[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6159303,"mediaKeyId","5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60","parentId",5455607,"title","Council approves temporary variance for St. Anne's carnival alcohol sales; site rules and dates unchanged","audioSeconds",522,"startMs",8758000,"endMs",9280000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60&start=8758&end=9280","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60/thumbnail_8758000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6159303/Texas/Council-approves-temporary-variance-for-St-Annes-carnival-alcohol-sales-site-rules-and-dates-unchanged","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159303-c05a9c59666c8f8db4a6355dfa6f87a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770763155&Signature=fXjfL61CZTvgUCIlVce6Ajfag75RFJKG2vpLtzvf5~jH4Sf7JcSYHERn36k9L9zcxu-khis4OZTiNrMleOav~Ct8NXW96camQzUvRj-YTBIKVJjqaDgXQX7GYmzVDh~r6ZK46JP~D2QcmQkZC~C83Pb-POueDWr3Sp~yyEXUuy2OgapKX6uu8rIKxHo8ilkQnIKTcg1gFW~6i1CC8Bvgn4KKjQc2NMRR5PV7cf0Qn7sElMLt7q63X~APkEbsQ1K~rQZUx2JKYcGo2ypaBjGddGUZYtbrVEhs7XmoV8jc6wYTKrHKbNZOYdWeNITYtGNFeQjzF52rm08Qum0gUPl5yQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Coppell TX","date","2025-07-23T22:52:55.023Z","article","Coppell — The Coppell City Council on July 22 granted St. Anne's Catholic Parish a temporary distance variance from the city's 300-foot prohibition so the parish can sell beer and wine at its annual carnival in early September.

City staff explained the request and layout

Planning staff presented the request and said the parcel at 180 Samuel Boulevard lies within the 300-foot radius that the city's code ordinarily prohibits for on-site alcohol sales near churches or schools (citing city code section 6-16-3). The parish requested a temporary variance for the dates and times of the carnival: Sept. 5 (5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sept. 6 (10 a.m.–11 p.m.) and Sept. 7 (1 p.m.–6 p.m.). Staff said no notices of objection had been received as of the hearing.

Applicant's clarification and past practice

Ken Whisler, who oversees the carnival, told council members the event has run with a similar variance for three prior years without major incident. He said a small change this year is a temporary serving table during bingo sessions in an area of the site where soft drinks and popcorn are normally sold; he also said beer and wine sales would be limited (no patrons may leave the premises with an alcoholic beverage) and that the parish has trained volunteer servers.

Public-safety and past incidents

Police staff said the city has not experienced recurring issues related to the prior variances; there was one alcohol-related arrest in a prior year but it was not connected to church operations. Chief Barton confirmed police support for the temporary permit, noting standard conditions and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's permitting process.

Council action

Council member Walker moved to close the public hearing and approve the variance; the motion passed unanimously (Walker, Carroll, Nevills, Prem Kumar, Hill). The variance will be effective for the carnival dates; St. Anne's must secure the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission temporary-event permit and follow any conditions required by city staff and TABC.

Ending

Council approved the short-term variance as requested. Staff said they will coordinate with the applicant on event logistics and compliance with the TABC permit requirements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - 07/22/25","oneSentenceSummary","The council granted a temporary 241-foot distance variance July 22 to St. Anne's Catholic Parish to allow on-premise beer-and-wine sales at its September carnival; the request matches prior years with a small service-location change for bingo.","taxTitle","Coppell, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",55075,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6159308,"Coppell council bans e-bikes on nature-trail surfaces, raises child helmet age to 16",1699,7122000,8821000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60&start=7122&end=8821","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60/thumbnail_7122000.jpg","/articles/6159308/Texas/Coppell-council-bans-e-bikes-on-nature-trail-surfaces-raises-child-helmet-age-to-16","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159308-18f7461e0d55ee88cd2a7c566a642b03/orig.mp4?Expires=1770763155&Signature=ldQT6VKQ4~ZSluVvzjxIY3gb8DV9Q2DvHHz0B7rYZ8uDgj1rxBVFLkA8u6510F~CpNFLx4ePzLqhfDAb8FzFoC0JF-IAgQf8-llRrbjOIpfSgYGPa9RR8a~mwwR5b64leEmEU2D7BOHjNO8PCV~Gc1gvIKdzH5Gos9TpaqinqSjbUi~wG0Jsj2fANCKKlsTYfYY80o~ggvtBxYQJ81yaobc-Gw6U~d~qPzieEfZE1xk0Lqv2uam6utoEFnt~H42dvBVI-KNgvfzcclmRO833fxVCu1Vg-06u7pjNBLcNuAgvAQe6l5u2V4050TiU3yF6Tkg3h3gwmas-fyycTwhNtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coppell — The Coppell City Council on July 22 approved two separate ordinances that update how the city regulates electric bicycles and protective headwear.

Chief Danny Barton of the Coppell Police Department told council members the actions reflect current state law and the city's limited options for local regulation. \"The department ... may not prohibit the operation of an electric bicycle on a highway that is used primarily by motor vehicles,\" Barton said, reading the statutory restriction the department relied on as it drafted the local ordinance.

