What’s Happening in Copper Canyon – August 2015
By Sue Tejml
Mayor of Copper Canyon
Low Tax Rate remains .297505 for Town’s 2015-2016 Preliminary Budget.
But, Net Appraised Value of Copper Canyon increases 10.2% in one year!
Town Applies for Texas Comptroller’s award for Financial Transparency
Town to Automatically Provide Notice to Homeowners within 200 feet of a Variance Request pending before the Board of Adjustment.
Please report Location of your Tornado-Storm Shelter to our Fire District!
Town’s 5th Annual Clean-Up-Day is Saturday October 3th from 8 to 11:30 a.m.
DENCO 911 is First in Texas to Transform to “Next Generation” 911!
DENCO 911 receives National Recognition for Technological Excellence!
My Personal Appreciation for 911 Call Takers and First Responders
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Low Tax Rate remains .297505 for Town’s 2015-2016 Preliminary Budget
But, Net Appraised Value of Copper Canyon increases 10.2% in one year!
We are very pleased to propose a budget for Fiscal Year 2015-2016 that will maintain the current tax rate for our resident’s. The methodical budget planning process over the last several years continues to serve the Copper Canyon community well.
The net taxable value for Copper Canyon in 2015 is $204,458,586. This is a 10.2% increase in value over last year’s certified total. The increase is comprised of higher land value, new home construction, and home renovations.
2015 TAX ROLL BREAKDOWN
$268,566,308 - Actual Market Value of Copper Canyon
Exemptions:
- $51,614,366 Agricultural Use Exemption (Approximately 19% of overall Town value or property tax dollar reduction of minus $153,555.)
- $4,082,421 Homestead Cap Exemption
- $8,410,935 Various Exemptions such as Over 65, Disabled Vet, etc.
$204,458,586 - Net Value for calculating property taxes
The Revenue Budget over the past several years has increased steadily. Copper Canyon realized an 86% increase in Sales Tax this year due to the businesses operating within the Town.
The overall Expenditure Budget during the same time period has remained approximately the same. This is primarily due to financial planning by the Mayor and Town Council, continued monitoring of all financial transactions, and efforts of the staff to control costs. Copper Canyon continues to operate with only three full time employees. The Town contracts for services such as law enforcement by Sheriff’s Deputies dedicated to our Town, Town Hall building and grounds maintenance, street surface and crack seal maintenance, mowing and tree trimming of road right-of-ways, trash collection, and many other municipal services.
Where does the revenue come from to provide services to Copper Canyon Residents?
Revenue Sources / 2014-2015Revenue / % of Budget / 2015-2016
Revenue / % of Budget
Property Tax* / $423,250 / 50% / $453,982 / 52%
Franchise Tax / 135,473 / 16% / 135,890 / 16%
Sales Tax / 113,500 / 13% / 117,000 / 13%
Municipal Court+ / 100,689 / 12% / 101,500 / 11%
Permits / 76,375 / 9% / 68,300 / 8%
Total Revenue / $849,287 / 100% / $876,672 / 100%
*Property Tax is only 50% of the Town’s revenue and Budget Income.
+Municipal Court Fines are primarily paid by non-residents speeding through
Copper Canyon, but they fund 50% of the Town’s law enforcement Deputies.
However, fully half of the fines collected in all municipal courts are mandated to
be forwarded to the State. (In essence, municipal courts serve as a primary
unfunded collection agency for the State Treasury.)
(NOTE: Many Thanks to our Town Administrator Donna Welsh for preparing such a concise, but easily understandable, summary of Copper Canyon’s revenues and sources.)
Town Applies for Texas Comptroller’s award for Financial Transparency
This fall the Town will formally apply for the Texas Comptroller’s Leadership Circle Award. The Leadership Circle Award recognizes local governments across Texas that strive to meet a high standard for financial transparency. Copper Canyon’s financial practices have qualified for the reward for several years, but the Town has not previously formally applied for official recognition from the Comptroller. A “Platinum” designation is anticipated, the highest level of recognition from the State for financial transparency by a municipality.
Town to Automatically Provide Notice to Homeowners within 200 feet of a Variance Request pending before the Board of Adjustment.
This will increase transparency and allow for possibly impacted neighbors to have a chance to comment before the Board of Adjustment makes a decision. The new ordinance is on the Consent Agenda, as the Council has indicated its approval in previous Meetings, but any Town resident is welcome to comment at the August 10th Council Meeting. (Our appreciation to former Mayor Pro Tem Joe Chiles for his suggestion to adopt this procedure, in the spirit of adequate notice to all surrounding homeowners who might be affected by the variance requested.)
