Arlington City Council Special Meeting – June 11, 2024
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Arlington City Council Special Meeting – June 11, 2024
The Arlington City Council met in special session on June 11, 2024, from 1:45 PM to 4:25 PM. Due to the absence of Mayor Jim Ross, Mayor Pro Tempore Barbara Odom-Wesley, and Deputy Mayor Pro Tempore Andrew Piel, Councilmember R. Gonzalez was elected to chair the meeting. The session included an executive session (1:46 PM – 3:41 PM), a work session, discussion of informal staff reports, committee updates, and miscellaneous items.
Executive Session (1:45 PM – 3:41 PM)
- Discussion Regarding the Option to Purchase 501 North East Street – Closed deliberation under Texas Government Code Section 551.072 (real property).
- Harvest Hills Phase 1 Drainage Improvements – Two resolutions authorizing settlements for a drainage and sanitary sewer easement (258 sq ft at 1807 Overbrook Drive, Dario Romero) and a temporary construction easement (230 sq ft at 1528 Twin Post Drive, Conrado Rojas and Maria I. Amador).
- Gas Well Temporary Water Pipeline License – Resolution authorizing a license with Total E&P USA Barnett, LLC for temporary water pipeline construction and maintenance within city rights-of-way.
- Offers of Incentives to Business Prospects – Deliberation under Section 551.087 (economic development negotiations).
Discussion Items
3.1 Comprehensive Plan Element: Hike and Bike System Master Plan
Principal Planner Jana Wentzel presented an update on the 2011 plan. The city has built 76 miles of on- and off-street facilities, including 62 miles of trails and 14 miles of bike lanes, representing about 30% of the planned network. Key goals include connecting users to parks, schools, and businesses; improving mobility; and encouraging alternative transportation. Actions included updating the micromobility ordinance for e‑bikes and scooters, applying for Safe Streets and Roads for All grants, and partnering with UT Arlington for a bike/scooter share program. Councilmember Hogg questioned whether a major plan update was needed (13 years old) and raised e‑bike concerns; staff noted that the micromobility ordinance addresses speed limits.
4.3 Transition to Residential Trash Cart Services Update
Tyler Hurd (Solid Waste and Recycling Services Manager) reported that approximately 1,300 households requested 65‑gallon carts, 698 requested door-side assistance, and 2,700 requested an additional cart (trash or recycling). The transition to smaller carts and door-side service is expected to be substantially complete by the end of June 2024. Brian Daugherty (Code Compliance Director) stated that enforcement of cart placement rules will begin in July with a focus on education and reactive responses to complaints, treating it similarly to overhanging tree limb violations. Councilmembers asked about storm debris pickup rules (must be bundled, under 50 lbs, cut in 4‑ft lengths).
4.4 Community and Neighborhood Development – Farmers & Artisans Market
Councilmember Boxall reported that a feasibility survey received about 760 responses. The downtown area (including the downtown business district and downtown neighborhood overlay) received the most responses, followed by Vandergriff Park and Veterans Park. The committee directed staff to take the discussion to the Municipal Policy Committee to evaluate and remove regulatory barriers for farmers markets, and to consider location infrastructure, local partnerships (UTA, downtown Arlington), mixed vendor types, and flexible regulations.
4.5 Transportation and Municipal Infrastructure – Safe Streets Arlington Plan Update
Councilmember Gonzalez (committee chair) reported on the Safe Streets Arlington Plan, developed under a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant. Crash data from 2018–2022 is being used to identify a High Injury Network. The vision is to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Arlington streets by 5% annually. Seven key strategies are being drafted. Community input included an online survey (over 200 responses), internal and external stakeholder groups, and a public meeting planned for September 19, 2024. The draft plan will be developed over summer, with Planning and Zoning Commission briefing on October 2 and council committee briefing on October 8.
4.7 Evening Agenda Items (Discussion)
- Item 8.13 – $417,000 study for three pedestrian crossings over railroad tracks (East Street, Picon Street, near Oak Street).
- Item 8.16 – School zone changes based on AISD requests and removal of a zone at Helen Westler Park (traffic pattern reverted to two‑way).
- Item 8.22 – Comprehensive Plan steering committee: each council member will appoint two representatives, plus the mayor appointing three (including chair). Criteria and obligations (e.g., monthly meetings for 12 months, attendance at 6 of 12) will be discussed at the June 25 work session. Applications will include demographic and qualification questions.
- Item 8.26 – North Texas Higher Education Authority student loan revenue bond refinancing: no impact on city finances; refinancing recaptures savings for local student loans.
