Good afternoon.

Welcome to this meeting of the Denton City Council today, Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026.

We do have a quorum, so I'll call the meeting to order and in person or regular consent.

Agenda let's see.

So citizen comment on the consent agenda items.

Any citizen comments?

Thank you.

Uh takes us to request for clarification on agenda items listed on the agenda for public hearing and individual consideration.

So agenda items listed on the agenda or public hearing questions.

Any questions?

Representative from district two.

Yeah, I've requested earlier uh items ENF for an individual vote.

Earlier as in Monday.

As in today.

Okay.

Uh chair's discretion.

We we have an agreement amongst the council.

I'm I'm not going to acknowledge that.

The council can take that up this evening if they choose to take us to our first work session.

Uh 3A ID 252195.

Receive report hold discussion, give staff direction regarding a future fire station in the southwest portion of the city.

Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council, Kenneth Hedges Fire Chief.

Uh today we're gonna have a brief presentation about uh fire station in the southwest portion of the city.

Well, start off kind of is what it is as of today, as far as the current coverage for fire and EMS.

We are currently operating underneath the ILA within County Emergency Services District Number One.

You see that commence October 1 to 2018, and really the end of life of that expires in September 28.

We've been planning for this for some time, and today's kind of just an opportunity to have a discussion about facts, and then I actually give you some uh direction at the end to choose an option that you feel is best for the fire department moving forwards.

So this ILA actually uses a shared cost funding strategy.

Um we actually pay a certain percentage of the fire station in the harvest area that the ESD actually um operates out of part of the fire truck, and then three personnel with this cost sharing strategy, it actually responds one engine and it's just the blue area, which is just Robson Ranch as well.

So for reference, that is the southwest portion of the city.

You see 35W on your right, Robson Ranch Road, and like I said, the blue area is the Rubson Ranch.

With this, it is only engine crew.

So on fire calls, they're first in EMS calls.

We stood still respond with Medic 7 if they're available from station seven up there in the upper right corner.

And just for reference, that is 5.4 miles away.

On average response time, because that is something how we measure the effectiveness of the fire department, that equates to about a nine-minute response time from station seven to the front gate at Robson Ranch.

Moving on for last year's fiscal year's cost for service, kind of how we measure our workload is cost for service, which is a 911 generated call and it goes into dispatch centers dispatched to the nearest fire station as well.

You see to the left is all the calls for service in Robson Ranch, and then to the right of 35W is Ashley Country Lakes and a few other subdivisions as well.

So you see we're averaging two calls per day or a little bit over that for last fiscal year, with obviously the majority in Robson Ranch.

So fire department operates under best practices, which is NFPA 1710.

That is kind of a very um lofty goal and aspiration that fire departments across the U.S.

try to actually manage and hit.

It is considered the gold standard in the fire service.

What we use as far as response time is there to the left.

Um the ultimate goal is to receive the first arriving unit within four minutes of travel time from the time that is actually alarmed at the station.

Second component also is actually an eight-minute travel time with the full units for a one-alarm structure fire.

And for the denton fire department, that equates to seven units and nineteen personnel.

So these are our very lofty goals to hit that four-minute travel time.

I would say across the city, we managed to do that mostly in the court.

There's still some areas that we still are not able to achieve that just due to road conditions, weather, traffic stack as well.

The eight minute that one's really challenging to get that many units to a scene.

If you look at the right side of the screen, that's kind of the total incident life cycle.

It starts with calls received by somebody calling 911, and there's alarm handling, and then the alarm handling goes to the Ashville station that alerts the crews.

Turnout is actually the time the crews receive the incident till they're actually in the units actually moving as well.

So we measure that very specifically.

1710 actually recommends that it's a 60-second turnout time for EMS calls and 80 seconds for fire.

They give you 20 more seconds to get your turnout gear on.

And then really kind of what we're looking at for today is that whole travel time, which is from turnout to arrival.

That's what we're looking at as far as placing stations across the city for future growth.

You may also know in the herbs of 1710 that also incorporates the recommended four-person engine companies as well.

So there's not just that, there's response times also.

Moved on, looking at GIS.

Um, this is our current response times.

The yellow is the four minute response time for station seven, which is the nearest station that responds to Robson Ranch.

One thing I also want to point out is so GIS is calculated on current roadway systems systems in the database, and also the post is speed limit.

So these are going to vary on different streets.

You see in the more inner city streets, it's gonna be less, whereas you get on the interstate, it's gonna stretch further.

So you see currently, as of today, our four-minute response time doesn't even make it to Robson Ranch Road from this from the north.

So nothing to the southwest is covered within four minutes or less at this point.

Station 10.

So this is what we're gonna call the Hunter Ranch fire station in our numerical system.

Six months ago, um, we were just planning a temporary station.

So we had been working with Hillwood Group.

We had a site identified off Robson Ranch Road that was gonna put a temporary station there, be able to service Robson, be able to service phase one of Hunter Ranch as well.

What has really changed is Hillwood is moving quicker than expected on phase two.

And we worked with them significantly over the past two years on GIS locating a perfect station site that is part of the developer's agreement.

They got to convey three acres of land, and there's a certain amount of funding also we'll talk about later in a later slide.

So I'll come before you today to talk about this opportunity.

And like I said, it's not that we have any plan for this, it's just now we have option to move for a more permanent solution versus a temporary.

Station five right now for the 2023 bond project is using temporary building to house our personnel for about 14 months.

So we're using a lot of funding and cost from that to actually apply to station 10.

Excluding the structures, which is a modular manufacture house, and then a sprung structure for the apparatus bay, the total setup cost is gonna be about one to 1.2 million.

That's infrastructure, that's utility connections, that's actually a concrete pad for the sprung structure, and these costs were provided to us by Capital Projects because I can tell you fire department math may not be always accurate all the time.

So I didn't ask for assistance from Capital Projects, so but we also now have the opportunity to build in the proximity area where we had planned.

Um as I repeat, six months ago, we did not even have this under consideration.

So we're talking about Hunter Ranch phase two, which I'm about to show you a picture of that, and there's three acres that's actually going into the conveyance process right now from Hillwood to the city.

One thing I won't put out also is the ISO class one rating that we currently hold as a fire department.

We were able to achieve that this past year at the end of the fall as well, which brought the homeowners' insurance rates for commercial manufacture, and then single family dwellings, multifamily.

Their lowest available rates through fire protection is the ISO one rating.

As you go up, it increases.

If or when this contract ends with ILA, we've got to have something within five miles or under.

If not, ISO actually will regress your score.

The citizens living in Robson could go from ISO one to a 10 overnight.

So that would equate to about a 30 to 50% increase in their homeowner's insurance rates.

So we want to make sure that we plan for this accordingly as well.

Whether it's a temporary one or permanent, I just want to kind of make sure everybody understands the importance of having fire in EMS within five miles or less.

Uh so 5.1 miles, you go from a one to a 10.

That's just how they rate rank it on mileage.

So here is phase two is in the gray area.

So in the highlighted red is phase one, that's what we've been planning.

Working with Hillwood at one point, we had discussed, and of course, they had proposed to put us further north into their master plan community up here by the schools.

We're not good neighbors at schools, it's just not good to put a fire station around that area.

We've talked to other local fire departments, they've said the same thing, it's just with traffic stack.

So looking at GIS response, um, we told them six months ago we need to be in the general vicinity down here in the southwest portion of their territory as well, but they said, well, by 2028, we'll not have infrastructure there.

Roadways won't be there, water won't be there.

It's like, okay, then we'll just look at a temporary site for two to three years to you.

You can actually get that developed.

Well, they came back and said, Well, we're actually moving quicker, and this site will be ready by 2028.

So that's the reason why I'm before you today to talk about this as an opportunity.

The red box right here is the three acres that we have identified and mutually agreed between the city and Hillwood for the conveyance.

The blue is a future collector road that is planned.

They wouldn't give us quicker access to Robson Ranch Road to the south here.

Whereas GIS, when we look at this and calculate it, which I'll show you in the next slide, it actually takes an account only phase one.

So it's showing a longer response time to Robson Ranch.

So if we apply the four-minute response model to the current station 10 site, it's not exactly accurate.

So all you're seeing here is the current roadway system in the GIS database.

You see to the north, four minutes should go way up here beyond this lake as well.

But since the roadway is not in the system, it's just not accurate.

So as you see that it's only covering a certain portion of the eastern side of ropes and ranch, really, if you add that collector, and it's we cannot calculate this.

