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.

The State of The City

A conversational narcissist is someone who constantly turns a conversation toward themselves and is often uninterested in what other people have to say.  In a fast-paced world, they’re eager to get their point across quickly without making true connections with others.  Often a conversational narcissist has an anxious aspect to their personality which is why they talk about things familiar to them such as their business or themselves!  Signs of a conversational narcissist include one-sided conversations.  They have their own agenda, and they can’t move away from it long enough to engage with someone else or to hear someone else’s opinions.  Conversations with them are never interpersonal or interactive, they are more of a monologue or lecture.   They often feel they are the center of the universe, and they will never admit they are wrong and often interrupt.  They will appear visibly uncomfortable, bored, contemptuous, or distracted when other people are talking.  Lastly, they come across as arrogant when speaking to them.

Does this sound like anyone you know?   Well, we think it sounds a lot like Mayor Cheney.  Just look at city council meetings and often you will find Mayor Cheney “schooling” the public or other city council members.  At the recent State of the City luncheon put on by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor also displayed traits of a conversational narcissist during his 76-slide presentation.  If you want to see Mayor Jeff Cheney’s State of the City Presentation then just visit the city website.

Over our lifetime we have lived in many cities, and rarely did we hear about State of the City Luncheons until we moved to Frisco.  This was our first year to attend and according to the Frisco Chamber Website you should attend because “Frisco is a city like no other!  As for who attends, well it is a who’s who of Frisco for sure.  Individual Tickets were $100 per person, or you could sponsor a table for $900.  But if you want to be a Visionary Sponsor that is $2000 or better yet be an Innovator Sponsor for just a mere $3000.

The mayor of course took pride and time talking about the 2024 Council Top 10 Priorities.  Specifically, the master planning of Grand Park, a new Performing Arts Center, World Cup 2026, and Downtown Frisco.  He could not stop boasting about how great all these things would be for Frisco.

We found the slide about Foreign Direct Investments interesting which stated according to Duns & Bradstreet, there are 71 companies in Frisco owned by a parent company that is ‘OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.” 

The next interesting thing was the “developments” coming.  All we could hear was cha-ching, cha-ching, and cha-ching! 

Downtown Redevelopment: $70-million project

Northwest Community Park: $40-million budget

4th Street Downtown Redevelopment: $16-million budget

Grand Park Development:  Budget TBD

Fire Station 10 – Spring 2025:  No Budget Listed

Police Annex: No Details Given

One thing not covered in depth was the desire for a NEW PEFORMING ARTS CENTER.  On the city website it states that in 2023, the City of Frisco participated in the Americans for the Arts AEP6 Study, which found the arts sector generated $21.3 million in economic activity in Frisco in 2022Read the full report here (PDF).   So that is why they are trying to find a way to get that $500 million Performing Arts Center.   In fact, Cheney didn’t say we hope to have one, he said we will have one because he has wanted it since 2017.  It always has been about what he wants, right? That’s it! 

That is the State of the City here in Frisco according to Cheney.  We only have one question; HOW CAN WE AFFORD ALL THESE PROJECTS?  Yes, we have bond money set aside, but when you think about it, we are spending money like its water just going down the drain and at some point, these city leaders are going to lock us into a rock and hard place financially.

East Vs West

If you are from the DFW area you may recognize the name Robert Tilton, an American Televangelist and the former pastor of the Word of Faith Family Church in Farmers Branch.  His ministry peaked in the early 90’s and it has been reported his infomercial style church program aired in some 225+ American television markets.  It has been reported that Tilton brought in $70 to $80 million dollars per year.  The message he pushed upon viewers was the importance of “vows” aka financial commitments to the Tilton ministry.  The minimum vow was $1000 but if you wanted to receive a personal “word of knowledge” from Tilton you had to “vow” anywhere from $5k to $10,000 dollars.  If you sent a prayer request with a vow, then Tilton claimed to lay on top of the prayer request to heal the weak.

Tilton’s demise came in 1991 when word got out that he may be a fraud or over promising “blessings” to viewers.  Some “garbologists” who worked for ABC’s Primetime Live spent over a month dumpster diving outside of Tilton’s many offices and what they found was shocking.  Over 10,000 lbs. of prayer request letters cut along the edge with the vow removed and the prayer request still inside the envelope, untouched and discarded in dumpsters.  Lawsuits commenced by followers, the Tilton’s headed to divorce court and many felt it was an attempt to protect their assets.  Now, why am I reminding you of this Tilton character?  Well, he was full of it, kind of like our city council.

