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Memo from the MANAGER |
A productive five years
Try to wrap your brain how much time is involved in 43,800 hours. What could you accomplish in 1,825 days? 260 weeks?
 It all adds up to five years and I'm proud to say that I just passed by fifth anniversary as City Manager in Farmers Branch.
For so many reasons, it is an incredible time to be involved in local government and the past five years have, by far, been the most demanding of my career to date.
How much has happened?
In my opinion, the most important accomplishment during the last five years has been the development of a strategic plan that systematically provides an annual road map for continual improvement of the city.
We changed the brand of the City, ushering in a new logo and a new paradigm for expanding the already excellent services offered by the City. Have you seen that logo every time you turn around? You should.
As has been much talked about in recent weeks, with the leadership of the Mayor and City Council we've taken giant steps towards the revitalization of the Shops at Branch Crossing.
We have opened two fire new fire stations, put more police hours on the street and improved already great response times for both public safety agencies. In doing so, strengthened the safety and protection of our community. But, we have taken time to stop and smell the roses ... that is, after we planted thousands of them in the past five years.
We now have DART Light Rail Service in Farmers Branch and will soon see a groundbreaking on the mixed use, multi-story development that will spring up by the station. Liberty Fest has become a unique salute to our troops and has brought big name entertainment and thousands upon thousands of visitors to our City. In our parks, we've created truly unique recreation opportunities with the skate park, the inline hockey rink, bird sanctuary, Liberty Plaza and the natural wonder of the John F. Burke Nature Preserve.
And, when good, long-standing servants of the City have retired, we've made sure to replace them with equally talented people, committed to service and dedicated to our mission.
In the midst of all activity in the past five years, we've weathered one of the worst economic storms of most of our lifetimes. As we begin to emerge from the downturn, we can be proud that during this time we were able to maintain the highest level of service to the community.
It is an extraordinary time to be in local government and a wonderful time to be in Farmers Branch.
What will the next five years hold?
  
Click Gary's picture for background and contact info |
LBJ Express has plenty of weekend work on tap
ALONG INTERSTATE 635 ~ Due to the continuing partial bridge demolition on LBJ, Denton Drive will be closed Friday, March 30 at 8 p.m. until Sunday, April 1 at 10 a.m., according to the LBJ Express, the project group responsible for the five-year expansion project of Interstate 635.
Main lanes of LBJ should not be affected by the partial bridge demolition. However, Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials say that Green Line light rail service between the Royal Lane and Farmers Branch Stations will be suspended at 9 p.m. until the end of service on both Friday and Saturday nights. During these periods, DART buses will shuttle passengers between the Royal and Farmers Branch Stations.
In addition, due to ongoing work at the Marsh Lane bridge, Marsh will be reduced on one lane each direction south of the bridge Friday night through Saturday morning. For more information, visit www.lbjexpress.com.
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FARMERS BRANCH ~ An annual renewal of Easter fun is coming to the Farmers Branch Historical Park with Easter Eggstravaganza, Sunday, April 1 from 1 until 3 p.m.
There will be myriad children's activities including bounce houses, photo buttons, Easter Bunny photos, a petting zoo, concessions and tree planting.
In addition, there will be the all-important egg hunts. Parents will be permitted to join their kids in the hunting area for ages 1 to 4. However, its kids only for the 5 to 7 and 8 to 10 divisions.
As an added bonus, there will be a rose giveaway, one per child's household and registration for the City Manager's Rose Contest.
Admission to the Easter Eggstravaganza is free with canned food donations accepted to benefit Metrocrest Social Services. Call 972.247.4607.
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Early voting for City election set April 30 through May 8
FARMERS BRANCH ~ At the close of the filing period for City elections, three candidates have applied to run for two seats on the Farmers Branch City Council.
For the Place 3 City Council seat, Jeff Fuller is running against incumbent Michelle Holmes. In Place 5, current Councilman Ben Robinson is unopposed for re-election.
Early voting will be held Monday, April 30 through Saturday, May 5 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Sunday, May 6 from 1 until 6 p.m.; and, Monday and Tuesday, May 7 & 8 from 7 a.m. til 7 p.m. Early voting polling places will be located throughout Dallas County, including Farmers Branch City Hall. Election day is set for Saturday, May 12.
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Name: Mark Samuels
Position: Director of Information Services
Tenure with City: 3 days
Background: With more than 15 years of Information Technology management experience, Mark is a Gartner Executive Programs graduate and is considered an expert in IT strategy and governance. Born and raised in the DFW area, Mark graduated from McKinney High School and attended Grayson College and Western Governors University.