I expect the majority of ropes and ranch would be covered.

And obviously, going straight is able to be achieved quicker than curves.

So the our units going down Robson Ranch going either into the eastern gate, the primary gate, or even the western gate of Robson Ranch actually kind of um assists on the coverage area to the western side of that subdivision.

And then even looking back over to the eastern side of 35W, you see how it makes all the way over to 30 377.

And I expect the same thing as far as just the roadway systems and improved intersections as well that we could probably access country likes um a little bit more efficient that we're showing right now.

So now kind of overlaying both of these station seven for a minute and station 10.

Obviously, with 10, what I just talked about, it's not really uh showing the true reach of that four-minute model.

And the one thing I want to point out is up here off 2449.

So we do have a second site identifier for the coal ranch.

So coal and Hunter both the um developers agreement had to donate land and then certain portion of funding as well.

So we have identified a site right at the edge of this four-minute response zone right here for a future station for the coal ranch.

So through total analysis, we expect this entire area to be covered within four minutes or less whenever this is built out as well.

And as we add roadway systems here in the center, you'll be able to see that and see that reach.

The good thing is obviously you have the double overlap of district seven and the district ten along the service roads as well for the commercial properties that's forthcoming.

Last slide.

Options for council.

So we can move far with the temporary fire station site that was originally planned, and it will go in the three acres that's being conveyed within phase two of Hunter Ranch, and you see there is gonna be about 1.2 million that is not recoverable for the setup of that.

Or to move forward with actually building a permanent site now that we know what the station needs to be, and we are actually gonna have the land.

What we need today to actually been begin design is $800,000.

And we're the plan is also to use stations five and six floor plans.

So working with the designers, we can replicate those floor plans, and there is a cost savings to doing that versus starting from scratch.

And then last thing is Hunter Ranch is um scheduled through the developers agreement to reimburse the city five million dollars for public safety improvements as well.

And then obviously future council discussions about more the capital for the rest of the building if you decide to go that direction and then budgeting for FTEs, and that is all I have.

Okay.

So direction for staff mayor Platoon.

I have one lingering question about um finances.

Can we hear from somebody in finance regarding um let's see?

I asked what the annual debt payment would be approximately for the permanent option here, and it was somewhere between 2.45 million and 2.89 million.

And then this first phase when we start getting property taxes from them.

Um I'm sorry, I got that wrong.

Uh the first numbers were the estimated annual property tax.

So somewhere between two, three million annually for phase one.

And then the inch or the debt payments approximately we would be $950,000 a year, and we need a hundred thousand or sorry, eight hundred thousand up front for design costs.

I know we've kind of had some budget struggles recently, and I I'm trying to understand our ability to go with the permanent option now versus potentially doing the temporary and doing permanent later.

Can somebody from finance or with financial background speak to that?

First, congratulations.

Oh yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Yes, sir.

Matt Hamilton, Chief Financial Officer.

Uh so uh you're absolutely right.

It's we anticipate 2.3 to 2.5 million from this first phase, and we anticipate that revenue to come in uh in December of 2027.

Uh in regard to uh the temporary versus uh the permanent the 800,000, we believe that we've identified in existing project funding, shifting it uh from another existing project to this in order to fund the design and get it going uh in order to meet the the construction timelines that are needed because of the the expiring contract.

Um and so the 12 point uh two million that would be needed, we would anticipate needing to issue uh bonds uh just because of the the large amount.

Um and you're right, it would be about 900 to 950,000 in the annual uh debt service associated with that amount of money over a 20-year term.

million uh in order to meet the the construction timelines that are needed because of the the expiring contract um and so the 12 point uh two million that would be needed we would anticipate needing to issue uh bonds uh just because of the the large amount um and you're right it would be about 900 to 950 000 in annual uh debt service associated with that amount of money over a 20 year term um so you know it the the benefit I think um the benefit to doing the permanent station is that we don't have to pay the one point i think it was five million in those temporary costs we could save that and just move forward with the permanent station that we think we would need uh eventually anyway thank you ma'am um is there any risk so um that annual debt payment of 950 thousand dollars is about 77 percent of the total tax revenue that we would be getting from phase one and I know phase two will come in and then other phases will come in later do we anticipate that going in on the permanent option right now would have any potential tax rate implications because uh it sounds like we weren't quite planning this just now we were expecting it a little bit later that's correct so it potentially could have an impact on the debt service portion of the tax rate um now you know as as we do annually through the budget process we're going to evaluate all the projects within the CIP and evaluate right in relation to the tax rate um what we want to allocate funding towards and what we don't in order to keep that tax rate you know as as low and reasonable as we can so okay and then just one final question um would the other project you mentioned that we might shift funding away from would that be another public safety project or some other category uh we're looking at a at our service center project and so that project isn't uh ready to move forward quite yet and so by utilizing some of the funding that we already have available for that and shifting it over for the design uh you know we we feel like we could use those funds immediately and then as we you know move forward with with the other project um you know evaluate where that that funding would come from to backfill all right thank you Matt that's all I have at this moment mayor okay no direction at this point not yet I'd like to listen to everybody else first mayor pro Tim I do want to say um I've asked staff I won't be here but I've asked staff you see the word says future council discussions about capital and budgeting um I do think a discussion needs to be had by this council at the very soonest when we start having budget discussions to talk about you've got two projects or more that are from a previous bond of 2023 and then now you have this that obviously the five million would be reimbursed uh but um I think a discussion needs to be had by council about priorities and about you know net neutral possibly of what you choose to do whether it's public safety over uh quality of life events and so that it's not raising the taxes so to speak because um it is important that the discussion focus on you have more debt than you do in your operating budget and if you keep adding more debt it's just a whole nother issue and so I've asked uh staff I've asked Matt particularly uh and Amy uh when you come back to present the options for council as to how could you be net neutral on this meaning is it to not float a bond for something else so that in anticipation that it was going to go up because every time a bond if we if we when it's called for the bond whether it's the senior center or the library that's going to cause that will raise the tax rate and same thing with this it will if we don't have a net neutral so um I've asked them to come back and have that discussion and that's why we specifically focused on the 8000 today for design and then council have a discussion down the road about um how do we how do we do this to where it's uh a net neutral and not one on top of another on top of another council burke thank you for the information very um educational very informative looking forward to the growth um um this puts me in mind of us saying that we were gonna do some good growth and this uh public service project is what we would call good growth but this also kind of puts me in the mind I'm thinking logically here now of me wanting to purchase something and my husband says no and then I know for the best more than he does uh that I take advantage of the opportunity to do it and then have the explanation later ladies have you all ever been in that situation so but uh I know that you know temporarily we can get it done but we really do need to plan for you know a permanent situation here so I am going to uh ask you she should put me down for number two okay anyone else representative from district five you said you were able to move eight hundred thousand from an existing project Matt what project was that yeah so the the city is looking at renovating the service center and so in the evaluation of uh existing projects

So I am going to uh ask you to put me down for number two.

Okay, anyone else?

Representative from district five.

You said you were able to move eight hundred thousand from an existing project, Matt.

What project was that?

Yeah, so the the city is looking at renovating the service center, and so in the evaluation of uh existing projects to see where we had funding available, that was one where the project isn't quite ready to move forward, and given the timing needs of the fire station, we felt it could be an available uh resource to allocate toward the design of the station in order to move the project forward.

Anyone else?

Representative from district four.

Thank you.

Chief, is is the property that you've identified is is that the best is that the best location if you were if you were if you were in in a position to choose, is that the is that the location you'd choose I would say yes.

Uh I think the only issue that we ran into is ideally if we could have connectivity from this development over into Robeson would be the preference.

But we've already had discussions with Robeson and the area that is going to be due west of this is already built out all the way up to the north.

And like I said, with the future station coming to the north, we'll be able to access to the north.

We didn't want to get too deep into the southern portion of Hunter Ranch without being able to get back and service Robson.

So that's just it, taking into account all ropes and right here as they grow to the north.

This is probably the most prime location that is available.

We worked with Hillwood.

This was six months to 12 months negotiating where we need to be to the point that we push back pretty significantly saying we've got to be within this area.

I I've never been a firefighter, by the way.

Um I would I would have guessed that Robeson Ranch Road would have been a between landmark and Robeson would have been a better location.

So one thing you want to do on fire station plan, you never won't put on the very edge of your jurisdiction.

At that point, you're only going 180 degrees back.

Um, there's perfect examples around this county as well that you did not want to do that.

You don't want bill adjacent to other jurisdictions.

