Performance-Based Incentives

We have told you before you can learn a lot about what the city is trying to do by reviewing city council meeting agendas.  We noticed the Frisco City Council approved a master agreement on July 2nd with a company called FW Development LLC.   The master agreement provides up to $94.5 million in “PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVES” to the developer of the $660 million mixed-use development known as Fields West.  The goal is to ensure the developer adheres to its intended construction timeline and scheduled opening date.

Who is FW Development, LLC or Fields West?  Well, it was created by The Karahan Co. which is owned by Fehmi Karahan.  According to sources we spoke to inside the city, they believe the project will help achieve the council’s directive to activate North Frisco.   The Dallas Business Journal made mention of it, along with that the project is expected to bring in $400 million annually in new sales and purchases for Frisco.

We went back to watch the meeting and we learned that Mayor Jeff Cheney recused himself from the vote.  We are guessing he did this because of this known relationship between The Cheney Group and the residential part of Fields (aka The Preserve).  However, his little marionettes knew what to do and approved it in a 6-0 vote.   After watching the vote, we are curious why John Keating participated in the vote.  Remember, he recently recused himself from a Fields vote due a to “conflict” because he was going to be closing soon on a lot in The Preserve.    

In the discussion of the project, Keating talked about how he remembers years ago going on a walkthrough of Legacy West with Fehmi Karahan.  He remembers the attention to detail in the development from the park benches, to how the bricks were laid in the crosswalk, and how it is lit up at night so it’s safe 24/7.   

We are guessing that John Keating does not remember Christina Morris, or better yet could care less to remember her because it is not about his Cowboy Fit Club.  Morris went missing in August 2014 from the Legacy West parking garage.  In March of 2018, it was announced that remains found in a wooded area of Anna, Texas had been identified as Morris.  In March of 2022, there was a shooting of a restaurant at The Shops of Legacy?  Safe is relative Mr. Keating!

Keating also noted this was a flagship project that will be great for the surrounding residential neighborhoods to enjoy.  Wait, you mean Resident Keating who is about to close on his lot in The Preserve at Fields?   Yeah, this is the exact reason WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE RECUSED YOURSELF ALSO!

The next question, what does a developer have to do to earn $94.5 million in “PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVES?”  According to the memo on the city council agenda the performance requirements require the developer to construct by a certain date, a minimum of:

  • 350,000 square feet of upscale retail and restaurant space
  • 320,000 square feet of Class A office space; and
  • 1,100 multifamily residential dwelling units (not incentivized)

Where does these $94.5 million dollars come from, the city purse or personal savings account?  First, the Separated Materials Sales Tax Grant will provide up to $7 million in City, Frisco Economic Development Corporation, and Frisco Community Development Corporation sales tax revenues generated by project construction material and service purchases.    Secondly, the Frisco EDC Qualified Infrastructure Grant will fund up to 50 percent of the cost to construct a planned water feature (not to exceed $2.5 million in incentive value) and up to 50 percent of the cost to construct internal streets built to city standards (not to exceed $10 million in incentive value).  Lastly the TIRZ #7 Funding will finance the construction of 3 public parking structures accommodating a minimum of 2,430 public parking spaces to serve the development.  This debt service will be funded by TIRZ #7 property tax revenue generated by the Fields West development and supplementary sales tax revenue generated by the Fields West development.

It just leaves us wondering, how do we have all this money?  Where is all this money coming from?  It is like the city has a SUGAR DADDY funding it!   With that said we were told during the recent election that if Proposition A & B passed it would bankrupt the city – so how is it we have money for one thing but not another?  Oh wait, Cheney can’t make money or build his stature or status up on our first responders.

Economic Interest at The Preserve

Unless you are Cheech & Chong who smoke too much weed or ate one too many gummies, then you know when you hear the words Fields Frisco it is referring to Fehmi Karahans development on the Northwest side of Frisco next to the Frisco PGA.  According to the Fields Frisco website, Fields is built on the big idea that when you build something so different, so magical and so enticing, they will come.  Built on the big idea that pure and simple architecture is elegant, fresh and true to its core. Built on the big idea that the great outdoors is equally as important as the great indoors. So, we’re making both great.

