Look forward to just expanding your world.

They're interested in the classes, they can call our phone number, which is eight one seven four five nine six nine one two.

They can email us at L IB Adult Education at Arlington TX.gov, or they can actually even um go through the website and click on any of those.

All of the classes are free as long as you qualify.

One of the bigger qualifiers is that you do have to live in Terran County, but most of the people that come here are from Arlington anyway, but you do have to be a Tarrant County resident.

And I never want anyone to think that the library is a scary place.

We want everyone to come and utilize all of our resources.

No one should ever stop learning because that helps you gain a lot of experience in life.

But also they should know that these programs are available if they want to improve something in their life.

So I grew up in Virginia.

When you come from where I come from, when you've seen the things that I've seen, you realize that one of the reasons that we have so much suffering in the world is because we don't have enough people that are not just fulfilling their dream but fulfilling their purpose.

We're put here to serve other people, and I just want to do the best I can.

No one knows how much time they have here on earth.

And I want to make the maximum impact I can while I'm here.

Single mom, raising three kids.

I'm the oldest.

So no health insurance, didn't make a lot of money, very few options for health care.

So when you're in that situation, what happens is people just end up suffering.

And so at 12 years old, it was the first time I thought I'm gonna be a doctor.

17 years old, left, went to the Air Force, and when I got in the Air Force, I had a medical job.

Having that medical, well, good evening, everybody.

Uh welcome to the Arlington City Council.

We'll go ahead and call the evening session to order.

I'm gonna invite Reverend Lori Key from the Renewed Life Church to come forward for an invocation.

Please stand if you can.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Individual with liberty and justice for all.

Honor the Texas flag.

I pledge allegiance to the Texas one state under God.

Thank you.

You may be seated.

Check, check, check.

I want to invite Jesse where there you are.

Jesse, bring everybody.

Jesse Minton with the police department, our APA president, police association president.

Are y'all, PJ, get up here.

This is something that's really, really cool that I want to do a proclamation on tonight.

Whereas during Christmas time in 1985, Arlington police officers were dispatched to a domestic disturbance and discovered a family in need.

Whereas officers detective Troy Medina, where are you, Troy?

Troy's here with us tonight.

He's almost as old as I am.

Troy Medina and now Shirts Police Chief, James Lowry, along with their fellow officers, came together to collect funds and gifts to provide that family with a meaningful Christmas, restoring power, stocking groceries, providing a Christmas tree, and gifts for the children.

And whereas this compassionate act of service grew into the Santa Cop, a 40-year community tradition led by the Arlington Police Association Foundation and the Arlington Police Department in partnership with AISD dedicated to creating a memorable Christmas for less fortunate children in Arlington.

And whereas over the years the program has evolved from officers providing Christmas trees, food and gifts to families and their beats and hosting an annual party at the Arlington Convention Center to providing toys and supplies to over 500 children.

And whereas the SantaCop program identifies families through officers, social workers, and counselors at targeted AISD schools with strong community support from many local organizations.

And whereas we celebrate and honor this extraordinary tradition that embodies community compassion and the spirit of giving.

Now therefore, I, Jim Ross, mayor of the city of Arlington, Texas, do hereby commend the Santa Copram for 40 years of remarkable service to make a kid's Christmas.

Thank y'all so much.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Like you say, uh, we're better together, and uh, couldn't uh certainly with the team that we have in place between the Arlington Independent School District and the officers and members you see uh behind me here.

Officer Carla Strausser was our chair this year and uh has put everything together.

This will be her last Santa Cops as she prepares to retire next month.

Um Jeff McCurdy is uh helped us out with the uh Margarita ball, and they helped provide the toys for us.

He's the president of that group, and uh of course we have uh Lynn and PJ and Troy who have been part of this program for a long time.

And I just want to thank those Marine Corps toys for Tots when we first started.

They were strong with us only your discussion, but they were very very helpful.

Troy just wanted to thank the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program that helped them when this started out, uh like he said in 1985, 40 years ago.

Thank you so much for this proclamation, Mayor.

We really appreciate your recognition.

Okay.

Don't be hiding back there, letting it up there with everybody else.

For those of y'all who don't know, I joined the police department in 1983.

I was there when these characters started doing all of this stuff.

So those are friends of mine for decades and decades and decades.

I couldn't have better friends and colleagues than what you saw there getting that proclamation.