So that's what we've taken this into account.

The the 360 degree response from this location is.

Okay, and and will you service all of Robeson from station 10?

I see it.

The the blue is four minutes, but you'll service all of Robeson.

Yes, and let me go back over this.

So, like I said, this is the blue cake takes in account the current roadway system in GIS.

So all of phase two through here is not accounted for, and with the collector running right in front of the fire station and down ropes and shift all this blue over to almost cover all the ropes, and this is the post-speed limit, which you know we never go to the post-speed limit, and with license arms, we usually can go quicker.

So once again, that's hard to calculate.

It's impossible to calculate with adding that additional.

So we the expectation is internally that we can cover all ropes and within four minutes or near to four minutes from this side.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor, from what I've heard so far, uh, option two, please.

Okay.

Representative district six.

Thank you.

Uh, council person juster.

Um, and I don't know if you'll have the answer or RCFO, but with the projections and knowing what we know, what is the anticipated payoff year uh for any debt that would need to be issued on on these or these bonds issued with the taxes we know coming in and what's gonna what we anticipate.

I know there are a lot of ifs.

Yeah.

So we always want to issue debt that matches the life of the asset with buildings.

We typically have issued debt for 20 years.

So if we were to issue this debt in 2026, the payoff, you're is that what you're asking would be in 2046?

And is that paying the lowest amount that has to be paid, or with uh these developments coming online faster?

Hopefully, uh the incoming taxes will come faster.

Uh are there am I missing something as far as maybe being able to pay out soon?

Absolutely, so much in interest.

Yeah.

So the the impact on the tax rate is going to lessen as the development is built out and more houses are added to the tax role.

So initially, relative to the revenue that we're getting about 2.3, 2.5 million from from phase one, relative to that 900,000 payment, as additional houses are built, that ratio of that 900,000 versus higher and higher revenue each year is right, is gonna push down.

And that's all included in the 20-year guessament as far as when this will be paid off.

Yeah, it will so when we issue debt it's for a fixed term and for a fixed rate.

After 10 years we're able to refinance the debt from an interest rate perspective and we could look at retiring the debt at that point if we were in a position to do so but all otherwise all else being equal this you know it it would be outstanding for for 20 years.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

I'll go ahead and give my um direction at this time in light of uh some of the comments and and questions and our handouts as far as uh what I believe is in the best interest of the safety of our firefighters as well as what's in the best interest of these new neighborhoods and the best interest of fiscal responsibility is for option two but I think that I think that council will have some hard decisions later as far as um some of these financial decisions and and the continuation of taking on debt but this is something we we need and we have to have and is the top priority so uh thank you.

All right representative from district three no two sorry pardon me uh thank you uh so uh the the 1.2 million versus the 800 000 what what source of funding are we applying to I mean where those where is that coming from is that the same service center repurposing or I mean I'm trying to understand uh the temporary versus permanent uh concept and and where where we're going to to get the those funds either way in in either case that 1.2 can actually be factoring to the future budgets because it's not needed at this point uh with a temporary sat that is only probably less than 12 months prep design prep and setup so we're not talking about doing that till the end of 27 first at 28 I come before you today only if you want to go with option two needing the 8000 now to start design for the permanent one temporary option no funding is needed at this point in this fiscal year.

That that that's appreciate that that's that's a that's a good point.

And um Matt, do you can you give me an idea of of um when when we first put the service center uh on to to be renovated I I mean it wasn't just this bound package it was actually the previous one as I recall as well right the project I believe uh was started uh maybe two years ago in the planning process and and design process and the funding was made available at that time through uh facility CEOs and so uh just in the evaluation like with this project as it relates to a a new facility we were looking at potentially using those funds and and can you remind us the the size and scope of of that particular project just generally I know it's changing as as time goes on yeah I um I believe it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 million dollars so it's a very uh it's a very large project okay and and so if I'm understanding uh um approval for 800 000 now but then when we we'd immediately have to uh you know activate the debt which would be 950 debt service starting what year so that would begin in 2027 the following year if we issued it in this current year the debt service will start in the next fiscal year which would align with the receipt of the uh revenue from phase one okay and and the uh to some degree we're all we're kind of sort of talking about 1.2 million versus you know roughly a million versus roughly a million a little little less a little over uh that we can in one case we don't we don't think we can or we think we can absorb into the budgeting process of 27 but otherwise if we're doing it now I mean I'm I'm just a little confused of is help me understand how in one case we can absorb it and in another case we can't absorb it we'll have to go to debt and and it's roughly both roughly about a million well so the the 9000 is the annual payment for the debt if we issue the the 12 point two million dollars for a permanent station I think the consideration is that and correct me if I'm wrong chief is that a temporary station would eventually need to be replaced with a permanent station at some point so we would incur the 1.2 million for a temporary station and then turn around at some point and build a permanent station in the future that would cost presumably more with inflation in the future and so we right so I think that's the that's the decision point is either do the permanent station now and the and the debt service would be 9000 or do the temporary station for the 1.2 million knowing that a permanent station would be needed at some point in the future.

So I think that's the that's the decision point is either do the permanent station now and the and the debt service would be 900,000 or do the temporary station for the 1.2 million, knowing that a permanent station would be needed at some point in the future.

No, I appreciate that.

I think as we grow and expand, it's it's clear that we're gonna have to expand fire services.

Um however, you know, the I think um as the Miss Cindy Manager said, um I'm I'm I'm concerned about not whether we have to do this, but whether the timing is right.

I I mean I I might you know want a big renovation of my house and might need it, but I can't necessarily do it in any particular year.

I have to do a hard call and figure out when's the right timing.

Um I think considering um you know some of the budgetary implications and where we find ourselves and and our ability to absorb some costs and not other, and knowing that certain other things like you know, the in-fire, like you know, I I'd like to see you know EMS lieutenants and other things also funded.

So I don't want to I don't want to put one fire thing up against another fire thing in the upcoming budget.

So uh I'm I'm gonna be uh uh I think I think it's um even though you know that's maybe you know today's dollars are always cheaper than tomorrow's dollars.

I think the timing is still a critical issue.

So I'll I'll be um supporting the the temporary station at least for now.

So that would be option one.

Anyone else mayor portin?

I'll add my name to to option uh the permanent option.

I think that's option two.

Um just for the sake of we're gonna have to build this anyway.

Um I appreciate city manager for clarifying these future discussions we're going to have because I am concerned about our growing debt.

Um so I'm I'm a little nervous about taking this on at this time, but this is public safety, so we're gonna have to build it either way.

So I'm I'm good with option two.

Thank you.

All right, anyone else?

Representative district five.

You said the um, so I might understand that the service center is behind schedule in renovations, construction.

All else.

And Seth, while you're coming up, we've been talking about this for the service center, particularly, the needs of the service center and then growing city for more than four years now.

Where is this gonna put us with the service center?

Yeah, absolutely.

So Seth Garcia, director of capital projects.

So no, we are currently working through the design phase with the service center.

So when we started looking at it, we we anticipated it being a longer design timeline.

Uh the funding that we got, I guess two years ago through the budget process allowed us to pay the design contract in full and bring on our construction manager at risk.

So we're still going through all those discussions with department directors phasing with the construction funding in a future CIP year.

So the remainder of the funds that we had allocated from two years ago that they're talking about using was excess funds that was going to move towards construction, but we're not ready to construct yet.

But right now the service center project is still continuing through the full design process.

When do you anticipate beginning construction?

That's a great question.

Um, as we've gotten into a lot of these discussions with the site and it holding almost 400 future employees and existing employees with all the logistics and needing to keep it fully functional.

Uh that's caused some intricate phasing uh opportunities for us to work through.

So I would say assuming we're able to get through the development process um and and full design complete, we're probably 18 months or so from being ready to break ground.

Where do we anticipate the money for construction coming from at that point?

Good question.

Uh I I don't think we know.

So it's gonna be split between uh I believe the water and wastewater utilities that utilize that building and then portions of the general fund.

Cassie, you want to add?

Sure.

Cassie Ogden, deputy city manager.

So that's part of the future discussion that Sarah alluded to earlier.

Um we're gonna have to come back and have some discussions with council about our planned CIP projects, um, just because of the the debt and the timing.

Uh we're not gonna be able to complete all the projects that we had planned, so we're gonna have to um council's gonna have to make some decisions, but we don't have the construction, all the construction funding yet for this project, which is why we're recommending using the eight hundred thousand dollars for design, um, because we can get the design done for Service Center and then wait um for the construction dollars whenever that happens.

