Work Session Notes - March 4, 2024
Hey buddy, pay your tolls before you pay the rent, Over the turnstiles and out in the traffic
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.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS
CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA
A selected consent agenda item:
Helipad Construction Bid No. 0297-24
Nouveau Construction & Technology Services $577,653.89
This request is to provide for the construction of a new Helipad and taxiway to include approximately 2,100 SY of 6" Concrete Pavement, electrical wiring, conduit, in-ground lighting and fencing as part of the Heliport redevelopment effort. This provides for a second helipad for takeoffs and landings to/from the north to ensure safe operation.
You may not have known that Texas’ largest public-use helipad is located in Garland at 2559 S Jupiter Road. The helipad opened in 1989 and is operated by Carrollton based SKY Helicopters, Inc.
Per their website, SKY offers tours of DFW, fight training, maintenance support, and sales of rotary aircraft. The helipad also serves as a base for local news helicopters.
This item provides the funding to add an additional helipad and taxiway to support the growth of the helipad.
(The Garland Heliport Picture courtesy of https://cdn.businessyab.com/assets/uploads/ be102dbeef0e0db0724c235a4bd710f3_-united-states-texas-dallas-county-garland-south-jupiter-road-2559-garland-hlplx-t57-214-349-7000.jpg)
WRITTEN BRIEFINGS
Garland Housing Finance Grant Agreement
Council is requested to allow the City Manager to execute the Grant Agreement with the Garland Housing Finance Corporation for $540,000. The funding from the Grant will continue in supporting the GHFC Home Repair Program, aimed at assisting low-income homeowners. This initiative will cover essential repairs, offering up to $35,000 to address exterior maintenance repairs, interior health and safety improvements, as well as plumbing and electrical fixes, and address certain code enforcement violations.
For the past three years, the Garland Housing Finance Corporation (GHFC) has provided an annual grant bookmarked for home repair funding for low-income homeowners. This generous grant is an increase of $140,000 from last year’s grant.
The City of Garland administers the grant with help from the Community Development Department, Office of Neighborhood Vitality and Code Compliance. If one of our Departments notices a need, or the homeowner applies through our program, the homeowner may receive up to $10,000 per property for “Minor” repair services, or up to $35,000.00 per property for “Substantial Repairs.” The City supplements this grant money with funding from HUD and other federal programs.
As wonderful as this program is, it is only a drop in the bucket to meet the substantial needs our low-income citizens have. Previous funds were allocated within months of the program opening.
Ordinance Update for Public and Semipublic Swimming Pools
Council is requested to consider adopting updates to Chapter 22, Article VI of Garland City Ordinances, entitled Public and Semipublic Swimming Pools, for the purposes of becoming current and consistent with the State in regard to pool safety at public and semipublic pools and spas. It is also requested that Garland adopts the State's Public Interactive Water Feature rules, as there are currently no regulations in the Garland ordinance pertaining to splash pads or spray parks.
If you did not get a chance to read the entire International Swimming Pool and Spa Code two weeks ago, now’s your chance. This item was postponed from the last work session and will now be considered this week. You can see my thoughts on it from my previous post here.
3. Consideration of Fire Staffing Realignment
Council is asked to consider approving a revision to the 23-24 Civil Service Classifications & Compensation Ordinance to reflect realignment of one (1) Firefighter vacancy which will be utilized to create an additional Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal.
From time to time, we realign existing staffing to meet current needs. This change will convert an open Firefighter position to a 10th Battalion Chief role that will also serve as the City’s Fire Marshal. There will be an impact to the City’s operating budget to the tune of $63,470.
4. Notice of Intent to Issue Certificates of Obligation
The Issuance of Certificates of Obligation will be used to fund a portion of the Council Approved 2024 Capital Improvement Program.
With the formal approval of the budget in February, this item mandates a way to pay for it. The City issues a debt instrument which is known as a Certificate of Obligation (CO) to pay for capital improvements. COs are paid by the debt service tax rate, which is a portion of the property tax you pay. The debt service tax rate will not change from the previous year and is currently set at $0.3756 per $1,000 valuation.
The amortization for COs is based on useful life of the asset for which they are issued (typically 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 years).
5. Council is requested to approve the award of a contract to Roadway Asset Services, LLC in the amount of $288,280 to provide Pavement Condition Index services. The vendor will assess the condition of all city streets and alleys in accordance with recognized industry standards and provide data that will assist city staff with enhancing its programming methodologies for street improvement projects.
As a Civil Engineer, this is a very exciting item for me. This item will authorize a consultant to analyze the condition of each street, road and alley in the City.
The consultant will use a LIDAR truck-mounted scanner much like the one in the picture below. By driving and scanning all of the City’s 2,700 lane miles (kind of like Google Streetview, but aimed down at the ground), we will get a map of all the cracks and ruts in our roads along with the exact latitude and longitude.
The cracks, bumps and holes will then be analyzed using artificial intelligence to assign a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) (think road grade from 0 - 100) to every mile of every street.
Using the PCI grade, we will develop a roadmap (pun intended) to better allocate our future street spending to address those streets in most need of repair or replacement. The plan will categorize which areas need immediate fixes, which areas need only to be monitored, and which areas are in good shape.
I will report back in summer when this work is estimated to be complete.
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
6. USDA Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grant Report
Staff is presenting Council with a verbal report regarding a multi-year grant with the National Arbor Day Foundation. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at a future regular meeting.
This seems pretty straightforward. We applied for and now are receiving a grant from the National Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in our city.
Free money for more trees? Yes please!
7. Captioning, Translations and Related Services for Council Meetings
Staff will discuss potential options for providing captioning, translations and other related services at City Council meetings.
There has been an increasing need to translate our City Council meetings into other languages including sign language due to the large diversity of our wonderful city. I’m interested in whether the council is interested in having a full-time interpreter available at all council meetings, or whether a technological solution such as a real-time text-to-speech system may meet our needs.
ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to Sections 551.072, 551.074, 551.087m
and 551.071 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate or discuss the following:and 551.071 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate or discuss the following:
1. The purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property located in the vicinity of Hopkins and W Ave D (551.072), personnel matters related to the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of public employees (551.074), and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the same (551.071).
2. Economic development matters related to commercial or financial information that the City has received from one or more business prospects that the City seeks to have locate, stay, or expand in the vicinities of (i) South Garland Avenue and I-635, and (ii) President George Bush Turnpike and Holford Road, with which the City is conducting economic development negotiations (551.087), including possible purchases of real property (551.072), and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the same (551.071).
With discussion of the Pavement Condition Index, I’ll share a song from Pavement - an indie rock band out of Stockton, California. He’s their song “Range Life” full of jangly guitars and early 90’s goodness.