[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6515484,"mediaKeyId","3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c","parentId",3868978,"title","Votes at a glance: Little Elm council approves several procedural and personnel items","audioSeconds",9,"startMs",1821000,"endMs",1830000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c&start=1821&end=1830","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c/thumbnail_1821000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6515484/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Little-Elm-council-approves-several-procedural-and-personnel-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515484-ea8cd79140780c04234e4a611195875d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167571&Signature=L4zaA2XdV~qehqMqcYFGXuyzj8iif0EMSD9sUDWHhJ4nUyfGMmOfy~gGc7xlshlwlNPmencNFkCqObxviOqXe8oKpWMe2hqy0nPiZswAkodqDycMk93mAzNs0xy4T~AbIveWsGJSLdB2v1YLJ2XwvRo1WD0rVz2nplkPpJ-QozhIudJx9pTiwrfU8Z-bi048A9MSAV9COJRv-6VnDwVUd6ybZfESntUwPpx~J4OPHOlp2lqS0LLfb26nJkE9owAODtY03oYS6yxxX0DHVkTzyl2aOX-uAX2tLMk6hdypcrJ054BBJeEy0pLglor~X9OgJkhTbYffx7juOV61HKza5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Little Elm","date","2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Town Council of Little Elm recorded several formal actions at its June 17 meeting:

• Removal of item L from the consent agenda: Councilmembers moved and seconded a motion to remove item L for separate discussion; the motion passed unanimously.

• Approval of agenda item AO: Following the consent agenda discussion the council moved, seconded and approved item AO by unanimous vote.

• Continuation of public hearing on Ordinance 1808: The council opened the public hearing and voted to continue it and leave it open until the July 1 meeting at the applicant's request; the motion to continue passed unanimously.

• Support for nomination to the Denco 911 Board of Managers: The council voted to endorse the nomination of Steve Southwell to the Denco 911 district board of managers after receiving his resume; the motion passed by voice vote.

• Authorization to settle potential personnel litigation: After returning from executive session, the council moved to authorize the mayor to settle a potential litigation personnel matter in accordance with terms discussed in executive session; the motion passed unanimously.

The meeting record shows unanimous votes or voice consent for the items listed above; the transcript does not record individual roll-call vote names for each item beyond general \"all in favor/aye\" statements. Further details, including the full settlement terms for the personnel matter, were not disclosed during open session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Little Elm - Town Council - Jun 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its June 17 meeting the council removed and approved consent items, continued a public hearing, endorsed a Denco 911 nominee and authorized the mayor to settle a personnel litigation matter following executive session.","taxTitle","Little Elm, Denton County, Texas","taxId",52812,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515487,"Little Elm resident asks council to extend pickleball court lights and reduce evening reservations",128,1490000,1618000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c&start=1490&end=1618","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c/thumbnail_1490000.jpg","/articles/6515487/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Little-Elm-resident-asks-council-to-extend-pickleball-court-lights-and-reduce-evening-reservations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515487-e9d38e0ec1f198bd8c437dff339ca5c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167571&Signature=m-VL1ZJw8Ao-kk9QZSgcDX~gXk9HjWYfQJZokpJLIFxoNiB85JT4EOE1goVYMig7YJ4w8VAWDf08Ciwpmyf5QC4eSw6Fm86SPgPaYaFA3jI0dBI9Du4k9Mmq8AbMDV27cRDU2t3rcaT2czStwkgneHFTQOgNrV5-C01tLQ6vqP6GMTGl1QMhu8P559WvEYjy-pwwsg5FsGUT7EIfazvP16tXxoRzwDKlcCXWzrNpVIp-ZBNSptvXT2B~MZvYHvHDXTxnzwhduLODDpI3N-16E-rFwPKnqgnov9c5NY~OR62LqrBO6C1qsasJYPOZlNTBxFzPzWlOFZYEORXqBzhVmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ethan Liu of Deer Hollow Drive addressed the council during public comment on behalf of the Little Elm pickleball community, asking two policy changes: extend court lighting to 11 p.m. nightly from June through September, and limit court reservations after 7 p.m. to preserve drop-in play.

