In Frisco, there is a permission process for running for office. What do we mean by permission process? Let us share: if you are interested in running for city council, you need to let Mayor Cheney know, and he will notify his henchwoman, Lorie Medina. Medina will then let you know if you have permission and if you are qualified enough to run for office. Suppose you don’t have the support of Cheney and Medina, otherwise known as the leaders of the established Frisco cabal. In that case, they will make it very difficult for you by turning to their developer friends to fund the campaigns of the “Cabal Approved” candidates.
How do we know this? It is what we have been told by several previous candidates who ran for office against the Medina Machine! If you want to run for office in Frisco, you must have their blessing, and they will give you the “pathway” to the dais of the council. But first, one must pay their dues, of course, or they will be told, “It’s just not your turn yet!”
It makes you wonder why any rational human being would want or try to run for office in Good Ole Frisco! Maybe they believe in things like community service and making a difference. Maybe they think local government should be more than a rubber stamp for developers. Then again, maybe—just maybe—they’re the rare type of person who enjoys the thrill of fighting voter apathy that plagues our elections. Either way, this time around Frisco residents have choices, and it is up to them to get off the couch, stop making excuses, and vote for change. Otherwise, you will once again find yourself asking why your city council makes decisions without your input. Remember, you had a chance to care. You just didn’t. Let’s look at who is running for Place 4! To be fair, we will go in order of their names on the ballot.
First up is Joshua Meek, whose filing application states he is a Real Estate Professional! According to his website, he is “Your Local Real Estate Expert” – just what we need, another Realtor! According to another site, Meek Industries, of which he is the Founder and CEO, they are a diversified holding company with a mission to acquire and grow attractive investments that generate sustainable cash flow. What? It does not list any partners, investments they are involved in, etc.
According to his political website, he has attended 133 Frisco City Council Meetings. Have you ever wondered who is that guy who sometimes wears a baseball hat and sits right behind the podium where everyone speaks to the council – that is Meek. He was appointed to the Frisco Community Development Corporation Board and has been involved in several notable projects. It touts he is a community leader, who over the last 14 years served in a variety of Frisco organizations and community positions including, Frisco Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Visit Frisco Board Member, member of the Frisco Rotary Club, Leadership Frisco class graduate, and Citizens Police and Fire Academy graduate.
What is Meeks Platform? Well, it says he wants “THRIVING PARTNERSHIPS” and touts our success is due to those partnerships with DEVELOPERS, school districts, healthcare systems and higher educational institutions. He goes on to say these partnerships must be PRIORTIZED as we finalize Frisco’s buildout. Truth is he is the young Cheney who is all about development and developers from what we can tell.
Next up he wants to “Pioneer Innovation” and somehow relates that to public safety. He believes that integration of technology and artificial intelligence can further enhance the high-quality performance of Frisco’s first responders. Personally, I don’t think AI can fight a house fire or stop an armed robbery the way our actual first responders can!
Lastly, he wants to “Leverage Economics” and he will continue to lower the tax rate by leveraging the use of sales tax revenue. That way Frisco CDC and EDC are able to create funding sources to help strategically fund parks, projects and attract employers that many other communities. What caught our attention was his comment “By continuing to invest in Frisco as a destination location” but do Frisco Residents want to be a destination location or a community. He also forgot to mention the CDC or EDC will fund a big Performing Arts Center that the cabal wants.
Next up Jared Elad whom we have nicknamed “The Beard” from his yellow signs popping up! His application lists his occupation as a small business owner. According to his website, he came from a modest upbringing in Tennessee and Oklahoma and got a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University.
He began his career as a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch and later worked at Wells Fargo and BB&T/Truist as a Financial Advisor and Vice President. In 2024, he went independent to better serve his clients. Elad is married to Stephanie Elad (FISD Board Member) and has two daughters. Jared currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Villages of Stonelake HOA.
Jared Elad’s website goes on to say he wants to Eliminate excess spending, Lower taxes, Accomplish the budget, and be Dependable to the community. Get it ELAD! He touts we need fiscal responsibility with transparency, and he wants every taxpayer dollar spent efficiently, and wants to cut out wasteful expenses with a focus on projects that bring true value to “FRISCO RESIDENTS.”
Elad’s site also goes on to say he will support Public Safety, and he is dedicated to partnering with Frisco PD and Fire to ensure they have the resources, training, and equipment needed to serve and protect all Frisco residents effectively. He is for Community Friendly Development & Growth that supports economic vitality while not forgetting that it needs to align with the needs, concerns and wants of “FRISCO RESIDENTS.”