Um, so we may as well use the money that we have available.

Okay, thank you, Cassie.

Um what I'm understanding, breaking this down is that we don't have the money now, but if we put it on our credit card, it'll be cheaper in the long run.

And then we'll pay our other emergent costs later, we think these are not a great option, but I too will go with um a permanent structure because we don't have great options.

So make it chief for your work.

All right, anyone anyone else uh uh I I do want to just clarify one thing from uh finance component.

I didn't hear you mention at all the commercial component right?

Yeah, so that didn't factor in obviously we know we have the largest grocery uh catalyst coming and all the things, but with that didn't factor into the the you're only talking residential thus far.

I was thank you.

So phase one only includes residential homes, phase two includes their commercial.

Um our plan the plans for HEB kind of through that um phasing differently, but uh but they are planning for I believe it's a I forget how many homes 700 eight seven to eight hundred homes in phase one.

So that's what we're we're counting right now.

Right, but HEB is but that's not included right in our calculations right now for phase one.

Yes, and and and I think best I can tell, they'll be they'll do just fine.

Yeah, they'll generate some number of dollars instantly.

Yeah, I think they'll shake out fine.

Great.

Okay, and so for me that that informs my decision.

One that that and I appreciate the analysis, but we'll have significant money flowing in.

There's a reason they're moving faster with phase two, and it's not because they're having a hard time moving homes.

Uh, and so that then gives me comfort that that would that will continue uh to move forward.

Then the other thing where I find peace is that I know just independently, there's lots of great people working on getting that service road in faster, which then accelerates commercial even faster as well.

So there's a number of things happening in that corridor, a lot of people putting their heads together and working hard.

Uh Chief, I one thing I I will say is uh if we I'd love to entertain um options about getting that that back side of is it ropes and ranch, ropes and road that connects up there it's not built out yet, but to the to the west there that yes.

So I obviously that's not built out, but I'd love to have conversations as you go uh if there's deal points where we can incentivize them.

I know their concerns, and but so I won't say those, but I know their concerns about completing that, but just in the back of your head as you you you talk to them, if that because then that that coal component of it and it makes it easier, it gives us another access point uh there.

So I I'd love to have that conversation and then lastly on the debt side.

I I think for me, uh I'd love to look at thank you for the question, Councilman Jester.

I would like to look at us maybe getting pretty aggressive understanding that that's static once we determine the term.

I'd love to see us get aggressive and maybe say 10, 15 years versus you know uh 20, so so that we're not super comfortable, but we're we're we're you know, once we commit to that, I'd love to see us maybe take a more aggressive line.

But that said, uh I'll join the majority saying uh option uh two with those considerations and then totally unrelated, Chief.

If you can negotiate a path between those two.

I know the the resident didn't want it, but I'm looking for golf court path, golf cart path.

So if uh maybe if it's wide enough for a fire truck, it's wide enough for a golf cart.

Uh we had a corner lot identified one month when at the next month there was a house up there.

Yeah, we're living past the roasting.

We tried.

Well, there you go.

I appreciate you trying.

All right, thank you very much.

Great presentation.

Uh that takes us to item B, ID 251724 receiver port hold discussion, give staff direction regarding updates to the uh cross connection control and backflow prevention ordinance.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

I'm Stephen Gay, uh water utilities and street operations general manager.

Um I'm gonna talk to you about our backflow prevention and cross-connection control program and our ordinance updates.

So our program was established in 19 uh 97.

We monitor approximately a little over 6,000 commercial assemblies.

We add about 600 new assemblies to our inventory every year.

We don't facilitate, but we ensure the annual certification of all assemblies that's required by TCEQ and our existing ordinance.

And staff also provides, currently provides comprehensive customer education during noncompliant visits on site.

Well, backflow is essentially when the water, the potable water, flows from the customer's service into our drinking water system.

So that's the backflow.

It's a reversal of flow.

A cross connection is any direct or indirect connection to a uh a source of unknown quality, like an irrigation system, fire sprinkler system, uh, or in or think about a swimming pool, a hose laying on the ground by your swimming pool.

If you drop it in the pool, it becomes an indirect cross connection because it's not rigid.

So why is it why is it important?

So this is just one example in Grand Prairie in 2024.

Uh the school district reported foaming in the in the water uh coming from the distribution system.

And the city actually uh issued a do not do not use, so it's not a do not drink, it's don't use it for anything, no cooking, no cleaning, no pets, no dishwashing, nothing.

Don't use the water.

Uh that was uh as a result of a backflow event where the the an agent was drawn into the drinking water system.

Uh resulted in one of the one of the statistics we had is the city ended up issuing over 637,000 bottles of bottled water to the community.

So uh backflow events do occur and they do compromise the integrity of the distribution system.

So, how do we prevent backflow from occurring?

Well, we we install mechanical devices that are designed to allow water to flow in one direction and prevent it from coming back into the distribution system when there's fluctuations in pressure.

And cross-connition controls when we go on site, we physically go on site and we ensure that there's no direct or indirect connections to sources of unknown quality or known quality that could compromise health and safety.

So, why do we need to update it?

Well, we need to modernize our ordinance because one, it was implemented in 1997.

As you can imagine, a few things have changed in the world since 1997.

Best practices has have evolved and hazards have evolved as well.

So staff fully reviewed our existing ordinance and identified several areas of needed improvement to modernize the ordinance, make it more current.

And in fact, while doing that evaluation, we recognize that the in its current state, the ordinance presents enforcement challenges, and that's primarily based on the way it's structured and the way the state has evolved and the way our organization has evolved.

It makes it more it will would make it more difficult for us to physically enforce the ordinance we currently have.

So the proposed ordinance uh is designed to protect the drinking water from all forms of contamination from a customer system.

It maintains compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, follows industry best practices, and provides a clear path for enforcement and it authorizes fees.

So how does that affect our our existing and future customers?

So again, this this focuses specifically on commercial and industrial connections.

It's not um, it doesn't focus on residential, your typical residential connection, so there's no impact to them.

Uh and in existing non-residential, if there's no change, then no change is required.

If they don't go and they don't significantly modify their drinking water system or their plumbing system on site, it won't trigger any any additional compliance.

They're already compliant with our existing ordinance.

They would have to do a significant change requiring permits and replumbing of the facility to trigger those changes.

And all new non-residential connections would actually have to comply with the new ordinance.

So what does the ordinance do?

The highlights are uh we we clarify the installation standards through our design criteria.

Um we've eliminated the use of an atmospheric vacuum breaker.

It's no longer allowed on uh a uh an irrigation system, and that's primarily because it's a non-testable device.

You can't test the device, so therefore you can't verify it's actually doing the job that it's designed to do.

Um hydrant meter uh requirements are are are refined or defined, and um and expanded staff inspection, so access to a customer's property at all reasonable hours with reasonable notification, and emergency procedures for shutoff procedures are defined if we identify an actual contamination and or a hazard to the system, and then service suspension is clarified as well for non-compliance.

So our next step uh after we're gonna communicate the proposed changes to the public uh after this meeting, uh city council uh in it's gonna be on individual consideration next month, the month from today.

We'll publish uh notices to and the Denton Record Chronicle, and then the effective date will be 317.

And with that, I'll take any questions.

Thank you.

Uh questions for staff representative from district two.

Thank you.

Um do we have I I sort of alluded to this in my questions to staff, but and and I I think your answer was perfectly fine to some degree, but um the the question was you know how how much backflow occurrence do we have?

And and I you know you had a nice answer that's well it's it's really tough to measure.

Do we have any sort of testing modalities in general that like you know we do once a year or whatever that generally look at how much is this occurring?

I understand it's best practice, and and so I'll I'm supportive of that.

Uh I'm just trying to understand how the the sort of relative urgency of it and the impact of it if we do or do not do it.

Yeah, the uh you're right.

It's it's difficult to determine how how many events occur because it's it's based off of hydrology, right?

So as the pressures in the distribution fluctuate, you get these these micro backflow events when you don't have protection.

Uh when we do, I will say that when we roll out our AMI system that we'll be starting within the next, I think three to six months.

Uh those meters are automated and we'll be able to determine when that reversal of flow occurs, and so we'll have a better idea of the frequency in which the backflow events occur.

Now that sounds great.

I'm I'm I'm so looking forward to the the smarter metering all across our utilities.

Um it's gonna answer a lot of these cut questions and and last question.