Liu said most players prefer to play after sunset during hot months and that on many nights 20 to 30 people remain on the courts when lights currently shut off at 10 p.m. “Extending the lights by just one hour would better match how the community actually uses a space and provide a safer, cooler play time without requiring new infrastructure,” Liu told the council.

He also said keeping courts available for spontaneous play after 7 p.m. would reduce gatekeeping by large groups and increase access for individuals and small groups. Liu noted current paddle-stacking and challenge-court systems allow open play to run smoothly.

Councilmembers did not take immediate action on the request during the meeting; staff will consider policy implications and possible scheduling changes.","A resident representing the Little Elm pickleball community asked the council to extend lighted court hours during summer months and keep courts open for drop-in play in the evenings to support access and safety.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515489,"Little Elm tourism and communications team wins five TAMIO awards",145,1315000,1460000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c&start=1315&end=1460","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c/thumbnail_1315000.jpg","/articles/6515489/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Little-Elm-tourism-and-communications-team-wins-five-TAMIO-awards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515489-611bbbc7eac13151b0a35e63b678bd11/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167571&Signature=YtaiQ9cvPU2g2neBcFR8ViV4aU8u7o8Qt-0e3HBbk6RzFEgczsArglOkn5eNxd7SZDwEm4GPKQ8BpO32oiRmJB~fyS5m3kGPm89kFayhFmmPhF~YruLtqrAMelO4ISj8riNIjTMgiVTjqQHnBuxheyGWFg4--VxZaAhOaucZRuYIGEhDfT1WKw3Eikyk5JKF4IIy1-xDz4TSH7gqwh06a06ueKv6wudoBgkhkWgUdAWEgw8ug47k~dbotbb4cTDs0b3yaxugvgUFHUxDNymB9KP2Q99RBmX286OdIU8Fplx~Bika-3vNUmIbv5U01XUd96iiBSg7lf4hwArybJH8Qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Little Elm’s tourism and communications department reported it received five awards at the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers conference, the council heard.

Drew Bailey presented the awards the department received from 780 submissions. The honors included first place for best one-time event (Nightmare over Little Elm Park), first place for best recurring event (Brewing Q), first place for best flyer (LUED recruitment flyer), third place for best new logo (Big E) and third place for best unplanned campaign (Pound with Flick Attitude Snowman).

Councilmembers congratulated the team for the recognition and said the awards reflected the department’s outreach work.

The town did not report any budgetary changes tied to the awards during the presentation.","The town’s tourism and communications staff reported winning five awards from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers across event, flyer and campaign categories.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515490,"Little Elm unveils Elmi Awards to recognize viral municipal social media posts",525,686000,1211000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c&start=686&end=1211","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c/thumbnail_686000.jpg","/articles/6515490/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Little-Elm-unveils-Elmi-Awards-to-recognize-viral-municipal-social-media-posts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515490-ec76901df0c314ddb91166b05c67e792/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167571&Signature=M1YLdUAJZ0JnIYC-0ZBuUIqNuffPpv8FY7V-yWoY3BBwasbRZo2BL-Owwmej~pGmsRax80lfov45JTtG8Ji2vdJ~1cBcXJMerqZtmzZZKY-M3ZLUnCDoOq2CflIF1klBGcfs1bhoRwx2dXPwbU0voSlVe5ZOSffae2Vq9VzWuK7iTcFl4tY2N1pFAgKlKQ8WptITzAW2lsXMzY7AB-HhLkUCGD2ELP7xaCzk9pRNVTa06lyX23rZ6fV~hhxolPs57KdbDFf9teaudyXqprOP9fsvzcRWUCpYw7cqJR9TyIN8C~sIGzTwFMitnxMxFPrSbCVR5HlCpVp5uk3bnho1TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Little Elm’s communications department announced a new employee recognition program, the Elmi Awards, to honor staff social media posts that reach broad audiences.

Drew Bailey of the communications/tourism team presented the program and described four award tiers based on views: Silver for 500,000 views, Gold for 1 million, Platinum for 2 million and Diamond for 5 million or more. Bailey said the awards aim to encourage community engagement and recognize employees who “go above and beyond” in digital outreach.

