Well, y'all couldn't find anything better to do tonight but to come out to the city council meeting.

I know we ain't that interesting.

Well, welcome.

I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend.

Welcome to the Arlington City Council meeting.

Today is March twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-six.

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

I'm gonna invite the Reverend Eve Guy Kendall, I hope I pronounced that right from UTA Wesley Foundation to come forward and lead us in an invocation.

Please stand if you can.

If prayer's your way, please join me.

Gracious and sovereign God, as this meeting begins, we pray for those trusted with power in this place.

Influence has been placed into their hands, influence that shapes the lives and futures of many.

In the midst of competing priorities, differing perspectives, and difficult decisions, we ask that you would whisper wisdom into their hearts.

A wisdom marked by humility, courage, and a deep concern for the common good.

Guide these conversations, bending them towards justice, granting patience and grace to all those present.

Help these leaders see not only policies and proposals, but people, neighbors, families, and communities who long to flourish.

May their needs not be overlooked, and may this body be attentive to those on the margins, just as you have always been.

We started this several years ago, and these kids are amazing.

Um they help us do a creative outreach of what turnaround don't drown means to them, and that also helps their parents in our community get that message out that any time our roadways are flooded that to remember turn around don't drown.

So I want to bring up Daniela Alvarez.

She is our third grade winner.

Parents, we don't have any rules.

If y'all want to come up and take pictures and stuff of your kiddos, just come on.

Y'all just make yourself at home.

All right, come on, honey.

We're gonna take a picture right here.

We also have a few teachers here too that are very excited.

Yes, oh I pointed.

Okay.

Thank you.

Just stay, we're gonna get a picture of all of y'all together.

All right, our fourth grade winner, Seth Lopez.

And our fifth grade winner couldn't be here tonight.

Um, but her name is Olaida Isle Valez.

Um and then our grand prize winner is Zoe Ledzama.

Okay, so we can there you go.

Congratulations.

Is that it?

That's it.

Okay, one group shot.

Come on.

Congratulations, guys.

Thank you.

Winston Henvie.

Do I have Winston?

Come on up.

Bring whoever you're gonna bring with you.

Come on.

I'm here in the photos.

Oh, okay.

This is for the American Red Cross, a proclamation, whereas the American Red Cross has a long and distinguished history of providing compassionate care and critical assistance to individuals and families in times of need.

And whereas each day, more than 220 dedicated Arlington residents put on their Red Cross vest, offering hope to our community.

And whereas last year the Red Cross carried out more than twenty-five disaster relief operations, delivering shelter, food, and comfort to neighbors face facing unexpected emergencies.

And whereas Red Cross Blood Drives held in Arlington in 2025 collected more than 900 units of blood, ensuring life-saving care for new mothers, cancer patients, and accident victims.

And whereas more than 1,700 residents enrolled in Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED training courses, making Arlington more prepared and resilient in emergencies.

And whereas the City of Arlington is proud to recognize and honor the tireless efforts, humanitarian spirit, and unwavering commitment of the American Red Cross, it's volunteers who make a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents every day.

Now, therefore, I, Jim Ross, mayor of the City of Arlington, Texas, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as the American Red Cross Month in Arlington.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Arlington City Council, for this recognition.

The American Red Cross is honored to partner with our neighbors and local partners to help make Arlington a safer, healthier, and more resilient community.

Every year, our work impacts lives in ways, both seen and unheard.

When a home fire displaces someone at two o'clock in the morning, the Red Cross volunteers, many of them in this room and in your community show up.

When hospitals need life-saving blood, our donors roll up their sleeves and they show up.

When someone collapses and a bystander doesn't know what to do, our CPR and first aid training can mean the difference between life and death.

This work would not be possible without Arlington volunteers who give their time, skills, and compassion to help their neighbors when they need it the most.

As we celebrate Red Cross Month, we honor them, we honor all of you, and we invite everyone in this room and all of your friends and family too to join us.

Whether you give blood, take a first aid course, volunteer, or make a donation, there is a role for every single one of you.

The American Red Cross exists to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.

And because of you, our mission continues.

And as a gift to the American Red Cross, we do have some shirts to help.

You pass along the word, so thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

These are all for me, Council.

All for you.

One day, every day of the week, no, for you to share, of course.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Y'all give it up for the American Red Cross.

One more over here.

We got to get him out there.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Kendra Kendra Griffin.

We got some Oak Ridge kids in here.

Woo!

I just wanted to make sure I'm not doing anything for y'all.

All right, get the Oak Ridge kids up here that we're going to talk about here on this varsity football and girls' varsity volleyball.

This is some of the best parts of being a mayor when you get to deal with the kids like this.

See what's going on.

We have a proclamation here to honor these young men and young women from Oak Ridge School.

Whereas the Oak Ridge School Boys' Varsity Football Team and Girls Varsity volleyball team have earned the distinct honor of winning the 2025 Southwest Preparatory Conference Championship titles.

Wow.

Whereas the Southwest Preparatory Conference represents one of the premier interscholastic athletic associations in the region, and earning a conference championship reflects extraordinary dedication, discipline, and competitive excellence.

And whereas these student athletes have demonstrated exceptional teamwork, perseverance, and character throughout their seasons, exemplifying the highest standards of sportsmanship, both on and off the field to play.

And whereas their commitment to excellence has brought pride and a positive recognition to the Oak Ridge School and to the City of Arlington, serving as an inspiration to young athletes and residents throughout our community.

And whereas the coaches, families, faculty, and supporters of the Oak Ridge School have provided steadfast guidance and encouragement, contributing meaningful, contributing meaningfully to the success of these championship teams.

Now, therefore, I, Jim Ross, mayor of the City of Arlington, Texas, do hereby proclaim March 2024, March 24th, 2026.

I'll get it right in a second, as the Oak Ridge Varsity Championship Day.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Council, for uh for coming and giving us this wonderful honor today.

I'm Matt Berge, I'm the head of school at the Oak Ridge School.

I want to thank my coaches, Jeremy Flowers and Glenn Ascott for leading us to uh to this to this really momentous occasion.

Congratulations to our awesome kids.

Um I think that we have the best kids in Arlington.

Um we've served this the uh this wonderful community for the last 47 years.

Uh it doesn't happen often that you win a state championship.

It doesn't happen often for our school to win a state championship.

It certainly doesn't happen twice in one season.

So what a great accomplishment for all of our young men and young women, and thank you all.

Y'all gotta scoop all the way around here.

Just like the women telling the guys what to do.

Get in here.

There you go.

Come in around.

Hey guys, y'all come in right behind us up here.

Come on, right up here.

Come close, come close.

Come on, girlfriend.

Don't come on, bring it in.

Don't be sitting out there.

They need it all together.

All right, everybody looking at you.

One, two, three.

Thank you.

We got everybody else taking pictures too.

All right.

We good.

Uh-huh.

All right, we're not quite done yet, but Geraldine, you and Keisha, want to come on up here.

How are you?

Good to see you.

Good to see you.

I don't know.

Here, we're gonna take it off and you can talk.

Tell us what we're doing here.

Who's doing it?

I see it just a minute.

Uh I really don't have anything to do with this except I ask Keisha to do something for the hundred and fiftyth year.

She's our artist and resident at the Field of Museum.

So if you come by the field of museum, you'll get to go up and see her heart at work.

But anyway, I told her, yes, you know, do something for this hundred and fiftyth anniversary.

So, and I gave her a month to do it.

And of course, her creativity and her artist artistic ability took off, and here we go.

Well, it's a limited time after 2026, isn't a big deal, so uh maybe, I don't know.

Uh I'm Keisha Smith.

I'm the uh resident artist at Fielder Museum.

I'm on the board of the Historical Society, and uh they need money.

Uh so mainly to do this was to do this for as a fundraiser.

So uh there's a hundred and fifty.

Make note of that number.

There's a hundred and fifty prints.

Uh and there's about sixty left.

Uh there are 11 by 14 prints of this, and this is the print for you.

Uh the original hangs proudly at the Fielder Museum.

Uh I try to do artwork when they tell me to.

So uh but the 150th year is kind of a big deal.

And um, there's a hundred and fifty prints.

Uh I'm not selling these.

These are donation only.

So a thirty dollar minimum donation uh to the field or well to the historical society.

Uh I'm keeping up with all those numbers, and I know exactly who gets all of them.

So without further ado, you get number five.

I'm up to about number sixty-eight, I think.

So I have some prints today if anybody's interested.

I gave a a little bit of a synopsis of this piece and my bio to everybody on the board.

So uh y'all can throw those away later if you want.

But uh that's just a little bit about what it is.

Um I took 12 representations of Arlington.

I probably left something out.

Um, and if you can think of it, that's cool because Arlington has got so much.

It doesn't have a symbolic skyline like Dallas or Fort Worth.

I had to really narrow it down to a few things, so it wouldn't be too busy.

Um, but some of the representations here.

Uh of course the railroad, Texas and Pacific has been here since day one almost.

Um, the mineral well, uh, the cotton commerce, and of course, UTA.

These are all representations of things that make Arlington and what put them on the map.

So I'm real proud to present this to you, and thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Now, uh, isn't it true that when Gerald Dean tells us to do something, we just do it.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

So whether you're the mayor or whether you're council member, we just do it.

Uh listen, these ladies help us preserve the history of Arlington and what we're doing here, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

In order for us to know where we're going to, we need to know where we've come from.

And these ladies really help us understand where we're coming from.

So I love y'all.

Thank you.

All right, we're gonna take a picture.

So we can put this up, maybe.

I'll just hide it.

You know how to do it.

Can we do a silly one?

What are we doing?

Your tongue or something weird.

Ready?

Set.

I think that's the first time I've ever done that here in the middle.