Um I think you said the Mayor Pro Tem's question, it's it's roughly uh two to four thousand dollars per unit.

Um, and we're not doing that to existing construction unless they're gonna do uh a major retrofit.

Um do we have any idea how many uh red water related um repermittings go on in a given year?

You know, I obviously we have a lot of new construction coming in, but do we have any idea how much you know redevelopment is happening?

Not at the moment, but I'm sure I can get that information for you.

Yeah, just for my curiosity, um I I'd be I'd like to know that in the future.

I don't I don't know that it'll affect my my direction.

Okay, I appreciate thank you.

Anyone else?

Representative from district four.

Thank you.

What is an atmospheric vacuum breaker?

Well, it's a form of backflow prevention assembly.

Essentially, it's uh when it gets complicated.

Is that the big tall thing?

It's the it's that thing in front of your house on your irrigation system that comes out of the ground and goes up and makes like a U.

And it's supposed to be 12 inches.

12 to 18 inches above the highest outlet, and the the concept with them is when when you're when your water system equalizes with the atmospheric pressure, there's a little check valve that's supposed to drop down.

Well, those tend to uh get baked by the sun and they don't they don't operate, and you can't really test them because they don't they're not spring loaded.

So okay.

So when you say they're no longer allowed, what does that mean?

I mean that they won't be allowed when somebody comes in and say I'm designing an irrigation system and I want to use an atmospheric backflow uh atmospheric assembly, it won't be allowed.

We have a list of approved assemblies that they'll be able to utilize.

It'll be a pressure vacuum breaker, so it has a spring in there.

So this won't this won't affect existing atmospheric vacuum breakers?

No, sir, not unless you go in and you say I'm gonna revamp my my irrigation system, I'm gonna upgrade it, then that would trigger the requirement for the new assembly.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay, any other questions for staff?

Uh I just I just want to confirm your answer that you gave me that it would be new applicants or applicants, pardon me, new projects, certainly, after ratified and then also um existing only if they pull in a new application.

So those in process all would go in under the current that is correct.

And then it'll switch at that at the new application component.

Yes, sir.

Okay, got it.

Confirm.

Okay.

Great.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

Thanks, sir.

Yes.

Okay.

Takes us to item C ID 252042 receive report hold discussion, give staff direction regarding the proposed bylaws of the Discover Denton destination marketing organization.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Christy Franz, and I am the executive director of with Discover Denton.

Today we're here to discuss the transition of Discover Denton from being a uh department of the city to being an independent uh standalone organization.

The purpose is to provide background and update on the evolution of Discover Denton and the transition to an independent destination management and marketing organization, otherwise known as a DMMO.

Um Discover Denton was originally established as a line of business with the Denton Chamber of Commerce in 1976, and its current transition is moving towards being an independent 501c6 organization to support the city of Denton.

Reasons uh driving this uh structural reassessment is the city um experienced rapid population growth and economic growth over the last several years, tourism activity increased significantly, and there was a significant revenue growth, meaning an increased hot uh tax collections, uh establishment of uh Denton Tourism Public Improvement District, and growth triggered need the and the need to evaluate a scalable feature focused DMMO model.

So the evaluation of the DMO structure for 20 happened in 2024.

The City of Denton initiated an evaluation of the three primary organizational models for convention visitor bureaus, which some people know as a CBB, uh destination marketing organization, which is known as a DMO, and then the newer uh model of the organizational structure is a destination management and marketing organization, which is a DMMO, which is what we are uh looking towards.

And so it was determined at this time um that we would look at those three uh opportunities for this uh DMO structure to fall in would to be either an independent organization, a division of the city, and then the division uh division of the chamber of commerce.

So those are the three uh primary uh structures of DMOs, CVBs, DMMOs in the nation.

So in 2024 in March, uh a group came together from the city of Denton, the Denton Chamber of Commerce and local hotel representatives to analyze the structure options, national and Texas DMO benchmarks and anticipated growth impacts for the DMO.

In a joint presentation on August the 2nd of 2024, uh the collaborative recommendation was that this the DMO or Discover Denton would transition from the chamber to the city as a temporary stop gap until uh it could become an independent DMO.

The original target was independent by June of 2025.

However, hiring executive director myself did not incur until June of 2025, so it delayed that initial implementation milestone.

So our current target right now is April of 2026.

So to compare how the DMO or the CDB operated previously.

So previously um the community partnership committee allocates how hotel occupancy tax funds.

Um and that totally funds the Discover Denton operations.

When it was part of the Chamber of Commerce and then part of the city in that transition time, um the Denton Chamber of Commerce uh governed the organization and the allocating of funds, so they had the formal authority and they were the voting body for uh all of the activities and the fiduciary responsibilities.

Discover Denton Advisory Board underneath the Chamber of Commerce provided recommendations to the Denton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors with no governing authority, and so on that uh advisory board, there were two two city council members.

So on an independent model, the community partnership committee will still allocate the hotel occupancy tax funds, which Discover Denton will continue to apply for and receive this uh detonation destination management and marketing organization, which is the DMMO, which we will um do business under the name of Discover Denton, we'll have a board of directors, and they will be the governing body with formal authority and fiduciary responsibilities.

We'll have a board of directors, and they will be the governing body with formal authority and fiduciary responsibilities.

With the bylaws that were created with the through the advisory board, the city of Denton would gain one voting seat on the board of directors, and then they would gain an ex officio member to that board as well.

So the progress towards independence where we find ourselves today.

The draft bylaws were created for the new DMMO by the board of directors who will be serving.

The bylaws were modeled after the Denton Tourism Public Improvement Districts bylaws that were adopted by council in 2024.

They were approved by the Discover Denton Advisory Board October 29th of 2025, and a transition executive committee was selected, the chair being Glenn Carlton of the North Texas Fair and Rodeo.

Vice Chair and Treasurer was Seth Morgan of Denton County Brewing Company, and Secretary would be Emily Wright, who is currently the TPID board chair, and the general manager of the Homewood Suites.

The Discover Denton Advisory Board recommends that this Denton City Council provide feedback on the proposed bylaws which were attached to this presentation for your review.

So in these bylaws, instead of having these many pages of bylaws for you all to review during this presentation, the discovered the DMMO or will serve as Discover Denton.

They will have a board of directors serving three terms of staggered terms.

There will be 11 voting members, four being hotels, one serving from the Denton TPID, one from the Denton Convention Center and Embassy Suites, and two other nominees from hotels located within the city of Denton.

There'll be two nominees from attractions, events, and venues, one nominee from the city of Denton, one nominee from the leadership of the Denton Chamber of Commerce, one nominee from a dining and drinking establishment, one nominee from the Denton Main Street, and one dominee from the Greater Denton Arts Council.

So that is uh a great cross-representation of all of the stakeholders in the community that have a vested interest in the success of Discover Denton.

For the by uh the board uh continuing with the board of directors, there'll be four ex officio members.

We'll have two representatives that are at large members, one from the city Denton City Council and one from the Denton City staff.

They will meet monthly.

There is an executive committee that was elected that I uh spoke of uh the previous slides that will appoint the remainder of the board of directors once the bylaws are approved.

So they'll be so part of that executive committee will be the chair, the vice chair, uh, the secretary, and then myself serving as uh staff liaison.

Um and our fiscal year will be January 1st through December 31st, which is the same as the hot fund uh program years.

So uh what are we requesting today is to provide feedback regarding the bylaws for the new independent destination management and marketing organization and to provide direction for city staff to prepare the articles of formation for the new entity in advance for a resolution coming before the council on a future consent agenda to file the articles of formation.

So during those processes, these things will be happening concurrently.

So once the city uh has the council has provided direction to file the uh certificate of formation, um the organizational meeting for the DMMO board will be held.

That additional uh DMMO board meeting with the executive committee, they will adopt the bylaws formally, appoint the full board of directors as defined in the bylaws, and the uh uh chair, vice chair, treasurer, and secretary will be appointed at that time.

Uh, once the certificate of formation has been filed, uh the organization will file for that 501c6 uh status organization, and then the dissolution of the discovered and advisory board for the city will happen.

So, in the process, we have been asked to identify all of the business services that the DMMO will be utilizing.

So I spent a great deal of time with the executive director with the chamber of commerce and going through some of the business needs since we were part of the chamber of commerce for a many number of years, being able to utilize some of those same business um services in the local community that are familiar with the organization, familiar with the operation, and half of our staff was uh employed under a lot of these agreements.