They really have done wonderful things for this community.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

We ask that the citizens and other visitors in attendance assist in preserving the order and decorum of this meeting and to provide for attendance at and participation in the meeting without fear of intimidation, threats, or hostility.

Any person making personal, profane, hostile, slanderous or threatening remarks, who uses vulgar or obscene language, who engages in any other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb the meeting, or who becomes disruptive while addressing the mayor and the city council or while attending the city council meeting may be removed from the council chambers.

All speakers shall address the city council and not the audience or city staff and shall not call out individually named members of city staff or the public.

For speakers tonight, when your name is called, please come to the microphone at the podium and state your name and city of residence for the record.

Speakers may not use music, videos, other forms of media, signs, or props.

During public hearings for zoning cases, the applicant will be asked to speak first and will be given five minutes to make a presentation.

Speakers and supporter opposition of the item will be given three minutes each to make their statements.

The applicant will then be given three minutes for any rebuttal.

For all other items on the agenda, speakers will be given three minutes to speak.

If multiple speakers plan to provide the same or similar comments, those speakers may, if they so desire, designate one or more individuals to provide public comment on behalf of the group.

We ask that you address your comments to the mayor and council.

Thank you, Mr.

Buskin.

Um do we have any appointments this evening to boards or commissions?

Yes, sir.

We have 21 appointments to boards and commissions to the tax increment reinvestment zone number one, downtown board of directors, effective January first, twenty twenty-six.

Jim Ross, Chair and place nine, Corey Harris, place five, Bowie Hogg, place seven.

To the tax increment reinvestment zone number five, entertainment district, effective January first, twenty twenty-six.

Jim Ross, Chair in place nine, Georgie Zang, place five, Mauricio Galante, place seven.

To the tax increment reinvestment zone number six, Veridian, effective January first, twenty twenty-six.

Jim Ross, Chair in place nine, Jim Bass, place five, Mauricio Galante, place seven.

To the tax increment reinvestment zone number seven, International Corridor, Board of Directors, effective January first, twenty twenty-six, Jim Ross, Chair in place nine, Yen Wynn, place two, David Dang, place three, Sue Phillips, place four, Rebecca Boxall, place five, Long Fam, place six, Barbara Odom Wesley, place seven, Nikki Hunter, place eight.

Thank you, Mayor.

This concludes the appointments for this evening.

Thank you, sir.

Do we have any speakers on this item?

No, sir, we do not.

Thank you.

I have a motion from Councilmember Gonzalez.

A second from Councilmember Pham, please cast your vote.

Councilmember Boxall, your vote, please.

The motion passes.

Consideration of items from the executive session, Mr.

Buskin.

Thank you, Mayor.

We have one item for consideration from executive session six point one, a resolution determining the necessity of acquiring street right-of-way easements and temporary construction easement for the public use of constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, and using right-of-way improvements for the entertainment district sidewalk phase three project.

Thank you, sir.

Do we have any speakers in support or opposition of this item?

No, sir.

We do not.

Thank you.

Council members.

Uh I have a motion from Councilmember Galante, a second from Councilmember Odom Wesley.

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Consideration of minutes, Mr.

Buskin.

Thank you, Mayor.

Minutes for consideration this evening are the special meeting from December 2nd, 2025.

Thank you, sir.

Council, do y'all have any additions or corrections?

Seeing none, Mr.

Buskin, are there any speakers on this item?

No, sir.

No speakers on this item.

Thank you, sir.

I have a motion from Councilmember Hogg.

A second from Councilmember Pham, please cast your vote.

The motion passes consideration of consent agenda, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

The consent agenda this evening contains 10 minute orders, two ordinances and 12 resolutions.

The minute orders seek to authorize one modification to the annual requirements contract for temporary personnel services for information technology.

Two through four annual requirements contracts for liquid chlorine for grounds maintenance for water treatment plants and remote sites and for temporary labor services for facility maintenance, event operations, and event cleaning.

Five sole source three-year requirements contract for a hosted recreation management software system.

Six reject all bids for the purchase of the per f perfloral alkyl and polyfloroalkyl substances instrumentation.

7 and 8 construction contracts for 16-inch water transmission main improvements and for the rangers parking lot H 9 authorizing an amendment to minute order number 0902025-016 for the construction contract for Pierce Birch Water Treatment Plant Filter and Backwash Improvements.

10 purchase and installation of audiovisual hardware, software, furniture, and related services for the traffic management center.