For years, our city leadership has made grand promises when it comes to some projects, but then they vanish into a cosmic void, much like matter falling into a black hole.  The city has been talking about Grand Park since before most of us were born.  Well after several municipal bonds, environmental studies, we have a walking trail, but no grand park (remember like Central Park in NY) or lake as promised.  Then there is Wade Park which later become known as Lake Lebanon which sat for years after the developer went belly up. It later became known as The Mix, which we have heard about for the last two years and yet…still nothing but a fence around the property.  Then we had the Frisco Theater, a grand place for plays and as of late now Broadway style shows.  Well 5 to 7 studies later over 8 years, still nothing!  Oh wait, now they want us to buy into a $500+ million theater run by the city on taxpayer dollars.  My point is, they council is much like Robert Tilton and his “Word of Faith” ministry who make grand gestures and promises, ask us to pass more bonds, potentially increase our taxes and yet nothing seems to actually be coming together.

Picture of Lake Lebanon (formerly Wade Park) before it rained and filled up with water. Note it is now supposed to be The Mix. Side note we had a lake here it was just not in Grand Park like they promised. Picture by Dallas Morning News

Another example, the city has been talking about the revitalization of Frisco’s Downtown area as far back as 2016-2018.  Well, after spending at least $50 to $75,000 visiting different cities to “study their downtown areas” we finally broke ground to fix downtown.  The city has dragged its feet since 2016, spending money on tours and trips but only now that FIFA is coming in 2026 is there a push for this project to be done in time so we can look good for the many “visitors” it will bring downtown. 

The sad part is we have had Frisco locals take interest and invest in our downtown area way before this city or the council have done anything.  While we may not always agree with Donny Churchman, he is one man who has had a passion for downtown and the Frisco Rail District.  In a 2018 interview with Lifestyle Frisco, he notes the downtown area has been ignored during all the development.  He talked about the name change of downtown Frisco to the Rail District has a lot to do with Frisco’s history and the BNSF railroad and we could not agree more with him on that. 

He started investing years ago in the downtown area with The Patio at the Rails and Tower at the Rail, then came the Nack Theater.  His overall goal is to “restore downtown Frisco” and it is a passion for him. We are curious how Churchman feels today, with the city bending over backwards offering tax incentives for Rollertown Beerworks, a venue that features a two-level taproom and 4,320 sq ft outdoor beer garden. Did the city break their back for Churchman’s investments. We don’t know but would be curious to find out more.

Along with Churchman, many residents who own historic homes downtown have spent time and money to meticulously renovate and update them while keeping that 1900s charm about them.  All this local money and passion bringing life in to downtown, and yet our city has sat on it since 2016.  Many of these locals have advocated for something to happen downtown for the last ten years as everything seemed to develop around it.  If they can do it then why did it take FIFA coming here for the City of Frisco to finally do something.  

The June 2024 announcement of the new grand downtown plan made us wonder, if we went back 5 to 10 years what “priorities” did the city have and which ones have been completed.  We found a town hall video discussing the 2018 Top Ten Priorities, which include the following:

1) Implement Traffic Innovation

2) Increase Capital Expenditure Fund

3) Performing Arts Center

4) Downtown revitalization & finish the master plan

5) Grow and expand our Economic Development Corp to go after fortune 500 companies

6) Lower property taxes

7) Development of the North 380 Corridor & its Growth,

8) New facility expansion options like city hall or the library

9) Final master plan for our future parks

10) Legislative Plan to Protect Frisco

Awe, the dreaded word in this town…Traffic!  Cheney said the first priority was Traffic Innovation because we have become more congested (DUH!!).   The priority aims to use new technologies to help relieve that congestion such as adaptive signal control systems which communicate with cars and autonomous, or self-driving, buses in Frisco by this year, used in the private sector.   Seven years later, if you drive Frisco – TRAFFIC SUCKS!  Not sure the signal control systems are working, and we don’t have autonomous self-driving buses in Frisco but guess what we do have…ROUND-A-BOUTS and TRAFFIC! If we were grading the city on this priority, they would get a big fat F!

