Work Session Notes - May 6, 2024
You belong among the wildflowers...
First let me congratulate the winners in the May 4 city election as incumbents Jeff Bass, BJ Williams and Margaret Lucht will return for additional terms along with Kris Beard who will take over in District 2. I look forward to working with all of them through the final year of my term. As always, my comments will be in bold italics. Please share this Substack with a friend or leave a comment if you find it valuable or interesting.
WORK SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS
CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA
WRITTEN BRIEFINGS
City Council Travel and Related Expenses
Per City Council Policy, Article II, Division 1, Section 6(E), the City Manager will provide a written briefing on City Council travel and related expenses.
This item provides supporting information for Item 9. I will speak more about this below.
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
Introduction of Jonathon Morgan, Information Technology Operations Director
Mike Betz, Interim Managing Director of Information Technology, will present Jonathon Morgan, Information Technology Operations Director.
Jonathan Morgan is a U.S. Army veteran who is dedicated to serving his country and community. He has been a Garland team member for 13 years within the Information Technology Department and contributing to various community projects and initiatives. Prior to being promoted to Director of Operations, Jonathan served as Operations Manager. With a total of 28 years in some form of government support, Jonathan has consistently demonstrated his dedication to public service and the community.
As Information Technology becomes more important in the daily operations of the City, I am glad that we have filled the IT Ops Director position with such a qualified candidate. It is great that we also provide opportunities for advancement for employees who have been with the City of Garland as long as Mr. Morgan has.
Introduction of William Flowers, GIS Director
Mike Betz, Interim Managing Director of Information Technology will introduce William Flowers, GIS Director.
William Flowers brings over 15 years of diverse GIS experience, spanning municipal, federal, and private sector support, leading initiatives from transportation to renewable energy. William has a Master's in Land Area Development and Management and a Bachelor's in Geographic Information Science. William enjoys swimming, cycling, and playing instruments, including the Musical Saw, reflecting his multifaceted interests and commitment to creativity.
Over the past several months, I have pushed to make more of the City’s information available in an easier to use GIS format including apartment and food inspection scores. Now the City will have a dedicated GIS director to make the City’s information even more accessible and useful to our citizens.
Soon I would like to see even more utility, crime, transportation and environmental information online. I look forward to working with Mr. Flowers, and please reach out to me with your suggestions on what city information you would like to see in GIS format. Also, I hope he brings his musical saw to Council tomorrow.
2024-2025 CDBG, HOME and ESG Federal Grant Allocation Process
The Community Development Department will provide a presentation concerning the distribution of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, HOME Infill Partnership Grant (HOME) funding, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding.
Each year, Garland receives funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be distributed through our Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Infill Partnership Grant (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs. The total funds to be awarded this year are:
CDBG: $2,124,930
HOME: $ 741,993
ESG: $ 188,162
Of the funds, the Council has the ability to choose how to distribute 15% of the CDBG funds ($318,740) for “public services.” Both citywide initiatives and non-profit organizations can submit for grants. This year we received 14 grants (four citywide initiatives and 10 non-profit organizations) and all applications have been already scored by city staff on a 1-100 scale on the basis of Project Characteristics, Organizational Capacity, Budget, Project Benefits, and Project Specifics.
Councilmembers will provide their individual allocations and then averaged as a whole council to determine the grant amount given to each request. I am happy to see that the Achievement Center of Texas has returned this year after finding a new location on Barnes Drive.
The applicants this year are:
City of Garland Police Department - Garland Police Youth Initiative
City of Garland Parks Department - S.T.A.R.S. Summer Day Camp
City of Garland Parks Department - After School Program
City of Garland Code Enforcement - Lawn Care Assistance Program
Garland Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas - Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
Achievement Center of Texas Achievement Center of Texas - Student Tuition
Visiting Nurse Association - Meals on Wheels
Hopes Door/New Beginning - Family Violence Counseling Survivor Services Program
Pearl Transit Corporation - Oral Health Outreach Services
Counseling Institute of Texas (CIT) - At Risk Family Therapy Program
Hope Clinic - Value Added Health Care
Transcend STEM Education - Transcend STEM Education
Salvation Army - Emergency Rental Assistance
New Project Restoration Church - Summer Youth Camp Program
2019 Bond Program - Status Update
Staff will provide an update on progress to date in implementing the 2019 Bond Program.
