City News Roundup

Last-gasp DART disruption adds urgency to this week's city news in Dallas

Surprise last-minute weekend shut-down of DART and some toll road ruminations are in the highlights of news around Dallas this week. And get your canvas bags ready, you're going to need them soon.

DART downtown shutdown
Just as it did over Thanksgiving weekend, DART is shutting down train operations through downtown stations to continue replacement of aging tracks. The lines are shut down between Victory and Union stations to Pearl/Arts District. They've brought back buses to shuttle riders through the affected downtown stops.

This might be relevant if you're attending the Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs game or one of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts at American Airlines Center. (Although one might ask, "Really, TSO? Why why why?")

According to DART, rail replacement near Houston Street could not be completed as planned "due to inclement weather the weekend of November 22-23." Uh huh, DART, "inclement weather," likely story.

Bag ban coming
The day is nearly upon us when plastic bags will no longer be handed out for free at stores. Beginning January 1, single-use bags will have a 5-cent fee. If that was too hard for you to read, the City of Dallas made a pointless video "explaining" it with grating music and a list that reads 1) we spend millions on litter, and 2) you can avoid paying a fee by bringing your own bag. The video so far has received 244 views and nine likes; maybe the city's green department had money it had to spend before the end of 2014?

I want candy
The "dream team" of outsider urban planners hired by the Trinity toll road advocates "quietly" began their work this month. Former city council member Angela Hunt comes through with a metaphor, comparing the design forum situation to a 2-year-old asking for candy, with us being the 2-year-old asking for a decent resolution and the toll road advocates being the parents who say we can have the candy later in the hopes that we'll forget what we asked for.

One clever commenter on that DMN story recommends that the dream team create a design so terrible that the road can't ever be built. "If you are going to play their game, then make it toxic," 1DalM says.

Toll road vs. bird sanctuaries
Following a town hall meeting in early December about the toll road, the Dallas Observeroutlines the way Dallas politicians forced the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to approve the toll road, despite its objections. Former Mayor Tom Leppert persuaded U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to get the road exempted from a law that protects parks from being damaged by highways.

"Unlike the rest of America, Dallas can jam its toll road through parks, recreation areas, game refuges, bird sanctuaries and any and all types of historic sites, and the feds can say nothing about it," Jim Schutze observes.

Katy Trail mid-rise vs. Highland Park
There was back-and-forth this week on the seven-story, multi-family apartment complex planned along the Katy Trail, which the Town of Highland Park does not want. On December 17, Judge Craig Smith denied Highland Park's request for a temporary injunction against the building, saying that Highland Park's protests are not valid. Highland Park officials say they're considering their options and have not ruled out an appeal.

Coming to Dallas January 1.

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DPD News

Dallas hires DEA agent Daniel Comeaux as new Chief of Police

City of Dallas

DPD Chief Daniel Comeaux

Dallas has a new police chief: Daniel Comeaux, who has been appointed as the next Chief of Police of the Dallas Police Department, effective Wednesday, April 23.

Comeaux is a 33-year law enforcement veteran, currently serving as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Houston Field Division, overseeing 12 offices throughout Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.

He was one of five finalists, following a nationwide search to replace former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia who left in September for a role as assistant city manager in Austin under Dallas' former city manager, T.C. Broadnax.

Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael T. Igo was appointed to the position in October following Garcia’s retirement, and was also a finalist for the position.

In a statement, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert — who herself was promoted from within — gave thanks to Igo "for his longstanding service to the Dallas Police Department, and his willingness to lead during this time of transition."

Comeaux's appointment comes one day after the appointment of Justin Ball as new Chief of Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR), also effective April 23. Ball was also promoted from within.

Comeaux is a native of New Orleans who began his career in 1991 with the Houston Police Department, specializing in community policing, narcotics enforcement, and high-risk investigations. In 1997, he transitioned to the DEA, where he led major operations in Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, targeting violent crime and drug trafficking. The release says that his strategies resulted in significant crime reduction, including a 40 perecent decrease in overdose deaths in Laredo, Texas; and that his leadership has focused on intelligence-driven crime reduction, operational efficiency, interagency collaboration, and officer development.

“I joined the police force because I witnessed what can happen to neighborhoods that aren’t safe," Comeaux said in a statement. "At the federal level, I am known as the local cop because of my collaborative approach to tackling crime and my dedication to developing leaders in public safety who are bridge builders for the community. I am proud that my career in law enforcement has come full circle and look forward to serving alongside the men and women of the Dallas Police Department."

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