Yeah, me and you both.

There might have been times I wanted here.

I know.

We should have turned around and stuck out our tongue councils.

Thank you, sir.

All right.

Now that all the fun stuff is done, Miss Garcia, how about speaker guidelines and general decorum, please?

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, and or hostility.

Any person making personal, profane, hostile, slanderous, or threatening remarks, who uses vulgar or obscene language, who engages in and other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb this 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, so 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 support or 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.

A bell will signal the end of each speaker's time.

In consideration of other speakers, please conclude your comments promptly when you hear the bell.

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

Thank you, Miss Garcia.

Do we have any appointments to boards or commissions this evening?

Mayor, we have no appointments to boards and commissions.

Thank you, ma'am.

Well, we're going to go over the consideration of items from the executive session.

We'll take them one at a time.

6.1, please.

6.1, a resolution authorizing condemnation of a 4003 square foot right-of-way easement across land in the J.

Blackwell survey, abstract number 147, City of Arlington, Terran County, Texas, and being part of Lot 1R, field acres, in addition to the City of Arlington, Terran County, Texas.

According to the revised map or PLAT recorded in Volume 3, 388-74, page 37 of the plat records of Terran County, Texas.

Otherwise known as 415 North Collins Street, Arlington, Texas, for the public use of street right-of-way improvements in connection with the entertainment district sidewalk phase three project.

Thank you, Ms.

Garcia.

I'm going to recognize Council Member Galante.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move for the City Council to authorize the City of Arlington to use the power of Eminem Domain to acquire the properties necessary for the public use of sidewalk improvements for the entertainment district sidewalk phase three project as read by the city secretary.

And as more fully described it in the resolution for this item.

Thank you, Councilmember Galante.

I have a second from Councilmember Gonzalez, please hold on, Miss Garcia.

Do we have any speakers on this item?

We do not, Mayor.

Thank you.

Council, please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

6.2, Ms.

Garcia.

A resolution authorizing the settlement of negotiations for a sanitary sewer easement of 3,170 square foot.073 acre tract of land situated in the Eliasar Daggett Survey, Abstract No.

430, City of Arlington Terrant County, Texas, and being a portion of tract one called.21 acre tract of land and track two called.39 acre tract of land as described in the warranty deed with vendors lien conveyed to 1140 West Main LLC recorded in instrument number D 2230 78616 deed records here in County Texas for the public use of sanitary sewer improvements and all necessary appurtenances or the main street or the main street Cooper to Davis Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project.

Thank you, Miss Garcia.

Do we have any speakers on this item?

We have no speakers, Mayor.

Thank you.

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

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Consideration of minutes, Miss Garcia.

Thank you, Mayor.

We have the minutes for the March 10th, 2026 afternoon and evening meetings.

Thank you, ma'am.

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

Seeing none, Miss Garcia.

Are there any speakers or any on these items?

We do not have any speakers for this item, Mayor.

Thank you.

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

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Consideration of consent agenda, please.

The consent agenda this evening contains 13 minute orders, two ordinances, and 23 resolutions.

The minute orders seek to authorize one annual contract for the MITLE voice over Internet Protocol, phone system maintenance and support services.

Two and three annual requirements contracts for fire extinguishers, engineered fire suppression and vent hood systems inspection, replacement, maintenance and repairs, and for temporary personnel services for information technology.

Four through six renewal of annual requirements contracts for plumbing services for printing services for water billing and for motor maintenance for Arlington Water Utilities.

Purchase installation and a five-year maintenance agreement for a PER and polyfloral alcohol substances instrumentation for the Arlington Water Utilities Department.

Eight, purchase of rifle resistant body armor plates for the Arlington Police Department.

10.

Five-year contract for the purchase implementation, maintenance and support services for radar unmanned aircraft detection software.

Excuse me.

11 contract for the repair and maintenance of two city tower chillers.

12 contract modification number one to the engineering services contract for shadow drive sanitary sewer main replacement.

13 construction contract for Woodland West Aquatic Center.

The ordinances seek to authorize 14 zoning case SUP 10 23 R4, Liquitec 408, 113 Street.

15 zoning case SCP 25-10, 2102 Preston Wood Drive.

The resolution seek to authorize 16 resolution expressing intent to reimburse certain capital budget expenditures.

17A through C, amending the capital budget for various city departments, including the water utilities capital budget, and adopting the stormwater utilities capital budget for the city of Arlington for fiscal year 2026.

18 revisions through financial policies and debt disclosure policy.

19 and 20, first amendments to the Debbie Ad 360, LLC, Chapter 380 agreement, and to the lease for signage in the entertainment district.

21, all cash contract of cell, LSTDMK LLC, 1400 North Collins Street.

22, real estate transaction threshold, administrative procedure.

23 through 25, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Technology Project Identification Framework, excuse me, framework 2026, call for project ideas for weather, traffic and train sensors.

26 Arlington Police Foundation grant, APD drone as a first responder program.

27, addendum to North Texas Anti Gang Center, Local Administrative Agreement.

28, resolution for naming of Cleat McAllister Trail in Veterans Park.

29 and 30, Office of the Governor, Juvenile Justice and Youth Diversion Grant Program, Fiscal Year 2027 for Discover Mentoring and Truancy Intervention Program Support.

31, Office of the Governor Peace Officer Mental Health Program, Fiscal Year 2027 Grant.

32, Office of the Governor, General Victim Assistance Grant Program, Fiscal Year 2027 Grant.

30 and 34, Office of the Governor Violence Against Women, Justice and Training Program for Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking Detectives, Fiscal Year 2027 Grant.

35, Office of the Governor Criminal Justice Grant Program, Fiscal Year 2027.

36, Office of the Governor Paul Coverdale, Forensic Sciences Improvement Program Grant Fiscal Year 2027.

This concludes the consent agenda for this evening, Mayor.

Thank you, Ms.

Garcia.

I'm going to pull item 8.13 for separate consideration.

Do we have any speakers on the remaining items on the consent agenda?

No other speakers.

Oh, Mayor, excuse me.

We do have two speakers in opposition for item 8.15.

First one being Laura Matthews.

Good evening, Mayor and Council Members.

My name is Laura Matthews, and I live on the property directly adjacent to the proposal.

I want to briefly address the issues of the placement and clarity in the development plan.

As of this morning, the development plan still does not reflect the true location as to where the structure is proposed to be built.

Given the structure is approximately 15 feet, 8 inches in height, and proposed to be located about 7 feet from the shared fence line.

The exact placement is critical to understand the impact on the neighboring properties.

And my yard and my garden are my sanctuary where I have found a sense of peace and privacy.

The placement of a structure of this size, so close to my property line negatively impacts this.

With a development plan never clearly reflecting actual placement, I question whether the impacts of what is being proposed tonight have honestly been considered.

I know that sounds a little harsh, but if the if it isn't there today in the agenda as to where this is going to be, there are questions as to why that is.

Given this discrepancy of the development plan, the and the actual placement of the flags on this property and where the structure is actually supposed to be built.

I would respectfully ask that the council ensure the impacts of that placement are fully assessed before taking action.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker.

Speaker Miss Garcia.

Ryan Matthews Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers.

This unfortunately has consumed the past few months of our lives because we have been under construction and we have the crews and neighbors that are constantly hammering away.

But more than that, this does not meet the objective standards that are referenced in the policy reform briefing document.

The objective standards mention minimum 24 feet from the primary dwelling.

It is at most 10.

It is not 24 feet.

It is also minimum 10 feet from each property line.

That is not the case because it is established at seven.

I understand that there is a housing crisis, and I understand that it is very noble that the chambers want to house their mother-in-law.

And we love that idea.

But this is not the way to do it.

In the analysis of economic and community impacts on accessory dwelling units, it said that the strategy to allow the construction by right without a lunchary discretionary review process, provided certain conditions are met.

These conditions have not been met.

And as we've stated, the documents that are showing are not the what is a reflection of the reality on the property line.

The height should be limited to ensure the ADU does not tower over the main house or adjacent properties with a limit of eight-foot fence and 18 or I'm sorry, 15 38ths roof is nearly twice that and would tower over.

This is where we take our cat out to play in the yard and have him climb trees.

This is where we live our life, and this is the last house that my mother was able to make a home before my father died.

This is important to us.

Because we would all do that without a doubt.

It is about whether or not the rules and ordinances of this great city have been followed, and with the current setbacks not being met, and with the discrepancies between where the planning document have shown it to be and where the flags place it, it is incompatible.

And I would invite you all to come to the House and see that it is not where the design document states that it is.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on this?

Those were all the speakers, Mayor, for the consent.

Nancy, do you have something?

Yes.

Council and Mayor, uh, I do want to clarify.

I am looking at the packet.

The development plan in the packet still shows what was previously the original development plan, but as you can remember on uh in the last meeting on March 10th, uh we had a revised site plan from the applicant where the actual stakes were.

Uh the uh the the accessory dwelling unit was pushed closer to the uh pool side, and that has been put in the staff report on page three, it's already documented.

However, there has been an oversight, it is not shown in the development plan.

So that will be definitely corrected.

But we are voting on the revised site plan that was approved last time at first reading.

Thank you.

Councilmember Guellante.

Yeah, in uh thank you, Mayor.

My question will be thank you, Gene C.

I was about to ask that question for you.

Because I saw there was a little oversight on that.

My question before the city attorney that we can can we do the second reading on that, even knowing that it has uh an amended uh an amended site plan.

Absolutely, yeah.

Just it if the council member who makes the motion just wants to reference that you're voting on the version you voted on last time, which is reflected in the staff report, but not on the development plan that's linked.

Um I have two motions here, Boy Hogan Pill Sofi.

You you want me to if oh I don't want you don't do anything yet.

I'll clarify with Mr.

