OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Denton City Council Meeting - October 14, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, October 14, 2025
BodyAustin, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 14, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:34:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Good afternoon and welcome to this meeting of the Denton City Council.

0:07

Today's date, October 14, 2025.

0:11

It's Tuesday.

0:12

It's 301 p.m.

0:13

We do have a quorum, so I'll call the meeting to order.

0:16

And the first thing on the uh agenda are uh citizen comments on the consent agenda seeing none that takes us to a request for clarification of agenda items listed on the this agenda for public hearing and individual consideration.

0:34

Yes.

0:35

I beg your point.

0:36

Perhaps I missed that.

0:37

I would like to pull item D for individual consideration.

0:41

Yeah, you did um well you did say public.

0:49

Nonetheless, I'd like to do that.

0:58

Any and let me take that on any other questions on um public hearing and individual consideration.

1:07

Any questions?

1:11

Seeing none Mr.

1:12

City Attorney, uh I know the answer to this.

1:16

Yeah, um the council's I guess I'd say unwritten rules have been that the consent agenda items have to be pulled prior to the meeting in order to set have a separate vote on them.

1:30

And so that has been the practice of the council, and the mayor's re-emphasized that many times to have those items pulled before the meeting.

1:37

Uh mayor, it's it's within your discretion, I guess if you want to make some of kind of a deviation from that at this point, but that's been this the council's rule.

1:47

Oh man.

1:53

Uh yeah, so question the state your question.

1:59

And this is about the same topic, I'm not moving on to anything else.

2:02

Um so when we uh come into meeting and you know the meeting is open.

2:09

One of the questions is there anything that we have for clarification.

2:15

Is that coming from the consent agenda?

2:17

That question is that coming from us looking at the consent agenda or any or everything.

2:24

The clarification as a whole.

2:27

Prior to the meeting, there's an opportunity for council to send in questions about any agenda item, but that's the time when the staff is looking for clarification on consent agenda items is prior to the meeting.

2:37

So this gentleman is wanting to move this to you say you were moving it to consent agenda or something.

2:44

What is it?

2:45

Remove it from the consent agenda.

2:47

Correct.

2:48

And that is for just a particular question.

2:53

Are we trying to move to do something?

2:54

That's I think what the reason we do this is we want to have the questions and any items pulled prior to the council meeting because we've told our staff who are the experts that they don't need to be here.

3:05

Right.

3:05

So when we have a council member pull an item that we're not aware of, then we have to call that employee and tell them you've got to come down here.

3:12

We don't have that employee here right now, so we'd have to wait and have that employee show up.

3:17

That's why we wait.

3:18

We don't uh if you recall the whole reason was we had all the directors sitting in a room for all the time waiting on if anyone pulled an item.

3:27

So the whole idea is to let us know in advance you want to pull something, right?

3:31

Then we can say this item's been pulled.

3:33

I need that staff member to be available so they could come in here right now and answer your question.

3:38

Christine, it depends at the mayor's discretion.

3:41

Right now, uh, you know, we might be able to answer it.

3:43

I just don't know.

3:45

So just may I please uh continue on with a furthering thoughts?

3:51

Um is it really necessary for the question to be asked then?

3:56

Are we just add asking it for semantics here?

4:00

So the questions relating to individual consideration and public hearing items from tonight.

4:04

That's what the agenda items about.

4:06

Is do you have questions about those items tonight?

4:09

Not about the consent agenda.

4:10

Those should have been brought in already in advance.

4:12

Right, I understand.

4:13

So I think that's what the clarification at this point, you know, needs to be made.

4:17

It's like there's a question that ask, and it appears as though if we ask a question in in regards to pulling something or doing something at this particular time, then we get this lecture.

4:28

Yeah.

4:28

Which we all most of us, I think we've all been here and we know that because we're the ones that said it, you know, into motion.

4:33

I was here.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use and Zoning██████████████████18%
Animal Welfare█████████████████17%
Federal Legislative Efforts██████████10%
Transportation Safety██████████10%
Procedural████████8%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Noise Regulations██████6%
Public Safety████4%
Management and Operations████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Denton City Council Meeting - October 14, 2025

The Denton City Council convened on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 3:01 PM with a quorum. The meeting included a work session on federal legislative efforts and an animal services audit follow-up, followed by regular council business including public hearings and votes on consent agenda items, rezoning, annexation, and a noise exception.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda was approved 6-0, excluding items D (roadway impact fee waiver for McAdams Haven apartments) and H (noise exception for JPI Construction), which were pulled for individual consideration. Item H was pulled in advance; item D was pulled during the meeting after a procedural discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No citizen comments on the consent agenda were offered at the beginning of the meeting.

