Dear Editor:

Hubris and leadership are not an exact match but in Colleyville, Texas, hubris is clearly displayed by our elected leadership.  Leaders can be visionaries, hard chargers, managers or civic minded.  The clear mandate for any leader is to represent the entire group he or she represents.  

When I moved to Colleyville last year, I was impressed with the quality of life within the community.  Past leaders of Colleyville met their mandate and created a unique community.  Parks abounded, values on homes were increasing, crime was very low, roads were adequate and this was all a result of previous leaders developing a precise master plan for Colleyville.

In the last year, my impression of the leadership in Colleyville has changed from one of amusement to grave concern.  There is a clear record of the leadership’s desire to accommodate developers, abuse the privilege of elected office and unbalance the master plan of Colleyville.  Two developers have set upon a course of action that meets their special interest at the expense of the community and its citizens.  For some unstated reason, our elected officials approve projects that violate the master plan and past practice.  Recently, the Colleyville City Council approved development of a site that is in gross conflict with the master plan and ignored several recommendations by the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission and concerned citizens.  Not one member of City Council took the time to explain their actions and why they felt this was in the best interest of the Colleyville community.  In fact, their actions have opened an opportunity for other developers.  That creates the potential for grievous harm. 

Highway 26 dissects the heart of Colleyville and it represents our showcase for those who pass through our city.  Recent actions have created a yellow serpentine that affords a developer special privileges at the expense of surrounding businesses, customers and citizens.  Leadership failed to consult with the members of the business community or their customers.  Now, one has to navigate a maze that appears to require customers to transit an emerging business site.  Due to this mess, Colleyville looks inept when it comes to planning and evaluating the impact of leadership actions.  However, listening to our elected officials reveals a distinct display of arrogance. 

Our elected officials communicate in a condescending manner and do not take responsibility for their actions.  They seem to ignore that their power to lead comes from the very individuals they choose to ignore and berate.  This is hubris at its pure form.  There is no public forum for discussion.  Council meetings are unprofessional and represent an ad hoc use of Roberts Rules.  A junior high school civics class would have a clearer vision of rules for the conduct of professional meetings. 

If one wants to use the ethics word, council would fail that test.  Recently council met with a developer, in private, just before a controversial vote.  So much for meeting ethical standards and communicating in a public and open manner as required by law.

In the case of the councilman who recently resigned, open communication was lacking regarding his absences prior to the resignation.  No explanation was given as to why his telephone number was listed in the Colleyville Communicator with a 719 area code.  No communication, no leadership and poor ethics.  Council was slow in acknowledging and enforcing the rules that govern his replacement.  It seems that current policy is to ignore questions and stonewall the process until forced by the citizens to respond.

In past situations, I had the privilege to assist the United States Congress regarding emerging legislation and public policy.  In every situation, Congress assigned due regard to past laws, public policy, testimony, and future impact of the pending law.  Their actions were public and met the highest ethical standards.  If similar ethical standards were applied to Colleyville, some of our elected officials would not meet the test.  This standard includes avoiding situations that create the perception of a conflict.

Colleyville has several options.  The status quo can be maintained, newly elected council members can create change from within or the entire city council can provide leadership and change the negative image of the city.  This requires a dramatic change in ethics, communications, leadership and fairness.  These objectives can be attained to balance the needs of Colleyville without extending special privileges to those who are in council’s favor.  Hubris is evident in the present council.  It must be eliminated from the daily process.

Maurice Connor
Colleyville, TX 76034

To the Editor;

I have a great respect for anyone who will take the time, make the personal commitment, and accept the financial impacts of being a City Councilperson or Mayor. I feel this way for candidates I support, and for those that I don’t. These people make a great sacrifice with (usually) no personal reward other than the satisfaction of helping others. I even feel that way about our current officials in Colleyville, although I certainly haven’t backed them as candidates because of their stands on issues, and/or because of their supporters.