We've identified banking solution, business insurance, employee benefits, so there will be no lapse in employment benefits or coverages to include health and wellness, and the benefits that we've identified are equal to or better to what the current city offerings are and costs are equal to or less than this uh current city offerings.

We would offer retirement.

We've identified uh HR systems and administration as well as accounting financial and payroll systems.

And then after when all those things are uh happening behind the scenes, uh they'll we'll need to have a development and approval agreements uh from the city council with this new um organization to review and approve the following agreements.

There'll be an asset transfer agreement for equipment files and records, the hotel occupancy agreement, intellectual property licensing, development services center lease if that is uh what is uh identified as a either a temporary or permanent location for uh the discover denton team and then a visitor center lease assignment for the current visitor center that is on Hickory.

So um these are all uh it's we're kind of reverse engineering what we did a little over a year ago from when the chamber this didn't discover didn't came over from the chamber to the city, so we're just kind of reversing all of those actions into this new independent organization.

So after the city has uh drafted those uh agreements, uh the DMMO board will approve, will meet, review and approve the and execute the agreements provided by the city council.

The transition of staff and operations, uh we will transition from being city staff to staff of the DMMO.

We will terminate city employment and begin employment with the DMMO, and we will make sure that there are the bent there are continuity of benefits retirement plans and payroll processes.

So we won't leave anybody hanging out there.

We're gonna make sure that um the the staff is taken care of.

And after that, I am open to questions.

Okay, thank you.

Uh questions and direction for staff representative from district six.

Uh thank you, council person Jester.

Well, I just want to say thank you for all the work that's gone into this.

Um I of course reviewed the bylaws, and there were some good kind of modern tweaks that were included that I was happy to see.

Um, I do have uh a few questions.

So the initial meeting, um we know who the acting officers are, so they're going to elect new officers.

They will be uh they will just be ratifying those officers.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

Um, and then I believe section 3.4 says it state ceases to meet any of the applicable qualifications set forth in these bylaws, meaning someone is ro rolled off.

So that I assume that that's applicable to voting members that are no longer employed by say the venue or the hotel or whomever in what capacity they're there.

If they're no longer employed there, they will no longer serve on the board.

Does that sound correct?

That's correct.

Okay.

Um, and then uh is there a reason that the chairperson would not be in the nominating committee, even as an ex officio.

I'm just seeing a scenario where you might have people that are just available to be on the nominating committee, don't have as much experience and see who's stepping up.

Was that something that was considered?

Um I I can't answer that question, so I have to go back and look at the meeting minutes to review that.

Um, I I would uh say that that would be my recommendation that the current chair um who would be then you know rolling off that next go-around uh should be an ex officio just to give input, not to definitely um and then uh section 8.2, the maintenance and inspection of records.

Um I I see that they're open to directors, but um I was wondering if there was a reason that they are not also open to the city manager.

I mean it's not specified in the bylaws, but I would think that that would be appropriate uh that someone from the city manager's office could also review the books since the sole uh funding is coming from so uh maybe it maybe a tweak there to make sure that by the letter of the law of the bylaws that that's allowable.

And that could also be part of that uh agreement between uh the hot fund agreement between the um the city and the DMMO.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

And uh my last question is can you speak to the conversations regarding um the city council presence, the the one voting member, the one ex officio.

I mean, were you part of those discussions?

And if so, can you kind of give me the rationale?

I was in the room.

I I was Switzerland because I am city staff, so I don't have an opinion on any of that.

Um if I was asked what has happened in my previous destinations, I would say um previous destinations I have uh served on.

Um we've had one city, it wasn't necessarily a council member, but a representative from the city as a voting member.

Um, but it wasn't necessarily a council member since the CPC is already um comprised of three council members, which um allocate all hot funds, and so there's kind of that oversight already um as far as hot funds because we have to submit our budget.

Yeah, I just would hate for if there's a bad apple, and then you don't want to cut funding that hurts our whole city to punish one person.

So I think it's important that we've got those conduits uh from uh council as we make these decisions each year as far as where the funds go.

But again, I just want to say thank you for all the work, and I certainly want to thank um each of the members of the um executive committee, the initial officers that have stepped up to uh participate and serve on behalf of your community.

Uh your expertise is of course outstanding.

You're all well known to us, and I just wanted to say thank you very much and thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, anyone else?

Representative from District One, then two.

Would you um turn back to that page that had those three options?

Um the original options were that right there.

There was a regular when they were in 2024 when they were identifying the best uh location for the DMO.

Yes.

Um I in we're giving our we're giving our uh recommendation right?

Yes, please, depending.

Um I'm seeming like I'm I'm getting kind of lost in a transition of the city part.

I mean, are you that's where you that's where you all are working from the city division right now, right?

Yeah, that's correct.

Uh and you is your goal to become independent?

Yes, ma'am.

Um and your independency is also are you disconnected?

Will you be disconnected with the city?

I know you're gonna have people on the you know on the boards and all of that.

Disconnected as in as in umperationally, but yeah, operationally connected as in day-to-day operations, yes.

Will be an independent standalone organization.

Okay, and uh so go to that other page where it has the that that yeah, that independent model.

Um I that one or I I believe that I am going to um suggest that you all stay with the city under the city model.

I'm not sure how the city feels about that, but it just seems a bit more logic to me that you'll have more support.

Uh, and I'm not real sure if I'm saying anything correctly or not, but it sounds like for me, I I think that you all need some more time.

Um to do what I think you might are trying to do.

Thank you, Councilmember uh Dustin Sternbeck, Chief Communications Officer.

Today we're actually looking for uh direction on approval of the bylaws.

Oh, oh sorry, yes.

Discovered then will be transitioning to an independent organization.

Okay, so what you're telling me is discovered then will be trans.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Uh, because you know, when I asked that question, that she said that was the goal, but not necessarily this is what we are going to do.

You see where I got that.

So, yes, the bylaws.

Um, yeah, well, I mean, yes, um, I would certainly agree on you all having some direction.

And the bylaws are certainly helpful.

Sorry, thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh representative district two.

Thank you.

Um, I appreciate Councilor Jester.

Uh uh caught a couple of things that that I also noticed, and so I appreciate you highlighting them because I won't cover those again.

Um, one of the things that uh and and and I I do want to applaud the efforts that have gone into this.

I think it's we've we've we've done a really you know line share effort to try to get you know this transition to happen.

It it's it's a little challenging to move into the city and back out of the city.

So I appreciate the efforts on that regard.

Um I do wonder, and I accept I accept the response that we got from staff about how we're not necessarily tied to a to a development services center lease.

Um I I think you know, maybe maybe the the new board should and and the future council representatives should should examine.

Um I'm not not trying to get anyone in or out.

I just I think probably this group needs the flexibility to decide where they live or where they don't live.

That that needs to be up to this group, not uh, you know, we're under the advice of the city that's funding it.

So um, you know, I if they want a lease from the city, then that that's future negotiations.

But I I if I felt like the bylaws maybe maybe tied your hands a little bit.

I accept that the maybe not, so I'll I'll just move on from there and the the future board can uh can examine that.

But uh yes, thank thank council adjuster for some of those about separation from other organizations.

I caught that too.

And I I really think y'all did a good job.

I look forward to it.

So I I give direction as as presented.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh anyone else, representative from for district four, then five.

Thank you.

Um I'm wondering is is uh the city council has one nominee.

Uh that that seems that seems awfully skinny to me.

Uh I'm I'm a little I'm a little troubled by that.

Uh could you address that, please?

I can.

So uh other uh cities in the area looked at.

So I know that Arlington has been referenced a couple of times as far as um having uh two council members on their board of directors, their board of directors is also over 20 members, and they also have a budget of over 10 million dollars.

And so when looking at similar size destination marketing organizations in the state of Texas, looked at Amarillo, it's similar in size, it's similar in hot tax funds, and they have one uh city council member on their uh their uh board of directors, um, and they don't have any ex officios, and so we would still have an ex officio uh council member and then another city staff.

So we would have plenty of city uh representation on the board of directors and as ex officio members.

The total number of directors is 11.

Yes, sir.

Um troubled by that.

Uh, we we have we have the we have the same number of uh voting members as the arts council as the main street association, uh drinking and dining establishments.

Um council member uh Colin, I think the other part of it is is the council uh three members of the council get to approve the funding through the hot funds.

So they can't really operate without having the three council members who are doing the uh the funding mechanism.

So um I think that makes a big difference uh from that perspective of controlling the dollars that then feed into uh this this organization, and then having if somebody that can be a voting member, but then an uh ex officio member is is probably uh about right for us.

