City of Duncanville

• A total of 1,973 single-family rental properties have been registered to date, with no new properties registered since the last update. 20 inspections have been completed since the previous update; 9 passed, 11 failed, and 0 were canceled. The primary reasons for the failed inspections were the absence of a Grounded/Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection, missing carbon monoxide smoke detectors, and improper installation of water heaters.
  
• Since the Single-Family Rental Registration Program inspections in January 2025, 9 Certificates of Occupancy have been re-issued.
  
• This week, 75 Building inspections and 12 Health Inspections were conducted. The total amount of fees collected was $8,775.00.
  
• This week, 68 permits were issued.
  

Comprehensive Plan

The City’s community survey is now live! Take the survey to share your thoughts about living and working in Duncanville. You can access the survey here. Hard copies are also available at City Hall.

Read the Champion Newsletter for January 2025 and the
January 13, 2025 Weekly Champion

Note: there will not be a Weekly Champion sent on Monday, January 20, 2025.

West Nile Virus (WNV) Samples Results

Testing conducted by Dallas County Mosquito Control.

December 25, 2024 - No reporting

January 1, 2025 - No reporting

January 8, 2025 - No reporting

January 15, 2025 - Negative

• Elite Grassroots Basketball Tournament - three courts – Saturday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and six courts Sunday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
  
• Next-up Youth Basketball League - three courts – Sunday, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
  
• Masters Pro-Am Adult Basketball League - three courts – Sunday, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
  

Fire Administration

• Met with First United Methodist Church on an issue discovered at an Emergency Medical Services call for assistance.
  
• Fire Marshal Steve Blanchard retired after nearly 27 years of service to the City of Duncanville.
  
• Working with Mr. Elton Brock, Chief Procurement Officer, to finalize approval to contract with an Insurance Services Office consultant to improve the City’s Insurance Services Office rating of Class 2 to the very best rating of Class 1. Improving this rating can reduce homeowners' and business property insurance costs.

The Fire Department responded to calls for service in the past seven days, which included:

Fires: 7

• 2 building fires
  • 1 in Cedar Hill
  • 2 in Duncanville
• 1 chimney fire in Cedar Hill
• 1 road freight fire in Duncanville
• 1 vegetation fire in Duncanville
• 1 transformer fire in Duncanville

Emergency Medical Service: 80
Motor Vehicle Accidents: 8

Emergency Management:

This week, the Emergency Management team participated in the following events:

• The Emergency Management (EM) team coordinated with the Best Southwest Cities for the January Winter Storm Response.
  
• Raqheal Payne, Emergency Management Specialist, has accepted a position with FEMA. We wish Raquel the best in her new role! Her last day with the City was January 10, 2025.
  
• The EM team Hosted a planning meeting with Duncanville Independent School District and Dallas County Health for the upcoming Point of Distribution Exercise at Duncanville High School
  
• The EM team Attended the Dallas-Fort Worth regional Metro X planning meeting
  
• The EM team held the quarterly DeSoto Community Organizations Active in Disaster Meeting
  

Fire Marshal’s Office

Inspections

• Business: 7
  
• Food Trucks: 2

Reviews

• Plan Reviews: 4
  
• Design Review Committee Reviews: 2

Miscellaneous

• Called out for a structure fire/investigation on January 9, 2025 and January 10, 2025.
  
• Attended Paramedic Continuing Education classes

COMMUNITY CORNER

• On January 8, 2025, Officers Alex Lopez, Emmanuel Ortiz, and Joey Vang were officially sworn in without ceremony due to the threat of bad weather.
  
• On January 9, 2025, the nation celebrated National Law Enforcement Day. The city staff expressed appreciation to officers and provided breakfast options.
  
• On January 10, 2025, Chief Matt Stogner ceremoniously swore in Officers Alex Lopez, Emmanuel Ortiz, and Joey Vang before their family and friends.
  
• On January 11, 2025, the Duncanville Police Department held a Civil Service Exam and hosted twenty-two applicants for the test.

PERSONNEL

• 17 applicants out of 22 passed the Civil Service test on January 11, 2025.
• The Duncanville Police Department’s Training and Personnel Division has disqualified 10 applicants. The department currently has a civil service list of 7 applicants.
  
• There are currently 4 recruits in the academy.
  
• 3 officers are currently in Field Training.
  
• Recruits Tesean Bond and David Perea completed their second week of Police Academy training.
  
