The Forney City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 covered a multitude of topics, and included a reminder that the General Election will be held on May 12, 2012. A hot topic that was brought up is the current Stage 3 water restrictions and whether the recent four inches of rain in Forney will help ease the restrictions.
The meeting began with the recognition of Jennifer Helms who was honored for her work with the Meals On Wheels Association of America program. Mayor Rozell thanked Helms and proclaimed March as “March for Meals Month” in Forney. The program serves to help end senior hunger. Helms noted that Forney is the first city in Kaufman County to participate in the Meals On Wheels program.
A truly inspirational moment came when Mayor Rozell and the City Council proclaimed March 21, 2012 as Kennedy Kilpatrick Day in Forney. Kilpatrick is a Warren Middle School student who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at age three. This young woman received a standing ovation from the council and the audience after the mayor described the great spirit that Kilpatrick has maintained despite her fight with CP. Kennedy is a terrific student and she also volunteers with the Forney PD Santa Program and at the Kaufman County Children's Advocacy Center. She has been involved in competitive cheer, gymnastics, and dance for 10 years. March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, and Kennedy Kilpatrick shows that CP is not a disability as much as it is an opportunity.
The Community Waste Disposal did a presentation to the City of Forney to donate a bench made of 100% recycled material. The CWD discussed the fact that in 2011 Forney residents recycled over 526 tons of material, which saved 8,942 trees and 3,682,000 gallons of water. CWD provides three “Extreme Green” recycling events in Forney each year, and the next one is set for April 2012. It's an opportunity to bring your old tires, electronics, washers, dryers, stove tops, batteries, and pesticides to be disposed of or properly recycled. You can also bring documents that you would like to be shredded.
The Spellman Amphitheater builder was onsite to discuss changes to the project. The site was originally designed with a roof that would not cover the entire stage, but that has been revamped. The new roof will be made of metal and will cover the entire amphitheater stage so that it can protect performers from the hot sun and the rain. It will also make it so that no large lighting structures will be obstructing the view for audience members. The theater will include a 16 foot tall entry sign and a plaque in the memory of Mick Charlie Spellman Jr., for whom the structure is named. Council member Mary Penn said, “I really like the personal touch. It's an awesome way to honor him.”
Council members concluded the meeting by asking City Manager Brian Brooks if the recent rain will help ease the current Stage 3 water restrictions, which only allows watering once every two weeks. Lake Lavon is our main source of water and it is within three feet of normal, with a chance to rise with the recent rain runoff. However, Brooks pointed out that Lake Texoma is still offline due to the Zebra Muscles that are in the lake. Brooks believes that there is a chance that within two to three months the water restrictions will be able to be reduced to Stage 2, which would allow watering twice a week.
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