
Israel, the president of Collin College. We discussed the opportunity of Collin
College building a campus in the City of Wylie. The president and I talked about
possible locations and the city staff has sent him maps of the locations we
discussed. I believe we should explore the possible benefits of having Collin
College or some other higher learning institution within our community. In the
coming weeks, I am hoping to get some feedback from the school as to their plans
moving forward.
We kicked off December with a great
first annual Wylie Arts Festival, Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony.
It was a great weekend for our community and served as a reminder that Wylie is
a great place to live. Thanks to the efforts of our staff, it proved to be a
wonderful weekend!
As this year comes to a close, I
want to wish you and your family a great holiday season and a very happy new
year!
Until next time, may God continue to
bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor and his family,
Eric, Tammie, Zach and Mason
Hogue
Friday, November 6, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community. I
wanted to write and give you an update of some of the activities around Wylie
during the past month of October.
The past month included visits to three Wylie elementary schools. I had the
opportunity to meet with the second graders from Akin, the first graders
at Birmingham and the first graders at Cox. The students had been
spending time in their classes learning about our federal, state and local
governments. I was able to share with the students how our local city government
works and answer their questions. A special thanks to all of the teachers and
students for letting me visit your schools!
In October, the local Keller Williams Real Estate office held their annual
Wylie Cares Golf Tournament. Wylie Cares helps local families in need within
our community. While I didn't participate in the golf tournament (my golf
lessons went to my oldest son, Zach , when he was on the high school golf team).
I served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event and the award ceremony.
Thanks to J.R. Russell and the Wylie Keller Williams team for hosting this
event.
October also brought with it the second annual Howl-o-ween event at the A
& B Kennel Club. This year, I was honored to be one of their judges for the
costume contest. Citizens dressed their pets in their favorite costumes and came
out to the event. They also had other pet-friendly things like a photo booth, a
booth by In-Sync Exotics, treats for everyone, free food samples by Natural
Balance, face painting, balloon artist, off leash playtime in their indoor park
and adopt-a-pet opportunities from the City of Wylie Animal Control.
A new business neighbor opened its doors in Wylie during the month of September,
ViewPoint Bank. This bank brings over 56 years of local experience to our
community, and their local branch president is our own, Demond Dawkins. Demond
and his family make their home in Wylie, and he currently serves on WylieISD's
Education Foundation Board.
On October 24th, I was honored to serve as the guest speaker at the annual
Game Day for CoCo Best, the Collin County hub of the Texas Boosting
Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) contest. BEST Robotics is a program
that brings approximately 10,000 Middle School and High School students into an
engineering environment each year. Students compete in various engineering
environments including Engineering Notebooks, Marketing Presentations,
Convention Display Booths, and of course Robots. Wylie East High School played
host for the event with over 24 different schools participating.
In October, Councilwoman Kathy Spillyards, Councilman Carter Porter, City
Manager Mindy Manson and myself attended the annual Texas Municipal League
(TML) meeting. This year the event was held in Ft. Worth, which helped in saving
travel costs to the meeting. TML is an annual conference which helps educate
elected officials on their role in city government. It also provides
opportunities for us to meet and share ideas with our counterparts in other
Texas cities.
October also brought back Boo on Ballard, a fun event for the whole
family. A special thanks to all of the Downtown Merchants for hosting this great
event!
October also marked the 100th anniversary celebration of Wylie Fire Rescue.
I was truly honored to be a part of this celebration as we reflected and
remembered the past 100 years of fire protection within our community. I was
able to read from some of the City Council meeting minutes documenting the
approval of a fire department in the town of Wylie back in 1909. Here are some
of the notes from those minutes:
"July 17, 1909: The Town Council of the Town of Wylie met at City
Hall. Mayor J. B. Baskett presiding. Being a special called meeting, the object
being to consider proposition of Mr. H. M. Minnis. On motion that the Town
Council purchase a fire pump to be made by H. M. Minnis. When the machine is
made and operates as successfully as his model and when said machine is securely
and suitably mounted on truck or wagon. Motion carried unanimous. No other
business the meeting closed.
August 4, 1909: Wylie Town Council met in regular session at City Hall.
All members of the council being present the minutes of previous meeting were
read and approved. Resolution passed that the fire boys be exempt from street
tax.
September 1, 1909: Motion was made that ten buckets be purchased to equip
the fire engine. J. A. Harwell was instructed to carry buckets to L. L. Gant’s
Shop to be painted. Motion was made that an ax be bought to go with fire engine.
Motion carried. Motion was made and carried that the city attorney communicate
with the Attorney General and elicit an opinion as to the legality of the city
council passing an ordinance preventing persons from teasing another person of
and unsound mind. No other business, the meeting closed.
January 6, 1912: Next was a passing of fire ordinance a copy of which is
here attached. Mr. W.F. Duncan was appointed fire marshal with a salary of $1.00
per month.
January 11, 1912: The Town Council of the Town of Wylie met in session at
First State Bank. The purpose of which was to reorganize the fire company. It
was moved and seconded that Clem Gallagher be appointed as Chairman to organized
Fire Company. Motion Carried. It was moved and seconded that each member of the
Fire Company be paid the sum of $.50 per month for his services, this amount
payable quarterly, motion carried. With no other business, it was moved and
seconded that we adjourn. Motion carried."
Things sure have changed in the last
100 years, but Wylie Fire Rescue is still here serving our community.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community. I
wanted to write and give you an update of some of the activities happening
around Wylie during the past month of August.
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update monthly newsletter. This email is just another way
to communicate with the citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening
around our community. I wanted to write and give you an update of some of the
activities around Wylie during the past month of September.
We kicked off the month with the Wylie, Rowlett and Sachse Chambers of Commerce
hosting a community legislative event at The Atrium at the Granville Arts Center
in Garland, Texas. The City Manager, Mindy Manson; the Mayor Pro Tem, Red Byboth
and myself had the opportunity to hear from our state and federal officials on
the activities around our state and our country. The speakers included:
Congressman Sam Johnson, Congressman Ralph Hall, State Senator Robert Deuell,
State Representative Joe Driver and State Representative Jodie Laubenberg.
During the month, I also had the opportunity to sit down with our County
Commissioner Jerry Hoagland to review the activities and proposed plans for road
improvements and the planned outer loop roadway that is currently being studied.
While this proposal is planned for years down the road, it is important that
they are looking and planning for the future.
The Friends of the Rita and Truett Smith Public Library, held their first
fundraising event for our new library in September. Today our library is
approximately 6,500 square feet. Our new library, once it is completed and
opened by the end of 2010, will be nearly 44,000 square feet. To date, the
Friends of the Library has raised $54,000 to enhance our library services, with
a total goal of $250,000. Funds for the new Teen Center and one Study Room have
already been donated. Additionally, $5,000 has been donated for the biography
book collection. If you are interested in becoming a Friend or donating to this
very worthy cause, please call the library at 972-442-7566 and they will connect
you with the Friends organization. The next fundraiser will be at Barnes and
Noble at Firewheel on November 7 and 8, 2009. Look for information on special
events that weekend, and a portion of the sales will go to the Friends of the
Rita and Truett Smith Public Library.
At the September Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, State Representative Jodie
Laubenberg was on hand to present the State of the State Address. Representative
Laubenberg gave an update and review of the recent legislative session.
September also brought back the annual Christian Care Center Golf Tournament.
The organization has helped many needy families in the Wylie area for many
years. As most of your know, Wylie’s own Raymond Cooper is the heart of the
Christian Care Center, and is to be commended for his dedication and commitment
to this organization. This year’s tournament was a record breaking fundraising
event for the center.
On the last day of the month, our City Manager Mindy Manson, WEDC President
Marvin Fuller and I were able to join Savage Precision Fabrication, Inc. for the
Collin County Business Press’
Celebration of Enterprise Luncheon. Savage Precision was one of the finalists in
the business newspaper’s awards program. Savage Precision Fabrication is a parts
manufacturer for the aerospace industry located right here in Wylie, Texas. The
company is a family owned business operated by Chief Executive Officer W.T.
Gardner, President JoAnne Gardner, and Vice President Carole Gardner.
