Resident Update Aug Sept 2020COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE
When the COVID-19 outbreak reached our community,
the City of Denton acted quickly to assist our most
vulnerable populations. When shelters for those
experiencing homelessness had to close due to the lack
of safe social distancing, the City took immediate action
to find an alternate temporary shelter arrangement for
those individuals.
For those at risk of becoming homeless, the City
partnered with United Way of Denton County and
donated $50,000 to start a local Eviction Prevention
Fund. After the fund was established, Denton County
and other community stakeholders have come together
to contribute significant financial resources and it has
grown to become a major resource for residents in need
of mortgage, rent, and utility assistance.
To date, the fund has helped to keep
937 Denton County families in their
homes, including 277 families within
the Denton city limits.
In addition to funding, City employees
volunteered to assist local nonprofits who
were struggling with a decrease in volunteers due to
COVID-19. City employees helped to prepare meals,
assist with childcare, and provide translation services.
From March 18 to June 21, 169 City employees filled
565 shifts and worked a total of 2,094 hours at Our Daily
Bread, Grace Like Rain, Monsignor King Outreach Center,
and the Denton Community Food Center.
FINANCIAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19
The City of Denton also took early action to manage the
City budget to ensure core services would continue to
be available in spite of the uncertainty of the financial
impacts of the pandemic. In an effort to provide the
City additional time to evaluate the budget in the next
quarter, a number of cost containment measures were
swiftly implemented. Starting in March, some of the City’s
first financial responses were to:
• forecast the possible impact of the pandemic;
• delay and/or reprioritize capital projects;
• implement a temporary hiring freeze;
• cease non-critical travel and training; and
• analyze contracts for possible savings.
In April, the City launched a voluntary program to provide
employees wishing to leave the organization—whether for
retirement, career change, or other personal reasons—the
opportunity to do so prior to the City considering any
further employee reduction measures. This program
was successful in capturing cost savings while ensuring
enough staffing in key areas to maintain the level of
service the community needs, and providing additional
flexibility for the next year’s budget.
HOW TO FIND ASSISTANCE
The City also partnered with United Way of Denton
County to provide funding to expand their Information
and Referral program, allowing them to dedicate more
time, staff, and resources to those affected by the
pandemic. Community members can contact United
Way and receive help navigating critical services, such
as federal loans, state unemployment services,
CARES Act programs, housing, legal services, and more.
CITY OF DENTON CONTINUES RESPONSE TO COVID-19
WITH ADAPTED SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
RESIDENT UPDATECITY OF DENTON
2020
AUGUST | SEPTEMBER
If you are an individual or business and need
assistance, contact United Way of Denton County
by calling (940) 566-2688, emailing
info@unitedwaydenton.org, or filling out an
online form at unitedwaydenton.org/info.
www.cityofdenton.com
Much has changed in the months since my
last message to you in one of our Resident
Update newsletters. We now find ourselves
in a new reality with COVID-19 still impacting
our community and the people who live and
work here. During this time, our City strives to
continue to provide critical services, even as we, like many of you,
have dealt with the pandemic and its effect on the local economy.
Now comes the time where we look to the next budget year, prioritize
our needs, and set a 12-month course for our local government. While
the budget cycle presents its own unique challenges each year—usually
weighing one set of projects versus another all the while ensuring we’re
wisely using the funds entrusted to us by the community—this year will
be decidedly different. The Council and City staff have fought hard over
the previous months to continue the safe provision of City services.
Compared to other cities in the DFW Metroplex, the budget restraint
we have exercised over the previous 3 to 4 years, coupled with our
aggressive approach to utilizing federal stimulus funding, has enabled
the City to continue to provide programs, services, and construction that
enhance and improve our community.
As we move forward and consider our next budget, I ask that you
participate in two vitally important processes.
First, I ask that you attend a budget hearing or reach out to your
Council members and share with us what you feel are our priorities as
a City. We are your representatives and decisions such as these are best
made with a considerable amount of resident input. More information
on these opportunities can be found at www.cityofdenton.com/budget.
Second, I implore you to complete the 2020 Census before Oct. 31.
The amount of federal funding that I spoke of earlier is based solely on
our population (as are many other sources of federal funding). Without a
complete count of all Denton residents in this year’s Census, we will not
receive our fair share of federal funding allocations in the future.
You have a direct impact on the amount
of federal funding we receive. Please visit
www.2020census.gov and be counted.