What the council approved

Item 8: Council adopted an amendment to Chapter 9 (General Regulations), article 9-11 that adds electric bicycles to the list of devices prohibited on natural-surface trails at the Biodiversity Education Center and on unimproved surfaces within Coppell Nature Park and Wagon Wheel Park. The ordinance passed by unanimous vote (aye: Walker, Carroll, Nevills, Prem Kumar, Hill).

Item 9: Council amended Chapter 8 (Traffic Regulations) to add a definition for \"ebicycle\" and to raise Coppell's bicycle-helmet requirement from age 14 to age 16; the ordinance also passed unanimously (same vote roster). Chief Barton said the change aligns the local code with the state's definition of a \"child\" and with common municipal practice.

Enforcement, education and the evidence base

Barton described several steps the department has taken this summer: increased patrols focused on high-speed e-bike riders, field education to encourage helmet use, coordination with school resource officers and helmet-safety sessions at Life Safety Park. He said the fire department recorded about six e-bike wreck responses this summer and that officers were confronting situations in which unskilled riders on fast e-bikes posed a safety risk to pedestrians.

Council discussion focused on practical limits to enforcement. Barton and staff said blanket sidewalk prohibitions would also ban ordinary bicycles and that speed limits on sidewalks are difficult to enforce. Council members asked staff to explore whether certain park paved paths could be reclassified as a trail system rather than a sidewalk so local restrictions could be applied to e-bikes on those paths; a staff legal review was requested.

Ending

Council adopted both measures as staff proposed. Police and parks staff said they will continue public education and targeted enforcement and return with legal analysis if council wants a more finely tailored restriction for paved park paths.","The council approved two ordinances July 22: one banning electric-bicycle use on unimproved natural-surface trails in Coppell nature parks and another amending the helmet requirement so people 16 and younger must wear bicycle helmets.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6159313,"City financial adviser recommends parameter bond sale to preserve flexibility on refundings",1041,5056000,6097000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60&start=5056&end=6097","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60/thumbnail_5056000.jpg","/articles/6159313/Texas/City-financial-adviser-recommends-parameter-bond-sale-to-preserve-flexibility-on-refundings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159313-3636d23fe2d6e07eb42f4fbc66942df3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770763155&Signature=b~6l-OZUYSXQcfsqOpT8PAT~QdOW-rjx7FxndyBRzlGRDbLzsm-VjHzFRJag756JRqDe6XmZ0ZWfC8B6igmqlc9gH3UpZrfbtEUlAoDnHbM9idexMf7TF4MKDv~6UCC320FDVb-7~hZmJw5uOmzhQpyLl7f1DNhFIrytXvYxb1CnHghmw1mw5WubsmXy05ynB3IDBErltaPL5-573uXPjy5aHf69jitnwnhFuDbmsKimA2kOanetpWaeEPJza3x-2gzDu07j5D2wgHvQqfb9QdcHnxZimUs1j4Y-IiD6dzq5Apm8QXBs~7AbQ1ZZqKOolEB2aAbtPVT5Zffxz1v4Xw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coppell — Jason Hughes, the city's financial adviser at Hilltop Securities, briefed Coppell City Council members during the July 22 work session on options for refunding existing debt and on the use of a parameter bond sale to allow flexible pricing amid market volatility.

Hughes described a parameter bond sale as an authorization that delegates final pricing to named officers so the city can execute a sale when market conditions meet stated parameters. \"It just gives us maximum flexibility,\" he told the council.

Why the city is considering refundings

Hughes said the city has two currently callable issues that are candidates for refunding on a tax-exempt basis, subject to timing rules that followed the 2017 federal tax-law change that eliminated advanced refundings. The two identified city issues were a 2013 certificates-of-obligation/GO combination (city-side) and a 2015 GO issue; the city-side maximum recommended par for refunding was $9.25 million with a target maximum yield of 3.5 percent and a minimum present-value savings threshold of 2 percent. Hughes estimated that if priced that day the city's GO refunding could be near a 3.2 percent yield.

Hughes also identified a larger sales-tax revenue refunding candidate for the Coppell Reinvestment and Development Corporation (CRDC): a 2014 sales-tax-backed obligation with a recommended maximum par amount of $22 million and a later final maturity (2038) than the city GO bonds.

Savings estimate and legal limits

Hughes said the 2 percent savings threshold is measured as present-value savings and provided a present-value example of roughly $180,000 for the city GO refunding spread over a typical 10-year refunding profile. He explained that since the 2017 federal change, tax-exempt refundings must occur within a 90-day window before call dates to preserve tax-exempt status; otherwise, a taxable refunding may be used but at a higher interest cost.

Next steps and council questions

Hughes recommended a 180-day parameter authorization as a practical window (cities can authorize up to a year), delegate final pricing to the city manager and finance director, coordinate with bond counsel, and return to council for the formal authorization on a future agenda. Council members asked about public disclosure of parameter-authorized ranges, market incentives for bidders, the effect of tariffs on yields, and whether approving parameters creates downside risk. Hughes said the municipal market is large and competitive, that approved parameters are public but do not guarantee execution, and that the only material downside would be if market moves prevent the refunding from meeting the stated parameters; otherwise existing debt remains unchanged.

