You Can’t Handle The Truth

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Elections, Politics

Michelle Obama said in her book Becoming, “The more popular you become the more haters you acquire.” There is some truth to that statement. Growing up I never cared about being the center of attention, being liked, or being popular. My wife on the other hand was and still is the complete opposite. She is a social butterfly, the talker, and the one everyone likes which is good for me because I can just hide in the distance behind her. I remember seeing her across the gym when we were kids and I said I am going to marry that girl. My best friend Charlie said that would require you to talk to her and you don’t talk to anyone to which I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. He had a point! You’re not that interesting when your passions are reading, writing, and movies.
As a teenager, I worked at the local library so it’s no surprise that as I became a young man I picked career paths that were secular or isolated. I was a braille proofreader for many years, then went to school to become a mortician. A what? In English, I was a funeral director, and it was great because none of my clients talked back to me since my primary job was to preserve bodies, plan funerals, embalm and cremate dead people. I went back to school during that time to become a coroner because performing autopsies on dead people seemed interesting and my audience was still dead. My wife then introduced me to a man she met through a random chance encounter and he offered me a job as a fortune cookie writer for $42,000 USD a year I thought this could be fun. It was the best move because it led me to my long-time career of being a movie critic and ghostwriter.


What is the point of me telling you about my crazy past, well, simply, I never aimed to be popular, so I have very few haters. It was Dustin Hoffman or Warren Beaty who once said in a movie, “Telling the truth can be a dangerous business. Honest and popular don’t go hand in hand. If you admit that you play the accordion no one will hire you for a rock ‘n’ roll band.” Dustin and Warren were right and we know from personal experience anytime you are dealing with shit, it is a dangerous business. My dad told me once as we drove in his truck that honesty is like a slap in the face and the receiver will only take kindly to getting slapped once, beyond that you better be ready to run or not be invited to their party.
You are reading this and probably thinking to yourself, how does it relate to Frisco? Frisco Chronicles is not very popular, and we are guessing we are not very well-liked, shocking right? How do we know this or how did we come to this assumption? We sent the incumbent Mayor Cheney and his opponent Mark Piland an email on March 24 with the same questions and to our surprise, neither of them wrote us back! We thought we had at least a .001% chance of hearing back from at least one of the candidates, but our hopes may have been set too high. It appears that they have a lack of appreciation for what we do and we can’t figure out why. As we sit here drinking our second bottle of vino feeling despair and being heartbroken, we at least have hope that “YOU” our readers appreciate us exposing the shady shit of Frisco.
Side Note: In all transparency we did not send an email to the third candidate who is most known for tempting women with his half naked 6 pack abs towel wearing, gun-toting, bible quoting, software selling, food sharing, book writing, bible study hosting, reincarnated Jesus ideology here to baptize his flock in his apartment rooftop pool. We figured he might be too busy with his kingdom of followers or a psychiatrist. Mental health is no joke and we strongly encourage anyone suffering from mental health issues to reach out to experts who can help!

Back to the point, we know you are thinking what in the bloody hell was written in the email sent to the candidates. Hold your horses, we are getting to it!

Good Day Mr. XXXX

We are the Frisco Chronicles and are putting together a write-up on each candidate running for the city council. We wanted to reach out to ask you a few questions and we hope you choose to respond. We will be emailing your opponent and plan to ask him the same questions.

  1. What do you think are 3 of the most important skills needed to be a good mayor?
  2. What are the top 3 most pressing issues facing the city today?
  3. Do you have any personal rules when it comes to campaign donations?
  4. What’s more important for our city right now: Building new homes and commercial space, rehabbing/expanding, and better utilizing our existing homes and storefronts?
  5. If you could change one thing in our zoning code, what would it be?
  6. How do you plan to involve the residents in the decision-making process in our town?
  7. Describe an ethical dilemma you’ve faced and how did you resolve it?
  8. How many hours a night do you sleep?
  9. If you had to pick one and only one – what would be your go-to restaurant in Frisco?
  10. We have so many great areas and neighborhoods in Frisco. In recent years both candidates have built and moved into new homes. How did you choose the area in which you wanted to live and what made you fall in love with your home?
    Behind every man is great rockstar woman!
  11. How long have you been married?
  12. What is the best piece of advice you spouse ever given you?
  13. Who can tell a better joke, you, or your spouse?
    Two Fun Questions
  14. What is your favorite color?
  15. What would be your dream vacation spot?
    Thanks for your time and we truly do hope to hear back from you!
    Sincerely
    Frisco Whistle Blower
    Frisco Chronicles Team

From our perspective, we thought that it was professional and courteous as well as fair since the candidates received the same questions. Robin Sharma once said, “leadership is not a popularity contest; it’s about leaving your ego at the door. The name of the game is to lead without a title.” We agree with that statement wholeheartedly and popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. As Orson Welles said, if elections depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in the Senate. The reality is that elected officials at the municipal, state, and federal levels are very focused on their pet projects, running a campaign or getting re-elected, and being the winner of the popularity contest. What is next up on the Shady Shit blog? Well since they did not respond we will just have to continue with our curiosity which leads us to ask is Cheney popular or a one or two-trick pony?