• Recruits Krystal Hayes and Juan Marin completed their tenth week of Police Academy training. Both recruits passed their week 10 exams. The training for that week focused on using force options, scenarios, and the second phase of arrest, search, and seizure. (see attachment)
  
• The next Civil Service test date is pending and will be posted soon.

Upcoming programs:

• Create a 2025 vision board – Saturday, January 11, 2025, 1:00 - 2:30 PM.
  Materials will be provided.

Ongoing programs:

• Maker Mondays, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. All ages and levels are welcome. Come see what fantastic technology we will have available.
  
• Craftastic Tuesdays, at 4:30 PM. Join us every week and try out a different craft each time. (Next Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Swiftie bracelets will be made)
  
• Spanish Conversation Tuesdays, at 10:30 AM. Come and practice your Spanish skills with other learners.
  
• Computer Basics Wednesdays, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Learn the basics of using a computer. Bring your laptop or borrow one of ours.
  
• Tech Tutors Wednesdays from 7:00 PM - 7:45 PM. Get help with any of your own devices. Our tutors will work with you on smartphones, laptops, e-readers, tablets, and more.
  
• Jigsaw Join-up Fridays 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM. All ages & levels are welcome. Jigsaw puzzles will be provided.
  
• Giant Games Saturdays from 3:30 PM—5:30 PM. We will have some oversized games set up. We currently have Connect 4, Corn Hole, and Axe Throwing (the axes are not real ). All ages are welcome.

Upcoming Events:

• We are in the final stages of preparing our sponsorship packages and will soon contact local businesses to support sponsoring the City of Duncanville events. Additionally, we are excited to announce that planning for this year's events is underway, starting with a brand-new Spring Festival!
  
  
• Economic Development is working closely with the Marketing/ Communications team to address additional marketing and outreach strategies needed to increase the community's participation in the City's Comprehensive Plan Survey.
  
  
• Economic Development staff are working with Duncanville Community and Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) grant applicants to prepare for the upcoming City Council meeting on January 21, 2025, and the DCEDC Board Meeting on January 27, 2025.
  

Duncanville Community and Economic Development (DCEDC) Incentive Grants Update

 Accounting and Reporting

Week of January 09, 2025, to January 15, 2025:

• Electronic Funds Transfer Payments: 35 invoices were processed, totaling $520,653.71

APPLY TODAY!

The Human Resources Department is currently recruiting for the following positions:

• Police Officer
  
• Utilities Maintenance I
  
• Utilities Maintenance II
  
• Crew Leader – Utilities
  
• Animal Control Officer
  
• Parking Compliance Officer
  
• Streets Maintenance Worker I
  
• Streets Maintenance Worker II
  
• Crew Leader – Streets (Drainage)
  
• Crew Leader – Sanitation
  
• City Forester
  
• Fieldhouse Building Attendant
  
• Fieldhouse Front Desk Attendant – Part-Time
  
• Public Works Project Coordinator
  
• Superintendent – Streets
  
• City Engineer
  
• GIS Analyst
  
• Superintendent-Neighborhood Services
  
• Economic Development Manager
  

The Human Resources Department is currently recruiting. Interested candidates may review current openings, including job descriptions, and apply online at Current Openings

Become a member today! The minimum age to join is 50. For more information, contact the Senior Center at (972) 707-3864.

Upcoming Senior Center Events:

• Bingo with United Healthcare – Friday, January 17, 2025, | 10:30 AM
  
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday (City Observed) – Monday, January 20, 2025, | CLOSED
  
• Book Group – Tuesday, January 21, 2025, | 10:00 AM
  
• Grandparents Social Club – Tuesday, January 21, 2025, | 10:30 AM
  
• Coffee with the Mayor – Thursday, January 23, 2025, | 12:00 PM
  
• Bingo with Life and Health Insurance – Friday, January 24, 2025, | 10:30 AM
  
• Loteria – Monday, January 27, 2025, | 10:30 AM
  
• Bingo with New World Insurance - Wednesday, January 29, 2025, | 10:30 AM
  
• Trip: Stockyards Museum in Fort Worth, Texas – Thursday, January 30, 2025, | 9:00 AM
  

PARKS

• In preparation for the storm, staff at the Parks Maintenance Facility checked the heaters and generators for efficiency and winterized all equipment and restrooms to ensure no damage occurred due to freezing temperatures.
  
• Crews continued maintenance to enhance field quality during colder months, adding nitrogen-based fertilizer into the soil to provide more resilience as we begin soccer practices and games at Harrington Park.
  
• Village Tech Schools and UME Preparatory Academy began school practices at Harrington Park this week.
  
