April 22, 2016

Development activity at Mesquite Community Hospital and former Chaparral Dodge

This week, City staff met with the new owners of the Mesquite Community Hospital property located at the corner of Interstate Highway 30 and Motley Dr. The owners recently obtained a demolition permit for the five medical office buildings on the property. The new owners plan to replace the old medical office buildings with a new three-story, 65,000 square-feet medical office building. Once complete, they plan to demolish the hospital building and build another new medical building in its place.

Staff also met with a developer interested in the former Chaparral Dodge dealership, also located on Interstate Highway 30. The developer plans to renovate the existing building on the property and subdivide the property into two lots. The renovated building is planned for a large national electrical supply company to occupy the building as a retail showroom and small warehousing area. The second lot will be marketed for future users. The developers plan for completion this fall.

Community Development Block Grant award

The City will receive $997,041 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the federal government for FY-2016-17. This reflects a one percent increase in the amount of funds the City received the current fiscal year and is a positive indicator of future funding trends. CDBG funds support agencies like Sharing Life Community Outreach, Mission East Dallas and Mesquite Social Services.

Town Hall Tuesday available online

A video recap of the public safety-themed “Town Hall Tuesday” held on Tuesday, April 12, is now available at www.cityofmesquite.com/TownHall. The webpage also features the presentation given by Police Chief Charles Cato. The next Town Hall Tuesday will focus on code enforcement and is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, at Mesquite City Hall, 757 N. Galloway Avenue.

Mesquite hosts regional realtor expo

On April 15, the City hosted an expo for more than 50 realtors and property brokers in the North Texas region. In partnership with the MetroTex Association of Realtors, the City provided information on various aspects of the Mesquite community. Speakers included Mayor Pro Tem Greg Noschese, Mesquite Independent School District Superintendent Dr. David Vroonland and Police Chief Charles Cato. Informational displays on numerous quality of life services and programs available to residents of Mesquite were also shown.

Spring Campout planned at Camp Rorie-Galloway

The Parks and Recreation Department will host a Spring Campout for families at Camp Rorie-Galloway, 3100 Lawson Drive, on Saturday, April 30. Activities will include a bonfire, ropes course, archery, games and crafts. Dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday morning will be cooked by staff and is included in the $35 for a family of four. Additional family members cost $5 each. Visit www.cityofmesquite.com/Events or call 972-216-6260 for more information or to register.

Animal Shelter celebrates 80 percent live outcome rate

The Animal Shelter has reached a live outcome rate of 80 percent for all animals. This achievement was attained in part due to the implementation of many new programs, including new feral cat kennels, a new strategic plan, adoption specials and various special events.

To view adoptable animals, visit www.cityofmesquite.com/AnimalServices.

Police Department presents meritorious conduct awards

Each year the Police Department honors employees and citizens through a presentation of awards for outstanding acts of service. This year 28 individuals were recognized during the April 18 City Council meeting. Officer Chris Smith received Police Officer of the Year and Public Safety Dispatcher Tammy Thomas was recognized as Civilian of the Year.

More information on these awards and those honored is available at www.cityofmesquite.com/PoliceAwards.

Municipal Election early voting begins April 25

The annual Municipal Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, to elect Councilmembers for Places 3, 4 and 5. Early voting will be conducted in Mesquite at Lakeside Activity Center, 101 Holley Park Dr., as follows:

Monday, April 25 - Friday, April 29, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 30, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 1, from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Monday, May 2 - Tuesday, May 3, from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

On Election Day, Dallas County registered voters can vote only at their precinct polling location from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Voters can find their precinct polling location at www.dallascountyvotes.org under Election Day Information.

Results can be accessed on Dallas County Election Department’s website at www.dallascountyvotes.org and on the City’s website at www.cityofmesquite.com on Election Day after 7 p.m.

MISD students "Spread the Love" and earn extra credit points

Councilmember and MISD teacher Jeff Casper recently gave his students the opportunity to raise their grades and “Spread the Love” by donating jars of peanut butter or jelly to the City’s “Spread the Love” Campaign. Councilmember Casper’s government and geography students received five extra credit points for making a donation. The “Spread the Love” campaign is an effort to support the two food pantries in Mesquite: Sharing Life Community Outreach and Mesquite Social Services. During the summer, both food pantries see a high demand for peanut butter and jelly to help feed the children who typically rely on free or reduced lunch during the school year. Visit www.cityofmesquite.com/SpreadTheLove for more information.

Pitch, Hit and Run

Pitch, Hit and Run is a national competition sponsored by Major League Baseball in which boys and girls in different age levels compete against each other in hitting for distance, pitching for accuracy and running for time. The event was held last Saturday, April 9 at Valley Creek Park. Ten competitors ranging in age from 7-14 will compete at the sectional meet in Rockwall. Athletes with of the highest score from the sectional will move on to the Team Sectional and then National Finals at the MLB All-Star game in San Diego, CA.

Contact Your City

Let us hear from you. If you have a concern or are experiencing an issue, please contact the City at (972) 288-7711 or visit the City's website at www.cityofmesquite.com/questions.