VOTE FOR PEDRO

by | Mar 24, 2023 | Elections, Politics

If you drive around Frisco on any given Saturday you will see youth sports teams playing on the soccer and baseball fields throughout the city.  Parents along with grandparents cheer on the kids while enjoying the nice weather and having fun family time.  Would it surprise you if I said there were more people on those fields, sidelines, and sitting in the stands than there are voters who show up to have their voices heard in city elections?  As of August 25, 2022, in Collin County, we have 72,427 registered Frisco voters and in Denton County, we have 55,106 registered Frisco voters.  You should be shocked that in a city with an estimated population of 218,314 people,  across both Denton and Collin County, we only have a total of 127,543 registered Frisco voters. This should SCARE THE HELL OUT OF FOLKS who call this city home. 

If you are a resident of Frisco who is registered to vote and you do not take the time or put in the effort to vote in local municipal elections, then you should be appalled and ashamed of yourself.  Coming from another country I can tell you that the most important right you have as an American citizen is the right to vote.  Originally under the Constitution, only white males over the age of 21 were eligible to vote.  In the 1920s women won the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Then in 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act which allowed African Americans the right to vote. Interesting side note, it was President Lyndon Johnson a white Texas Democrat who signed the Voting Rights Act into law.  In 1971, the minimum voting age changed from 21 to 18 years old because of student activism and the war in Vietnam.  Generations before you fought and some died so you would have the right to vote, so why don’t you vote?   

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” If Lincoln were alive, he would be shocked and probably disappointed to learn how many Frisconians turn their back on the fire and sit on their own blisters.  My favorite segment on some news and talk shows is the one where they send a reporter out to the streets to stop people and ask them a simple question, that 99% of Americans should know.  After hearing the question many looked lost, puzzled, and dumb founded before they throw out their answer.  The whole point of the tv segment is to show we have truly become dumb and chances are we are not smarter than a fifth grader.  In the spirit of fun let’s pretend I am the news host, and you are the street walker, ready to play?

In the Frisco General Election of May 2021, out of 127,543 total registered voters, how many turned out to vote at the polls?    A) 24,319   B) 850  C) 10,431  or D) 18,720

Which county turns our more voters in Frisco municipal elections?   A)  Denton  or B) Collin County

Alright, do you have your answers ready?  No cheating!  In May 2021 we had (C) 10,431 votes cast, the breakdown by county was Collin with 5,106 votes and Denton County with 5,325 votes.  That equates to a voter turnout of about 8.91%. Now, in a general run-off election, (B) Collin County has had more voters in the last five out six elections.  However, the script is flipped in a runoff / special election when (A) Denton County turns out more voters five out of five times. 

What if we told you that in March 2022 that out of 127,543 registered Frisco voters that a total of 4,912 votes were cast and that is about a 3.96% voter turnout.  It is the lowest voter turnout the City of Frisco has had since May 2016.  In fact, since May 2016 we have only had 4 elections with double-digit voter turnout percentages, the highest being 15.87%.   Which leaves 7 elections with single-digit voter turnout percentages, the highest being 9.14%.    Out of the four elections with a double digit % voter turnout, one was the November 2020 Trump vs. Biden national presidential election with a 78.15% voter turnout. 

Is your interest peaked?  Do you want to know more?  Take a minute and just look at the voter participation on the Frisco city webpage.  Voter apathy is a lack of interest among voters in elections and is one of the mail reasons for low voter turnout. Residents have lost the fire to fight because they don’t believe their voice matters and they believe they have no power to change the situation around us, but they do.  It is time to Vote for Pedro! The phrase Vote for Pedro is sometimes used in political protest as a way to express dissatisfaction with the candidates or the two-party system.  Pedro is a classic Spanish name derived from the Hebrew Peter meaning “stone” or “rock.”  There is a ground swell in Frisco right now and residents are starting to chant over and over and louder and louder each time, VOTE FOR PEDRO!  What they really mean is Dear God, let there be an alternative to what has been the corrupt norm of Frisco politics.  Ready for a shocking comparison?

