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Record of Proceedings

Arlington City Council Special Meeting – January 7, 2025: Legislative Prep, Form-Based Code, Bond Election, and More

City Council — Tuesday, January 7, 2025
BodyArlington, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 7, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
5:22

Okay, we're gonna go ahead and call the afternoon session of the city council meeting to order.

5:28

Uh, hope everybody had a good holiday season and off to a brand new twenty twenty five.

5:37

Uh we're gonna go into a closed session pursuant to BTCA Government Code, chapter five five one point zero seven one, zero seven two and zero eight seven.

1:51:12

We'll go ahead and call the city council session back to order.

1:51:17

We're gonna move on down to three point one.

1:51:26

Good afternoon, uh, mayor and council uh Jay Warren.

1:51:29

Um optimistically called mandate We're gonna try.

1:51:35

Uh Director of Communication Legislative Affairs, and happy new year to you all.

1:51:40

Um I I think it's safe to say that intergovernmental relations is busy year-round, but we we do have a couple of times where we're really hit a busy stretch, if you will.

1:51:50

And in particular, we're in one uh about to begin one right now.

1:51:54

Not only are we having the beginning of a new Congress as well as the inauguration of a new president, but starting next week, we'll be in the next legislative session uh for the state of Texas.

1:52:04

And so our IGR manager, Natalie Ralston in the lead up to this, has done a lot of work.

1:52:10

She and I have all met with you all related to the uh legislative agenda, which went through committee process and approval by the council.

1:52:18

We've met with departments asking them what issues they see out there so we can have all that on our radar.

1:52:23

Also, she's worked really hard on how we will get information out to the different departments throughout the course of the uh the session so that she can get good intel back from them that we might be able to use to impact the legislation that's moving its way through the Texas House and the Texas Senate.

1:52:41

Uh so with that, she also will be more communicating with you all more and more during the session, so you're up to date on the issues that are of importance to the city, and all that is again tied to our legislative agenda that you all passed last fall.

1:52:55

So I want Natalie to come up, uh, share some of the work she's been doing and how she'll be communicating with you all.

1:53:00

And in addition to that, I'll tell you about some key dates that will be coming up as we go through the legislative session.

1:53:05

So, Natalie.

1:53:09

Uh thank you, Jay.

1:53:11

Um, Mayor, Council members, uh, Natalie Rawlson and our governmental relations manager.

1:53:16

I'll just um go into a little bit more depth on the things that Jay has covered.

1:53:19

As you know, the 89th legislative session opens next Tuesday, and I'm gonna give you a brief overview of how our organization manages it, or rather manages your expectations relative to the session and what you can expect uh from the from the IGR team going forward.

1:53:35

Okay, so I'm gonna cover um how we've prepared for session, what happens during and post-session, including how you're kept aware of the changing landscape, and how the organization, including each of you, um engages with the process and with the city's delegation.

1:53:49

So, like Jay said, back in March of last year, we kicked off the process of putting together the city's state and federal legislative agendas for 2025 and 26.

1:53:57

And it's something we do every two years ahead of the new legislature in Congress.

1:54:00

At your place, you'll find a copy of the current state legislative agenda, and if you'll please leave this here at the end of the meeting, it'll be available for you every uh council meeting throughout session.

1:54:10

There are also copies in your office, including federal copies, but if you need another of either one of them, just let me know.

1:54:15

I have several to spare.

1:54:16

Um so the process for developing the agenda involved surveying the departments and meeting with directors to understand their needs and concerns and seeking input from each of you.

1:54:25

All that information is pulled together into five key areas for which uh which we share with the municipal policy committee for feedback and then bring to the full council for final approval.

1:54:35

Those five um key priority areas for this session are on your screen and in the agenda in front of you, and I won't go over them here.

1:54:42

Since adopting the legislative agenda, we've been meeting with members of the delegation to discuss the priorities.

1:54:47

These meetings have included the mayor, a council member, Jay, and me.

1:54:51

And we're still working through these.

1:54:53

So if you haven't been scheduled for one yet, don't worry.

1:54:55

I've still got a few more to get on the books.

1:55:00

Um bill analysis, which happens before and during session is an ongoing process.

1:55:02

As of yesterday, 2,443 bills and resolutions have been filed so far.

1:55:08

And out of those, we have flagged 667 that could impact the city.

1:55:12

So we're working with departments and the city attorney's office to analyze them and look at the specific impacts they might have on the city.

1:55:20

Uh moving into session itself, let's go over some key dates.

1:55:23

As I mentioned, more than 2,000 bills and resolutions have been filed as of yesterday, and legislators have until March 14th to file bills and started doing so on November 12th when the window opened.