Lastly, Jared Elad has some cute pet videos and displays his support for Frisco Pets on his Facebook page. For the pet lovers, he had declared he is for a new pet shelter to ensure the safety and well-being of Frisco pets. As soon as he displayed his support for pets, the first comment came from an infamous Cabel supporter, Jake Petras, who stated he would also love a pet shelter and asked how we would fund it. Funny because we have seen many posts where Petras attacks pet people and the idea of a shelter, so we have to assume the cabal has him at work again being their mouthpiece to put other candidates running on defense or at least try!
Next up we have Jerry Spencer, and his application states he is an investor. He has lived in Texas for 76 years and over 20 years in Frisco. We could not find a website for Spencer, but we did find a Facebook page, but it was also limited to information. We sent a message asking if he had any platform ideas he wanted to share for our article.
Spencer responded that he lives on the east side of the tollway in Plantation. He would like to see Frisco shift the focus from sports, tourism, and being a destination city and broaden our economic base with a much greater emphasis on attracting emerging technology and 21st century industries such as AI, robotics, drone technology, autonomous driving, medical research, etc.
Spencer would like to also put a focus on regional cooperation with our regional partners in both Denton and Collin County. He believes Frisco has a Lone Ranger mentality, and he would like to see us have a regional performing arts center where we pair up with Plano, McKinney and Allen. There are 235,000 people in Frisco, but more than 750,000 in those four cities. The per capita costs of an arts center drop dramatically when spread over four cities. He said working together would be a better solution.
Next, we have Gopala Ponangi, whose occupation is listed as a Business Owner. He has lived in Texas for 24 years and spent 21 of those years in Frisco, Texas. Gopal is married with two daughters and has a pet Shih Tzu named Coco. He is a small business owner with an emphasis in Digital Marketing for Financial Services and Real Estate. If Gopal’s name sounds familiar it should, as he has served on the Frisco ISD Board of Trustees, Place one. His website at the time said, “Education is my passion, and I will strive to give my best to our students and the community.”
According to his website for Place 4 City Council, he says he is proud to be an active member of Frisco, leaving initiatives through nonprofits with a focus on Education, Healthcare and the Fine Arts. His bio states he is the Past Director of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation. He also was a founding Co-Chair of the Mayors Adhoc Committee for the Frisco Indian Affairs which has now taken the shape of the Multicultural Committee under Frisco Boards and Commissions. He touts on his website how he has served on several committees through FISD.
As for his Vision for Frisco, he would like to focus on more local jobs through smart, responsible growth. He would also like to see an improvement in traffic and will work to prioritize smart traffic solutions to keep Frisco moving forward. He is committed to Public Safety and will prioritize funding to ensure our first responders have the necessary resources to protect citizens.
After reviewing Gopal’s website, we had two questions. First if he is passionate about education then why is he running for city council? Second, he states he served on a lot of boards which made us wonder how he had the time? If you investigate his attendance for some of these boards, he boasts about it appears he was absent at 99% of the meetings. If he can’t show up for boards/committees/meetings, etc. then why would we think he will show up for city council meetings and all the duties that come with that role.
Lastly, we haveSangita Datta, and her application states her occupation as a financial specialist, having lived in Frisco for the last 6.5 years. We assume Datta is a Frisco Socialite because we constantly see her at events, and she has helped each of our current council members campaign during election cycles. According to her website, she is committed to making Frisco a better place to live, work, and grow. Her service journey began in Mother Teresa’s house in Kolkata, where she learned the meaning of life, compassion, and giving back to the community.
Datta’s platform includes promoting economic growth and fiscal responsibility through attracting quality jobs and supporting local businesses, using city resources wisely to keep taxes low, and fostering an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive. Secondly, she stands for enhancing a family-friendly community life by investing in parks, playgrounds, and community spaces and supporting initiatives that help working parents maintain Frisco’s reputation as a great city. Hmmm, we have initiatives that maintain our city’s reputation. Do tax dollars pay for that? Datta also wants to ensure safety and preserve Frisco’s unique character. After reading her site, we are not sure how preserving the city’s character affects safety, but hopefully, we have time to learn during the debates.
She believes her experience serving on the City of Frisco Parks & Recreation Board, Ambassador for the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, as Treasurer for the Indian Association of North Texas, and as an Ambassador for the Frisco Inclusion Committee will help her while serving on City Council. Datta also graduated from the Leadership Frisco, Citizens Police Academy and completed the City 101 programs.
That rounds out your choices for Place 4! Meeks reminds us of a young Cheney Real Estate mogul in training. Elad is a marketing genius with “The Beard” and we are excited to learn more about him in the debates. The pet-friendly Frisco will most likely gravitate to Elad because he has openly said he supports an animal shelter. Gopal is the obvious Cabel plant as he “supports the arts” meaning a Performing Arts Center. Proof that Gopal is one of the implants in his kickoff photos with Keating and Pelham.
