Work Session Notes - June 15, 2026
Garland on the Rise
Tonight’s Work Session is a big one. We’re cleaning up our food truck rules to match new state law, taking the next steps on a major GP&L transmission line sale, funding our bond programs, interviewing applicants for two seats on the DART Board, and — maybe most importantly — adopting both the Garland Housing Strategy and the Garland on the Rise 2026–2036 Strategic Plan.
We’ll also select our new Economic Focus Areas, hear updates on Atmos rates, Opportunity Zones, and data center water usage, and elect a new Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem.
The meeting starts at 6:00 PM in the Work Session room at City Hall (200 N. Fifth St.), and the public is welcome to attend or comment on any item. If you can’t make it, drop me a line at mayor@garlandtx.gov.
As always, my comments are in bold italics.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS
CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA
WRITTEN BRIEFINGS
1. Clean-up Amendments to Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances
Council is requested to consider adopting “clean-up” amendments to Chapter 22, Health, of the Code of Ordinances related to the regulation of food trucks. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the June 16, 2026 Regular Meeting.
Senate Bill 1008 and House Bill 2844 from the last legislative session created a statewide licensing and inspection framework for mobile food vendors, which means a lot of our old local rules — separate health permits, Dallas County mobile food permits, local food manager cards — are now out of step with state law. This ordinance is housekeeping: it brings our Code in line with the new state framework while preserving our ability to regulate where and how food trucks (including ice cream trucks) operate through fire, traffic, right-of-way, parks, and nuisance rules. We’re not giving up local control over food trucks, just making sure our books match what Austin now requires.
2. Sale of Certain GP&L Transmission Facilities
Council is requested to consider the approval of the sale of certain GP&L Transmission Facilities for an estimated approximate price of $5 million. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the July 7, 2026 Regular Meeting.
This one takes a little explaining. As part of the state’s Permian Basin Reliability Plan, GP&L and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) both own pieces of transmission line in West Texas that need a second circuit added. Rather than each utility owning equipment on the other’s structures, GP&L and LCRA have worked out a swap of sorts: GP&L would sell LCRA about 4.5 miles of the North McCamey-to-Nevill Road line at net book value (roughly $5 million), and in exchange GP&L keeps full ownership of the new second circuit on the remaining 7.9 miles of that line plus the entire second circuit on the Bakersfield-to-Nevill Road line. It’s a cleaner ownership arrangement for both utilities going forward, and it still has to clear the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
3. Notice of Intent for Sale of Certificates of Obligation, Series 2026
Council is requested to consider a resolution directing the publication of notice of intention to issue certificates of obligation to fund Capital Projects. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the July 7, 2026 Regular Meeting.
Presenter: Allyson Bell Steadman, Chief Financial Officer
This is the first formal step toward funding the 2026 CIP that Council adopted back in February. Approving this notice of intent doesn’t commit us to issuing any debt — it just starts the legal clock. The maximum amount in the notice is set at $70 million, and the actual Certificates of Obligation would come back to Council for formal approval at the July 7 Regular Meeting.
4. General Obligation (GO) Bonds, Series 2026
Council is requested to consider the issuance of General Obligation Bonds to fund the 2004, 2019, and 2025 Bond Programs.
Presenter: Allyson Bell Steadman, Chief Financial Officer
Following up on the bond election results from last year, staff is recommending we issue roughly $70 million in tax-exempt GO Improvement Bonds and another $15 million in taxable GO Improvement Bonds to fund projects from our 2004, 2019, and 2025 voter-approved bond programs. These would be 20-year fixed-rate bonds, and importantly, the projected debt service payments are designed to fit within our existing financial model without requiring a tax rate increase.
5. Water and Sewer System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026
Council is requested to consider refunding approximately $60 million of Water and Sewer System Commercial Paper Notes, Series 2015, with Water and Sewer Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026.
Presenter: Allyson Bell Steadman, Chief Financial Officer
This is a refinancing move, plain and simple. We currently have about $60 million in variable-rate commercial paper notes funding water and sewer capital projects. Current market conditions give us a window to convert that to fixed-rate, 20-year Water and Sewer Revenue Refunding Bonds, which should generate debt service savings for our utility customers over time.
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
6. Interviews for Appointments to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board
Information was posted on the City’s website regarding the qualifications for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board Members in order to provide an opportunity for citizens to apply for the positions. Qualified applicants were requested to submit an application by June 5, 2026. At the close of the notice period, 22 applicants responded. Council is scheduled to formally appoint two representatives to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board at the June 16, 2026 Regular Meeting.
