Coppell Chronicle Vol. 3, No. 7
Bonds Would Refurbish Turf, Track, Courts • Which Candidates Will Vote for Bonds? • Let’s Analyze These Hopefuls’ Finances • Aspiring Council Members Make Their Case
There’s been a lot of talk lately — in this newsletter specifically and in Coppell generally — about vibrancy in Old Town. My wife and I visited the Farmers Market yesterday morning and recognized a few familiar faces among the vendors and our fellow shoppers. We then strolled past a full patio at George Coffee + Provisions before running into a few folks we know at Local Diner. Meanwhile, I didn’t witness this firsthand, but I heard that Tattered Style hosted a pop-up shop featuring baked goods from Ginger Blazek, the former owner of Zenzero Kitchen, and her inventory sold out in a matter of minutes.
All in all, Old Town seemed pretty vibrant on this particular Saturday morning.
That’s something to keep in mind on Tuesday evening, when the City Council will take up Chris Collins’ revised proposal to redevelop the southwest corner of Bethel Road and Main Street.
Bonds Would Refurbish Turf, Track, Courts
If Coppell ISD voters approve the two smallest propositions in the district’s $321.5 million bond package, then a few athletics facilities will be upgraded, including one that the public can use.
Proposition C ($2.9 million) would go toward replacing the turf, track surface, and seat backs at Buddy Echols Field.
Proposition D ($9.5 million) would pay for new locker rooms, restrooms, courts, and lights at the Coppell High School Tennis Center, plus new turf in the Coppell High School fieldhouse.
At first glance, I thought it would have made more sense to group the fieldhouse’s turf with the Buddy Echols Field upgrades rather than with the renovation of the tennis center. Angela Brown, CISD’s Chief Communications Officer, explained to me that all of these projects would have been lumped in one proposition devoted to athletics, were it not for the state law requiring a separate proposition for any work involving a stadium with seating for more than 1,000 spectators.
(See “Legislature Made Bond Elections Harder” in Vol. 3, No. 1.)
On Feb. 13, when the Board of Trustees decided to put the bond package on the ballot, Chief Operations Officer Dennis Womack said artificial turf has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, and Buddy Echols Field’s turf is 10 years old.
“At some point, in the next five years, we know we’ll reach that end of life,” Womack said. “We’re starting to see some evidence of that field starting to deteriorate.”
Womack said the oldest part of the fieldhouse’s turf was installed at the turn of the century, but newer portions were put in when the facility was expanded a few years ago. Assuming voters approve Proposition D, all of the indoor turf would be replaced because the fieldhouse also needs some foundation work.
Proposition C includes new surface for the track at Buddy Echols Field, which reminds me of arguments that bubble up on social media periodically regarding the public’s lack of access to that track and the ones at Coppell ISD’s middle schools. Those arguments usually go something like this: “My taxes paid for those tracks. I should be able to use them.”
I wonder how far those people take their “I paid for that” point of view. If you’re hungry for a late-night snack, should you be able to fix yourself something to eat in an elementary school’s cafeteria? If you’re not feeling well, should a middle school nurse take your temperature? The property taxes you pay to the city help buy police cars and fire trucks; should you be allowed to take one of those vehicles out for a test drive?
Speaking of things your city taxes buy, Coppell’s trails system features more than 23 miles of multi-use hike and bike trails, a 1.1-mile decomposed granite soft running trail, and 5 miles of preserved nature trails, all of which are publicly accessible. Unless you’re preparing for some sort of track meet catering to adult amateur athletes, don’t those trails suit your needs?
[Dan takes a deep breath and steps down off his soapbox.]
Getting back to the matters at hand, Athletic Director Kit Pehl told the trustees last summer that the tennis center has enough lockers to accommodate 50 athletes (25 of each gender), but the program has more than 130 players. The project that is part of Proposition D would build new locker rooms with enough space for 150 athletes.
(See “CISD and YMCA May Pool Their Resources” in Vol. 2, No. 19.)
Pehl also mentioned during his briefing that the tennis center is used by players of all ages; several tennis pros offer lessons there to young children as well as adults. “There’s not a whole lot of other examples where an athletics facility serves as a community center as well,” he said.
So the community can’t use the school district’s tracks, but the community can use the school district’s tennis center? I asked for clarification on that discrepancy, and Womack told me via email that patrons of the tennis center are charged to access it. Those fees help pay for a supervisor to be at the tennis center outside of school hours.
“There has not been the same level of requests to pay a fee to use the tracks at the various schools,” Womack said. “If there were a level of interest from the community to pay a per-use fee to offset the cost of having an evening site supervisor to keep a track open for community use, then CISD could consider that option.”
