Local residents near Frisco Springs took to the city council meeting tonight to speak at citizen input regarding the new Ridgeview West Memorial Park Crematory that is currently under construction. We give them props for wanting to be heard and they probably assumed that the council gives 2 shXts about their concerns. However they quickly learned … THEY DON’T!
Texas Open Meeting Act notes that “citizen participation” period, also known as “public comment,” is a time slot set aside on the agenda for citizens to address the council on any subject not on the evenings agenda. Councils can limit the length of time any one citizen may speak based on the number of people signed up to speak. Because public comment is about items “NOT ON THE AGENDA” the governmental body MAY NOT DELIBERATE on any item that is not on the agenda. What can the governmental body do? They can (1) make a statement of fact regarding the item; (2) make a statement concerning the policy regarding the item; or (3) propose that the item be placed on a future agenda.
As usual the city council continues to break the rules and violate the law by commenting and engaging in ongoing dialogue at citizens input. Tonight they even went as far as preparing a full presentation to “school” the residents on the history of this land. Just so you know, that is there way of saying we are smarter than you! Again, this is not an agenda item so no presentation by the city should have been done, prepared or presented on a NON-AGENDA ITEM. After doing their dog and pony show for 10 minutes, they told tax paying concerned residents you only get 3 minutes to speak instead of 5 minutes. Why? Well Frisco Springs – they don’t care about you. Just like they don’t care about Cobb Hill or Rockhill Residents. Mayor Jeff Cheney has no worries because his current home overlooks the Cottonwood Creek Greenbelt and his PGA lot is a ESPN lot that overlooks the golf course.
What do Crematories do? Well according to the TCEQ they can cremate human remains, embryonic and fetal tissue remains (including umbilical cords, placentas, gestational sacs, blood or bodily fluids from the same pregnancy and appropriate containers. Crematoriums have to register so we found Ridgeview West Memorial Park on the entity search tool. You can also find out the State of Texas Health and Safety Code for Crematories here.
According to a study done by the University of Texas Health Science Center they found that close proximity to sources of mercury releases were associated with increases in learning disabilities and autism. According to the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health asked the question, Do crematories emit harmful pollutants of public health concern? Cremation is a combustion process whereby a casket and human remains (or animal remains in pet crematoria) are incinerated at a high temperature in a closed chamber. Types of emissions include:
- Combustion gases: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOC);
- Particulate matter and fine dust: PM10 and PM2.5;
- Organic pollutants: Compounds resulting from incomplete combustion processes or formed when organic compounds react with chlorine in materials such as plastics. These pollutants can include polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) amongst others;
- Heavy metals: Mercury (Hg) arising from volatilization of Hg in dental amalgam in fillings and a small quantity of various metals in tissues of the individual, or personal memorial items included in the casket.
Do residents of Frisco Springs have the right to be concerned? Yes, of course! Even though me and the old lady plan to get cremated when we pass we had never considered the affects of that. Here is our question, the city has spent millions cleaning up the shXt from Exide near downtown so why would they not want to fight this with the residents. The land is valuable and I am sure the city could buy it and put something useful there. Heck, maybe they could make the animal people happy and put a shelter or adoption center there to help out CCAS. Do a survey of Frisco Springs Residents and ask if they would prefer (A) a crematorium that burns up dead bodies and other nasty crap or (B) a dog park or animal adoption center? My guess is they don’t want to “SEE DEAD PEOPLE!”
Strongly opposing this crematorium near residential area
Please share our page on your community Facebook page and Nextdoor app so others learn about the city’s corruption. We agree and oppose it as well but your voice simply is not worth anything to the majority of those sitting on council. Go back and read our blog about Universal and how citizen after citizen spoke out and the city made promises they couldn’t keep. Ask residents of Cobb Hill today how they like the construction traffic and the 18 wheelers tearing up their neighborhood that cut through and the mounds of ugly dirt being built up around their homes. At that meeting John Keating openly announced he had no time to meet with residents as he busted his rotator cuff and before surgery needed a vacation at the beach. Guess that was more important than the voices of residents. Want change then don’t vote for Woodard, Cheney, Keating or Pelham!
We agree! The sad part is as residents our voice just DOES NOT MATTER!
Health is wealth.
Stop 🛑 crematorium near residential area, park,school.
‘Wake up Frisco!’ – Health is wealth
And, in fact, a great question would be where is the current city management on the exide plant cleanup? Are they moving forward or are they trying to make a decision? Ask how much money they have spent to date on the exide project and what the status is now? How much in legal fees and consultant fees have been wasted from fighting the inevitable. What’s the plan? Will the site ever be cleaned up? Who is managing now that the city engineering director has resigned?
CC is so hypocritical- they don’t give two hoots about citizen concerns. The antics they pull are unethical and an investigation would show the ways they bend the rules for their projects.
Give up citizens. The turrentines will get what they want. Money talks loud in frisco texas.
We know of at least 1.5 million they have spent and they received money from the State of Texas and want more when they have yet to spend the entire amount received by the state to date.
Great for the economy to add another business in Frisco!