One of the other 2018 Priorities was the Performing Arts Center Strategy.  Cheney told Community Impact in 2018 that he would like to see it as a public-private partnership.  The article also said they were in the middle of a feasibility study to determine the size and needs of a potential PAC.  Well in 2024, we are on our 6th or 7th study, they are proposing a city owned theater at the taxpayer expense, but they hope down the road could be a public-private partnership, and several discussions over the years for a PAC have failed and fallen flat.  We would give this a priority a big fat F as well!

The 2018 Priority for finishing the downtown master plan started with them approving a contract with a consulting firm to update the 20-year-old downtown master plan.  Cheney told Community Impact at the time that the council and city official plan to continue to work with the private market to explore old downtown Frisco options.  Remember, the cool market with a beer garden that Frisco Market developers promised? Well, we have the market but no beer garden and downtown has not changed that much except for the private development by Churchman and residents. 

What has the city done downtown? Not much, but now that FIFA is coming, we have a $70 million dollar renovation downtown happening and you can bet it will be finished in time for the visitors to come.  We give them a big F for this too. Just look at what they finally say they will commit to in 2024.

The next big priority was the Northern Corridor and creating an identity for it.  Cheney told Community Impact that their plan for 2018 was to attract more business and residential developments to the area.  Well, they must have known something we didn’t, we are referring to the December 2018 announcement that the PGA of America was relocating its headquarters to the “Northern Corridor” of Frisco.  This was a good win for Frisco, and we gave them an A+ for it!  However, they get an F for the shady business dealings, friendships, and conflicts of interest that came from some of the development around the new PGA for Cheney and some council members.  

As for the expansion of city facilities, we have a new 65-million-dollar library, new court building, city hall in 2023 started an expansion inside and facilities just opened a new building in the last year.   As for the masterplan of parks well you can bet Bobblehead Bill got his bikes and trikes trails.  As for Grand Park, well that is still…not Grand at all but if you want to see a butterfly you can walk the trail they put in.

Back to Robert Tilton, he was about big words, fancy clothes, and was about “putting on the show” to get your vow.  He promised to pray for his flock, but he failed when money took over. What we have learned is that the importance of a project in the City of Frisco is determined by a select few who sit on council.  We have also learned they love to talk about things and promise things for many years but the truth is they are failing us as residents.  When those sitting on our city council run for office, they each run for their own purpose or passion project.  That is okay but they should be representing all of us and the truth is our council only represents the WEST SIDE, which is where you have seen all the investment in the last 5 to 8 years.   Why do we say that?  Well just ask our council members where they live. 

Not one person sitting on our council today lives on the East Side of the tollway or the Collin County side, maybe that has something to do with where all the money is going. They all live in the Denton County side of Frisco which is WEST of the tollway.  That’s right folks, Tammy Meinershagen, Laura Rummel, John Keating, Jeff Cheney, Angelia Pelham, Brian Livingston and Bill Woodard all live on the WEST SIDE OF THE TOLLWAY.  Maybe that is why they get the PGA and the Frisco Star, and the East Side is getting Universal and Business Warehouses Developments along PGA Parkway.  

Troubled Waters @ Frisco ISD

One of the main reasons people choose Frisco for their home is because of the school district.  Frisco ISD is often talked about and revered as one of the best districts in North Texas.  The districts website even notes, “Many families choose to call Frisco ISD home due to our outstanding reputation for academic excellence, innovative programs and wealth of extracurricular opportunities and experiences.”  Frisco ISD currently enrolls more than 67,000 students in 12 high schools, 18 middle schools, 1 intermediate school, 43 elementary schools and 3 special programs schools.  We were curious, how great is it? 

With our kids being grown, we have not paid too much attention to ISD news.  To be fair, we have had several whistleblowers send in tips and information but in general it is hard to follow up on and investigate.  But sometimes there is news you come across that you have to share because it is about the safety of the children and the families right to know. 

My wife, like most woman, loves to scroll social media and recently she found a post from May 2022 about a Ruben Bustillos, former employee at Frisco ISD, who had been arrested after police said they found “inappropriate” images at an elementary school.  He was charged with sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor which is a Class A misdemeanor.  In Texas, a Class A misdemeanor is the most serious type of misdemeanor offense which is punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $4000 fine, or both.  Types of charges include carrying a gun without a permit, second DWI offense, resisting arrest and assault causing bodily injury.  At the time very few details were released about what led to the arrest and the Frisco PD nor the ISD identified which school it was found at.  We were curious, what happened to the case?