1:55:34

The 89th legislature will kick off next Tuesday, January 14th, then we'll adjourn on Monday, June 2nd.

1:55:40

And for this year, Tarrant County days at the Capitol are scheduled for February 10 and 11.

1:55:45

And the itinerary is almost finalized.

1:55:47

So once we have that, we'll get with you for um get get you those details.

1:55:50

So bill analysis will continue throughout the session since bills can be amended or changed during committee or floor hearings.

1:55:56

And I won't go into that right now, but I'll keep you updated as things progress.

1:56:00

The like Jay said, the analysis, the analysis from the departments and the city attorney's office is uh really important because it helps our team work with our legislators and partners to make sure these priorities and concerns are highlighted that you've highlighted are heard and hopefully addressed.

1:56:14

Um starting with the next council meeting and continuing through the end of session, we will include a legislative update memo in each afternoon agenda.

1:56:23

This will cover high priority bills and any activity at the legislature since your last meeting.

1:56:28

But if something urgent comes up in between council meetings, I will update you right away so that you're in the loop at all times or as close to as all times.

1:56:35

And finally, um, once session is over, you'll receive a comprehensive wrap-up presentation that covers everything from session and the anticipated impact on the city.

1:56:45

Looking at ways to engage the session, there are plenty, there'll be plenty of opportunities for both the organization and for you specifically to get involved with the process and connect with the delegation.

1:56:55

So we've covered the dates for Tarrant County Days, but that is an event where residents, community leaders, and officials from Tarrant County gather in Austin to engage with the county state lawmakers and promote the county's shared interests.

1:57:06

There are also often special advocacy days for specific House and Senate districts or for certain issues or industries that our departments are involved with or that might be relevant to your personal, your professional background and your work on the council.

1:57:19

And as these events get scheduled, we'll look at them to see if we should participate in those.

1:57:23

We also work closely with our partners like the school districts, the university, the chamber, CVB, Arbor, neighborhood groups, others to align with common priorities throughout the session.

1:57:32

And this includes my continuous contact with other municipal IGR managers from North Texas and around the state.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████49%
Transportation Safety████████9%
Public Engagement███████8%
Zoning and Land Use██████7%
Public Works██████7%
Legislative Advocacy██████6%
Economic Development██████6%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Downtown Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Arlington City Council Special Meeting – January 7, 2025

The City Council of Arlington held a special meeting on January 7, 2025, convening in executive session at 12:50 PM and reconvening in open session at 2:36 PM. The open session lasted until 4:40 PM. Council discussed the upcoming 89th Texas Legislative Session, a Form-Based Code pilot area, neighborhood matching grants, a foreign direct investment strategy, the 2025 bond election, charter amendments, and received committee reports. No formal votes were taken; direction and consensus were provided on several items.

Executive Session (Closed)

  • The council met in closed session for legal consultation (Section 551.071) regarding gas well drilling issues, real property deliberation (Section 551.072) including eminent domain for the Division Street TxDOT sidewalk project (fee simple acquisitions and a settlement with Easy Freedom Management), a modification to a pipeline license agreement with ET Gathering & Processing LLC, and economic development negotiations (Section 551.087) regarding offers of incentives to business prospects. No actions were reported in open session.

Work Session: Managing the 89th Texas Legislative Session

  • Jay Warren (Director) and Natalie Raulston (Intergovernmental Relations Manager) presented the city's strategy for the upcoming legislative session. As of the day prior, 2,443 bills and resolutions had been filed, of which 667 were flagged as potentially impacting Arlington. The session opens January 14, 2025, and adjourns June 2, 2025. Tarrant County Days at the Capitol are scheduled for February 10-11.
  • Councilmember Odom-Wesley asked about bills related to public infrastructure; staff noted flexibility through the legislative guiding principles. Councilmember Hogg inquired about rapid response procedures for opposing amendments; Jay Warren emphasized behind-the-scenes work but acknowledged that formal opposition letters from the mayor are used when needed. Councilmember Gonzalez complimented staff preparation.

Issues Session: Form-Based Code Pilot Area Boundary & Timeline

  • Richard Gertson (Assistant Director, Planning) presented the consultant’s proposed pilot area boundary, which is larger than initially considered but expected to contract after community engagement. Councilmember Boxall expressed concern about the size but later supported staff’s comfort level, while also advocating to extend the boundary east to Stadium Drive. Councilmember Piel argued for a smaller area to minimize property owner concerns and potential legal pushback, citing efficiency and speed. Mayor Ross and Councilmember Galante favored sticking with the consultant’s proposal, noting staff confidence and the iterative process. Council gave direction to proceed with the proposed boundary and start public engagement.

