Work Session Notes - October 7, 2024
In case you don't know what a monorail is...
Some important updates coming this week including the 2019 Bond Update which was delayed from last Work Session, improvements to Buckingham Road, and brownfield cleanups. As always, my comments are in bold italics.
Written Briefings
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a written briefing.
Resolution for a Project Specific Agreement with Dallas County for Maintenance Improvements on Buckingham Road
Council is requested to consider authorizing the City Manager to execute a Project Specific Agreement with Dallas County for pavement maintenance on portions of Buckingham Road from Shiloh Road to the West Garland city limit. Unless directed otherwise by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 8, 2024 Regular Meeting.
An excellent example of partnering with our surrounding governmental agencies using $1.8M of their dollars to improve Garland. The City will be responsible for half of the cost of this project, effectively doubling our impact.
This funding only comes through creating and maintaining relationships with those government entities. In other words, successfully playing politics. I’m glad to see the southern boundary of District 7 will get some much needed roadway improvements.
Facilities Management Warehouse Rental
Council is requested to consider approving a lease agreement to relocate stored materials and equipment to 2050 Forest Lane, Suite 250, and authorize the City Manager to execute such documents necessary to complete the transaction. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 8, 2024 Regular Session.
Garland had previously leased a warehouse at 2350 Crist Rd., but that location was determined to be not in an optimal location and too expensive. The new location will be less expensive and more centrally located so that city departments can access it more easily, leading to more efficient operations.
Bond Refunding - Electric Utility System Commercial Paper Notes and Series 2014 Electric Utility Revenue Bonds
Council is requested to consider refunding up to $150 million of Electric Utility Commercial Paper Notes and Series 2014 Electric Utility Revenue Bonds. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 22, 2024 Regular Meeting.
Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant Spring 2024 Applications
Council is requested to consider approving the funding requests reviewed and recommended by the Community Services Committee for the Spring 2024 Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant Cycle. Unless directed otherwise by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 22, 2024 Regular Meeting.
Grants to be approved this cycle as part of our Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant include 164 linear feet of riprap retaining wall to stabilize the bank of the pond within the Crystal Lake homeowners association, and lighting an electrical improvements for the The Greens of Firewheel at the corners where Brand Road intersects O’Shannon Lane and Flanagan Drive.
Interlocal Agreement between City of Garland and DART for the Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center
Council is requested to consider approving an interlocal agreement (ILA) between the City of Garland and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) for a future transit-oriented development at the Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center. Unless directed otherwise by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 8, 2024 Regular Meeting.
In August 2021, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the City and DART to redevelop the Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center. The center has been historically underutilized with significant excess parking as compared to the number of users (657 parking spaces with only 55 spaces on average used daily). With this interlocal agreement, the City will lease the DART property in order to partner with a Master Developer which will construct a transit-oriented development on the space.
This is a significant step towards revitalizing the South Garland corridor along IH-30. The 13-acre DART property located at the southeast corner of Duck Creek Drive and Greenbelt Parkway will augment the 14-acre Lofts iThirty Owner, LLC property to the south to create one unified development.
(The DART property is highlighted in green in this DCAD map.)
Notification of Application for EPA FY25 Brownfield Cleanup Grant
Council is requested to consider authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute an application for the EPA FY25 Brownfield Cleanup Grant. As part of the ongoing redevelopment of the medical district, the City acquired approximately 5.98 acres of land at 530 Clara Barton. Due to the sensitive nature of the potential use, additional testing was performed, and additional remediation was recommended.
Last year, the City of Garland purchased the 5.98-acre lot at 530 Clara Barton with the intention to court a developer to build a new hospital on the location. This site was chosen as it is very near the old Baylor Scott & White Hospital–which is now the VA Hospital–in the Medical District.
After World War II and until the 1960s, the site served as a manufacturing facility for Varo Manufacturing Company. The main building suffered a fire on April 1, 1956, but was subsequently rebuilt. In 1979, Varo merged with Iotron Corporation of Bedford, MA, and ceased operations in 1982.
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth618877/m1/1/)
Being a manufacturing site, contaminants remained in the soil after the facility was closed, Although the site was cleaned to the EPAs highest standard– the residential use standard, some contaminants still remain. However as the agenda states, given the sensitive nature of the future potential use, additional testing was performed and additional remediation was recommended. This item will provide a funding mechanism for the additional cleanout activities.
Interestingly enough, Varo developed an overhead monorail system that they intended to be used as a people mover in places like airports. The prototype was too costly to be fully implemented, but remains as the legacy of innovation present in Garland’s manufacturing community.
https://www.garlandhistorical.org/online-resources/44-articles/commerce-and-industry/153-garland-firm-helped-develop-monorail
Notification of Application for EPA FY25 Brownfield Community-Wide Assessment Grant
Council is requested to consider authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute an application for the EPA FY25 Brownfield Community-Wide Assessment Grant. As part of ongoing redevelopment efforts, the City continues making efforts to acquire parcels in targeted areas for land assembly. This funding opportunity will provide the City with resources for developing inventories of brownfield sites, prioritizing sites, conducting community involvement activities, conducting planning, conducting site assessments, developing site-specific cleanup plans, and developing reuse plans related to brownfield sites.
Like the prior item, this item will grant funding for the City to more deeply analyze two potential development sites—at the IH635 & S Garland/S Shiloh road corridor and the area east of Downtown. Grant funding may cover:
Developing inventories of brownfield sites
Prioritizing sites, conducting community involvement activities
Planning activities
Conducting site assessments
Developing site-specific cleanup plans
Developing reuse plans related to brownfield sites
City Council Committees - Pending Items List
Written staff briefing regarding the Pending Items List for City Council Committees.
