Inside... - City of Denison

2013 Progress Report
Inside...
New South Side Firehouse
for Denison Fire Department
New Hilton Hotel/Convention
Center - Welcome to Denison!
New & Expanding Businesses
= Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Keeping You Informed About Your City
Over a Decade in the Process
City Inks Deal for Major
Planned Development Project
From Vision to “Green
Light”, Preston Harbour
Mixed-Use Development
On-Track to Proceed
O
n March 22, 2013, the City
of Denison announced a
major milestone for the Preston
Harbour Development on Lake
Texoma. The United States Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE)
executed a deed transferring 600
acres of lakeside property on
Lake Texoma to the City.
The land conveyance is the
key to a 3,000 acre lakeside
development by Schuler
Development that will create
more than $1.9 billion in new
investment in the City of
Denison. The City and Schuler
Development have been working
on the planned, high-end
development on Lake Texoma for
more than 12 years.
It Took an Act of Congress
Denison Prepping for Growth
With New Water Pumps
Newest DPD officer a
Welcomed Addition to Force
“This is one of the most
significant events in Denison’s
history and it will shape our
future. It has been a complicated
process. It literally took an act of
Congress to make this project a
reality,” said Mayor Jared Johnson.
“Denison has been blessed
in the last few years with a new
hospital, new school facilities,
expanding industries and now
we have this development that
will bring hundreds of millions of
dollars in new investment and job
opportunities for our citizens,”
“I’m eager to incorporate
Johnson added.
the area’s distinctive visual,
The developer, Schuler
historic, and natural features
Development, spent more than
into a development that will
a decade planning and working
become the premier lakefront
with officials, and ultimately the
Water Resources Development
destination in the region.”
George Schuler,
Act of 2007 was approved,
Schuler Development
authorizing the Secretary of the
Army to convey the property to
the City of Denison.
it had the potential to be a top
notch development and a focal
City, County, State and Federal
point for the community,” said
Cooperation
George Schuler, founder of
“This day of success was
Schuler Development.
spawned by the city, county,
The Preston Harbour
state, and federal levels working
Development on Lake Texoma is
together. The rewards of this
envisioned to become a vibrant
cooperation will benefit future
mixed-use development and an
generations, highlight the
incredible asset for the City of
greatness of Lake Texoma and
Denison. The vision is to create
surroundings, and will result
a truly extraordinary community
in an estimated two billion
with a host of waterfront
dollars in new investment,” said
amenities, all within an hour
Congressman Ralph Hall. north of Dallas.
The high-end 3,000 acre
development is situated along
Incredible Asset for Denison
nine miles of Lake Texoma
“The moment I saw this
shoreline on the east side of the
magnificent property, I knew
Little Mineral Arm.
it was something special – that
Fire Department Construction
New Fire Station for Denison’s
South Side Firefighters
From the Mayor’s Desk
Jared Johnson
Mayor, City of Denison
T
he City of Denison held a
ground breaking ceremony
on September 16 for the new
South Side Fire Station located at
3306 South Park Avenue. The old
South Side Station was built in
1957 and was designed to house
only two firemen. Due to the
city’s expansion, the department
has outgrown the old station and
currently houses five men there.
According to Fire Chief
Gordan Weger, the new station
will provide more room for
equipment, a better training
facility and allow the department
to be better prepared to serve
the city’s needs. Especially in and
around the Hwy 75-691 corridor
I
We’re Moving Forward!
n this, the second edition of Connections, you will find a variety
of articles on how Denison continues to move forward as a
community.
We remain connected as a community even those connections
are growing and expanding into greater opportunities.
Developments like Preston Harbour will help shape the future
of Denison, and we spend some time talking about what adding
3,000 acres to Denison means for us as a community.
We further explore our economic development success in a
special section where we discuss our recent successes in creating
a community of choice that attracts and retains families, and
creates an environment where art, culture and business thrive.