Mr.

Hog.

Councilmember Boxel.

Thank you.

Uh Gen C in the in the revised site plan, what is the side yard setback?

The side yet set back is still seven seven feet.

And is that does that meet our requirements?

Yes.

Okay.

Are there any other covenants on this lot or in this neighborhood that said it have what is it?

It's five feet that's the minimum.

Five feet is the minimum site.

So it's not ten feet.

No.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Hogg, I have a motion from you, or were you going to make a motion for the site plan that was discussed in the last amended as the council discussed in the last meeting?

Thank you, sir.

Councilmember Peel, is that your second?

Yes.

Thank you.

Council, please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Okay.

Um we're gonna take up 8.13 at the request of staff.

They've asked that we continue this item until further notice from staff.

So I'll make them uh well, I have Councilmember Boxel made the motion.

Councilmember Gonzalez second in the motion.

Uh please cast your vote for a motion to continue.

The motion passes.

Okay, let's move on down to 11.1.

Ms.

Stoppel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Item 11.1 AB26-1 is a request for a variance to the alcohol distance requirements of the occupation taxes and licenses chapter.

The property is located at 1606 West Randall Mill Road, situated south of West Randall Mill Road and west of North Fielder Road, and it is zoned community commercial CC.

It is currently developed as a convenience store with gasoline sales and has operated in this capacity since 1986.

Since 2011, the business owners of the convenience store at this location have been able to secure TABC license for beer and wine sales.

TABC requires a new permit every time there is a change in ownership or business name.

The present owner purchased this business in July 2022 and has been operating the convenience store without beer and wine sales to date.

He applied for the alcohol permit last December, which was denied because it did not comply with the alcohol distance requirements outlined in the occupation taxes and licenses chapter.

This chapter prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-permissons within 300 feet of a church, public or private school or a public hospital.

For public schools, this distance is measured in a direct line from the nearest property line of the school to the business.

The school property is approximately 85 feet east of the convenience door.

Through this variance application, the applicant is requesting a reduction of that spacing to 85 feet.

A similar variance request by the previous owner, Hawkes Pantry, was approved in December 2015.

On March 9, 2026, the city mailed notices to all property owners within 300 feet of the site.

No comments have been received from nearby property owners or the school.

There are two letters of support for the variance request.

This evening we have the applicant Roberto New Nunes with Alchemy Development Partners present the case.

Mr.

Nunes, good evening, Council members.

My name is Robert Nunes, and my address in DeSoto, Texas.

I'm with Alchemy Development Partners, and I'm here, Representer Mr.

Parbinder, C do.

He purchased the property in 2022.

He went through the initial process of getting his TABC license and certificate of occupancy.

His certificate of occupancy was approved, but uh his TABC license was denied.

He was not aware that the process of the previous owners and what they done in the past, so he just stopped selling.

He basically said, Well, okay, well, my license was not approved, therefore I can't continue.

So he just he took out all beer and wine from his store, and then he just continues selling uh just your normal convenience store items as well as uh fuel.

Uh he has a fuel station there as well.

And so kind of just went about his normal thing, and then he talked to the previous owner, and then the previous owner said, Well, we're gonna have to go through a process of changing the zoning.

So he came to me and asked me about this process.

I have done I've done the change in zoning for this type of process in Dallas.

And uh after speaking to Maria, uh Maria the planner, uh, she was able to clarify what I needed to do, and that's why we're here.

We're here for this uh request to to authorize the reduction and and uh in the actual the 84 actually it's 300 feet, so we're about 85 feet.

We're right across the street from the from the private school, and as far as like from churches, for example, is 300 feet door to door.

We meet that by a lot, but for private school the requirement is 300 feet.

But we are so far away from the school.

The the property lines are so close to each other because they're right on the edge of the actual pavement, and the street is basically what's set well, the sidewalk and the street, and I guess we have a grass pad maybe is what separates the two stores.

But I mean the store is so far away literally from this from the private school door that I mean it's beyond 300 feet.

Uh and so um like I said, he was not aware that this was a process that he needed to do, and that's why he's here applying.

Uh he purchased the property in the business with the intention to sell beer and wine, but the previous owner just didn't tell him this, and he just kind of stayed through his hands and said, Well, I just continue to operate.

But he took out the beer and wine literally as soon as he was denied, and so he hasn't been selling since 2022.

So he's here with me.

Uh I'm here for any questions you may have.

Um concerns you may have, I'm here.

Thank you, sir.

Jen C.

I I know you said the previous owner got their TABC license in 2015, but the owners prior to that were selling beer and wine also, weren't they?

Yes.

Every time a new owner comes, they have to get a new license.

But we have a history of beer and wine being sold at this particular location.

Yeah, the particular note is the 2015 one because 2014 uh the city's ordinance changed from uh hundred feet to 300 feet spacing requirement.

And even after that, the 2015 variants was up to approved.

Okay.

That's fine.

All right, sir.

Thank you.

Ms.

Garcia, do we have any other speakers on this?

The only other speaker was Mr.

Parvender Siddu.

If he's a good one.

He is here, he's the owner.

If you guys have questions, if there were any other questions.

I have uh I'm gonna go ahead and uh oh go ahead, Mr.

Hogg.

You just popped up.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Hey, real quick question, if you'd come back.

In our document, it says they took over in 2025.

So and you're saying 2022.

Yeah, that's we saw that it's incorrect.

He took over 2020 2022 in and in communication with directly, yeah, yeah.

Say that again, Gen C.

I think in the staff report it does say that that's why I verified all that this morning with everybody.

And 2022 is when they purchased it, and they came in for an alcohol permit, which was denied, as he correctly said.

And after that, they didn't do anything about it until last December, asking again.

And so what with the owner getting this approval, what what upgrades, what's he gonna do?

Because I I can tell you I drive past this every single day.

Um it is not the cleanest and well-maintained property.

It is historically known as having um your credit card stolen when you swipe for gas.

Um, as it's on the corner of Fielder Handle Mill that we drive past every single day.

I can tell you that the owners already hire an architect to provide drawings.

He's planning on uplifting that property.

We have a set of drawings.

We submitted a permit for construction, but that's when this whole situation began.

Uh, he was denied again his his TABC and again he applied for the permit with the intent to make our complete remodeling uplift.

Uh I don't know if you have that set in the submittal, but we do have a complete set of documents.

But we do have a complete set of documents.

Brand new, including an image showing the what rendering showing what it's going to look like.

And he has extensive experience with that.

His manager is here as well.

If you guys have questions for him as well regarding that.

I'll just like to add that the remodel permit was never completed because the site plan was not complete.

So it kind of remained in that status of you know pending, and then it was just voided because nothing happened after that.

Yeah, sorry, I worded that wrong.

That's what happened.

But uh I I know that he did submit one.

If you like, he could come here and you know, he can kind of tell you a plan as far as how he plans and dealing with certain situations if you like.

Mr.

Parvinger, please come.

I don't know if you heard what you said, but there's cleanness issues, and then he said that there's credit cards.

Good evening, Ms.

Mayor and Council members.

I'm here.

My name is Parvender Singh Sedu.

I own a business in the city of Arlington.

I reside in Capel, Texas.

And I'm here, I can answer your question.

This property is not, it's one of the dirtier gas stations.

It's not well maintained.

It's had a historical history of having uh stolen credit card swipes.

Um I think everyone I know that was in the neighborhood says don't swipe your credit card at the corner.

Uh not Valera, I can't remember what it's called right there that y'all have.

But so how are you with this?

You'll be hope, you know, you're I'm sure you're assuming you're gonna make more revenue off of that.

So what are you gonna do to make upgrades?

Uh first of all, um I I was not aware of all with the credit card thing that you just mentioned.

Uh our sales have been going up.

We we've been maintaining this property.

This is an older store, very old store, and I have already submitted new plans to upgrade the store.

And just looking if the purpose uh because the sales are not supporting the the revenues are not supporting the business right now in order for me to make the upgrades.

But if I'm approved with the with the beer and vial sales, yes, sir, for sure.

We're gonna upgrade this property and make it better so we can serve our the community.

Yeah.

Councilmember Odin Wesley.

Thank you, Mayor.

I have a couple of questions.

Um you kept referring to a private school across the street, but isn't that Wimbish elementary across the street?

Public school.

Yeah.

It's a public school.

School, public or private house, public or private.

Sorry, that was uh that's the that's the Texas code, public or private.

I should have said just it's a public school, yes.

Sorry.

I was referring to the code.

Okay, and um uh Gen C the requirement is that liquor sales can only take place outside 300 feet from the school boundary, and this is at 85 feet, is that correct?

That's correct.

Beer and wine.

Beer and wine.

No liquor, no liquor, alcohol, liquor, but beer and wine.

And um isn't there a tom thumb right there on the corner as well on other um on the other side of Random Meal and Builder that sells beer and wine?

I think it does.

Yes.

Yes, I think it does.

They do sell beer and wine.

I can't.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Golante.

Well, thank you for for investing in Arlington.

I support small business for sure.

What we see here, we want to see a transformation in the in the property.

So I I agree with Council Councilmember Hogg, uhwards that our main concern.

It's fair enough to allow you a variance and continue selling beer or wine.

But what we want to see is you're working with us too, creating a better environment for the customers and for the business community.

Yes, sir.

Um GC, what's the status of uh of the uh the the drawings or the application that they have?

They they they that's what they said, right?

Yeah, and what's the status on it?

Yeah, the site plan uh came in 2022 when they purchased the property, uh, and they also submitted the building permit for that remodeling.

However, they never completed the processes.

So uh after six months of inactivity, we just void those permits because they didn't do anything with comments, like they have to resubmit.

So they did not resubmit.

