For the fifth year running, Grand Prairie is being acknowledged for its air quality awareness efforts.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments recognized the city, along with four others in the region, with an environmental awareness award at a regional transportation council meeting earlier this month, according to a news release.
The city was cited for its “informative and engaging use of social media and advertising,” while promoting clean air strategies, including its Clean Air Action Day which saw 120 city employees compete in a Clean Air Challenge.
Other local cities that received recognition include:
Dallas, for its digital strategies
The city of Killeen is making sure its first responders are well compensated for their long hours â but at what cost to the community at-large?
In the current municipal budget, the city authorized $2.1 million for police overtime â nearly double the $1.1 million approved for the previous fiscal year.
The overall Killeen Police Department budget is higher as well, with more than $32.7 million authorized in the current fiscal year, an increase of nearly 7% over the FY 2020 budget.
But even with the increases, KPD has struggled to stay within its budget.
In 2020, the department spent $2.5 million on overtime â more than twice the amount authorized and significantly higher than the current yearâs OT budget.
Most coronavirus money Killeen has received is going to firefighter, police salaries kdhnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kdhnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“This pilot the city had before COVID hit had some requirements that were [changed] for this new program, and I think it’s going to make it a lot more flexible, especially with how restaurants might want to use it,” says Popken, board president of the Congress for the New Urbanism North Texas. “There are two models privately owned parklet space or public-owned for anyone who chooses to sit there or park their bike there.
“The pilot had been designed for a public space, so a private business wasn’t able to apply for a TABC permit for example. Now it’s public or private space.”