Please report Location of your Tornado Storm Shelter to our Fire District!
Our AVFD is working on a District wide project to identify and map all storm shelters in its jurisdiction. For your own safety, please report the location of your personal or business Tornado Storm Shelter to Emergency Manager Chris Muscle with the Argyle Volunteer Fire District. (940) 464-7254. Every storm shelter in Denton County should be mapped, in case debris from a storm or tornado keeps people from getting out of their shelter afterwards. They could be trapped for days and no one would know that they were underground. If you live in Copper Canyon, please also report the location of your storm shelter to Town Administrator Donna Welsh at Town Hall 940-241-2677 #3.
Town’s 5th Annual Clean-Up-Day is Saturday October 3th from 8 to 11:30 a.m.
Over the past five years, many toxic and surplus bulky items have been removed from our Town. The volume of removal on our annual Clean-Up-Day has noticeably declined from year to year. But how welcome to be able to easily and safely again remove our latest annual community collection of used (or no longer used) items. So, please begin surveying your home, attic, garage, yard, pool, storage sheds, and barns for items you want to dispose of safely. And thank you for being willing to take the time to do so. A “cleaner” town is also a safer town.
Republic Services will again be conducting Copper Canyon’s Annual Clean-Up-Day. There is free drop-off for Town residents only, but Proof of Residency is required. I.e. current driver’s license or utility bill with an address within our Town boundaries. (NOTE: Canyon Oaks subdivision is in unincorporated Denton County. We’d love to be able to accommodate disposal of your items, too, but our Clean-Up Day is funded by our residents’ property tax dollars. So, it’s not fair to our residents to accommodate drop offs of items from random individuals.) The recycle vehicles MUST LEAVE PROMPTLY at 11:30 a.m. to timely arrive at their next Clean-Up-Day location! Do not drop off anything at Town Hall after that cut off time! Items accepted within the time limits are:
Household Hazardous Waste (Residential Use Only!): Aerosols, Flammables, Toxic Liquids, Corrosives Acidic and Basic (Battery Fluid, Drain Cleaners, Boric Acid, Rust Removers, Sulfuric Acid, etc.), Oxidizers (Bleach, Chlorine, Hydrogen Peroxide, etc.), Batteries, Empty Cylinders-Propane, Paints, Used Oils (Cooking, Automotive, Yard Equipment, etc.), Yard Fertilizers, Pesticides
Electronic Waste/Universal Waste: Televisions, Computers, Monitors, Laptops, Hand-Held Computers (PDA, iPad, etc.), Keyboards & Mice, Scanners/Printers/Copiers, Fax Machines, Telephones, Microwave Ovens, VCR’s, CD Players, Stereos, Related Cables, Florescent Straight Light Tubes, Compact Lamps (CFL’s)
Household White Goods: Water Heaters, Washers/Dryers, Refrigerators, Freezers, Small Metal Scrap (window blinds, wire fencing, window frames)
Bulky Items: Brush, Furniture, PVC pipe, small lumber pieces, residential wood fencing, etc. (No leftover building construction items)
Tire Recovery: Car Tires, Light Truck Tires – Limit of 4 tires per household!
On-Site Secured Document Destruction: (Watch while paper is shredded.)
Items NOT Accepted: Ammunition, Fireworks, Explosives, Prescription Drugs and Medications of any kind.
DENCO 911 is First in Texas to Transform to “Next Generation” 911
DENCO 911 became fully operational in 1990 with a service fee of $0.27 cents per landline. In 25 years that fee has never been increased and remains one of the lowest 911 landline fees in Texas. (The State sets a 911 fixed fee of $0.50 per cell phone used in Texas.)
This year our DENCO 911 completed a FOUR YEAR technological transformation to “Next Generation” 911. It was the first 911 organization in the State of Texas to accomplish this! And, it did so WITHOUT incurring any debt! Our 911 remains on a “pay as you go” basis, because the Board of Managers and Staff accumulate the 911 fees paid until needed to pay cash for the next upgrade project.
Next Generation 911 has many Advanced Features. Texting to 911 is one.
