More space for seniors highlights candidate forum

Flower Mound’s seniors got their chance Wednesday to find out where town council candidates stand on a variety of topics during a forum hosted by the Seniors in Motion program.

As has been the case in similar forums during the last few years, the need for more seniors’ space was the dominating theme.

Candidates were given three pre-written questions in which they each had 10 minutes to answer all of them, two of the questions focused on the seniors community. The order in which the candidates answered was determined by a random draw.

In Place 1, Steve Dixon and Steve Lyda attended. Place 3 candidates Claudio Forest and Mike Wallace were there, but candidate Bob Butler was not, citing the inability to leave work. Place 5 candidates Angie Cox, Tom Hayden and Rick Cleland also attended.

The following are the pre-written questions asked, compiled by Seniors in Motion, followed by excerpts from each candidate’s responses:

What is the most important specific issue you want to address if you are elected? Why and how? What is your second and third most important issue? Explain as necessary.

Cox: “Transportation is very important. We need to be able to get in and out of town in a timely manner. I know I don’t like to sit in traffic, and I’m sure you don’t either.”

Also, police and fire services, public works and quality of life.

Wallace: “I think the most important issue this campaign season is the expansion of Morriss Road. I think it’s the right thing to do, but I’m interested in the safety concerns, and I want to make sure those are addressed.”

Also, keeping property taxes low, supporting SMARTGrowth program and continued retail growth.

Forest: “The biggest issue for me is growth in the city. I believe that we should continue growth, but it has to be done smart and has to be done for the betterment of everyone in the city. We have to control what it looks like and make sure we keep the character.”

Also, keeping the infrastructure of roads ahead of the curve, but addressed properly and keeping taxes affordable.

Lyda: “We need to prioritize our spending and make sure the spending we do gives us the biggest bang for our buck. I don’t want to see Flower Mound raise taxes, so we need to prioritize our spending.”

Also, better communication between the town and its residents, support the gas drilling ordinance and support SMARTGrowth.

Hayden: “It’s the financial situation. How can every city around us say that they’re having budget problems, but our town council says we don’t have any budget problems? We’re at the point where we’re about to breach the financial policies of our town, and in two years, we’re going to violate the town charter. We need to proactively have hiring freezes on some of our non-essential personnel.”

Also, oppose urban gas drilling.

Dixon: “Within three seconds, I had 10.”

Also, Keep taxes low, attract quality development, develop the Lakeside Business District, encourage citizen participation, residents’ safety, work within the budget, not build connector streets until other road projects are complete.

Cleland: “I’m against the expansion of Morriss Road at this time. I’ve driven my jeep on Morriss Road, and I’ve walked about 2 miles of it. Why anyone would want to tear up that gorgeous median and take out those trees is beyond me.”

Also, property taxes for all seniors exempted or kept as low as possible, and better scheduling of road construction.

Butler (stated in an e-mail): “My most important issue is keeping the small-town look and feel alive in Flower Mound. I understand that we need to bring in good jobs and businesses, but not at the expense of keeping our town’s beauty and friendliness. We should continue to grow, but should do it as a much slower pace, as dictated by our SMARTGrowth management plan.”

Also, keeping taxes low, better the communication between the town government and the residents.

The SIM program had outgrown the CAC location prior to moving there.  What would you propose to the town for quick rectification? What would be your long-term solution?

Cox: “The short-term goal is communication. If we don’t have communication, we have to break down the barriers in the system. My suggestion is to open lines of communication between the people who run the CAC and you guys. There are times when I’ve been here, and there are rooms that aren’t being used. The track isn’t being used, and the gym isn’t being used. Well, let’s offer it to you guys. Long-term … I’d like for you guys to create a task force to decide what we need, how much it will cost and what type of facility will we be looking for.”

Wallace: “In the interim … I think we have the space across the hall (at the CAC) that we should dedicate the shared meeting space, maybe every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 (p.m.), that way you don’t get bumped while we work on getting you more space for the SIM program. I support the TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) or the 4B dedicated sales tax as a possible source of funding. We need to put a plan in place for a more permanent solution for you guys within the next five years.”