The ordinances seek to authorize 11 zoning case PD 25 15, 1119 Dan Gould Drive, 12 amendments to the animals chapter.

The resolution seek to authorize 13 animal services fee schedule 2025.

14 designation of Arlington Economic Development Corporation Board as Capital Improvements Program Advisory Committee.

15 approval to execute annual Federal Transportation Administration Grant Agreement.

16 grant agreement with Federal Highway Administration for Safe Routes to School Planning and Demonstration Activities.

17 Texas Department of Transportation Aircraft Parking Apron Construction Grant Agreement.

18 City of Arlington Local Marker Designation for 1115 Linda Lane Revis House.

19 West Pioneer Parkway Water Main Improvements City Limit to West Green Oaks Necessity Resolution.

20 and 21, Division Street Textile Sidewalk Project Cooper Street to Collins Street, 711 East Division LLC and Owings Auto Center LLC.

22 Main Street, Cooper Street to Davis Drive, Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvements, Necessity Resolution.

23 A and B amendment to resolution number 25-124 and negotiate and execute sub-recipient contract amendment with the Salvation Army.

Thank you, Mayor.

This concludes the consent agenda for this evening.

Do we have any speakers in support or opposition of any of the items as they appear on the consent agenda?

No, sir.

No speakers on the consent agenda.

We did have one non-speaker in support on item 8.11.

Thank you, sir.

I have a motion from Councilmember Peel, a second from Council Member Hunter.

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

We're going to move on down to the public hearings.

11.1 Ms.

Stoppel.

Thank you, Mayor.

7.1 zoning is DD 25.

For rezoning from Flex Hybrid and Light Industrial Zoning to a planned development for single-family residential RS5 zoning with a development plan for 54 single-family detached homes in less than 5,000 square foot lots.

The site is currently vacant, approximately 9.6 acres in size, addressed at 7819 and 7827 South Cooper Street, generally located south of West Harris Road and north of West Charnawarnell Road.

The proposed development includes 54 homes with two car garages in each unit.

The lot sizes will range from 3,001 square feet to 4,000 square feet.

24 homes on the south side of the development will have front loaded garages, while 30 homes on the north side will have alley loaded garages.

The development will secure a second point of access from Bell Street with the construction of a segment of Grimes Street.

On November 12th, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this case with few stipulations, which the applicant has complied with and updated the applants accordingly.

There are additional four staff considerations in the staff report, which the applicant is ready to address.

This evening we have the applicant Nikki Moore from MMA presenting their case for us.

The 9.6 acres is long and narrow and geometrically challenged in many ways.

In 2021, there was an attempt to rezone this from residential estate to a planned development for an RMF 22 type of development.

It was approved at PZ and then later denied at City Council.

Again in 2023, a request was made to rezone from residential estate to the current zoning of Flex Hybrid.

This was denied at PNZ and then approved at council during an appeal process.

And that's what's been in place currently.

Since then, though, the site has remained undeveloped with its flex hybrid use.

This is really due to very limited access as you travel south.

If you wanted to travel southbound on Cooper from the site, there is no median opening as you can see here from this aerial.

And we needed another access point through a residential neighborhood to connect the neighborhood as well.

So this development creates 54 single family homes in Arlington.

The lots along the southern border have traditional front-facing garages and backyards that would ad the existing single-family homes.

The homes to the north, while they are not cottage-style homes, cottage-sized homes, they are oriented in a cottage-style layout facing the meuse.

The private alleys that wrap around the those cluster of homes that feed the rear entry garages, they provide guest parking and other open common spaces as a buffer to the more industrial use to the north.

Ultimately, we have about 53 feet from the property edge to the nearest home.

An artistic entry feature will be placed in the open space to create a sense of arrival upon entry into the neighborhood.

But ultimately, what I really love about this site is that we're providing two very different housing types in Arlington that feed two very different needs.

So one is that lock-in-leaf lifestyle, no yard maintenance, all of those kind of yards will be covered by your HOA.

And then in the same neighborhood, we're also able to provide more of a traditional single-family home for those who want and need a private backyard.

Ultimately, so this is drone footage to provide the streetscape along the southern property line.

These homes are already built here in Arlington.

It's called Hogan's Cottages.

And so these are the same homes that will be that were used and approved in Wanda Way development, and then also that will be used on the southern portion.

So as you can see, there's a variety of roof pitches, a variety of material usage.

