The City of Carrollton Building Inspection Department will join other state and local governments in observing the 2001 International Building Safety Week from April 8-14, 2001. This event educates the public on the importance of safely constructed buildings.

During the week, the department will promote building safety with a number of activities, including presentations to local area students, be present at local home improvement stores, and present videos in the Building Inspection Department.

The Carrollton Police Department was recently informed of successful achievement of their fourth accreditation status by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Accreditation recognizes the department's efforts to meet the requirement of these highly regarded and broadly recognized law enforcement standards.

The Police Department's accreditation "represents the satisfactory completion of a continuous process of thorough, agency-wide self evaluation, concluded by an exacting outside review by a team of independent assessors," stated Chairman William D. Miller Chairman and Executive Director Sylvester Daughtry, Jr. of the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies.

Accreditation of the Carrollton Police Department is for a period of three years. The next accreditation assessment for the Police Department will be in 2004.

For more information, please contact the Police Department at 972-466-3290.

April 29, 2001
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Your whole family will enjoy . . .

• arts & crafts
• live music
• entertainment
• face painters
• guided hikes
• snake show
• climbing wall
• food vendors
• environmental exhibits

Celebrate Earth Day with the entire family at Carrollton's Elm Fork Nature Fest (formerly known as the Wildflower Festival). Individuals of all ages are invited to participate and learn about the conservation and preservation of the natural environment. A variety of educational and "environmentally friendly" activities will be offered free of charge.

Also, in partnership with the National Parks and Conservation Association, the city will sponsor the March for Parks annual benefit walk. A one-of-a-kind and energetic partner, the Dallas Trekkers Walking Club, will spearhead the benefit walk to raise funds for the preservation of the 40-acre Elm Fork Nature Preserve.

The Elm fork Nature Preserve is located within McInnish Sports Complex off of Sandy Lake Road, west of I35E.

For more information, please call the Parks & Recreation Department at 972-466-3080.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad has scheduled railroad grade crossing improvements at four sites throughout Carrollton the third week in April. The reconstruction of these railroad crossings includes upgrading the crossing surface, restoring approaches, and repairing the surrounding tracks and bedding.

To facilitate a timely construction process, several streets will need to be closed to two-way traffic during the one or two day construction at the various locations. Detour signs will direct motorists and advance notice will be given to area neighborhoods and businesses.

The crossing at Hebron Parkway east of Ridgecrest is scheduled for reconstruction throughout Saturday, April 21 and into the evening until completion. Crews will work to complete the project in time for Sunday services at the nearby churches. During construction, the road will need to be closed to traffic in both directions. Motorists will be detoured at Marsh Ridge from the east and Province Dr. from the west.

The railroad crossing at Old Mill west of Medina will be underway from Tuesday, April 24 through Wednesday, April 25. Traffic will be diverted north down Kelly Blvd. to Frankford Road or south down Kelly Blvd. to the President George Bush Turnpike.

The Perry Road north of Sherwood crossing improvements are scheduled for Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27. Traffic will be detoured at Sherwood Lane to Josey Lane from the south and at Homer to Keller Springs from the north.

The final crossing reconstruction project is located at Rosemeade Parkway west of Kelly. This work will be done on Saturday, April 28 and extended into Sunday, April 29 if necessary. Traffic will be detoured at Province Drive from the west and from Kelly Blvd. from the east.

The BNSF Railroad is working in conjunction with the city of Carrollton facilitate the traffic management plans and public notifications. The construction dates are subject to change pending the availability of materials and weather. If necessary, these construction projects will be moved to the following week. Please contact the Public Works Streets Division at 972-466-3480 for additional information.

Citizens and city employees are invited!

Carrollton Justice Center Groundbreaking
Saturday, April 21
10:00 a.m.

Municipal Complex
NE corner of Josey Lane and Jackson Road
East of the Main Library & West of the Police Department

• Meet local officials and project managers
• View architectural displays of the new jail and municipal court
• Receive complimentary crayons for the kids and Carrollton Justice Center notepads for adults
• Enjoy refreshments

MUNICIPAL COURT FACILITY
This project was approved in 1995, but placed on hold until the Facilities Master Plan was approved in 1998. The current approved budget is $2,500,000.

The square footage is approximately 18,000 square feet.

The existing library will be renovated to house court staff, courtrooms, juror assembly room and witness rooms. Additional space will be added for judges’ chambers and prosecutors.