However, the current situation of Councilman Marlin being asked to resign because he is no longer able to attend meetings, and then blaming others for his self created problems, stretches my ability to respect. As a matter of fact, it stretches my understanding – even for this bunch. He is obviously in violation of our Charter. He was (at least credibly accused of being so) in violation before, regarding owing the City money, but our Mayor (‘We have more money than you’ Donna) said that was "…only a bump in the road."

His own actions are bad enough, but maybe they could be somewhat overlooked due to the emotions of the moment. However, how do we excuse Councilperson ‘Let’s build a Monumental Library’ Feldman? She is riding to Marlin’s defense saying that, "…most people would let it slide…" and telling us what a great job he did with selling our bonds. How many Charter violations does it take before it becomes serious in her eyes? If we are able to open the new library (there are no operating funds for it) perhaps Ms. Feldman should spend some time in the financial section, reviewing the concepts of not borrowing until you need to, rather than selling bonds a year early (and in a down market).

If we are going to get out of this mess, we need to begin with the Council replacement appointment. I recommend Vince Wells, who has been willing to stand for Council election and who can be counted on to serve us with integrity and dignity.

Clif Holliday
Colleyville

Time Stamped 8-29-01 @ 12:21 PM

Dear Editor,

Shame on Colleyville City Councilman Dennis Marlin for attempting to blame others for his inability and/or unwillingness to do his job!  Jeers to
Councilwoman Dana Feldman for her inane statement that "most people would allow it [Marlin's numerous charter violations] to slide a little bit longer."  In fact, I believe that most people expect their elected officials to pay their city property taxes on time and demonstrate leadership by attending council meetings.  It is preposterous that council members would take offense that the citizens who elected them demand compliance with the city's rules.  Mr. Marlin is not a victim of "Napoleonic factions", as much as he is an example of ineffective representation.  He has nobody to blame but himself for failing to fulfill his obligations to the people of Colleyville.

Sincerely,
Jenifer Zimmerman
Colleyville, TX

Time Stamped 8-28-01 @ 7:20 PM

Dear Steve,

Thank you for clarifying a mandamous action.  I am very concerned that you
would bring an action against the city and I know the city staff and the
remainder of the city council will also be very concerned.  Anytime a threat
of a lawsuit, no matter how it appears, is taken very seriously by the city
and our standard operating procedure is to contact our city's attorney of
record.  I will immediately let Ross Foster know that I have written
documentation of your concerns.  Our standard procedure is to also alert
Colleyville's city manager as soon as possible.

 If the city is not following the ordinances concerning Caldwell's Creek or
any other ordinance in the city, we all need to be aware and rectify it
immediately.  I will ask the staff to review for the council and citizens
which ordinance (s) you are referring to.  Please let me know so we can
research and remedy as quickly as possible.

Regarding Councilman Marlin, as I mentioned to you before,  I have asked our
city attorney to review the Charter as it relates to attendance.  There are
references in our city's charter which appear to some to need legal
clarification.  No action by the council  nor I is taken capriously without
research when there is doubt for interpretations.  We must all be cognizant
and respect the fact that the citizens who voted for Councilman Marlin and
all of our citizens(which are represented by Councilman Marlin), as well as
Councilman Marlin are protected through  research and clear interpretations
that are reliant on our attorney of record and advice from the experts, the
Secretary of State's office.  This is the course we are taking.

I have also asked for a record of all attendance by all the councilmen and me
over the course of the last two years.
As quickly as possible, all the information concerning this will be
disseminated to the council by Bill Lindley, our new city manager through Ross Foster, our city attorneys advice.

I hope this clarifies some of the processes by the city and the council. 
Again, please E mail me or the city manager, Bill Lindley at, and I feel assured that the city will proceed to rectify any ordinance not being correctly followed.  Just let us know which ones you are concerned with. 

The city or I look forward to hearing from you.

Donna Arp

Follow up letter forwarded by Mr. Magee

Donna:

Thanks for your reply.  