Um and okay, to that who will who will administer hot funds the committee, the com the the three members of the committee that uh when they come before you they are the ones that allocate as it is now, yes.

Okay, okay.

Well that helps me.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Representative from District Five.

I appreciate Councilmember Holland for that.

I have a question along uh along that line.

So do will we stipulate that a member of this organization must come from the partnerships committee just for continuity purposes?

I guess that's a question for staff, perhaps.

I think that uh the the board of directors of the independent organization would identify the membership um like who would serve on the board of directors from the city because this is the bylaws.

This is a one-time thing.

This is not a recurring thing.

This is not a live thing.

It's it's you have your bylaws one and done.

So it's not it's not a recurring thing where you're gonna you need to address that.

That's a one-time thing.

This is a this is a governing document versus a one-time situation.

It transfers over once, and then it's going forward.

So this is going forward versus the how do we go forward.

Yes, sir.

I understand that my question was just about council.

No, okay.

I thought you said the carryover from the existing person.

Maybe I heard you wrong, but thought you talked about carryover.

Hold on.

Go ahead.

Sorry, so to clarify, a city council will not vote on the representation of the board.

No responsibility of the nominating committee um for the board of directors.

My counsel is about my question's about go.

I'm sorry, go ahead.

You no, no, she no, no, no, you have the floor.

If it finished your my question is about a member of this body who will serve on that board.

Is it therefore proper for the member to be also be a member of the partnerships committee for continuity purposes?

May I yield to Ms.

Jester?

Yes, uh, but somebody's got to explain to me why how that would be that's uh that's uh one-time thing versus a uh a guy governing document.

Uh representative from district six.

Uh councilperson Jester, thank you.

And and thank you for allowing me to speak and and try to uh clarify what I'm I'm hearing from uh my fellow council members.

So um I appreciate you saying um for continuity purposes that as part of the bylaws the idea was should we not uh when we say a councilperson will be a member of this board, should that person also not serve on the other relevant board is what I'm understanding you to say and what um and I can see where you're coming from.

I think that's a wise decision.

However, in my opinion, we've had a difficult time uh sometimes filling every position uh that is expected of city council members, and so while I think that that is a good governing um uh uh lens to look at it through, um I would probably my personal opinion would be to leave it to the city council each time because we don't know when those meetings are or who maybe just in that situation can, and we don't want to maybe have to go back and change the whole bylaws, but I I can see where you're coming from, and that does make sense.

My personal opinion would be not to put that in the bylaws for the reasons stated.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Um thank you for bringing up the fact that sometimes we have trouble making sure members have time to serve on all these committees.

So and and thank you for your question because I had that question anyway.

So you one person would go into the meeting already knowledgeable of where partnerships is going or whatnot.

So um, yeah, I'm ready to see yeah, Ebony and Ivory.

Um yeah, I'm I'm okay with this.

I think this gives us the protection we need because having served on the partnerships committee, I understand that the city has the ability to audit any organization that we give hot funds to.

So I'm I'm more than comfortable that this gives us the protection, and I appreciate the diligent work that has been has gone into this over the over the past year or so.

Well done, you all look forward to uh seeing what this board will accomplish uh under the new chair and leadership.

Okay, anyone else?

Uh Mayor Portem.

I support the bylaws as presented.

Um, as I was reading through them, the main things I was looking at was um I've bit served on a body where our chair passed away unexpectedly, and we actually in our bylaws didn't have a clear process for filling that seat in that type of vacancy.

So uh digging into it, it wasn't super clear if that process was outlined, but I know that's something that can be addressed after this is out of city council's hands.

And the other thing I was looking at was I've been on a nominating committee and just ensuring that the nominating committee is putting forward ideally anybody that's eligible that's said that they want to serve.

Um so that's kind of what I was looking at, but um otherwise I'm I'm in support.

Thanks.

A point of clarification, Mayor.

Stage point of clarification.

Thank you.

Um may I ask for clarification that those council members that have indicated direction of the bylaws as presented uh specifically do not include the tweaks that I requested uh during my time commenting on the bylaws.

Yes, sir.

I I'm okay with all the tweaks, except I guess you mentioned the one about being able to audit since we already have that ability.

I don't know that we need that one again, but if you want to bring it back up again, I'm happy to listen again though.

But yes, with your tweaks.

Representative from district two.

I I thank you for the caution, and I'm fine with your suggestions.

Um I too.

Okay.

Yeah.

Can you remind me of the tweaks just briefly?

Of course.

Um it was to allow the chair to be an ex-officio member of the nominating committee.

Um and then I think with the maintenance and inspection of records, not necessary because I guess by law we can audit any uh recipient of hot funds.

I think at this time that would be the only uh change.

I I support um the bylaws with council member Jester's tweet.

Thank you.

Okay, got it.

Okay.

Uh so that that's the majority.

And anyone else want to anything to add?

Okay, and I think that's uh approved.

There's consensus to move forward as design.

Is this Christine?

This is um yes, yes, available.

Got it.

Okay.

So let me come off.

Mayor while you're doing that, if you don't mind, I do want to thank uh Christine and the staff, Dustin and Christine.

All the I don't know if you remember a year ago we were sitting here and it was a bit of a nightmare situation, and uh we said we were gonna work it out, figure it out, and Christine took the bull by the horns and worked with both the chamber and uh the discovered denton to work this out.

So kudos to the staff who did this, and then of course, working quickly to get this where it is.

Uh our thanks to all of our partners there that we've worked with.

Um it's been a labor of love, and it's certainly I think gonna be a good effort.

And the chamber, I want to give kudos to Aaron in the chamber for being so supportive and helping Christy to be able to get the things she needs to transition.

So it's I think all the way around it's it's a good a good effort.

Okay, thank you very much.

And so I have an elephant to commemorate your first presentation that gave you a doozy.

Thank you.

So we're gonna fix it.

And it's her last presentation is the statute as well.

Oh yeah, we're how did she work that?

It's amazing.

All right.

Okay.

That takes us to our last work session before, and we do have a closed session uh attached.

So um yeah, and so this is item D 26025, receive report, whole discussion, gift staff direction regarding a building lease with Denton City Federation, City Federation of Women's Clubs.

Receive report whole discussion give staff direction regarding a building lease with Denton City Federation, City Federation of Women's Clubs.

Yes.

Councilperson Jill Jester, I just want to announce that I'm going to recuse myself from this conversation.

I am a very proud member of one of the aerial clubs, New Horizons that is under the umbrella of the City Federation of Women's Clubs.

But to avoid uh even the appearance of a conflict of interest, I'm going to recuse but reserve the right as we do further legal research before the vote is actually taken after today to um if it is determined that I'm not breaching any kind of ethical duty to uh re-engage.

Okay, thank you.

Um yeah, we'll let her sorry.

Yeah.

Sorry.

Uh yes.

Well, well certainly go right.

State chair be so what's your question?

I guess I wonder is it just is it perhaps germane to participate in conversation, but if need be recuse from a potential vote or direction.

Just curious.

Yes.

Given that you have unique insight as a member of the service organization that we're discussing it.

You know what I mean?

Yes, I I agree with you.

However, in um uh email exchanges with our city attorney's office when uh it's my understanding that when you do recuse uh that even the presence can uh be um influential because of my good looks.

People tend to do what I want to do, and I've got this tractor beam in my eyes that are pretty effective at Beth Marie's.

So they tend to give me whatever ice cream I ask for.

Um anyways, but uh I do very much appreciate you saying that, and it I would very much like to be a part of the conversation to just give my point of view.

However, uh I I think um what is uh most important is that we maintain the integrity of this uh discussion so that uh we have the best possible outcome.

Got it.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Sorry, sorry.

Representative district four with respect.

I would like to get the the uh city as a city attorney's opinion as to the necessity for you to uh recuse yourself.

Yeah, I think we I think we've we've been there, and and this and yeah, I'm gonna say less.

Uh I think anything you want to add, Councilmember Jester, please do, and then we're we're gonna we're gonna move on.

Okay.

Thank you then.

Umor and council.

I'm Christine Taylor, Assistant City Manager.

Uh, here to talk to you today about the Denton Women's Club building lease.

We have a couple uh goals, a summary and a goal of what we hope to accomplish today.

So the city of Denton currently holds a 99-year lease agreement with the Denton City Federation of Women Clubs.

In fall of 2025, the Federation approached the city to express their interest in renewing the lease.