FROM THE MAYORCity Continues Response to COVID-19 .....................1
From the Mayor ...............................................................2
Virtual Public Meetings...................................................2
Denton City Council .......................................................2
City to Hold Council Elections Nov. 3 ........................3
Development Services Moves to City Hall .................3
City Seeking Feedback for FY 2020-21 Budget ........4
Shop Local. We’re In This Together. ............................4
Council Approves Pilot Program for Downtown .....5
Clear the Shelter This August! ......................................5
KDB to Provide 600 Trees to Denton Residents .......6
New Automated Phone Line for Yard Waste .............6
Foster with the Denton Animal Shelter ......................6
Police Department Launches “Take Me Home” ........7
Denton Police Department Questions Answered ....7
IN THIS ISSUE
DENTON CITY COUNCIL
IN THIS ISSUE
2
Chris Watts, Mayor | Chris.Watts@cityofdenton.com
Gerard Hudspeth, District 1 | Gerard.Hudspeth@cityofdenton.com
Keely G. Briggs, District 2 | Keely.Briggs@cityofdenton.com
Jesse Davis, District 3 | Jesse.Davis@cityofdenton.com
John Ryan, District 4 | John.Ryan@cityofdenton.com
Deb Armintor, At Large Place 5 | Deb.Armintor@cityofdenton.com
Paul Meltzer, At Large Place 6 | Paul.Meltzer@cityofdenton.com
To protect the health and safety of the
Denton community; City Council, board, and
commission members; and City staff, all public
meetings have moved to a remote format
until further notice. All meetings will use the
new Rules of Procedure that were adopted
during the March 31 Council meeting.
Scheduled public meetings are streamed
online at www.cityofdenton.com/dtv, made
available on-demand, and can be viewed live on
the City’s DTV cable channel (Frontier FiOS on
channel 38, Charter Spectrum on channel 194,
and Grande on channel 12). Due to the remote
format of the meetings, in-person attendance
will not be permitted at Denton City Hall.
Certain meetings will accommodate and receive
public input on eligible agenda items. Citizens
are able to participate using a number of
virtual public comment options, including
an online Virtual White Card and by phone.
For additional information and a current
list of upcoming public meetings, visit
www.cityofdenton.com/publicmeetings.
VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS
3
CITY TO HOLD COUNCIL ELECTIONS NOV. 3
As a result of COVID-19, the Saturday, May 2, 2020 General and Special elections were postponed and
rescheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3. The purpose of this election is to elect candidates to City Council Districts
1 and 2 (known as single-member districts), with only qualified voters residing in that district being eligible
to vote, and also to elect candidates to City Council Places 5, 6, and 7/Mayor (known as at-large seats),
wherein any qualified voter in the city may vote for one candidate in each of those places.
WHAT CITY COUNCIL SEATS ARE UP FOR ELECTION?
The following are the City Council seats up for election. A complete
list of candidates can be found at www.cityofdenton.com/vote.
General Election Special Election
Place 5 (At Large) District 1 (Single Member)
Place 6 (At Large) District 2 (Single Member)
Place 7 - Mayor (At Large)
HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE?
You will need to register through the Denton County Elections Administration. To learn more, visit
www.cityofdenton.com/vote. The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 elections is Monday, Oct. 5.
WHAT DISTRICT AM I IN?
To find your voting district, visit www.cityofdenton.com/vote, click “Which District Am I In,” and enter your
physical address. If you have any problems locating your information, contact the Denton County Elections
Administration at (940) 349-3200.
WHAT IS MY VOTER REGISTRATION NUMBER?
To find your Voter Registration Number, visit the Denton County Elections Administration website at
www.votedenton.com and click “Voter Lookup.” Having your Voter Registration Number readily available
when going to vote is extremely helpful when inquiring where you will vote or getting a determination
on the status of your voter registration. You can also find the number on your Voter Registration Card.
If you have any problems locating your information, contact the Denton County Elections Administration
at (940) 349-3200.
WHERE AND WHEN DO I VOTE EARLY FOR THE ELECTION?
During early voting, registered voters can vote at any polling location in Denton County. You can find early
voting times and location information at www.votedenton.com.
WHERE AND WHEN DO I VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, NOV. 3?
Election Day polling locations are assigned based on City Council District and County Precinct. You can find
your voting precinct information and polling locations at www.votedenton.com.
¿DONDE PUEDO ENCONTRAR INFORMACION DE ELECCION EN ESPAÑOL?
Para obtener información sobre las elecciones en español, visite a www.votedenton.com y haga clic
en “Español” en la pancarta que se encuentra arriba de la página o llame a la Oficina de la Secretaria de
la Ciudad al (940) 349-8309.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MOVES TO CITY HALL
The City’s Development Services Department has temporarily relocated to City Hall (215 E. McKinney St.)
and is now open for in-person services by appointment. All development application types are currently
being accepted electronically. To schedule an appointment, call (940) 349-8360. For the most up-to-
date information about how you can do business with Development Services, call (940) 349-8360 or
visit www.dentondevelopmentservices.com.