If you paid any attention the last two months to the Universal controversy, you probably remember hearing about the “traffic study” paid for by Universal.  The famous phrase everyone latched on to was
“Universal will have less traffic than the new H-E-B grocery store.”  It said the park would only add 7500 cars/trips a day during the week and up to 14 to 20,000 cars / trips on weekend days. That means more people will come to Universal in one day versus the total number that have shown up to vote in a single election since May 2016.  Don’t believe me, well in general election of May 2018 we had a total of 7,144 TOTAL votes cast.  If you look at both the general and runoff elections together the highest voter turnout between both (minus the Nov 2020 election) was May 2017 when we had 14,186 total votes cast which is less than one weekend day of traffic to Universal if the traffic report is right. Let that sink in!

One of my favorite movies was Coming to America in 1998 with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall.  In one scene Eddie’s character (who is a prince) jumps out onto the balcony with Arsenio looking out the window at him.  He is excited to be in America to find a wife to be his queen.  From the balcony with his arms spread wide open, face filled with glee he yells Good Morning My Neighbors and in the background, you hear a voice awe F*#$ you, and Eddie’s character not knowing what it means yells back with a smile on his face and arms wide open, “Yes, Yes, F*%$ you too!”  Better yet the scene where he is walking home after dancing with the future queen, he starts to sing “To Be Loved” and jumps up on a light pole swings around, and continues to sing until he reaches the steps of his apartment.  We all need to find our inner Eddie Murphy!

It is time for us to take to the streets and start a revolution and chant VOTE FOR PEDRO!  Residents who have lost that fire to fight need to dig deep and find the furry again, then help get the word out that early voting starts in 40 days (give or take) and its time we use the powerful voice we have and cast a vote!  I hear it all the time from my generation, the youth today are screwed up, they have no concept of the real world, they want everything for free and finally they don’t know what a true day’s work is!  The harsh reality is that generation is the one who needs a good slap in the face because what example do we set for them when we don’t vote!  Truthfully we should be horrified and terrified regarding the rampant level of voter apathy in Frisco elections.

In 2023, it is clear residents are dissatisfied with representatives on both our city council and school board.    With elections right around the corner, we need to be spreading the word to friends and neighbors that is time to vote! 

Important Dates – May 2023 General Election

Last Day to Register To Vote – April 6, 2023 Click Here To Register

First Day of Early Voting – April 24, 2023

Last Day of Early Voting – May 2, 2023

Election Day – May 6, 2023

Lastly there is no time like the present, to look at the campaigns and candidates so we will start with the Mayoral Race and the incumbent, Jeff Cheney in our next blog.  

The Promised Land (Part 2)

by | Mar 14, 2023 | Blue Star Land, City Council, Dallas Cowboys, Developements, Developers, Jerry Jones, Politics, Taxpayer Dollars

There are two things that interest me: the relation of people to each other, and the relation of people to land. – Aldo Leopold

Remember that the land value of a piece of property includes both the value of the land itself as well as any improvements that have been made to it or around it, one could assume land around The Star would dramatically increase in value as the development came together and was completed.  Ready for the kicker, would it surprise you that the city sold the piece of land in question which is estimated to be worth $2.7 million to Blue Star Land Phase III for the sale price of $597,912.00 plus the city’s carrying cost of interest over the years?  At the time of the sale in 2019 it was all over the news, but did Frisco residents really pay attention?  Probably not and truthfully I had no clue until my curious nature got the best of me and I started looking into things last year.  Reading this, do you think it sounds like a win?  In theory yes, Frisco sold the land which will yield a substantial potential tax revenue.   

Stop the time clock, it is time for a replay so you can understand why Frisco residents should care.  First, if the city decided to sell that land no matter who bought it and developed it into an office building the city would be taking an asset generating no revenue and turning it into a cash-generating tax site.  We would not have lost an opportunity for the potential $190,000,000 in tax revenue.

Second, the city purchased all this land along the tollway years ago with taxpayer money as a future investment.  Selling it for the price we paid plus carrying costs seems to dilute the point of the purchase.  The Dallas Morning News reported the market value was an estimated $2.7 million and we sold it for $600,000 which means we gave away $2.1 million dollars of taxpayer money.  Anyone looking at this with basic common sense would see the land sale plus the potential tax revenue as a blockbuster achievement.   Sherlock Holmes might say, “Elementary, my dear Watson that is a win-win for the city and residents.” 

