Back to Voter Guide
Candidates
Paul Meltzer
Jim Mann
Candidate Surveys
- Denton Environmental Candidate Survey—by Texas Campaign for the Environment and Denton Conservation Alliance
- Voter Guide for Denton City Elections—League of Women Voters of Denton
- 2020 Candidate Questionnaire—by Bike Denton
Issues
- Government Transparency & Public Outreach (League of Women Voters)
- Local Climate Impacts (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
- COVID-19 Impacts (League of Women Voters)
- Landfill Expansion & Zero Waste (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
- Transportation Infrastructure (Bike Denton)
- Renewable Commitments (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
- Vision for Denton (League of Women Voters)
- Gas Drilling and Development Setbacks (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
Selected Candidate Responses
1. Government Transparency & Public Outreach (League of Women Voters)
What strategies will you use to ensure open communication between City Hall and residents?
Paul Meltzer
The City itself does many more community meetings (virtual for now) than in the past and publishes the Resident Update. Best of all is the Engage Denton App that lets you report any kind of issue and have it routed to the right department. Hundreds of resident issues are handled every month that way. For me personally, I’m reachable 24/7 at 940-220-2027, on Facebook and at paul.meltzer@cityofdenton.com. I assure you constituents reach me all the time and get response on personal issues. I’ve done town halls, often bringing city staff with me, at North Branch Library, South Branch Library, the American Legion Hall, Fire Station 7, and a couple of times on Facebook Live. I was slated to have one at Robson Ranch the night the shutdown went into effect.
Jim Mann
My longtime relationships with many civic, business and religious leaders in Denton give me access to a broad perspective from diverse constituencies and communities. I also will develop new relationships in the role of a city council member. I personally will engage in outreach with these individuals and constituencies in order to receive first-hand information on the impact of city policy and how we can improve on the delivery of essential services and the overall quality of life in Denton. I am an advocate of transparency and openness believing that “light is a great disinfectant.” I have a close working relationship with several non-profits in Denton and will build on those in relation to our homeless and poverty issues.
2. Local Climate Impacts (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
What are your greatest concerns about the impacts of climate change on Denton and its residents, and what must the city do to mitigate those impacts? What barriers exist to getting these solutions enacted?
Paul Meltzer
Increasing temperatures make the “heat island” consequences of rapid development worse. We need to preserve and enhance tree canopy, make funded parkland purchases, and be open to creative zoning-for-preservation swaps.
Jim Mann
Declined to Respond
3. COVID-19 Impacts (League of Women Voters)
What actions can the city take to address the health and economic impact caused by
COVID-19?
Paul Meltzer
Despite setting aside significant emergency funds, at peak the economic needs were on such a scale that they could not in any way be covered through city resources alone. Fortunately the federal government acted fairly swiftly and, at first massively, with the CARES Act. That still left a void primarily in the areas of connecting shocked workers and business owners with the resources that were
available. The city worked closely with both the Chamber and United Way to get the information to the individuals in need. Personally I successfully advocated for the United Way to assemble a group of expert volunteers like those who help with taxes to help people file for unemployment. I also advocated for our utilities customer service to be able to make a direct hand-off of customers in need to resources who could take their information and get them covered. From a health point of view, the city’s main role was to facilitate containing spread through careful closures and our mask rule.
Jim Mann
The Council should work with county and state authorities to expedite the full reopening of businesses so they can recover from the lockdown. The Council should encourage high risk populations to take adequate precautions and businesses to accommodate with curbside pickup, distancing, etc. until the virus case count is negligible.
4. Landfill Expansion & Zero Waste (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
Denton is in the final stages of permitting to expand its landfill to over 200 ft high. Right now, over 50% of annual trash disposal is coming from outside cities and businesses at wholesale rates. What kinds of programs and policies would you consider to reduce trash volumes at the Denton Landfill from within the city and from outside cities and businesses? Would you consider any recycling mandates for businesses or apartments, or food waste diversion mandates (composting, food donations) for food businesses?