Issues Session: Community and Neighborhood Development – 2025 Neighborhood Matching Grant Program Summary

  • Councilmember Boxall, Chair, reported that the committee reviewed five proposals. Three are moving forward; one is being reevaluated for possible fourth inclusion; one will be dropped. Councilmember Gonzalez asked about matching requirements and fund source, noting the money comes from gas well revenue. City Manager Yelverton noted the program’s symbolic value and described it as a one-time expenditure. No formal vote taken.

Issues Session: Economic Development – Foreign Direct Investment Strategy

  • Councilmember Piel, Chair, introduced Gus Garcia (Office of Economic Development) and Marty Wieder (Arlington EDC). They outlined a formal strategy to attract foreign investment, leveraging Arlington’s assets (e.g., upcoming World Cup, Medal of Honor Museum, Texas Rangers). Key points: Texas leads the U.S. in foreign direct investment (FDI); average FDI salaries are ~$99,000; staff capacity has increased. The strategy would build on existing partnerships and focus on technology, manufacturing, and aerospace. Council appeared supportive; no formal action.

Issues Session: 2025 Bond Election Consideration

  • Lemuel Randolph (Deputy City Manager) presented the bond schedule and updated project list. Key discussion:
  • River Legacy Nature Center: Councilmember Ross asked about adding critical repairs (cost options: $220,000 for critical needs or $2.8M for full replacement). After discussion, consensus emerged to add $2.8 million for the center to the parks category, matching the recommendation of Councilmembers Gonzalez, Hunter, Hogg, and Odom-Wesley (who suggested $2M but agreed to the higher amount for completeness).
  • Cliff Nelson Recreation Center: Councilmember Gonzalez proposed adding $2M for repairs, but no consensus was reached; it was not included.
  • Randall Mill Road: Debate between a five-lane rebuild ($54.7M proposed) and a four-lane rebuild ($43.7M). Councilmember Hogg favored the four-lane option, citing cost savings and potential for burying power lines. Councilmember Boxall questioned safety metrics. After discussion, Council agreed to fund the full $54.7M but not lock in a specific lane configuration now, leaving flexibility during design.
  • Final bond package categories (with River Legacy addition): Public Safety $48.93M, Libraries $2.425M, City Admin Building $3.105M, Parks $9.345M (including $2.8M for River Legacy), Streets $136.995M. Total ~$200.8M. Approval of final proposition language set for January 28 meeting; election to be called by February 14, with a May 3 election date.

Issues Session: Charter Amendments

  • Galen Gatten (Assistant City Attorney) discussed proposed amendments. Councilmember Hogg proposed two changes: (1) revise charter to accurately reflect council meeting frequency (currently says “once per week,” but practice is about two meetings per month); (2) include the position of Deputy Mayor Pro Tem in the charter (currently only in administrative code). City Attorney Molly noted the deputy position is in administrative code; Council debated whether to put it to voters. Consensus to proceed with both amendments to the January 28 agenda for further refinement.

Committee Reports

  • Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau (Councilmembers Gonzalez and Hogg): Clean audit; strong meeting bookings — 157,000 room nights booked, 126,000 in Arlington; November meeting room nights record of 31,200; hotel room revenue records broken six times in 2024. National Medal of Honor Museum opening March 2025 expected to draw 600,000 annual visitors and multiple former presidents.
  • Regional Transportation Council (Councilmember Gonzalez): Arlington received a silver fleet award; U.S. 287 added to strategic road network; population forecast for North Texas to reach 12.4 million by 2050, employment 8.7 million.
  • North Central Texas Council of Governments Executive Board (Councilmember Hogg): Executive Director Mike Eastland retiring; search underway. Approved 2050 forecast; received $387M for regional infrastructure; environmental assessment for Dallas-to-Fort Worth high-speed rail continuing; emergency preparedness exercises planned.

Future Agenda Items

  • Councilmember Galante requested a future item on limitations for liquor store permitting (density/regulation).
  • Councilmember Hogg requested two future items: (1) exploring reintroduction of pedicabs in entertainment districts, though Mayor Ross noted opposition from Rangers and Cowboys; (2) discussion of out-of-jurisdiction housing finance corporation approvals, citing recent PECOS Housing Corporation proposal.