I have not made a decision on the mandamus action as it will require more
legal research.  The homeowners on Shepherd's Glen, however, are determined
to find a solution to these problems particularly since we feel that the City
Council will be of no help.  The basis for such an action would be the City
knowingly allowing building permits to be issued with access to a street that
failed the City's own inspection and testing and does not meet City required
specifications.  Along the same lines, the City permitted construction of
homes on the same street, despite not following through with a developer
requirement that drainage improvements be provided along McCain Road which,
as a result, has caused significant flooding problems for the subdivision.  
Donna, I successfully litigated a Caldwell Creek boundary issue with the
developers of Shalimar over my lot that was caused by the City's refusal to
record documentation in public records of right-of-way releases, resulting in
a plat, approved by the City with an incorrect boundary.  Frankly, Raman
Chandler should have resolved that situation as the developer of Caldwell's
Creek, but instead he gave me his now familiar response "its not my
responsibility."

As to your comments on the Marlin situation, his attendance and tax payment
record shows quite clearly the level of responsibility he brought to the job.
 My guess is that many who voted for him have already rethought their choice.

As you have said, "always interesting to hear from you."

Steve Magee
Colleyville.   

Time Stamped 8-24-01 @ 11:17 AM
Re:  Reply to Councilwoman Ginny Tigue

Dear Ginny:

In response to your e-mail yesterday, I would have to say I am more frustrated than bitter over the way the city council has sided with Raman Chandler.  In Anytown USA, a select few have power and influence over the many and they control the direction of the town.  It happens all over and Colleyville is no exception.

It seemed to me that there was never a serious debate over whether Chandler would get his zoning change.  That was already decided behind closed doors.  Raman just had to have all of his facts straight and make a good public showing.  The people in opposition to this zoning change where many, but still only proved to be a temporary nuisance and may have delayed the inevitable by a couple of weeks at best.

In my years in road construction I have learned the value of making as many friends as possible with city officials in the towns that we work in.  As with most construction projects, corners will be cut and changes will be made along the way that will effect the bottom line of the project.  Usually, the more influential friends you have in place, the more profit you stand to make.  I think Raman is looking real good here in Colleyville.

It will be interesting to see how Chandler chooses to develop this new project.  I seriously doubt he’ll ever build a golf course there. That was just some sizzle he thought he would need to help make the sale.  I wonder how many Colleyville citizens will bombard the city council, probably to little or no avail, over problems that will arise from his development of this project.  Only time will tell.

You and your mates are apparently in full control of the Good Ship Colleyville and the doors to the control room are closed to all passengers.  We can only hope that your direction doesn’t lead to the sinking of this good ship, leaving us passengers to drown in the water.  Here again, only time will tell…

Yours truly,
Robert Bernardo
Passenger

Click here for copy of Mr. Bernardo's original email to Councilwoman Tigue and her response.

My husband and I recently made our first foray into the realm of municipal politics when we brought our opposition to developer Raman Chandler's rezoning request on the old Nine Acres (and adjoining) property to the Colleyville citycouncil. We are shocked by what we have gleaned from this experience. We had heard the rumors about Mr. Chandler being closely allied with this council, and now we firmly believe that they are not simply rumors -- they are accurate observations.

Not only are we tremendously disappointed in the council's unanimous approval of
Chandler's proposal, we are also disheartened at what can only be described as
their blatant favoritism for the developer. Despite opposition from nearly 100
petitioners, the Planning & Zoning Commission, the former mayor, and numerous
other residents, the council elected to grant zoning containing a vast amount of
leeway to Chandler, who is an inexperienced commercial developer. Just prior to
voting, Mayor Arp attempted to appease protesters by stating that the city was
"looking at" a "possible" overlay on the property that "could" provide tighter
development controls. In other words, the concerns of the protesters were not
compelling enough for the city to deny the rezoning request, but Mayor Arp wants
us to believe that the city "might" do something in the future to provide us
with the controls that the council chose to dismiss. What an insult to our
intelligence! Further, the mayor made several statements that conveyed the
unmistakable message that she felt protesters were ignorant of zoning
ordinances. Based upon some of the questions posed by council members, I
believe that some of us "ignorant folks" are more informed than they are.