We had a great response — 22 applicants for two DART Board seats. We sent pre-interviews to all candidates and narrowed it down to our top five. Tonight Council will interview candidates ahead of making our formal appointments tomorrow night at the Regular Meeting. These are important seats; DART decisions affect Garland riders, our transit corridors, and how regional transportation dollars get spent, so I appreciate everyone who threw their hat in the ring.
7. Adoption of the City of Garland Housing Strategy Prepared by CZB, LLC
Council is requested to consider the adoption of the City of Garland Housing Strategy prepared by CZB, LLC. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the June 16, 2026 Regular Meeting.
Presenter: Becky King, Managing Director - Community and Neighborhood Development
This is the culmination of the Housing Study work CZB has been doing for us, building on the January 10 Housing Workshop. The Strategy lays out a two-pronged approach: helping residents who are struggling with the affordability gap through expanded assistance programs, and addressing the market gap — places where private investment hasn’t kept pace — through new Economic Focus Areas, corridor improvements, mixed-use activity centers, and targeted neighborhood revitalization.
It also sets a long-term vision for roughly 2,500 additional housing units in Downtown Garland over the next decade. This is a big-picture document that will guide a lot of our neighborhood and housing decisions for years to come, and it pairs directly with the next two items. You can read my summary here.
8. Selection of Economic Focus Areas
Council will identify and select the Economic Focus Areas as required by the Garland on the Rise 2026-2036 Strategic Plan. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the June 16, 2026 Regular Meeting.
Presenter: Becky King, Managing Director - Community and Neighborhood Development
Economic Focus Areas are how we put the Housing Strategy and the Strategic Plan into action geographically — they’re the places where the City will concentrate public investment and try to attract private reinvestment over the next decade. Staff has put together a recommendation, and tonight Council will work through selecting those areas before formal adoption tomorrow.
9. Garland on the Rise 2026–2036 Strategic Plan Adoption
Council is requested to consider adoption of the Garland on the Rise 2026–2036 Strategic Plan. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the June 16, 2026 Regular Meeting.
Presenter: Mike Betz, City Manager
This is the big one — our ten-year roadmap for the City, organized around four focus areas: Strengthen Financial Capacity, Accelerate Economic Redevelopment, Protect Core Services, and Evaluating Results (Align, Execute, Measure, and Communicate). Once adopted, this plan becomes the lens through which we view our budget, our capital projects, and our performance measures for the next decade. A lot of work from staff and the community went into this, and I’d encourage residents to take a look at the Strategic Plan documents in the agenda packet.
One addition worth noting: Since the draft was presented, City Manager Mike Betz, in consultation with the Council, proposed two small but meaningful changes to the plan, prompted by a question Council Member Segoviano raised during the June 6 workshop about where green space fits in a redevelopment strategy.
CZB’s answer stuck with me. In a built-out city like Garland, scarcity is an asset. The open and green spaces we deliberately choose to keep — and improve — can actually raise the value of the land around them. As they put it, a clean, well-kept open space can work like an ATM for the surrounding blocks. Residents who followed the workshop echoed the same idea.
The plan should say so directly. The two proposed additions do exactly that.
The first adds a new objective under Goal 2 — treating strategic open space as a value-creating asset, not a development opportunity foregone. It’s a selective, data-informed approach applied only where analysis shows that preserving or improving a space will strengthen an Economic Focus Area. Each Focus Area plan will identify any such spaces, spell out the intended market effect, and track it.
The second ties that idea to a measurable outcome under our fiscal-impact objective. Without a way to track it, a good intention is just that. The new indicator adds the effect of preserved or improved open space on adjacent taxable value to the set of fiscal metrics already planned for tracking — economic productivity per acre, private dollars leveraged, and the rest.
Together, these additions close a real gap in the current draft. The core logic of the plan is to get more economic value out of the land we already have. Recognizing that the right open space, in the right place, is itself a redevelopment tool is fully consistent with that — and now it will be measured like one. We will discuss these two additions tonight.
Also read a summary of the document I wrote on my Substack last week here.
10. Replace Resolution No. 10468 for the Downtown Historic District Revitalization Grant Program
Council is requested to consider replacing Resolution No. 10648 for the Downtown Historic District Revitalization Grant Program.