In addition, we provide updates on many of the programs
and services offered by the City, as well as many of our
accomplishments. By proactively sharing this annual progress
report with you, we hope that you feel better informed and even
more strongly connected to Denison.
which is experiencing substantial
growth.
Plans for the new station have
been a long time in the making.
Thanks to cooperation from the
mayor, council members and the
city staff, construction is now
underway and is expected to be
finished sometime mid to late
summer of 2014. Chief Weger
adds “the new building will be
something the city and citizens
will be proud of.”
City Finance Department Honored
Denison Earns Top Award for
Financial Reporting
D
enison has been awarded the
Certificate of Achievement
for Excellence in Financial
Reporting by the Government
Finance Officers Association of
the United States and Canada
(GFOA) for its comprehensive
annual financial
report (CAFR).
The Certificate
of Achievement is
the highest form of
recognition in the
area of governmental
accounting and
financial reporting,
and its attainment
represents
a significant
accomplishment by
a government and its
management.
An Award of Financial
Reporting Achievement has been
awarded to the individual(s),
department or agency
designated by the government
as primarily responsible for
preparing the award-winning
CAFR. This has been presented
to Renee’ Waggoner, Finance
Director and staff.
This is the
second straight
year that the City
has received this
award -- for FY2011
and for FY2012.
Denison’s CAFR
has been judged by
an impartial panel
to meet the high
standards of the
program including
demonstrating a
constructive “spirit
of full disclosure” to clearly
communicate its financial story
and motivate potential users and
user groups to read the CAFR.
Downtown Denison
Enhanced Quality of Life
Goal of Main Street Program
C
ity of Denison’s Main Street
Program works on a multifaceted approach with the ultimate
goal of downtown revitalization.
In the trek to attain this goal, we
hope to enhance the quality of life
for the citizens of Denison.
Our events and activities are
designed to be fun, educational,
and cultural. We partner with
other organizations such as the
Chamber of Commerce, Denison
Arts Council, Eisenhower
Birthplace, The Red River
Railroad Museum, Downtown
Denison Inc., the Denison
Performing Arts, Denison ISD,
and more to bring you the quality
experience you deserve.
Art and Wine Weekend, Bark
& Paws, the Fourth of July
Fireworks, Eisenhower Birthday
Weekend, Fall Festival, Dia De Los
Muertos, Monsters on Main,
Music on Main, and the Tour of
Trees are just some of the activities
and events
you can enjoy
in Downtown
Denison. Hopefully,
you have taken
advantage of
these events
and all our
wonderful
downtown businesses. To find out
more, we have also launched
a new website, DenisonLive.com,
that will allow you to keep in
touch with upcoming events and
the businesses.
Denison Development Alliance Highlights
2013: This May Be Remembered As The Year Denison
Moved Forward In A BIG Way!
New Jobs, New
Construction, New &
Expanding Businesses,
New DISD Facilities =
New Momentum!
“We couldn’t be more
excited that construction
is underway, and we’re
looking forward to being a
part of the community and
the Texoma region.”
F
ive years from now people will
be asking, “How did Denison
become so awesome?”
2013 will be remembered as the
year Denison moved forward in a
BIG way. Projects in the planning
stages for years were announced
which will have a significant
long-term impact on the local and
regional economy. Here are some
of the 2013 highlights:
Hilton Garden Inn
It’s been a long time coming,
but in October an announcement
was made and construction
began on the Denison Hilton
Garden Inn and Event Center.
It was not only great news
for the City, but also a major
development for the entire
Texoma region.
When completed in
November 2014, the facility will
have 120 rooms, a restaurant,
and a 24,000 s.f. event center with
multiple breakout rooms and one
10,000 s.f. room which will seat
up to 1,000. The site is located on the NW
corner of the intersection of
Hwy75/Hwy691, just west of the
Texoma Medical Center. The
estimated project investment is
$16,000,000 and will create 60
new jobs.