Next Generation 911 has many advanced features. Texting to 911 is one. This is very important in two situations. First, for a deaf person or a senior with limited hearing, they can text an emergency call to 911. Second, in situations where the caller is afraid to reveal their hidden location by a voice call. Example: a woman being stalked in a domestic violence situation, a person suspects an intruder in their home, a convenience store clerk is hiding from a thief with a weapon, an “active shooter” in a school situation, etc. They can text 911 for help without revealing their hidden location to the person threatening possible harm.
Next Generation 911 also provides Redundancy of Facilities.
Next Generation 911 also provides redundancy of facilities. There are eleven PSAPS (Public Safety Answering Points or 911 Call Centers) in Denton County. These are usually hosted by a law enforcement agency such as the Sheriff’s Office or a municipal police department. If any PSAP is incapacitated (i.e. by fire, flooding, lightning strike, etc.), the 911 call takers can physically move to Denco 911’s headquarters in Lewisville and immediately resume active service receiving 911 emergency calls and dispatching First Responders. Actually, in an extreme and wider geographically spread emergency, multiple individual 911 Call Centers affected could relocate to any of the other PSAP locations in the Denco 911 network. This flexibility is invaluable, because no municipality would want a gap in their 911 emergency call service!
DENCO 911’s training for Tele Communicators is Outstanding!
Denco 911 is often recognized for its huge emphasis on training. 911 call takers are unique professionals! To be effective they must be highly trained and disciplined. In an emergency, time is truly of the essence! Protocols instruct on how to get the most critical information immediately and in what strategic order. 911 call takers often say that they experience an “adrenaline rush” from the sheer emergency of the situation! But, almost all 911 call takers have an instinctive desire to “help” their fellow man – be it the victim in immediate need or the First Responder. Most also appreciate a personal acknowledgement from the 911 caller or a First Responder. A simple “Thank You” or “Well Done”. These comments are treasured.
Medical Emergencies: All 911 tele communicators must be certified every two years in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Protocols. They are trained to vocally coach someone through emergency CPR on a victim – i.e. heart attack or possible drowning; and they can even help direct the birth and delivery of a baby.
Law Enforcement: Recently, TCOLE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement) certified Denco 911 as a “contract trainer provider”. Other than TCOLE facilities, Denco 911 is the only training center in the State qualified to teach and report the basic telecommuter class for law enforcement personnel. This is a unique training designation and illustrates the high regard Denco 911 has with First Responder organizations.
Domestic violence is unfortunately one of the most common 911 calls. In the United States four women each day are killed by a domestic partner! The 911 caller is usually panicked and often in the midst of an ongoing attack. It is critical for the call taker to immediately learn key details of the attack. Are small children present and at risk? Is the victim already hurt and how? Is the attacker using just physical force (fists, etc.)? Or does the attacker have a baseball bat, knife, pistol, shotgun, etc.? Any kind of firearm greatly increases the danger to the responding law enforcement personnel, and they need to know ahead of time what type of weapon they are confronting.
911 Fire Calls: It is critical for the 911 call taker to assess the extent of the fire. A backyard barbecue pit, a blocked vent in a home’s fireplace chimney, a roof fire on an office building, a vehicle engine fire in an automotive crash, a restaurant grease fire in its kitchen, a fire in a barn with hay bales, a grass fire in a pasture. Or, in a heavily wooded area like the Corps of Engineers land around Lake Lewisville, which is often not easily accessible to large fire engines, is the emergency a campfire smoldering or a bonafide forest wildfire? One fire engine and ambulance may be an adequate response; but in large fires in danger of spreading rapidly, multiple “mutual aid” units may need to be dispatched. The details the 911 call taker can learn quickly, and his/her experienced judgment as to the level of response needed, is critical!
“Vertical” Position is the next Technology Challenge for all 911 Calls
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) can now easily determine the “X” and “Y” axis to determine the location of the emergency based on the calling device – i.e. cell phone, landline, or alarm system. But, how do we determine the “Z” axis for elevation? What if the emergency is on the 5th floor of an apartment building? The 10th floor of a hospital? The 20th floor of an office building? The 30th floor of a hotel? Sometimes the 911 caller can give that information, but not always. One technological solution may be to require blue tooth or Wi-Fi in every room of a building over “X” number of stories tall. (Some safety conscious hotel franchises are already planning for this contingency.)
What if the caller’s location appears to be on the I-35E causeway or the high toll bridge across Lake Lewisville? But is the emergency on the causeway/toll bridge or underneath in the water? The first location would require dispatching an ambulance and maybe a fire engine. But the water location might require the dispatch of a rescue boat. A totally different First Responder solution, depending on the actual “elevation” of the emergency location.