Presenter: Nancy Tunell, Business Development Manager, Dana Lodge, CVB & Events Director
Our Revitalization Review Committee and the TIF #1 Board have recommended some updates to this grant program: setting a maximum reimbursement cap, requiring a percentage of grant-funded projects go toward exterior improvements, and allowing non-tax-producing entities to participate, but only for life-safety and historic façade work. These are reasonable guardrails that should help stretch the program’s dollars further across more Downtown buildings while keeping the focus on the exteriors that make Downtown look great.
Here are some before and after examples of the revitalization work that has gone on already Downtown:
11. Update Regarding the Rate Review Mechanism (RRM) Framework and Atmos Energy Annual Rate Case**
Staff will provide an update on the annual Atmos Rate Review Mechanism (RRM) rate case and process. No City action is necessary at this point.
Presenter: Matthew Watson, Assistant City Manager
This is an informational item, but an important one if you’ve noticed your gas bill creeping up. Atmos has a statutory right to an annual rate increase through the GRIP process, which Garland — through the Atmos Cities Steering Committee — has long objected to because it doesn’t account for rising revenues or falling costs elsewhere. The RRM is the negotiated alternative ACSC cities use instead of GRIP. No action tonight, but expect a recommendation from ACSC to come back to Council later this summer.
12. Update Regarding Potential Opportunity Zone Nominations**
Staff will provide an overview of the Opportunity Zone Program and present recommended eligible census tracts for nomination to the State of Texas for consideration as Opportunity Zones.
Presenter: Matthew Watson, Assistant City Manager
Opportunity Zones are a federal tool that gives investors tax incentives to put capital gains into designated areas, which can help spur housing and commercial redevelopment. The State has opened a nomination window with a June 26 deadline, and staff has identified Garland census tracts that line up with our Strategic Plan, our Housing Strategy, and known redevelopment priorities. Staff is asking for a Resolution of Support at tomorrow’s Regular Meeting to strengthen our submission to the State.
13. Data Center Water Usage Report
Council requested staff to prepare a report on water usage by data centers in Garland and compare it to other industrial users.
Presenter: Crystal Owens, Assistant City Manager
With all the talk lately about data centers and their water demands, several of us asked staff to pull together the actual numbers for Garland and put them in context against our other large industrial water users. Looking forward to seeing what staff found.
14. Consider the Appointment of a Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem
Council is requested to consider the election of a Mayor Pro Tem and, if so desired, a Deputy Mayor Pro Tem.
Presenter: Mayor Dylan Hedrick
Each year Council elects a Mayor Pro Tem (who steps in if I’m unavailable) and, if desired, a Deputy Mayor Pro Tem. This is a routine but important bit of housekeeping for how Council operates over the coming year.
CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Terms are usually staggered whereby at least half of the membership has previous experience. Members are appointed based on qualifications.
15. Councilmember Ed Moore
- Dr. Vicki Jackson-High - Board of Adjustment
- Alex Alexander - Community Multicultural Commission
- Daniel Camp - Library Board
- Terry Hillard - Plan Commission
- Jeff Smith - Tax Increment Finance #2 South Board
- Simon Mathew - Unified Building Standards Commission
Councilmember Moore has a slate of board and commission appointments and a vacancy to fill tonight. Thank you to everyone willing to volunteer their time on these boards — they do a lot of the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work that keeps Garland running well.
ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to sections 551.071, 551.074, and 552.087 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate and discuss the following:
16. 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 in the area of South Jupiter Road and Marquis Drive, and with which the City is conducting economic development negotiations (551.087); and attorney/client communications related to the same (551.071).
Can’t say much here other than that we’re working on attracting another business to Garland, this time in the South Jupiter Road and Marquis Drive area. More to come if and when there’s something to announce publicly.
17. Personnel matters related to the resignation, employment, or duties of the Assistant City Manager Phillip Urrutia, who has accepted a job as city manager for another municipality, and its impact on the Office of the City Manager and the potential filling of the vacancy (551.074); and attorney/client matters related to the same (551.071).
Congratulations to Phillip Urrutia, who has accepted a city manager position with another municipality. Phillip has been a steady hand for Garland across a variety of issues over the years, and I wish him the best!
ADJOURN
Lots to chew on tonight, especially with the Strategic Plan and Housing Strategy both landing on the same agenda — it really does feel like Garland is on the rise. Fitting, then, that I’ll close with “Rise” by Herb Albert. See you tonight!