We would like Gopal to explain his attendance record for previous positions he has held and tell us how it will be different this time. In our opinion, Datta should be madder than a wet hen that those she supported for years are not showing her the same respect she has shown them over the years. We need more clarification regarding her platform, and we are concerned her relationships with the current council means she will stay “inline” with what the Cheney Machine wants. However, we could be wrong, maybe there has been a clear line drawn in the sand of friendship. As for Spencer, we just don’t know enough about the person or platform to offer an opinion. The Whistleblowers want change – however that comes! We want independent individuals who will make their own decisions and not follow the gravy train of the current council members.
Frisco is the home of perfectly manicured lawns, HOA emails no one reads, and a voter turnout rate that could make a ghost town look politically engaged. Every election cycle, a handful of brave souls decide to throw their hats in the ring for city council, only to be met with the resounding enthusiasm of… crickets. Why would anyone subject themselves to this? Good question. Running for office in Frisco is basically signing up to shake hands with people who won’t vote, attend forums that barely fill a Starbucks, and post on social media only to get three likes (one from your mom). And yet, candidates still do it.
Let’s play a game: Ask your friends and neighbors what they know about the upcoming Frisco elections. Chances are, you’ll get a mix of blank stares, mumbled guesses, or the classic “Wait, we have an election?” Well, here’s a crash course: February 14th was the last day to file for a spot on the ballot (so if you were thinking about running, too late—better luck next cycle). The real fun begins with early voting on April 22nd, leading up to the final day to cast your vote on May 4th (not April 3rd, by the way). During this time, our fire stations and schools will be transformed into democracy hubs, filled with voting machines that will see depressingly low foot traffic.
Meanwhile, candidates will be busy breaking the city’s sign ordinance, because let’s be honest, rules only seem to apply to challengers. The city turns a blind eye when incumbents plaster their signs wherever they please, but if a newcomer so much as breathes near the wrong patch of grass, code enforcement swoops in like the fun police. It’s all just part of the charming tradition we call local politics.
Whistleblower is here to educate and let you know about the candidates! For City Council Place 2 we have Burt Thakur, Sai Krishnarajanagar against Tammy Meinershagen. Let’s dive into them!
Burt Thakur, a former Navy Veteran, and a longtime resident of Frisco previously made a run for Congress. Burt Thakur was born in New Delhi and raised by his maternal grandparents. He spent his childhood in India, where his grandfather was responsible for the care of the national forests, tigers, and land management. He moved to New York in the late 1980s and later attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Navy. Burt served as a nuclear reactor operator on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. He was honorably discharged in 2006, after serving for 6 years. Thakur is an engineer project manager who facilitates the construction process for large data centers. He also appeared on Jeopardy and was interviewed in the Winners Circle.
Thakur recently addressed the Frisco City Council to address the issue of the Performing Arts Center and fiscal responsibility. If passed, the measures would allow the city to use $160 million to build the Frisco Center for the Arts. The center, designed to host Broadway-level shows, is estimated to cost more than $300 million.
Burt Thakur’s website states he has a vision for a Stronger, Safer and Thriving Frisco. Burt is a champion for veterans and their access to care and has helped many veterans get access to their benefits. In Frisco, Burt wants to ensure a space is granted for veterans’ organizations like the VFW and American Legion to share. As his best friend from the military committed suicide, Burt knows first-hand the value that a community and shared space can provide to his brothers and sisters who served. He also states that “integrity” is a commitment to ethical leadership. He states “True leadership is built on honesty, transparency, and accountability. I have always stood for ethical decision-making, responsibility, and staying true to my principles.
Next, we have Sai Krishna who ran in 2020 for council place 3 back in 2020. According to the Dallas Morning News Voter Guide in 2020, Krishna is a Registered Nurse with an associate’s degree in nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a master’s in business administration. He also is an Insurance Provider. During his 2020 race, Krishna had only lived in Frisco for 3.5 years. According to the guide he had not served on city boards or commissions at the time of the 2020 race. We could not find a working website for Krishna, or anything published online about his 2025 run for council.
Lastly, we have Tammy Meinershagen who currently sits on the Frisco City Council in Place 2 and has lived in Frisco for over 20 years. In a recent January 2025, Local Profile highlight Meinershagen was asked what her first impression of Texas was, and she replied “I had such a bad impression of Texas — I really did not want to come. I didn’t want to move to Frisco, and I certainly didn’t want to become a Texan. I expected everyone to be in cowboy boots and hats, and I had heard several stories of racism in Texas that also concerned me. I just didn’t think I’d ever feel at home in Texas. I pushed really hard against it for many, many years.” She went on to say that her opinion has changed because she has realized the diversity Texas offers.