This really provides a very dynamic streetscape so that you're avoiding that anti-monotony.

Thank you.

On this next slide, these elevations are representative of the cottage-oriented homes.

We have more of a modern fore farmhouse and a traditional type elevation.

When I first saw these, I pretty much geeked out, and I don't geek out over elevations very often.

But these are some of the cutest elevations I've seen in a while that Graham Hart has put out.

And so to that, um, there were some staff considerations that were brought before you in the staff report.

Um, one of them was that this retreat, this neighborhood does not have as much room on Cooper as you enter the development as this would, but this is an entry feature at Knott's Landing on Cardinal Road in Mansfield.

Um we could do something similar to this to create a sense of arrival in terms of signage.

So that would be um maybe a little masonry pony wall with a signage as much as we have room for.

I'm gonna go back a few slides on the southern portion of this property, kind of going from here to here.

There's an easement.

So I don't know exactly what we'll be able to put in this area, but we should be able to put that here, which is intuitive because this is a ride-in right out into the development here.

Um but ultimately, you know, this is um double Eagle Real Estate would be developing these lots.

This is some of the other entry features from their other neighborhood developments that they've done in this area.

So they always provide great quality entry features, roadways, infrastructure, um, as well as developable lots for a quality home builder.

If that you have any questions, thank you.

We'll recognize council member Box.

Thank you, Ms.

Moore.

I have a couple of uh questions and a couple of comments.

Um you and I spoke uh about um looking into an access way to Summit High School.

Yes.

Uh did you find out any information about that?

I did.

Um, I was able to connect with the principal of Summit High School, um, sent him over our presentation, and he actually ended up sending a letter of recommendation to of support.

Um and then we can have, let me go back to that.

Um so this is our bordering property line here on this side.

And so we'll have a fence opening gated entry so students can if they need to attend Summit High School, they can walk through that gate instead of having to go on the public roads around through that.

It kind of dumps them out into a practice field.

And my line walk from from the cul de side?

No, well, okay.

Or out of the way, I can't see the color, the color, it's like over here.

Okay, so out to Bell Street and then into a a Pablet uh a gate of some sort.

No, I'm just saying along that line, along that shared property line is where we will be able to put a gate, and that is the shared property light, it puts them out onto like a practice field that they use for football, and the kids can walk across that field to get to the school without having to go to the street, yes.

Okay, and um okay, I I agree with you about the elevations, they're really cute.

Um did you give some thought to having some variety between one story and two-story, or they're all going to be two-story.

So there is a there is a one-story floor plan.

Um the builder is hesitant to say it's going to be every certain home, because while they do build some homes as spec homes, they also are accustomed enough to allow a buyer to come in and say, Hey, I really would like this lot, and I would really like a one-story home.

And so they have about five to six floor plans for these homes along the southern portion.

Um, and with that, two elevations each.

So we're talking about 10 to 12 different elevations to use.

Um, so in talking with staff, we agreed on having maybe a different elevation every fifth home or wouldn't be repeated until the fifth home.

I'm just hesitant to say a specific lot would be a one-story just to reserve a buyer who might want a one-story on a specific lot.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Um, let's go to fences.

Um now you have on your north property line, um, the staff the staff recommendation was for a solid masonry wall.

I understand you don't want to do that.

So I think what we're trying to accomplish here with the masonry wall is you know is to do an eight-foot board-on-board wood fence with landscaping instead because it gives a more neighborhood feel instead of a fortress type of feel.

Um, in addition to that, when you have a smaller HOA who's responsible for the ongoing maintenance of that fence, it is much easier for an HOA to fix and repair a board-on-board cedar wood fence than it is to find a particular mason who can then repair a um a brick fence or screen wall as the time goes on and that ends up failing or needing some repairs.

It's just more cost-effective and more neighborly.

Okay.

I I would ask that um if there are any portions and also on the southern side, if there are any portions of the fence that are going to be visible from Cooper Street, if we could do um a combination stone and wrought iron fence, like for example, on the north side, you have some uh kind of a zigzag Z shape.

Um you mean right here.

Yeah, and so some of that's probably going to be visible from Cooper Street.

So I if I wouldn't want to see the wood facing Cooper Street uh if it goes down the line towards the back, that's fine, but uh uh anything visible, I would like to see a nicer fence.

Anything that's visible, okay.

Because here is really where our visibility is.