The process of recruiting a full
service hotel and event center
began in 2005 by the Denison
Development Alliance. According
to the DDA Chairman Robert
Brady, several local companies
and business prospects were
seeking an upscale, full service,
first class hotel for their business
guests, complete with a restaurant
and bar.
“We announced the project
back in 2008, but it didn’t happen
because the country was headed
toward the nation’s worst
recession in modern times. The
developers could not obtain the
needed financing for the project,”
said Chairman Brady.
Fast forward to 2010 -- DDA
was introduced to Denson Walker
Properties and started the process
of developing a partnership to
again develop a Hilton Garden Inn
and Event Center. Those efforts
resulted in the announcement on
Oct. 17, 2013.
Janet Ventura with Denson
Walker Properties said the
Denison Development Alliance,
the City and the County all
share the credit for making
the facility a reality. “It’s been
wonderful working with all the
public entities.”
Texoma Medical Center
In August, Texoma Medical
Center announced new
construction projects at its main
campus were underway. The
opening of two additional Labor &
Delivery suites in early September
and a new 38-bed unit on the
hospital’s seventh floor were
completed before the year’s end.
The Birth Place on the third
floor welcomed 979 new births in
2012 and was expected to deliver
an estimated 1,300 babies before
the end of 2013.
The 38 beds on the seventh
floor house the hospital’s
Pediatric Unit and additional
medical surgical patient rooms.
TMC’s 2013 capital
investment was $15,000,000
and is estimated to create an
additional 100 new jobs.
“We are pleased that with
these expansion projects, along
with the recent opening of the
TMC Breast Care Center, we are
now offering more personalized,
specialty services not previously
provided in our region to even
more patients,” said Ron Seal,
CEO at Texoma Medical Center.
National Government Services
National Government
Services, Inc. announced in April
that it would be creating more
than 125 new jobs to be based in
a 20,000 s.f. facility in Denison.
Hiring began in late spring and
was fully staffed by the end of
summer 2013.
Then in December of 2013,
they announced they would add
Janet Ventura,
Denson Walker Properties
another 60 jobs and an additional
10,000 s.f. to its newly opened
facility. The company completed
hiring for the new positions by
the end of December. NGS now
employs a total of 185 associates
and occupies a 30,000 s.f. facility in
the Eisenhower Business Center.
“We worked hand-in-hand
with the Denison Development
Alliance and Workforce Solutions
Texoma to identify our new site.
Once we learned that many
Denison citizens already had
experience in medical claims
processing, it was a ‘no-brainer’,”
explained Jim Elmore, Program
Manager at NGS.
“Denison has a strong
reputation for a stable and
talented workforce,” explained
Tony Kaai, President of the
Denison Development Alliance.
“We worked closely with NGS to
find an appropriate facility and
showcase all this community has
to offer. We are pleased that NGS
has decided to make the Denison
location their first Southwest
campus and look forward to a
long and prosperous partnership.”
As one of the nation’s Medicare
contractors for the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), NGS processed 145
million Medicare claims and
administered benefits of $59.9
billion from the Medicare Trust
Fund in 2012.
No matter how the story of
the Ironroot Republic Distillery
started, it’s a story that wouldn’t
have concluded in Denison if not
for the Denison Development
Alliance, the Chamber and the
City, insisted Robert Likarish.
“The warmth and excitement we
got from Denison -- it was like
nowhere else in Texas,” he said.
Ironroot Republic Distillery is
located on Loy Lake Rd. just off
Highway 75.
capabilities and help us meet the
growing demand in key market
segments.” said Rachel Cullen,
President & CEO, Ruiz Foods.
“Ruiz Foods is an excellent
business partner and we are
proud to have them in our
community,” said Mayor Jared
Johnson. “They already employ
over 600 area residents so we are
excited about assisting them with
their scheduled expansion and
the addition of more jobs.”
Ruiz Foods is now the
Ruiz Foods
largest manufacturing investor
in Denison’s history and has
created the most manufacturing
jobs with 675 employees -- soon
adding another 150 new jobs,
raising their total to 825.
