Greetings to all of you in District 10. I hope the Fourth of July was an enjoyable holiday for you all. It proved one thing to me as Grand Marshal of the Lake Highlands Exchange Club Parade: This district is alive and well, with lots of young families who believe that our neighborhoods are still a great place to raise a family. What a wonderful event! Thank you to all of the men and women who made the annual gathering such a rousing success.
I would be interested to know how many second- and third-generation residents we have in Lake Highlands. If you are one, please register your presence at bblayde@ci.dallas.tx.us. Just a simple note of response would be greatly appreciated. Also, at a crime watch meeting I met two couples who have lived in Lake Highlands for 45 years. If you can beat that record, I would like to know who you are, as well.
Speaking of crime watch…are you active in a program in your neighborhood? Although our police department is there for us, there is no substitute for local safety efforts. If you need information or assistance regarding the organizations that exist today, or if you want to help start one in your neighborhood, please call the good folks at the Northeast Substation.
August is going to be a busy month for the Dallas City Council, after being in recess during July. The first order of business will be the budget. Make note now that I will hold a town hall meeting on that budget on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the student center at Lake Highlands High School. I will have city operations experts there to answer any questions you might have, so mark your calendars for that event. Notices will be sent out prior to the meeting as a reminder, but advance notice will lead to better attendance.
On other fronts, I have held my initial meetings with the City Attorney, the Director of Development Services over code enforcement, the Chief of Police, and the Deputy Chief of Police in charge of the Northeast Substation regarding our multi-family density and the inherent crime associated with the problem.
A plan is now in place involving our sworn personnel under Deputy Chief Tournage. I expect the next few months to be an interesting time for some of our neighbors who continually disregard our safety. Although this is an issue complicated by various property laws and there are some actions that are subject to restrictions, state law changes that become effective Sept. 1 will allow our City Attorney to have a stronger bite when continuous civil disregard for code compliance can be shown.
During September, I will convene a committee to look at zoning issues across District 10, to get a fresh look at the highest and best land use in some of our more densely populated areas. That was last done over 25 years ago.
The time has arrived to take every action we legally and morally can to take back our community from those who would destroy it by their continuous disregard for civil law and the personal safety of every citizen of this district. Get involved!!! And thank you for letting me lead in this effort.