Bailey highlighted a set of viral posts from the past year, many produced by police department staff. Examples included a training-themed video credited to Ashley Alvaro and Jeff Thompson that reached about 672,000 views; a canine-related update featuring K-9 Cody that reached about 555,000 views and drew national offers of assistance; and a safety video about texting while driving that Bailey said reached more than 12 million views. Bailey said the department’s videos have driven public conversation and engagement across states.

Councilmembers and staff recognized the communications team and several police officers for the reach and community engagement value of the posts. The council later presented awards on stage and took a group photograph.

The communications department also reported it earned five awards from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers; details were presented separately during the meeting.","The town introduced the Elmi Awards, a social media recognition program with tiered view thresholds; the police department’s videos were among those recognized for reaching hundreds of thousands to millions of views.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6515491,"Little Elm says vendor legally permitted outside town limits; council votes to capture sales tax",551,154000,705000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c&start=154&end=705","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868978-44d11b3b1c6053e58dd5832684b01d0c/thumbnail_154000.jpg","/articles/6515491/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Little-Elm-says-vendor-legally-permitted-outside-town-limits-council-votes-to-capture-sales-tax","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515491-eadc46f969e40390495a2303ee7b5584/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167571&Signature=YfxO1rAw33j-OYHaiasMOVmARP6QDbO9dwYLdeodxAW6JNuKDA~0jb9E9EEa~VswGepHl1EJOpOLigm0XE024IF5SjXRqSiiGeohgbTMWdoeic5nghkAAjpP0RbFGIonJSW-er-Q8lkPmevh15ZEZYIAOEutgjot~OLWmwA0Bn5IhiFSwfcAu1oZPGtZxA0T3faj6OjlGq~lLNxjAdg2UHgtS1IySFtDqMmSUOz-aUL7xd0FKkr9hncAAupIQUUMxNxAv4w5xuTZy6tLHzUEK-9KvXhnzUqQWgDsfWdXewk5xlZQV~z2zKVRYDUmBIcWUGzbHX9VXvUX~Tf8nnzbNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town Council of Little Elm said a fireworks vendor that opened at the corner of Woodlake Parkway and FM 423 is located outside the town’s full limits but within a limited-purpose annexation, and the town has no permitting authority over the site.

Jeanette Espinosa, a town staff member, told the council that Denton County issued the permit and that the town did not approve the location. “We did not. We didn't know about it till the stand went up,” Espinosa said. She said the town reached out to the permit holder, who had a lease with the landowner and said he had not realized local sales tax rules applied.

The town emphasized it cannot order the vendor removed because the county permitted the use under state law. Espinosa said the town’s remaining authority is to collect a local 2 percent sales tax under Ordinance 944 and a strategic partnership agreement with the water district.

Mayor (name not specified) and council members said the town is working with Denton County to explore options but that state law limits the county’s ability to deny permits that meet statutory standards. Council members raised concerns about traffic, parking and safety around the site and said they are coordinating with the county, police and fire to monitor impacts.

The council approved a procedural consent motion related to the item after removing it from the consent agenda for discussion earlier in the meeting.

Officials said the town’s strategic partnership agreement with the water district provided that the town would receive 100 percent of the sales tax on the property after an initial split period and that the town expects to receive the sales tax through the comptroller’s office if collections are made. Staff estimated that a single high-volume sales period could generate substantial revenue but did not provide a specific projected dollar figure for this location.

Council members said the town will continue outreach to the county and neighboring property owners to minimize safety and access problems but reiterated it lacks permitting authority for the site and therefore cannot ban the business from operating there.","Council members said a fireworks vendor set up on county land outside Little Elm’s city limits but inside a limited-purpose annexation. Town staff said they cannot revoke the county permit but will collect local sales tax under an existing agreement; council approved a consent-item procedural motion related to the matter.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Little Elm council approves several procedural and personnel items

Little Elm resident asks council to extend pickleball court lights and reduce evening reservations

Little Elm tourism and communications team wins five TAMIO awards

Little Elm unveils Elmi Awards to recognize viral municipal social media posts

Little Elm says vendor legally permitted outside town limits; council votes to capture sales tax