• Staff completed the installation of seasonal tulips throughout the city that should start to bloom in late February and early March.
  
• Personnel postponed internship partnership with the Duncanville Independent School District Career & Technical program due to low temperatures.
  
• Parks staff has begun removing Christmas décor around the city
  

PROJECTS

• Lakeside Park fountain was repaired due to the water intake system clogged with debris.
  
• Planning to remove the small pavilion at Harrington Park due to a lack of structural integrity.
  
• Steps are being completed to award City Wide Landscape Services
  
• Met with Dean Construction to confirm a timeline of completion for the Harrington Park Bond Project
  
• Hanging Basket Project materials have been ordered and are pending arrival. Irrigation for this project is being scoped and planned accordingly.

Recreation Center

Membership Drive – Wednesday, January 1 – Friday, January 31
The Parks and Recreation department is celebrating Health and Wellness in 2025! Join us in the month of January and receive special pricing on our memberships. Purchase a 1-year membership for the price of a 6-month! You will also have a chance to spin our swag merchandise wheel to win a cool prize.

Instructor Meet and Greet - Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Join the Recreation Center for an instructor meet-and-greet. Stop by to learn about all the center's programs. Popcorn and light nutritional snacks will be served.

Items scheduled for the Tuesday, January 21, 2025, City Council meeting:

• Approval of the Ordinance - Request for an Amendment to Planned Development for Wheatland Plaza, 402 East Wheatland Road
  
  • Public Hearing portion occurred at the January 7, 2025, City Council meeting

Items scheduled for the Tuesday, February 4, 2025, City Council meeting

• Public Hearing - Request for Specific Use Permit for Duncanville High School, 900 West Camp Wisdom Road
  
  • The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval at the January 13, 2025, meeting
    
  • Approval of Ordinance tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2025, City Council meeting

New and Potential Projects

• Proposed New Development at 704 North Main Street
  
  • Staff is currently working with the applicant on a new layout for the site
    
• New development was proposed at 914 and 918 East Highway 67
  
  • The applicant met with staff on June 26, 2024, to discuss zoning submittal.
    
  • The applicant applied for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) request on July 18, 2024. Staff sent comments and markups on July 30, 2024. More items/information are needed to consider the application complete.
    
  • The applicant submitted revisions on August 20, 2024.
    
  • The applicant submitted a zoning application for a Planned Development request on October 17, 2024.
    
  • The applicant’s end-user has changed, and the applicant will submit an updated site plan in January to go in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission in February.
    
• Proposed New Addition at 900 West Camp Wisdom Road (Duncanville High School)
  
  • The applicant submitted a zoning application for a Specific Use Permit request on October 2, 2024.
    
  • The applicant met with staff on November 20, 2024.
    
  • The applicant submitted an updated site plan to staff on November 20, 2024.
    
  • Staff met internally on November 26, 2024, to review the applicant’s latest site plan.
    
  • The applicant submitted an updated site plan and additional development plans on November 27, 2024. Staff reviewed their latest submittal on December 10, 2024.
    
  • The applicant’s Specific Use Permit (SUP) request will be moved to the January 13, 2025, Planning and Zoning Commission.
    
• Proposed Expansion at 515 West Center Street
  
  • The applicant was approved for a special exception to allow (6) additional accessory structures by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) on March 28, 2024.
    
  • The applicant submitted civil plans on July 22, 2024.
    
  • Utilities, Fire, and Engineering met with the applicant to discuss civil plans on Thursday, August 15, 2024.
    
  • Staff has approved the civil plans. A preconstruction meeting should take place soon, and the applicant will also apply for a building permit as well.
    
• Proposed New Development at the Corner of Cockrell Hill Road and Danieldale Road (Life School)
  
  • The applicant was scheduled for the June 3, 2024, Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission meeting for Planned Development (PD) request; the item was removed from the agenda; future date to be determined.
    
  • A Town Hall Meeting occurred on August 13, 2024.
    
  • Staff met with the applicant on August 26, 2024. Additional items are required before the applicant can be scheduled for a Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission meeting.
    
  • The city emailed the applicant on September 6, 2024. City staff commented that a consulting firm will review a traffic impact analysis; however, the firm will be expected to contract with the City of Duncanville after the turn of the fiscal year. To expedite the review, the City staff would be open to agreeing with the applicant to contract a firm to review the traffic impact analysis.
    
  • The applicant submitted a plat application on September 20, 2024. A third party is currently reviewing the plat.
    