Well, we decided to look up Bustillos case in Denton County which can be found under Case No. CR-2023-01499-E.  It shows the case was filed on 3/7/23 in County Criminal Court #5.  From the court documents, it appears that on 5/30/23 Bustillos pleaded “No Contest” to charge #1 of Sale/Distribution/Display Harmful Material to a Minor. The “disposition” meaning the outcome was “DEFERRED ADJUDICATION” which is a term that generally refers to a “PLEA BARGAIN” wherein a defendant pleads guilty or no contest to the charges against them.  He was sentenced to 15 months’ probation with 80 hours of community service.  Hope that community service is not done around children! The total court costs he had to pay was $692.00.  Do you think that is a fair and just outcome for a man who was around Frisco ISD children?

Then in May of 2023, Kendal Augustus, a Frisco Police School Resource Officer was arrested after allegations surfaced that he had an “INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP WITH A STUDENT.”  The allegations dated back to 2017-18 and involved him and a 14-year-old Frisco ISD student.  When the allegations surfaced the Frisco Police Department put him on administrative leave and began an investigation.  Augustus was later fired and arrested on June 14, 2023, at which time he was charged with sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child and sexual performance of a child.  His bond at the time was set at $55,000.  Ever wonder what happened with this case?

Well in a search of Denton County’s 367th Judicial District Court we found three case numbers: F23-5117-367, F23-5118-367, and F23-5119-367. All three charges are considered a 2nd Degree Felony in Texas. Besides Augustus trying to modify his bond conditions on 12/20/2023 a True Bill of Indictment came in on all three charges.  What is a True Bill?  It simply means nine grand jurors determined that there was probable cause that an offense occurred.  Then on 5/31/24 it appears they appeared in court to present a plea bargain data / continuance data, but we are not really sure what that means.  As of right now, it appears the case is still moving through the court system.

Then we came across a recent Facebook post from June 14th in a group about Collin County Jail Records, and we are guessing one of their teachers might need to answer some questions. It appears on 6/14/2024 Taryn Glasgow, a Newman Elementary teacher at Frisco ISD, and her husband Randy Glasgow were both booked by the Celina Police Department on 6/14/2024 for Injury to a Child, Elderly Individual or Disabled Individual.   According to a jail records search, Taryn Glasgow was booked #2024-BK-07569 and Randal Glasgow was booked under #2024-BK-07568.  Both had a $25,000 bond with conditions.  Just from the booking photos we can tell the couple may have had one to many that night.  

We had to look up the penal code because we wanted more details. The Texas Penal Code § 22.04. for Injury to a Child, Elderly Individual, or Disabled Individual reads, “(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, by act or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly by omission, causes to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual: (1) serious bodily injury; (2) serious mental deficiency, impairment, or injury;  or (3) bodily injury.” 

It goes on to read, “(c) In this section: (1) “Child” means a person 14 years of age or younger.  (2) “Elderly individual” means a person 65 years of age or older.  (3) “Disabled individual” means a person with one or more of the following: (i) autism spectrum disorder; (ii) developmental disability, (iii) intellectual disability.”

As for the court case there is not much information currently.  They appeared in Magistrate Court under case number DCMAG-46229-2024 and DCMAG-46228-2024 both of which appear to have been heard on 6/14/2024.  According to the Collin County website “the Collin County Magistrate Court includes advising the defendants of their rights, determining probable cause, setting bond, and issuing warrants in criminal cases. The Magistrate may also issue and enforce bond conditions. A defendant is considered to be a person charged with a crime.”

We are not trying to embarrass the couple but if these charges are in any way true then parents who sent their kids to Newman have a right to know.  They are serious accusations related to a potential child.  As a parent I would want to know and since this has already been posted several times across social media, we felt the need to share. 

Have you ever wondered if Frisco ISD is the top tier district you think it is?  You can always read the Texas Education Agency Report Card.  We found the 2023 Federal Report Card for Frisco ISD online and you can click here to read it.  According to SchoolDigger.com Frisco ISD ranks 41 out of 968 districts in Texas and has a 5-star rating.  So why do we keep having issues with Frisco ISD staff?   Does the district do backchecks every few years on current employees or only at the time of hiring?  What is the policy of the district when it comes to reporting something like this to them?   What is the policy when it comes to informing parents?    Parents should be armed with all of the information when it comes to the safety of their children. 

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?