We initially thought that Fehmi Karahan must have liked the movie Field of Dreams.  Then we thought, maybe he read our blog Field of Dreams where we told you about a 2019 email involving Mayor Jeff Cheney and the “UNOFFICIAL VIP LOT LIST” he was pitching at fancy dinners.  Either way, Fields Frisco is already known for its steep slopes, breathtaking views, and the winding creeks and trails soon to come.  Of course, it is also known for being the development with the most exclusive new neighborhood being built called “The Preserve” aka the ESPN lots, that will look over the new PGA Frisco golf courses.

Screenshot

We have been following this development very closely and written several blogs on questionable business relationships that have come from it and “expanded” some political pockets in town.  We have also called out our current leadership and their need to recuse them self from certain votes due to potential conflicts of interest we felt existed.  You also know we follow the city council meetings closely and review the agendas when they are released looking for hidden agenda items. 

When the agenda came out for the January 16, 2024, City Council meeting we reviewed it as normal, and nothing really stood out.  Then while watching the council meeting, we were surprised after the reading of Agenda Item #60 when out of nowhere Mayor Cheney and John Keating announced they would be recusing themselves from the vote and discussion on the agenda item.  The agenda item reads, “Consider and act upon approval of proposed modifications to Table 4-1 as permitted by Planned Development-280. Zoned Planned Development-280. Neighborhood #3, #52, and #53. Applicant: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.”  Seems pretty generic right?

What is Agenda Item 60 about?  The Preserve at Fields Frisco!  We decided to file a PIR for the recusal paperwork to learn more.  At the meeting, Mayor Cheney announced he had clients who purchased in The Preserve.  The recusal paperwork states he had a conflict with the agenda item as it could have a benefit of ECONOMIC INTERESTS for 1) myself and/or one of more persons related to me or 2) my client or customer.  Economic Interest refers to a legal or equitable interest in real property, personal property or contractual rights with a value of more than $50,000.

Then we noticed an asterisk that says for the purpose of Section C of this Affidavit, a “person related to me” refers to a person within the second degree of consanguinity (parent or child, sibling, grandparent) or the second degree of affinity (spouse or in-law).    Now this has got our attention because we have said for almost two years that Jeff Cheney had a lot in The Preserve right next door to his best buddy John Keating.  We wrote about it in our blog The Preserve Lots and showed you the plat map photo taken from a builder’s office.  Cheney has repeatedly denied to the public, the Dallas Morning News, to other outlets about owning any property in The Preserve.

We know Cheney and his brokerage have sold lots in The Preserve which has not stopped him in the past from speaking on agenda items or overseeing council votes on the issue.  So why now?  Why is Mayor and Real Estate Mogul Jeff Cheney RECUSING himself and claiming ECONOMIC INTEREST now?  We are interested in what you think.  Do you think Cheney owns a lot in The Preserve?  Do you think he could have bought a lot for “some clients” meaning he put in a family member’s name?  He knows if we find a lot in his name it will show him as a liar, especially if it is one of those great ESPN lots on the bluff over the 8 hole that sold out rather quickly on the street nicknamed “Billionaires Row.” 

Next, we looked at John Keatings recusal paperwork from the same meeting and same agenda item.  Remember he announced he had purchased a lot and while the lot was still in the builders name, he would be closing on it in the coming months, so he needed to recuse himself.  Keating checked the Real Property option which states, I and/or one or more person’s related to me have an interest in real property with a fair market value of $2500 or more that is involved in the agenda item, or located within 200 feet of that property, and it is reasonably foreseeable that action on the item will have a special economic effect on the value of the property.  It then denotes with an asterisk that a “person related to me” refers to a person within the 1st degree meaning a parent, child or spouse. 

Our questions for Keating are obvious, he has openly declared on financial forms he was a “househusband” while married to his former wife.  After being a stay-at-home dad and cheating on his wife of 20+ years who filed for divorce, he either A) got a lofty divorce settlement to buy a home in the most prestigious new gated community in Frisco or B) won the lottery.  While Mr. Keating does have his REAL ESTATE LICENSE NOW, we cannot find any listings he has sold to show he made an income in the last year.  We also don’t think military benefits are enough for a home in the new most “exclusive Frisco neighborhood” The Preserve. 