Since being here and getting invested in Frisco, she became the Multicultural Chair for the Greater Frisco’s Council of PTA’s which led her to get involved in The City of Frisco. She helped organize the first multicultural float for the community in 2011 and worked on the Citizens Bond Committee, where she advocated for the arts center. Meinershagen was named the “Spirit of Frisco” by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce and one of CEO MOM Magazine’s Power 15. She is also the first Asian-American to serve on the Frisco City Council, and she made history as the first Korean-American female elected to any City Council in the State of Texas. Meinershagen is also a professionally trained musician and can play the piano and violin.
She is asking for you to “Re-Elect” her but remember we never “ELECTED” her to begin with. Meinershagen was set to run against the incumbent, Shona Huffman, who choose to resign from her current seat and withdraw from the race to focus on recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis. An election was never held and Meinershagen “won by default” meaning we never ELECTED her. This will be her first actual race for City Council. A Community Impact article from Feb 28, 2022, reads, “Tammy Meinershagen to ASSUME Place 2 on Frisco City Council; May election for city to be canceled.” The article states that according to Mayor Jeff Cheney, Meinershagen will FILL THE SEAT and went on to say they are CANCELING the May 7, 2022, election since both races were uncontested.
Meinershagen made headlines recently on Frisco Chronicles when we wrote about her husband’s involvement with Ketchup Caddy. In 2022, her husband Todd Meinershagen AGREED to pay more than $525,000, including interest, for his role in market manipulation related to the company Ketchup Caddy.
Meinershagen is a very prominent supporter of the Frisco Arts and the new Performing Arts Center. She supports the bond being put before voters for a $300+ million-dollar theater that will cost residents anywhere from $5 to $6 million a year to operate of city tax dollars. Meinershagen also supported the controversial Universal Kids Studios project over objections by local homeowners. Remember the “BAIT & SWITCH” that changed at the last minute during the development meeting before the council vote. Meinershagen was one of the loudest supporters on social media selling us the part would only be operating from 10am to 6pm when it is was actually 8/9am to 9/10pm. She also told us rollercoasters would be 40 to 50 feet high, but they are actually able to go up to 100 feet high. She used social media to sell it one way when she knew the whole time they were going to make last minute changes.
Lastly Meinershagen, stepped out front and center against our Frisco Firefighters last year during the election. While they have been asking for more firefighters, she adamantly agrees with the stance of the city leadership that everything is just fine. She claimed she was not representing herself as a council person at the polls but just a regular old resident with a passion for the issue. Residents don’t often spend that much time at the polls holding signs unless it is for a purpose, group or team.
What are your thoughts on Place 2? Will you get out to vote? We will be sending a questionnaire to all three candidates soon with some hard-hitting questions so it will be interesting to see how they respond, or if they even will respond. Next up we dive into Place 4 and the 5 candidates running for that position.
After our Human Trafficking blog, we were surprised to see the number of comments regarding Frisco’s history of questionable businesses in the 80s. The City of Frisco works hard to maintain a squeaky clean and impeccable image and we were curious how hard is it to determine a reputable massage business versus a sexually oriented one.
We were surprised to find an article that looks to be written by former Mayor Bob Warren on FriscoStyle.com where he talks about the sexually oriented businesses otherwise known as “S.O.B.s, brothels, or houses of ill repute.” He states in the article “They came here after having been “flushed out” of neighboring cities … At that time, Frisco was just a little country town, barely a dot on the map, and four of the businesses landed along Texas State Highway 121, on Frisco’s southernmost border. There was the “Doll House,” the “Body Shop,” the “Tub Club” and “Michelle’s Ranch.” He said the most infamous was Aprils which was located on Preston Road where La Hacienda Ranch is today. Apparently, the mobile home stood out like a sore thumb to strangers passing by. Upon entering the mobile through dangling beads in the doorway you were greeted with very dim lights.
Warren ended the article with “It was not easy, but Frisco finally rid itself of the little S.O.B.s. Where they went, I do not know, but may they rest in peace, just not in Frisco.” But did they really rid the city of these businesses? We were curious how easy it is to find “Happy Ending” massage parlors. How many more in Frisco could there be? Why are the police not actively trying to shut down these businesses? Maybe they don’t want the whorehouses listed on the GIS Data to protect the reputation they have carefully crafted.