Ironroot Republic Distillery
Denison is now the home to
one of the three largest artisan
distilleries in Texas. For brothers
Robert and Johnathan Likarish the
process started over two years ago
and resulted in an announcement
in September that they had
purchased a 15,000 s.f. building
which is now the new home of
Ironroot Republic Distillery.
The brothers say the first
question most people ask them
is ‘why Denison…?’. But for
them the answer is easy. “The
community here has been
extremely helpful and very
supportive, which is something we
didn’t get in a lot of places when
we were looking in different towns
in Texas,” Robert Likarish said.
Denison’s rich wine history
attracted them as well. They
plan to use local products when
producing their whiskeys,
brandies, gins, and vodka.
And the brothers say, thanks
to the new Texas laws, they
are no longer limited to selling
their products to only wholesale
distributors. Visitors will be able
to taste and purchase bottles
direct from the distillery.
“It’s manufacturing, it’s retail,
and it will also be a tourist
attraction. They are going to be
able to produce their products
and market them right here in
Denison which will impact several
facets of our local economy,”
Mayor Johnson said.
Ruiz Food Products, Inc.,
producers of El Monterey
Brands, the #1 selling frozen
Mexican food brand in the
United States, announced in
June a 50,000 s.f. expansion of
its Denison manufacturing and
distribution facility.
“We are also pleased to
announce that with the
expansion Ruiz Foods –
Denison hopes to add up
to 150 new jobs over the
next three years.”
Rachel Cullen,
President & CEO Ruiz Foods
Ruiz Foods first announced
its expansion into Denison in
May, 2005 with the acquisition
and renovation of the 263,000 s.f.
former Pillsbury plant on Hwy.
84, investing over $50,000,000
into the conversion. With this
newest expansion another
$25,000,000 will be invested into
the Denison economy.
“This expansion will increase
our food manufacturing
Downtown Denison
Over 10 years of collaboration
between the Denison
Development Foundation and
the City’s Main Street program
has resulted in the investment of
over $1,500,000 in the restoration
of the downtown District. By
offering matching grants to
building owners, most building
façades have been upgraded. Those efforts paid off in a big
way in 2013 as 11 new businesses
located downtown which resulted
in 32 new jobs. Private sector
reinvestment in Downtown during
2013 resulted in over $658,257 in
enhancements to buildings.
Operation Increase Occupancy,
a Denison marketing program,
was named winner of the Best
Marketing Program category
in 2013 by the Texas Downtown
Association.
Denison at a Tipping Point?
When something reaches the
“tipping point” it is defined as
“the moment of critical mass,
the threshold, the boiling point”.
When this occurs, ideas, products,
messages and behaviors spread
like viruses do. The positive
stories about the many Denison
successes are being talked about
throughout the Texoma region and
the state.
Denison appears to be reaching
a tipping point in its development
and growth based on some very
significant projects that occurred
over the past year.
With new DISD facilities (High
School, Stadium), new Hotel/
Event Center, Texoma Medical
Center expansion, downtown
revitalization, and all the new jobs
and expansions that have been
created by local industries and
new businesses locating here -Denison is positioned better
than ever for impressive growth.
2013 was indeed a year of
“Moving Forward”!
2013: By The Numbers
Projects Under Construction:
New High School
$60m
Ruiz Foods Expansion
$25m
Hilton Garden Inn & Event Center $16m
TMC Expansion
$15m
New Stadium
$ 6m
New Fire Station
$ 2m
---------------------------------------------------------------Total Construction Investment:
$124m
New Jobs Added/Announced Past 2 yrs:
CAT
200
NOVO 1
200
National Gov. Services
185
Ruiz Foods 150
ACS
100
CIGNA
100
Texoma Medical Center
100
Hilton Garden Inn
60
Florestone
50
Champion Cooler 30
Kwikset
30
Texas Turbines
20
U.S. Aviation
20
Visionary Ind. Insulation
10
---------------------------------------------------------------Direct New Jobs:
1,255
Indirect Jobs:
2,320
Administration & Staff are Working Hard to Keep
the City of Denison Financially Stable!