Now fast forward to May 7, 2024, and the Consent Agenda Item #16 that reads “Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to execute a Third Amendment to the Second Development Agreement by and between the City of Frisco and the following Delaware limited partnerships: FHQ Development Partners LP F/K/A FHQ Holdings LP, Fields Preserve Investment Partners LP, Fields Midtown West Investment Partners LP, Fields Point West Investment Partners LP, Fields Midtown East Investment Partners LP, Fields East Village Investment Partners LP, Fields Point East Investment Partners LP, North Fields Investment Partners, LP, and Fields University Village Investment Partners LP. (CMO/MD)”

Item 16 is a development agreement, between the City and Developer, related to the public infrastructure construction and assessments dated February 10, 2021.   In a nutshell, the Developer is responsible for the delivery of certain defined roadways, hike and bike trails and related infrastructure called “Developer Improvements” for the Fields project.  We would assume those “Developer Improvements” would have a direct correlation to the value of the properties Cheney’s clients and Keating purchased which means they pulled the item from the consent agenda to recuse themselves from the vote on the item correct?  No, they did not and in fact it was Mayor Pro-Tem John Keating who moved to approve the Consent Agenda item with Angelia Pelham seconding his motion.   Why did they not pull the item and recuse themselves this time?

Then just two weeks later at the May 21, 2024, council meeting we found Agenda Item 21 on the Consent Agenda which states, “Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to modify the Deed of Trust as security in lieu of physical improvements for final acceptance.”  We learned the agenda item is also about The Preserve Phase 1 and 2 private gated subdivisions currently under construction. The developer was requesting final acceptance on both phases prior to final completion. The acceptance is for landscaping (including screening; hardscape; plantings of trees, shrubs, sod, plants, etc.; soils; and fine grading), irrigation improvements, sidewalks, barrier-free ramps, pavers, permanent signage, and all other appurtenances and improvements related thereto. A Deed of Trust was approved by Council as a part of the Fields Second Development Agreement. 

We can only assume that landscaping and the so-called improvements listed above would also have a direct correlation to the value of the properties Cheney’s clients and John Keating purchased.  They obviously pulled the item from the Consent Agenda and then recused themselves, right?  Nope!  John Keating was the first to recommend passing the consent agenda as is.  Should he have voted on this project as it directly affects the “REAL PROPERTY” he now is closing on in The Preserve?

In closing, we would love for you to comment on this blog and answer the following questions.  Do you believe Jeff Cheney owns a lot in The Preserve under his name or a relative’s name?  Do you think they should have to recuse themself from any item on the agenda that is related to Fields Development?  Why do you think after all these years Mayor Jeff Cheney and Real Estate Mogul Cheney is now claiming the need to recuse himself when has had clients buy in this community since it was announced?  Agents within his brokerage, that he owns, have sold homes in this community which means he got paid as the broker. Why is there just now a CONFLICT OF INTEREST?   Last question, why do you think the city intentionally hides the development names on the Agenda Item? Do you think the agenda’s need to be more forthcoming so citizens can clearly see what is coming before the council?

The Preserve Lots

Our investigation into The Preserve at PGA Frisco has offered up a treasure trove of information over the last year. We first talked about this back in February 2023 in our blog Fields West Dynasty where we discussed the historic future Fields development and the woven professional relationship conflicts. We began to unravel our opinion regarding the conflict of interest at play for Mayor Jeff Cheney vs Real Estate Mogul Jeff Cheney and his relationship with the Fehmi Fields development. Just the Fields Frisco website was cause for pause – why is there a letter from Mayor Jeff Cheney on it?

Then in our Field of Dreams blog, we talked about how Texas Scorecard had questioned the same thing we did years earlier. We also shared an email by John Baumgarten to then-Mayor Jeff Cheney asking how he could get on the “unofficial lot list” for The Preserve and that he would like to make a “donation” to a charity involved in the development. We also pointed out there was no response to Mr. Baumgarten supplied in our PIR but there was a continuing conversation between Cheney and then Chief of Staff Lori Medina (MedinaUSA) on where the donation could be made.