What Do You Like Most About Working for the City of Farmers Branch? There are several reasons that I decided to work for the City of Farmers Branch:
1. This is a fascinating community. It is in the middle of a large metro area and home to many skyscrapers and corporate headquarters, but still manages to maintain a small town feel.
2. Farmers Branch has a solid reputation of providing excellent services to its citizens.
3. I found the staff to be both friendly and very professional. I felt comfortable and welcomed from the very beginning of the hiring process.
4. I have worked in both the public and private sector, but I find public service the most rewarding. I like to know that my work is impacting the community in a positive way.
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Business deals lead to Top 5 EcoDevo ranking
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John Land
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FARMERS BRANCH ~ With real estate deals in 2011 topping $261 million, the Farmers Branch Economic Development Department was named last week to the Dallas Business Journal's Top 5 Economic Development Agencies in DFW. The Farmers Branch office rounded out the list which also featured Economic Development offices in Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington, along with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
Tax help on hand at Library & Senior Center
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Helping residents sort out the different tax forms and find answers to tax questions are among the duties of AARP volunteers offering free tax assistance at two Farmers Branch facilities every Tuesday through this year's slightly extended tax deadline. Volunteers will be on hand at the Farmers Branch Senior Center every Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and at the Manske Library from 12 noon through 7 p.m. The 2012 tax filing deadline has been extended to Tuesday, April 17.
City offices to close for Good Friday holiday
FARMERS BRANCH ~ All Farmers Branch City offices will be closed on Friday, April 6 in observance of the Good Friday holiday. Likewise, there will be no garbage collection that day. The only facilities that will be open include the Farmers Branch Community Recreation Center and Historical Park, both open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
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Burke Nature Preserve marks first anniversary
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Everyone is invited to the great outdoors to celebrate the first anniversary of the John F. Burke Nature Preserve on the west side of Farmers Branch on Saturday, March 31 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon.
There will be Bingo Nature Hikes, Bug Finding, Bird Watching, Spring Flowers and an early appearance by the Easter Bunny.
The 104-acre John F. Burke Nature Preserve is located at 1111 Valley View Lane. Call 972.919.2620.
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Library program to solve 'mysteries' of Sodoku puzzle game
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Anyone wanting to get an advantage of the head-scratcher game Sodoku should plan to attend a special session Monday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Farmers Branch Manske Library. Local resident and Library Advisory Board member Bruce Crozier will reveal tips and tricks to beat Sodoku every time the logic puzzle game is played. Call 972.247.2511 for more information.
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March 30-31
Encounters from the Past @ Keenan Cemetery April 1 Easter Eggstravaganza @ Historical Park
April 6
Good Friday Holiday ~ Most City Offices Closed
April 14
CityWide CleanUp Day @ Barney Wood Athletic Complex
May 5
Fishin' Fun @ Gussie Field Watterworth Park
May 25-26
Liberty Fest @ and around City Hall & Historical Park
More info @ 972.247.3131
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Sunset at Keenan
The Encounters from the Past tours of historic Keenan Cemetery kicked off last week to interested throngs of participants. The unique event concludes this weekend.
Staff Photo by Derrick Birdsall |
CITY
EDUCATION
COMMUNITY
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LBJ Express is the name given to the five-year project that will renovate and expand capacity for Interstate 635, the LBJ freeway, from Central Expressway to Stemmons Freeway through parts of Dallas and Farmers Branch. Begun in 2011, the project team updates its status, and lane closure information weekly, including weekend bridge construction that could have serious traffic impacts.
For More, Click Here
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www.lbjexpress.com
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Branch Bulletin is the 
recipient of the 2011
TAMI Award
for Best
E-Newsletter in Texas, bestowed by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers
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About the City of Farmers Branch
Located on the northwest border of the City of Dallas, Farmers Branch is a vibrant and vital community with a residential population of 28,800 but a daytime population of 66,000. The City's 28 parks and lush greenbelts feature nationally-acclaimed, award-winning soccer fields, football facilities as well as baseball and softball complexes. The Farmers Branch Historical Park allows residents to step back in time and the John F. Burke Nature Preserve offers the opportunity to experience a real, 104-acre wilderness in the middle of one of the busiest metro areas of the world. The City's location in the geographical center of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, only 15 minutes away from both DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field, make Farmers Branch an ideal location for residents and for business. For more information about Farmers Branch, visit www.farmersbranch.info or call 972.919.2515.
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