I always love a Bond Program update, this time focusing on completed projects including Gatewood Pavilion, the Police Department’s Reality-Based Training Facility and the Street Department’s new building.
Surf & Swim, the Garland Avenue Underpass Trail (connecting the east and west sides of the walking trail on either side of N. Garland Avenue), Naaman School Road, Fire Station 1, Montclair Drainage Improvements, and design packages 2 & 3 for the Bottlenecks Improvement Program have already been bid, or are going out for bid very soon.
The Central Library and the new West Garland Library are under construction and expected to be open in early 2025. The projects to modernize the North and South Branch Libraries are currently being designed, with exterior improvements to the North Garland Branch already underway. Drive by the North Branch and see the beautiful new library sign and parapet for yourself.
(The new sign and parapet at the North Branch Library.)
Review of the 2024 Wildflower Pilot Program
Parks Staff will give an update on the Wildflower Program.
Last budget cycle, I requested a pilot program for planting wildflowers be initialized by the Parks Department. The goal was to beautify the landscaped medians in our roadways much like the current program along Texas highways started by TxDOT in 1934 and in our neighboring city Richardson.
The pilot program started at three intersections at Centerville Road & SH 66, Shiloh Road & Campbell Road, and Broadway Blvd. and Oates Road and included about six acres in area.
The feedback I have received so far has been nothing but positive, and I will advocate to expand this program to other medians throughout the city. If you have any recommendations for where you would like to see our next seeding, please let me know at council7@garlandtx.gov.
(Pictures from Council Agenda Packet)
Comprehensive Plan Update
Staff will update the City Council on the Comprehensive Plan Update.
The Envision Garland Comprehensive Plan which serves as a guide to the City’s growth and improving citizen’s quality of life was adopted in 2012. In the decade plus, Garland’s demographics, needs and wants have changed. This refresh will help future councils in their decision-making on how we improve over the next decade or so.
The engineering firm Verdunity promises to use a data-driven strategy to address infrastructure (water/wastewater/storm) and quality of life investments, zoning and land use regulations, capital improvement plans, transportation plans, and housing plans.
I look forward to having input into and to help form the new comprehensive plan.
Efforts to Address Gunshot Disturbances and Review of the Flock Safety System
Jeff Bryan, Chief of Police, will provide a verbal briefing on efforts to address gunshot disturbances in the City and the Flock Safety System.
The flock safety system has been an invaluable tool to assist the Police Department in tracking vehicles which have been suspected to be used in the commission of a crime. You may have seen them installed at various intersections around town.
The cameras read the license plate number and provide a description of the cars which pass the camera to the onboard computers in police cruisers. If a car that passes matches the description of a suspects vehicle, an officer can respond in real time based on the geographical data provided by the Flock system.
Chief Bryan always provides several examples where the cameras were used to catch a suspect that may not have otherwise been caught.
(The flock camera from Flock Safety - flocksafety.com)
Flock also provides a gunshot detection system that according to Chief Bryan was not quite ready to be rolled out for general use across the city. I’m interested to hear if the system has improved in the months since his last briefing.
Texas Municipal League (TML) Mid-year Conference Report
City Council policy states that, "a Councilmember shall provide a report on any meeting attended at the expense of the City at the next regular meeting of the Council. If multiple Councilmembers attended the same event, a joint report may be made. The City Manager will provide City Council with an annual written briefing on Council travel and related expenses" (Article II, Division 1, Section 6E). Accordingly, this verbal briefing has been allotted to allow Councilmembers that attended the Texas Municipal League (TML) Mid-year conference to provide a report. Councilmembers Dutton, Moore, Morris, and Williams attended the conference.
I called for this item to be added to the agenda as I believe that if Councilmembers are using taxpayer dollars to travel to and attend conferences, the citizens have the right to know what they learned and how they believe it will help them better serve their constituents. It is also a requirement of our internal Council Policies that members provide a briefing on their trip to council during the next regular meeting after they return. Unfortunately, we are almost two months past the Texas Municipal League’s Mid-Year Conference held March 14-15 in San Marcos without a briefing.
The Texas Municipal League advertised the Mid-Year Conference as a place where attendees will:
Hear from impactful keynote speakers who will inspire and empower you
Meet top state officials for the latest trends and forecasts affecting cities
Discuss the big issues: water, transportation, electricity, and emergency management
Get essential briefings on city-related legal and legislative developments
City officials and staff from towns and cities of all sizes are encouraged to attend!
