By Dayton City Manager Kim Judge
We are working every day to make Dayton the place to live, work, and play in Liberty County. Furthermore, while we are planning Dayton’s future, we must also protect the core of our community by making sure we have the infrastructure in place to assist with redevelopment and new development within our existing township.
To accomplish this, this upcoming year, the Council has decided to focus on water, wastewater improvements and local street repairs. To do this, the Council has set aside funds to start the process that will make a significant difference.
We are also putting emphasis on supporting local businesses in our community by working with our Economic Development Corporation. We are reinventing programs to assist in façade improvements, remodeling, and new signs. The Dayton Economic Development Corporation has hired The Retail Coach to assist in marketing Dayton to various big-box retail stores that we have heard our citizens ask for.
It is important to remember most big-box retail establishments come only after the needed residential rooftops arrive to support their businesses. And, speaking of rooftops, we issued 96 new residential construction permits over the past year and have at least another 126 proposed for 2024. From fast food eateries to new business support service companies, several new establishments made Dayton their home in 2023.
Transportation will be a key asset to Dayton’s future growth and development. Thanks to Dayton’s location to major thoroughfares, a major rail freight transportation system, and the Port of Houston, Dayton is on the map for industrial development projects. To this end, Dayton has existing industrial parks in ideal locations with the necessary infrastructure already in place to serve this development. Furthermore, with developers building sites such as the Gulf Inland Industrial Park, Dayton will be that much more competitive when it comes to landing these types of development projects that will increase employment as well as the city’s tax base.
To be a well-rounded and successful community, we also need leisurely, family-fun activities for our residents. Just south of our core community “The Fun” has already broken ground in the form of the Angel Crystal Lagoon development. This recreation and entertainment venue will have 2.42 acres of beach area and much, much more. This will be an ideal place for so many who live and work in our community to bring their families to play and relax.
To guarantee success well into the 21st Century, Dayton must also stay on the forefront of technology. One way we are doing this is with Dayton’s very own fiber optic network, DayNet. With DayNet, we are making great strides in connecting our residents and businesses to reliable, fast and affordable internet service. There is no longer any need to search for the best internet service in the area. It’s here, it’s DayNet!
With all the great things happening in our community, as the City Manager for, and a resident of, Dayton, Texas, I am so excited for our future. It is always a great day to live in Dayton!
How about taking care and repairing the streets in Linney Creek, which is well inside the City Limits.
How about adding more railroad crossings, jeez y’all want to grow but still 3 crossings for all the growth
Productivity is good to have as a goal but when you are forgetting to maintain the basics…… How does that help with community issues and concerns. The roads are unacceptable and the repairs are not going to make it any better because of the rush quick fix that the City is doing. Power lines are being leaned on and tangled in trees, bushes and foliage. The Brazos Transit is a joke because they don’t travel in area’s where people actually have access. I’m miles from Brookshires and if I could get their without the bus I would have no need for public transportation. If you want to help the community then readjust your priorities.
What a joke we can repave the trails at Danial park new lights repair the park road. But not 5 cents for city streets not 1 road replaced oh forgot what beautiful art on the trails.
A great improvement would be to request TXDOT to time the traffic lights through town on HWY 90. The traffic is horrible. This would be a tremendous help to keep traffic flowing during high traffic flow times.
You know people don’t grow up in small towns like dayton and stay here just for it to be turned into another suburb of Houston. This expansion they are doing is bull*shit. Now I’m gonna have to move further out just to avoid all this crap.