Fairmount Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes – May 22, 2023

Meeting called to order at 7:02pm

Board members in attendance:

• Andrew Epps, President
• Preston Patry, Director of Preservation
• David Weuste, Director of Communications
• Kelci Cox, Director of Promotions
• Regina Jackman, Director of Finance
• Lauren Wu, Director of Public Safety
• Barbara Crotty, Director of Membership

Kelci Cox presents a report of Home Tour

• Phenomenal success
• added a fair with artists and vendors at the park and hope to have that once again in future
• If you want to be on Home Tour 2024 or be a part of the lead, go to historicfairmount.com/hometour

Two Voting Items

• Regina Jackman is moving and so board positions are needed to be filled
• Motion to appoint Lauren Wu to take the Finance Director position made by Barbara Crotty and seconded by Susan Harper
  • Motion passes unanimously
• Motion made to appoint Ray & Carol Feyen as Public Safety Director by Frances Look, seconded by Barbara Crotty
  • Motion passes unanimously

Volunteer Call out from Andrew Epps

June Neighborhood social will be on June 9 will be at the home of Michael and Stan Tucker-McDermott 

• Hot Dogs, Chips, Drinks, etc. 

Historic Preservation Code Compliance Officer presentation – Homero Campos

• Most common violation is people starting work without a Certificate of Appropriateness
• Prefers rather than code reports going through the MyFW App to have people contact him directly to make resolutions faster
• Phone Number and Email
  • homero.campos@fortworthtexas.gov
  • 817-392-8016

Issue of Code Compliance and “No Mow May” from resident Roy Lee Richards – submitted to communications for the minutes – see full speech at end of minutes.

Jeff Law – Chief Appraiser of TAD

• Political Subdivision of the State of Texas
• Local property tax appraisal
• Beyond the appraisals they also are in charge of the exemptions available from the state, county, city, and all of the taxing districts
• Homestead exemptions if people qualify and don’t apply can be back-credited for up to two years
• Sixty-Five and older exemption also available for people’s principle place of residence
  • Two people who own a single piece of property (that aren’t married) will have the exemption split between them both (unless the other person is not 65)
• Another exemption is a disability exemption
  • You are not able to combine the exemptions
• Another exemption is for disabled veterans – and that also applies to rental properties
• Also a 100% disabled veterans benefit
• Market Value – the price the home would sell for you
• Appraised Value – the value of the previous year + 10% (whichever is lower)
• Taxable value – the Appraised value minus your exemptions
• Texas sales are not fully disclosed to the Appraisal District
• Required to appraise at 100% market value as of January 1.
• Average FW Metro price is at $429k
• State Comptroller does a study every other year of how close they are
  • TAD has been within 5% average
• What to do if you think your house is over-valued
  • If you have the 65+ exemption you have a tax-ceiling – and it is transferrable (percentage-wise) if you move
  • TRWD does not have a tax ceiling and neither does JPS
  • If you make improvements the ceiling doesn’t apply to the new additions
• Sales Comps vs Equity Comps
  • Sales, sold values vs what they have appraised others for that are like
• Where does the sales price come from
  • They subscribe to real estate listing services but not final sales data (listing not sales)
• Data collections for large variances is difficult, especially interiors – they do rely on protests
  • It is very difficult to do Fairmount because of the different types
    • They do mass appraisals based on data and statistics
    • They do rely on people having to take the initiative
• Question on disincentives of investing in homes
• https://www.tarranttaxinfo.com/
• Question on whether the appraisal review board has to accept a professional appraisal price
  • TAD is not allowed to talk to them
• Question about home energy efficiency
  • No they aren’t considering that – they are only concerned with the sales in the area
• Question of Land Value in Fairmount
  • They can’t look in Fairmount because there aren’t land sales, so they have to look at other places and try to do data-based adjustments
  • They are required by law to do a separate pricing
    • They compare us to Arlington Heights
• Can you protest land values?
  • The Approval Board doesn’t care about the land value, they care and adjust the overall total
• Email Him more questions at – jlaw@tad.gov

Fairmount Community Library – Jeff Henderson

• Trying to re-open the library this summer
• They have a $4,000 goal for theyr Fundraiser
  • They have a PayPal Fund and do take checks (using Casey Smith)

NPO – new Lieutenant introduced

• encouraging people to reach out to her about suspicious porch activity
• 8179441396 Jennifer Bell

From Roy Lee Richards Re: No Mow May and Code Compliance: 

To the President, Officers and Members of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association, my name is Roy Lee Richards, I reside at 1600 5th Avenue, adjacent to the Community Garden. I would like to thank the Fairmount Neighborhood Association for the invaluable service it has given to the Fairmount Community. Because of your collective efforts, Fairmount is the envy of Fort Worth. 

You have challenged us to bring our most valued possession back to an earlier and intended state of beauty. 

Congratulations on a successful 40th Fairmount Anniversary Tour of Historic Homes and Parade. 

I have heard the clarion call of nature as she beseeches us for our help! Due to severe climate change, a few dozen U.S. cities have joined the “No Mow May” movement, which began in England and has spread to more than 30 cities and 150 communities throughout the U.S. 

Leaving the grass longer in the spring can actually help bees and other pollinators! In Fort Worth, however, not cutting your grass could get you a citation. I received a certified letter this month notifying me that I was in violation of the City’s Grass/Weed/Nuisance Code. Being in violation of the ordinance “under the letter of the law”, I immediately complied by cutting my lawn. However, “under the spirit of the law”, I was only doing my small part by participating in maintaining a harmonious ecosystem. 

Increasing pollinator populations, “No Mow May” allows individuals to help nature. When we leave our weeds – or things we normally call weeds – to grow, those are like little cheeseburgers for our pollinators, and they are able to get some cheap calories really, really fast and put on some weight that will give them a leg up for the season. 

Let the Fairmount Neighborhood Association continue to lead the way in keeping us abreast with the growth, development and direction of our society. With your support of “No Mow May”, the City of Fort Worth may take part in this initiative and agree to waive the enforcement of the ordinance during the month of May, and all of nature will be glad!