Work Session Notes - January 21, 2025
The TV and the radio still make it cool to be alone.
First, I must thank everyone who has reached out to me requesting a campaign sign for their yard. I spent the weekend placing and delivering signs around town and had some of the best sign installation helpers I could get on a cold 27 degree day.
All are welcome at my campaign kickoff event February 8 at the Granger Annex (1310 W Avenue F, Garland, TX 75040) at 2:00 PM. Visit HedrickForGarland.com for details. I appreciate all the support, and I know we can win this election together.
Now on with the Work Session notes. My comments are in bold italics as usual.
WRITTEN BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a written
briefing.
1. Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Resolution
Consider a Resolution that will allow the City of Garland to acquire funding to help support and improve public safety response and recovery capabilities. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the January 21, 2025 Regular Meeting
This item is to authorize the city council to accept a grant which improves the City's capability to prevent, prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.
In the past, grants have ranged from $30,000 to more than $100,000 to fund the purchase of equipment or the salary of a position which directly is responsible for reducing or responding to the threat of terrorism.
This year’s grant will will fund a Community Preparedness and Resilience
Coordinator position whose directive is to improve community preparedness and resiliency city-wide, and a Special Event Mobility Enhancement Project, aka ATVs and two electric bicycles to assist in security at special events such as Christmas on the Square or the Fourth of July celebration.
The meeting agenda did not provide the exact grant amount so I will ask that during the work session.
Last week, I had a conversation with Police Chief Jeff Bryan regarding the security of our public events. I requested this meeting in light of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans on Bourbon Street. After the meeting, I am confident that the Garland Police Department does everything it can to prevent this kind of attack from occurring in our city. This grant will only further the resiliency of our police department against the threat of terrorism.
(What I expect the police eBike to look like. Image from PolicePowerBikes.com)
(What I don’t expect the police eBike to look like. Image from https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/paul-blart-mall-cop-grabs-top-box-office-spot)
2. Second Amendment to the Project Specific Agreement with Dallas County for Rowlett Road Cycle Track from Greenbelt Parkway to Lake Ray Hubbard
Consider a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into and execute a Second Amendment to the Project Specific Agreement (PSA) with Dallas County for increased participation in the design and construction of the Rowlett Road Cycle Track from Greenbelt Parkway to Lake Ray Hubbard. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting.
This item amends the agreement between Dallas County and the City of Garland for the second time to adjust the contribution from each entity towards the project cost. Upon opening the bids, the total project cost came in more than double the original estimated cost. Originally the project cost was $7.1 million, but now has ballooned to $14.2 million.
With the original project agreement, Garland’s contribution towards the project was $895,652, but now is more than $3.38 million – almost 4x the original estimate. Dallas County’s contribution has increased from $1.99 million to $6.61 million, or 3.3x while TxDOT’s contribution has remained at $4.2 million throughout.
I still believe this is a worthy project to complete, but I will ask staff to explain how the project cost doubled and if this is the last cost increase that we should expect to see.
(The proposed bike trail project path.)
3. Optional Redemption of Tax Notes
Consider a Resolution for an early redemption of Tax Notes, Series 2024, to save approximately $1.4 million in debt service costs. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting.
4. City Council Committees - Pending Items List
Written staff briefing regarding the Pending Items List for City Council Committees.
Several council committees still have a lengthy backlog of items to address including the Administrative Services Committee considering modifying the homestead and senior tax exemptions, the Community Services Committee creating a programming policy for the Downtown Square, and the Development Services Committee looking at various regulations around historical signs.
Some of the items have been in committee from the middle of 2024, so I hope to hear committee reports on those items to the full council for consideration soon.
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
5. Discussion of 2025 Proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
City Council will continue discussion of the 2025 Proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Discussions will continue on the $574.5 million Capital Improvement Program budget. I encourage you to read the whole budget document here. This year, staff provided maps of the various projects around the city in Appendix H. You can see how the projects in the budget touch all areas of the city.
6. Audio-Visual Technology Upgrade
Council is requested to consider the Audio-Visual Technology Upgrade of the City Council Chambers and Work Session Room. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting.
If you are a regular watcher of city council work sessions or regular meetings, you see how often we struggle with the communications system and voting system. We generally follow Robert’s Rules of Order, and to be recognized to speak by the chair, we “punch in” to the electronic system. Frequently the system does not work properly or has errors which delay the council from conducting its business.
This new system promises to improve the audio-visual quality for viewers with better cameras and microphones, enhance the councilmember experience with new screens and touchpanels, and streamline processes for making motions and voting. The control room, which broadcasts to Government Access TV and streams online, will also get new Tricaster mixing and video routing equipment.
(An image of the new equipment from the agenda packet.)
The total project cost is just under $400,000 and should be complete by late Spring of 2025.
7. Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Chair Appointments
Council was briefed previously at the January 6, 2025 Work Session on the process for appointing Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Chairs for one-year terms, beginning January 1, 2025, as required by Sec. 311.009 of the Tax Code. Council is requested to discuss, conduct interviews, and provide directions regarding the appointments. Unless otherwise directed by Council, the TIF Chair appointments will take place at the January 21, 2025 Regular Meeting.
As required by new state law, the City Council is required to appoint chairpersons to TIF boards. The Council has been provided with a list of board members who are willing and qualified to serve as the chair of each TIF board and council will debate and decide who should serve. The appointments will be confirmed at the regular council meeting later in the night.
8. Public Safety Committee Report
Councilmember Carissa Dutton, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, and staff will provide a committee report on the following items: Police response to frequent noise violations in residential areas, which was requested by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Lucht and seconded by Councilmember Dutton and seconded by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Lucht at the February 19, 2024 Work Session. A discussion on Emergency Management's communication to the public during emergencies, was requested by Councilmember Dutton and seconded by Councilmember Williams at the March 18, 2024 Work Session.
The Public Safety Committee will report on two items: noise disturbances in residential areas and communication to the public during emergencies. We can always do better to communicate to the public during times of crisis even if it means saying that we have no update at this time. I am interested to see what the committee has to say regarding this item.
ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
EXECUTIVE SESSION
9. Deliberate or discuss:
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to sections 551.071 and 551.087 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate and discuss the following:
1. 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).
With the AV upgrades considered during tonight’s work session, here is the London-based, post-punk influenced art rock/electronic group Detachments with “Audio/Video.”