We googled “massage near us” and started reviewing Frisco locations. First up Spring Spa located Preston and Lebanon Road. From the looks of the website, everything looks on the up & up. We took the phone number right on the google business site and the website and googled massages xxx-xxx-xxxx and first thing to come is the website BedPage.com with the same address and phone as Spring Spa. Now do you think this looks reputable or like a “happy ending” hangout.
We also searched a website sent to us by a reader called Hot.com. The first one listed under Frisco is King Spa with a 3.7-star rating. It is located off Preston just across from the entrance to Preston Vineyards. On one erotic review site, we found 4 reviews from 2024/25 talking in code of course. The code refers to an HJ which we are assuming means “hand job” and another refers to the young lady taking the HF and for an extra $100 offering an HJ (hand job) and the customer to got to play with and suck on her tits. Through a website called Encounter, we found a post about “Lucy” where they describe her as 5’6 tall, skinny with black hair, flat aZZ, and naturally smaller boobs. She apparently offers “Premium Content.”
YL Wellness Center seems to be a HOT HOT place based on the reviews. Located very close to King Spa off Preston in between Preston Vinyards entrance and Rolater Rd. In one review from 2022 found on adultsearch.com we found a review written by DarkManHere that reads “Massage for 1 hr is $60. The massage was top notch. I had lower back pain so went for this massage. After the massage I felt a lot better. Relieved now. Offered just HJ for $40. By removing the dress and allowing me to touch, she charged $100. I went for $100. She came over me, rubbed her tits on me and then jerked me. Used hot towel to clean me up”
The next review was written by HereComesTheBoom in 2021, and it reads “Massage was okay, but after telling her that I was a virgin, she told me she loved virgins and would be more than happy to change that for me. So, then she gave me a blowjob and let me f*ck her and c*m inside of her. I will definitely be back again.”
Lastly, we found an ad on an escort network website with an address of 615 Main Street, Ste 112, Frisco, Texas and when we googled that address it came back to May Foot Spa. While the ad looked clean, we were curious about who placed the ad on the website. Why would you place an ad for a simple innocent massage on an escort website? Someone who works there had to and they included the business phone number and address for May Foot Spa. Innocent massage businesses are not going to post on sites like Bedpage, Hot, Call Girl Guide, Encounter, and more.
What did we discover? A simple search of most of these businesses can be found on other sites offering erotic massages and happy endings. If we can find it, then why can’t the Frisco Police? Here is a thought, create a task force and shut these operations in the hub areas of our city and nearby communities down. They are in shopping centers that you and I go to daily. As a community, we have to do better! Our leadership cannot avoid the problem and then say we are “One of the Safest Cities in America.” We need to be a safe city and while many may say this is not a crime that hurts others, we are pretty sure most of these girls are probably trafficked in some form and we should never say that is okay and turn a blind eye.
If you hear “Frisco, Texas” what is the first thing that pops into your head? Is it the glitzy new PGA lifestyle we have? Maybe it’s The Frisco Star, oh wait, the Cowboys would need to win a game first. What about The Mix or Grand Park, our bad, those are not built yet. Soon to be new downtown in time for FIFA? Maybe it is none of those things! Maybe you are more pragmatic and think of the CROWN JEWEL … that we are the #1 Safest City, where nothing bad ever happens, or at least that is what the city wants you to believe.
Certainly nothing bad is happening behind the tinted windows of countless “massage” parlors scattered across town, right? Nope, in the city that proudly boasts its title as the #1 safest place to live, there’s absolutely no way anything shady could be going on. If it were, surely our vigilant city council and ever-watchful police force would be all over it, right? Because it’s not like they’d want anything to hurt that squeaky-clean image or anything…
Back in November we received an email tip from one resident who was concerned about the number of POP UP “Massage Parlors” and how they seem to be as popular as the fast-food restaurants on every corner. The resident noted that she went to pick up an RX late one evening and while sitting in her car waiting in line, she noticed a massage business with tinted windows and a scrolling open neon sign saying open until 11pm with men coming and going the whole time.
She felt something was off and was pretty sure illegal activities were happening there, but like many residents turned a blind eye. It was not until her neighbor mentioned something two days later about going there to get a massage and was turned away because they were “busy.” The neighbor noted that there were no cars near the place, and it didn’t make sense. That is when she told her neighbor about her concern and what she saw when picking up her RX earlier that week.
The next day the neighbor who had been refused service texted (still upset) saying she googled the business, and she was shocked when the phone number pulled up sex ads. She texted her screenshots which prompted her to go look it up too! After finding the shocking info she decided to file a report with Frisco PD they were supposed to send her a statement form to fill out but never did. After a few weeks of no response to her call and email, she reported it to us, and we started looking into it!