  • On October 10, 2024, the applicant submitted a traffic impact analysis from a third-party reviewer to the city.
    
  • On October 22, 2024, there was a meeting between staff and the applicant.
    
  • The city agreed to hire a third party to do the project's zoning and engineering reviews.
    
  • The third-party met with staff on December 17, 2024, to discuss comments.
    
  • The third-party reviewers met with staff and the applicant on January 14, 2025, to discuss the latest comments.

Active Projects

• Proposed New Development at 518 East Highway 67
  
  • The proposed project has moved forward to the building permit stage; a building permit was issued on December 18, 2023.
    
  • The owners have applied for a certificate of occupancy and will receive it once all inspections have been completed.
    
• Proposed New Development at 626 Crestside Drive
  
  • Specific Use Permit request for “Building Material Sales” approved by City Council on March 5, 2024.
    
  • Civils have been approved.
    
  • Building Plans have been approved, and a pre-construction meeting was held on July 23, 2024.
    
  • Building permit issued on August 16, 2024. Construction has begun, and inspections have been requested.

Comprehensive Plan Five-Year Update

• A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been posted to the city website by Chief Procurement Officer Elton Brock.
• A Pre-Statement of Qualifications Meeting for RFQ 24-0014 was held on March 6, 2024.
  
• A Statement of Qualifications due March 26, 2024, at 2 PM
  
• Evaluations were completed, and 3 firms have been selected.
  
• Recently, the Comprehensive Plan Committee selected 1 firm.
  
• The firm discussed the Comprehensive Plan Update during the work session at the July 16, 2024, City Council meeting.
  
• The selected firm’s contract was brought forth at the Duncanville Community Economic Development Corporation Board for approval on July 30, 2024.
  
• Discussion took place at the August 6, 2024, City Council meeting regarding the kick-off of The Comprehensive Plan Update.
  
• The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee meeting occurred at Collab, located at Wheatland Plaza, 402 East Wheatland Road, on September 9, 2024.
  
• The first public workshop for the city's Comprehensive Plan was hosted on Monday, December 2, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Duncanville Fieldhouse and welcomed over 40 residents. A community survey was given to gather information from the community to further the progress of the plan's creation.
  
• On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, the Steering Committee met to continue discussing planning and project execution.
  
• The Comprehensive Plan Survey deadline has been extended to February 28, 2025, to allow the city to collect more surveys.

Short-Term Rental Registration

• 5 properties were granted a Specific Use Permit by the City Council in July of 2024 1 of the 5 properties no longer operate as a short-term rental.
  
• 4 properties were mailed a certified final notice from the Building Official on December 18, 2023.
  
• 1 The property was mailed a final notice from the Planning Division on January 19, 2024.
  
• 2 properties were mailed an initial notice from the Planning Division on January 19, 2024.
• The city has been in discussions with several companies that offer short-term rental tracking services and will make a final decision within the following weeks.

Temporary Workforce Housing Program

• 3 properties were granted a Specific Use Permit by the City Council on May 21, 2024. All 3 properties have completed inspection and registration for 2024.

Street Division

• Crews repaired utility concrete at 3 locations: North Forest Lane, Charlotte Street, and Graystone Place.
  
• Crews worked 12-hour shifts sanding locations in various locations throughout the city during the recent weather event.
  
• Crews removed sand from last week’s winter storm from all bridge locations.

• Water usage was 33,189,800 gallons during this reporting period, January 6 – January 12, 2025, down from 30,824,400 the previous week. The daily peak water demand occurred on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, when 5,383,000 gallons of water was used. There were 1.76 inches of precipitation during this period. An estimated 623,524 gallons of water loss, including one water main break.
  
• Crews worked 24 hours in 12-hour increment shifts during the recent weather event, which began on Sunday, January 5, at 7:00 PM and ended on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 7:00 PM.

CIP Construction

•  Softwood Drive Sanitary Sewer Aerial Crossing Repair
  • Crews await materials testing and manhole liners.
• Harrington Park/Ten Mile
  
  • Crews await materials testing and manhole liners.

Other Construction

Texas Department of Transportation TxDOT is constructing new service roads and ramps from Cockrell Hill Road in Duncanville to Hampton Road in Dallas, including new bridges across US-67. This project also includes construction by TXDOT of a Texas U-Turn at US 67 and Cockrell Hill Road on the southwest side of the bridge, which is projected to be completed by Fall 2024, barring any unforeseen conditions. The entire project has an estimated completion date of September 2025.