Congratulations to the Gardner’s and Savage Precision for being named one of the
finalists!
In September, I also had the opportunity to visit with all of the second graders
at Birmingham Elementary. The students had been spending time in their classes
learning about our federal, state and local governments. I was able to share
with the students how our local government works and answer their questions. A
special thanks to the teachers and second graders at Birmingham for letting me
visit your school!
Finally, in September I was able to issue a Proclamation to announce October 13,
2009 as Wylie’s official National Night Out. This is a nationwide event to raise
awareness and promote safety within our neighborhoods. I hope you will make
plans to attend Wylie’s Public Safety Expo on October 11, 2009 from 1:00pm until
5:00pm at Founder's Park, and then turn on your porch light and get out and meet
your neighbors on October 13, 2009.
Also, don’t forget about the upcoming Wylie Rodeo on October 23 - 24, 2009. You
can contact the Wylie Chamber of Commerce for more details at 972-442-2804.
October also marks the 100th anniversary of Wylie Fire and Rescue. In 1909 the
City Council approved the purchase of two buckets and an axe, and the Wylie Fire
Department was born. Today, our fleet consists of three front-line Paramedic
Quints, a reserve Quint, a reserve Engine, two Brush Attack units that also pull
our Technical Rescue trailers, three staff vehicles, two boats, a converted bus
for dive, rescue and recovery, and two Hovercraft for Swift Water and Flood
rescues. Congratulations and thanks to Wylie Fire and Rescue for their
dedication and commitment to our community.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Monday, September 14, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community. I
wanted to write and give you an update of some of the activities happening
around Wylie during the past month of August.
The Budget: The big news this month is the approval of the FY 2009/2010
Budget. Over the past month, the City Council has focused in the FY2009/2010
budget and how we need to move forward during these tough economic times. Our
City Manager, Mindy Manson, and her staff brought before us a proposed budget
for next year, with the goal of holding our taxes at the current rate and not
have a tax increase as was originally planned due to our 2005 bond passage. The
City Staff worked hard to reduce their departmental budgets, cut non-essential
programs and employees will not be taking pay increases this next year. At our
last City Council meeting, the budget was approved without any increase for the
coming year.
Texas National Guard Armory, 3rd Squadron, 124th Cavalry, Returns: In
August, we welcomed home some very special individuals. Troops from the Texas
National Guard Armory unit stationed in Wylie, Texas returned home! As you may
recall we gave them a big send off when they were deployed last summer. This
past month we had hundreds of people turn out to welcome home these soldiers
after being away from their families for so long. We are also very fortunate
that ALL of the soldiers made it back home to their families and friends.
Habitat For Humanity House Dedication: On a Sunday afternoon in late
August, family, friends, volunteers and officials gathered with representatives
of the South Collin County Habitat for Humanity organization to dedicate the
fifth and newest Wylie area home created by good will and sweat equity. While
the home is just outside our city limits, we welcome this family as permanent
residents to our community.
Luncheon With State Representative Laubenberg: During the month of
August, I had the opportunity to join eight other area mayors to have lunch
hosted by our State Representative Jodie Laubenberg. I had the opportunity to
visit with the State Representative and give her an update regarding all the
activities around Wylie. I also had the chance to visit with the other area
Mayors on activities in their cities. During the luncheon, we also had the
chance to hear from County Commissioner Jerry Hoagland with an update about the
county.
Don’t forget about the upcoming Wylie Rodeo on September 18-19, 2009, this
coming Friday and Saturday evenings.
As you can see July has proved to be a budget focused month for the city of
Wylie. But it is important that we plan for the future of our community.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community.
It’s hard to believe that in just a
couple of weeks, school will be starting back and the Wylie Pirate and the Wylie
East Raiders football season is just around the corner. I wanted to write and
give you an update of some of the activities happening around Wylie during this
past month.
Over the past month, the City Council has focused on a number of important
issues and I thought I would highlight some of those this month:
FM 1378: Construction is set to begin this month and the road, when
completed, will be six lane divided highway with curbs and sidewalks. The
completion date is January 2011.
The Budget: Over the last few City Council meetings, our city staff has
brought before us the proposed budget for next year. We have looked at ways to
hold our taxes at the current rate and not have a tax increase as was originally
planned due to our 2005 bond passage. Our City Staff worked hard to reduce their
departmental budgets, cut non essential programs and employees will not be
taking pay increases this next year. The entire city council and the city staff
all have the goal of keeping our city from having a tax increase. While these
are tough economic times, we have been fortunate over the last few years to have
a Finance Department who planned ahead. While other cities are facing lay offs
and the cutting of needed programs, we are cautiously and carefully striving to
be good stewards of our city.
Direct Development and Super Target: Following months of negotiations,
the City Council amended the Retail Development Agreement between the City of
Wylie and Direct Development, the developer of the Woodbridge Crossing shopping
center. You may be asking what does this mean, and why did the city council make
this change? In 2008 when the developer, Direct Development, came before the
City Council, with the plans for the Woodbridge Crossing Shopping Center, the
WEDC, The City Staff and the City Council worked with them to come up with the
best plan for our community. The developer agreed to put in all the
infrastructure (that includes: water, sewer, roads, signal lights, moving of the
power lines…all amounting to approximately 12 million dollars). Then over a 12
year period the city would give back, each year, a small percentage of the sales
tax to cover these costs. One way to look at it is, the city is getting a “no
interest” loan for improvements we would normally incur. Keep in mind that this
land had nothing on it, and was zoned agriculture before Direct Development
started to build the shopping center. In other words the city has not been out
any cost at all, and we will only financially benefit from this development in
sales tax and property tax.
Then we faced the downturn of the economy. Many of the retailers that plan to
come to the shopping center, said they need to wait…they still want to come, but
like everyone else they are watching every dollar they spend. The amendment the
council agreed to with Direct Development is purely market driven. We cannot
expect Direct Development to construct a shopping center without leases in hand;
it just doesn’t make good business sense.
The revised amendment defines a more realistic scenario while still allowing
Direct Development an opportunity to qualify for the public incentives dedicated
to the project. The amendments call for 221,000 square feet of retail space to
be developed by November 30, 2009, an additional 64,000 square feet by May 1,
2011, a cumulative 385,000 square feet by September 1, 2012, and finally a
cumulative 530,000 square feet by September 1, 2013. Additionally, Woodbridge
Crossing must have an appraised value of not less than $83 million by July 31,
2014.
As I stated earlier, with an anticipated $100 million investment, Direct
Development could qualify for sales tax reimbursements up to $12 million over a
twelve year period. This public incentive represents approximately one-third of
the revenue (sales tax and property tax) to be generated from the shopping
center. The amended agreement also triggers a reduction in benefits should the
developer not meet the new amended terms. Should Direct Development fail to meet
any of the amended performance measures, the $12 million cap will be reduced to
$6 million and the future performance measures will be removed.
Woodbridge Crossing is a reality because the team at Direct Development with the
support of the WEDC and the City Staff were able to secure a Super Target;
extend McCreary Road to intersect with State Highway 78 in Sachse; extend
Springwell Parkway to the south; and to add the additional traffic signals at
three new intersections for the safety of our community. In other words, Direct
has accomplished 100% of the development criteria which are required to have a
successful shopping center.
Speaking of Super Target: The store opened its doors on Tuesday, July 21,
2009 and has started off with a bang! Initial sales figures have exceeded their
own targets and the store is off to a wonderful start in Wylie, Texas. Also
within Woodbridge Crossing, Viewpoint Bank is scheduled to open by September 1,
2009. Also under construction is 35,000 square feet of lease space which will
include Sleep Experts, Regis, Deluxe Nail Salon, Cottonwood Financial, Sally
Beauty, Grand China Buffett, Mooya Hamburgers, Pacific Dental, and Which Wich.
As you can see July has proved to be a budget focused month for the city of
Wylie. But it is important that we plan for the future of our community.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community.
It’s hard to believe that we are already in the middle of Summer now that it is
July 2009. Next month our children will be heading back to school and football
season is just around the corner. I wanted to write and give you an update of
some of the activities happening around Wylie during this past month.