Um I think right here along the detention pond, we want to try to preserve those trees.

So we want to probably eliminate the need for a masonry wall there.

Okay.

Because we want to preserve those trees, and we're gonna use that grading for the detention.

Um so are you kind of really in essence talking about location?

There's an there's uh two jogs, yeah.

So anything that's visible, maybe do a visual visibility study of what you can see driving both south and north on on Cooper, and just add some more decorative fencing in those areas.

Okay, we can consider that.

Okay.

Um and then you showed a really nice um entry with monument type uh tall wall.

Yeah, that one with the castle stone.

Is that what you're proposing?

Because that looks very nice.

So and I don't know exactly it's gonna be castle stone.

This is kind of what we were thinking of what we can fit in that little small area that we have along Cooper, um, staying out of the visibility triangle.

So I think we're envisioning some kind of mix of masonry, wrought iron, um signage in order to create a sense of arrival there.

I don't know how tall and whatever it would be because we need to check the visibility triangles, but this is the concept of what we were trying to accomplish.

All right, that would look very nice because it it's a it's at a scale that seems appropriate along Cooper Street.

Yes.

Um the houses um do you have an opportunity on your northernmost housing cottages to have the garage from the northern driveway?

Did you explore that possibility?

Because that's really a uh a side that you know it's facing the industrial, that would seem like a really good place to put the garage door openings rather than on your more nicer streetscape side.

Sure.

So I think what we're trying to accomplish here is you know, we're trying to accomplish a certain amount of depths.

We want those front homes to face one another to create a small sense of like pod or community.

Right.

And then having those private alleys so that the garages are kind of facing garages.

And then the idea of is inside each of those little alleys.

We programmed additional guest parking because we recognize that while these have two car garages, they don't have 20-foot driveways and they don't face a public roadway.

So we need to provide them additional parking for their guest.

And so, in kind of turning that around, we would end up, if you will, kind of eating into some of that area.

So we're trying to balance parking, uh distance away from the industrial, common open space, and we felt like the little pods of six created a nice little community, a nice little meuse where the homes were actually facing one another.

Yeah, I like the Muse idea.

So are you saying that that guests will park like parallel park along that northern edge?

Yeah, this rendering doesn't show it very well, but in your actual development plan that's in your council packet, there's parallel parking along here, there's head end parking here, head end parking, and it all totals to about 27 spaces.

Okay.

That's fine.

Great.

Um I think that's all.

Let me see if I have anything else.

Uh no, that's all.

Thank you.

Okay, here we're council member Gonzalez.

Thank you, Ms.

Moore.

Um, I want to thank uh you for your hard work.

I want to thank uh the not family, uh, everyone involved because this is a small piece of property, and it's hard to I think they did the got the most use out of this piece of property.

And the biggest thing is, you know, when I spoke to Gary Knott and is offer homes that people can buy.

You know, people want to own homes, and they're getting really, really big.

So with what's happening at Wandaway cottage or whatever they're called now, and this one, and then what Mr.

Price and Georgie Zhang brought in last week, it's it's incredible how that whole neighborhood's gonna change.

So I want to thank you for finding solutions rather than problems.

And I do want to thank Rebecca for the questions that she asked because she does make every project better.

Uh, but I know you thought it through, and I'm I'm just really excited to see what's gonna happen for that whole area because people don't realize that neighborhood, if you're familiar with it, it's right by summit, and thank you for talking to Summit uh Coach Mud is one of the best people uh around.

And uh, but that area, those streets were basically almost dirt road in 2008.

I remember picking up kids to go to a summit championship game and I pick them up and there were all trailers.

I just couldn't believe that was Arlington.

So seeing how much has changed and seeing the homes that are being built there, it's really exciting to see.

So thank you to everybody, Mr.

Price, and to y'all.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Nikki.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Mr.

Gonzalez.

Mr.

Buskin, do we have any other speakers on this item?

Yes, sir.

We have one additional speaker in support, Dean Tetrick.

Mr.

Tetrick.

Good evening.

My name's Dean Tetrick.

My family and I own this property through the entity JGBT L L C.

Um I'm a resident of Fort Worth, but my family lived in Arlington for many years, beginning in 1972.

My uh sister and her family still live here.

Um love the city, only want to see what's best for it.

This is a very difficult property to develop.

Um and it needs to be developed.

It will benefit the city and the citizens.

