On Sept. 6, Frisco City Council members tabled the item that would appoint members to the Citizen Bond Committee.
Mayor Jeff Cheney said council members will appoint committee members at the Sept. 20 meeting after recommendations have been made. He encouraged Frisco residents to reach out to their council members if they have any interest in serving on the bond committee.
The committee will consider Frisco’s capital needs for the next five years and provide a list of recommended projects with anticipated financial capital investment figures, according to the council agenda. The committee’s recommendations will be due in January.
The list could include projects related to transportation and infrastructure, public facilities, buildings, public safety, and parks and recreation, according to city documents.
Council members will then review the proposed package and possibly call for a general obligation bond election for the May election.
The committee will include Frisco citizens appointed by the council. City staff recommended organizations for representation including the Frisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Economic Development Corp., the Community Development Corp., the Chamber of Commerce, the Heritage Association of Frisco, and the Parks and Recreation Board, according to city documents.
Council members discussed the committee selection process during their Sept. 6 work session. They agreed on searching for 12 committee members and two alternates, and directed city staff to reach out to different boards for committee member recommendations.
Anita Cothran, Frisco’s chief financial officer, said council members did not have to exclusively select nominees from the list of recommended boards.
Council Member Bill Woodard suggested looking to the Downtown Advisory Board instead of the Public Library Foundation for committee nominees. The Frisco Public Library Foundation was represented in the 2019 bond committee because there were plans to build a new library, Cothran said.
Council Member Laura Rummel had already spoken with Tony Felker, Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, who suggested two nominees, she said.
Cheney directed city staff to reach out to suggested boards for committee recommendations. Council members will discuss another five at-large nominees in their next meeting in order to reach 12 nominees, he said.
In its initial meetings, the committee will decide on its meeting frequency and times while gaining an understanding of detailed topics including financial analysis and public input, according to city documents.
After the committee presents its list of recommended projects in January 2023, it will form a political action committee in February, according to city documents.
Council members most recently approved a bond task force in 2018, which met for 13 weeks from October 2018 to January 2019 and included 12 members. That committee recommended the largest bond package to date in Frisco, according to city documents. Five propositions totaling $345 million were passed in the May 2019 general election. That money was used to fund street improvements, a new public library and new parks.