We continued our questions regarding The Preserve and PGA Frisco in our blog, The Silicon Valley of Golf followed by our blog Dark Money where we pointed out some very questionable campaign donations from all these developers involved in future Fields / PGA / The Link. Then we laid out in detail the conflict of interest friendships Mayor Cheney vs Realtor Jeff Cheney built in our blog Anatomy of a Friendship.

Then we release our Breaking News: The Preserve Lots VIP Program blog where we have a recording of a builder rep telling local Real Estate Agents that Jeff Cheney has a lot in The Preserve along with other important people in the project, kind of like a millionaire or billionaire row so to speak of lots and future homes. Go listen to the recording you won’t be disappointed. Then we published the proof in Land Lies of the developer plot map which shows the names Cheney and Keating under a “Developer Hold.”

Why are we reminding you about this? You have to go back to the beginning to understand how what we uncovered today is concerning. For years now local Realtors have been questioning the potential conflict between Cheney’s role as Mayor and as Realtor/Broker of the Cheney Group. Questions also surround his convoluted relationship with Fehmi Karahan and the sale of the lots in The Preserve. Multiple times, Cheney has publicly stated he is not the Realtor of record for lots in The Preserve. He joked in front of a room of real estate professionals, please don’t call me as I am not the agent for these lots. Realtors questioned though how a majority of the lots were already sold before going public to real estate professionals.

With everything he has said publicly were surprised to see 3 lots worth over $2+ million for sale in The Preserve at PGA Frisco on his website. A few months ago it said it was listed by one of his agents but now according to the multiple listing service (MLS) the REALTOR OF RECORD IS JEFF CHENEY OF THE CHENEY GROUP!

In closing, we initially were doing research into some rumors about a possible shake-up or break-up within the Monument umbrella. That led us to these lots for sale which sparked us to look through public records, talk to some builder reps as we “house hunted,” and what we learned from our Realtor neighbor. The lots in question had been sold or contracted by other agents for client’s they had. So why are they for sale now? We can only assume the original buyers probably changed their minds or backed out for some reason which happens all the time according to my neighbor. If they were contracted by other agents, then why are those agents not selling the lots? Why are the lots now listed with the Cheney Group? Why is Jeff Cheney listed as the Realtor/Broker of Record? With so many questions, you can see we are still looking into this so stay tuned for more of what we uncover.

Day 11: Year in Review

Here it is the end of 2023. There are lots of traditions that happen leading up to the New Year. Where I am from, it is tradition to eat 12 grapes underneath a table, one with each chime of the clock. It is supposed to bring good luck, but these days, I’m lucky to get out of the recliner. Instead, I sip on a glass of wine. Close enough.

Another ritual I tend to practice is reviewing the past year, taking a look at what has been accomplished, and imagining what could be achieved in the future.

When I started this blog back on February 1, 2023, I figured it would be good therapy. A place where I could vent and discuss my concerns. Me and the old lady were getting quite frustrated with what we saw Frisco was becoming. A lot of people thought we would disappear as soon as the election was over but nope. There was and still so much more tea to spill.

Let’s do a little review before the big reveal tomorrow. We were very busy in February as we introduced you to our once sleepy little town. You read about Mayor Jeff Cheney and long time City Manager George Purefoy. There is one thing to know about Mr. Purefoy, well, actually two. First, he made Frisco what it is today and second, it is best not to speak your mind with George. If you were were smart you pretty much did what you were told. Mayor Cheney on the other hand, that’s a different story. He was and still is busy looking out for himself and how he could build his personal dynasty. If anyone doubts this, give Fields West DynastyField of Dreams. and Anatomy of a Friendship a read.

One of our favorite reveals was with the two posts The Preserve Lots — VIP Program and Land Lies! This is when, we learned that Mayor Cheney and his good buddy and Councilman Keating had a hold on two lots on the 8th hole of The Preserve. What makes this really rich is, Cheney, throughout his campaign, said time and time again that he doesn’t receive any special privileges as the Mayor of Frisco.

Speaking of his campaign, this is his third term and usually an incumbent is predicted to run away with the race. As usual, Cheney had a fancy campaign video. That was not the case against Retired Fire Chief Mark Piland. Even with the hit piece by the Cheney camp, Cheney had to work for this final term. Why was it so important he win, well he likes his Mayoral Privilege of course.