We kicked off the month of June with the Mayor’s Quarterly Breakfast at the
Birmingham House. Member’s of our senior city staff and I met with the Wylie
Downtown Merchant’s Association. We had an opportunity to discuss ways to
support the downtown area and listened to the needs and concerns of our downtown
merchants. Without a doubt, downtown Wylie is a very special place. We have some
wonderful retail, commercial and restaurant businesses on Ballard Avenue. If you
are not taking advantage of these businesses, please visit downtown and support
those merchants.
In June, the county also held the second in series of meetings for the mayors of
Collin County. These meetings are designed to inform us of the activities in and
around the county, and to give us an opportunity to provide feedback and input
to our County Commissioners.
In May, I was honored to be named by Governor Rick Perry, as a member of the
Governing Board for the Texas School for the Deaf. This past month I had the
privilege of performing my first official duty, as a board member, by attending
the high school graduation of 51 deaf students from around our great state.
June also brought about the graduation of our Wylie High School Seniors. My
family and I had the opportunity to attend this graduation of over 560 of our
students. Tammie and I were very proud of all of those students, and especially
one in particular…our oldest son, Zach, was among the 2009 WHS graduates.
At the end of the month, my family and I were on vacation in southern California
and had the opportunity to meet and visit with former Arkansas Governor and
Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee. I was able to tell the former Governor
about our community and surprisingly he knew right where Wylie is located and
how we are growing and developing. It was great to find out that individuals who
have represented one of our neighboring states know about our city, and has a
positive opinion of our community.
I hope you all have taken advantage of the Summer Concert’s at Olde City Park.
The concerts have been great and it has been so much fun to get out and visit
with our citizens at these events. These activities really help Wylie keep that
“hometown” feeling. I hope you and your family are also planning to attend the
annual July Jubilee this coming Friday evening in downtown Wylie.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community. It’s
hard to believe that June 2009 has officially arrived and I have been mayor of
our great city for over a year. I want to thank all of you for the support and
encouragement you continually provide to me and my family. I also wanted to
write and give you an update of some of the activities happening around Wylie
during this past month.
We kicked off the month of May with the City Council touring the location of the
new City Hall, Recreation Center and Library. We had the opportunity to see a
mock up of the buildings and the materials that will be used. The planned
completion of this municipal complex is fourth quarter of 2010.
In May, I also had to the opportunity to participate in the National Day of
Prayer at our City Hall. Ministers, staff members and citizens from our
community gathered together to pray for our city as we continue to grow forward.
This past month I was honored to be named by Governor Rick Perry, as a member of
the Governing Board for the Texas School for the Deaf. This past week I had the
privilege of being in Austin to attend the high school graduation of 51 deaf
students from around our great state.
In the middle of the month, I along with 49 other mayors around the Metroplex
had the honor of representing each of our communities at the announcement of the
Super Bowl coming to North Texas in 2011. During this press conference the
venues for each of the Super Bowl events were also announced, and the excitement
surrounding this event was very evident. I had the opportunity to spend some
time with former Dallas Cowboy, Emmett Smith. I kept telling him that he and his
wife, should consider moving to Wylie! I am a member of the Council of Mayors
who have been working with Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman over the past year to
insure the Super Bowl would be played in North Texas in 2011.
In May, the Economic Development Director, the City Manager and myself attended
the International Council of Shopping Centers Conference. We met with a number
of retail and commercial businesses on their interest in coming to Wylie. While
the current economic conditions in our country is having an impact on businesses
and communities; we were able to go in and meet with companies who are
interested in growing and are seriously looking at Wylie as a new location for
their businesses.
May also brought the long awaited ground breaking ceremony for the Veterans
Memorial Monument in Olde City Park. This memorial will honor those who have
served and are currently serving in all branches of our military. The monument
is a gift from the Wylie Chamber of Commerce to the city of Wylie and its
citizens. On May 25, 2009, Memorial Day, we had nearly 300 people gather for
this wonderful event.
FM 1378 Update: I also wanted to write and give you an update on FM1378. For
years we have talked about expanding this heavily traveled road. Late last year
the state of Texas released the road to Wylie, and the 2005 bond election (along
with the county) provided the funds for this road improvement. At our city
council meeting two weeks ago, the construction company was selected and in
approximately 700 days (a little over 2 years) FM 1378 will be a completed six
lane road with curbs and sidewalks!
We closed out the month of May with the Walk for Will. This is a fundraising
event dedicated to help raise money to assist the family of Will Smith with
medical bills and other needs associated with his illness. Will, the young son
of B.J. and LaJuana Smith, teachers at Wylie ISD, was diagnosed with a rare
disease with which only 400 people worldwide are afflicted. This year’s event
raised over $8,000.
Thursday, June 11, 2009 the Summer Concert Series begins in downtown Wylie! The
stars will be shining brightly as Rob Hunter and the Ballard School of
Performing Arts, present the Searching for a Star performers! This group of
young people will be entertaining us and competing for the top prize in this
2009 3rd annual vocal competition! This year 53 performers from 12 cities in
North Dallas made it through the 2nd audition stage and into the contest. Out of
those 53, ten performers competed through 6 rounds of singing to make it into
the finals! I hope you will join me for this fun and exciting event!
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Welcome to the Mayor’s Update
monthly newsletter. This email is just another way to communicate with the
citizens of Wylie, Texas on the activities happening around our community.
May 2009 has officially arrived and everyone seems to be getting ready to get
out of school and in our case, graduate from high school. I wanted to write and
give up an update of some of the activities happening around Wylie during this
past month.
We kicked off the first day of April with meeting with Boy Scout Troop 2062 at
Olde City Park. I spoke to the scouts about the history of our city and answered
their questions to help them earn their Citizenship merit badge.
In April our City Manager, Mindy Manson; our WEDC Director, Sam Satterwhite and
myself met with County Commissioners Jerry Hoagland and Kathy Ward to discuss
and provide feedback about the county’s current policies, goals and mission
statements concerning tax abatements and TIF's. It was a productive meeting, in
which we were able to give good input to our Commissioners.
This past month I was honored to toss out the first ball for the Spring season
of the Wylie Girls Fastpitch League. We are very fortunate to have a great group
of parents who have seen the need to build this program for our young ladies in
Wylie. This is their second season and interest in this league is growing.
The official grand opening of Wylie’s third fire station took place April 18,
2009. Hundreds of Wylie citizens, dignitaries and firefighters helped christen
the new station and officially welcome it to the community. In lieu of a
traditional ribbon cutting, there was a fire hose uncoupling. Then our
firefighters hosed down Quint 3 and Medic 2 (which is a tradition when opening a
new fire station) and invited all of our citizens to dry off the firefighting
apparatus. Mayor pro tem Red Byboth took the wheel of the Medic, and I climbed
into the Quint’s driver’s seat; as we steered, the community members pushed the
two big machines into the firehouse, and the fire station was officially opened.
It was a great day for the City of Wylie.
In April, members of our staff and myself met with the developers of the
Woodbridge Crossing Shopping Center to get an update on the status of the
center. Members of the Wylie Economic Development Board and I also visited with
the senior management of Sanden and took a tour of their facilities during this
past month.
April also brought the long awaited Relay for Life Event to benefit the American
Cancer Society. This was an awesome event that seemed to bring out many members
of our community. Teams of people walked all night long to support the fight
against cancer. It was impressive to see all of the efforts to make this year’s
Relay for Life such a successful event.
After walking on Friday night at the Relay for Life, the next morning brought
the second annual Sage Creek 5K Run. This year’s race was also a benefit for the
Christian Care Center. People were encouraged to bring food and supplies for
families in need. Wylie’s own Raymond Cooper was on hand to talk about the
center and all the work it has done over the years to help families in our
community.
We closed out the month with a city council meeting, where we honored Brandon
Stevens for earning his Eagle Scout Badge. Brandon is a sophomore at Wylie High
School, and he designed and built a 20 foot underground pipe drain for better
irrigation at Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding Center for his Eagle Scout
project. Congratulations to Brandon on achieving this great honor!
