Work Session Notes - March 18, 2024
Communication breakdown, It's always the same, I'm having a nervous breakdown, Drive me insane
As always, for my notes, I’ll make my comments for each item in bold italics. If you enjoy this newsletter, all I ask that you share it with a friend who may enjoy it as well. Please email me at council7@garlandtx.gov with your input.
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.
Licensing, Permitting and Inspection Solution
Council is asked to consider approval of a contract to purchase software licensing for land management, licensing, permitting, and inspection software from Salesforce, and a corresponding contract to purchase the implementation services from Vivid GovTech for implementation of the software. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the March 19th regular meeting.
After my proposal to improve and shorten our development approval process was passed, I am fully supportive of spending money to bring our permitting and inspection software up to current industry standards.
This item will be an “add-on” to the Salesforce platform already being used by other City Departments. Per the agenda item, the benefits will include:
Enhanced Scalability and Flexibility: Salesforce's cloud-based architecture readily accommodates the City's future growth and changing needs.
System Customization: Tailoring Salesforce to meet the specific needs of each Department while implementing best practices, contributing to long-term success.
Improved User Experience: Its intuitive interface simplifies tasks for staff, streamlining processes. Integration: Salesforce integrates with existing City systems, eliminating data silos and fostering collaboration.
Citizen Engagement: Simplified public access to key City services and information enhances citizen and developer experiences with City staff.
Per staff, Salesforce would also include 1) Bluebeam integration, which is a program I use for PDF markup collaboration on engineering blueprints, 2) AI integration with chatbot technology which may help respond to and answer common questions applicants have during the permitting process, and 3) a platform for future custom software solutions. One possible future use is integrating the apartment ratings system I proposed and which was discussed in the Community Services Committee March 12.
FY 2023-24 Budget Amendment No. 2
Council is requested to consider FY 2023-24 Budget Amendment No. 2, which is scheduled for formal consideration at the April 2, 2024, Regular Meeting. FY 2023-24 Budget Amendment No. 2 includes adjustments to the General Fund and Federal Coronavirus Relief and Recovery Fund appropriations to allocate American Rescue Plan Act funds according to Federal guidance.
This item is a clever “shell game” we use to ensure funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) may be used for capital improvements. A provision of the Act allows us to pay the salaries of new, full-time city employees that have been hired since March 3, 2021, with ARPA funding. That frees up the money that would be spent on salaries in FY 2023-24 ($8,759,703) from the General Fund to Parks Capital Improvement Projects (CIP).
So why are we doing this? ARPA funding must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2026. As we have seen with the current Bond Program, supply chain issues or material shortages may force project delays. If a project was delayed beyond the end of 2026, we would be unable to use ARPA funds to pay for it. By having the CIP funds now available in the General Fund, we can hold the funds to match the project completion timeline. The remaining CIP projects funded by ARPA funds will be completed before the 2026 deadline.
Project Title Total Budget
Fire Station Bedrooms $ 996,186
UV HVAC Sanitation $ 117,247
Bisby Transmission Trail $ 1,852,694
Lake Ray Hubbard Greenbelt Trail $ 733,130
Central Park Walking Trail $ 2,326,636
Walter Reed Land Acquisition $ 4,011,254
101 W. Avenue D Land Acquisition $ 1,702,771
ARPA-Funded Sidewalk Replacement $ 921,779
Marion Drive Greenspace Project $ 2,504,724
Public Sector Staffing $ 20,202,978
Gatewood Drainage Study $ 204,230
Chaha Rd. - I.H. 30 to Lake Ray Hubbard Pkwy. $ 3,245,403
Callejo Road - Botello to Campbell $ 8,107,000
Naaman School Road - Brand to S.H. 78 $ 6,587,962
Total ARPA Allocation $ 53,513,944
Sale of Property at 600 Rayburn Street
Council is requested to consider approval of the sale of 600 Rayburn Street to Garland Housing Finance Corporation and provide an executed deed without warranty. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the April 2, 2024 Regular Meeting.