No council vote was taken on a bond authorization; the briefing provided staff direction for next steps if council wants to bring a parameter sale for formal approval.

Ending

Hughes said staff could place a parameter-bond authorization on a future agenda with bond counsel if council wishes to proceed.","Hilltop Securities senior managing director Jason Hughes told Coppell council the city can use a parameter bond sale to preserve flexibility in volatile markets and outlined refunding candidates, including a city GO parcel and a sales-tax revenue issue.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6159317,"Coppell legislators' update: Special session opens with flood response, property-tax agenda and 18-item call",2004,3074000,5078000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60&start=3074&end=5078","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5455607-8ec5f1ebc103b7fa9aba8b8e9da7bc60/thumbnail_3074000.jpg","/articles/6159317/Texas/Coppell-legislators-update-Special-session-opens-with-flood-response-property-tax-agenda-and-18-item-call","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159317-608d7f3952e0c03a394b65f27bc3816a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770763155&Signature=l83B5YwoKz6t2L7YwjO03GPpdps0SzrVJs8SS500Y4HOK35LVN935VAHVmDH1pqZeyJfMghVzeTxtw07LyB2LVNk4q~0~lTVwMSIbslaVey9wvwGCR6TxoTSJ43HgQy3v2pE0GqoEVuIAYWAPgQ5QMPuyoDL7JL1z4SJAI9dnaKXjoJbjeke~o1WmBP4dnNJKCsIzUupUVC4bDsboJAQiDJ6hKXCt7nM9ulMTkRKVRTxlF2BCubIB1kHbB8rZEIj4xwLFPBql97zlaClyVSNa3BhGSpaG3OKjyB5FLNyV0NaJVPf4Tdbt3sV3w8ePAlLSltFILHGM5WX~Mce54Tn7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coppell — At a July 22 work session, legislative consultants Jennifer Rodriguez and John Kroll updated the Coppell City Council on the recently concluded regular session of the Texas Legislature and the first-call special session that began the day before.

Rodriguez led the briefing and said the regular session produced a record volume of legislation: “8,700 plus bills filed,” she said, and only about 14 percent reached the governor.

That statistic matters because the governor’s priorities — property-tax relief, an education savings account plan, water investment, teacher pay raises, career training, bail reform and a Texas cyber command — largely moved through the legislative process during the regular session. Rodriguez noted the legislature did not tap the economic stabilization (“rainy day”) fund this session and cited an updated revenue estimate from Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock showing the fund could exceed its cap by 2027.

City relevance and the special session

The consultants told council members that the governor’s July special-session proclamation lists 18 initial issues and allows the governor to add items; the special session is limited to 30 days, ending Aug. 19. Flood-related bills were among the very first priorities assigned by Lieutenant Governor staff, Rodriguez said: the Senate reserved SB1 as “natural disaster preparation and recovery,” SB2 for “flood emergency communications and warning,” and SB3 for Hill Country flood relief funding. Rodriguez said a joint flood committee is scheduled to meet and that the House and Senate are beginning redistricting hearings.

Counsel and next steps

Rodriguez and Kroll also flagged other items the city should watch: a taxpayer-funded lobbying ban that the Senate sent forward, a title-theft/deed-fraud bill that Senator West was assigned as SB15, and a lieutenant-governor priority described as Senate Bill 9 aimed at cutting property taxes. John Kroll noted senators and statewide officials are already shifting campaigns and offices, and the consultants encouraged the city to monitor the “low-number” reserved bill slots — the numbers the House speaker and lieutenant governor reserve to signal priority measures. Rodriguez and Kroll said many members have filed bills that may not strictly match the call; such bills are vulnerable to point-of-order challenges if they advance.

Questions from council members focused on whether flood emergency work would overshadow other priorities and on how property-tax proposals might be structured. Rodriguez said flood measures could move rapidly in the Senate and that the House is likely to follow; she characterized the governor’s property-tax call as broad and said members might pursue a “scattershot” of proposals (for example, rate cuts or limits on spending growth by local entities), with details to emerge during debate.

Council members asked for follow-up reporting; Rodriguez and Kroll said they will continue to monitor the work of the joint flood committee, redistricting hearings, and priority bill numbers for items affecting cities.

Ending

No council action was taken on state legislation at the meeting; the presentation was for information and monitoring. Rodriguez and Kroll emphasized that the special session’s fast timetable and the governor’s discretion to alter the call make near-term monitoring by the city important.","City legislative consultants briefed Coppell City Council on the regular session outcomes and the first-call special session that began July 2025, highlighting flood-preparedness bills, a property tax-cut priority and dozens of filed measures that may affect municipalities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves temporary variance for St. Anne's carnival alcohol sales; site rules and dates unchanged

Coppell council bans e-bikes on nature-trail surfaces, raises child helmet age to 16

City financial adviser recommends parameter bond sale to preserve flexibility on refundings

Coppell legislators' update: Special session opens with flood response, property-tax agenda and 18-item call