Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 29, 1999 Page: 3 of 24
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Cedar Hill Today*Thursday, April 29, 1999»Page 3
"I"
CEDAR HILLTODAY
Candidates express opinions on issues
Cedar Hill Today offers the
responses of the Cedar Hill City
C ouncil candidates as a public
service to voters wishing to com-
pare viewpoints on a variety of
issues.
V Where should economic
development be focused - retail or
industrial? Why?
District 1
(I) David Vedral - Today the
answer is a blend — retail at the
Highway 67 and FM 1382 intersec-
tion and clean industrial at our
industrial parks. I have been an
active, concerned, trusted citizen,
neighbor, husband, father and tax
payer helping improve Cedar Hill
for over 14 years in numerous vol-
unteer and leadership positions for
the benefit of all Cedar Hill resi-
dents and businesses.
1 know were we have been, I,
know where we are, and I know
what goals the citizens have for
Cedar Hill.
Economic development is mar-
ket driven by supply and demand.
Wherever the demand is actual or
perceived is where the business
owners want to supply their goods
or services.
Of course, there are an incredible
number of other variables that
impact economic development,
both tangible and intangible.,The
primary goal or focus of the Cedar
Hill Economic Development
Corporation is to raise the city tax
base, whether the entity is retail,
commercial, industrial or a blend of
all three.
I was on the city council and the
sales tax committee in 1993 that
eventually placed the sales tax issue
before the voters and was thereafter
passed in 1994. At this point in
time, we need to continue to aggres-
sively attract both, quality retail and
clean industrial businesses to ease
the burden on our personal home-
owners.
Fred Randolph - In Cedar Hill,
our challenge is how to increase
diversification of retail, professional
office and related businesses along
Highway 67 and FM 1382 to
expand our tax base. In order to
alleviate the tax burden on our
homeowners, we need to work more
diligently to increase our retail
development.
In our industrial areas we need to
make sure the companies we attract
our conducive to our community as
a whole. I will work to ensure that
we have a sound tax base that you
and I want in our community and
will be proud to have in our city.
District 3
Kim Roberts - Unavailable.
Chris Rose - I believe true eco-
nomic development for Cedar Hill
requires a balance between both
retail and industrial uses. A strong
industrial tax base provides depend-
able tax relief to homeowners and
provides local job opportunities.
Retail development also provides a
strong tax base plus the benefit of
sales tax revenues as well as the
amenities our citizens’ desire.
District 5
(I) Makia Epie - Development
has to be balanced, while still pre-
serving the natural beauty of Cedar
Hill.
a) We own an industrial park, so
we must continue our effort to get it
occupied.
b) We must increase effort to
encourage a diversified retail base
so as to satisfy our growing popula-
tion. People do not need to drive
away from Cedar Hill to shop.
c) The bottom line is both will
do us good in reducing the tax bur-
den to individual homeowners.
Denise Hyde - Economic devel-
opment should be focused in both
areas. Business and industrial
development will help homeowners
shoulder the tax burden of both the
city and school district. Not only
will it aid the citizens with an
expanded tax base, but it will also
provide service, opportunities and
jobs for the citizens.
2) is there too much usage of
“special use permits ” in Cedar
Hill? If yes, tvhat can be done to
alleviate the problem? If “no, ”
should there be any zoning restric-
tions?
District 1
(I) David Vedral - The answer
is yes and the city council has
already begun to address the situa-
tion. To understand why we have
special use permits is to realize that
plans become outdated or changes
have occurred inside the city or
around us that require a new
approach to city government or
updating of our ordinances to
reflect the current economy, basic-
city services needs increase, etc.
The city council did just that
approximately two years ago, in
light of the present zoning, changes
in the economic climate and our
population growth throughout the
city. 1, and the other members of the
city council, determined that the
1986 Master Plan needed more than
just an updating, but in fact a com-
plete overhaul.
The council began a process by
first requesting that a citizens com-
mittee be formed with the assis-
tance of a consultant to review what
needed to be done and could be
done in the short and long term for
all of Cedar Hill.
The culmination of hundreds of
hours of citizens volunteers resulted
in an the 1998 Comprehensive Mas-
ter Plan, which was recently adopt-
ed the council.
The 1998 Comprehensive
Master Plan reflects the citizens
input of what our collective goals
are for this city in the short and
long term.
The means or mechanism to
achieve our collective goals will
occur through the actual implemen-
tation of that plan which will
require your city council and city
staff to amend, update, create and
enforce city ordinances.
Fred Randolph - No. Special
use permits are good only when
they're used to benefit the commu-
nity as whole.
District 3
Kim Roberts - Unavailable.
Chris Rose - No. Special use
permits provide the city the flexibil-
ity to deal with categories of land
use that does not fit the standard
development categories. This flexi-
bility allows the citizens to have
more input and influence over the
orderly development of Cedar Hill.
District 5
(I) Makia Epie - 1 do not think
so. We are human and by allowing
for the use of special permits, we
are admitting our human flaws and
saying, “Hey, what we thought
would look good here 20 years ago
isn’t such a good idea here today.”
Denise Hyde - No. Special use
permits are issued in compliance
with the zoning ordinances. The
special use permits help to provide
control for appropriate uses. Special
use permits also address issues that
may not have been spelled out
when ordinances were adopted.
