Work Session Notes - February 3, 2025
Gang of Five!
Thank you and welcome to all the new subscribers I have picked up since I declared that I am running for mayor! I have been overwhelmed by your support thus far, and I am confident that with your help, we can win May 3.
I hope to see you this Saturday at the Granger Annex (1310 W Avenue F) at 2:00 PM for my official campaign kickoff rally. Visit HedrickForGarland.com to RSVP. Please come to learn more about my plans of how we can continue Moving Garland Ahead.
As always, my work session comments are below in bold italics. Please reach out to me with any comments or questions.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS
CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA
WRITTEN BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a written Briefing.
1. Calling the 2025 General Election for May 3, 2025
Council is requested to consider an ordinance ordering a General Election for the City of Garland to be held on May 3, 2025 for the purpose of electing a Mayor and one Councilmember to respectively represent Districts 3, 6, 7, and 8, providing for a run-off election if needed and providing for other matters relating to the conduct of the election. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting.
This item formally calls for an election on May 3 to elect representatives for Mayor and Districts 3, 6, 7, and 8. With half the council being elected each year, it would make sense for odd numbered districts to be elected in odd numbered years and even districts in even numbered years.
The reason this does not happen goes back to 2004 when a Charter Amendment changed the council terms for a council member from three years to two.
That would have been the end of the story, but several council members would have their terms shortened by the new term length. As a result, the so-called “Gang of Five,” which consisted of council members Michael Holden (District 1), Terri Dunn (District 2), Weldon Bradley (District 4), and John Garner (District 5)–along with council member Harry Hickey (District 3) whose term was not affected by the charter amendment–voted not to hold a municipal election in 2006. They believed that they had been elected to three-year terms in 2004–the same year the charter amendment passed.
Eventually citizens sued in December 2005 thug taking the city to court to force an election. Eventually, a state appeals court ruled in the citizens favor, but it came too late to hold an election on the standard municipal election day in May. A special election was held on June 17, 2006, with Terri Dunn losing to Laura Perkins Cox in District 2. Holden, Garner and Bradley all chose not to run in the new election.
(The 2006 City Council after the Special Election on June 17, 2006. Photo courtesy of Garland: A Contemporary History)
The moral of the story is to always give the citizens a voice in their elections rather than trying to hold to power through the technicality of the law.
2. Calling the 2025 Special Bond Election for May 3, 2025
Council is requested to consider an ordinance ordering a Special Election for the City of Garland to be held on May 3, 2025 for the purpose of submitting to the voters four propositions authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for various permanent public improvements and public purposes, and providing for other matters relating to the conduct of the election. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting.
After the outstanding work from the Bond Study Committee, hours of presentations and debate among council, we will formally call for another bond election to occur May 3 alongside the council member elections. This $360 million dollar bond proposal will feature four propositions and has a significantly different objective than the 2019 bond program. The former program’s main objective was to address needs in city facilities and infrastructure. The proposed bond program’s objective is to increase the economic viability of the city through strategic investments while improving residential streets.
Over 63%, or $230 million, of the proposed bond program goes towards improving streets and corridors with gateway beautification improvements. Proposition A will vastly improve the quality of our streets and provide welcoming and enhanced entry points into our city.
The next three propositions focus on creating an economic return on investment. Proposition B will provide $75 million for land assembly, economic development incentives, revitalization grants and neighborhood vitality funding. Proposition C will provide $25 million to renovate the Granville Art Center in our downtown Bankhead Cultural Arts District, and Proposition D provides $30 million for parks and recreation improvements which will focus on developing amenities at the Harbor Point area in South Garland.
It is important to note that this bond program will not require a tax increase due to the available debt capacity due to strong revenue projections and the city paying off previous debt obligations.
Between now and the May election, council members will be holding town halls or other information sessions to promote and answer questions relating to the proposed bond program. Put it on your calendar now to attend my town hall meeting April 3 at 6:30 PM at the North Garland Branch Library. Staff and myself will be present to answer any questions you may have.
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
3. 2025 Proposed Bond Program - Resident Engagement Strategy
Staff will present additional details related to the resident engagement strategy for the proposed 2025 Bond Program to the City Council.
With this item, we will discuss how we can best reach out to our Garland Citizens and inform them about the upcoming 2025 Bond Program. In addition to the town halls mentioned above, we want to reach as many citizens as we can. We will be using every option available including print, social media and word-of-mouth channels.
4. Proposed Professional and Youth Soccer Complex with Mixed-Use Development
Staff will present an overview of a proposal for the development of a professional and youth soccer complex with mixed-use development at the Holford Road and President George Bush Turnpike interchange. City Council actions related to this item will be considered at future meetings, including the TIF # 3 Project and Financing Plan and authorization to move forward with a Lease and Development Agreement. The design contract will be considered at the February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting.
After an announcement of a new soccer team coming to Garland at the end of last year, and the unveiling of the proposed location at the Mayor’s State of the City speech last week, staff will present the outline of a development agreement that we will enter into with USL Dallas.
The purpose of a development agreement is to both provide public funds which will result in economic benefit to the city while providing criteria that must be met in order for an entity to receive funding, thus providing a level of protection to the city.
If the excitement is anything like I experienced at the USL Dallas Fan Forum last week at Fortunate Son, this will be a great asset for the city bringing in soccer fans not only from our city but from throughout the Metroplex and across Texas.
(The scene from the USL Dallas Fan Forum. You could feel the anticipation!)
Some details of the deal have been discussed in Executive Session meetings, but I am interested to see what the final agreement looks like.
5. TIF #3 Recommendation for Changes to Project and Financing Plan
Staff will present recommended changes to the TIF #3 Project and Financing Plan to the City Council.
TIF #3 includes a wide reaching area which spans from north to south Garland and includes the Medical District, and the proposed site for the new soccer stadium at PGBT and Holford Road. With the addition of data centers in the northern areas of the TIF, and the revenues associated with them, I am interested to see what changes are proposed.
6. Discussion and Final Direction on 2025 Proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) City Council will continue the discussion and provide final direction to Staff on the 2025 Proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP). If changes have been proposed to the CIP by City Council during the discussions in January, Staff will provide an overview of any/all proposed changes received to date.
This is the last opportunity for us to make changes to the CIP budget. Council has only requested one major change which included the addition of drainage improvements in the Gatewood neighborhood. The formal CIP budget will be adopted at the Regular Council meeting tomorrow.
ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
A Councilmember, with a second by another member or the Mayor alone, may ask that an item be placed on a future agenda of the City Council or of a committee of the City Council. No substantive discussion of that item will take place at this time.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
7. Deliberate or discuss:
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to sections 551.071, 551.072, 551.074, and 551.087 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate and discuss the following:
1. Personnel matters related to the appointment, employment, evaluation, or duties of the City Manager, City Attorney, City Auditor, and Municipal Judges (551.074); and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the same (551.071).
2. A potential offer by the City of financial and other incentives to a business prospect and the receipt of commercial or financial information that the City has received from that same business prospect, which the City seeks to have locate within the City, and with which the City is conducting economic development negotiations (551.087); and attorney/client communications related to the same (551.071).
3. Attorney/client communications related to the City's obligations and duties under federal and state law regarding certain law enforcement activities (551.071).
ADJOURN
Here’s a deep cut called “Gang of Five” from Dutch new wave band Urban Heroes. This is the last track off their live album recorded in 1981 and is a great song to end their set with. How do you not want to get up and dance? You can definitely hear the Talking Heads/Devo influences.