H
ow far have we come?
Step back in time to the
December 12, 2011 council
meeting -- a formal written
financial policy was passed that
addressed our need as a City
to identify standard financial
requirements that staff could use
to conduct the financial affairs
of the City. At this time, the
policy established fund balance
requirements for the General
Fund and the Water/Sewer
Operating Fund.
These fund balance
requirements were set to be
a percentage of authorized
expenditures which can be
represented in number of days
of reserve.
General Fund was set with
a 20% minimum (73 days of
operation) and 30% maximum
(110 days) threshold and the
Water/Sewer Operating Fund
was set with a 15% minimum (55
days) and 25% maximum (91
days) threshold.
FY (Fiscal Year) 2012 started
off with 38 days of reserve in
General Fund and 134 days
of reserve in Water/Sewer
Operating Fund. Our goal was
to build the number of days of
reserve in the General Fund as
quickly as possible. We have
tackled this goal and made great
strides in the last two years.
In FY2013 we began with 54
days of reserve in General Fund
and 77 days of reserve in Water/
Sewer Operating Fund. We were
able to use a large portion of our
Water/Sewer Operating Fund
balance and purchase capital
equipment with cash and not
on credit.
On Oct.1, 2013, at the beginning
of FY2014, we had 68 days of
reserve in the General Fund
and 74 days of reserve in the
Water/Sewer Operating Fund. In
conjunction with increasing our
number of days of reserve, we
have managed to set aside funds
for both our Rainy Day Fund and
our Capital Project Fund.
The future is bright -- we
are moving forward and not
looking back!
the citizens and businesses of
Denison almost 50% of the total
cost of the plant improvements.
Both the water and wastewater
treatment plant improvements
are the first of many
improvements that will be made
over the next five years that
address many long standing
concerns with the utility system.
Storage tank coatings, line
replacements, Lake Texoma
water intake structures and main
sewer trunk lines are all scheduled
for repair or replacement over the
next five years.
All told, it is anticipated
that the City may spend up to
$28 million dollars on needed
utility improvements. These
improvements will help ensure
that when you turn on your water,
fresh and clean drinking water
continues to come out of the tap.
City Infrastructure Improvements
Water Treatment Plant Overhaul
Provides “New Lease on Life”
M
ajor improvements to
Denison’s water and
wastewater treatment plants,
totaling $14.1 million dollars, will
soon be completed.
These two separate projects
put Denison on a firm foundation
for future water and wastewater
treatment demands and begins
to address a list of needed
repairs and improvements to
your utility system.
The pump station for Lake
Randell was completely
overhauled and a new one was
constructed. The new pump
station will serve the citizens
and businesses of Denison for
the next thirty years or more.
Additionally, the Paw Paw
Wastewater Treatment Plant was
also overhauled and completely
renovated. The improvements
have resulted in a “new lease
on life” for the treatment plant
and it is anticipated that these
improvements will also last for
another 20 -30 years.
Using an innovative
approach to paying for the plant
improvements that leverages
decreased energy usage, it
is estimated that the City of
Denison will ultimately save
Denison Police Department
Department Now
Fully Staffed
With Additional
Officers & New
K-9 Unit
Meet Ivar!
The Denison Citizen Police
Academy Alumni Association,
combined with the DISD, took
on the vital task of providing the
Denison Police Department a K-9
Unit for narcotics enforcement.
The result of this undertaking
was the arrival of Ivar, an almost
two-year-old Belgian Malinois.
He was initially trained in
Europe and then went through
more rigorous training at a U.S.
training facility.
The cost to acquire Ivar was
$12,000, which included his
training plus the expenses of
training his DPD partner. There
were additional costs to outfit a
police vehicle as a K-9 unit. Total
expenditure was almost $20,000.
