Page 335 - Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council

BENBROOK HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

2007

In January 2007, Benbrook published its first annual report; copies were distributed to all households and were
available at City Hall, other municipal facilities, and on the City’s website.

In 2007, Benbrook participated in the Joint Land Use Study. The Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a cooperative planning
initiative between the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Fort Worth and the surrounding cities. The goal
of the JLUS is to promote compatible community growth that supports military training and operational missions.
The inter-judicial partnership is expected to result in the identification of actions that can be taken jointly by the
community and installation to promote compatible development and address current and future encroachment.

In January 2007, the City of Benbrook began conducting quarterly joint work sessions with the Benbrook City Council,
Benbrook Planning and Zoning Commission, Benbrook Zoning Board of Adjustment, Benbrook Parks and Recreation
Board, Benbrook Economic Development Corporation, Benbrook Library. The City also held a work session with the
Fort Worth Independent School District in May 2007. These work sessions were taped and broadcast on the City’s
cable channel and on the City’s website.

In October 2007, the City sponsored the Benbrook Heritage Festival to celebrate Benbrook’s 60 year of incorporation
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as a municipality and 150 anniversary of Benbrook’s settlement. The Benbrook Area Chamber of Commerce and
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other Benbrook organizations are participating in the event. A portion of the funding was provided by the City’s cable
provider in the form of a community grant. A second Heritage Festival is scheduled for October 2008.

In October 2007 the City’s Stormwater Utility Fees became effective. The 2006-07 Budget included funds in the
Community Development Division for the performance of a Stormwater Utility Feasibility/Implementation Study. This
analysis was to determine the equitable costs for businesses and homeowners to pay in stormwater utility fees. This
system shifts the funding from an annual property tax basis (since drainage products are currently financed through
capital projects and debt service and a portion of the property tax rate is dedicated to debt service payments) to a
monthly bill based on the amount of run-off that a specific property generates as stormwater. Drainage problems are
not always related to property value and reliance on general obligation bonds for drainage projects runs the risk that
upstream property owners are not supportive of drainage improvements to protect downstream properties. Many
municipalities are converting to a stormwater utility that assesses a nominal monthly fee to homeowners and charges
larger fees to commercial properties based on the amount of impervious surface area. This methodology provides
CITY OF BENBROOK 2018-19 ANNUAL BUDGET
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