It is incomprehensible that the city is demanding extremely high-quality
development along Highway 26, as evidenced by their fixation on every nuance of
The Village, but is willing to hand over the critical controls on prime
commercial property along Precinct Line Road (the "Western Gateway" of
Colleyville) to Chandler.

During the course of the meeting, council members stressed the zoning of the
property as it appeared several years ago, which has absolutely nothing to do
with current conditions. Councilman Hocutt, who previously denied this same
rezoning request while on the P&Z Commission, made no attempt whatsoever to
explain his puzzling reversal. Councilman Feldman leaned heavily on her "slick
lawyer" experience, posing one leading question after another to city staff,
each crafted to procure only partial bits of information that would favor the
developer's proposal. In fact, via their questions and comments, council
members and officials appeared to be lobbying the crowd to support the proposal!
The council briefly mentioned a letter from the developer, alluding to the fact
that he was willing to drop the rezoning request on the commercial portion of
the property and proceed only with the residential rezoning; however, after very
little discussion, a motion was made to approve the original proposal. Other
annoyances included Mayor Arp and the city attorney chatting and chuckling
amongst themselves during a good portion of the proceedings, and Councilman
Marlin's notable absence (again). And finally, in what I believe to be a
display of very poor judgment, some council members mingled openly with Chandler during a break in the proceedings.

Until recently, we fully trusted that our city council had only the best
interests of ALL citizens at heart. What an eye-opening experience it has been
to witness first-hand how this machine really works. We are now of the opinion
that if you're a developer with deep pockets, you're in good hands with this
council. If, however, you're just an ordinary citizen, striving to encourage
the city to uphold the highest possible standards in developing its limited
commercial property, you're likely to be left with no support from the council
-- only a jaded disposition and a firm resolve to effect change in the next
election.

Sincerely,
Jenifer L. Zimmerman
Remington Park Resident
Colleyville, TX

Time Stamped 08-22-01 @  2:39 PM
Re:  Response to Council Vote Last Night 

Did the voters achieve their desired results with a Colleyville City council that has proven it is of one mind, no disagreements here?

Ramon Chandler, the Colleyville Power Broker, is back on top.  The Colleyville City Council voted 4-0 overturning the Planning and Zoning decision to reject his newest “0” lot line project.  In addition, council threw in a “carte blanche” approval on his commercial zoning.

The council ignored the pleas from Caldwell’s Creek residents, requesting help in its dispute with this developer.  Even the fact that the closest neighborhood, Remington Park, reversed its support of the project, didn’t phase this hard charging group to quickly approve more “leap of faith’ zoning for selective developers.

I know the power of Chandler in Colleyville, he supported me when I won a city council seat.  However, I had the audacity to support the citizens of Caldwell’s Creek against this developer’s antics and was ousted by the Chandler financed Dennis Marlin last year.  Speaking of Marlin, he has attended maybe one council meeting since the last election, but no one on city council seems to notice.

I guess when you have a rubber stamp council, 4 members is all you need to give your favorite developer a knowing wink then pass anything that makes him happy.  While winking at their favorite developers, they are turning a “blind eye” to the inequities of their decisions.

To compare visions of the 1999 council versus the current group, take a drive down the new tree-lined beautiful Hall Johnson road in contrast to Hwy 26 at the Villages.  In their rush to take care of their other favorite developer, we have been subject to a hideous yellow median that dramatically announces you have now arrived in the middle of Colleyville. 

The current council passes the Chandler zoning, ignoring the Planning and Zoning, as well as citizen pleas.  The mayor and current council believe that they are so entrenched, they don’t need to be subtle, just ram it down their throats. However, no amount of political spin or double talk will replace the loss of objective integrity in city government.