When you first google the name of the business Massage Aces it appears to be very reputable! It is located at 423 & Stonebrook Parkway behind the CVS Pharmacy. They had a link to their YouTube Channel which showed a nice video of a reputable massage business. A simple search of the business phone number just like the tipster said, brought us to a whole new world.
The business phone number on the website pops up on multiple “other” websites like bodyrubsmap, bedpage, skipthegames, and craigslist. The ads offer massages, sex, clean girls, escorts, and call girls which all link back to the business address 400 Stonebrook Pkwy, and the business phone number. Disturbing pictures of rather young girls in sexually provocative poses and clothing.
We were shocked that this was reported sometime in late October, and nothing was done until the middle of February 2025. The tipster forwarded us the email she sent to Frisco PD, leaving us wondering – what took so long to take action? How many other massage parlors are there in Frisco, just like this? We determined within one day of getting the tip this was a front for a lewd sexually oriented business. Just google the phone number that offers sex in their “CLEAN ROOMS” with “CLEAN GIRLS!” We are left wondering if the issue of being the safest city will be on John Keating’s political mayor when he tries to run for Mayor! Frisco…the home of human trafficking and exploited underage girls! Ladies check your husbands’ receipts, if you see Massage Aces or Sandy Spa, it might be time to talk with them.
Our biggest concern is the safety of these young women being trafficked, the fact that it is 1/2 mile from our schools and backs up to our neighborhoods. At least we can assure you as of this week Frisco PD, Code Enforcement, or Building Inspections did stop by, and the business has a big “red tag” on the door! It was done with little fanfare, not to attract attention to it. The notice is for an “occupancy issue” under the new name Sandy Spa. The red tag notes it is a “sexually oriented business” and closed until further notice. Wouldn’t you like to know what the city and/or Frisco PD did to protect these women? Our guess is not much in hopes of quietly moving them to another city so it’s “not in our #1 backyard!”
Frisco, Texas—where the city council somehow can ask citizens to vote on an EDC Bond for millions of dollars for a sparkling new performing arts center but can’t allow citizens to vote on a bond for an animal shelter or scrape together a dime for a much-needed animal shelter. It’s almost like the Mayor and City Council think the arts deserve a standing ovation while our four-legged friends get a pathetic round of applause… from the overcrowded parking lot outside paid for by citizens’ tax dollars. After all, who needs a haven for abandoned animals when you can have a state-of-the-art performing arts center hosting countless performances, funded city breweries, and a kid’s theme park that no one will remember in 10 years? Priorities, right?
In 2019, Community Impact did a story about how local pet advocates called Frisco’s Pet Project were advocating for Frisco to construct its own animal shelter. The article highlighted Marla Fields, one of the original organizers of the Frisco Pet Project who is quoted saying, “She said she saw a need for a Frisco-based animal shelter while rescuing cats from local organizations. Good Ole King Cheney (Mayor of Frisco) said, “city staffers have considered allocating funding to build an animal shelter in the past but determined the benefits of partnering with the county outweighed the negatives. We have a partnership with Collin County along with other cities to collaborate as a region to try to provide the most cost-effective services for this need.” The article went on to say that building an animal shelter would likely be funded through bonds, but the city did not include a shelter among the projects in the 2019 bond election.
In 2023, the citizens bond committee presented a recommendation for an animal shelter to be voted on by the residents. A DMN article noted that Frisco animal advocates made one last push for City Council to include an animal shelter in the May 6 bond election, but they did not prevail. The article quoted Marla Fields, founder of Frisco’s Pet Project, “It just seems like the finish line just keeps moving on us. You told us to be patient … we’ve done everything that you’ve told us to do. We followed your leadership and your advice. You said, ‘Wait for the bond. You have to speak to each member of the city council. Come to the winter sessions. Show us the data. Show us the plans. Show that you can do this with a return on investment.’ We did all that.”
The City Council’s vote on the bond package was unanimous, with council members Laura Rummel and Brian Livingston requesting a note be added to the record they support an animal shelter. Two votes stand out from that night – Laura Rummel who claims to be the “PET ADVOCATE” and John Keating. Laura voted for obvious reasons as she ran her campaign on animals and supported a shelter. Why Cheating Keating? We have a copy of an email that Councilman Keating sent to a resident where he told the citizen he would allow for it to go before the citizens if it was recommended by the citizens bond committee. But he lied! Are we surprised? No, because he has lied to the Frisco Fire Association and his ex-wife.
What might be even more sad is how the city uses local publishers to sell the community on the same boring, old, tired and worn message in hopes residents will buy the bull they are selling. After getting hit with questions at the Feb 3rd town hall regarding an animal shelter, Community Impact miraculously writes an article on February 5 titled, “Frisco identifies animal shelter site no timeline for project.” The article stated that the City Manager, Wes Pierson, confirmed the city has been trying to find a private public partner to help bring an animal shelter inside the city limits. “We’ve been working with a partner to try and find a model that would allow the city to have a public-private partnership for the operation of an animal shelter,” Pierson said. “We are still in the process of trying to develop that partnership.”