Which Candidates Will Vote for Bonds?
There are five candidates vying for seats on the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees, and four of them explicitly said they support the district’s bond propositions.
Samit Patel and Ranna Raval were both members of the Bond Steering Committee that helped shape the $321.5 million bond package, so you would expect them to support it. They met those expectations during a forum hosted by the Coppell Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, when the candidates were asked whether they support the bond and whether there was anything they would change about it.
Patel said it was “amazing” that Coppell ISD’s most recent bond election was seven years ago, and he pointed out that the district managed to complete all of the projects in that $249 million package on time, with many coming in under budget. Although Patel said he wouldn’t change anything about the proposed $321.5 million package, he did say this about his stint on the steering committee.
“There was a lack of a long-range vision of where we’re trying to take the district,” Patel said. “Are we just trying to keep things up and keep it ready for what we need, or do we want to create certain goals, create new facilities or examples of facilities that support the different programs that we have?”
Raval said she had an “amazing experience” as a member of the steering committee. “It started being overwhelming, but then we were kind of able to break it down, and I got to see the process while I was taking the course.”
“The thing I really like about this bond is it is impacting each and every child, each and every campus,” said Raval, who also pointed out that dollars raised through bond elections are not subject to recapture as part of the state’s “Robin Hood” process.
One would also expect David Caviness to support the bond package, because he was among the six trustees who voted to put the four propositions on the May 6 ballot. Caviness said the package will address a range of issues, from overcrowding in the Coppell High School band hall to small group sessions occurring in our elementary schools’ hallways due to a lack of flexible spaces.
“What this bond does, it touches every school, every kid in our district,” Caviness said. “It starts the process of bringing our buildings up to standard to meet today’s learning needs.”
Jonathan Powers said he supports the bond package, even though he doesn’t think the extensive updates planned for Austin, Lakeside, and Valley Ranch elementary schools are necessary. Leaving those projects out of the package could have lowered the overall cost, he said. However, Powers said, “there’s much-needed renovations that we need across our district, and I think the bond accomplishes that.”
The odd candidate out was Julie Waters.
“I am for maintaining and updating our schools for our children,” Waters said. “However, in this current financial situation — where inflation has caused basics like eggs, groceries, and gasoline to skyrocket — I would propose a maintenance-only bond and fix the essentials like roofing, HVAC, plumbing.”
Waters added that she would be in favor of using bond dollars on extra security measures. Proposition A on the May 6 ballot does include funds for security enhancements, and I plan to break down that aspect of the bond package in the April 23 edition of the Chronicle.
Voters have three more opportunities to hear these candidates answer questions in group settings.
April 17: The Coppell ISD PTO Presidents will host a forum for Coppell ISD Board of Trustees candidates at 7 p.m. at Coppell High School.
April 18: The League of Women Voters of Irving will host a forum for Coppell ISD and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD candidates at 7 p.m. at the Valley Ranch Library.
April 24: The Coppell Senior Center Advisory Committee will host a forum for Coppell City Council and Coppell ISD Board of Trustees candidates at 8 a.m. at the Coppell Senior and Community Center.
Pro tip for anyone who plans to wield a microphone at any of these events: Well in advance of your forum, take a few minutes to nail down the proper pronunciations of all candidates’ names.
Let’s Analyze These Hopefuls’ Finances
Anybody who’s driven around Coppell recently knows that David Caviness and Julie Waters have spent a lot of money on signs. Thanks to their campaign finance reports, we now know exactly how much.
Caviness, who is seeking a third term on the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees, reported spending $2,226 at a company called Super Cheap Signs. That’s an appropriate vendor for a candidate whose signage includes the phrase “fiscal responsibility.” I chuckled when I saw that Caviness also reported an in-kind contribution of $120 worth of T-posts from his dad’s farm in Lamar County.
Waters, who is challenging Caviness for his Place 5 seat, reported buying $2,983 worth of signs from a company called A.G.E. Graphics. She also reported a $300 design fee paid to Coppell resident Brian McAdams, which gives me an opportunity for a brief foray into the “It’s a Small World” department.
Did you see the ProPublica article about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failing to report years’ worth of lavish gifts from Highland Park billionaire Harlan Crow? That story — which coincidentally broke on the same day that our local candidates’ finance reports were due — says Crow commissioned a portrait of him, Thomas, and a few other guys that I would deem one of the biggest wastes of time and energy in the history of paintings.
Well, when I Googled McAdams’ name, I discovered that he was involved in another original piece of art created at Crow’s request — a comic book about the billionaire’s Old Parkland office complex in Dallas. Like I said, small world.