I'm I'm just hesitant to support and allow you guys uh a various when you did not finish, you know.

Uh I want to see the kind of commitment you have with the city first.

Yes, sir.

Before we have a commitment with you.

Yeah, sure.

Um the the drawings uh we were back and forth with the city.

There were there are two driveways, so that we were contemplating on closing one driveway because of the traffic.

So there were a lot of things that were being discussed with the city on the drawings.

So we just got kind of held on to see if we can get approved on the beer and wine permit, so we can go go ahead and we can do all those uh upgrades to the property.

So my concern is that if you own the place since 2022, yes, sir.

We have four years in.

Yeah, you have plenty of opportunity and time to turn around the property and make it look better in in we I I don't like just don't like hearing what I heard in what I know.

Uh sir.

We we the property is in good shape with the with our points with Chevron.

We have a shop, we have mystery shops, we have image shops that we have to keep up the standards with Chevron Company.

And we pass, we have good scores on those.

We pass each health inspection that is done by the city.

All the records are on file.

We are doing with the the it's just the nature of the property, it's a very old store, and it's a metal building, and we we are trying to maintain as much as we can.

It's it and I do agree with you that these credit card things and all they do happen on these things, and they are not in our control, they're outside pumps.

People, you know, some they put in stuff and uh stolen cards, but they are not under our control.

But as soon as we find them, we we do take uh we do take them seriously.

Councilman Galante, could I say something?

Uh I was gonna say is if you guys would consider if you was uh would like for him to actually invest in that situation.

You could uh approve with the conditions that he does get his building.

We cannot do it.

We can't do it.

You can do that.

It's either or if we deny today, Jean.

So if you the if we if we deny today, they can always come back and reapply again for a variance, correct?

That is correct.

And can be done after the the development plan is being approved, right?

Yes.

They can apply for PD for for development plan.

No, not a PD.

No, sorry about that.

They can come back for a beer.

Um I'm being told that that's still another way of conditioning this approval if you make something like that happen.

So you you can't say you gotta fix this and then we're gonna come back because that's still a conditional approval.

Correct.

Um so we we can't go through it that way.

We want to stay focused on either either you give it or not.

And I'm I'm gonna be supportive of you.

You've only owned this place for four years.

Yes.

Everybody else has been selling beer and wine out of this place.

And I'm a big proponent of making sure we're equitable and what we're doing and dishing things out.

I think uh I'm gonna take you at your word that you're gonna work on some of these issues.

I'm not saying that what Mr.

Hogg or Mr.

Galante has said is aren't legitimate issues, but I don't think we can do anything to condition this.

What I'm concerned about is our inability to remain equitable for all of the ownership there.

And I I would say it's fair to say that some of these concerns have happened beyond the time period that you have owned this property, that these concerns have gone on for a number of years over there.

So we want the property to be cleaned up, we want it to be decent, but I also want to be fair and equitable to the owners of that property.

So I'm gonna be supportive of you on that.

Any other questions from council?

I have a motion from I'm gonna close the public hearing.

We don't have any other speakers.

I should ask you.

No, we have another speakers.

I'm gonna close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Galante.

Can I get a second, please?

And a second from Councilmember Hunter, please cast your vote.

And the motion fails.

Okay.

We'll move on down to 11.2.

Thank you, Mayor.

Item 11.2 zoning case PD 25-23 is a planned development zoning request to add package liquor store in you in store use in one of the suites in an existing multi-tenant retail center developed in the 1980s, located at 2301 North Collins Street, generally located south of Brown Boulevard and east of North Collins Street.

The center has two access points from North Collins Street and contains 23 tenant suites.

Eight of which are currently vacant.

The proposed liquor store will occupy suite 120, which is approximately 3,000 square feet.

It was previously used as a nail salon and it is currently vacant.

There are nine letters of support for this liquor store.

This evening we have the applicant and owner Asad Kotari present his case.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you, Count Council members.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to start off with my introduction about myself.

My name is Asad Kotari.

I've been a resident of Arlington since the 90s.

Gone to school here.

Met a bunch of you guys on different occasions, and really appreciate all the help that I've gotten from everybody.

As far as my school, went to Arlington High, went to UT Arlington.

I have two grad undergrad degrees, accounting and finance.

I've got two MBAs in corporate finance and entrepreneurship.

Not only do I live in Arlington, I do have businesses in Arlington.

One of the businesses located at the specific site, 2301 North Collins.

It's called Fitness Nation.

Started that business in 2010 and is still currently operating.

So the purpose of today's uh meeting is of course to present this planning and zoning commission uh change for suite number 120.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

Uh Planning and Zoning Commission Commission approved it last month with a set uh 7 and 2 approval for suite number 120.

We're not doing any new construction, no new development.

It's an existing suite.

All we're doing looking for is a change to allow for a packaged liquor store sales only.

It's not going to include any late-night hangout, it's just people are going to shop there and they're gonna go about their way.

Um we have a multitude of tenants that are there.

Um it's in a commercial corridor, so the use would be uh good enough for all the other tenants that we have there to have cross shopping experience.

So the goal is to be able to allow for a use of a packaged liquor store there.

Um already covered this part.

So it's not gonna be a bar, it's not allowed, it's no late night hangout.

It's it's straight up just a package liquor store.

People will conveniently buy while they're in the shopping center for other uses, and they'll go about their way.

Um the site is fully staffed already with 88 access, enough parking, enough fire and life safety systems there, so uh and there's no structural changes whatsoever being performed on this.

Um why does it make sense?

Uh, considering all the different uses and the tenants that we have in the shopping center, it would fit right in and would allow for cross-shopping experience for all the all the all the customers.

This the site will be fully operational under City of Arlington ordinance compliance.

We'll meet all the TABC regulations.

Uh as far as I do understand there's a stigma associated with at times with the liquor store.

What I can assure is this the shopping center has been there forever.

You can look at the historical records of it.

We don't have strict violations on any codes, compliance issues, or we have never called on cops or any other services for use that would refrain or create a bad image for the for the city of Arlington and the shopping center itself.

Um I myself am on site since I have a business there.

So the idea is to make sure we're closely monitoring it.

Uh we'll have enough security, which we already do have on site.

Lighting is ambient lighting there or sufficient lighting there to be able to prevent any other issues with the property that could come up.

Uh let's see.

Economic impacts.

I I do think you know the the biggest aspect is if this space takes, you know, occupied, we're preventing blight.

Uh we can better monitor it.

We'll be occupied, so we'll be able to uh better monitor the place itself in general.

Um and it creates jobs and tax dollars for city of Arlington.

That's the other aspect of it.

Uh in conclusion, I would like to say, I mean, uh what we're looking for is primarily a zoning change for the suite itself, suite 120 only.

I think some of the conditions that were set forth in the last meeting were to uh not allow for any um pawn shop, the store limited to 3,000 square feet and uh landscaping plan, which I have submitted the landscaping plan.

We are making some improvements to the shopping center, which includes a couple things.

We're going green and bringing Tesla superchargers at the shopping center as well as we're also including a 2,000 square foot building which will house a coffee shop there as well.

So those are the upgrades that we're gonna make into the property in the next few months.

The plans have been submitted to the city.

I'm here for any questions.

Thank you so much for your time.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on this item?

We have no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilmember Galante.

Assad, how are you doing?

Finally, we talked to each other.

I was out for spring break.

That's why we couldn't connect.

Okay.

Thank you for investing in Onito.

Thank you for investing in Audi.

And we know of you, we know the high standards who keep your businesses.

We appreciate that.

Thank you.

Looking forward to see those new landscaping the front.

It's a nice property.

Uh question for you is that the only location is the only uh um the only place that you have available there, empty to have more vacancies there.

I know Jincy mentioned uh eight.

It is less than that.

We have had since some changes to it.

The only other site that I have available now is 5,000 square feet, which is going to be a uh a psychiatric clinic there coming.

So it's already already gone about with it.

Uh that's going to be the only next option we will do after that.

Okay.

Yep.

Thank you, and uh looking forward to see that.

Tony Rao.

Appreciate it.

What time is it?

Cheryl, he's your responsibility, all right.

Councilmember Hog.

Thank you, Mayor.

There's nothing funnier than people's phones go off.

That cracks me up.

So I don't get mad at it.

I think it's fine.

Just don't worry about it.

We enjoy watching the panic when people have their phones go off.

So uh that's the enjoyable.

I saw good to see you again, boy.

Um we've talked a couple of times over this, and absolutely.

Um, you know, I don't love it.

Oh, someone else's photos going off.

Um I almost want to vote for this because of you, Assad.

I think you've run a great you you're on a good center, and you've actually done really well in that center.

Let me ask uh a question.

Who's going to be the operator of this?

So we've got a few prospects.

We're gonna bring in candidates that have already done this before.

And and and the idea is to create a vibe, right?

I mean, again, again, uh, a lot of these are left where they're not enough upgrades done, no monitoring is happening, and we're just creating a bad situation for ourselves.

We're not looking for that.

I'm not looking for that, quite frankly.

So it's gonna be a prospective sense who's done it before, and it's gonna be in an uptrend vibey environment.

Okay.

And what uh and just worry, you know, any time listen, historically, when liquor stores go in, it sometimes draws down everything else.

Um what do you think about saturation in the area of other because there are a couple others within the general vicinity within the I don't know, mile or whatever we showed us on the saturation map.

Agreed.

Um I I do I do agree with you.

The only thing I will say is that what we're looking for is the existing tenant mix that we have.

These people are already coming in the shopping center.

It's another convenient opportunity for them to be able to take advantage of other services that are being offered, right?

So the idea is we've got a gym there, we've got a salon there, got a nail shop, we've got uh laundry, we've got tax preparation service, a staffing company.

We've got a very broad audience of tenants there.