On the flip side, if you’re a DFW local then you know Jerry Jones, and his reputation for being a little pompous, arrogant, vain, egocentric, and self-centered.  He is not afraid to say what he thinks, show off or even be offensive at times.  It is “Jerry’s World”, and we are lucky to be in it and it has been that way for years.  He has worked hard, built an empire, and achieved the American Dream and he has every right to act or celebrate that the way he wants.  Keeping in mind Jones’s famous ego if the city did a public sale of the 2.4933 acres of land with direct views of Jerry’s empire including the player’s practice fields, do you think Jones would ever let anyone else buy it or develop it?  He would do whatever he had to do to protect his STAR!  That makes those 2.4933 acres a rare invaluable treasure that is irreplaceable to Jones.   Other developers would also see the value of that land and they would come out of the woodwork, and it could potentially create a bidding war for the holy grail tract of land.  Can you imagine what it potentially could have sold for?

We are left with so many questions, the first being who the real winner in this deal was.  Clearly, it is Blue Star Land.  The city is going to say the potential tax revenue outweighs the loss of profit on the land sale but as a taxpayer, I disagree.  I see the Superbowl moment for Frisco residents being the profit of the land sale and still achieving the potential tax revenue. 

Mayor Jeff Cheney has said multiple times over the years that the Dallas Cowboys moving to Frisco would create a “halo effect” for our local economy.  That means it would form a positive cognitive bias that would increase the city’s presence, brand, and attributes making it attractive to other developers and Fortune 500 businesses, so they would want to be and call Frisco home. That leads to my next question, which is logically thinking if we had to recruit businesses by offering oversized incentives before, then what does the “halo effect” do for us now?  Does it mean we will not have to dole out large incentives or deals as we had in the past?

Then I thought of marketing, the Dallas Cowboys logo, and the brand is one of the most famous in the world, and companies pay big bucks to do partnership deals with America’s Team.  In 1995 Jones had deals with Nike, Pepsi, American Express, and AT&T that were worth more than $60 million.  In 2013, AT&T bought the naming rights to the Cowboys Stadium for up to $20 million a year.  In 2022, it was reported that the Cowboys grossed $220 million in stadium ads and sponsorship revenue.  They also have million-dollar deals with WinStar World Casino, Lincoln Motor Company, Ford, Omni Hotels and Resorts and we could go on and on.  So surely in all these deals or incentive packages the city worked out something where we could put the Cowboy’s famous Blue Star on The City of Frisco webpage with a tagline “Home To The Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters” or when you open the Frisco EDC webpage to show off and increase the so-called “halo effect” to future companies looking to relocate to our great city.  A quick surf of our sites there are pictures of The Star but none of the famous and iconic Cowboys branding.  Nope, nothing, zilch!

What I did find interesting is a 2021 Dallas Morning News article talking about Monument Realty and how they were named the Official Real Estate Company of the Texas Rangers and you guessed it, the Dallas Cowboys.  Dak Prescott is listed as its “chief quarterback officer” and The Cheney Group hangs its hat there.  We are awe-struck really because we know that had to cost them a pretty penny to obtain those deals.  I mean one would assume that based on the millions of dollars other companies have to pay for partnership deals with these sports teams.

Halftime Show

by | Mar 14, 2023 | Politics, Public Information Requests

When we created Frisco Chronicles the goal was to get some simple questions addressed and expose some shady shit. What is our local governments purpose? Why do citizens have a lack of trust in our local city government? Why is our city so afraid of a transparent government? Why is our city afraid of ethics enforcement? Do we have an open budget process and our residents tax dollars being spent wisely? Why do residents have a fear of speaking up or calling out our leaders for what they believe is toxic or negative behavior? Is the business we are doing in public-private partnerships with reputable developers and companies? Why does our city charge and “arm and leg” for a Public Information Request and why are the prices differ depending on who files it? Why is everything from our leadership a sales pitch versus a fact finding to hear what residents want? We could go on … and on … an on but we won’t put you through that.

Corruption is widely defined as a breach of the public’s trust by government officials who use their public office to obtain personal gain. It is dishonest or sometimes illegal behavior by those in power which can affect the performance of local government and it erodes trust and weakens democracy.

Transparent governance means that government officials act openly, with citizens knowledge of the decision the officials are making. Important components include the availability of information on government policies and actions, a clear sense of organizational responsibility, and an assurance that governments are efficiently administered and free of systemic corruption. Transparent governance is important to local governments and the communities they serve because corruption threatens good governance, leads to the misallocation of resources, harms public and private sector development, and distorts public policy. 