Discussion Items

  • Federal Legislative Efforts (3A): Christy Fogle, Chief of Staff, reported on city advocacy objectives, including community project funding requests (earmarks) submitted to Representative Ronnie Jackson: $2 million for the North Marsh Branch wastewater improvement project (still pending due to continuing resolution), $1.2 million for downtown bollards, and a public safety real-time information EOC improvement project. Ralph Garbushin and Deborah De Haney Howard of Capital Edge provided a briefing on federal budget, tax, and appropriations issues. Key topics included the budget reconciliation bill ("One Big Beautiful Bill Act"), preservation of municipal bond tax exemption, extension of opportunity zones (new map based on recent census data, with governor designating 25% of eligible tracts in 2026), FY2026 appropriations and government shutdown (House passed a clean CR, Senate lacks 60 votes), housing and community development legislation (Road to Housing Act included in Senate NDAA), surface transportation reauthorization (IJA expires end of FY2026; local governments pushing for increased share of highway funding), and FCC proceedings that threaten local authority over rights-of-way and cell tower placement. Council members asked about opportunity zone advocacy, transportation funding formulas, and the impact of telecom preemption. Staff was directed to prepare a cheat sheet of programs affected by federal funding.
  • Animal Services Audit Follow-up (3B): City Auditor Madison Rorshaw presented the follow-up review based on the January 2025 audit. Of 34 recommendations, 5 are implemented, 28 in progress, and 1 not implemented (inventory procedures for non-euthanasia drugs due to resource constraints). Significant improvements: daily health monitoring system implemented, SOPs streamlined, live release rate regularly exceeds 90%, euthanasia policy adopted July 1, 2025, fee schedule updated, and field operations handbook implemented. Challenges: only about 50% of animals had daily documented care checks, vaccine documentation rates for dogs declined, additional staff needed (two animal care technician positions not yet filled due to managerial turnover), and physical access criteria not yet formalized. Animal Services Director Nikki Sasson noted partnership with Denton Community Shelter ("Our Daily Bread") providing 10 additional staff daily, and ongoing shelter remodel (breaking ground March 2026). The next follow-up is planned for FY2027.

Key Outcomes

  • Item H - Noise Exception (JPI Construction): Approved 5-2. Allows 12 concrete pours from 2:00 AM to 7:00 AM for multifamily construction. Councilmembers expressed concerns about noise for nearby residents (five of six residents who responded opposed), but supporters cited safety and expedited construction during low-traffic hours.
  • Item D - Roadway Impact Fee Waiver (McAdams Haven Apartments): Approved 6-1. Waives up to $140,600 in roadway impact fees for a 75% 30% AMI affordable housing project. The project received 9% federal tax credits and partners with a supportive service provider. Opponent argued it takes funds from street repair and sets a bad precedent.
  • Item 5A - Municipal Services Agreement (Double R DEVCO): Approved 7-0 for annexation of approximately 15 acres north of US 380, west of Golden Hoof Drive.
  • Item 7A - Consent to Annexation into MUD 16 (Meadows MUD): Approved 6-1. Adds 19.62 acres (approximately 96 lots) to the district; includes funding contribution to Jackson Road improvements.
  • Item 7B - First Amendment to Development Agreement (VS Development / MUD 16): Approved 6-1. Authorizes execution of amended agreement.
  • Item 6B - Comprehensive Plan Amendment (33.5 acres to Light Industrial, 21.8 acres to Community Mixed Use): Approved 4-3. Changes future land use from Rural Area and Low Residential to support development along US 380, consistent with planned freeway conversion (2035-2040). Concerns were raised about traffic safety before frontage roads are built, but staff noted future rezoning will require site plan review.
  • Item 6C - Rezoning (Mixed Use Neighborhood to Suburban Corridor): Approved 7-0. Approximately 1 acre at Loop 288 service road and Randall Street. Facilitates commercial development including a proposed Chipotle Mexican Grill.
  • Item 6D - Rezoning (same area, adjacent lot): Approved 7-0.
  • Item 7C - First Reading of Annexation Ordinance (Double R DEVCO): No action required; second reading scheduled for November 18, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to this meeting of the Denton City Council. Today's date, October 14, 2025. It's Tuesday. It's 301 p.m. We do have a quorum, so I'll call the meeting to order. And the first thing on the uh agenda are uh citizen comments on the consent agenda seeing none that takes us to a request for clarification of agenda items listed on the this agenda for public hearing and individual consideration. Yes. I beg your point. Perhaps I missed that. I would like to pull item D for individual consideration. Yeah, you did um well you did say public. Nonetheless, I'd like to do that. Any and let me take that on any other questions on um public hearing and individual consideration. Any questions? Seeing none Mr. City Attorney, uh I know the answer to this. Yeah, um the council's I guess I'd say unwritten rules have been that the consent agenda items have to be pulled prior to the meeting in order to set have a separate vote on them. And so that has been the practice of the council, and the mayor's re-emphasized that many times to have those items pulled before the meeting. Uh mayor, it's it's within your discretion, I guess if you want to make some of kind of a deviation from that at this point, but that's been this the council's rule. Oh man. Uh yeah, so question the state your question. And this is about the same topic, I'm not moving on to anything else. Um so when we uh come into meeting and you know the meeting is open. One of the questions is there anything that we have for clarification. Is that coming from the consent agenda? That question is that coming from us looking at the consent agenda or any or everything. The clarification as a whole. Prior to the meeting, there's an opportunity for council to send in questions about any agenda item, but that's the time when the staff is looking for clarification on consent agenda items is prior to the meeting. So this gentleman is wanting to move this to you say you were moving it to consent agenda or something. What is it? Remove it from the consent agenda. Correct. And that is for just a particular question. Are we trying to move to do something? That's I think what the reason we do this is we want to have the questions and any items pulled prior to the council meeting because we've told our staff who are the experts that they don't need to be here. Right. So when we have a council member pull an item that we're not aware of, then we have to call that employee and tell them you've got to come down here. We don't have that employee here right now, so we'd have to wait and have that employee show up. That's why we wait. We don't uh if you recall the whole reason was we had all the directors sitting in a room for all the time waiting on if anyone pulled an item. So the whole idea is to let us know in advance you want to pull something, right? Then we can say this item's been pulled. I need that staff member to be available so they could come in here right now and answer your question. Christine, it depends at the mayor's discretion. Right now, uh, you know, we might be able to answer it. I just don't know. So just may I please uh continue on with a furthering thoughts? Um is it really necessary for the question to be asked then? Are we just add asking it for semantics here? So the questions relating to individual consideration and public hearing items from tonight.

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