During this council meeting I also gave a proclamation recognizing Rare Disease
Day in Wylie, Texas. The goal of the proclamation is to raise awareness of rare
diseases and the special challenges encountered by those affected. Rare diseases
are those that affect fewer than 200,000 Americans, and there are nearly 7,000
such diseases affecting nearly 30 million Americans, according to the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). We were honored to having a very special guest Will
Smith and his parents in attendance. Will is the young son of BJ and Lajuana
Smith from Wylie. BJ is one of our coaches and teachers at Wylie East High
School, and Lajuana is a kindergarten teacher at Hartman Elementary. Will has
Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, and is one of Four hundred people in the world have
this disease. In the coming weeks you can have the opportunity to come out to
meet and help out Will and his parents. While the date is still to be announced,
I hope you will plan to join Tammie, Zach, Mason and myself along with many
other citizens in our community as we participate in the second annual Walk for
Will at the Wylie Pirate Stadium. I will let you know once a new date for this
event has been set.
Summer is just around the corner, and soon the city of Wylie will be launching
our annual Wylie Wave program for the young citizens of our city. And, then it
will be time to launch our annual Summer Concert Series in Olde City Park.
Also, don’t forget the Wylie Chamber of Commerce is planning the construction of
a Veterans Memorial Monument to honor those who have served and are currently
serving in all branches of the military. The monument is a gift from the Wylie
Chamber of Commerce to the city of Wylie and its citizens. They have scheduled
Saturday, May 24, 2009 as the groundbreaking and dedication ceremony for the
monument, which will be located in Olde City Park
And finally, don’t forget to vote! Elections for some of our local officials are
this coming Saturday, May 9, 2009
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Tuesday, April 3, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
We have rolled into April and
officially into the Spring season. I hope you and your family are enjoying this
Spring time weather, as we all know a very warm Summer is on its way. I wanted
to write and give an update of some of the activities happening around Wylie
during this past month.
We kicked off March with a luncheon for all the mayors of Collin County hosted
by two of our County Commissioners, Jerry Hoagland and Joe Jaynes. The purpose
of this meeting was to provide an open forum for the commissioners and mayors to
discuss projects and activities within Collin County. We agreed to meet each
quarter and to use these meetings as opportunities to build relationships, learn
about each community and to learn about activities in the county.
This past month our city manager, Mindy Manson, and I also met with a
representative from the United States Census Bureau. It’s hard to believe that
it is time to once again take an official count of the U.S. population. The
Bureau is going around all the cities in the area and in the country to gain
support as they begin this process in 2010.
March also gave me the opportunity to provide a status of our community to the
Collin County Realtors Association. I was able to give them an abbreviated
version of the State of the City address and answer their questions about
activities within our community.
The Wylie High School AP U.S. Government class paid a visit to our City Hall
during the month of March. The students met with our city council members and
our city staff to learn about our local government and how it works. The
students also participated in a mock city council meeting, many of the students
played different roles from the mayor to an unhappy citizen. It was great to see
the interest these young people have in their community.
At the March 24th City Council meeting, Capt. Jeff Scribner of Wylie Fire-Rescue
and Lt. Mike Atkison of the Wylie Police Department were recognized for their 20
years of service to the city. I would like to congratulate and thank Mike and
Jeff for their dedication and commitment to the city of Wylie.
Also in March we had a new Mayor…I guess I should say an Honorary Mayor! Robert
Brown, a Smith Elementary fourth-grader, was Honorary Mayor of Wylie at our
March 10, 2009 City Council Meeting. At Smith Elementary School’s recent
spaghetti dinner and auction, Robert outbid his fellow students for the
opportunity to be mayor for a day. On the morning of March 10, 2009, I visited
Robert’s class at school and gave him the “Oath of Office.” The rest of the day
his fellow students called him Mr. Mayor! Later that afternoon Robert and his
family toured Fire Station 3 and our Police Department. Later that evening
Robert helped out at the City Council meeting. He led the pledge of allegiance
and helped me read several agenda items aloud. The school was able to raise over
$7,000 at the dinner; the money will be used to purchase a swing-set for the
school playground.
March also gave Tammie and me the opportunity to attend the annual Boots 'n
Barbecue Gala presented by the Wylie ISD Education Foundation. We joined more
than 400 individuals for an evening of food, music and a chance to raise money
for the students and teachers of Wylie ISD. Early tabulations indicate a gross
income of approximately $100,000 for the event.
We closed out the month with a joint meeting between the City Council and the
Wylie ISD School Board. Our staffs gave us an update on all projects within our
city and our school district. I believe it is important that we continue to
build a strong relationship with the Wylie Independent School District and its
Board of Trustees. These annual meetings, along with our quarterly sub-committee
meetings, allow us to understand what each government entity is doing within and
around our city.
As I reported last month, on February 24, 2009, I presented the annual State of
the City address during the monthly Wylie Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The
event was attended by approximately 140 individuals and gave a review and update
about the activities of our city over the past year. A video of the State of the
City address is now available online for you to view. Please visit the following
link to view the address:
Wylie State of the City Address Video.
A very special thanks to the students from Wylie High School’s iPatch class, who
came out and video taped the speech.
In April, we also have another exciting event with the ribbon cutting,
dedication and official opening of our third fire station on April 18, 2009.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Tuesday, March 2, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
We have officially rolled into March, and I know many of our young citizens are
looking forward to their annual Spring Break from school. February 2009, proved
to be a busy month with many activities and events around the city of Wylie.
We kicked off the month with the
“Love Your Library” Chocolate Fest hosted by the Friends of the Smith Public
Library at the American National Bank in Wylie. We had a good group of citizens
come out and support the library, and also a number of individuals who
officially joined the Friends of the Library group, including Tammie and myself!
The membership of the Friends of the Rita and Truett Smith Public Library is
composed of people who believe in the importance of books, reading, learning,
and libraries for people of all ages. They share a common interest in libraries
in general and specifically the Rita and Truett Smith Public Library. As a
Friend of the Rita and Truett Smith Public Library you help promote the
improvement of the facilities and services of the Library; and work to enhance
cooperation among local citizens, library board members, and government
officials. If you would like to learn more about this program, please visit the
city’s web site at www.wylietexas.gov.
This past month the entire City
Council, along with members of our staff, attended Collin County Days in Austin,
Texas. When the Texas Legislature convened for its 81st regular session, local
business, government, education and civic leaders scheduled the 2009 Collin
County Days to meet and hear from our state officials. This activity was
coordinated by the Collin County Chambers of Commerce, and offered community
members a unique venue to learn more about critical issues affecting Collin
County while gaining a greater understanding of Texas government. This event
gave the City Manager, Mindy Manson, and I the opportunity to meet one-on-one
with our State Representative and our State Senators providing them an update of
our city. The Council also had the opportunity to visit with other city
officials, school officials and county officials in building stronger ties with
our surrounding communities.
February also gave Tammie and I the
opportunity to represent Wylie at the annual Sachse Chamber of Commerce Banquet.
We were guests of Bill and Anita Collins, Anita is the new 2009 Sachse Chamber
Chairwoman. At the dinner we had an opportunity to visit with the mayor of
Sachse, Mike Felix, as well as a number of the of the city council members. I
believe it is important that we continue to build strong relationships with our
neighbors in Sachse and Murphy.
Also in February, the Wylie Economic
Development Corporation (WEDC) helped to sponsor the 2009 Collin College
Cabaret. This event is an annual fundraiser created by and for the college (also
known as, Collin County Community College). I believe it is important that we
continue to show our support of this local college, as a number of our high
school students are currently taking college level classes through a program
with this school. This year the event included commanding performances by Collin
College students and faculty presenting choral and dance to the sounds of a
1940’s big band. Representatives from The WISD Education Foundation, The Collin
College Foundation and members of our community joined Tammie and I for this
event.
