The use of a grill, hibachi or smoker in or within 10 feet of a building or overhang is prohibited by Article II of the city's Fire Prevention Code, Section 17-4, regardless of the presence of sprinkler and fire alarm systems. View fire prevention code
Posted Dec. 7

Recreational fishing is allowed with a valid fishing license in Irving park lakes, such as Centennial, Victoria and Northwest Park lakes, per Section 25-1.8, Parks and Recreation ordinance. Fishing is prohibited where signs state "No Fishing." For questions, call the Parks and Recreation Department at (972) 721-2501. View fishing ordinance
Posted Dec. 7

	Mayor		Place 3
	Herbert Gears	Beth Van Duyne	Dennis Webb	David Guierrez
Early Voting	2,524	3,965	457	247
Early Voting by Mail	461	636	96	25
Election Day	2,183	2,260	359	234
Provisional Votes	2	4	0	0
Election Day ADA	0	0	0	0
Total	5,170	6,865	912	506

Total number of voters for Mayoral Race: 12,035
Total number of voters for Place 3: 1,148

Posted: July 18, 2011

The city manager is not an elected position. City Council appoints the city manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city based on policies approved by council. The city manager’s appointment is based on the contract approved by the City Council.

The street is considered public property and anyone can park in that area unless there is city signage that indicates otherwise. Following are guidelines that dictate how vehicles are parked.

• The right wheels of the vehicle cannot be further than 18 inches from the curb.
• Inoperable vehicles cannot remain parked for more than 48 hours without moving.
• Vehicles cannot be posted for sale.
• A vehicle cannot block another person’s driveway.
• If parked in a driveway, vehicles cannot block the sidewalk.
• Additionally, vehicles cannot be parked within the following:
  • 15 feet of a fire hydrant
  • 20 feet of a crosswalk
  • 30 feet of a traffic control device that is secured to the ground (e.g., a stop sign)

The expansion of State Highway 114 is a project of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Information about TxDOT projects in the North Texas region is available online at www.keepitmovingdallas.com. According to the website, the estimated completion dates for specific elements of the SH 114 project are as follows. State Highway 114 The SH 114 expansion project is already 50 percent completed with scheduled completion by February 2013.

• All service roads are estimated to be completed by February 2013
• Estimated completion for Loop 12, northbound, is December 2012
• Estimated completion of SH 114, eastbound, is September 2011
• Estimated completion of SH 114, westbound, is September 2012
• Estimated opening date for the Tom Braniff bridge is May 2011
• Estimated opening date for the Loop 12 north service road is May 2011
• Estimated opening date for the Loop 12 south Service Road is May 2011
• Estimated opening date for the Loop 12 north main lane crossing SH 114 is September 2011
• Estimated opening date for SH 114, eastbound, at Cistercian is 2012
• Estimated opening date for SH 114, westbound, at Cistercian is 2012
• Estimated opening date for eastbound SH 114 to southbound Loop 12 is December 2011
• Estimated opening date for northbound Loop 12 to westbound SH 114 is August 2012

View a schematic overview of the State Highway 114 project

The city has placed a priority in maintaining or enhancing services to the community, especially public safety and code enforcement. To stay ahead of the economic curve, budget savings have been achieved by holding vacant positions open. The city has achieved these savings by restructuring the organization to improve efficiencies, reducing the cost of providing services and by combining functions that were previously provided by more than one department into functional teams. This proactive action plan has enabled the city to provide greater services to more people with less staffing, and at lower costs.

Municipal revenues have been significantly impacted by the national recession. Over the past two years, general revenues have declined by more than $20 million. The city has been addressing the revenue reduction by reviewing all city operations for cost savings and efficiency improvements. This has included reducing operating budgets, not filling positions as they become vacant, and reducing costs of service by securing long-term contracts with reduced rates for energy and other services. 

Property taxes were increased in 2011 to partially offset a second year of revenue reductions. The majority of the reduced revenues have been balanced by operating savings. City staff reviews revenues and expenditures monthly, and continues to streamline city operations to identify expenditure reductions to balance the budget without impacting services to the community.

Human Resources is now part of the Performance Office and Lynda Johnson serves as the city’s Human Resources Director/Chief Performance Officer.

Despite tough economic conditions, there continues to be great strides in preparing the Heritage Crossing area for development and there is progress to report. For example, 85 properties have been purchased, 170 new solar-powered streetlights have been added along Irving Boulevard, seven businesses have been redeveloped and the Heritage Crossing Communications Committee has been formed to keep residents informed of developments.

Redevelopment of any community takes time and be assured that a final timeline is in the works. Recruitment of businesses, retail and housing developers is ongoing. Future plans include the continued demolition of substandard buildings and making the community safer. There will soon be some marked changes to the area to further create an area that encourages reinvestment. City leaders envision the Heritage Crossing area to be a sustainable community that will spur economic growth for this historic community.

The partnership between the city and the Las Colinas Group, the private developer, has resulted in the near completion of construction plans. General fund tax dollars are not being used to fund this project. All funds are generated by Brimer Taxes and Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT). 

There are legal proceedings relative to the use of the Brimer and HOT funds in progress. Once legal proceedings are finalized, the financial structure of the project will be completed.

Voters approved funding for the construction of the South Irving Library in the 2006 bond referendum. In addition, construction costs are at the lowest levels experienced in more than 30 years. This means that the community will be able to afford increased library amenities and get more value for taxpayer dollars. Moreover, selling bonds now will result in a lower life-cycle cost for these bonds due to sound financial governance, which has earned the city a double AAA rating on its general obligation bonds.

Residents should know that the annual operating costs for the new libraries will decrease. For example, the West Irving Library—the city’s newest library—will be a net zero energy facility, which will save $55,000 annually in energy costs. Moreover, the city is enjoying an annual savings of $245,000 for not having to rent storefront facilities. These factors all create a win-win scenario for the Irving community.