Um it addresses a projected housing unit deficit uh by the year 2029 of I think about 1,500 housing units.

Um it's beautiful, it's creative.

Um it also will be beneficial to the neighbors on Bell Street.

They'll be protected from unwanted visitors behind them.

They'll be shielded shielded from the industrial property to the north.

Um in its present state, it's impossible to keep uh the property free of trespassers.

Uh they care little about the neighborhood, the city, they dump trash on the property, and I think some may have more uh serious criminal intent.

So very beneficial to the Bell Street property owners.

Um I'm respectfully request the the council approve uh this zoning request change.

Uh thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Buskin, anybody else?

I would like to say one more thing about the visibility that was uh talked about by um there is a church that's on that three-quarter of an acre property.

Um, and they've done amazing things with a building that looked awful, but it's um you won't be able to see through the church property onto the current property.

Yeah.

Very good.

Thank you, sir.

Any about anybody else, Mr.

Buskin.

No, sir, no additional speakers.

We did have three non-speakers in support.

Thank you, sir.

I'm going to close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Gonzalez, a second from Council Member Pham.

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Congratulations, y'all.

We're gonna move on down to 12.1, Ms.

Mitchell.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

Lindsay Mitchell, Director of Strategic Initiatives.

On your agenda is an agreement with IHS Real Estate Holdings for a grant to assist with acquisition costs for property in North Arlington for future development.

The grant would provide up to one million dollars towards substantiated costs and would require IHS to close on the property no later than July 31st of 2026.

I'm happy to take any questions.

Thank you, ma'am.

Mr.

Buskin, do we have any speakers on this item?

No, sir, we do not.

Thank you, sir.

I have a motion from Councilmember Galante, a second from Councilmember Peel.

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Citizen participation, Mr.

Buskin.

Thank you, Mayor.

Citizen participation gives the public an opportunity to make comments or address concerns regarding matters related to city business or affairs that are in the scope of the authority of the city council and which are not posted on the evening agenda.

However, please understand that the mayor and council are not permitted by law to respond to, discuss, or address the comment at this time, as these items are not included on the posted council agenda for this evening.

The mayor and council may only ask clarifying questions and/or direct staff to take appropriate action.

Speakers who have pre-registered will be given two minutes to make their comments, except that if 26 or more speakers have pre-registered, each speaker will be given one minute to make their comments.

Mayor, we have seven individuals who registered to speak this evening.

Our first speaker is Vanessa Strength.

Ms.

Strength.

Ms.

Strength.

Next speaker, Mr.

Buskin.

Our next speaker is Susan Valiant.

Ms.

Valiant.

After Miss Valiant is Jim Brace.

Hi, my name is Susan Valley, and I'm from Arlington, Texas.

I've been here for 40 years, and I'm not going to talk about the housing part.

I'm just coming to introduce myself because I'm running for the House District 94 to represent Arlington.

Like I said, I've been a nurse in this area for 35 years.

And I one of my uh talking points is going to be for to restore local control because of the SBA 40.

They took the planning and zoning basically away from the city councils.

And in this session, and I want to go repeal that.

And I'm also concerned about Governor Abbott's tax plan that he has when he says require common sense local spending limits.

I really would like to know what that means.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker, Mr.

Buskin.

Our next speaker is Jim Brace.

After Mr.

Brace is Bruce Hammond.

Good evening.

My name is Jim Brace, and I'm a homeowner in Prestonwood West.

We are a neighborhood of just 31 homes built in the early 1980s with a dam and stormwater channel running through the community.

In 2018, following a major storm, the city declared an emergency and breached the dam that runs through the neighborhood.

That decision permanently altered the waterway and dramatically increased the speed, depth, and force of the water, leading to massive erosion.

What we are dealing with today is not routine maintenance and not a neighborhood amenity issue.

It is a city-scale infrastructure failure involving a dam, a defined stormwater waterway, and downstream impacts.

Independent engineering estimates show that stabilizing the channel and protecting the homes will cost over 10 million dollars, more than 300,000 per household.

This is not a realistic burden for any residential HOA, especially one of our size.

The dam and waterway functioned for decades prior to 2018.

Today we are facing the full consequences of the city's decision to breach the dam with no clear path forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Next speaker, Mr.

Buskin.

Our next speaker is Bruce Hammond.

After Mr.

Hammond is Ellen Wilson.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor.

My name is Bruce Hammond.

I live in Arlington, Texas.