We closed out the month with the
annual State of the City address. On February 24, 2009. I presented the current
state of our city during the monthly Wylie Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The
event was attended by approximately 140 individuals. The address highlighted all
of the exciting things that have happened over the past year, from our sales tax
revenues increasing by 9% (meaning more people are shopping in Wylie); to our
15% drop in the crime rate; to the opening of our third fire station; to the
181,639 items borrowed from our library this past year; to the boundary
expansion of our historic downtown district; to our Finance Department receiving
the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the
Government Finance Officers Association; to our improvements to our Olde City
Park including a new parking lot, restrooms, sidewalks, landscaping, benches and
tables; to the over 110,000 pages, scanned into the system, on-line and ready
for you to look up. The address also highlighted many of our city employees, who
go above and beyond each day to continue to make Wylie a great community.
In the coming days a copy of the
State of the City address will be available online for you to read, and in the
coming weeks a video of the speech will also be available for your viewing. This
year, students from WHS came out and video taped the speech to allow anyone with
a computer to view the annual State of the City address.
In March, we also have another
exciting event with students from Wylie High School spending a day at City Hall
and participating in Student Government Day.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Monday, February 2, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Happy Groundhog Day! It’s hard to believe that we are already in February 2009,
the new year is off and running! January was a great and productive time for our
city, with a number of important announcements and activities occurring
throughout the month.
We are currently in the middle of
improvements to our Olde City Park. Work began last month to improve and expand
the park to include a new parking lot, restrooms, sidewalks, landscaping,
benches and tables. These improvements were funded through a $330,000 matching
grant from the Collin County Park and Open Space Program and fees received from
new development in Wylie.
This past month we also got the
report that the City’s 2008 combined crime rate per 100,000 population has
dropped by 15% over 2007. This represents a 1% decrease in Part One Crimes and a
21% decrease in Part Two Crimes. Chief Duscio and his officers are to be
commended for their outstanding efforts and their unwavering commitment and
dedication to the safety of our citizens and our community. While our city
continues to grow, crime continues to drop in Wylie, Texas.
In January, I also had the
opportunity to speak to 20 students from the pre-kindergarten class at
Birmingham Elementary. It was fun to hear all the questions asked by four and
five year olds. One of the recurring questions was, “Do you have a dog?” and the
answer was no, not right now. It was great to introduce these young children to
our government.
Also, I’ve had a number of emails
asking if Super Target is still on schedule. I am pleased to let you know that
we are still on schedule and the store will be opening July 2009!
The month ended with the Wylie
Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet. We had over 300 individuals in
attendance, and I was honored to be asked to serve as the emcee of this year’s
event.
As we move into February, the entire
city council will be traveling to Austin, Texas to meet with our state officials
and participate in Collin County Day with our surrounding communities.
Also, on February 24, 2009 I will be
delivering the annual State of the City Address during the February Chamber of
Commerce Luncheon. This event is open to everyone and tickets are available at
the Wylie Chamber of Commerce office. They can be reached at 972-442-2804.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Monday, January 5, 2009
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday and were able to spend time
with your family, friends and neighbors. December was a great month for our
city, with a number of important activities occurring throughout the month.
We kicked off the month with the KCS Holiday Express stopping in Wylie, Texas.
Over 2,600 children, parents and grandparents walked through the train and had
an opportunity to visit with Santa and his elves. The Wylie stop was one of the
largest crowds KCS had during this past holiday season.
December 12, 2008 marked the date of the annual Downtown Wylie Christmas Parade,
and it was a huge success with literally thousands of citizens coming out to see
all the floats and participants. The parade was followed by the official City of
Wylie Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in the Olde City Park, four of our young
citizens helped Santa and myself flip the switch, which turned on all the lights
of our Christmas Tree.
Nearly 200 city of Wylie residents, City Council members, city staff and civic
leaders gathered to celebrate the ground breaking of Wylie’s new Municipal
Complex on Saturday morning, December 13, 2008. More than 45 people, lined up
across three mounds of soil representing the three unique spaces and
simultaneously broke ground. This complex was approved by voters during the 2005
bond program, and includes a 45,737 square foot City Hall, a 47,159 square foot
Recreation Center and a 43,934 square foot Library. Our estimated construction
time is twenty-two months with a completion date of late October 2010. Not only
will the new City Hall, Library and Recreation Center enable us to provide an
enhanced level of service to our citizens, but the buildings and beautiful Wells
Property will be a community gathering place for all to enjoy for years to come.
During December the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager and I participated
in a Mayor / City Manager Strategy Meeting with our surrounding communities, the
session was hosted by the city of Murphy. The goal of this meeting was to see if
we have different resources and tools that we could bring together and help
realize a cost savings across our communities. This meeting served as a kick-off
session to see if there was interest from the neighboring cities. In the coming
months, we will continue meeting to discuss these ideas and see if there is a
consensus to move forward and take recommendations to each of our City Councils.
As the year came to a close, our city hosted the annual 2008 City of Wylie
Employee Appreciation Banquet, where we recognized members of our outstanding
staff and their contributions to our community:
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Two staff members were
recognized for milestone anniversaries: Purchasing Agent Jim Holcomb for 20
years, and Accountant Prudence Kling for 25 years.
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Two employees were awarded the
newcomer of the year award: Shaun Butterley, IS technician; and Rhonda Amos,
human resource assistant.
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Customer Service Employee of the
Year was Deputy City Secretary Gayle Walton.
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Wylie Police Sgt. Donna
Valdepena was named Employee of the Year. Valdepena was honored “for her
ability to give 110 percent, her positive attitude and undying support.”
Congratulations and thanks to these
and all of our employees for their dedication and commitment to our city.
As the holidays approached everything slowed down, and we had a very quite,
uneventful and safe holiday season in the city of Wylie.
As we move into the new year, don’t forget that our city council meetings have
now been moved to 7:00pm to allow more of our citizens to come, listen and
participate in the meetings.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Friends and Citizens of Wylie,
November 2008 marked the official
month in which Wylie, Texas was incorporated and became a city 121 years ago.
Over 122 years ago, Col. W.D. Wylie came to this area and bought 100 acres to
start a little community called Wylie. Today our city is over 39 square miles
and the home to over 40,000 citizens…Happy Birthday Wylie!
November was a great month in our city, with a number of important activities
occurring. FM 1378 was released by the state, and is now under Wylie’s
jurisdiction, this will allow us to move forward with the construction of this
road. The bids came in for our new city hall, recreation center and library; and
at the December city council meeting, our council will review these bids so we
can move forward with our buildings. Also our very first class of the new
Citizen’s Police Academy graduated in November (my wife, Tammie, is one of our
graduates). A special thanks to our Police department for putting together this
outstanding program.
And now, Christmas is just around the corner with all of the fun activities
planned for this month. I wanted to write and share with you some of the many
activities that happened during the month of November.
We kicked off this month with a ground breaking event for the new offices of the
Wylie Pediatric Association and Dr. Nicole Lanman. Nicole and her husband,
Aaron, are both graduates of Wylie High School, and came back here after school
to open up this medical practice. They have outgrown their downtown offices and
will be building close to Cooper Junior High School.
In November I had the opportunity to speak to third graders from Birmingham
Elementary and the first graders from Hartmann Elementary schools about how our
local government works. I had the honor and privilege to speak to all of the
students at Harrison Intermediate School on Veterans Day, about the school’s
namesake, Ab Harrision. Mr. Ab, as we called him, was a dear friend of my
family, and I was able to tell the students about his military service to our
country during War World II. Also Mr. Ab was the only U.S. Postman in Wylie,
Texas between 1947 and 1974. Ab passed away in 2001, but he is still missed by
all of us who knew him.
I also was honored to be the guest speaker for the Wylie High School and Wylie
Chamber of Commerce Academic Awards Ceremony, honoring our students for their
hard work and dedication to their education.
Councilwoman Spillyards, Councilman White, our city Manager Mindy Manson and
myself attended the quarterly City of Wylie / WISD subcommittee meeting where we
met with the school board’s subcommittee members and superintendent, Dr. H. John
Fuller to discuss ongoing projects within the city and the school district.
During November, the City Manager and I also attended a Mayor’s Summit with the
North Texas Municipal Water District and area mayors with whom the district
serves. The water district provided a review of their services and their plans
for the future. The meeting also focused on the way in which our cities pay for
this support, and if any changes are needed as our communities continue to grow.
