The Issues

I have been a resident of parker for the last six years.  During that time, I have had many conversations with citizens of Parker.  Consistent challenges stand out as key issues for our city.  As your city council representation, we can work together to address these key issues and create a better Parker!  

​

​

Infrastructure​

Drainage and road quality are two huge issues for the residents of Parker.  Parker is growing, and our infrastructure needs to grow along with us.  Parker must invest in these areas as our population continues to grow or the problems will be worse, more expensive and we will be constantly behind the needs of our city. 

 

Moreover, the city must leverage its development agreements as a key portion of its planning. When we sign off on the development of housing, we are committing to those future citizens using the same infrastructure that's already overused. Planning together, in advance, with the developers is key to our community's infrastructure integrity.

​

​

Keeping Parker ... Parker

Many of us moved to Parker because it is a place away from the hustle and bustle of Dallas and its fast growing, population-dense suburbs. Horse pasture, corn and wheat fields, and other agricultural land are transitioning into residential housing.  I believe we have some significant tools at our disposal to keep the living conditions we cherish while this development continues.

​​

1. Minimum Lot Sizes. The 2 acre minimum helps preserve the feel of our city, limits the ongoing impact on our water and road infrastructure and helps alleviate the impact of rapid growth occurring all around us. This lot size restriction is a big reason why Parker maintains a small, country feel. 

2. Regulating Thoroughfare. Many of our roads are true farm to market roads, intended for light duty trucks, tractors, and everyday commuting for a small number of people. They aren't designed for large cities' residents to take shortcuts through our town, or a substantial population increase, increasing the number of cars traversing our roads. The city has an obligation to carefully plan which streets should (and should not) be available for increased through traffic, and where possible limit the impact to residents.​

​​

​

City Services
​

As the city grows, so must the city offices capacity to serve its citizenry. We need to take a more serious approach to the facilities and tools we afford to city employees, especially the police and fire department. When the previous Police Department building was found to have black mold, the PD was relocated to a temporary triple-wide trailer.  This temporary fix is over a decade old. This lack of suitable office space needs to be addressed in a reasonable way, keeping cost in mind. 

​

​

Extra-Territorial Jurisdictions (ETJ)
​

​Some of you may never have heard of Extra-Territorial Jurisdictions until last year's election. The short version is that ETJ’s  are areas outside of the city, where the city can regulate
certain activities. Residents in the ETJs also have fewer rights with respect to the city - they cannot participate in Parker elections, for instance.

​

This is a complicated topic, especially as ETJs often form attractive economic opportunities for real estate developers.

​

Guiding principles:

• Active engagement with ETJ landowners

• Where appropriate and mutually beneficial, annex ETJs into the city.

​