Have for 45 years.

For the last 20 uh two years, have lived in Preston Wood West.

We are the second house in from Lamar, so we have a little different view than some of the lake people, but I want to talk about the financial reality of this situation.

We've got 31 homes.

We essentially have to deal with something of this magnitude.

We have no reserves that would uh be available.

We've got no borrowing capacity to borrow 10 million dollars with 30 people to pay it back and no revenue source that's capable of addressing this kind of infrastructure failure.

Our uh independent engineering uh estimates are 10.5 million dollars, which is about 300,000 per home.

Uh and our current funding level, we're pretty well maxed at what we could charge for uh HOA dues, and if we stop spending on anything else and just paid this off, it would take a hundred and ninety-five years for us to pay off this ten and a half million dollars.

195 years, our grandchildren would be paying on this.

Uh most of the people who live there, uh 13 of us are retired people were living on a fixed income.

Uh we've got some choices.

We can sell our house in a distressed environment uh with disclosures of a couple hundred thousand dollars a house against the c the value of our home.

Uh and uh for many of us, this is our largest asset that we'd have we could lose it over this uh situation.

This isn't speculation, this is real true math, and we are happy to demonstrate it all for you.

An assessment, if we lose these houses and they continue to decline, it's gonna infect the entire neighborhood and portions of North Arlington.

Um it's struggling already.

We are just asking for the city to uh consider becoming our partner to join us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Ellen Wilson.

After Ms.

Wilson is Wayne Halford.

Mr.

Mayor, Council, my name is Ellen Wilson, and I'm a homeowner in the Preston Wood West uh HOA development.

I'm pretty new here uh to Arlington, and all of these people are my friends uh since moving to the um development.

This issue is not only a financial issue, it's also about public safety.

The stormwater moving through Preston Wood does not originate in our neighborhood.

It flows from far upstream, including areas around Cooper Street and Division Street, and that volume has increased significantly as Arlington has uh grown and developed.

During the rain events, the runoff is funneled through a single channel that runs directly through our neighborhood.

During the storm that led to the emergency declaration, the force of that storm water swept a vehicle from the Lamar Boulevard crossing into our channel.

The vehicle was carried past all 31 homes and over the dam towards Green Oaks, demolishing, demonstrating the speed and destructive power of the water moving through our neighborhood.

The vehicle struck and damaged the dam.

This is not a theoretical risk, it's a real world event that happened.

Since the dam was breached, erosion has begun and has continued with to worsen uh our lake.

The channel is deeper, the banks are steeper, the water velocity increases with each rain event.

This creates ongoing risk, not to not just to the private property, but to the people downstream, infrastructure in adjacent neighborhoods.

The longer this goes on and unaddressed, the more dangerous and expensive it will become.

Deferred action, unfortunately save us any money.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Wayne Hallford.

After Mr.

Hallford is Robert Blake.

I'm Wayne Hallford.

I've lived in uh Arlington for with my wife for 48 years.

Uh 40 of those years at uh Preston Wood West.

We understand that the City Council cannot discuss active litigation.

And we're not asking for you to do that.

We're here as residents asking for leadership and direct engagement.

We're asking city council to meet with us and help guide a path forward in a non-litigation setting, including during mediation or through any other legally acceptable process, rather than allowing the issue to continue through the courts alone.

Specifically, we're asking for your help in city-led engineering, integration into broader stormwater drainage and stormwater planning, and identifying a coordinated solution that reflects the true scale of the issue.

We are asking for the opportunity to work with you collaboratively and transparently to resolve this in a way that avoids unnecessary legal costs and years of delay.

Any step toward toward direct engagement is better than continuing what we're doing now.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Robert Blake.

Thank you, Honorable Mayor and his team, City Council.

My name is Robert Blake from Arlington, Texas.

I'm a homeowner in Preston Wood West and active member of the Arlington community.

Preston Wood West is one of the smallest HOAs in Arlington with a stormwater, with a stormwater waterway, just 31 homes.

Of these, nearly half the homeowners are retired.

A third of the current homeowners were not even here when the dam was breached in 2018.

Today these families face potential costs exceeding 300,000 per home for what is clearly a city-scale stormwater infrastructure failure, not routine HOA maintenance.

An assessment of that size will devastate this neighborhood and the surrounding homes.

Former mayor Jeff Williams testified that he signed the emergency declaration believing federal funds would be made available to address these stormwater impacts.