Though the calendar year begins on Jan. 1, the City’s fiscal year begins
annually on the first day of October. In preparation for each new fiscal year,
the City’s Finance Department works with all departments in the City to
develop their anticipated budgets over the next twelve months. That process
has officially started for development of the FY 2020-21 budget.
Beginning in late July, departments began presenting their preliminary
budgets to the City Council and Public Utilities Board. Each of these
presentations sets the framework for the City Manager’s proposed budget
that is presented to Council during a budget workshop on Aug. 6. Developing
a city budget is a collaborative process involving input from community
members, City staff, and City Council, with the goal of delivering exceptional
services and achieving the City’s key priorities and strategic initiatives.
Throughout August and September, the City will host a workshop and public
hearing related to the adoption of the budget and tax rate for the next fiscal
year. At each meeting, community members will have the opportunity
to provide feedback and input directly to the City Council and City staff. In
addition to public meetings, community members may submit online
comments to the City at www.cityofdenton.com/budget. Submissions
received from this site will be reviewed by City staff and communicated to
City Council as part of the budgeting process. Over the next couple of
months, staff will also be promoting the online submission option to
encourage participation from the community. Citizens are encouraged to
watch and participate in the City’s budget meetings as we work to adopt the
2020 tax rate and FY 2020-21 operating and capital budget.
4
CITY SEEKING RESIDENT FEEDBACK FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2020-21 BUDGET FY 2020-21BUDGET CALENDAR
THURSDAY, AUG. 6
City Manager’s proposed
budget presented to
City Council.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 1
Public hearing regarding
the proposed tax rate
and budget.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 15
Budget and tax rate
adoption.
THURSDAY, OCT. 1
2020-21 Fiscal Year
officially begins.
Clear the Shelter This August!
www.dentonanimalshelter.com
Half-priced ($30) Adoptions Aug. 17-19 | Free Adoptions Aug. 20-22
All animals are up to date on shots, neutered/spayed, and microchipped.
To visit an animal, you must make an appointment. You can begin
making appointments for Clear the Shelter on Monday, Aug. 10.
One family/appointment will be allowed in the shelter at a time.
Call 940-349-7594 to make an appointment or sponsor an adoption!
5
New features could be coming to public spaces in the
downtown area! The Denton City Council recently
approved a six-month pilot program to allow parklets
and streateries in certain public spaces downtown.
WHAT ARE PARKLETS AND STREATERIES, YOU ASK?
A parklet is a temporary, constructed public space
installed in a parking spot or loading zone intended to
serve as outdoor seating, but can also include other
amenities such as shade structures. A streatery is
much like a parklet, but it is reserved for the use of the
adjacent restaurant during their business hours—just
like a sidewalk café, but not on the sidewalk. When
the business who maintains the streatery is closed, it
works just like a parklet—free for everyone to use!
Features like these are popping up in downtown spaces
across the nation and a pilot program will allow the City to see if they will work well for Denton. Parklets and
steateries will be allowed throughout the duration of the pilot program in downtown areas except for on Elm,
Hickory, Locust, and Oak Streets.
For additional information and to apply for the pilot program, visit www.cityofdenton.com/parklets.
COUNCIL APPROVES PILOT PROGRAM FOR
DOWNTOWN PARKLETS AND STREATERIES
6
KDB TO PROVIDE 600 FREE TREES TO DENTON
RESIDENTS AT ANNUAL GIVEAWAY OCT. 24
Keep Denton Beautiful, Inc. (KDB), a nonprofit partner of the City of Denton,
will offer free trees to Denton residents at its annual Community Tree
Giveaway on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Community Tree Giveaway is KDB’s
largest and longest-running tree distribution effort, and 2020 marks the
22nd year of the one-day giveaway event. By participating in programs like
the Tree Giveaway, Denton residents enhance Denton’s urban tree canopy
and help our city thrive environmentally and economically.
To receive a tree, Denton residents must register via www.kdb.org
beginning Thursday, Oct. 1. There is a maximum of one tree per Denton
household. Spots are limited on a first come, first served basis. Registration
will close once all spots are filled.
A total of 600 trees will be distributed, with eight different species
offered, all of which are drought-tolerant, and native or well-adapted for
Denton soils and climate. Information about the available tree species and
tree planting and care resources for this year’s giveaway can all be found
at www.kdb.org.