Frisco Chronicles would love to hear from you! Do you have a blog idea or evidence of something shitty and/or shady going on? Confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us no matter who submits it (even if we are not too fond of you)! At Frisco’s Shady Shit, your secrets are safe with us! Please reach out to us by leaving a comment on a blog, send a direct message via our contact us page, or email us at FriscoWhistleBlower@protonmail.com

Now back to regular programming of The Promised Land (Part Two)

Anatomy of a Friendship

by | Mar 2, 2023 | Cheney Group, Developements, Developers, Mayor Jeff Cheney, PGA Frisco, Politics, Robert Elliott, Robert Elliott - The Associates, Stillwater, The Link

Aristotle was an Ancient Greek philosopher who made pioneering contributions to all fields of philosophy and science.  In his ethical masterpiece The Nicomachean Ethics he said there are three kinds of friendship: friendships of pleasure, utility, and of virtue. Friendship of utility is based on what two people can do for each other and it ends rapidly when the need is gone for the other person. The second is the friendship of pleasure, and it is based on the enjoyment of shared activities and is often short-tenured. In both utility and pleasure, the other person is not valued and is a means to an end.   The friendship of virtue is stable because it is true, real, and good. This is the friend you like for who they are and often they push you to be a better person. To understand these friendships we must look at their anatomy. Anatomy is a branch of biology, and it is concerned with the study of the structure or internal workings of something.  Through dissection or the separation of parts, much can be revealed. 

July 2016: Robert Elliott formed The Associates, a full-service residential real estate brokerage.

So, who is Robert Elliott?  Well, he is the Principal of Robert Elliott Custom Homes which has developed many projects throughout University Park, Highland Park, and the Preston Hollow area. Elliott also formed The Associates in 2016, mostly known in Dallas for its high-end luxury personal service and sold over 200 million in real estate in the Dallas area. Lastly, he is also a Partner in Stillwater Capital which was a fully integrated, private real estate company that has experience in design, construction, and operations of mixed-use developments, urban living communities, and custom projects. Stillwater is a key player in the PGA Frisco. They helped with the recruitment of bringing The PGA to Frisco, and is the developer behind The Link which neighbors the PGA Frisco.

May 2017: Jeff Cheney is elected Mayor for The City of Frisco

August 2017: Mayor Cheney and Councilman Will Sowell travel to Charlotte, NC for the 99 th PGA Championship.  It was there they meet with PGA leadership and Robert Elliott and his fellow representatives of Stillwater Capital.

November 2017:  The Associates, a brokerage owned by Robert Elliott announced its expansion to The Star in Frisco, and that The Cheney Group would be joining his brokerage.

In 2017, The Cheney Group was considered a powerhouse and recognized as one of the #1 Home-Selling Teams in the Frisco market with over $900 million in sales. There was no better place to set roots than the prominent location of The Star.  At the end of 2017, Stillwater Capital, The Associates, and The Cheney group office together at The Star.

December 5, 2017: Cheney filed an affidavit recusing himself from an item on the agenda during the executive session.  The reason listed is that he was a “partner with Stillwater Capital, Robert Elliott is also the broker for The Associates, my employer.” 

Throughout 2018 talks and planning continued for both Stillwater Capital projects, the PGA Frisco and The Link in the same office where The Cheney Group presided. It is fair for one to assume he had plenty of access to all things PGA Frisco as the development was coming together. 

December 2018: A notice was posted by The City of Frisco for a special meeting of the City Council on 12/4/2018 at 4:30 pm to authorize and execute the proposed Master Development Agreement for the PGA Frisco. Cheney announced he was turning the meeting over to Mayor Pro Tem Shona Huffman but first wanted to make a few statements.  He said he would be recusing because of the conflict between his private business, his broker being Robert Elliott and Elliott’s partnership in Stillwater Capital which is involved in the project before the council that evening.  He then laughed and said he thought it was a little of a loose association but after speaking with the city attorney it was best out of an abundance of caution to recuse himself.  He said the last thing he would want to do is put any doubt into a project of this magnitude and how excited and proud he is to be a part of a special team in the City of Frisco.  He then announced he was going to take “mayor’s privilege” to make a few comments.  He talked about the PGA Frisco dream of Mr. Ovard and his family, his trip to The PGA championship, and how the council members deserve credit for taking an active leadership role to bring The PGA to Frisco since he had to recuse himself from most of the project.  He made mention of how much hard work was put in by the City Manager George Purefoy and city staff. Lastly, he thanked The PGA for trusting Frisco and choosing Frisco as their new home.  As everyone clapped he left the stage. 

