I would like to start by thanking everyone for allowing me to serve the Lake Highlands area as your City Councilman. I especially want to thank Donna Halstead for the five years of service to our area in this position. She did an incredible job and left this office in move-in condition.

I haven’t found any “loose strings” not being attended to by staff. Frankly, she set a high standard of what the residents in the 10th District have come to expect, and I will do my best to take up where she left off.

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So when is Ferndale going to be re-surfaced? This work was originally scheduled for April, but is now scheduled for August. Trucks are supposed to be on site then, and dirt will be flying.

I am pleased to report that the White Rock Lake dredging is, in fact, on schedule. Unfortunately, a great deal of paperwork must be completed before you will see any equipment on the lake.

A permit has been received to do a small sample dredging, and this should occur shortly. Preliminary design work began in January with the primary design and permitting of the project to start in August. The permitting process is expected to take approximately one year.

I know this seems like an awfully long time for permits, but agencies with federal, state and local government all have to give their seal of approval. In the meantime, bond sales from the 1995 bond program will begin to be sold for this project in November.

So when the permitting is secured, site work can begin soon thereafter. One other major obstacle remains; however, and that is where to put 300 million cubic yards of sediment.

As I understand it, this would cover a 300-acre site three feet deep. Several possible sites have been identified as locations for this sediment, and the public hearing process has begun. This sediment will be carried off-site through a pipeline as a slurry and allowed to dry out at the reclamation site.

So when will it be done? The Council originally planned a five-year schedule for the 1995 bond issue. The hope is that with the improvement we have seen in our local economy, and subsequent tax revenue improvement, we are now hoping for a three-year schedule.

Under the five-year plan, a finish date would be June 2000. Under a three-year schedule, the completion date would be August 1999.

The primary thing to remember is that it is happening!

Look for a town hall meeting next month, but if you have any questions or need help on other matters, don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Since I am elected from this district to serve the City of Dallas, I welcome and ask for your input. Again, thank you for this honor.