The new facility will provide one additional courtroom, bringing the total to two courtrooms. The juror assembly room will provide jurors a comfortable place to wait where coffee and refreshments will be available.

The court will be vacating 5,000 square feet of leased space at 1835 Pearl Street. The estimated completion of the new facility is the 3rd quarter of 2002.

POLICE JAIL FACILITY
The new jail will be located west of the police building and north of the current library building. It will connect to the west side of the police building and the north side of the new court facility.

This project was approved in the February 1999 bond package. The current approved budget is $6,188,066. It will provide an increased capacity from 28 to 46 prisoners.

Square footage is approximately 25,190 square feet.

The new facility will house the jail and temporary holding areas, property/evidence processing and storage areas, police motorcycle storage, a sallyport, and various office and work spaces. The vacated areas in the existing police facility will be renovated. Staff: 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 3 crime scene search officers, 15 detention officers, 2 property/evidence technicians and 1 clerk.

The existing jail and property/evidence areas cover approximately 5,000 square feet with another 5,000 square feet of off-site secured storage. The vacated space in the existing police facility will be used for expanded patrol areas, criminal investigations areas, locker rooms, offices and work areas.

The estimated completion of the new facility is in the 3rd quarter of 2002 and the renovation of the existing police facility is in the 1st quarter of 2003.

Space is limited so secure your place with payment today. Call Carrollton's Oak Creek Tennis Center at 972-466-6389.

At the March 20 City Council meeting, staff presented the Mayor and Council with a multi-year financial forecast including a briefing on emerging budget issues. The purpose was to receive preliminary guidance regarding the preparation of next year's city budget.

The formal budget process begins in July 2001 with the presentation of the preliminary budget and culminates in mid-September with the adoption of the operating and capital budgets.

During the next four months, city staff will be preparing the fiscal year 2001-2002 annual operating and capital budget to be presented to the City Council on July 31, 2001. The Multi-Year Budget and Financial Forecast were prepared using specific assumptions for revenue and expenditure growth including projected effects of new programs and facilities.

• Revenue growth has allowed the city to accelerate its capital program with as many as twelve facilities (including parks) projected to be completed by 2006.
• The operating impact of these new facilities, addition of new staff through multi-year programs and the city's compensation initiatives have created intense budgetary pressure that may outpace the city's revenue growth.
• City staff will need to find increased operating efficiencies in its existing operations through continued re-engineering efforts.
• New programs representing recurring operating impacts should be added only after careful prioritization given the number of operating impacts already programmed.

City staff will continue to refine these projections in expenditures and revenues within the next few months. The city of Carrollton will receive preliminary information on the ad valorem tax roll on May 16, 2001, from the Dallas County Appraisal District.

For more information, please contact the Finance Department at 972-466-3110.

The Youth Task Force presented their annual report to the Mayor and City Council during the March 20 City Council meeting. The Youth Task Force's ultimate goal is to "make a difference by taking an active role in city government and the community." To achieve this goal, the Youth Task Force has established these priorities:

• Continue building a solid foundation for future members
• Assist with community projects
• Provide input to the City Council on current youth issues
• Promote teen awareness about current issues
• Make a positive impact on Carrollton's youth by being a positive role model
• Establish leadership in our community through mentorship and juvenile justice.

During the presentation, each member of the Youth Task Force highlighted the Task Force's efforts for their key projects:

• Great American Smokeout
• Homework Helper Program
• Anti-Crime Campaign
• Elk Fork Nature Preserve volunteer work
• "Shattered Dreams"
• Various volunteer opportunities
• Future Projects

In addition, members of the Youth Task Force assist and provide input for other city boards, commissions and task force such as the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Multicultural Task Force, Library Advisory Board and the Crosby Library Expansion Project.

Members of the Youth Task Force:
Holland Johnson, Chairperson, Lauren Leahy, Co-Chairperson, Amanda Jenson, Secretary, Jane Chu, Chris Ely, Danny Greer, Amanda Nelson, Kathryn Smith, Michael Tann.

For more information on the Youth Task Force, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 972-466-3080.

The city of Carrollton Public Works Department's first job fair attracted more than 100 people in early March. They filled a number of vacancies in the Water, Wastewater and Engineering Divisions. The Public Works Department has a staff of over 148 employees.

High school seniors are encouraged to stop by the job fair to speak with city representatives. Stop by the city of Carrollton's Human Resources Department located on the first floor of City Hall, 1945 E. Jackson Road, call the 24-hour job hotline at 972-466-3376, or click here for weekly details about current job opportunities, benefits and career development.