Wait, what?  A little loose of an association?  There is nothing loose about the association between The Cheney Group, The Associates, and Stillwater Capital. At this point, we have established the connection between the three groups and to anyone who is not blind, there is a clear relationship that creates a conflict of interest for Cheney.  In our opinion, he should have removed himself from any conversation relating to these projects, from providing input on the projects, from talking to developers and other parties of the project. 

Mayors Privilege?  We tried to find the mayor’s privilege in the rules of the Texas Meeting Laws, but we couldn’t.  Overall, he spoke for over 6 minutes and 45 seconds before the vote.  We can all agree at this point the decision is made and the meeting is really about pomp and circumstance, but he should have reserved his comments until after the vote. 

October 15, 2019: In a closed session, the council received legal advice regarding amendments to the Master Development Agreement executed by the City of Frisco with the players of the PGA Frisco development.  Did Cheney participate in these conversations or recuse himself? We don’t know and doubt anyone will tell us.

November 19, 2019 Email: Mike Smith with TRT Holdings, who represents the Omni Hotel portion of the PGA Frisco deal sends out an email to several folks involved in the deal. Just a few are Fehmi Karahan (Fields) and his team, Robert Elliott (Stillwater) and his team, Chris Kleinert (Hunt) and his team, plus he included Jeff Cheney, George Purefoy, Ben Brezina, and Ron Patterson. He wants to host a lunch at his office to update everyone on the PGA Frisco project and catch up on what is happening on the surrounding land and discuss any issues that should be coordinated between each of the respective developments. A second email from Stephanie New the Executive Assistant at TRT Holdings for Mike Smith goes out asking if December 9, 2019, would work for everyone.

Two days later, Julie Venture with Frisco EDC responds Ron Patterson is available and Jeff Cheney responds he is available as well.   That is where the email chain stops so we were curious why our PIR didn’t include the rest of the conversation which seemed odd. To say we are perplexed is an understatement. Why is Mayor Cheney the only one on the council invited, why not invite all the council members? Did Cheney or city staff update the rest of the council after this meeting what transpired at lunch. Remember, at this time Mayor Cheney’s personal business is under Robert Elliott so it is obvious he was involved in conversations regarding the development. Is his involvement a conflict of interest? Yes!

June 16, 2020: Did he oversee the consent agenda vote where two items pertaining to Omni Stillwater Woods Golf Resort was involved? Yes he did!

June 29, 2020 Email: Clay Roby (Stillwater) sends Jeff Cheney an email to his personal business account, not the city email.  He states he and Robert are compiling information on The Link with the goal of creating a discussion piece for the joint Council and Planning and Zoning work session coming up.  He would appreciate Cheney’s perspective on the development and what they can do to find “win-win” solutions to the outstanding items in the PD.  Then he asks when Cheney has time to connect. Does Cheney give feedback to all developers on future presentations going before the council and Planning and Zoning? Does Cheney help every developer find “win-win” solutions to outstanding issues in the PD? Should the Mayor be involved in these discussion on the sideline without brining in other council members? Should this be considered a conflict of interest? Yes!

July 14, 2020 Email: Clay Roby (Stillwater) sends an email to Cheney letting him know that he and Robert have been working on a presentation for the joint work session coming up on Aug 3rd and would appreciate his feedback before they submit the final version to the city.  He asks if Cheney has any time the next day to connect.  Cheney responds from his personal email (cheneygroup.com) that the next day from 2-4 would work.  Robert Elliott responds that the time works for him and the appointment is set. The next day before they are set for the 2pm call Clay Roby sends to Jeff Cheney a draft of the presentation again to his personal work email, not his official City of Frisco email. Again Cheney is giving feedback to a developer he wants us to believe he has no conflict with for a presentation that will be presented at a city work session. Did Cheney disclose to his fellow council members his involvement? We think it is a valid question.

Nov 02, 2020: Council received legal advice from the city attorney regarding the 3rd Amendment to the Master Development Agreement for the project.  Did Cheney participate in the closed-session discussion since it involved Omni Stillwater Woods Golf Resort? We don’t know.

In 2021, The Link was coming up before the council.  On March 12, P&Z approved the project, and it was listed on the council’s agenda for a vote on April 6, 2021. One would think Cheney should recuse himself from The Link (the other half) of the Frisco PGA project that Stillwater Capital was involved in.  But, no!