These funds never materialize, yet we continue to pay into the city's stormwater fund like every other Arlington resident.

For seven years, the issue has remained unresolved.

The physical damage has grown, the financial exposure has increased, and the risk remains.

Delay only raises both cost and danger.

We believe we have a strong legal case, but we are not here to prolong litigation or waste public resources.

We are requesting the city council involvement to help define the path forward through city-led engineering and integration integration into the existing or planned stormwater projects.

We are not demanding a specific outcome.

We are asking for leadership and partnership to reach a fair practical solution that recognizes this is far beyond what a small residential HOA can handle alone.

Thank you.

Thanks, sir.

Mr.

Buskin, any other speakers tonight.

Mayor, no additional speakers.

I do believe Miss Strength arrived after I called her name.

Come on up, Pun.

There was a miscommunication.

Okay.

Um thank you.

And I actually I have a message of not anger or anything like that, but I had to shorten it due to events today, and my health is not well, and I've got to hobble to the other side of town to get to the urgent care clinic.

I just want I just wanted to to give what I what I see as a meaningful gift for Christmas.

And it doesn't matter what anybody's property, everybody's entitled to their own police and in worldview and everything.

But if you if it's if it's returns that people are give a little kindness, the returns on kindness are exponential.

You could save lives.

They close the eight.

Please look up gaslighting, gang stalking, gang stalking, targeted justice.com, the definition of human trafficking, which is to force or coerce anyone to do something that they do not want to do in the name of food or shelter.

It does not mean prostitution only.

There are several charities, the main charities in this town that are working in it or won't even let me call it the human trafficking hotline.

Or the sexual assault hotline.

I've just recently escaped the labor trafficking situation from a 73-year-old sexual deviant.

And I need help.

And every time I come back from things that are happening to me, I only come back stronger.

Yesterday morning I was on the verge of losing my grip.

And if I have another nervous breakdown, I can go into a state of catatonia.

But that's not gonna happen.

And I I am a humanitarian and yes, I'm an activist.

I've been all over this country to be a voice for the voiceless and stand up for constitutional rights.

If you if you wanted to know more, I'm up and down Abrams.

I gotta go.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Anyone else, Mr.

Buskin?

No, sir.

No additional speakers.

Council, do y'all have any announcements this evening, Mr.

Gonzalez?

Yes, I just uh I want to thank everyone for the prayers.

As many of you know, I was seriously ill, and I just want to know that I heard the prayers and I I'm blessed to be here.

And like she said, we have to love each other.

So thank you for your prayers.

Thanks, sir.

On this side, any other announcements down here.

Well, Mr.

Buskin, do you have any announcements?

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to remind our residents, Arlington City Council evening meetings are rebroadcast on Sundays at 6 p.m.

and on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 6 30 a.m.

The council's afternoon work sessions are rebroadcast on Sundays at 1 p.m., Wednesdays at 1 30 p.m.

and on Saturdays at 6 p.m.

You can also watch the meetings online anytime at www.arlington tx.gov.

Folks, thank you all for coming out here tonight.

I hope you all have a very joyous holiday season and a wonderfully happy new year.

God bless y'all.

And City Council is adjourned.

Okay.

To help you and your team kind of pull out a short rib here for our guests today.

Alright.

So uh first things first, we'll get some gloves on.

We'll take a little bit of uh oil and we'll just drizzle it all over the uh the short rib.

So we'll just pick all of our um spices and then we'll just coat this on all sides.

Okay, how's that look?

That looks perfect.

So I'll show you some cuts and then I'll I'll uh I'll let you try.

How does that sound?

Okay.

I'll be happy with that.

This will take me a little longer.

Okay.

Can't do it as fast.

One thing about the commercial kitchen though, definitely it's all about speed.

So yeah.

You're losing money on me.

Oh wow.

Now that's you should have shown me how to do that.

Okay, just keep stirring it.

Uh no, so now we'll just we'll take it over.

We'll actually cover it and get it ready for the oven where it'll brace for about three hours.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

So that's not done.

It's still gotta go three hours.

Oh, yeah, it still has to go three hours.

What we got here.

Are we ready for the big reveal?

So we're ready.

So we'll pull just pull it off.

Yeah, just pull it right off.

And boom, there we go.

So then we'll pull that right out.

And we'll place it on the cutting board and then we'll slice it and get it ready for service.

Alright, here we go.