Also in November I held my first Mayor’s Breakfast at the Birmingham House in
downtown Wylie. Citizens who subscribe to the eWylie Newsletter were able to
sign up for this breakfast which was an open forum for them to ask any questions
or provide feedback to me for our city. We limited the number to 15, so that
everyone who attended would have a chance to voice their thoughts and opinions.
A special thanks to those who signed up, our next Mayor’s Breakfast will be held
in February 2009.
During the month, I also had the opportunity to spend the evening at another one
of our fire stations. I was able to visit and have dinner with our fire fighters
from Station One off of Ballard Road. While I was there, we were called out to
two different situations, and to see the care and concern these fire fighters
show to our citizens is impressive and greatly appreciated. A special thanks to
Chief Randy Corbin, Captain Brandon Blythe, and a very special thanks to all of
our fire fighters for their dedication and commitment to our city.
During November, the Wylie Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Wylie class visited
our City Hall, and toured the city’s construction projects. It was great to be
able to share with them all of the activities we have going on in our city and
to tell them about some of the new projects coming our way.
As we move into December, don’t forget our ground breaking ceremony for our new
Municipal Complex on December 13, 2008 at 10:00am. This new complex will allow
us to provide more services and support to our citizens as our community
continues to grow forward. Within the next two years we will have facilities in
place which will support us through our city's build out.
Also don’t forget the Wylie Christmas Parade and tree lighting ceremony on
December 13, 2008 at 6:30pm in downtown Wylie.
Until next time, may God continue to bless the great city of Wylie, Texas.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
October 2008 marked a
very exciting and busy month for the city of Wylie and myself. With Thanksgiving
and Christmas just around the corner, 2008 is coming to a close very quickly. I
wanted to write and share with you some of the many activities that happened
during the month of October.
We kicked off October with our National Night Out at Olde City Park in downtown
Wylie. Approximately 600 citizens were in attendance at this wonderful
nationwide event to raise awareness and promote safety within the community.
Many members of our Police and Fire Departments were on hand to speak with our
citizens. The Wylie High School choir sang the National Anthem, while the Junior
ROTC presented the colors. Over 500 hot dogs, chips and soft drinks were
donated, prepared and served by our local Wal-Mart. It was a fun and educational
evening for all involved!
In October I also had the opportunity to speak to second graders from Akin and
Birmingham Elementary schools about how our local government works. I had the
privilege of kicking-off Red Ribbon Week at Burnett Junior High School, speaking
to the entire student body about drug and alcohol abuse and the impact it has on
our community. And, I was honored to read “Duck for President” to all of the
students at Smith Elementary school to help kick-off the Rita Smith Elementary
Writing Day.
During October, we also had some very special guests visit our City Hall.
Students from Wylie ISD’s Special Programs Center came to learn about the roles
of the mayor, city manager, police chief and the fire chief. The students were
also able to take a tour of the entire facility, and ask questions of myself and
our staff.
In October I had the honor of speaking at the Wylie MLS (Realtors) Meeting, and
giving them an update on all the projects we have going on within the community.
Also this past month, the city manager, Mindy Manson, and I were invited to
attend the Habitat for Humanity South Collin County: Wylie Build Kick-Off, for a
home being built just outside of our city limits. I was able to meet with the
family moving into this new home, and drive in one of the ceremonial nails for
this special project. Ms. Manson currently serves on the Board of Directors for
the Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County.
During the month, I also had the opportunity to spend the evening at one of our
fire stations. I was able to visit and have dinner with some of our fire
fighters, and gain a better understanding of their jobs. While I was there, we
were called out to three different homes, and to see the care and concern these
fire fighters show to our citizens is impressive and greatly appreciated. A
special thanks to Chief Randy Corbin, Captain Brent Parker for allowing me to
visit with Fire Station 2, and a very special thanks to our fire fighters for
their dedication and commitment to our city. This month I will be spending an
evening with Fire Station 1.
As October came to a close, I had the opportunity to attend the Texas Municipal
League meeting in San Antonio, Texas and meet with other elected officials from
around the state. I also was able to meet with a number of our vendors who
support our city on a daily basis. While in San Antonio, our city manager, our
economic development director, one of our WEDC board members and myself were
also able to meet with representatives of Direct Development for the Woodbridge
Crossing shopping Center. We are on schedule with this project and a number of
retail businesses are looking to locate into this shopping center, this is
exciting news for our community! Soon we’ll have more shopping and eating
choices in Wylie, Texas!
As we move into November, I am sure you have seen the road construction on FM
1378. This construction is allowing us to build a temporary road (with a portion
of it being the permanent road on 1378 between FM 544 and Brown), which will
help us move forward with construction of our new municipal buildings.
I am sure many of you are curious about the status this project, and here is
what we know right now. FM 1378 is actually a state road. Three years ago, when
the 2005 bond was passed for 1378's road improvements, our city engineer began
working with the Texas Department of Transportation to remove the roadway from
the state system, and place it within our responsibility so we can move forward
and build the road quicker and less expensively. We expect to hear the results
of the Commission’s actions any day now. Some utility relocation has taken place
such as Verizon. Oncor should be mobilizing on the portion of 1378 south of
Brown Street next week and north of Brown Street a couple of weeks thereafter.
The road is being broken into two different projects between 544 and Brown, and
between Brown and Parker. The county will give us over 7 million dollars and the
city is putting in 13 million dollars. Construction plans for the two projects
are being finalized and bid documents are being prepared. We are pushing to
advertise the projects as quickly as possible. I believe all of us want to see
this project completed as soon as possible.
Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we continue to
grow forward!
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
September was another exciting and busy month for the city of Wylie and myself. We’ve now rolled into October, and 2008 is coming to a close very quickly. I wanted to once again write to you and share with you some of the many activities that happened during the month of September.
During the month, I had the opportunity to spend an evening with members of our Police Department. I spent all of a Friday evening and the early hours of a Saturday morning riding around with one of our police officers. I had been told that Wyllie is a different city at night and that proved to be true. I had the opportunity to see our police force in action, and I must tell you I was very impressed with the dedication and commitment of our police department.
I would encourage you to take advantage of the services our Police Department offers to our citizens. Listed below are some of these services:
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Bicycle Safety Training: provides bicycle safety training for children.
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Block Parties: works with neighborhood groups to coordinate street closures for block parties.
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Child Safety Seat Inspections: free inspections of child car safety seats.
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Citizen Ride Along: get a firsthand experience of an officer’s role by signing up for a ride along.
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Free Gunlocks: the department provides free gunlocks for residents.
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Neighborhood Watch: assists in helping residents establish a neighborhood watch.
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Police Department Tours: tours of facilities, vehicles and departmental operations.
A special thanks to Police Chief John Duscio and all of our officers and staff for all of their hard work. Also this past month the department kicked off the Citizens Police Academy. This program was adapted and developed from the few academies already in existence in states across the country, including Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Connecticut, and Texas. It is envisioned that class members will gain an understanding of the operations of the Wylie Police Department, develop an awareness and appreciation of the various challenges and decisions faced daily by police officers and participate in practical exercises designed to illustrate various situations an officer experiences while on duty. My wife, Tammie, is taking this class and says it is wonderful.
In September, I had the opportunity to meet with County Commissioner Jerry Hoagland and the Mayors of Lucas and St Paul regarding a potential development that could be coming into our areas. We are working together to try and insure any development that could come our direction is in the best interest of all our cities and communities.
At September’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon Fire Chief Randy Corbin spoke to the group about “Preparing for the Worst.” The chief talked about disasters and how we can be better prepared as individuals and as a community. He also shared his experience and involvement when the hurricane hit and destroyed New Orleans just a few short years ago.
September also gave me the opportunity to speak to some of our younger citizens. This past month I spoke to the second graders at Akin Elementary and Birmingham Elementary about our local, state and federal governments. The students have been studying about our system of government in their social studies class, and it was an honor to be able to speak to these students. They asked a lot of good questions and even gave me a little advise on what they would like to see in the city of Wylie!
As we move into October, we have a number of exciting events in and around Wylie:
News and Updates regarding the Ground Breaking for our City Municipal Center: In October we will be getting the bids for these buildings back in our office and will bring to the final plans to the city council for approval by the end of the month.