Over the last 12 days, we have been counting down to Day 1. We felt it was important for you to have all the background information and documentation so that you could easily follow along with with our timeline that we will unveil. Grab a snack or some popcorn for tomorrow, because it will be a hefty one.

Sit tight, and enjoy the rest of 2023, and get ready for some fireworks for 2024.

‘Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah’

Imagine it is the early 80’s and your family is about to embark on their summer vacation.  The day before you leave your dad is packing up the sports wagon, aka Wagon Queen Family Truckster, trying to figure out how each suitcase needed to be positioned on the roof, so nothing got lost along Route 66. You see your parents sitting at the kitchen table looking at the map one last time planning the ultimate route with amazing pit stops and fun things to do.  Morning comes and it is time to hit the road.  As you pull out of the drive all you can think about it is your destination…Walley World.  Okay yes I am talking about Clark Griswold and the hit movie National Lampoon’s Vacation.  It is a classic, timeless, and hilarious comedy and in my opinion one of the best movies of all time.  Well soon families with small kids across the nation will pack up for that summer trip right here to Frisco, Texas.  If you are wondering why then you have been living under a rock or in a cave for way too long.  Universal Studios will be the Walley World of Frisco!

In January 2023 when residents learned Universal would be coming to town, they did not receive the Griswold welcome by locals.  Instead, residents had a lot of questions and concerns about the project and its impact on the city.  The biggest question still to this day is when did the city first hear about Universals interest in Frisco for this project?  The answer is not as easy as one may think, and it varies depending on who you ask. In a council meeting Mayor Cheney said they first learned about the project at the end of August or September 2022.  Then in an interview with local reporter Brett Shipp back in late January, Mayor Cheney said council had been thoroughly vetting the project the last 4 to 5 months.   When announced in January several council members and P&Z board members admitted to not having the so-called traffic study, economic impact study, or crime study.  In fact, several admit to having very few details on the project other than the colorful rendering seen by the world. 

That is where we thought the story would end until one day I checked our email and there was a letter with a copy of two PIR’s by two different residents and I will admit I was a little verklempt and excited.  The requests were for all communications regarding P117 / Universal, travel plans and expenses and more.  Buried in one of the requests we found a picture of a timeline titled “Genesis of Universal Project” and after reading it we were very confused and perplexed.

Hold up!  If the timeline provided by the city is correct then we have a lot of questions.  It does not match the verbal statements/timelines given by the mayor and some council members and it does not match the emails received in the PIR.  Who wrote the timeline?  Who put the timeline in the PIR?  Why are there no emails supporting this time frame?  Are we to believe not one email went back and forth from May to the end of August regarding this big project that was in discussion?  

According to this timeline the city officials supposedly had 3 meetings in June.  The first was June 7, the second June 14, and the third June 21, 2022.   However, when you get to July 13 it notes the June board meeting was canceled so the EDC board did not get a briefing until July.  Let’s pretend we have a multiple-choice test question:  Which June meeting was canceled?  A) June 7, B) June 14, C) June 21, D) All of them or E) None of them.  May, June and July?   That is very different than September or October, which were the city officials statements given at city council meetings and meet and greets.  I find it hard to believe my wife and I are the only ones asking why the timeline keeps changing.  Why do I feel like we are being lied to and if they are lying, why?  If the city council was briefed on a regular monthly basis since July 2022 then why is it when confronted after the big grand announcement most of the city officials and members of P&Z had little to no information about the project?  When asked most looked like “deer in the headlights” and could not try to exit the conversation fast enough.  What they did have were the same talking points that we later learned were lies and part of a bait-and-switch to what was really in the development agreement.