I’ve duplicated the breakout session titles and descriptions below:
Thursday, March 14
Welcome and Keynote
Creating Inspired Communities Where People Love to Live
Doug Griffiths, President and CEO, 13 Ways Inc.
Whether you are looking to build capacity, overcome negativity, or position your community for short- and long-term success, you’ll find tremendous value in this visionary and insightful keynote presentation. Best-Selling Author and Community Enthusiast Doug Griffiths focuses on ideas and proven methods that are realistic and attainable, supporting them with real-life examples of success that will leave you imagining all that your community can be.
9:50–10:50 a.m. - Expanding Economic Prosperity in Texas Communities
Larry McManus, Director, Business & Community Development, Texas Economic Development & Tourism, Office of Governor
In this data-packed presentation, Larry McManus, Director of Business & Community Development in the Governor’s Office, will discuss the state of the Texas economy and how the Texas Economic Development & Tourism office works with local leaders to expand economic growth and job creation in rural, suburban, and metro communities across Texas.
10:50–11:10 a.m. Stretch Break
11:10 a.m.–Noon The State of Water in Texas
L’Oreal Stepney P.E., Board Member, Texas Water Development Board
As the Texas population and economy continue to grow, it is increasingly critical to expand infrastructure to help manage and improve our water supply statewide. Texas Water Development Board Member L’Oreal Stepney, P.E. will discuss Texas’ plan to provide water for a growing population and tools to support better planning and create tangible benefits for our communities and residents.
Noon–1:00 p.m. Networking Lunch (provided)
1:00–2:15 p.m. Disaster and Emergency Management in Texas
W. Nim Kidd MPA, CEM, Chief, Texas Division of Emergency Management, and Vice Chancellor for Disaster and Emergency Services, The Texas A&M University System
Over the past decade, Texas has experienced some of the worst disasters the state has ever faced. In this session, executive staff from the Texas Division of Emergency Management will discuss how Texas prepares for, responds to, recovers from, and mitigates against disasters, and provides resources to serve local leaders in emergency management.
2:20–3:20 p.m. The Future of Transportation
Gregory D. Winfree Esq., Agency Director, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
The growing Texas population underscores the need to build and strengthen transportation in our state so it’s safe, reliable, and intelligent. In this eye-opening session, Texas A&M Transportation Institute Director Gregory Winfree will discuss the impact of growth on the future of transportation in Texas, including technology, traffic, and funding.
3:20–3:30 p.m. Stretch Break
3:30–4:30p.m. Understanding Reliability and Challenges of the Texas Power Grid
Kathleen Jackson P.E., Commissioner, Public Utility Commission of Texas
Since Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, the Public Utility Commission of Texas has taken historic action to increase reliability of the ERCOT power grid, including mandatory winter weatherization of electric generation infrastructure, requirements that generation plants have access to back up fuel and adjusting market triggers to incentivize more power on the grid when tight conditions are forecast. Today, the biggest challenge facing the grid is demand for power in our fast-growing state outpacing the growth in dispatchable generation resources. Interim Public Utility Commission of Texas Chair Kathleen Jackson will explain what the PUCT is doing to meet these challenges to ensure grid reliability, accountability, and affordability for Texans.
Friday, March 15
8:30–8:55 a.m. Good Governance Gets the Work Done
Kel Seliger, Former Texas State Senator and TML Legislative Hall of Honor Inductee
Former Texas State Senator Kel Seliger has always taken a principled approach to governance. His long career in elected office, including nearly a decade as mayor of Amarillo and 17 years in the Texas Senate, exemplifies the Texas spirit of community and public service. In the legislature, Seliger was known as an advocate for local officials making decisions that impact their communities. In this inspiring keynote, Seliger will share his approach to governance and leadership – one that involves prioritizing integrity, cultivating trust, and collaborating to solve the tough issues.
9:00–10:00 a.m. Advocacy and Influence
John Daly Ph.D., Liddell Centennial Professor of Communication, University of Texas (Austin)
Good ideas matter. But without successful advocacy for those ideas, nothing happens. What does it take to have influence in conversations, meetings, and presentations? In this session, you’ll discover a five-step model for successful influence. You’ll learn some very specific techniques that will enhance your persuasiveness when trying to advocate for your ideas.