The Garland Housing Finance Corporation frequently searches for property to purchase that have been struck off the tax rolls in order to build new affordable housing units. This is another example of a strangely shaped property that they may develop with a single family house sometime in the future.
(The lot in question. An odd shaped lot behind an existing single family home. Source: Work Session Packet.)
(One of the three four-bedroom homes just completed on Alamo Lane by GHFC. Source: GHFC Facebook page)
Reservation, Diversion, and Use of Raw Water Agreement with North Texas Municipal Water District
Council is requested to allow the City Manager to execute the Reservation, Diversion, and Use of Raw Water agreement with the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). This contract will allow the City of Garland to continue the receipt of 1,500 acre-feet per year of cooling water for the Garland Power & Light (GP&L) Ray Olinger Plant to be used for the turbine generators, auxiliary equipment and steam boilers.
Since 1953, GP&L’s Olinger Power plant, with its four gas-fired turbines, uses raw water from Lavon Lake to cool the generators, steam boilers, and auxiliary equipment. This item will renew that contract for another 25 years with an optional 25-year renewal.
GP&L can use up to 1,500 acre-feet of water per year, paying $0.0569 per thousand gallons. An acre-foot is an acre of land (approximately the size of a football field) with one foot of water on it. One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons or about two Olympic-sized swimming pools. (Side note - I always love how an “Olympic-sized swimming pool is a common unit of measurement for talking about large volumes of water.)
So this is 488,776,500 gallons or (3,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools!) that GP&L will pay $27,811.38 for if it uses the maximum amount.
Watch a tour of the Olinger Power Plant here:
Victim Assistance, First Responder Programs Grant Application FY25
Council is requested to consider approving an application and accepting grant funds, if awarded, for the Victim Assistance, First Responder Programs Grant to support first responders and support staff who experience trauma because of their profession.
Mental health for first responders has become a big concern for the City especially as we have learned how their daily duties result in trauma and stress. This grant would provide funding for services to assist our first responders as they manage this stress.
Services which may be funded include:
Services that respond to immediate needs (other than medical care), emotional, psychological, and physical health and safety
Personal advocacy and emotional support
Peer Support Groups
Professional Therapy and Counseling
Legal Advocacy
You can find more out about the grant here: https://egrants.gov.texas.gov/fundingopp/first-responder-mental-health-program-fy2025
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
Introduction of Ariel Traub, Managing Director of Legislative & Public Affairs
Mitch Bates, Deputy City Manager, will present Ariel Traub, Managing Director of Legislative & Public Affairs. She will lead the development, implementation, and administration of the city’s legislative strategy and fostering positive intergovernmental relations.
This position is a new role added in the last budgeting cycle intended to be an advocate for the City to the Texas State Legislature and other local entities such as Dallas County, the North Texas Municipal Water District, and DART.
Before coming to Garland, Ms. Traub served as the Intergovernmental Relations Manager for the City of Georgetown, Texas; a Legislative Aide and Policy Analyst in the Texas Senate; and a Government Relations Specialist for Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
One of my priorities for Ms. Traub is to lobby our State Representatives to allow packaged liquor in Garland. As you may remember, I led a petition effort to get this on the ballot back in October. Unfortunately, I only received about 10% of the approximately 20,000 signatures necessary.
(You may remember these signs from our petition effort last October.)
One of the counterarguments Representative Shaheen of Frisco brought up during committee hearings was why should the State Legislature act if Garland citizens had not even tried the petition route. Well now we have, and we have found it seemingly impossible to meet the requirements the State mandated.
To get the required number of signatures, we would have needed about 20,000 signatures from registered Garland voters based upon 35% of Garland votes made during the last gubernatorial election. In a city of approximately 240,000 people, that is one out of every 12 Garland residents. Now take out all residents under 18 or who are not citizens and are therefore ineligible to vote, and you now need about 1 out of every 6 citizen’s signatures – all within 60 days.