Funding was provided by
donations through the hard
work of the Alumni Association.
Alumni Vice President Paula
Gurak commented, “This was a
collaborative effort to provide a
much needed resource for the
City of Denison and our police
department.”
Officer William Deering has
been selected as Ivar’s partner in
this important police role. Officer
Deering will be conducting
community outreach programs
with local schools and civic
organizations in addition to his
regular patrol functions.
Denison Narcotics
Division
The DPD
Narcotics Division
has been hard at
work developing
regional
relationships
with surrounding
agencies and the DEA.
Within the past year, their
combined efforts have led to
numerous seizures and arrests of
drug traffickers both locally and
within the D/FW Metroplex area.
• During 2013, the DPD
Narcotics Unit executed 51
search warrants in the Grayson
County area.
• 56 Narcotics Arrests during
state/local joint investigations
(Agencies include DPS,
Sherman, Howe and Durant).
Chamber of Commerce
Tourism Dollars Making Major
Impact on Our Local Economy
L
ocal Hotel/Motel Occupancy
Tax revenue saw an increase
from $142,000 in 2007 to $361,000
this past year. This reflects a
dramatic 250% increase during
that time frame.
This growth can be attributed
to several factors including
an attractive, very proactive
advertising campaign that
shared information on Denison’s
superb attractions.
From our historic downtown
with art galleries, specialty
and apparel boutiques,
antique shops, winery and live
• 23 Narcotics Arrests with DEA
in Denison, Sherman and
Metroplex area.
• $172,500 Total Funds & Assets
received including shared
funds from joint investigations
and DEA since 2012.
Recruiting Your Future Officers
Denison Police Department
is dedicated to attracting the
most qualified candidates for our
community.
Our efforts
to reach out
to the next
generation
of law
enforcement
professionals takes us to many
regional universities and job fairs.
As a result of this aggressive
effort, two new hires – both
female officers – came directly
from recruiting at job fairs, police
academy and college visits. We
also experienced a record number
of female applicants on our last
test, and currently have seven
female and three male applicants
on a waiting list for openings.
Additionally, we are seeing
larger numbers of applicants
come to test. Prior to 2012, there
were fewer than 20 applicants
per test. We are now seeing 40
or more per test – more than any
other city in Grayson County!
Our goal is to have 60 – 80
applicants per test!
2013 saw the addition of five
new officers – three from open
positions, plus two filling newly
entertainment venues, to the
multiple museums such as the
Eisenhower Birthplace and
Red River Railroad Museum,
Denison offers a growing
collection of shopping, eating
and live music venues attracting
our out-of-town visitors.
Add to this the numerous
major events that were held this
past year from state, national
and world events. These events
were large and diverse enough
to lure visitors from across the
state and nation to our area to
enjoy Denison’s local lodging
and amenities.
authorized positions. This brings
your DPD to being fully staffed as
of November, 2013.
Departmental Command Changes
Denison Police
Department’s journey
to excellence led to
changes made in
upper command
positions to allow for
a more streamlined
structure. The changes include:
• Lt. Jeff Camp as Investigative
Services Commander
• Lt. F.C. Tillman over
Administrative Services
• Lt. Mike Eppler as Public
Information Officer/Training
Coordinator
• Lt. Rick Starr as day-shift
Patrol Commander
• Lt. Eric Cragg as night-shift
Patrol Commander
• Capt. Don Moree to
Assistant Chief
New Alarm Ordinance
The City of Denison now
requires your residential and
business security alarms to be
registered with the Denison
Police Department. This
program has been beneficial
to owners who can be made
aware when their alarms are
malfunctioning.
Registration of your alarm is
free and this service is available
at Denison Police Department.
From planes, boats, cars
and sporting events we offered
something to attract every type of
traveler to come for an enjoyable
visit to Denison and kick back!
is an official publication of the
City of Denison, Denison, TX.
Executive Editor:
Robert Hanna, City Manager