Uh I think this fits right in because the existing people there are coming to the shopping center, it'd be another avenue for them to be able to get their shopping done at the same time.

One stop shop, so to speak.

Okay.

I I appreciate it.

Listen, I believe in you.

Doesn't I still haven't actually fully decided if I'm voting for it?

If it passes, I will not be hurt um if it passes.

Um, but uh I I appreciate you what you've done for that whole facility and everything you're doing.

Um I do think I believe in you as the developer, but I still don't know if I believe in the liquor store going in there as best option.

So that that's the only thing I'll say.

And I appreciate you.

No, appreciate it.

Thank you, Bowie.

Thank you.

Okay.

I'm gonna close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Galante and a second from Council Member Pham.

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Congratulations, sir.

Thank you, guys.

I appreciate it.

Uh-huh.

Okay.

11.3.

Ms.

Doppel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Item 11.3 zoning case ZA26-01.

Item 11.3 zoning case ZA26-01 is a request to change the zoning from office commercial OC to residential medium density RM12 on approximately 0.954 acres addressed as 300 West Park Road Drive, generally located south of West Park Road Drive and west of South Pecon Street.

The subject property is currently owned by Grace Lutheran Church, located directly east of the site.

Housing Channel, a certified 501c3 housing nonprofit organization, but community housing development organization has partnered with Grace Lutheran Church to develop this property.

The church will be deeding this land to housing channel for the project.

The housing channel stated mission is to revitalize neighborhoods and increase the availability of quality affordable housing for low and moderate income families.

The proposed project includes eight townhomes for a for sale.

This evening we have Don Albanes from Housing Channel presenting the case for us.

Hi Mayor and Council, I appreciate the opportunity to be here.

It's really hard to do affordable housing these days.

Also to create sustainable homeowners.

And I think we're a little unique in that we have our own in-house property and HOA management team because that helps us maintain these projects, the adherence to the owner occupancy requirements, and then the long-term maintenance of the development.

Typically, our developments have a soft second lien for about 20 years on the project because we sell them below market and provide assistance.

So we make sure and that they adhere to those uh requirements, and it's only owner occupied and there's no other uses.

Um we also make sure that the HOA rules and regulations expressly prohibit uh all forms of rental activity, including short-term rentals, even though it's allowed under this particular zoning request.

So I will turn it over to Yvonne to get into all the heady stuff about zoning.

I thought you were just gonna stand behind her and click away or something.

Yvonne Gonzalez, uh urban planner and principal with place strategies, um, you know, representing the project as well.

Uh so just as a reminder, you know, the the project um request is going from RM12 um or going from office commercial to residential medium density, um, allows for the the eight town homes consistent with the development to the south, um, and all units will be for sale for working families, um, you know, owner-occupied requirements will be um within the the deed restrictions and again with the HOA for long-term maintenance um and it will act as a transition between the multifamily rental and the commercial uh to the west and then the church to the east.

So, as an urban planner, the first thing I look at is the comprehensive plan.

Um, and so I I know that Arlington is going through a comprehensive plan update.

We took a look at that framework as well.

Um, and so there is a couple things that um came off of the of the adopted comprehensive plan that I just wanted to note.

Um, promote land use patterns that reflect a mix of integrated community uses, encourage a encourage appropriate redevelopment and reinvestment that creates lasting value, and then increase the visual appeal within and around residential and commercial developments and along corridors.

Um the other part of taking a look at a project is um is the neighborhood.

And so we did take a look at uh the Hannah neighborhood plan.

If I can get the next slide, maybe and so this was categorized as a high priority redevelopment area in that Hannah neighborhood plan.

We have had talks with the neighborhood association as well.

As far as the design goes, we want to make sure that they are being included in what will what those townhouses will look like.

And in you know, town homes are uh specifically identified as in that redevelopment study within that downtown that neighborhood plan.

Um this is also on the boundary of downtown university neighborhood um future land use.

Um so that trans transition from the downtown area to um established residential is also really important.

So a few things from the neighborhood action plan that that are adopted in that in that plan that's specific to townhomes, um you know that we wanted to to just highlight um variation in facade, prominent landscaping, pedestrian access priority architectural features such as stoops and porches, um, and then a combination of materials such as brick cardi siding and stone.

Um and so I'll uh show a few pictures here of the past work from housing channel, but it exemplifies some of those same architectural features and items that are in that neighborhood plan for townhomes.

Um I'll give it back to to Donna to just talk a little bit about where these projects are and um and give more context.

You know, you know you don't get a whole bunch of rewinding time on this thing.

So how much more time do you have, Donna?

No, I'll just I'll just obviously you've seen our Bel Air on Abram project.

Um we worked with uh East Arlington Renewal and we uh definitely I met with uh Hannah and continue to work with them on the look of the project.

Okay.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on this one?

There are no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you.

I'm gonna go ahead and close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Boxell and a second from Councilmember Odom Wesley.

Please cast your vote.

Congratulations.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

See, y'all didn't need any more time anyway.

All right, let's move on down to 11.4.

Thank you, Mayor.

Item 11.4 zoning case PD 20-22R1 is a request to amend the existing planned development PD on approximately 0.23 acres of land addressed as 109 West Rogers Street, generally located west of South North Center Street and north of West Rogers Street.

This proposed amendment request is to allow short-term rental as a permitted use, which is currently prohibited in the PD.

The property is located just outside of the short-term rental zone, the STR zone.

However, the current PD is for base RM12 zoning, which allows short-term rental use.

The applicant has developed this infill lot with a duplex to facilitate lot configuration.

The duplex unit is designed in a front and back layout rather than a traditional side-by-side layout.

The applicant designed the second story to be set back from the front to provide compatibility with the existing one-story homes on adjacent lots.

There is room for some guest parking on this site.

There's one letter of support and one letter of opposition in your packet for this case.

This evening we have the applicant and owner, Kevin Karami, present their case for us.

Mr.

Kromie.

Mr.

Karami.

No.

Any other speakers on this, Ms.

Garcia?

Mayor, we have no other speakers, but we do have for the record two non-speakers in support.

Jim Cooper and Nina Ashley.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um I'm gonna go ahead and make a motion to continue this item.

Uh uh, I was just speaking the council member boxel, and we know that the applicant has uh some immediate family that has significant health concerns, and I want to make sure that we're not doing something that's gonna negatively impact somebody who's not able to get out here and present their case.

So I'm gonna go ahead and move to continue, Mr.

Galante.

Can I take your second as a second for the motion to continue?

Thank you, sir.

Uh with that, go ahead and cast your vote.

Oops.

Mayor, for the record, you made the motion.

I made the motion.

Excuse me, or make a correction.

Okay, now go ahead and cast your vote.

Councilmember Peel.

He had to leave.

Oh, okay.

And the motion passes.

Okay.

Let's go on down to 12.1.

Judge Evans.

Ms.

Garcias, on the on the previous item, I believe Miss Boxel um vote abstained from that vote.

Or she didn't.

She didn't intend to.

So shidentally abstained.

So if you show her as abstained, that's not correct.

Okay.

I'll make that correction on.

And I assume your vote was to continue it.

Yes.

All right, Judge.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

This is the uh the first reading of the ordinance appointing part-time associate municipal judges for the municipal court of record for the city of Arlington.

This proposed ordinance appoints two part-time judges to replace a resigning judge Karen Williams, who has uh opted to take a full-time position in Fort Worth.

We wish her well.

We appreciate the work she's done for us thus far.

We are requesting to appoint uh Vicky Hafer, who is a experienced attorney and is a resident of Arlington, and a uh very trusted and renowned member of the community, and Glenn Strickland, he is has prosecutorial experience that he'll be bringing to the bench as well.

The appointment terms would commence on April the 7th, 2026 and expire on April the 6th, 2028.

There is some financial data attached to the staff report if anybody has questions on that.

Thank you, ma'am.

Uh any other speakers on this item, Ms.

Garcia?

There are no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you.

I have a motion from Councilmember Boxel, a second from Councilmember Hogg.

Please cast your vote.

Councilmember, okay, thank you.

He's still left.

The motion passes.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you, ma'am.

Okay, let's go on down to 13.1.

Mr.

Garcia, Gus Garcia.

Oh, Josh, you're up here.

Good evening, honorable mayor and city council Josh Maya with the Office of Economic Development.

Uh, once more, it is my privilege to present a resolution this evening for your approval, which authorizes a development agreement between the City of Arlington and Wolverine Interest LLC.

This agreement pertains to the construction of a landmarked mixed-use development in downtown Arlington along the West Abram and West Main Street corridors.

Uh the economic development team has diligently worked to structure a partnership with Wolverine Interest LLC on this transformative project for downtown Arlington.

This collaboration will deliver a minimum of 248 multifamily housing units, 15,000 plus square feet of commercial space, and a 300 space parking garage across eight assembled parcels in the heart of downtown.

Please note, Mayor and and uh council members that we do have representatives of Wolverine Interest LLC president today's evening council and staff recommends the approval of the resolution authorizing the development agreement.

And happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on this item?

We have no other speakers, Mayor, but for the record we have one non-speaker in opposition, Richard Weber.

Thank you, ma'am.

I have a motion from Councilmember Boxell and a second from Councilmember Odom Wesley.

Please cast your vote.

The motion passes.

Thank you, sir.

Council.

Okay, citizen participation.

Ms.

Garcia.

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.

First speaker is Vanessa Strength.

I just want to clarify, Miss Garcia, we only have like 23, right?

That is correct.

Y'all, when y'all come up here, you're welcome to take all two minutes.

I don't care.

You're welcome to take two seconds.

I don't care about that either.

So y'all don't feel obligated one way or the other, but we will limit you to the two minutes.

So please be respectful of that.