Council committees have been hard at work debating and producing policy for full council consideration. Here is a list of the pending items on their agendas:
Administrative Services
Motion/Voting History on City Website
Downtown Square Programming & Usage
Annual Review of Council Policies
Audit
City-wide HIPPA Framework
Community Services
SF Rental Property Sanitation Rates
Homeless Encampments - Property Owner's Role
Civil Penalties for Code Compliance Issues
HIP Funding – repeat applicants, wait period, eligibility
Development Services
Antennas – Spacing Requirements
Pre-meeting Prior to Plan Commission
Review Sign Ordinance
Drone Delivery Zone
Review Auto Overlays
Laundry Mats
Historical Significance of Specific Signage in Garland
Historical Signage as Eligible Expense in Façade Program
Bounded 380 – Residential Improvements
Legislative & Public Affairs
DART Funding - Resolution
Public Safety
School Traffic in Neighborhoods | Parking - School Zones
Public Health & Safety in Emergency Situations
Frequent Noise Violations in Residential Areas
Transportation, Infrastructure & Mobility
Expanding the Stormwater Program
I am particularly interested in discussing Bounded Chapter 380 agreements to spur more economic development in dilapidated properties and the DART funding resolution which will be discussed in an agenda item below.
VERBAL BRIEFINGS
Council may ask for discussion, further information, or give direction to staff on an item posted as a verbal briefing.
DART Funding Update
Staff will provide an update to Council regarding the ongoing discussions between DART and its member cities.
DART is currently embroiled with calls by other member cities to cut DART funding. Several member cities make the case that they do not receive the value back that they are paying into DART through their 1% sales tax contribution.
KERA interviewed me in August (https://www.keranews.org/news/2024-08-06/dart-riders-transit-services-north-texas-rowlett-cut-funding) where I advocate for maintaining DART funding at current levels. Garland receives much more value back than it puts into DART, not only through our sales tax contributions, but also the Interlocal Agreements discussed in an agenda item above.
A meeting was held last Friday between DART and member cities, and I am anxious to see the current state of those discussions.
2019 Bond Program - Status Update
Staff will provide an update on progress to date in implementing the 2019 Bond Program.
I’m looking forward to hearing the updates regarding the Holford Recreation and Aquatics Center and the bottleneck improvements, several of which impacts streets surrounding District 7.
When I spoke with the Holford Rec contractor early in the summer, he said that construction should be wrapped up around February 2025. I hope that this is still the case.
(An aerial view of Holford Recreation and Aquatics Center. See the lazy river and pool concrete work on the left half of the picture.)
Consider GCACI Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenue Budget, Sub-grant Recipients and Hotel Occupancy Tax Program Management Agreement
Council is requested to consider approving the GCACI Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenue Budget, Sub-grant Recipients and Hotel Occupancy Tax Program Management Agreement. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 8, 2024 Regular Meeting.
One of my favorite items each year is providing grant funding to worthy arts organizations through our HOT (Hotel Occupancy Tax) revenues. This year, we are planning on granting $159,000 in grants to the following organizations:
Garland Summer Musicals
Garland Symphony Orchestra
Garland Civic Theatre
Breitling Performing Arts
Company of Rowlett
Garland Landmark Society
Dallas Ballet Company
Garland Youth MLK
Magic 11th Street
Spectacular Follies
Accolade Community Theatre
Texas Winds Musical Outreach
Reel Owl Cinema Booster
Achievement Center of Texas
Culture Makers
Prayaanam
Work/Shop
2025 Bond Study Committee Report
City Council will receive an update from staff and the Bond Study Committee Chair regarding discussions and progress of the 2025 Bond Study Committee.
The 2025 Bond Study Committee is moving right along as they have now heard presentations from the City covering all of our economic development focus areas. The internal committee deliberations will now begin on what projects to support and at what price tag. I look forward to hearing Chairman Joe Thomas’s report.
Development Services Committee Report
Development Services Committee Chair, Councilmember Dylan Hedrick, will report on spacing requirements for antennas and the review process prior to Plan Commission meetings.
We are looking to eliminate the confusing language used in Plan Commission meeting agendas which referenced a “pre-meeting” which started before the actual meeting. This often caused confusion with applicants as they showed up at the actual meeting time and missed the back and forth questioning between the Commission and staff. Now the meeting agenda will include one time for the start of the meeting, giving the applicant to hear the “pre-meeting” and be able to answer Plan Commission comments during their presentation.
Audit Committee Meeting Report
Internal Audit Committee Chair, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Moore, and Jed Johnson, City Auditor, will provide a committee report on the following items: Weaver Presentation - FY/2024 Audit, Animal Services Audit, GP&L LED Streetlight Conversion Audit, and the FY/2025 Audit Plan.
ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
A Councilmember, 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 551.071, 551.072, 551.073, 551.074, 551.076, 551.086, 551.087, 551.773 and 552.133 of the Texas Government Code.
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to sections 551.072, 551.076, 551.087, 551.089 and 551.071 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate and discuss the following:
1. Matters related to the security of the Animal Services facility and operations (551.089 and 551.076), and attorney/client communication related to the same (551.071).
2. 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 or near the vicinity of 1st Street and West Avenue D and with which the City is conducting economic development negotiations; including a possible offer of a financial or other incentive, including the sale of real property, to a business prospect to relocate a proposed development to that vicinity within the City (551.072 and 551.087); and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the same (551.071).
3. The purchase of real property (551.072) and consultation with its attorney regarding contemplated eminent domain litigation and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information related to the same (551.071).
ADJOURN
There has been a lack of good jazz at the end of my posts, so let’s fix that with J.B.’s “[It’s Not the Express] It’s the J.B.’s Monaurail.”