City Lights August 2021.pub

August 2021 www.desototexas.gov

DeSoto City Lights REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND THE NEXT DESOTO CIVIC ACADEMY BEGINNING AUGUST 12TH If you have ever wanted to learn about how your City’s municipal government operates, tour City facilities, or get a behind-the-scenes look at each department, then the City of DeSoto’s Civic Academy is right for you. The DeSoto Civic Academy is looking for participants for the eleven-week program beginning August 12th. Each weekly session is hosted by a different City department or group. Classes are designed to allow participants to experience, first hand, how our City operates.

In the first session, participants will hear from City Management about their duties and responsibilities. Next, you’ll visit the Police Department to tour their facilities including the jail, meet Chief Costa and learn about police operations. DeSoto Fire Rescue will treat you to some great firehouse burgers and a

tour of their new, state-of-the-art, fire station while they provide an overview of fire safety and EMS services. During the class hosted by the Parks & Recreation Department, participants will have fun learning a line dance from the Senior Center’s Line Dance Steppers while they meet the Parks staff and

learn about their processes. Finance will discuss how the City budget is built, where the revenue comes from and how it’s spent. The final class is a mock City Council meeting where class participants play the rolls of Mayor, Councilmembers, citizens and staff.

The Civic Academy is a great way to meet your City employees face to face and learn what it takes to keep all the services and programs running smoothly. If you have considered applying for a City board or commission but felt you didn’t know enough about City operations to make an informed decision, the Civic Academy will allow you to become familiar with City services and processes. Any DeSoto resident, 18 or older, willing to commit the time necessary to complete this informative, interesting, and intense program is eligible to participate. The academy is FREE and includes all supplies and dinner for participants. The eleven-week program meets every Thursday evening beginning August 12th through October 21st, from 5:45 pm to 8:30 pm. To attend, simply complete the online Civic Academy Application at https://www.desototexas.gov/CivicAcademy. The Civic Academy is open to the first 25 DeSoto citizens who submit completed applications. For more information please contact Kimberly Garduno by email at [email protected] or by calling 972.230.9600.

Most parks and playgrounds are designed with able-bodies children in mind. The Inclusive Playground project recently approved by the DeSoto City Council is designed to ensure physical and social inclusion where everyone can play together. Inclusive play promotes understanding, reduces prejudices and supports social integration. Ernie Roberts Park located on Pleasant Run Road will soon undergo a $500,000 renovation project that will transform it into DeSoto’s first Inclusive Playground. The artists’ renderings below indicate that children of all abilities will find a safe, fun place to play and develop new skills. Work on the park will begin soon and is scheduled for completion in the fall. City Council Approves Contract With Whirlix Design For Inclusive Playground at Ernie Roberts Park

CITY CALENDAR AUGUST 2 Park Board MeeƟng ‐ Civic Ctr. 6:30 pm 2 Arts Commission Mtg. ‐ City Hall 6 pm 3 City Council Mtg. ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 3 NaƟonal Night Out 7 pm 5 Library Board MeeƟng Library 7 pm 10 Planning & Zoning Mtg. ‐ City Hall 6 pm 16 Topical Work Session ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 18 City Council Mtg. ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm SEPTEMBER 2 Library Board Mtg. Library ‐ 7 pm 2 KDB Board Mtg. ‐ Civic Ctr. 6 pm 6 Labor Day—City FaciliƟes Closed 7 City Council Mtg. ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 11 Document Shredding ‐Service Ctr. 9am 13 Arts Commission Mtg. –City Hall ‐ 6pm 13 Park Board Mtg. ‐ Civic Ctr. ‐ 6:30 pm 14 Planning & Zoning Mtg.– City Hall – 6 pm 18 LaƟn Heritage FesƟval 20 Topical Work Session ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 21 City Council Mtg. ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 27 DeSoto Dev. Board Mtg. ‐ City Hall 9 am 28 P&Z Mtg. ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 23 DeSoto Dev. Board Mtg. ‐ City Hall‐ 9 am 25 Planning & Zoning Mtg. ‐ City Hall ‐ 6 pm 28 HOA Involvement Workshop City Hall 9a

This year’s National Night Out is scheduled for Tuesday, August 3, 2021 from 7 to 9 pm. Crime watch groups, homeowners associations and neighborhood groups are encouraged to come outside their homes that evening and join together for a show of community support. Make plans now for your neighborhood block party or event on National Night Out. To schedule a police or city official visit or for more information, call Officer Jessica Ryan at 469.658.3055.

972.230.9690

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The DeSoto Development Corporation Offers Façade Grants to Qualifying Local Businesses As you can see in the picture below, the DeSoto Dairy Queen is undergoing major renovations to the exterior of their building. Dairy Queen suffered significant damage to their interior during the winter storm event back in February. The DeSoto Development Corporation (DDC) was not able to fund interior repairs to the building but was able to assist with exterior and façade renovations through their Façade Improvement Grant program. Under this program, a business or building owner may receive assistance for one grant per building per fiscal year (October 1 to September 30). Projects that make material improvements to the aesthetics and/or structural integrity of the building are eligible for consideration and are generally capped at 50% of approved costs with a maximum of $50,000. Projects are reviewed by the DeSoto Development

HOA Involvement Workshop

Do you serve on the board of your HOA or neighborhood association? Do you have questions? Would you like information from trusted sources on how to improve operations? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, please make plans to join us on Saturday, August 28, 2021 from 9 am to noon at DeSoto City Hall for the next HOA Involvement Workshop. Information is a key element in effective neighborhood involvement and this workshop is designed to provide representatives of DeSoto’s neighborhood and homeowners’ associations with the information they need to make their neighborhood a better, safer place to live. A highlight of the event will be a special presentation by Community Associations Institute (CAI). CAI provides information, education and resources to homeowner volunteers who govern communities and the professionals who support them. You’ll have a chance to have your questions answered by the expert. Members of all DeSoto HOA’s and interested residents are encouraged to take part whether your association is new or well established. The HOA Involvement Workshop is free and light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to attend the workshop by calling 972.230.9648 or emailing [email protected].

Corporation’s staff prior to DDC board consideration and approval is at the discretion of the Board and City Council. Projects that receive approval must submit paid receipts for the completed project and a certificate of occupancy must be issued prior to disbursement of any funds.

For more information on the DDC Façade Improvement Grant Program call 972.230.9605.

Do You Need Help Paying Your Water Bill? There is still funding available for DeSoto residents who have been financially impacted by the pandemic and need assistance with paying their water bills. In

February, the City partnered with The MINT Foundation to create the Utility Billing Assistance Program. The Utility Billing Assistance Program provides up to $1,000 that can be applied to water bills. To register for this assistance, call The MINT Foundation at 972.224.7200 or apply in-person at 1604 Falcon Drive, DeSoto, Texas.

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The DeSoto City Council recently adopted a Community Cultural Arts Master Plan that creates a roadmap for revamping and revitalizing DeSoto’s arts and cultural sector. The DeSoto Arts Commission is working with consultants to make their vision to become the epicenter for arts and culture in our region a reality by enabling the

presentation of arts and cultural experiences that build relationships and strengthen our community. Exciting things are planned for the coming months as we work to invest in the arts. Look for announcements regarding grant opportunities for local artists on the ArtsDeSoto.com website and in the next edition of this newsletter. The DeSoto Arts Commission is compiling an artists registry in anticipation of this grant process. If you would like to be a part of this registry or for more information, please call Kathy Jones at 972.230.9648 or send an email to [email protected].

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