Web 2.0

City of Dallas launches new website to engage residents

Dallas City Newsroom is the first phase of the city's plan to integrate and update its online presence.

Courtesy photo

If you long to be more civically engaged, there's now a tool to help you. City Hall launched a new website called Dallas City Newsroom to connect residents with a variety of information about city events, initiatives and services.

“As we expand our engagement with residents, we want to be sure we’re communicating with everyone, including those who depend on social media to stay informed,” public information office director Frank Librio said in a statement. “We believe these online platforms will allow us to better communicate and serve our citizens quickly during natural disasters and other crisis situations.”

The flagship feature of the site is the ability to access city council meeting videos just hours after completion along with a searchable, indexed agenda. Live-streaming of the meetings are available through the Dallas City News Network and are now accessible on mobile devices and computers. The site also showcases events from the CultureMap Dallas calendar.

Dallas City Newsroom is the first phase of the city's plan to integrate and update its online presence. The main website, Dallascityhall.com, will relaunch in March 2014.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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