Paul Meltzer
I support finding ways to limit contamination so we can expand our recycling program to include commercial and multifamily—a waste stream three times as big as residential. I also support investigating introducing curbside compost pickup for residential and commercial. Other municipalities do it.
Jim Mann
Declined to Respond
5. Transportation Infrastructure (Bike Denton)
The Denton 2030 Plan and the Sustainable Denton Plan have goals for a more walkable, bikeable city as a way to improve fiscal and environmental sustainability, reduce traffic and congestion, improve air quality, and improve community health and safety. However, movement toward expanding sidewalks and safe bicycle infrastructure has been slow, leaving us with an incomplete network with dangerous gaps in infrastructure. What will you do to speed up the implementation of infrastructure that gives Denton residents the option to travel safely around town without an automobile?
Paul Meltzer
It really is all about money. I pushed for sidewalks-to-schools funding in the 2019 bond package, which passed. I’ll continue to push for funding multi-modal priorities in future bond issues
Jim Mann
COVID 19 has changed many things…but not everything is negative. We have seen the importance of slowing down and getting outside. Denton’s goal of having a park or green space within ten minutes of every citizen is worthwhile and I suggest speeding up the plan. I would like to hear from the City Manager where we are as far as the 2030 Plan schedule is concerned. If we are, in fact, behind schedule, I would push to expedite.
6. Renewable Commitments (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
Denton has committed to using only 100% renewable energy and reducing air pollution. Recently there was a possibility City Council would have to decide whether or not to sell its share in the Gibbons Creek Coal Plant, which would restart the plant and create non-renewable energy and air pollution. The Gibbons Creek site still may be sold to be used for industrial processes that could create harmful emissions. How would you ensure Denton upholds its commitment to renewable energy and reducing air pollution?
Paul Meltzer
I was relieved to see that the sale would involve decommissioning the plant and doing the associated environmental cleanup. We’re continuing to engage in new longer term renewable energy contracts. I also support increasing our tree canopy and protecting green space to sequester carbon and particulates.
Jim Mann
Declined to Respond
7. Vision for Denton (League of Women Voters)
What is your vision for the future of your municipality and how would you achieve it?
Paul Meltzer
My vision for the future of Denton is that, with all the growth we’re experiencing, we end up being not just bigger, but even better than now because we nurtured and built on the great qualities we already have. We will have not just a vibrant, diverse culture fueled by the presence of our colleges and universities, but also careers for our graduates in innovative and creative fields. We will have not just a walkable, colorful square but a bigger walkable downtown with public, family-friendly spaces among the well designed shops and office spaces between Locust and Elm. We will have not just a storied
underground music scene, but the steady presence of performances across the arts in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues. We will be a model for care of the marginalized and for equality before the law. Everyone will live within a ten-minute walk of green space, with hike and bike trails connecting them. It sounds a bit dreamy, but it’s all within our power as we set goals and plan.
Jim Mann
As a lifelong resident, I can attest that Denton is a great place to live and raise a family. We have economic opportunity, good schools and safe neighborhoods. I’m running for City Council because I want to keep it that way. Too often, as cities grow, various advocates arise who espouse zoning and regulatory policies that stifle business operations and growth, presume the people are accountable to the government rather than the government accountable to the people, and desire to import ideas that expand city government beyond its proper role. Texans prefer less government to more government! The City Council’s focus is economic development, safety, roads, zoning and capital improvement—that’s the core function of a city government. Again, common sense must prevail!
8. Gas Drilling and Development Setbacks (Denton Environmental Candidate Survey)
The city recently voted to expand reverse setbacks on development near gas wells to 500 ft. Do you believe the 500 ft reverse setback is sufficient to protect public health? What measures would you like to see implemented to mitigate health concerns from potential air, water, soil, and fire concerns related to gas wells?
Paul Meltzer
In the balance of property rights and health protections, I think 500 feet is a realistic and prudent basic reverse setback. I’d be interested in exploring other avenues to encourage well capping and zoning-for-conservation swaps.
Jim Mann
Declined to Respond
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