2014 Grapevine City Council

www.grapevinetexas.gov

Terms and compensation

The mayor and council serve three-year terms with no term limits and with monthly stipends. The mayor receives $410.61/month, the council $212.75/month.

TV coverage

Audio recordings of meetings are posted on the city's website by noon the day after the meeting at www.grapevinetexas.gov. The city plans to start videorecording meetings this year.

Hot topics in 2013

DFW Connector

• Completion of the road project in early fall meant the city could begin to get back to normal. Residents and downtown businesses suffered during the construction, which often closed roads and narrowed or blocked bridges leading toward Main Street. The city spent $300,000 on advertising in December to let shoppers know downtown was easily accessible.

Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine opening

• The new $90 million patient tower opened in the summer. The hospital has a new neonatal intensive care unit, a cardiovascular center and four new emergency rooms.

Major project design

• Design work began on a new Public Safety Building and on the Community Activities Center expansion.

Term limits election

• Voters defeated an amendment to the city charter that would have put term limits on City Council seats.

A look at 2014

The Palmeiro tract

• The city will master-plan a 185-acre property near Grapevine Mills mall—purchased from ex-Texas Rangers player Rafael Palmeiro in late December—and then sell it to developers who will enhance Grapevine's emphasis on hospitality.

Building and expansion

• Construction on the new public safety building on Ira E. Woods Avenue is expected to begin in October, with substantial completion in 2016. The Community Activities Center expansion is expected to be completed in 2015.

Highway construction near Grapevine Mills mall

• Work on highways near the mall is underway and expected to be finished in January 2017. The project will add bridges to the mall entrances from FM 2499 and lanes to SH 121 north to Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Succession planning

• The city is in its third year of Grapevine University, training the next generation of employees as others retire.