The question is, do the voters of Colleyville care how their city is being portrayed in the press and represented by their new “one mind for all” city council? 

Time Stamped 08-16-01 @  1:34 AM
Re: Ethel McCain Celebrates 99th Birthday

Time Stamped 08-15-01 @ 7:59 PM
Re:  Colleyville’s Mayor Announces Economic Plan
This letter was sent to FWST and LNO.

Our Mayor now occupies the front page of the taxpayer funded city newsletter, The Communicator. However, we did get a glimpse of her economic plan for our city this month. With all the expendable income in Colleyville, if we each just spent $300 per month in Colleyville, PRESTO at the end of the year we would have an extra $500,000 in sales taxes.

This innovative approach got me to thinking, why stop at $300, her recently commissioned study said folks in Colleyville have plenty of extra cash laying around, say $1,500 per month. 

Lets see, $1,500 per month spent in Colleyville,  that would be about 61 Lube & Oil Changes, or maybe 352 hamburger meals at Sonic, or maybe 15 Futons.  OK so it will be a challenge, but where is your love of your city and confidence in our Mayor?

And by the way, we all know those responsible for that outrageous idea of building a beautiful boulevard out of a two lane black top Hall Johnson leading to what was supposed to be our center of town.  But who lead the 5^th grade shop class to stick that hideous median on Hwy 26 and then paint it a subtle YELLOW?  I guess we had to take care of the heavy traffic into the booming Villages of Colleyville.

Some of us must be just too slow to keep up with the Mayor’s vision. Compare Hall Johnson versus a GLOB of Yellow at Glade Road, this Hwy 26-beautification plan of the Mayor is off to a rip roaring start.  

Kinda looks like Colleyville folks might want to turn out at the next election, that is unless they really are as shallow, self-indulgent, self-centered, self-impressed and apathetic as we have been portrayed by recent comments of our Mayor. Mayor Stacey, keep praying for us ….please.

Nelson Thibodeaux
Colleyville, Texas

Time Stamped 08-10-01 @ 7:14PM
Re: Ft. Worth Star Telegram, “Home Builder Runs Into Opposition”.  
This letter was sent to LNO for posting.

Dear Ms. Tigue:

In the above referenced article it states that you said, “It’s such a long, involved situation, (Caldwell’s Creek) that I really don’t think it has anything to do with the new proposal”. Well, I think it has everything to do with the new proposal…

The same developer, Raman Chandler, who has failed to adequately address issues and problems on one of his Colleyville developments should not be allowed to have his way and proceed on developing another. 

Colleyville is an attractive place for Raman Chandler and others to develop in because it is one of the premier communities in North Texas.  It is important that we hold ALL developers to the highest standards in order to maintain the integrity of the city and enhance the long-term value of our community. 

When we came to the city council meeting on Wednesday, (August 8, 2001) it was not because we had nothing better to do with our time or that we had a personal vendetta against Raman Chandler.  It was because we count on you as elected city officials to protect our rights and interests as citizens of Colleyville. 

We repeatedly mentioned to you our concerns that night over drainage problems that have gone on for quite some time.  We talked about the detention pond on the corner of Shepherds Glen and John McCain, which has been allowed to sit with little or no maintenance for all to see.  We mentioned the ongoing legal issues we have with Mr. Chandler, which involves yet another of his developments, The Villas of Caldwell’s Creek. 

Mr. Chandler acts as if he is an innocent party, caught in the middle of all of this.  He blames the Caldwell’s Creek HOA and the city for the various problems and claims he wants to resolve these matters in the best interests of all concerned. 