10:05–11:30 a.m. 2024 Legislative Update
Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director; Monty Wynn, Director, Grassroots and Legislative Services; JJ Rocha, Grassroots and Legislative Services Manager; and Michael Martin, Legislative Counsel, Texas Municipal League
Whether you’re an experienced city advocate or new to legislative activities, keeping track of bills that affect your city is critical. In this informative session, TML staff will discuss the implementation of bills from the 2023 Texas legislative session, the city-related issues that may be priorities in the 89th legislative session, and how you can effectively serve your community through grassroots involvement.
I just don’t believe that sending councilmembers to conferences like this are a good use of taxpayers dollars.
Already the City Council has subject matter experts available to speak during Work Sessions or to contact with questions that provide City specific updates covering the same topics presented at the TML conference.
When the Texas Legislature is in session, we have hosted Ty Embrey, who is Chair of the Governmental Relations Practice Group at the Lloyd Gosselink law firm, to provide legislative updates specific to the the City of Garland. To further address our governmental relations, the City recently hired Ariel Traub to be the Managing Director of Legislative & Public Affairs. I expect that she will be available to provide legislative updates and advocate on Garland’s behalf to other governmental bodies.
Garland Power & Lights’ CEO Darrell Cline frequently provides updates to Council regarding “dispatchable generation resources,” weatherization, and general reliability and challenges of the Texas Grid among many other items which specifically relate to Garland and GP&L’s operations.
TxDOT’s District Engineer Ceason Clemens, P.E., spoke to the Council just last session regarding the reconstruction of IH-635. Her comments directly speak to the “future of transportation” with a specific focus on roadways that directly affect Garland.
The City has two appointees to the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) including the NTMWD past Board President Jack May and former Garland Mayor Lori Barnett Dodson. Both are available if we have any questions regarding our water supply.
Besides the cost and time required to attend, conference attendees may also suffer from information overload. With so many sessions, workshops, and panels crammed into two days, it’s easy to leave a conference feeling overwhelmed rather than enlightened. This is especially true if there's no clear application of the knowledge gained. Which leads to another issue which is the lack of actionable takeaways.
Even if the conference content is informative, it doesn't always translate into pragmatic insights that can be applied locally. Speakers often talk in generalities about what should be done rather than how to do it. Without clear takeaways, the conference experience can be full of nice stories and platitudes, but provides nothing that applies to our specific situation here in Garland.
You can find the complete list of the 312 Mid-Year Conference’s attendees here: https://tmlmidyearconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-TML-Midyear-Conference-attendee-list-3-12-2024.pdf
And the handouts from each session here:
https://tmlmidyearconference.org/handouts-tml-midyear-conference/.
Furthermore, for FY 2020-21, the Council decided to not renew memberships in several municipal organizations. Again, I maintain that those dollars spent on memberships and traveling to conferences would be better spent elsewhere. I am proud that the City Council’s operating budget is about $80,000 less than FY 17-18.
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 Sections:
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to Sections 551.074 and 551.071 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate or discuss:
Attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the statutory construction of the City Charter (551.071) and personnel matters related to the duties of the City Manager vis-à-vis City Council, pursuant to the City Charter (551.074).
ADJOURN
Easy choice for the ending song today.
Quick story - My local rock radio station C101 that I listened to 24/7 when I was growing up had “morning zoo” show contests where you had to be the 10th caller to win a wonderful prize pack. Early one Saturday morning, my radio alarm went off before I had to run out to karate practice, I heard the DJ say, “Call in now and the 10th caller wins Tom Petty’s new album “Wildflowers.”
I rolled over out of my bed and grabbed the clear plastic phone on the bedside table. After several busy signals and redials, the phone started ringing. The DJ answered on the other end and said, “Congratulations! You are caller #10!”
I was still half asleep and in that groggy morning voice I squeaked out “Thanks! I’m so excited!” What a great way to start a morning! I then had to convince my Dad to drive me to the radio station to pick up my prize because I wasn’t old enough to drive.
I still have that album alphabetized in my 96-capacity CD binder right after the Toadies’ “Rubberneck” and right before Tonic’s “Lemon Parade.” It’s a great all the way through and well worth a listen yourself on your favorite streaming service.
I hope the flock system helps curb gun violence by helping police officers capture shooters.
Great update Dylan. Keep up the good work.