On the day of the giveaway, proof of Denton residency will be required
(I.D. or utility bill). Trees will be placed in vehicles by KDB volunteers in
a drive-thru fashion to help quickly move traffic. This year, additional
health and safety protocols will be implemented to prevent the spread of
COVID-19. For more information about the Community Tree Giveaway,
visit www.kdb.org or call (940) 349-8737.
AVAILABLE
TREE SPECIES:
Autumn Blaze Maple
Drummond Red Maple
Dura Heat River Birch
Mexican White Oak
Mexican Sycamore
Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Southern Wax Myrtle
Shumard Oak
NEW AUTOMATED PHONE
LINE FOR YARD WASTE
Customer Service has introduced a new, self-service
option for Solid Waste pickup requests, available in
English and Spanish. Customers can skip the lines and
wait time to get things scheduled or opt in or out of
yard waste service in minutes using the automated
phone line, (940) 349-8740.
• Opt-in to the yard waste program (kraft bags or
brown carts)
• Opt-out of the yard waste program
• Schedule a collection for more than four cubic
yards of yard waste brush (about four washing
machines)
• Schedule a collection for no more than 25 plastic
trash bags of leaves twice per year
For next day collection, customers can place a
collection request the day before their collection day
by 7 p.m. Requests made after 7 p.m. will be
scheduled for their next week’s collection day.
To learn more about collection and yard waste service
options, visit www.cityofdenton.com/yardwaste.
To learn more and fill out an application, email Gayla.Nelsen@cityofdenton.com.
7
DENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES NEW “TAKE ME HOME” PROGRAM
When a loved one goes missing, every moment counts – especially for individuals with Autism, Alzheimer’s
Disease, and other conditions. The Take Home Program, a free service recently launched by the Denton Police
Department, allows caregivers to voluntarily provide essential details and photos of loved ones who may have
difficulty communicating in the event they are alone or experiencing an emergency.
The Take Me Home Program can help save precious time when it matters most. In the event your loved one
goes missing, first responders will already have a recent photo and vital information to help bring them home
safely and quickly. The program also works in reverse—If someone is found who cannot identify themselves,
public safety personnel can search their name or description in the secure Take Me Home system. While Take
Me Home is particularly designed to help individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities, anyone
who may struggle to identify themselves to first responders can be registered.
Participating in the program is easy!
• Visit www.cityofdenton.com/takemehome to learn more and to
access the online registration form in English or Spanish.
• Provide a recent photo and detailed information about your loved
one, such as their emergency contact(s), favorite places, likes, and
dislikes.
• The submitted form will be saved in a secure database that is
accessible only to public safety personnel.
• Opt-in to receive annual email reminders to update the registrant’s
photo and details.
Communities across the U.S. have seen great success after implementing this program. To learn more, visit
www.cityofdenton.com/takemehome. If you have any questions, email dentonpolice@cityofdenton.com.
YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT QUESTIONS ANSWERED
How can I learn more about my local police department and become more involved?
Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, many of the opportunities for community involvement in the Police
Department will return. You can request a tour of the Department, or even apply to ride out with an officer!
You can also enroll in our Citizen’s Police Academy, which is one of the best ways to really get to know the ins
and outs of the City of Denton Police Department. You can also call and have your district officer come out
and meet with you one on one or to your neighborhood group. We want to hear what is important to you, not
what we think is important for your neighborhood. We typically offer community events once a month where
you can mingle with officers ask questions. Lastly, be sure to follow us on social media! We always post the
dates for community events and classes on our channels, along with press releases and traffic alerts.
What are some pro tips to protect myself from burglary?
Unfortunately, burglaries happen, and it is smart to be proactive to protect yourself from these sorts of crimes.
The Denton Police Department took 372 burglary reports in 2019.
Our top tip to prevent vehicle burglaries is to always lock your car doors and take any belongings with you.
Burglars prefer to target unlocked cars, as they are less likely to be caught from the sound of breaking glass.
They also tend to target cars when they know the reward is high (e.g. They’re more likely to break into a
vehicle where valuables are visible, than a vehicle that appears empty). For added security, park in front of a
working security camera. This way, if a burglary does happen, we have a better chance of catching the culprit.
For your home, our pro tip is similar: lock your doors and your windows. A lot of times windows are forgotten,
but trust us, this one is important! For added security, a working home security system or simple motion-
activated floodlights are both great deterrents.
And just remember, if you see someone actively burglarizing your car or home, be sure to call 911 and your
Denton Police Officers will be on their way!
www.cityofdenton.com/takemehome
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A publication of the City of Denton • 07/20 • ADA/EOE/ADEA • TDD (800) 735-2989 • www.cityofdenton.com
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RESIDENT UPDATECITY OF DENTON
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2020
AUGUST | SEPTEMBER