Forest: “In the interim, dedicating more space is great. But, in the long term, if you have a place, more people will come, and it will increase your membership. You can do more things for the community, and it’s an important thing the city should look at.”

Lyda: “I think a facility co-located with this center is the best solution. We have adequate parking here, and we have adequate access to the facility. There are lots of symbiosis that you can do with the CAC, like the gymnasium and the workout rooms that can be shared and not have to be built again. I do think there needs to be a dedicated building, but we have to continue to find a way to pay for it. If we can find a facility in town that is accessible and that meets the needs, I think that would be a good near-term solution.”

Hayden: “In the short term, there are vacant places around town. We need to look around and find a place for you to call your home. In the long term, there are two solutions. One is to build a building (outside the CAC) to call your own. It’s close to here, and you’re used to the area. But, how are we going to pay for it? I did a calculation, and it would cost $2 million to $3 million to build that. We’re going to have to have a bond election to support that. Also long term, you are on the schedule to have a center built in the TIRZ. Is that a priority? That’s not a priority. We need to put a place for you on that list.”

Dixon: “What I would do in the short term is to give you priority for the rooms over here. When you walk down the hall here and see space not being used, that’s not a good use of space. So how about putting you on the schedule and letting you use the facilities for no extra charge? The area outside of the CAC would be a great place for a facility, but also I would like to explore with other partners, such as Denton County. We might have an opportunity for a multi-purpose facility that can be used when you’re not using it … maybe for banquets, maybe for other functions, and try to generate revenue, maybe even outside of Flower Mound.”

Cleland: “When I heard that the seniors were in need of more space, I personally checked out a few things. I don’t know if you want it, I don’t know if any of us can get it. But to me, it fits your needs pretty darn well. And that is the Albertson’s store that closed down on the corner of FM 3040 and FM 2499. It gives maximum mobility to people who get around in wheelchairs, I know that there are very few interior pillars. It’s wired for electricity, water and coolant. It has good parking, and it has good access.

Butler (stated in an e-mail): “I would propose the town assist the SIM program and find additional locations to hold their activities. I think there are plenty of businesses in town that would be willing to donate the use of their space to the program, and I would gladly help in facilitating that request. My long-term solution would be to help raise funds through city resources, as well as through the private sector, to one day build a stand-alone facility dedicated solely to the SIM program.”

How important are the seniors and the SIM program to the Town of Flower Mound? Assign a number, 1 through 8, with 8 being most important. Why?

Cox: “The knowledge and experience that you bring is invaluable. Your information and knowledge is very important to this town.”

Wallace: “Seniors are very important to me. My parents are seniors, and my wife’s parents are seniors. We value and honor our parents.”

Forest: “You’re not an 8, you’re a 10. Seniors are a part of our past, and you can remind us what course works.”

Lyda: “I’m not going to give seniors a number. They’ve earned my respect, and it’s important that the seniors are treated with respect. The program needs to be healthy so the community will be healthy.”

Hayden: “The seniors don’t get enough recognition for what they do in the community. We can’t cut off support for our seniors.”

Dixon: “If I am on town council, it will be more important. One of my goals is to find a large enough facility for our seniors group to call home. When I visit the seniors, the room is crowded, and you have to share space. We can find a better alternative.”

Cleland: “We have such a vast resource of people out there who can say legitimately, ‘Been there, done that, got the ball cap and the T-shirt to prove it.’ And they can look at something on paper and say, ‘It looks good, but it will never fly.’”

Butler (stated in an e-mail): “I personally think the SIM program is a wonderful way to keep the seniors of Flower Mound active, both physically and socially. I support the program 100 percent. I assign an ‘8’on the importance scale. One of the most important values we can have is showing respect to, and helping those who came before us.”

Following the prepared question portion of the forum, members of the audience asked questions to individual candidates. Some of the seniors stressed the need for more space, saying the available times to use certain rooms in the CAC are limited during the summer. However, heavy use of those rooms by children are limited to two to three weeks in the summer, according to town staff.

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