For the first time the city released a potential site located in north Frisco near PGA Parkway and Preston Road on the southwest corner called Luminant Tract. Then the city offers “another excuse” saying the animal shelter would go there once they had a partner and after they developed the North Texas Municipal Water district transfer station and commercial recycling center. Pierson goes on to say only then can they discuss timing of the facility construction. The hidden message we believe he is saying is delay, delay, and more delay because we don’t want an animal shelter here.
The article also states King Mayor Cheney as saying the Frisco Center for the Arts and animal shelter are unrelated. Unrelated? To pet advocates, they are related because for years the city has used “funding” as an excuse, but we can fund the arts with a simple vote from the public for an EDC bond. The same could be said for an animal shelter, OH WAIT, you won’t let the public vote on that which is why you pulled it from the 2023 bond even after it was recommended by the citizens bond committee. King Cheney only wants you to vote on what he wants!
The best comment came from the “So-Called Pet Advocate” on council Laura Rummel. “There are things that city government is not good at or doesn’t have the expertise at,” she said. “We do not have the expertise to have an animal shelter of our own, which is why we have been searching for a partner.” Based on our research THAT IS A NEW EXCUS and in our opinion, that was the dumbest comment we have ever heard. Do you think the thousands of cities across America that have an animal shelter had “animal expertise” when they opened their city-run and funded shelters? Ms. Rummel, what expertise do we have in Health Clinics, Performing Arts, Code Enforcement, Engineering Services, and Parks and Rec? None!!! That is why you hire someone to run the department that “HAS THE EXPERTISE” just like you have done in all the other city departments.
The article goes on to talk about “In The Meantime” the city has a partnership with Collin County Animal Services and how the city supported the November 2023 bond for CCAS to expand the animal shelter’s capacity and services by constructing a one-story, 10,000 square-foot addition to the north side of the CCAS building. What happened after the bond was approved?
Ask Ben Brezina one of the Assistant City Managers who led a crusade to gather other cities like Prosper, Celina, and McKinney to question “the billings statements” and how the impact fees and cost allocations were being split among the different cities. In an email from Ben Brezina to Wes Pierson, Chief Shilson, Henry Hill, and Ryan Pitman dated October 3, 2023, Brezina stated “Regarding future payments, Collin County Administrator verbally committed to updating the cost allocation amongst the Members (population-based). So, it is unknown yet the future costs for Frisco or any other Member, Prosper and Celina have grown significantly, and they will need to pay their fair share, same as unincorporated Collin County. We will advocate for a usage-based fee.” Frisco doesn’t want to pay their fair share based on population even though it was laid out that way from the get-go! They want to change the name of the game. Does that sound supportive to you?
In our final Paw Patrol blog, we are going to share with you the emails sent to us from a recent PIR filed by a resident. They sent us everything and based on those emails it is clear Laura Rummel has not been actively involved in conversations with the city on the animal shelters so-called public-private partnership. Yet, she has continued to tell residents how involved she is. It will also be obvious where the city stands on an animal shelter. Lastly, it will show how dumb John Keating is that he cannot even answer a resident’s questions posed to him in an email without getting an exact word-for-word statement from city management because he is clueless.
In closing, as Laura said we are not experts in running an animal shelter. Advocates have heard over and over the annual operating expenses are just too high year over year for an animal shelter, so it doesn’t make sense. HOWEVER, based on the moves this week at city council, Rummel and the rest of the council (minus Livingston) believe WE ARE EXPERTS IN THE ARTS which is why they voted to put an EDC bond on the ballet in the upcoming election. It appears we can afford the annual operating expenses for a PAC which ranges from $5 to $6 million, and we can HIRE EXPERTS TO RUN IT! King Cheney when you say the Performing Arts Center and Animal Shelter are unrelated …. THEY ARE RELATED! It just comes down to what YOU WANT MIGHTY KING!
Welcome to Frisco, Texas – a city known for its rapid growth, shiny new developments, and state-of-the-art amenities… except when it comes to an animal shelter for its four-legged residents. It is amazing how many residents here love pets and want an animal shelter. We hear about it on every town hall and often see comments online asking leaders…when, when it will be time for animal shelter? Frisco has been absolutely stellar at coming up with new and creative excuses for why that still hasn’t happened. It’s almost as if the city’s leadership has coined the term “We’ll get to it eventually” into an art form.