Getting back to our small world, Caviness reported $1,400 worth of monetary contributions from nine supporters, all of whom are Coppell residents. His three largest donations came from Tonya Booth ($300), Ricki Mathine ($250), and Jeff Varnell (also $250). Waters also reported contributions from nine individuals. Nearly half of her $2,300 came from fellow Coppell ISD candidate Jonathan Powers ($1,000). Her other top contributors were Maheshika Ratnayake of Flower Mound ($500) and Jeffrey Jordan of Coppell ($250).
Speaking of Powers, he reported that his $4,980 worth of expenses all came out of his own pocket, but he labeled $3,080 of that as a loan to his campaign. Powers spent about $2,900 on printing signs, but he also paid McAdams $700 to design them. (Huh — that’s more than twice what Waters paid McAdams.)
Powers has two rivals for the Place 4 seat on the Board of Trustees — Samit Patel and Ranna Raval. Patel missed the deadline to file his report, but he sent me some details. He’s received no contributions, and he’s spent a grand total of $1,433, all on a credit card; $1,046 of that amount went toward signs.
Raval itemized 12 monetary contributions — all from residents of Coppell or Valley Ranch — that added up to $1,581. Three of those donations came from her husband, Anand, in increments of $100, $10, and $9.41; Raval told me those smaller amounts were tests of online payment systems. Her largest contributions came from a friend who just happens to share her last name, Chetan Raval ($500); her campaign treasurer, Court Newton ($250); and Tim Ritter ($242.45). Raval also received $100 from Thom Hulme, who served four terms in the Place 4 seat until losing it to Neena Biswas in 2020.
Like Caviness, Raval went with Super Cheap Signs, but she went even super cheaper, spending just $1,034 to his $2,226.
The pro-bond political action committee called “Yes! Committed to our Schools” also filed financial paperwork. The PAC reported $150 worth of contributions — $100 from Dian Tooke and $25 apiece from co-chairs Gaby Anene and Trudy Baade — and a single $177.50 expense: the rental of a box at the UPS Store.
That bare-bones report seemed odd to me, considering I’ve seen the PAC’s campaign signs in the wild, but then I remembered that the forms due last Thursday were supposed to cover transactions through March 27. These candidates and the PAC owe us more reports on April 28 that will detail their contributions and expenses through April 26.
Aspiring Council Members Make Their Case
Last Tuesday’s forum was many voters’ lone opportunity to hear the two candidates for the Coppell City Council answer questions in front of a live audience before the polls open for early voting.
Jim Walker — who previously ran for a council seat in 2020, when he lost to John Jun in a runoff — introduced himself by saying he’s been training for this job for several years. The attorney is in his third term on the Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission, and he previously served three terms on the city’s Economic Development Committee. Walker also mentioned his record of service to the school district, which includes two terms as president of the Coppell ISD Education Foundation and co-chairing the Bond Steering Committee that helped shape the bond package that will be on the May 6 ballot.
“We really, truly benefit from the blessing of having a city council and a school board and their respective staffs working so closely together to make sure that this is the best possible place to live,” Walker said.
In his subsequent intro, Ramesh Premkumar said he’s been “training to do this job all my life.” The owner of an information technology firm, he is in his third term on Coppell’s Smart City Board, which he currently chairs. Premkumar is also on the board of the Coppell Chamber of Commerce and, like Walker, has raised two children who were educated in Coppell ISD schools.
Walker and Premkumar were asked about the most important actions they would take if elected. Walker mentioned keeping the tax rate low while maintaining all of the amenities that make Coppell a great place to live, and he cited The CORE and the Coppell Arts Center by name.
“I want to maintain this wonderful community that we have, maintain this wonderful sense of place that we’ve established,” Walker said. “You know you’re coming into a special community when you come into Coppell.”
Premkumar said safety must be city leaders’ top priority, and he wants to ensure that our police officers and firefighters have the resources they need. He mentioned the drug overdoses that have made headlines recently in neighboring cities.
“I want to make sure [one of] the first things I do is that the police department gets the money it needs to run a successful program to make sure that the drugs never come close to our kids,” he said.
(Programming note: Coppell Police Chief Danny Barton is going to talk to the City Council about fentanyl on Tuesday.)
Premkumar also said he’s more focused on tax bills than tax rates. To lessen the burden on homeowners, he would like the council to explore raising the city’s homestead exemption from 5 percent to 10 percent.
The candidates were also asked what the phrase “a family community for a lifetime” means to them. Walker said there was a time when people would leave Coppell as soon as their youngest child graduated from high school, but many are staying in town as empty-nesters, like Walker and his wife have done.
“We’ve done a good job as part of Vision 2030, and then Vision 2040, to create an environment where there are opportunities and options for people to stay,” Walker said, “and I hope that more and more people will stay.”