We gave it a valiant effort, but now with the hiring of Ms. Traub, we will have a strong, full-time advocate interacting at the State level for the City’s interests.
Strategic Communications Plan and Community Survey
Staff will present Council with a proposed Strategic Communications Plan and Community Survey. Unless otherwise directed, a bid for the Strategic Communications Plan and will be scheduled for formal consideration at the March 19, 2024, Regular Meeting.
In August of last year, Garland welcomed Tiffany Veno to the staff as our Chief Communications Officer. Along with her hiring, we desired to hire a consultant to provide a Strategic Communications Plan to guide her efforts on how best to communicate with and market the City to citizens and other stakeholders. At the work session, she will be presenting a “plan for the strategic plan” with results to come later this year.
Ms. Veno will also provide details of a community survey to be launched soon which will survey citizens on ten areas:
1) Economy
2) Mobility
3) Community Design
4) Natural Environment
5) Safety
6) Utilities
7) Parks and Recreation
8) Health and Wellness
9) Education, Arts and Culture
10) Inclusivity and Engagement
The results will provide data for and direction to the Strategic Communications Plan.
Administrative Services Committee Report
Chairperson Morris of the Administrative Services Committee, with the assistance of City Staff, will present Council with a Committee report.
Chairwoman Morris will report on two items recently discussed in the Administrative Services Committee. The first item, which was recommended by the Chairwoman Morris, asked the committee to consider adding additional qualifications for TIF Board appointees.
I encourage you to go listen to the audio from that February 6, 2024 meeting here (https://garlandtx.new.swagit.com/videos/296894) as there was some very fascinating discussion between the Council Members and staff.
When I asked why this item was being discussed in committee, Chairwoman Morris responded:
“This came up after some concerns were raised that we were putting just private citizens, each of us appointing someone to these TIF boards without any specific areas of expertise or knowledge.
And that essentially what was happening is staff was primarily leading the discussion and they were basically rubber stamping staff recommendations which isn't really what we're going for.”
Later she postulated that the TIF boards:
“could be made better if we looked at incorporating as some other cities do either a couple Council Members in there seated in to be involved or people with specific areas of expertise.”
I have several issues with this.
First, as Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when advisers are many.” By having Council Members serve on TIF Boards, I believe the Council Member would dominate the discussion first simply through their perceived authority as a Council Member, then second as the someone who should be the one most familiar with the TIF initiatives.
This would remove the “multitude of counsel” we are seeking from our independent TIF Boards by having added a Councilmember’s voice to the board.
During the Administrative Services Committee discussion, I stated, “Council Members have the opportunity to say no to any TIF recommendation” because the Council holds veto power over any TIF recommendation. If we dislike something that a TIF Board proposes, we can vote it down and send it back to the TIF Board for reconsideration. Why do we need to be influencing the TIF Board by being a member as well?
Secondly, why would we want to place restrictions on a TIF Board more stringent than those even for a Council Member?
Section 10.25 of our City Charter states:
The members of all boards and commissions shall possess similar qualifications and be subject to the same disqualifications as provided by the Charter for members of the City Council or the general laws of the state.
Per the City Charter Article 3, Section 2, the qualifications for City Council are:
Each member of the Council shall, in addition to the other qualifications prescribed by law, be, at the date of his or her election, a qualified voter of the City and shall not be in arrears in the payment of municipal taxes, municipal utility charges or any other lawful monetary obligation to the City. A member of the Council ceasing to reside in the City or if convicted of a felony or Class A misdemeanor shall immediately forfeit his or her office.
Is the idea that someone may be good enough to serve on City Council, but now the bar is higher to be a TIF Board member?
If we Council Members do not have the “specific area of expertise or knowledge” needed for every item we discuss, why would we require TIF Board members to have it?
None of us I believe, other than myself, have argued a zoning case in front of a Plan Commission or City Council. Does that make me the only person qualified to vote on the zoning case? Yet at nearly every council meeting and without professional zoning expertise, Council Members make decisions on the zoning of a property which have lasting financial and societal impacts.
