Mayor Ken Shetter started Thursday’s State of the City address by saying Burleson isn’t a city that settles on just standard services and has decided to be a great city.

Shetter, who delivered his annual message at the Winter quarterly luncheon of the Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce at First Baptist Church, said Burleson is a city that goes beyond just providing what is necessary.

“We are a community that is constantly looking for ways to do better,” Shetter said. “Ways to enhance safety, convenience and quality of life. We are looking for ways to make our children’s future brighter through education and enrichment. We look for ways to help our residents gain the knowledge and skills they need to ensure success for families and a robust workforce for local businesses. We endeavor to create inviting public spaces. In other words, along the way, we decided being a good city wasn’t good enough, we decided to be a great city”

In 2018, the city issued 246 residential building permits, with an average value of $272,000. Which is a 5.7 percent increase over last year’s average value of $257,000.

This year, the city will present a Parks Master Plan update that will feature a new gazebo at Centennial Park plus new trails and improvements to existing trails.

The library is also being remodeled. The library has also become a Family Place Library which means it is a center for early childhood information, parent education, emergent literacy, socialization and family support.

The city’s Be Healthy Initiative will be launching a Be Healthy Burleson Certification Program soon that will encourage the entire community to implement healthy practices.
Public safety is also on the forefront in Burleson, Shetter said.

“When it comes to public safety, we can never rest,” Shetter said. “We must continue to innovate.”

Shetter mentioned that in 2018, the police department received its tenth accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The department was approved with an Excellence rating, the highest rating given. Burleson PD has been accredited since 1987 and they were the first police department in Texas to become accredited.

The Department’s Guardian Program gives special needs family members peace of mind during times of crisis by providing first responders critical information when their family members may not be able to communicate due to a diagnosed cognitive disorder.

The Burleson Fire Department’s ISO rating of 1 places it in the top one percent of communities in the entire United States in fire protection.

Also in 2018, the fire department started the Burleson Drowning Prevention Coalition. The goal of the coalition was to end childhood drownings in Burleson.

Last year, the city became the first in the nation to make it to unlawful to commit unjustified violence in the presence of a child, recognizing the irreparable harm done to children when they are exposed to violence in the home.

“We are hoping to be a model for the state of Texas—there is currently a bill on file in the state House which would make it illegal to commit family violence in front of a child anywhere in Texas, and our newest state senator is going to carry that legislation forward in the Texas Senate,” Shetter said. “If this bill becomes law, lives will be changed all over the State of Texas.”

Shetter added that in 2018, Burleson led the way in protecting families with a first-in-the-nation strangulation protocol.

“The ordinance is working,” Shetter said. “For the nine months of 2018 that the ordinance was in effect, 43 incidents of impeding breath were indicated in police reports, representing more than a 100 percent annual increase, considering the previous three-year average.”

In the past year, the city saw a continued reduction in crime, with a 12 percent decrease in overall Part 1 offenses, Shetter said.

Other events such as the fire department’s Super Safety Saturday and smoke detector campaign and Burleson Block Party have helped to make living in Burleson better.

The city opened a dedicated courtroom last year that helped reflect the importance of the municipal court in city government.

“Continuing to find ways to improve customer service in our growing population is of the utmost importance,” Shetter said. “Our population has more than doubled since 2000.”

Shetter praised the city’s economic development corporation, led by Alex Philips and the Burleson Works program.

“Providing educational opportunities to our youth and residents to prepare them for the workforce is only the beginning of what we hope to accomplish,” Shetter said. “We want our residents to be able to live and work in our community. We have made great strides in bringing high-quality jobs and commercial development to our city.”

Shetter mentioned the development of HighPoint Business Park and the addition of places to eat including Rio Bravo, The Rim, and Rio Mambo plus the soon to be open Hard 8 BBQ. Other restaurants coming to town include Ole South Pancake House and Fish City Grill.

In 2019, the city will break ground on the Mayor Vera Calvin Plaza in Old Town. The plaza will provide a gathering place for holiday celebrations, parades, concerts, and other festivities.
Public transportation was also mentioned by Shetter.

“As more residential and commercial development comes to Burleson, it is imperative that we continue to improve the mobility of our residents,” Shetter said. “That’s why I have asked the North Central Texas Council of Governments to work  with us to develop a pilot project bringing commuter rail service to Burleson along the existing BNSF rail line.“

Shetter credited City Manager Dale Cheatham, who is slated to retire soon, with providing steady, consistent and honorable leadership to the city.

“He has successfully distilled and shepherded the vision of seven strong-willed, sometimes hard-headed individuals. He has been a strong leader who has also had the wisdom to empower a talented staff to do their jobs,” Shetter said. “He is among the steadiest, most honorable and trustworthy individuals with whom I’ve had the privilege to work. This city is an immeasurably better place because of his service.”

Shetter closed his address by saying his greatest desire as mayor is for Burleson to be the place where you belong.

“I hope Burleson is the place where you find things and spaces you love, the place you love and the place where you are loved,” Shetter said.

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