FRISBIE
ROWLETT
for
KEY ISSUES
HOLDING DEVELOPERS ACCOUNTABLE
The Bayside Development is a key example of how a developer promotes ideas that are originally attractive to the City, but then produces inferior developments that cost the City money--lost tax revenues and increased maintenance and repair costs in the future. At Bayside, the Rowlett community lost a public park, but the only construction that has taken place has included apartments and small houses. The developer promised the City a world class development with over 1.5 million square ft of commercial and retail space. However, to date not a single commercial development has been constructed. This is an enormous opportunity cost that has been squandered. Now City leaders will need to focus on creating solutions to correct this failure.
​
The current Rowlett City Council leadership lacks the required technical skills and business experience to prevent these issues from occurring again in the future and to guide Rowlett out of the current dilemma that we find ourselves in. City Council needs an engineer and a businessman.
​
With over 30 years of engineering experience, Louis Frisbie is the best candidate to lead Rowlett in holding developers accountable. As CEO of Metropolitan Infrastructure, Louis has over 15 years of experience working with developers and ensuring that they create infrastructure at the promised quality. If elected, Louis will ensure that the Bayside Development is developed to its highest potential in a responsible manner.
PROGRESSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Currently the City of Rowlett has a balance of 80% residential and 20% commercial land usage. Similarly, the City of Rowlett is about 75% developed, leaving about 25% of available land for new developments. It is imperative that City leadership promote and advocate for a strategy that will attract key businesses to the North Shore, a key portion of the 25% undeveloped land. As a result, this development will serve as a source of employment for local residents and generate the necessary tax revenues that the City can use to fund repairs and maintenance of aging infrastructure in older areas of Rowlett. Revenue for these new land development projects coupled with capital improvement plans will significantly improve Rowlett's image as an attractive community to work and live in.
​
Louis Frisbie has over 30 years of experience in designing and developing infrastructure to promote commercial advancement. As CEO of Metropolitan Infrastructure, Louis has completed numerous development projects for clients ranging from small investors to large industrial corporations. Louis has experience designing comprehensive land use plans for communities, which allow a city to focus its energy and resources on maximizing the benefits for the local residents. For example, these plans typically include evaluations of community population growth and anticipation for demand for different types of housing, roadway and infrastructure condition assessments, and the formulation of a capital improvement plan to fund necessary infrastructure expenses.
Furthermore, Louis has assisted numerous private clients in navigating through complex City plan review processes to obtain the necessary construction permits. In addition to his engineering design experience, Louis has experience in construction management, ensuring that the construction conforms to the intent of the plans.
​
The City of Rowlett has an existing study for options for the North Shore development area. Louis has the experience and education to lead the community in the creation of these developments to support the local economy.
PROMOTING LOCAL & SMALL BUSINESSES
If we want Rowlett to contribute significantly in the growing economy of the Dallas/ Fort Worth metropolitan area, we must support the growth and opportunities available to small and local businesses. Various studies have shown that small businesses are creating the largest percentage of new jobs. As such, our city government in conjunction with our chamber of commerce must ensure that reasonable opportunities are available to local businesses, especially when they compete for contracts locally. Our community should promote a "Buy Rowlett First" campaign, and the City should advocate for the purchase of goods and services by small and local businesses.
​
As a small business owner, Louis understands the value that various government agencies can provide to small and local businesses by simply making opportunities fair and reasonable. When a small business is successful in getting new contracts or sales, it can use this revenue to expand its business, hire new employees, and continue to purchase other goods and services locally, creating a positive economic chain reaction.
​
Louis founded a small engineering firm in 2003, just five years before the recession started. Metropolitan Infrastructure weathered the seven years of the recession and continued to grow and expand after the economy improved. With this business experience, Louis has a heart for small companies. He wants to use his entrepreneurial experience to support Roweltt business owners through his leadership in Rowlett City Council.
ENVIRONMENT
Louis is not only a civil engineer, but also an environmental engineer. As an environmental engineer, Louis is trained to recognize the value of natural assets and to protect natural habitats as a part of responsible development.
​
As Louis's business designs often interact with the natural environment, he has maintained a consistent record of producing infrastructure with a green perspective. Louis has designed electrical vehicle charging stations, community parks, dams, wildlife observation piers, and the dredging of several large ponds in the Dallas metroplex. He designs with nature in mind, protecting trees with tree wells, using erosion control plans to preserve environments, and creating environmental impact studies.
In his business and in everyday life, Louis has a heart for the environment, and he hopes to continue Rowlett's progression toward a green future. With his environmental protection experience, Louis would be an asset to Rowlett City Council.
OUTDOOR ACTIVE LIVING & RECREATION
Rowlett is a unique lakeside community with many opportunities for our residents to enjoy outdoor activities. It is imperative that we as a community maximize the opportunities available to local residents to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. As such, proper funding for maintenance and expansion of our local parks is critical for the well-being of our residents. Louis is a firm advocate of providing a comprehensive hike and bike trail system to link the various lakeside parks around Rowlett. Our existing trails should connect with the new trails, such as those planned by TxDOT when the new bridges over Lake Ray Hubbard are constructed.
​
As an engineer, Louis has experience planning and designing hike and bike trails, community parks, playgrounds, and similar recreational spaces. Louis hopes to use this experience to serve his Rowlett community as a member of City Council.
TAXES
Due to increasing property values, Rowlett residents have had to pay a larger tax bill for several years. Louis understands that it is a mixed blessing to have property values increase, but taxes rise proportionally. There are numerous families in our community that live on tight budgets, and these tax increases have cut into their ability to provide for their families' expenses. As such, Louis is a proponent of limiting the increases in taxes to help our local residents to protect themselves from excessive property tax bills.