- Items 8.17 and 11.4 – Gas well drilling zone and permits: Total E&P USA Barnett, LLC requested a continuance. Council will need to pull 8.17 from the consent agenda and continue the public hearing on 11.4.
- Councilmember Boxall expressed support for the Balfour Loughs development plan on South and Dugan Streets, noting it will increase adjacent property values.
Key Outcomes
- The council directed staff to continue working on the Hike and Bike Master Plan update at the council’s discretion.
- Trash cart transition is on track for major completion by end of June; enforcement begins in July with education-first approach.
- The Community and Neighborhood Development Committee directed staff to refer the Farmers & Artisans Market discussion to the Municipal Policy Committee to remove regulatory barriers.
- The Safe Streets Arlington Plan will proceed with a draft document over summer, a public meeting on September 19, and adoption consideration in fall.
- No appointments to boards and commissions were made.
- Council discussed several evening agenda items, with no formal votes taken during the afternoon session.
Meeting Transcript
I know. That's how it feels. All right. I forgot you were going to beat them like, oh, everybody's here. I forgot. All right, as many of you know, um Mayor is not here. Andrew Peel is not here, and Barbara Odom Westley. So as a senior uh member of the city council, I call the meeting of the city council to order. Uh, before we get started, uh, we need to uh get a chair uh before we start executive session. So is there a motion? I'd love to make a motion uh for you to lead our meetings today. Uh Councilman Hogg and a second by uh Miss Moxall. All those in favor? All those opposed. I'm glad there was not a coup. The City Council will now go into close session. Whoa. The City Council will now go into close session at twelve forty seven PM on June eleventh, two thousand twenty-four, in accordance with the following sections of VTCA government code chapter five five one, section five five seven. All right. I now call back the afternoon session meeting back to order at three fifty-five PM. Discussion of work items. Lisa Winklebeck. Janna. I'm Janet Wensl. I'm the principal planner with the Transportation Department. And today, as part of our comprehensive plan elements update, I'm going to be presenting on the hike and bike master plan from two thousand eleven. And that was adopted on August second, two thousand eleven. Then it goes on to an implementation section and design guidelines. It also features a series of appendices that contain all the public input gathered during the process, recommendations for funding, tables listing specific projects to consider, an inventory of intersection improvements, and then wraps up with detailed maps of the hike and bike network. The plan prioritize safety, neighborhood enhancement, and improving mobility across Arlington. Some of the key goals of the plan are to connect users to key destinations such as parks, schools, and businesses, provide connections to our neighboring cities and their bike networks, provide recreational opportunities, and encourage alternative modes of transportation. The master plan for hike and bike facilities was built upon some of the existing facilities that were already in place in Arlington, and then proposed facilities to help fill in any gaps and fill in missing connections. The plan recommends a variety of fill facility types that are based on the complementary thoroughfare development plan as well as local context. There are recommendations ranging for more rural and suburban treatments like up paved shoulder to urban facilities like bike lanes. As you can see from the map, parks, schools, and higher education campuses were key factors in building out the network. The city has built and maintained 76 miles of both on street and off street facilities, and there are 62 miles of trails built, mostly along our parks and creekways, and there are 14 miles of bike lanes and routes, our on street network. And these are generally located in the downtown area. In total, we've been able to build out about 30% of our planned network. Besides the physical construction of bike lanes and trails, the plan also recommended a key list of actions to help implement the plan. Many of these actions are ongoing and require continuous work by the city. In partnership with other departments, the transportation part department continuously works to evaluate where we can continue to build facilities in all of our capital improvement projects. We continue to look for various and creative funding sources, and we are going to continue to implement priority projects and key programs. We are continuously looking for opportunities to engage with the public, maintain the existing system, and also keep the data up to date. There are some action items that have not yet been pursued based on other transportation priorities in the city. Since the adoption of the plan, I wanted to highlight some of the works and successes that have been going on around the city. Transportation, public works, and parks and recreation meet regularly to evaluate new funding opportunities that become available and identify projects. Recently, the city has been awarded multiple rounds of safe streets and roads for all funding, including a roadway safety action plan, which has a special emphasis on vulnerable roadway users like pedestrian and bicyclists. Public works will be completing a sidewalk master plan and an ADA transition plan. And recently, public works and transportation were awarded money to complete a citywide safe routes to school plan, which includes two safety demonstration projects. Last year's city council updated the micromobility ordinance in order to assist the University of Texas at Arlington as they look to start a bike and scooter share program.
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