He wants to fill in the above mentioned detention pond and sell the lot to a builder to help us out.  According to the drainage plat we obtained from the city, the lot is designed to remain a detention basin or lake.  In fact, our adjacent lot is graded to flow directly into the basin rather than the street.  If a house is built there, the water from our lot will flow in the direction of that house.  He has indicated that the city is responsible for many of the drainage problems on John McCain.  As for the legal matters, he blames the HOA for not wanting to sit down and resolve these issues while he continues to stall our efforts to either come to terms or proceed with the legal process.   

One important issue that was not mentioned at the city council meeting was the construction of Shepherds Glen.  Mr. Chandler negotiated a deal with the city to add additional concrete and steel and eliminate stabilizing the road.  This is a good deal for Mr. Chandler as he saved the substantial cost of stabilization, which is a vital step in building a road that provides long-term structural integrity.  As it turned out, test results showed that the concrete was of deficient depth, further compounding the problem.  Rather than having Mr. Chandler remove and replace the road, the city settled on accepting a 2-year maintenance bond.  Aside from the rough finish, the road has and will continue to show signs of failure that will extend beyond the 2-year maintenance period which expires in 2002.  What will end up happening is hundreds of thousands of tax dollars will be spent removing and replacing this road, well short of its intended life span. 

In conclusion, the issues of Caldwell’s Creek have everything to do with proposed future developments such as Mr. Chandlers Westgate project.  Developers, including Mr. Chandler, must be held accountable for their actions or lack thereof.  Applicable codes must be enforced without exception or compromise to insure that Colleyville maintains its current and future status as an outstanding community to live and work in.

Sincerely,

Robert Bernardo
Colleyville, Texas 76034

Time Stamped 08-09-01 @ 7:14PM
Subject: Article in Fort Worth Star Telegram-Northeast Section

Our friends (those out of Colleyville) are calling to ask if we are still speaking to poor folks from other areas. They've seen our mayor smirking from the front page of the Star-Telegram, telling all who will listen that we make more money than anyone else.

Of course, our neighbors aren't surprised at this rudeness and/or ineptness:

* We destroyed a long thought out plan for an economic center to the city, and replaced it with a pet project, which is drawing very little real economic interest.

* We ignore violations of our City Charter (these are 'just bumps in the road') by our Council people. 

No, our neighbors aren't surprised at much of anything from Colleyville anymore. I hope they realize this arrogance doesn't represent everyone in this city. The only question is how much longer are the voters here going to put up with this?

Time Stamped 08-09-01 @ 7:12PM
Subject: Article in Fort Worth Star Telegram-Northeast Section
This is the letter I have sent to Donna Arp and I plan on sending a letter to the Star Telegram.

Time Stamped 08-07-01 @ 10:46PM
Subject: Re: Paying for Privacy

Like many Colleyville homeowners, I recently received information with my electric bill explaining new legislation involving the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC). The pamphlet described how I may "Opt Out" of the list that will be given to Certified Retail Electric Providers authorized to offer me additional electric service options. The information was concise and clear; I could choose the website link to add my name to the “Opt Out” list or call a special phone number.

 I was very pleased to learn another list will be available to further protect me from telemarketing calls. However, I was INFURIATED to learn that I must PAY for this privilege!! My home is already deluged with solicitor calls, something I expect you experience as well. My husband and I struggle to maintain our important family values, yet our family's privacy erodes daily.

 The "free" “Opt Out” service only protects me from solicitation by mail. Should I assume the Texas legislature puts a higher value on my mailbox than on my telephone? Since legislation requires that electric companies establish this "Opt Out" list, a simple check box to also eliminate telemarketing calls seems reasonable. Why not require the PUC to charge people who WANT to receive telemarketing calls, rather than make those of us who want to retain our privacy pay for the privilege? It appears I only have the right to protect my customer privacy if I pay for it. This scheme is unfair to the consumer and must be corrected immediately. Detailed information on this “nominal fee” will be available later this year. I urge my fellow Colleyville residents to contact their Texas legislative representatives. We shouldn’t have to pay to retain our privacy!

Suzanne Harrington
Colleyville  

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