Vanessa Strength.

Ms.

Strength's not here.

Jimmy Burke.

Mr.

Burke.

Come on, sir.

You're getting along pretty good this week.

Thank you again, Mayor and Council.

Umeless to the American Dream Part 3.

Um like to lay a little more groundwork, because it still feels like again, my scope is broader than this these chambers.

And it occurred to me a way of saying it is if we focus on just fixing homelessness itself, we're not facing homelessness.

That sounds like an oxymoron.

So I'd like to approach my brief time like this is as rough as homelessness of what it is.

It's even more traumatic and tragic of what it isn't, and it's intuitive, it's not going to be complicated.

Is the connections that you usually don't get when you're homeless?

It's the assumptions of who the person is and is not based on usually fair enough generalities.

That's the rub.

Is that usually assumptions do apply, except we got to do a little bit more intellectual due diligence to not assume, and we're busy, we're all we all are, especially people who are busy working when some of us are wanting to work.

But I think we do need to do the mental word to do it.

You know, I think it has kind of occurred to me sometimes people accuse me of overthinking, you know, and I have a lot of time in my hands too, unfortunately, so I can be good at cramming a five-minute conversation into an hour.

Okay, but sometimes people underthink, even with an unintentional conflict of interest.

So I want us to think in my rest of my time of what is it that we get to do when we're connected to the world that goes beyond just a residence or not.

Because if we set the bar that low, I mean we're 105 years old on our deathbeds.

Of course, we didn't want to be homeless, but we don't set the bar that low.

What are we heading toward in connecting?

Because if we provide a house only for somebody, then what?

Continue it next time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Rojo Mehuero.

I don't see him here either.

Sammy Durboshi.

Mr.

Debashi.

Next.

Anthony Bridges.

Mr.

Bridges.

Come on up, sir.

Two minutes, yes, sir.

All right.

My name is Anthony Bridges from Dallas, and I'm here to insist that you take some sort of action to facilitate Yaku Baira's release.

You are government officials, and your duty is to prevent this land from spiraling into lawlessness.

In order to protect the sanctity of the law, you need to ensure we that we the people are protected by the law.

Yakoub is a DACA recipient and his legal status isn't up for debate.

Yakoub is a documented resident of the city, and he has the right to be here.

So why has he been getting shuffled around detention camps for the last six months?

Let's review the narrative of the federal government, shall we?

The feds claim they are targeting undocumented immigrants and criminal immigrants.

And the American public generally supports the attainment of undocumented and criminal immigrants.

Well, Yacoub is neither of those things.

He has no criminal history, no standing charges, and he is fully documented.

How is it that his didn't that how is his attention in any way justified?

And how is that not a violation of the public's trust?

In order for this to remain a lawful nation, the law has to mean something.

If Yacoub can be detained for six months in a baseless attempt to suppress his freedom of speech, then the government is failing to uphold the law, and that creates an ultimatum.

I don't expect any support from our tyrannical federal government.

But I do expect something from you.

Are you going to pressure the criminals running our country, or will you remain silent?

Are you here to serve and protect the city that you represent, or are you merely another vessel, a government tyranny?

This is the decision that it's time to make.

Do you stand with we the people, or do you stand with a lawless state that is systematically stripping us uh of our rights in a very clear and indemincible way?

Ya coob has been punished long enough.

Whatever message you're trying to send to us, we got it.

And we're not scared, we're not intimidated.

We will continue to speak against this regime on social media, and we will continue to stand in solidarity with Palestine.

Just as we will continue to speak out in this council chamber if that proves to be necessary.

Something has to give.

If you want to maintain this fragile alliance, this fragile balance of power, then it's time to throw our community a bone.

It's time to advocate for Yaku Baira and do something to facilitate his release.

Stand on the side of freedom, stand on the side of justice and protect your residents from oppression.

I am an el Sawa, Peraland, Texas.

Any Native American here.

Sorry for the genocide we closed.

So we're all immigrants.

We're all here because we believe what be advertised the American dream.

American dream is live in justice and dignity.

And this is what Yaqub lived with.

Look, all of us came here because what we left is an American dream.

So I'm here.

I drove all the way from Houston.

Not only for Yacoub, I drove here to protect what's left in American dream.

And I didn't know that City of Arlington says the American dream city.

So if you really care about the American dream, or what should I say, what's left from Ekream?

Demand a release of Yaqub.

Because demanding the release of Yaqub is demanding the release of what's left in the American dream that we believe in.

Yaqub believed in the American dream.

He didn't believe in Jeffrey On's, you know, Asteen or Israel dream that we all paid for it now.

He truly believed in what's left from the American dream.

And it's not only Yaqub.

When I used to live here, you know, I pr you know, like a the principal of McMillan High School, Mr.

Williams.

Because he stood in the neutral for the American dream.

He's being kicked out of the school because we failed to protect what's left from the American dream.

So if you really care about the city of Arlington to be the American dream city, demand the release of Yaqub.

He's a good citizen.

He believed in the American dream.

Are you?

Thank you.

Next is Omar Katab.

And then next in line would be Marum Udin if you'd like to come forward.

Good evening, uh Council members and uh mayor.

It's good to be back in the city.

And I was actually very fond of that prayer.

I think anyone with a good soul could uh listen with their heart and um live up to the the dream city.

Where is An Wauman?

So um my name is Ramar Khattab uh Dallas Time.

Tonight I ask you to introduce and consider a resolution supporting the immediate release of our community member Yacoub Ira.

Yaquoub is an Arlington DACA recipient with no criminal record.

And matter of fact, out of straight district number one, and I'm sure Mr.

Marcillo, if I pronounced it right, Brazilian, you're coming as an immigrant with a legal pathway to citizenship.

And Yacoub is on the pathway of being a DACA.

And if it wasn't for the weaponization of the immigration system that came and revoked his lawful DACA status over protected speech.

Speech, every single American can have the right to under the First Amendment.

And we follow the Constitution.

We don't follow the bogusness of what's happening.

So and to make it very specific, it was over social media posts and likes.

Just fathom that for a second.

Let us sink in.

Social media posts and likes.

So he's detained over five months in a Georgia gulag.

That's now oh, 31 second time floods, huh?

So the idea is to uh propose a resolution, call for is a media release, end this retaliatory first amendment detention, condemn the weaponization of the migration system, direct the city um secretary, which I didn't get a chance to meet about to actually meet with every single one of you to go and walk through because there is power in your hands.

And we could take this power with this resolution signed to DHS, to I, to Texas Congressional, and even to the governor and the legal council, which he's blessed to have one of the best in this country.

Thank you.

Marum Udin, are you here?

And then next is Wassif Sadiqi, if you will come forward.

Good evening.

Uh Mayor Ross, Mayor Pro Tempere, Dr.

Odin Wesley, and members of council.

Thank you for your time.

My name is Maryam Udeen.

I'm a resident of Irving, Texas, at 7239 Native Oak Lane, 75063.

I'm here today on behalf of Yakoub Irez, one of his attorneys and a former United States immigration judge.

Thank you for allowing the larger community to engage with you on issues and people like Yakub who matter to us deeply.

And I apologize, I'm also going to be speed reading because I had a lot to tell you.

So you're gonna hear a lot a lot from our community about who Yakub is.

Two interesting facts that are within my purview, I want to share with you.

Yakub's great grandfather and great uncle were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their service in the US military during World War II.

During Yacub's immigration hearings, the immigration judges and government attorneys applied a lens of suspicion to his deeply held convictions.

I am convinced this is rooted in either deep racism or deep ignorance.

And perhaps those are the same.

The chilling effect reaches every resident in Arlington who speaks, documents, or participates in civic life.

And I want to be clear about something I know this council may be thinking that this is a federal matter outside your jurisdiction.

You are right that you do not control immigration enforcement, but you do control whether Arlington speaks when the constitutional values of its residents are implicated.

Cities across this country routinely pass resolutions on matters beyond their direct authority, not to control outcomes, but to define community standards to guide how their residents are treated, and to ensure that silence is not mistaken for consent.

What happens to Yacoub will define what Arlington stands for.

Arlington is one of the largest and most diverse cities in Texas with residents from every background, faith, and political perspective.

This council represents all of them.

I am asking this council to one pass a resolution calling for Yakoub's immediate release, and two, issue a public statement affirming Arlington's commitment to its residents' constitutional protections.

Yakub documented other people's stories so that justice could not be ignored.

Today I ask you to document his.

Thank you.

And I love the flair and character of this city.

I really did enjoy my time with you today.

Thank you.

And next is Janna Ismail.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

Forgive me, this is my first time ever speaking in front of a city council, so if I'm a little bit nervous, but the rest of them are pretty mean.

I'm awfully nice.

I can see that, yeah.

So uh I met Yacoub at work, actually.

Uh he was very friendly.

He actually reached out to me, he messaged me, he said, Hey, you're new to the company, let's have lunch together.

And so we went out, and then he's just very social, very friendly, and he introduced me to a bunch of the other co-workers, and he just knew people from like a bunch of different departments, and everybody really spoke highly of him.

Uh, I later on started to work on some like you know, business organizations within our company with him, and he was always really reliable, somebody you can really count on.

He's very caring.

Um eventually I found out that he teaches martial arts and I was looking for like a hobby, and so I became one of his students.

Um, and one of the things that he always stressed was uh the protection and preservation of life.

And so he used to always say, like, hey, you know, we're doing something, we know we're having fun, this and that, but always remember that this is to protect people, and this is not to be used in any way, you know, that could harm anybody.

This is all about preserving life.

Um eventually I saw him, you know, run some workshops and interact with other students, and he was always very kind and courteous.

Um and he was always very, very careful about the way that he would teach to make sure that nobody had any harm or felt uncomfortable or felt like unsafe by any means.