Premkumar said he and his wife, who became empty-nesters last year, have “absolutely loved our life here.” He said he has employees who live and work in Coppell, so “I am fully invested in making sure that Coppell is wonderful.”
Speaking of investments, Premkumar reported investing $5,050 of his own money on his campaign. He itemized $2,921 worth of contributions from 20 other people, and $1,000 of that amount came from LeRoy Wilkerson, who emceed Tuesday’s forum. Seventeen of the 20 contributors provided addresses in other cities.
Premkumar has spent $5,963, and 79 percent of that amount ($4,684) was devoted to signs, push cards, and door hangers. Walker reported spending $2,846 of personal funds — with no contributions from others — and 93 percent of that money ($2,636) went to signs, push cards, postcards, and door hangers.
Chronicle Crumbs
• City leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday for Coppell’s new cricket pitch, which is near the batting cages in Wagon Wheel Park. The first official batsman was Mayor Pro Tem Biju Mathew, and the first official bowler was Jaafar Shahabuddin, who leads the Coppell YMCA’s cricket program.
• Tuesday’s City Council meeting will include a proclamation designating April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Coincidentally, I recently consented to my Coppell ISD eighth-grader receiving instruction related to the prevention of child abuse, the prevention of family violence, the prevention of dating violence, the prevention of sex trafficking, and human sexuality.
• Coppell High School graduate Emily Elbert has been booked to open for Norah Jones during her tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland in November.
Community Calendar
AP Study Days: Teenagers who want to prepare for exams in their Advanced Placement math courses are invited to put their heads together between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Cozby Library and Community Commons. Similar AP study sessions are scheduled for April 19 (English) and April 26 (science and history).
Vivace — A Million Dreams: The Coppell High School choir will present their spring show at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in the CHS auditorium.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Ballet Ensemble of Texas dancers will be on their toes when this show based on William Shakespeare’s play begins at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Coppell Arts Center.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Theatre Coppell will stage six more performances of Mark Twain’s classic tale at the Coppell Arts Center over the next two weekends.
Acton Children’s Business Fair: Young entrepreneurs will hawk their wares from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at The Sound at Cypress Waters.
How to Lower Your Water Bill: Experts from the Texas Water Development Board and the City of Coppell will discuss where your tap water comes from — and how you can save money by monitoring your consumption — between 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
Change It Up: The Coppell Children’s Chorus will sing their hearts out starting at 3 p.m. on April 16 at the Coppell Arts Center.
Peter and the Starcatcher: The play that provides a backstory for Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Hook will be performed at 7 p.m. on April 28, 29, and 30 at the Coppell High School Ninth-Grade Campus.
The British Monarchy — History and Scandal: If the upcoming coronation of King Charles III has you royally flushed with excitement, be at the Cozby Library and Community Commons at 2 p.m. on April 30, when expert Rollin Phipps will present a history lesson augmented by artifacts, photographs, cookies, and tea.
Run to Fund: The Coppell ISD Education Foundation’s annual fundraiser, which features a 5K race and a 1-mile fun run, is scheduled for May 13 at Andrew Brown Park East.
Coppell 5K: The annual race benefiting Coppell’s Special Olympics teams is scheduled for June 3 at Andrew Brown Park East.
I look for our community to be efficient with spending its tax dollars in providing the largest benefit to the most people as possible.
That said, count me as a person that is annoyed that citizens cannot use some of the school facilities. But not because those facilities were funded by school taxes - It’s more so because a number were subsidized by city taxes. I’m 100% sure North‘s fields/track were and I know there was at least one other. I expect school taxes should be for education first and for some extracurricular activities that are limited to school attendees. However, when city funds are contributed, I expect a broader set of the population to benefit. (And not just a handful of youth sports participants or for-profit track trainers…)
I travel extensively and more often than not I can find an open school track to run at - and it shouldn’t be a problem for our town to do the same. And I don’t think it has to be a “tyranny of or” situation. We can have trails AND have access to school tracks - it’s feasible with reasonable accommodation and different people would use them for different purposes and that’s OK.
(I think your other analogies were meant to be a bit silly… but for completeness, I don’t want access to the cafe - as there are lots of other options for food. There’s broad access to medical care. And police and fire assets exist to provide benefits for everyone and I have a car - so I don’t need individual access to their cars or equipment. As you note, the trails are good places to run… but a rubber track surface is a ton better on the knees, flatter/easier for less able/elderly runners and more precise distance measurement is nice to have at times as well.)
Informative breakdown of bond election - enjoyed "soapbox" on tax payers use of track 😂
Also the candidates stand on the bond election was helpful👍