Key Outcomes

  • City Council gave direction to proceed with the Form-Based Code pilot using the proposed boundary.
  • Bond package will include $2.8M for River Legacy Nature Center and retain $54.7M for Randall Mill Road (lane configuration to be determined later).
  • Charter amendment proposals to revise meeting frequency and add Deputy Mayor Pro Tem to charter agreed to be drafted.
  • Neighborhood Matching Grant: three of five proposals moving forward, one under review.
  • Foreign Direct Investment strategy directionally supported; no formal action.
  • Future agenda items requested on liquor store regulation, pedicabs, and housing finance corporation approvals.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, we're gonna go ahead and call the afternoon session of the city council meeting to order. Uh, hope everybody had a good holiday season and off to a brand new twenty twenty five. Uh we're gonna go into a closed session pursuant to BTCA Government Code, chapter five five one point zero seven one, zero seven two and zero eight seven. We'll go ahead and call the city council session back to order. We're gonna move on down to three point one. Good afternoon, uh, mayor and council uh Jay Warren. Um optimistically called mandate We're gonna try. Uh Director of Communication Legislative Affairs, and happy new year to you all. Um I I think it's safe to say that intergovernmental relations is busy year-round, but we we do have a couple of times where we're really hit a busy stretch, if you will. And in particular, we're in one uh about to begin one right now. Not only are we having the beginning of a new Congress as well as the inauguration of a new president, but starting next week, we'll be in the next legislative session uh for the state of Texas. And so our IGR manager, Natalie Ralston in the lead up to this, has done a lot of work. She and I have all met with you all related to the uh legislative agenda, which went through committee process and approval by the council. We've met with departments asking them what issues they see out there so we can have all that on our radar. Also, she's worked really hard on how we will get information out to the different departments throughout the course of the uh the session so that she can get good intel back from them that we might be able to use to impact the legislation that's moving its way through the Texas House and the Texas Senate. Uh so with that, she also will be more communicating with you all more and more during the session, so you're up to date on the issues that are of importance to the city, and all that is again tied to our legislative agenda that you all passed last fall. So I want Natalie to come up, uh, share some of the work she's been doing and how she'll be communicating with you all. And in addition to that, I'll tell you about some key dates that will be coming up as we go through the legislative session. So, Natalie. Uh thank you, Jay. Um, Mayor, Council members, uh, Natalie Rawlson and our governmental relations manager. I'll just um go into a little bit more depth on the things that Jay has covered. As you know, the 89th legislative session opens next Tuesday, and I'm gonna give you a brief overview of how our organization manages it, or rather manages your expectations relative to the session and what you can expect uh from the from the IGR team going forward. Okay, so I'm gonna cover um how we've prepared for session, what happens during and post-session, including how you're kept aware of the changing landscape, and how the organization, including each of you, um engages with the process and with the city's delegation. So, like Jay said, back in March of last year, we kicked off the process of putting together the city's state and federal legislative agendas for 2025 and 26. And it's something we do every two years ahead of the new legislature in Congress. At your place, you'll find a copy of the current state legislative agenda, and if you'll please leave this here at the end of the meeting, it'll be available for you every uh council meeting throughout session. There are also copies in your office, including federal copies, but if you need another of either one of them, just let me know. I have several to spare. Um so the process for developing the agenda involved surveying the departments and meeting with directors to understand their needs and concerns and seeking input from each of you. All that information is pulled together into five key areas for which uh which we share with the municipal policy committee for feedback and then bring to the full council for final approval. Those five um key priority areas for this session are on your screen and in the agenda in front of you, and I won't go over them here. Since adopting the legislative agenda, we've been meeting with members of the delegation to discuss the priorities. These meetings have included the mayor, a council member, Jay, and me. And we're still working through these. So if you haven't been scheduled for one yet, don't worry. I've still got a few more to get on the books. Um bill analysis, which happens before and during session is an ongoing process. As of yesterday, 2,443 bills and resolutions have been filed so far. And out of those, we have flagged 667 that could impact the city. So we're working with departments and the city attorney's office to analyze them and look at the specific impacts they might have on the city. Uh moving into session itself, let's go over some key dates. As I mentioned, more than 2,000 bills and resolutions have been filed as of yesterday, and legislators have until March 14th to file bills and started doing so on November 12th when the window opened. The 89th legislature will kick off next Tuesday, January 14th, then we'll adjourn on Monday, June 2nd. And for this year, Tarrant County days at the Capitol are scheduled for February 10 and 11. And the itinerary is almost finalized. So once we have that, we'll get with you for um get get you those details. So bill analysis will continue throughout the session since bills can be amended or changed during committee or floor hearings. And I won't go into that right now, but I'll keep you updated as things progress. The like Jay said, the analysis, the analysis from the departments and the city attorney's office is uh really important because it helps our team work with our legislators and partners to make sure these priorities and concerns are highlighted that you've highlighted are heard and hopefully addressed.

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