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Synergy
For anyone new to this conversation or may have only recently moved into this region where we have a cluster of neighboring communities, all working as independent municipal units, here's some background.
Contemporary City Management has, if nothing else, shined a light on the need for synergistic cooperation between close proximity neighbors on certain aspects of municipal operations. We all continue to be independent communities, but it only makes sense that we join certain forces in an effort to better serve each of our individual jurisdictions.
Public safety has afforded us some great opportunities to illustrate this point. Several years ago, Police Chief Sid Fuller got together with his counterparts in Carrollton and Addison to form a joint SWAT Team between departments. With the combination of resources and joint training, this force is far for formidable than each unit would have been individually.
Over at Fire Department, Chief Steve Parker has led the way for the construction of a joint training facility, near Fire Station No. 3, that will help Farmers Branch, Coppell and Carrollton firefighters and paramedics all get better at their jobs.  That leads us to NTECC - the North Texas Emergency Communications Center - a joint project between the Cities of Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Coppell and the Town of Addison.
These four cities have had the foresight to realize that if all public safety dispatch comes out of one center, we can better serve our cities and much more seamlessly work together - especially on issues that may overlap boundaries, be they Police, Fire or EMS-related.
Now nearing completion at a data center in Carrollton, we have an Executive Director on board and supervisors are being selected. Dispatchers from the four agencies have been offered employment at NTECC, contingent on maintaining a good, working record for the balance of their tenure with their individual cities.
Farmers Branch will be the first jurisdiction to transition full dispatching capabilities when the switch occurs. And, you should know that this does not mean that our public safety agencies are combining into one big department.
It means that the Farmers Branch Police and Fire Departments will continue to proudly serve our citizens, while working harmoniously with their counterparts in surrounding cities.
That will be something we can all be proud of.
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The Bad Monkeys
Tropical rock band to serenade food truck frenzy at July's Tastes & Tunes
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Tropical rock band, The Bad Monkeys, will evoke the essence of Jimmy Buffett as they breeze into Farmers Branch for the July edition of Tastes & Tunes, set Thursday, July 16 at The Grove @ Mustang Crossing. 
Planned for 5 to 8 p.m., the summertime series features a different band at each of the three planned events along with a variety of food trucks to satisfy a variety of appetites.
Tastes & Tunes is staged in The Grove @ Mustang Crossing, at the southeast corner of Bill Moses Parkway and Denton Drive, near the Farmers Branch DART Light Rail Station. Blankets and lawn chairs are suggested for the lawn seating event. Admission to the area is free.
The series will conclude on Friday, August 14 with Live 80.
For more information, visit www.fbspecialevents.com or call 972.919.2620.
   
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Anticipated rise in water/sewer rates results from multiple factors
FARMERS BRANCH ~ The record rainfall of 2015 isn't the only weather affecting water and sewer issues as that, plus a legal battle over the source of local drinking water, is combining for a perfect storm that will likely result in higher rates for the new fiscal year.  Farmers Branch Finance Director Charles Cox said all players in the Farmers Branch water and sewer equation are experiencing issues. First, local water sales are down 15 percent this year, or about $3 million below expectations, due to the excess rainfall.
"When it rains, people don't buy water, but when it rains a lot, those numbers become even more pronounced," he explained. "That said, customers should know that 80 percent of our water and sewer expenses come from fixed costs that are passed on to us by the Trinity River Authority and by Dallas Water Utilities."
In addition, because of the record rains, the Trinity River Authority is processing approximately twice as much wastewater as normal, resulting in additional costs for pumping operations and chemicals.
If that weren't enough, the TRA is also reporting infrastructure damage from all the water that currently totals $2 million.
Finally, Dallas Water Utilities has said that it's protracted legal battle with the Sabine River Authority over access to the Lake Fork water supply will result in $10 million in costs being passed down to its customers of treated and raw water, including the City of Farmers Branch.
"We're still analyzing all of the data to determine what the exact impact will be on Farmers Branch water customers," Mr. Cox said. "However, we expect that a substantial increase in rates is unavoidable."