March 22, 2021: Monument Realty founded by Eddie and Tiffany Burns acquired The Associates owned by Robert Elliott and The Cheney Group with Jeff Cheney.  The two groups moved separately the same day to a new brokerage to break up the connection or so-called conflict of interest. Cheney has said his move to Monument cleared any conflict he had with the projects.  Really, we would argue that regardless of his move to Monument it does not erase or expel his interwoven relationship to the project or the players in the project.

Fast forward the VHS tape (I would say Betamax but no one remembers that) to June of 2021, Cheney said in his response to an ethics complaint filed, the investment group handling the PGA is Omni Stillwater Woods per the city’s agreement.  He also said there is no conflict of interest because there are no contractual agreements with The Associates, Stillwater Capital, or Monument Realty.  Part of his rebuttal was the complaint’s information was inaccurate.

April 6, 2021: Now rewind the VHS tape to the City Council meeting where The Link was before the council.  Two of the speakers “in favor or for” the project were Clay Roby and Cole Henley and the minutes state they are there on behalf of Stillwater Capital Investments (not Omni Stillwater Woods). When Mr. Roby approached the podium he stated, “he was there to speak on behalf of The Link application, as the Managing Director with Stillwater Capital one of the investors of The Link property before you tonight.” Well, well, well if Cheney wants to argue semantics at his ethics complaint then we would like to argue the same back. See the semantics of the language used by Mr. Roby does not state he is with Omni Stillwater Woods so that means Cheney’s argument given during his ethics rebuttal is null and void and there is a conflict of interest.

The meeting continued and a few of the council members raised concerns.  Mayor Cheney’s response was swift and immediate and you could tell he appeared aggravated when he respond to the council’s concerns saying this is a new asset class to Frisco.  He continued and said “when it comes to density it’s a political dog whistle and good for political campaign mailers.  When you speak to people and actually educate them (because he thinks we are stupid) on how multi-family works, how it actually reduces traffic and builds our commercial basis they are okay with it. It’s ironic to him that people who consider themselves conservatives don’t look at the economics behind the developments and how it’s driving our tax bills down and it’s the model for how we build Frisco.” He then went on to talk about the challenges of the property and the topography of the area.  It would be one of this council’s greatest failures if we do not allow the only piece of property with unobstructed views of the golf course to be developed into anything less than spectacular.  To do that we must have blend-use projects. Mayor Cheney continued with his selling and pushing of the development and ended up talking for a little over 5 minutes. 

Then Mr. Roby said at the podium he understands what it is like to knock on doors because at Stillwater we have a residential development arm called Robert Elliott Custom Homes …  Stop the presses!  Again, Roby calls the company behind The Link Stillwater Capital Investments and acknowledges Mr. Elliott’s residential arm as part of the company. Closing the meeting Cheney said they should table the issue, then said he thought they were all under the same understanding based on all the work sessions and meetings and it was clear he was annoyed at the council’s concerns and with the delay.

April 16, 2021, Email: Clay Roby (Stillwater) sends Cheney an email with a presentation and notes page 15 is a new slide that shows the PD adjustments they are contemplating to propose based on the meetings with the council members they had the last few weeks and he would like Cheney’s feedback.  The next day Cheney responds he likes the presentation and asked what the feedback has been from the council.  Clay responds the same day Bill Woodard appreciated the commitment to the trial and said SWC has his support.  Brian Livingston and Dan Stricklin like the reduction in the residential units but would not commit support.  They plan to meet with Shona on Thursday. They have not been able to meet with Will Sowell but anticipate he will support the project.

April 30, 2021, Email: Clay Roby (Stillwater) sends Cheney via his personal email a copy of the presentation he plans to present at the council meeting next week.  He mentions they have been meeting and talking with several on the council to answer any questions from the April 6 council meeting.  He mentions good feedback from most on the council, but Dan and Brian might still be on the fence.  Then Clay asks Cheney if he has had a chance to discuss with anyone on the council and to let him know if they need to connect prior to the upcoming Tuesday council meeting.  The funny thing is there is no response in the emails from the PIR.  Why was the response back to Clay not provided?  Where is it?

May 1, 2021, Email: Roby (Stillwater) sends an email to Cheney that they are working on the press release in anticipation of next week’s approval. He wanted to see if Cheney would be willing or able to provide a quote for the release. On May 3 Cheney responded absolutely he would like to help and asks if their marketing people want to write something up that he can approve so it is on message.  Then he also offers something along the lines of: “The Link delivers to promise of capitalizing on the PGA and Omni Resort and Convention Center.  The links delivers quality office with unobstructed views of the golf course as well as a mix of entertainment and destination dining.  The large open space and trail connectivity will make the residential components highly livable.  The Link is a world-class project that will maximize the energy of the PGA Frisco brand.” Should the mayor allow a third party marketing like Stillwater to write the copy for him to approve for their own marketing materials?  Probably because his statement makes no sense but seriously no the Mayor should be using the city’s internal communication department. Again it is an appearance that some would consider to be a clear conflict of interest. 