Councilman Bass owns and operates a successful small business. Should he be the only one eligible to serve on TIF #1 because it is composed largely of small businesses? TIF #3 surrounds the VA Hospital and medical district. Should you be required to have an MD to serve on that board?
Obviously, the answer is no. We aren’t experts in every topic, but it is our job and duty as an elected official responsible to the citizens we represent to study the issues, ask staff and experts questions if needed, and vote what we think is best for the citizens of the City of Garland. We are entrusted by our constituents to do so, and I would expect the same out of any board member I appoint.
Finally, and unfortunately, there is not an overwhelming number of candidates applying to be members of boards and commissions. The individuals that volunteer do so out of a desire to improve the City they live in. I wish more citizens were involved and there was a larger pool of candidates to choose from.
As a Council Member, I can only control whom I appoint, and it is my duty to find, encourage, and appoint the best person I believe for that role regardless of whether they are a technical expert. Expertise is important, but so are many other qualities, and we shouldn’t disqualify someone simply based upon not meeting a specific educational or technical requirement. The last thing I want is a technocracy taking control of our local government.
The second item to be reported is a consideration of increasing Homestead or Senior Property Tax Exemptions. In 2020, the Council increased the Homestead Exemption from 8% to 10% and increased the Senior exemption by $5,000 from $51,000 to $56,000.
Last November, Texas voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 4 (83% for to 17% against) which provides much needed property tax relief to Texas homeowners in the form of reducing school property taxes. The proposition increases the homestead exemption on school district taxes by 2.5x from $40,000 to $100,000.
According to the Texas Tribune, the typical homeowner will see $2,500 in property tax savings over the next two years. (https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/07/texas-proposition-4-property-tax-cut/)
In the committee, I voted against increasing the senior exemption as proposed by Chairwoman Morris due to the State’s meaningful action on property tax relief, and this cut would take funding away from other priorities. For example, I wish to see the City fund a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for our employees.
The City of Garland opted out of COLA for retirees in 2008 during the recession during that time and for the past 16 years, we have not offered a COLA as part of the Texas Municipal Retirement System benefits our retirees receive. This means that if you retired from the City in 2009, your benefits have been the same since that time despite the high inflation during recent years. We owe it to our employees, especially our first responders, that they feel secure in their retirement.
When prospective employees are looking for a place to work, this is certainly one aspect of the benefits package that they consider. I fear that we are losing top talent including firemen, police and EMTs to other Cities because we do not offer this benefit.
Unlike the Federal Government, which adds a trillion dollars to the national debt every 100 days (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/01/the-us-national-debt-is-rising-by-1-trillion-about-every-100-days.html), the City must run a balanced budget. Expenditures on one item must be offset by cuts in another area. Chairwoman Morris did not offer what program or project she would like to cut to fund the exemption increase.
ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
A Council member, 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
Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to the following sections of the Texas Government Code, Sections:
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to Sections 551.071, 551.087, and 551.089 of the Texas Government Code to discuss or deliberate the following:
Economic development matters regarding commercial or financial information that the City has received from a business prospect that the governmental body seeks to have locate, stay, or expand in or near the City in the vicinity of Holford Road and Arapaho Road with which the governmental body is conducting economic development negotiations and potential offers of a financial or other incentive to such business prospect (551.087); and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the same (551.071).
The deployment, or specific occasions for implementation, of security personnel, critical infrastructure, or security devices (551.089) and attorney/client matters related to the same 9551.071).
ADJOURN
With the talk of a Communications Master Plan, this song is exactly what we are trying to avoid. Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown” from Led Zeppelin I released in 1969. Get the Led out!
I'm so glad you are enjoying it, and I'm glad you enjoy the songs as well. Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest rock bands of all time!
What ever happened to the approved project for licensing, permitting and inspections solution? I've heard terrible stories of Vivid GovTech from other cities - is this project at risk?