3) What can we do to reunify
the perceived division that is taking
place within the city?
District 1
(I) David Vedral - The phrase
“perceived division” is in the eye of
the beholder and can be applied to
an endless number of issues in our
city. This is a very broad question.
As your councilman in Place 1,
which is a citywide position, divi-
sion is perceived by myself as not
bad in and of itself, but in fact
healthy and the cornerstone of our
democracy, as it demands that the
decision makers (city council)
openly discuss and personally re-
flect on the merits of the competing
opinions and/or philosophies of our
citizens in a public forum.
This is not to suggest that divi-
sive opinions are always a pleasant
experience, in fact it can be a very
painful experience, but it will even-
tually air out the problem.
However, how a person presents
his opinion can create divisiveness
within a city that negatively affects
our citizens, image and productivi-
ty. We have experienced large
growth in a short period of time and
I been approached with a number of
different opinions and attitudes,
which have all been valued and
evaluated by me.
The best method of exchanging
ideas is to bring the idea or sugges-
tion to a city council member and
allow all of the city council mem-
bers to debate the idea in a public
forum.
Fred Randolph - We need to
focus on having town hall meetings
and encourage volunteerism to
ensure that all views are taking into
perspective before a decision is
made that affect that specific areas
and Cedar Hill as a whole.
District 3
Kim Roberts - Unavailable.
Chris Rose - Real or perceived
divisions are create^ when people
do not feel they are heard nor have
a voice. 1 believe it is incumbent on
council members to be examples, to
show that they represent the entire
city, and that they are open and
responsive to the public. I have
demonstrated the ability to bring
people together and maintain focus
on issues.
One of the strengths Cedar Hill
has over other cities is that each
council member is voted upon by
all the voters of Cedar Hill. This
helps to avoid “ward politics” and
special interest groups having con-
trol over council members.
District 5
(I) Makia Epie - No. there isn't
a division in town. There is an
annual spring madness around
April/May that stirs up competing
thoughts in town. It centers on elec-
tions.
That perception may exist
though, when some egotistic indi-
viduals talk about taking back
“what is ours” when referring to the
council. It does make you wonder!
People I talk to are concerned about
what affects their pocketbook.
about adequate police/fire protec-
tion, clean alleys/strects/parks/envi-
ronment and retail facilities so that
they do not have to drive out of
Cedar Hill to shop, not who OWNS
council seats. I do not belong to a
special group nor do I look out for a
special group’s interest. I say this
because I heard at a candidates’
forum that 1 am a member of a
clique that does all these horrible
things including trying to get some-
one fired. NO. That is a perception
driven by the spring madness I
mentioned.
Denise Hyde - The recently
adopted “Comprehensive Plan” pro-
vides the first step regarding their
concern. Broader participation in
city boards and commissions will
further facilitate this process. I will
actively recruit from all areas of the
city for participation on these com-
mittees.
4) What is the area of most need
that should be addressed in the
1999-2000 budget?
District I
(I) David Vedral - The answer is
“Basic City Services” to maintain
and increase, where possible, our
quality of life and protection of our
citizens. The Parks Master Plan has
one of its priorities being the city
recreation center on the east side of
town. The city will finally have the
funding this fall to fully man the
High Point Fire Station on the west
side of town. My other needs list
includes street repair, lighting,
entrance signage to the city, and
landscaping.
Enforcement issues are the
police and code enforcement
department, continuing to attract
desirable business development.
Continuing to deter undesirable res-
idential development. Update all
zoning (business and residential) in
the city, a) Implementation of new
city master plan and; 2) implemen-
tation of new city park plan.
Fred Randolph - The image of
Cedar Hill is important to all the
citizens. We need to focus on the
quality of new residential, and busi-
ness structures going up in our
communities. I believe we need to
focus on the eastern sector, as well
as the southern sector of Cedar Hill
in the up coming budgetary year.
District 3
Kim Roberts - Unavailable.
Chris Rose - We must continue
our trend to improve our police and
emergency services including the
opening of Fire Station No. 3. The
wise spending of our road improve-
ment bond dollars to repair and
improve the streets of our city is
another priority.
The appearance of our city will
continue to be a strong focus with
strong code enforcement and spe-
cial initiatives to improve citizen
involvement such as “Operation
C lean Sweep.”
District 5
(I) Makia Epie - Our concentra-
tion in the budget should be on sev-
eral different areas - a) Getting con-
trol over our budget; b) Maintaining
what we have in infrastructure,
parks and facilities before building
more. It serves no good when we
build them and let them deteriorate
to a nuisance; c) Providing a
manned fire station at High Pointe
and a centralized modem communi-
ty center., d) Enforcing the codes
we now have so that we maintain a
clean healthy environment. We
must remember that we cannot live
in isolation from the cities around
us. So, whenever possible, we
should seek a cooperative effort in
solving some issues like we did
with the animal shelter and now the
joint dispatch center.
Denise Hyde - Growth of a city
always happens before the develop-
See ISSUES, Page 10
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Gooch, Robin. Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 29, 1999, newspaper, April 29, 1999; Duncanville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth575411/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed May 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Zula B. Wylie Memorial Library.