The cities of Carrollton, Grapevine, Flower Mound and Collin County Community College will conduct a public auction at the South Service Center, 1420 Hutton Drive, on Saturday, April 7, 2001 at 10:00 a.m. for the purpose of disposing of automobiles, unclaimed merchandise and equipment.

There will be cellular phones, pagers, bicycles, jewelry, radios, computer equipment, car stereos, speakers, desks, shelves, chairs, miscellaneous tools and other items. All merchandise may be inspected on Friday, April 6 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 7 from 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Payment & Pick up Terms:

• Cash or Certified Check
• Personal or business checks will be accepted with a letter of guaranty from the banking institution issuing the check.
• Merchandise may be picked up Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8.

For further information, call 972-466-3106.

Year 2001 brings two exciting library improvements to Carrollton citizens:

• The relocation of library services to a new facility
• The implementation of a new computer system

We're Getting Ready to 'Make Our Move'
The doors of the Carrollton Public Library on Jackson Road (next to City Hall) will close at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, June 10, to begin relocation of shelving, furnishings and materials to the new Carrollton Public Library on the northeast corner of Hebron Parkway and Josey Lane. This process will take several weeks.

The new Carrollton Public Library at Hebron & Josey is tentatively scheduled to open for business in mid-August, 2001. The Hebron & Josey 37,000 square foot library will feature a drive-up service window, electronic classroom, café area, quiet reading lounge, small group study rooms, self-service check out station, and community meeting room.

This relocation will not impact hours of operation or services offered at the Frankford Village Branch Library at 3030 N. Josey Lane at Frankford Road. However, the installation of the new computer system and staff training will require the branch to be closed for two days: Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12. The new computer will feature web-based access, full graphics, new "point & click" workstations and enhanced searching features for the library database. Parents will also have the option of choosing filtered, unfiltered or no access to the Internet for their children.

(The Municipal Court will later move into the remodeled library facility on Jackson Road as part of the new Carrollton Justice Center construction. The ground breaking for the Carrollton Justice Center will be Saturday, April 21 at 10 a.m. at the Municipal Complex.)

For additional information call 972-466-4800.

Business Development OUTLOOK magazine named Carrollton as a Star City in Texas in their winter 2001 edition. The 25 winning cities all have a population of at least 100,000. The criteria used for ranking them included climate, economy, housing, education, crime, recreation, arts and transportation.

"The Texas of the 21st Century has much to offer newcomers. Business is booming and the quality of life continues to improve. These stellar cities are definitely pro-business and extend open arms to businesses looking for a relocation or expansion site," wrote article author Brenda Poindexter Scoggins.

Outlooks' excerpt:

Carrollton: Brad Mink, Carrollton Director of Economic Development, reports, "The City of Carrollton has seen record development numbers every year for the past ten years. Each of those ten years, the City of Carrollton has been either first, second or third in the Dallas area in commercial/industrial development in the categories of: 1. Total relocations, 2. Total square footage of development, 3. Total dollars of new development, 4. Total new jobs created."

For more information, call Economic Development at 972-466-3390.

The election process is the basis for the preservation of our democratic form of government.

The General Election to elect City Officers is scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2001. The seats open for election are Council Places 1, 3, 5 and 7.

Listed below are the county precincts and polling location information for the May 5, 2001 General Election. Your precinct number can be found on your voter registration card. If you do not have your registration card, or are unsure if you are a registered voter, please contact the county election department for the county you live in. For Dallas County click on www.dalcoelections.org/ and for Denton Council click on elections.co.denton.tx.us.

CITY OF CARROLLTON, TEXAS
May 5, 2001 General Election
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Dallas County - Election Day Polling Location
1409, 1408, 1407, 1400
Crosby Road Rec. Center, 1610 Crosby Road

1305, 1404, 1405, 1402, and 1403
Newman Smith High School, 2335 North Josey Lane

1410, 1411, and 1406
Country Place Elem. School, 2115 Raintree

205, 209, 212, 214 and 225
Thompson (Woodlake) Elem., 2915 Scott Mill Road

200, 203, 208, 213, 221 and 224
Trinity Medical Center 4343 North Josey Lane

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS
All qualified voters of Carrollton may vote early at either location.

April 12: Educational Seminar (Seniors only) FREE, 1:30 p.m., Carrollton Senior Center, 972-466-4850. Learn how to turn your home equity into income. Register by April 10.