Third Annual Wylie View Chili-Taste-a-Thon: Saturday October 11, 2008, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Olde City Park in Historic Downtown Wylie. This year all monetary donations will be donated to the Wylie Women's League. They will also accepting canned, dried and/or packaged goods and toiletries for the Wylie Christian Care Center.
National Night Out: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at Olde City Park 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Celebrate National Night Out as a community with hot dogs, soft drinks, a bounce house and music; then return home, turn your porch light on and meet with your neighbors.
The 16th Annual Wylie Championship Rodeo: to be held from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm, Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, 2008. The Wylie Chamber of Commerce is finalizing the details for this event which will be held in the area adjacent to the Birmingham Agricultural facility, off of Hensley Lane.
Downtown Trick or Treat: Thursday, October 30, 2008, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Presented by the Wylie Downtown Merchants Association, the Downtown Trick or Treat and Family Festival is a safe trick or treat alternative for Wylie families as they can walk through downtown and receive candy and treats from local merchants. The downtown streets are transformed into a Halloween Wonderland featuring trick or treating, live music, and carnival games. The event is free and is the Downtown Merchants way of saying “thank-you” for your support and patronage throughout the year.
Also at the end of October, I will attending the annual Texas Municipal League (TML) Meeting and Conference in San Antonio, Texas. This is an opportunity to meet with other leaders from around the state to share information and get ideas on how to continually improve our community.
Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we continue to grow forward!
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
August proved to be a very busy and productive month in the city of Wylie, Texas. It's hard to believe that the Summer is already over and that our young citizens are back in school. I wanted to write to you and share with you some of the many activities that happened during the month of August.
On Monday, August 11, 2008 at 7:00pm I held my first Wylie Town Hall meeting. This meeting gave our citizens the opportunity to hear about all of the upcoming projects and programs based on our 2005 bond election. These projects include road improvements, park improvements and the new library, city hall, recreation center and fire station. We also heard from the Planning Department and the City Secretary's office on their roles within our city government. We had approximately 40 people in attendance. At the end of the presentations, we opened the forum up for questions and answers.
On August 13, 2008 the Wylie Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon for all of the new Wylie ISD teachers. This event welcomed all of our new teachers to the district and to the city of Wylie. Teachers were introduced to the public and were presented with gifts from our local businesses. I believe we have approximately 150 new teachers this year.
This month, I had the opportunity to meet with Collin County Judge, Keith Self. The main topic of our meeting was to promote Wylie with our top county official, and to encourage him and the rest of our county's elected officials to support our community as we continue to grow forward.
The city council also held two public hearings during the month of August on our proposed tax increase. This increase is based on the projects to be funded from the voter approved 2005 bond election. Over the past two years, the city council has had multiple work sessions in preparation of these projects, and the city is now ready to begin construction.
Below is a status of the planned projects:
The City Hall, Library, Recreation Center and Fire Station 3: Citizens have been waiting patiently for the construction of these buildings to begin. The plans are completed and we will be breaking ground on our city hall, library and rec center in October. Fire Station 3 is already under construction and will be completed in the coming months.. Our public library will grow from approximately 6,500 square feet to 45,000 square feet. Our city hall will provide the space we need to house our entire staff. The new Recreation Center will feature two basketball courts, cardiovascular/fitness area, indoor walking/running track, aerobics/dance rooms, classrooms and locker rooms.
FM 1378: This road will have daily traffic of over 45,000 cars traveling on it by 2010 (today's numbers are around 20,000 to 25, 000 each day). Collin County is contributing $3 million for the section between Brown and Parker, with $6.9 million slated in the section from 544 to Brown from Regional Toll Revenue funneled through the County. We need to move on these to insure the money from the county stays with these projects.
Brown Street: East Brown will have students driving on it every day within three years when Wylie East become a full blown high school. We must expand this street to insure the safety of our students and our families.
Additional street improvements include: West Brown, Stone Road (Phase 2) and Ballard Street.
Founders Park: Construction should start in early winter 2008 with completion in fall 2009. The new amenities at Founders Park include 14 soccer fields, two baseball fields, concession stand, restroom facilities, hike and bike trails and much needed additional parking.
Community Park: Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2010, once Founders Park is completed (that way both of our major parks are not under construction at the same time). The park's improvements include a 8-foot concrete hike and bike trail, replacement of field lighting, additional t-ball field, new bleachers, new concessions and restroom facilities and an improved irrigation system.
If you would like more details about these projects and our new tax rate for the coming year, visit the city's website at www.wylietexas.gov. The front page has links to the Proposed Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Budget and the Proposed Long Range Plan.
Talking Trash: By now I am sure that you all have your new trash and recycle containers from CWD, our new service provider. And, I am sure most of you still have your Allied Waste containers and you are wondering why Allied has not picked them up. Over two months ago we met with representatives of Allied Waste and CWD to plan the transition between the two companies and our city. Information was then distributed to our citizens based on what we were told at that time by Allied Waste in regards to picking up their containers. As of yesterday, Allied is now telling us that it may take them another two weeks, before they pick up these containers. We continue to pressure Allied and are pursuing other options, such as having City employees pick up the cans and billing Allied. Because we are no longer in a contractual situation with Allied, they no longer have any incentive to perform, hopefully this issue can and will be resolved in the next several days.
This past month, I also had the opportunity to participate in a parade in honor of Olympic Gold Medalist, Nastia Liukin, from Parker, Texas. It was an honor to name August 30, 2008 as Nastia Liukin Day in Wylie, Texas. I believe it is important to show our support to our neighboring cities and their citizens.
Be sure and mark your calendars for the 16th Annual Wylie Championship Rodeo to be held from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13, 2008. The Wylie Chamber of Commerce is finalizing the details for this event which will be held in the area adjacent to the Birmingham Agricultural facility, off of Hensley Lane.
Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we continue to grow forward!
Your
Mayor,
Eric
Hogue
Sunday, August 8, 2008
Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
It’s
hard to
believe
that it
is
already
August
and that
school
will be
starting
back in
just a
few
weeks.
Where
have the
Summer
months
gone? I
hope you
and your
family
had a
great
Summer
break! I
wanted
to write
to you
again
this
month
and
share
with you
some of
the
activities
that are
happening
in and
around
our
city.
I hope
you are
making
plans to
attend
The
Wylie
Town
Hall
meeting
this
coming
Monday,
August
11, 2008
at
7:00pm
at the
at the
Bart
Peddicord
Community
Center
on Oak
Street.
This
meeting
will
give our
citizens
the
opportunity
to hear
about
all the
projects
and
programs
going on
within
the
city,
and it
will
also
give you
an
chance
to ask
questions
and
provide
input on
our
plans as
we move
forward.
Also,
this
coming
Thursday
night
is our
last of
the
Summer
Concert’s
at Olde
City
Park
with the
band,
Brave
Combo.
Over the
last 28
years,
Brave
Combo
has
America
's
premier
contemporary
polka
band,
and a
Grammy
winning
one at
that.
This
unique
band
will
provide
a little
jazz,
rock'n'roll
and
blues
with a
polka
twist.
Our
concerts
this
year
have
been
great
and it
has been
so much
fun to
get out
and
visit
with our
citizens
at these
events.
These
activities
really
help
Wylie
keep
that
“hometown”
feeling.
In the
coming
weeks we
will
also
host our
first
quarterly
Mayor’s
Breakfast
in which
15 to 20
people,
who
subscribe
to the
city’s
electronic
newsletter,
will be
selected
to come
down to
the
Municipal
Complex
meet
with
myself
and
other
community
leaders.
It will
be an
informal
breakfast
in which
these
citizens
can get
updates
and ask
questions.
Dirt is
continuing
to move
at the
location
of our
new
shopping
center,
Woodbridge
Crossing.
By
July
2009
you will
be able
to shop
at
Target
and
number
of other
retails
businesses
right
here in
Wylie,
Texas!
This
past
month I
had the
opportunity
to speak
at the
Ribbon
Cutting
Ceremonies
of the
new
Wylie
Firestone
Store
and the
Garnet
Hill
Rehabilitation
and
Skilled
Nursing
Center .