Eventually I went to Georgia actually to visit him after he was detained.

He's been there for like 168 days.

It's terrible.

He's in a room with like 75 people or something.

The AC went out and they were just sitting in the heat, the doors are closed, and it's like he's not charged with anything.

And I was just so shocked to find out that he even got detained.

And then later, when I found out that it was all about like his social media posts, like literally likes.

Like he didn't even post it himself.

Uh, that's just deeply concerning, you know, because we all use social media, and I mean, free speech is like one of the main tenants of this country.

And so I think all of us are deeply concerned about that.

So I just respectfully ask the Arlington City Council to pass a resolution calling for his fair treatment, due process, and reconsideration of his detention.

Janna Ismail.

And next is Zainab Ali.

Next speaker, Miss Garcia, say that again.

Zainam Ali.

Um, good evening.

My name is Zenab Oi, and I'm a resident of Murphy and a current UTA student.

I'm here tonight to speak about Yacoub as well, a man I only met a couple of weeks before his detainment.

I met him at Palestinian youth movement events, and I sat with him in a breakout group, and he shared wisdom rooted in years of showing up for his community consistently.

That's who Yacoub is, which is why what happened to him shook me.

Yacub was arrested at gunpoint at his own home for speaking about speaking out about genocide like we've heard from his Instagram likes, and refusing to stay silent.

He's a DACA recipient with no criminal record.

He has done nothing but serve the people around him.

And right now he's being held in Georgia, thousands of miles away from his family and friends.

And even during the holy month of Ramadan, he suffered he suffered horrible conditions and cannot even celebrate Eid properly.

That is not justice, that is cruelty.

But this isn't about one man, it's about the kind of city Arlington chooses to be.

Like everyone has pointed out, the American dream city.

If a community member can be detained for his free speech, then no one here is truly safe.

Free speech only means something when we protect it for the people it's uncomfortable to protect.

Arlington is that kind of city.

I asked the council to reflect on what kind of city Arlington wants to be.

Is it willing to stand up for free speech?

I urge this council to use its voice, demand Yacub's release, pass a resolution making clear that Arlington does not tolerate the silencing of its community members and bring him home.

Thank you.

Thank you, man.

Yara Ismail.

Yara.

And next will be Justin Otterado.

Hello, my name is Yar.

I live um in Wiley, Texas.

And good evening.

I stand before you all today to express my request that you all demand the release of Arlington resident Yaqub Ira from ICE immediately.

Because anyone who knows Yaqub understands how deeply he cared for his Arlington community.

They understand how he would regularly post Instagram stories warning residents of any dangers or road blockages so that they can be careful.

Because anyone who knows Yaqub understands his care and courage to not only fight for justice, but to document those fighting for justice at every event and at every protest with his famous camera.

And because anyone who knows Yaqub or knows anything about basic rights understands that detaining an individual on a valid DACA status and throwing him in a Georgia detention center far from all friends and family for simply for utterly utilizing his social media and expressing his First Amendment rights is not only cruel, but dangerous.

Dangerous because this means that any of us here in the city of Arlington or across the country is subject to facing detainment for simply speaking our mind or expressing our demands to the justice system.

So we urge the city of Arlington to take a stance and support a resolution for Yaqub Ira's immediate release.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Justin Alcarado.

And next will be Miles Karsh.

Hello, my name is Jessel Lopez Atarrado, Fort Worth, Texas.

I'm speaking in regards to the unconstitutional and unjust detainment of fellow activists, Muslim, poet, Dallas Fort Worth resident, and Filipino American.

Yaqub Ira Vihendre.

In the Philippines, our culture believes in a concept that we call Bayanihan, which to explain in English, is about being in strong harmony with one's own community and its collaboration, aid, liberation, and prosperity.

From what I know of Mr.

Yaqub, he is a man who lives with Bayani.

In the Muslim community and the Palestinian movement, he helped in community and mutual aid events here in DFW and across the sea and river towards Folestin.

In the open mic community of Dallas Fort Worth, he was a poet sharing his art with the community.

And in ICE detainment, while he is half a nation away from his home, he, as a martial artist, teaches fellow ICE attaines how to defend themselves, helping to make his community stronger, healthier, and safer.

And now I ask the city of Arlington.

Is this not the kind of man that represents our community?

City of Arlington.

You call yourselves the American dream city, and frankly, I agree.

When I drive down to my favorite taco spot on Matlock, when I see my international student friends on UTA campus, when I spend time with my nan night towards Asia Times Square, I see a city built by immigrants who seek only the true benevolent archetype of the American dream.

I see Filipino immigrants who still practice that community spirit and immigrants of all nations who live with their own breath of Bayani.

As Jakoub is an Arlington resident, I believe that Arlington holds a special responsibility in helping Yacoub.

What happens to him sets the precedent for all of us who could be detained by Ice here in Arlington and in DFW.

I urge the city of Arlington to stand up for its immigrant community by standing for Yaqub.

I urge the city of Arling.

I urge Arlington to adopt a resolution in support of Yacoub's release.

And finally, I challenge the city of Arlington to be the American dream city.

I yield my time.

Thank you.

Miles Harsh.

And then next will be uh Jan Ismail.

Good evening, and peace and blessings be unto you all, mayor, council members, and fellow residents.

My name is Imam Abdullah Qasam al-Mujahed, but my given name is Miles Karsh.

I stand before you as a resident.

And as a friend and a fellow self-defense advocate of Yaqub Iro, a Filipino photojournalist and activist who has been unjustly kidnapped and politically imprisoned.

My friendship with Yaqub was forged in our shared belief that defending one's community, whether through bearing witness with a camera, or advocating for selfy and defense is a sacred trust.

In the Islamic tradition, the principle of adl, divine justice, commands us to stand against oppression.

The Quran instructs us to be steadfast in justice, whether or not it is against our own souls.

Yaqub was not waging war.

He was using his lens to witness for truth.

To silence him is an offense against that divine command of justice.

And what of universal human rights?

Article 9 prohibits arbitrary detention.

The kidnapping and the imprisonment of Yaqub is a direct assault on these principles.

We cannot say we champion human rights while here while we remain silent when they are extinguished abroad.

When one photojournalist is targeted for documenting reality, it weakens the safety of advocates everywhere, including in our own city.

As a self-defense advocate, I know the first step in protecting anyone from harm is to name the threat and refuse to look away.

Yacoub is not a criminal.

He is my friend, a man who used his art to defend his community's right to truth.

I urge this council to pass a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Yaqub.

Let this city stand firmly on the side of divine justice and universal human rights.

May God's peace, mercy, and blessings be unto you all.

Next is Muhammad Abdullah.

Abdullah.

Next.

Nicole Pomalis.

Nicole Pomalis.

No.

Mark Sampello.

Nicole's here.

Nicole, okay.

Good evening.

Uh my name is Nicole Pomales.

I am a resident of Collin County and a Dallas College student.

I'm here today to request the immediate release of Jakub Ira from ICE detention.

Jakub Ira is a poet, fellow journalist, first responder, and human rights activist who is deeply loved by his family, friends, and community.

Yacoub came to the United States as a child and has been a Dhaka recipient until it was revoked on December 2nd, 2025, after being kidnapped at gunpoint on October 7th by ICE.

His loss of lawful permission to stay in the US and his detention are based on the suppression of his freedom of speech regarding his activism for human rights.

Jakoub has been in ICE detention for a hundred and sixty-eight days, living in dehumanizing conditions.

This year Jakob spent Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting and prayer for the Muslim faith in detention.

Worship is often hindered in these detention centers.

They're being delayed or denied access to a Quran, as well as little to no halal options, poor food quality causing illness, insufficient portion sizes that do not fulfill the nutritional needs of people who fast.

No flexibility in meal options for medical conditions, including diabetes.

And such and iftar meals arriving late, meaning detained Muslims are unable to break their fast or receive food after fasting periods have already begun.

I ask you, City Council members to source from your humanity empathy for Jakub and the terrible conditions he is currently surviving in, and to use your platform to advocate for his release.

Jakoub longs to see his family and friends.

Imagine being detained for over a hundred and fifty days without knowing when you will see them again, all while being treated abhorrently by guards and one's needs being neglected continuously.

Jakub deserves to be free, being able to practice his faith and safe conditions with his community.

Free Jakoub.

Mark Sempello.

And then next I have Mohammed, but did not list the last name.

Honorable Mayor Jim Ross and Arlington Council members.

My name is Mark Daniel Guerra Sembello.

I come before you today as a 25-year DFW and U.S.

citizen and a leader of the Filipino community, president of Filipino American Community Endeavor Pace.

I'm here to vouch for the character of community leader Yacoub Ira, whose given name is Jacob Ira Azurin Vihandre, who has been illegally detained despite Dhaka lawful status at gunpoint without proper due process and has been imprisoned in inhumane conditions since October 2025.

He's a longtime law-abiding Arlington resident and a Filipino American community leader.

He has taught our children or culture, arts, and language, calligraphy, and supported our community by hosting family-friendly workshops in our community days open to everyone.

In my own faith, I am a man of Christian faith.

I cannot stand idly by and know that Yacoub is being unjustly imprisoned, a man of integrity, a care targeted for his Islamic faith.

I read to you verse Psalm 34, 1719.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them.

He delivers them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who were crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.

In the US, in Arlington, the American Dream City, we are given the first amendment right of freedom of speech, freedom of religion.

I am a Christian man.

Yaqub is an Muslim man.

But together, this is our home.

I am urging the Cityl Council members, the mayor, to do a resolution for the release of Yacoub Ira.

Please defend our residents.

Thank you for your time.

Mohammed.

And next is Nasra Fildu.

Good evening, Council.

It's good to see you all again.