Confused we decided to go through the emails sent to us and we found the first email dated 8/22/2022 at 1:57 PM from Laura Cuzman (Sr. Admin Asst at the Frisco EDC) to Holly McCall and Sharon Perry (City Mgr. Admin Asst) is regarding a “High Priority Meeting.”  It goes on to say Jason Ford (President of the Frisco EDC) would like to coordinate an “important meeting” with a “prospect” at the Frisco EDC office to be held 8/31/2022.  It notes that city staff should include Wes Pierson, Ben Brezina and John Lettellier.  Laura asks Holly to confirm if Mayor Cheney and/or Angelia Pelham from the council could attend and what 2-hour window would work so they could coordinate a meeting.   Immediately Sharon Perry responds and asks, “Is this for Project US?”  If it is Wes can be available all day.  Laura responds that she believes so but will confirm with Jason Ford.  Then an email is sent from Jason Ford to Ben Brazina (Asst. City Manager) and he states Cheney can be available, Angelia is on vacation and then he asks if Ben and Wes have suggestions of other council member(s) they should include.  He specifically says, “ Mayor Pro Tem perhaps as part of protocol?”  Then Jason asks Ben to make a call to Richard the next day to discuss any potential issues with the other member we discussed with related experience. 

In my best Beyoncé I want to scream, ring the alarm, ring the alarm!  Why would you not invite all the council members?  Why exclude any of them from important conversations regarding such a big project?   Is this typically how the city conducts business?  What member could be a potential issue due to their related experience? 

In the next series of emails that started on August 29, Emily Pollard (Marketing & Special Events – Frisco EDC) sends an email to Jason Ford and Leigh Lyons with a draft of the P117 Site Visit Presentation for August 31.  Then Jason Ford sends an email to Wes Pierson, Ben Brezina and a cc to Marla Row (Visit Frisco) where he shares the first working draft of pitch decks for Wednesday’s meeting.  That evening, Ben Brezina responded back they should highlight the month of May 2023 and talk about how many people are coming to Frisco with the PGA Frisco opening, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp Kick Off Party, ACM Music Awards and KitchenAid PGA Senior Championship.  His point “inertia is moving…time for Project US to join us as our Partner. The next morning Marla Row sent 2 emails, the first talked about what statistics they should use for economic impact and the second email adds they should reference the meeting they had with all the venues to discuss them activating events around the ACM which further shows partnership beyond developments.  Ben Brezina replies he likes that angle, it’s not just deal making, site development, construction, and grand opening but a partnership that extends far beyond the doors opening.  Later that day Jason Ford sends out a revised “pitch deck” and working draft agenda for the August 31, 2023 meeting, along with a note to Jeff Cheney, Brian Livingston, Tammy Meinershagen, Wes Pierson, Ben Brezina, Marlo Roe, and John Lettellier with the subject line: Please sign NDA ASAP for meeting tomorrow.  He goes on to say the meeting will be at the Frisco EDC office and the client has asked every participant  to sign an NDA, which was drafted by Richard Abernathy. 

Pictures of the P-117 Meeting Agenda show a list of participants and notes topics from prior meetings which may be revisited or carried over (site specific).  

Discussion on workforce (i.e., how far would employees need to travel in from):   A primary benefit mentioned over and over promoting this project was the jobs it will create for Frisco residents.  If this was about local jobs then why are we talking about how far employees will have to travel.

Would the community be receptive to this project / land use?  If not, why?  Let’s just do a quick look at the City of Frisco’s social media Facebook page.  On average daily posts can generate anywhere from 1 to 50 comments and maybe 3 to 4 shares.  When you see posts with 100, 500, 1000 comments you can bet it is something citizens are paying attention to. Just look at the City’s Facebook page when it comes to Universal posts.  On 1/11/23  the first post “The Announcement” had 1.9k comments and 4.8k shares and was one of the highest responded to posts on the city’s page in two years. It is important to note that most of the comments were against the project.  Then a second post on 1/11/23  had 161 comments and 42 shares, 1/13/23 third post had 50 comments and 73 shares and the fourth post on 1/16/23 had 30 comments and 60 shares.  February was not much different, on 2/10/23 the fifth post had 213 comments and 11 shares, and the final post announcing it had been approved on 3/7/23 had 349 comments and 76 shares (the majority saying it was a big mistake to approve it). 

What sort of upgrades would be needed to facilitate the park (infrastructure)?  I would be curious what the discussion was they had on this one.

What are the public approval hurdles we’d need to prepare for?  Under what circumstances?  They obviously were clueless to the opposition this project would face because they were not ready for the public hurdles that came after the announcement.