May 4, 2021: City Council tables The Link to May 18, 2021.  During the public hearing, Clay Roby once again said he was there to speak on behalf of the project applicant and that he is the Managing Director at Stillwater Capital and is responsible for SWC mixed-use projects. Once the public hearing closed Mayor Cheney points out there a few more questions to be answered so they are tabling until the May 18 meeting.

May 18, 2021: Council Approves The Link

Roby spoke again on behalf of the applicant and the minutes produced by the city again list his company as Stillwater Capital Investments (not Stillwater Capital Woods).  Mayor Cheney points out they have been talking about the project for a long time and it has been tabled a couple of times.  He points out the odd shape of the land, the topography, and how this land before the PGA Frisco would have been developed into boring office space.  Today we sit here discussing a billion-dollar development because of the halo effect of the PGA Frisco.  This odd, shaped property is probably one of the most important zoning cases the city has ever had, and it had to be looked at in the totality of the whole region. Because of how important this project is the city has never been more demanding, more difficult to work with, and more challenging with any developer.  In closing, Cheney says this is a project we should be celebrating, and he feels like we must justify making a world-class decision that will impact generations in their community.  He told the developer they are excited about their project and proud to move forward with them as partners, and that we’re grateful they see Frisco as the city to invest a billion dollars in over the next 10 to 15 years.  Now here is our question, does Cheney really feel citizens need him to justify the project or does Cheney feel the need to justify it because he knows the scrutiny his involvement could possibly play?

If you remember at the end of my blog, The Silicon Valley of Golf  I was left pondering a few questions. Did Cheney have behind-the-scenes access to the inner workings of these  3 world-class developments since officed with Stillwater Capital and worked with The Associates?  The answer is a resounding YES!  Cheney clearly has had a relationship with The Associates, Robert Elliott, and Stillwater Capital since 2017. Robert Elliott was his boss (broker) and all three offices are together at The Star for several years. Moving to Monument Realty on March 22, which is 15 days before the expected vote on The Link project does not absolve him of a conflict of interest. Did he recuse himself from all conversations or meetings with developers?  He stated in some of his comments that he had conversations with the developers and based on the emails clearly he did not recuse himself.  Did he recuse himself from council discussions, due to his relationship with Stillwater Capital?  No, he spoke at nauseum at the April 6, May 4, and May 18 council meetings. To anyone watching, it was clear his determination to help get this project approved.  Is that because it was a good project, because of his relationship with the applicant, or because he had an investment in the deal?  We honestly can’t determine his motivation because of the clear glaring violations that took place.  Is it fair for the mayor to argue language semantics as a defense during his ethics complaint when clearly the applicant stated their name as Stillwater Capital during the approval process on record and it is listed on city minutes the say way?  No, he should not be able to bend the rules to suit himself when necessary but in Cheneyville we live by his rules.  Should Cheney be helping the developer with presentations and marketing materials?  Should he be sharing private conversations that he has had with other council members with developers or using those conversations to help developers “win” approvals?  Should Cheney be doing “city business” via his personal real estate email?  No, absolutely not! When someone files a PIR does the city actually review his personal email or do they ask him to turn over documents pertaining to the request on good faith? How can he say his personal business is not a conflict when he is using it to run city business as well?  The city is asking residents to “trust me” we did the right thing. Based on what we have already unloaded would you “trust the city?” Probably not, since all these things give off the perception of shady behavior.

We agree this is a project to be proud of, a project that will change Frisco forever which is a great thing. Stillwater Capital and all of those involved have done a phenomenal job in bringing this together and creating a true masterpiece. Where we disagree is Mayor Cheney’s clear and almost blaring horn-honking conflict of interest.  Our concerns are ligament when our mayor is so closely connected with a project, and it is justifiable for us to ask about his relationship whether it be a friendship or business relationship.  We don’t think it is out of line to say something smells like shit and up to the end there was a major conflict of interest.  Trying to “CURE” a conflict just weeks before the vote for The Link should have everyone’s eyebrows raised including the city attorney unless he fell asleep. What we cannot understand is why are citizens not outraged, asking questions, standing up, and saying something is not right here. It is time for citizens and the media to ask questions and the first should be what shady shit is happening in Frisco?