In July,
I also
met with
the
mayors
from
Lucas,
Frisco,
St. Paul
and
McKinney;
and our
County
Commissioners
.
Don’t
forget
that we
are
currently
looking
at our
city
budget
for next
year. If
you
would
like to
learn
more
about
this
process
and our
new tax
rate for
the
coming
year,
visit
the
city’s
website
at
www.wylietexas.gov.
The
front
page has
links to
the
Proposed
Fiscal
Year
2008-2009
Budget
and the
Proposed
Long
Range
Plan.
Also,
please
note the
dates
the
council
will
hold
public
hearings
regarding
the
2008-2009
budget.
Budget
Schedule:
08/05/2008
Proposed
Budget
Filed
with
City
Secretary
08/12/2008
Adoption
of
Resolution
Setting
Dates of
Public
Hearings
08/21/2008
1st of
Two
Public
Hearings
on the
2008-09
Tax Rate
08/26/2008
2nd of
Two
Public
Hearings
on Tax
Rate;
Public
Hearing
on 08-09
Proposed
Budget;
Schedule
&
Announce
Meeting
to Adopt
08-09
Tax
Rate
09/09/2008
Adopt
2008-09
Annual
Operating
Budget
and Tax
Rate
A lot of
great
things
are
happening
in our
community.
We will
soon be
holding
a
ground
breaking
ceremony
for our
new City
Hall,
Public
Library
and
Recreation
Center .
We had
hoped to
hold
this
ceremony
during
the
Summer,
but with
some
changes
to the
building
plans,
and in
getting
the
county
to build
a
temporary
road
for us
on 1378,
it looks
like the
ground-breaking
will be
sometime
in
October.
Be sure
to check
out my
updated
web site
for
information
about
the
office
of the
Mayor
and
upcoming
events
at
www.erichogue.net.
I
believe
in Wylie
and my
goal is
to
promote
and grow
our city
in a
positive
way.
When our
citizens
think of
Wylie, I
want
them to
think,
“It’s
good to
be
home.”
Until
next
time,
may God
bless
the
great
city of
Wylie ,
Texas
as we
continue
to grow
forward!
Your
Mayor,
Eric
Hogue
Sunday, July 5, 2008
Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
I
hope you and your family are having a great Summer! We have been busy at our
house with planning our vacation, attending summer camps, visiting with family
and friends and supporting our community. I wanted to write to you again this
month and share with you some of the activities that are happening in and around
our city.
I
hope you all have taken advantage of the Summer Concert’s at Olde City Park , as
well as movie night last Friday evening. The concerts have been great and it has
been so much fun to get out and visit with our citizens at these events. These
activities really help Wylie keep that “hometown” feeling. I hope you and your
family are planning to attend the Wylie Independence Day program (Fireworks) at
Founder’s Park this evening at 9:30pm.
I
had the opportunity to attend the June Chamber of Commerce luncheon and listen
to Chamber President, Mike Agnew, talk about the State of the Chamber, and all
the things they are doing to support our community.
Many of our new businesses are also attending the Business Card Exchange on
Wednesday mornings at Woodbridge Golf Club, and this has been a good way to
connect with our small business owners and support them as they grow their
business here in Wylie.
Also, as you may have noticed, dirt is beginning to be moved at the location of
our new shopping center, Woodbridge Crossing. Soon you will have more shopping
options available to you right here in Wylie , Texas!
This year’s high school graduation once again highlighted our outstanding Wylie
students and their parents, It was an honor for Tammie and I to be able to
attend that great event and represent our city.
This past month I also had the opportunity to speak at the Wylie Rotary Club
luncheon and share with them our plans for the future of our city.
I
have also had the opportunity to visit with Congressman Ralph Hall and
Congressman Sam Johnson about our city. They are anxious to support us as we
grow forward.
A
lot of great things are happening in our community. In the coming weeks, you
will start to see activity on the expansion of FM 1378. We will soon be holding
a ground breaking ceremony for our new City Hall, Public Library and Recreation
Center . Additionally in the coming month’s we will be continuing with our
neighborhood revitalization program in some of our older parts of town. It is
truly an exciting time to be in Wylie , Texas .
Please mark you calendars for our first Wylie Town Hall on August 11, 2008 at
the Bart Peddicord Community Center at 7:00 pm. More details will be forthcoming
about this event. We had hoped to schedule this sooner but with all the Summer
vacations, we had to hold off until August.
Also in the planning stages is a meeting with our Home Owners Associations to
get feedback from them on issues, concerns and ideas within their neighborhoods;
and the Mayor’s Quarterly Breakfast. This breakfast will serve as an informal
meeting with 15 to 20 citizens to come in and visit with the Mayor and staff on
a quarterly basis. Citizens will be randomly selected to attend from our list of
people who receive the eWylie Newsletter.
And, check out my updated web site with information about the office of the
Mayor and upcoming events at www.erichogue.net
I
believe in Wylie and my goal is to promote and grow our city in a positive way.
When our citizens think of Wylie, I want them to think, “It’s good to be home.”
Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we continue to
grow forward!
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
I believe great things are before us and I’m happy
to be able to share with you some of the activities that are happening
in and around our city.
It's hard to believe that I was sworn in just
three weeks ago on Friday night, May 16, 2008. The city moved up the
Oath of Office due to a trip to Las Vegas for the International
Conference for Shopping Centers. We felt it was important that the
“Mayor” attend, instead of the “Mayor-Elect.” I was able to spend three
days meeting with commercial and retail companies and developers, who
have an interest in coming to Wylie. We were also able to spend time
with the developer of the Woodbridge Crossing Shopping Center, Direct
Development. If things go as planned, that shopping center should be
completed and filled with businesses by mid to late 2009.
After getting back to Wylie, I have been able to attend and participate
in the following functions:
-
Attended two Wylie Chamber of Commerce
business card exchange breakfasts.
-
Attended the monthly Wylie Chamber of Commerce
luncheon.
-
Spoke at a ground breaking ceremony for the
Savage Company.
-
Spoke at the Downtown Merchants Meeting.
-
Spoke at the Friends of the Library meeting.
-
Attended a Waste Management Committee meeting.
-
Attended part of a Wylie ISD school board
meeting.
-
Attended two Wylie EDC meetings (they start at
6:00am!)
-
Chaired my first Birmingham Land Trust
meeting.
-
Presented three Proclamations to three young
ladies who received the Girl Scout’s highest award, the Gold Award.
-
Sent out 22 letters to our Wylie ISD
Birmingham Scholars.
-
Washed cars to raise money for one of our
young citizen’s.
-
Named a day after a retiring teacher.
-
Chaired my first City Council Meeting as the
Mayor.
It has been a busy three weeks, and it is an honor
to be able to represent our community. I believe one of the mayor’s main
focuses should be to promote the city…to be the head cheerleader…
As we grow forward, we have a lot to be excited about:
-
Soon we will have the ground breaking for our
new public library, recreation center and our City Hall.
-
Our library will grow from 7,000 sq feet to
over 45,000 sq feet.
-
We are working to get 1378 expanded.
-
June 12, 2008 will be our first Summer Concert
Series for the year with “Elvis” in Wylie!
-
July 3, 2008, we’ll have fireworks at
Founder’s Park
I want to open up better communications and find
ways to communicate better with the public. In an effort to do this, I
have asked our city staff to set up the following events:
-
Town Halls to update the community on our bond
projects and to get feedback from you.
-
A meeting with our Home Owners Associations to
get feedback from them on issues, concerns and ideas within their
neighborhoods
-
The Mayor’s Quarterly Breakfast. This is an
informal meeting with 15 to 20 citizens to come in and visit with
the Mayor and staff on a quarterly basis. Citizens will be randomly
selected to attend from our list of people who receive the eWylie
Newsletter.
I believe in Wylie and my goal is to promote and
grow our city in a positive way. When our citizens think of Wylie, I
want them to think, “It’s good to be home.”
Wylie is going to grow, but I never want us to take that “hometown”
feeling out of Wylie…
So I ask for your input, your feedback and your support, my new city
email address is eric.hogue@wylietexas.gov
Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we
continue to grow forward!
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
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