It's been a while.

Um I want to start off by saying that if you guys have any questions about Yaqub, you guys are welcome to ask.

He's a very good friend of mine, and you guys, some of you have actually met him.

If you guys remember a few years ago, we invited you guys to the mosque to talk about a ceasefire resolution that we requested from the city.

Uh Yaqub was a gentleman that was there taking pictures.

So we have some wonderful pictures of us smiling together wearing the Kofia.

Yaqub was the one who took those photos.

He was the one who actually passed out the water because I forgot to do so as well.

Yaqub's that type of guy.

And we're coming here because we know that the ceasefire resolution was not pushed forward, and the reason why was because it was an issue that was happening on you know the opposite side of the world.

Yaquoub got picked up from his home at gunpoint here in the city of Arlington.

And his crime was documenting programs and events just like the ones that you guys attended.

You guys were there physically.

Did y'all see anything wrong with it?

Of course not.

And that's because there was nothing wrong with what he's doing.

The problem is it's a political targeting of an innocent and good man.

Now, you guys might feel like this might have nothing to do with you.

This is not a federal court system, and we understand that.

And many people here are emotional because we've lost someone that's very dear to us here in the Arlington community.

And the advocacy that we're doing here on like today on behalf of Jacob is just returning a favor for the way he advocates for all of us.

Today there was a uh proclamation for the American Red Cross, and I think that is very important to honor our heroes.

Yaquoub actually helps give CPR certifications.

And I want to know that we can stand with him the way that these heroes stand with us.

The same thing happened whenever there was a proclamation for those incredible young athletes that won and made Arlington proud.

Yaquoub is somebody who teaches youth, and he helps teach the future in the next generation of Arlington residents.

Now you might feel like this proclamation might not have anything to do with the city, but I want to also inform you that in the city of New Jersey, something similar happened where a young lady was advocating for Palestine, and she was detained again illegally.

And the thing that happened was the city helped push a proclamation demanding her release, and it got attention and traction, where that attention helped people understand that what happened was wrong and immoral and illegal, and it helped change the way things move.

You guys can help change the way things move.

Thank you so much.

Not prophedio, and next will be Shukri Hussein.

Good evening, members.

My name is Nasra Fido, and I'm here today to speak about justice, fairness, and human rights.

I want to bring attention to the case of Yaqoub era, a photojournalist who is currently being detained by ICE.

He has been given he has not been convicted of any crime, yet he remains behind bars for simply using his First Amendment rights.

People in this country have every right to express their opinions without fear of punishment.

Yet here I am standing here and telling you that Yaqoub is being punished for expressing his freedom of speech.

This case creates fear to the American people like me and everyone that wants to express their opinions freely.

Yaqoub is a photojournalist.

And when a photojournalist gets arrested like that, it affects everyone else.

It creates fear to everyone who wants to ex to who wants to exercise their first amendment's rights.

This is not the kind of community we want to live in.

I urge this council to stand on the side of just on the side of justice and use your voice to call for accountability and the immediate release of Yaqub era.

We cannot let fear silence our voices.

Thank you for your time.

And next will be Walla Omer.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Shugri Hussein, and I'm a resident in Keller, Texas.

And I'm here today to speak about Yacoub era, a member of our Arlington community who is currently being held by ICE.

Yaquoub has lived in the United States for over 20 years.

This is his home.

He is a photojournalist and a first responder who has spent his time helping others and telling the stories of people in our communities.

He has built his life here.

He has contributed to this country.

He has been a part of our community.

But today, he is sitting in detention.

According to the Constitution, he has not broken any laws.

Instead, he's being held because of things he said online.

And what is even more concerning is how this happened.

Shortly after attending and filming a city council meeting, Yaqub was arrested outside his home by multiple ice, by multiple ice and officers surrounding him and taking him into custody.

That should concern all of us.

In this country, we believe in freedom of speech and due process.

People should not lose their freedom because of their opinions.

And this concern is real.

Recently in Minneapolis, a young US citizen named Mubashid was detained by ICE, even after saying he is a citizen.

He had done nothing wrong.

If something like that can happen, then it should concern all of us.

Because if it shows, it shows how easily rights can be ignored.

And that is why what has happened to Yaquoub matters so much.

Today I ask the council to acknowledge the seriousness of his case, stand for civil rights and due process, and support efforts of calling Yaquoub's release.

Arlington is a strong and diverse community, and strong communities stand up for what is right.

I urge you to use your voice, your leadership to stand on the side of justice for Yaqub.

Thank you for your time.

Walla Omer.

Next speaker.

Oh, okay.

And next will be Saba Shaw.

Good evening and greetings of peace.

My name is Walla Omer.

I'm a resident in Fort Worth, Texas, but I'm a graduate and a teacher here in Arlington.

Ida B.

Wells, Susan B.

Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., the Irish Freedom Fighters, Eugene Debs.

What do all these names have in common?

They were once all called terrorists, radicals, violent or dangerous.

They were censored, silenced, stripped of their rights, and painted as criminals simply for speaking truth to power.

And yet today we celebrate them.

We teach their stories in classrooms, including my own.

I teach social studies here in Arlington, and I teach my students the lessons these activists fought and sometimes even died for.

We name holidays after them, honor them with monuments, and even call them heroes.

So what changed?

Did their actions suddenly become acceptable?

No.

What changed is that history finally recognized that the real wrong was a system that tried to silence them.

These activists were never dangerous.

They were right.

They were using the very right guaranteed to them by the Constitution.

They were exercising their freedom of speech.

We see that pattern again today.

We see it in our own community here in Arlington with Yaqub.

He's a human rights activist, a photojournalist, a lawful resident of the United States for over two decades.

Yaqub was a DACA recipient.

He received protection under the deferred action for childhood arrivals in 2013.

Yet he was met at gunpoint by ICE with no warrant, no due process, and no explanation.

He was silenced quietly and swiftly.

Yaqub did not break the law.

He did not commit a crime.

So I stand with my brothers and sisters and community to demand the immediate release of Yaqub.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And next will be Noura Bawab.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council members.

My name is Sabah and I am a resident of this community.

I'm not going to repeat everything that everyone's already said.

You guys all know why we're here.

Yaqub Ira was taken from his home and is now being held in a detention center in Georgia, far from his family, his community, and taken after speaking out against the genocide of Palestine, which is paid by our tax dollars.

This happened to someone who is connected to this community in a place where you all were elected to represent.

And when this happens to one of your residents, your voice matters.

Not because you control federal systems, we all understand that, but because you represent people.

When Luca Gordia was detained, her local officials spoke up and demanded her release, and they understood that staying silent was also a decision.

And as you can see here, many people in this room are wearing a kufia.

It is a symbol of justice, and we're wearing it here today because we're asking you to stand on the same side.

Use your voice publicly call for Yaqub Ira's release, because that is what representation requires in a moment like this.

Thank you.

Noura Boab.

Hi, my name is Noura, and I am here today to speak about the unjust detainment of Yaqub Ira, who is a pillar here in the Dallas community.

So it's been 168 days since Yaakoub was kidnapped by ICE agents.

After months of waiting for a ruling to be made, a bit over a week ago, Yaqub's judge denied his immigration relief, meaning that he's gonna be detained in an inhumane prison miles away from home and his family.

So this story is not unique to Yaqub.

Hundreds of thousands of people remain in ICE detention, you know, to be forgotten, locked up in prison cells away from their homes, and a handful of which Yaqub has even been doing whatever he can to support from his own prison cell.

And I bring this up because this is the essence of Yaqub's character.

He is someone who always stands for justice.

The night before he was kidnapped, he spent the evening demanding the release of another community member in Richardson who is unjustly detained by ICE as well.

And so I bring all of these up because Yacoub's detainment holds precedence.

It is not only an attack on him, but an attack on all immigrant communities and targeting those with vulnerable immigration statuses who dare to speak out for justice.

I've lived in Arlington nearly my whole life and have always known this as a city that has home that is home to people of all backgrounds.

Yaqu's safety is representative of the safety of so many of your residents.

And so because of this, I urge you to demand the release of Yaakoub and issue a statement of support for his release.

Thank you.

Mayor, those are all the registered speakers.

Thank you, Miss Garcia.

Council, do y'all have any announcements this evening?

Seeing none, Miss Garce.

Mr.

Gonzalez, do you have an announcement?

Yeah, I just want uh to let the citizens know.

Uh yeah, if if you have time, watch the afternoon session where we talk about uh the good financial statement that we put out.

Uh we got an excellent rating from our trust clean bill of health, and it's important that you listen to that statement that's put out.

So if you have time, watch the afternoon session.

It's online.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Uh if anybody is around, I know we had one of the speakers speak about Medal of Honor recipients.

Um we have a Arlington resident who is a medal of honor recipient.

We are rededicating uh area here on the first floor of City Hall tomorrow at four o'clock, and you're everybody is welcome to come out for that.

With that, Miss Garcia announcements, please.

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.

Thank you.

Thank you all for coming out tonight.

Council is adjourned.

Knowing what you guys are doing the back to make this great meal and then present it in the way that you do.

Yeah, really good.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Yeah.

Like I said, it's definitely all about love.

It's a labor of love, and it's you know when you love what you do, you know, you try to make the best product, and I think it comes across.

Well, we love the fact that you're out here helping us uh stand up this new business.

You know, the golf course is beautiful, the event center is top shelf, and this restaurant is finding his footing because of good good work like what you and your team are doing here to prepare excellent meals.

Thank you.

And want to just say on behalf of our residents who can come up here and try this episode.

I want to say thank you and invite everybody up here to try out the short rib as well as everything else that's on the menu.

Yeah, definitely come out and check us out at home plate.

Okay.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Thank you.

Thanks for thanking you.