We have heard all the excuses, or should I say reasons – “We’re focusing on other priorities,” “We don’t have enough space,” “It’s a complicated project.” Blah, blah, blah. Because obviously, with all those new luxury apartments, multi-million-dollar sports complexes, and pristine retail centers, there’s no room for something as quaint as a place where animals can be safe and cared for. Why waste money on a shelter when you can keep building urban development centers, Performing Arts Centers, give a facelift to a soccer field, revitalize downtown into a Meca for the Mayors photo ops. Who needs compassion when you’ve got a sparkling new upscale grocery store when milk is already too costly for some households, right?
Each of our council members and Mayor has their “passion project” and the reason they ran for office! Regarding pets, Laura Rummel ran for her seat claiming to be the “passion paw patrol leader” for an animal shelter. She has been on council for a few years, but have we seen any changes? From what we can tell, no, and based on the countless emails we get from animal advocates across this city asking us to write about pets – they agree that nothing has changed.
We have been sent many things over the last two years by animal lovers since the conception of our page but because we didn’t know too much about the issue, we held of covering it until now. We know for years residents have been told that the city would prefer a public/private partnership instead of building its own animal shelter but what have they done to move the needle forward?
Rummel will argue she has started a private 501c and originally, she said it was to help raise funds for an animal shelter. However nowhere on the website for this 501c does it mention anything about an animal shelter. It says the mission is to perpetually support the City of Frisco, Texas, its citizens, and its pets by providing animal education, support low-cost veterinarian options, and help reduce the homeless pet population. We think the second half of that mission statement is great, but it is the first part that leaves us concerned.
According to the dictionary “perpetually” means ALWAYS or in a way that will never end or change. When the mission statement says they will perpetually support the City of Frisco – well that means if the city doesn’t want an animal shelter, then Laura will ALWAYS support that. Yet that is not what she continues to tell her supporters! She tells voters she is advocating regularly for pets and that we have the land and money to fund it. She is “all in” for pets but is she actually “all-in” however the city wants it?
Our question for Ms. Rummel is do you agree with Mayor Cheney and what he said at the mid-year 2024 Townhall where he essentially said Frisco has more sophisticated communication tools to handle lost pets and that the city’s position is to REHOME pets, so they never end up at the shelter? Essentially if you agree with that, you are saying to residents that if your dog gets out you don’t deserve the pet back so we will rehome it instead of taking it to a shelter.
In the second half of his comment, he says those communication tools are Facebook Community Pages and apps such as Nextdoor and those are tools that don’t exist in other communities. Would you agree Ms. Rummel since you will always perpetually support the city, and Cheney is the Mayor of our city? No other city or community in America has the sophisticated communication tools of Facebook Lost and Found pages and neighborhood groups? The Nextdoor app was created for Frisco and does not exist in other cities? I had no idea those were exclusive sophisticated communication tools for Frisco, only!
We are also curious if Ms. Rummel perpetually agrees when Cheney says the city’s approach that “WE DO NOT WANT TO RUN OUR OWN SHELTER” and we are open to a public/private partnership option only.
Most importantly we are curious if Ms. Rummel agrees with Cheney attacking Animal Advocates in a public form saying that they are a case study in how NOT to advocate for a position? He continues his rambling by schooling them publicly in the PROPER way to advocate for a position and accusing them of tearing people down and spreading misinformation.
The pet voters would like to know if you agree Ms. Rummel. Is going to a city council meeting and speaking during citizens’ input, emailing council members presentations, thoughts and asking questions the improper way to handle it? If you perpetually agree with that Ms. Rummel then it sounds like what you are saying is that they should kiss the City of Frisco’s Ring, support the click campaigns, and bow down to their agenda or else they are doing it wrong.
My wife and I follow the city very closely and we often hear them say they are “exploring options” at the council meetings, work sessions and town hall sessions. The city leadership responses are PERPETUALLY THE SAME every time. We are exploring options but have no updates. Maybe that is why when Ms. Rummel is questioned online or in the comments of her posts about the status of an animal shelter (the platform she choose to run on) she gets defensive.
In fact, recently she snapped back at one resident who comments on one of her Facebooks posts stating nothing has changed and she has not moved the needle by sending him a private message that reads, “SO YOU THINK IVE DONE NOTHING” to which he responds “NO ANIMAL SHELTER. Is there one being built that I don’t know about?” They go back and forth, and she says we have the land, we have how we’d pay for it and we are still negotiating with a potential partner.
How much does our “Regional Partnership” cost? Do they have land? Do they know how they would pay for it? And who are they negotiating with as a private partner? We know the one they were talking to in 2024 is dead in the water based on the emails we have. Stay tuned for Part 2
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