How might State/Local Economic Development help us (expedite permitting, political help, incentives, etc.)?   I bet they didn’t expect the citizen opposition to incentives.

How hard is it to get a definitive answer to one simple question…When did the city first learn about Universal?  Two months ago, at the council meeting, which was packed with residents, Fehmi Karahan spoke and said he was approached 10 months ago which means that would have been April 2022.

Depending on the timeline you believe, are we supposed to buy that for two months, Fehmi didn’t tell the city about the inquiry from Universal?  If the city first started discussing this in May or even August 2022, and the project was thoroughly vetted as Mayor Cheney said, then why were some citizens told in January 2023 by council members and P&Z staff members that they really didn’t know too many details about the project?  Why had the council or P&Z members not seen a crime study, traffic study, economic impact study from May/August 2022 to January 2023?  Mayor Cheney besides using resident tax dollars (in excess of $10,000+) for a trip to vet Universal Orlando in person, what else was vetted?   

At the climax of the Griswold’s Road Trip to Walley World in National Lampoons Vacation, everything had gone wrong that could go wrong and Clark’s wife and kids announce they vacation is not worth it and want to just go home.  At his wits end, sitting in the sports wagon you can see the whites of Clarks wide eyes and the grinding of his teeth, and his meltdown begins.  He launches into a foul-mouthed tirade: “I think you’re all f**ked in the head! […] This is no longer a vacation! It’s a quest! It’s a quest for fun! […] You’ll be whistling ‘Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’ out of your a**holes!” 

We agree with Clark this is a quest but ours is for something so simple called “THE TRUTH.”  I was one of those residents in January sitting at home watching the announcement live stream on Facebook and thinking to myself what in the nuclear detonation, I mean tarnation is going on in Frisco.  All I could picture was the final scene in National Lampoon’s Vacation when the Griswold’s gleefully race to the entrance of Walley World, “America’s Favorite Family Fun Park,”  in slow motion only to find the park is closed for two weeks for repairs and cleaning.

After doing all this research we are left with more questions than answers and we can say the inaccuracies in the timeline are very questionable, glaringly obvious, and truthfully alarming.   A smart person once said, “Trust the timeline of yourself.”  And with that Walley says, until next time…

Political Networking

Everyone knows the saying, “Behind every successful man is a woman.” I searched for who originated this quote but that wasn’t too easy to find. I guess I should have asked my wife to hunt for it. What I could find is, it seems the expression originated in the early 1900s, implying, of course, that our wives or mothers were the major contributor to most of our success. Some argue that Groucho Marx’ came up with the quote originally. I joke that I prefer Jim Carrey’s quote, “Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.” Because, in my case, for every great idea I think I have, it’s really my wife that actually makes the idea come to life.

Now, most of you already know about my concerns about Fehmi Karahan and The Karahan Companies and his dealings in Frisco. They are completely out of control with Mayor Cheney doing his best to keep the train from jumping the tracks. We recently visited The Karahan Companies’ website to study some of his team players wondering if we could connect some dots. Well, I didn’t need my wife’s help on this one.

Sure enough, behind this man, is one great woman, the Company’s General Manager, Lori Decker. It says right there, she “has over 20 years in commercial real estate legal administration, managing client activities at the law firm of Grogan and Brawner, P.C. for 13 years.”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Why should we take notice of this? Well, R.J. Grogan, Jr. and Jeff Brawner have a firm in Dallas, off of Fairmount St., in the same building as GFF Architects who interestingly enough designed Cobb Farm. What a small world. Why we even take notice of these partners is the number of years that they have been donating to the various campaigns of the Frisco City Council. If you need to see more detail on this check out our story Dark Money

But, it doesn’t stop there. You guessed it, they are The Karahan Companies’ counsel too.

If that wasn’t one dot too many already, we continue to read on and learn from Decker’s bio, she previously worked for Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd and Joplin back in 2011. Really? For those that may not know, Richard Abernathy is the City of Frisco’s leading attorney. Well, it must be nice to know people.

Are we saying that Lori Decker is guilty of anything? Not at all! We are actually suggesting that perhaps she is the greatness that is behind all of these successful men. And, if so, she needs to ask for a really big pay raise!