I have had nearly 20 years of continuous community service in and for Denton, much of it in leadership roles of charitable, service, civic and other organizations.
Examples:
Reserving our unique community identity while growing at one of the fastest rates in the country all while constrained by tight City budgets.
We can address this through long-term planning, public-private partnerships, Main Street and other proactive cognizant community stakeholder organizations, a vigilant Council, vigorous economic development and leveraging recources wherever possible. Preserving our identity requires promotion of our history, our talent our culture into our growth plans, regulations and implementing strategy.
Yes, if the Council acknowledges the homeless population problem. No action plan has yet been considered because no formal homeless census has been conducted evaluating chronic homelessness in Denton. Private organizations such as churches, United Way, Salvation Army, and Our Daily Bread could be made partners in identifying trends, causes, risks, short- and long-term solutions. Initial steps include recognizing the problem, verifying apparent increases in homelessness and identifying causes/potiential assistance available for each individual.
The answer involves both annexations of properties surrounded by city limits ("doughnut holes") and others that are not.
Growing cities annex to allow for infrastructure expansion (e.g. roads, utilities, police, fire) through property inside its borders. Annexing surrounded property provides effciency. For property on the City's edge, annexation extends City development standards over future development. If not annexed, completely inconsistent neighboring uses could occur.
Negatives: Owners not intending to develop their land oppose annexations; activities like outside burning and discharging of firearms are more regulated inside City limits; and if not agriculturally designated, city taxes apply on property market values.