The exact amount of increase will be outlined when the proposed 2015-2016 Fiscal Year budget is delivered to the City Council for their consideration, by the end of July.
The new fiscal year will begin October 1.
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Life on the Beat with Sgt. Eoff
MANSKE LIBRARY~ Ever wonder what a day in the life of one of our local heroes serving with the Farmers Branch Police Department might be like?
On July 28 at 7 p.m. Farmers Branch police officer, Sgt. Eoff, will be at the Farmers Branch Manske Library to give a presentation on what it is like to be a police officer, including being present at the scene of a crime with a brief Q&A session to follow.
The Manske Library is located at 13613 Webb Chapel. For more info call 972.247.2511.
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Local talent on display in the Gallery
MANSKE LIBRARY~ A well known fact around City Hall is that Farmers Branch Historical Park Superintendent Derrick Birdsall is a very talented landscape photographer.
He has published a book of photos, maintains a photography website highlighting his work, and many of the of the pictures from City events found on farmersbranch.smugmug.com are his handiwork.
Starting August 1 through 27, you can view some of his great landscape photos that can be seen on display at the Farmers Branch Manske Library Art Gallery. For more info, call 972.247.2511.
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Volume 5 | Edition 28 | Number 229
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Branch Bulletin
is published weekly by the Communications Office since March 5, 2011
of the City of Farmers Branch, TX.
Three-time Award Winner for
Excellence in E-Newsletters in Texas
Awarded by the
Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers
www.texastamio.org
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Town Hall Meeting on Recycling planned July 30
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Mayor Bob Phelps and the members of the Farmers Branch City Council invite the community to a Town Hall Meeting on Recycling, planned Thursday, July 30 at Farmers Branch City Hall.
On the agenda will be discussion of a curbside recycling plan for the City. Meeting time is 7 p.m.
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Non-resident Craft Fair registration begins next week
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Non-Farmers Branch-resident artisans that want to sell their handmade wares at the annual Craft Fair, held each October at the Senior Center, can begin registration for available space on Wednesday, July 22.
The event is planned this year for Saturday, October 17 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Farmers Branch Senior Center.
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Next Tell it to the Mayor sessions coming in August
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Mayor Bob Phelps will resume his popular open office hours 'Tell it to the Mayor' sessions in August on the traditional second and fourth Wednesdays at Farmers Branch City Hall. Set from 3 until 6 p.m. August 12 & 26, Anyone is invited to come by City Hall and visit with the Mayor on any topic, without an appointment, during that time frame. Call 972.919.2515.
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Looks Good
Fun food of all shapes and sizes will be on hand at the July edition of Tastes & Tunes, coming Thursday at The Grove @ Mustang Crossing. The tropical rock band, The Bad Monkeys, will play.
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All events & meetings are subject to change. Call listed numbers or 972.247.3131 for verification or more information.
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AUGUST 4 & 18
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
6 pm @ City Hall
LIVE Coverage on FBTV
972.919.2515
All events & meetings are subject to change. Call listed numbers or 972.247.3131 for verification or more information.
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SEPTEMBER 18-19ENCOUNTERS from the PAST SEPTEMBER 26
All events & meetings are subject to change. Call listed numbers or 972.247.3131 for verification or more information.
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Make a SPLASH with your NEXT BIRTHDAY BASH!
Click on the Frog
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An historic community in the geographic center of the DFW Metroplex, Farmers Branch boasts a residential population of 28,800 and a daytime employment population of 66,000. Located on the northwest border of the City of Dallas, the City's 27 parks and lush greenbelts feature nationally-acclaimed, award-winning soccer fields, football facilities as well as baseball and softball complexes. The city's location in the center of the Metroplex and only 15 minutes away from both DFW Airport and Love Field, along with the 2,200 hotel rooms within the city, make Farmers Branch an ideal location for residents and for business. For more information on the City of Farmers Branch, visit
lovethebranch.com or call 972.247.3131.
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