The city is currently performing due diligence on the site and reviewing proposed lease terms.

So the goal today of the presentation is to provide you with context and background information on the building site, along with important contacts from a work session in 2022 where we uh talked about Quaker Town Park memorials and how those were incorporated into the downtown design master plan.

Okay, so the women's uh club building is located within Quakertown Park.

Uh the site is historically a freedmanstown before uh being converted into a city park in the 1920s.

The city has several has designated uh the several local landmarks within the park, including the Denton Women's Club building and the O'Neill uh Ford Civic Complex.

The civic complex encompasses the full boundary of the park, including the four designed civic structures and landscapes.

Uh so again, the building is located within Quaker Town Park.

Um the Denton Women's Building is owned and operated by the Denton City Federation of Women, who is a nonprofit organization founded in 1913.

They currently have a land lease that was originally executed in 1927 for one dollar for the full term of the lease, which is set to expire in August of 2026.

The women's club building was constructed by the Federation as a gathering space for civic cultural and educational activities.

Why this is important to the conversation today in 2022, the city council held a work session following a two-minute pitch from Councilmember Byrd on how the city was approaching the centennial of Quaker Town Park and how the city could commemorate former residents of Quakertown.

Several ideas were discussed during that 2022 work session, including Terry Avenue sidewalk installation, memorial markers, use of the women's club building as a museum space, uh, the idea of a healing or reconciliation garden, a living museum concept, and through that work session and conversation, ultimately direction from council was given to staff to uh incorporate memorial discussions and planning through the downtown master plan for those permanent memorials.

The design downtown plan, which was formally adopted by council in September of 2024, includes a key vision, key vision elements focused on the redesign of Quaker Town Park.

The vision within that master plan acknowledges the park's layered history and included uh several of the design or the ideas discussed during the 22 work session.

And it's important to note that during that process, the consultant had um public had tons of public outreach, and including working directly with the Quakertown descendants and with the women's club.

So ultimately, what made it into that final plan was historical monuments, a history walk, Terry Avenue monuments, a white lilac monument and healing garden, a remembrance monument, and the plan did not include or recommend any changes to the women's club building.

The current building is available for use to the public.

It has high civic use for nonprofits.

Uh we listed a couple of them there, and so really they use this as a catalyst uh for larger community benefit to raise funds that generate and go back into the community.

Uh they open it up with in-kind services to festivals like Texas Storytelling, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival.

Uh, the space is available for rental to the public for social events, club meetings, wedding wedding receptions, and their amenities of the building include space for up to 120 guests, an assembly room with a stage, and a kitchen with entrance for caterers.

Um so this part of the conversation is just to give that background on 2022, um, how the conversation played into the master plan, and we wanted to give you an update that we are currently working, continuing to work on due diligence for the site.

We are in active review and negotiations on lease terms.

Uh, and then in the future, we have a closed session next to talk about those terms uh being negotiated, and then we would return to council with action items for consideration.

So, if there are any questions on the background context of the 2022 conversation, what made it into the master plan?

Happy to answer any questions.

We also have representation today, Karen Riggs is their uh representative if there are any questions from Mayor or the council specifically for them.

Got it.

Okay.

So questions for staff on this portion, the background portion of the presentation.

And then order of things will go into closed session uh to talk about contracts, come back out, give direction.

Um and uh yeah.

Mayor Portin.

Thank you, Christine.

Um, so during the design down downtown Denton discussions, um, was the building directly brought up as for discussion?

I believe so.

I mean, the entire footprint of the park was discussed, and the consultant worked collaboratively with the women's group along with Quakertown descendants to come up with the recommendations that made it in.

And the recommendation as Stan incorporates all the memorials discussed from 2022 and does not show any changes to the building footprint or any different uses proposed as part of the master plan.

Okay, did they know at the or did we all know at the time that the lease was going to be up?

Um that in 2022, that is one of the conversations that prompted the work session as we approach the centennial.

Um, one of the ideas was doing something differently with the building, and so council was made aware at that time that we were in the 99 year that there was a current lease that they owned the building or that they have a land lease with the city for the 99 years.

Yes.

Do we know during the public feedback if if the public knew that as part of those feedbacks?

I can't speak to if the public um I don't have the answer.

And then does the city currently have funding for the memorials and all the things that were outlined in the downtown Denton Master Plan?

Uh no, the part the downtown plan is very large, and so there's a a variety of different funding sources.

Uh we have not had a conversation with council yet on how to fund those things.

A couple of steps have already been taken, like the expanded TURS boundary to fund some of those projects and other steps uh initially downtown, but as far as anything on the memorial parks, we have not come back to council with the funding plan or timeline.

Okay, that's all I have at this moment.

Thank you.

Okay.

Anyone else?

Representative District 2.

Thank you.

Um can you refresh our memory on the on the precise terms?

How much time do we have in this decision process before the contract is expired?

The lease is up in August of this year.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um and then to the Mayor Pro Tem's point.

Um I know that we had discussions on the the Quakertown Park area elements uh in the downtown master plan, but um those were much more nebulous in in their outcome and and their views and and their guidance than the rest of the downtown master plan components.

Uh I I think I think there was it was clear that there was some flexibility in and churn and and and not a solid plan on that one per se.

Um to that uh and and where so we we've been in discussions with the the Denton Women's Club.

Yes.

Um and and where are we on um has there been any discussions with um well you you mentioned and so refresh my memory the the folks in the descendants in Southeast Denton um what kind of discussions have gone on regarding this particular property?

Do you mean I mean during the design downtown plan the consultant did extensive outreach on this specific lease?

Uh we've not done any we're in our due diligence stage in negotiating directly with the women's club.

Okay, so so I'm just trying to understand the you know, I mean, I understand the parties are the city and and the women's club, uh, but just trying to understand the larger context.

I I think we we don't have it would be unwise in our community to to exclude the community from engagement in that regard.

Uh the the descendants of the folks that impact it.

I I think all those voices need to be part of that conversation.

So I guess that's what I'm asking is has that happened with regard to the this current due diligence.

Uh no, our we are using the guidance of the master plan, which had the community engagement portion in it.

Oh well, I I mean, you know, it's part of my you know just general encouragement.

I I think that really needs to be a a piece.

I uh people don't always understand the you know they're looking at the larger downtown master plan and the you know the whole downtown footprint and what that means and and the engagement on some of these other little ones, I think as is critical.

There are other elements and I won't belabor it uh for the sake of expedition, but the other elements in the downtown master plan that will require more community engagement to get to a final resolution, and I think this is probably one of them.

I'd I I personally would direct us to have uh more community engagement uh as part of this uh this longer term effort, and I think there's time if the if the lease terms are up in August.

Um we're we're limiting ourselves, Mr.

Mayor, to just these background elements, is that correct?

Well we're we're limiting ourselves to yes, and to the contract.

This is a this is a contract.

This is not so I that's gonna be my question after your time.

How we how do we engage the public in a contract between the city and so that just a preview, but yeah, we are limited to the discussion about the contract terms.

Correct.

Uh and and I mean, and and I I apologize, but what what portions are we reserving for public and and private?

I I'm just trying not to cross lines here.

Close closed is going to be the terms.

The the specific terms.

So we're talking about terms of a lease with an entity in the city, and then in close, we will dive into the specifics of those terms.

Lease only or other options?

Lease.

That's somebody correct me.

Yeah.

Um of the then and the um then something I'll I'll throw out there.

Um to make the sort of symbolic gestures to the community, um, as well as improve the circumstances of the women's club to to where uh to encourage as part of contract negotiations and due diligence to both have that engagement period that I just mentioned, but also um encourage uh a larger set of options beyond just the lease.

Uh perhaps uh a donation of the building back to the city and then uh a negotiation of terms subsequent to that as to the use of that um or maybe even the exclusive use of the uh so I mean I I think there are larger um elements that that that the community should be involved in uh that I think we could we could that would would lead to a win-win.

Um particularly, and I'll I'll just lay it out, and I know we're not not negotiating and I so I won't go there, but I think there's an opportunity for this city to take over maintenance of a building if if the women's club were amenable to that and save them all the maintenance costs.

Uh and and reunite reunite the the building and the property.

So I I think that's an opportunity to not have those expenses, and that I would love to see as part of the negotiations in due diligence.

Now, having said that, I know this is not we're you know that's that's in the realm of contract negotiations.

I don't want to be careful here.

Okay.

Anyone else?

Okay.

I I just want to man, I I lost it.

Um and so I want to read into the record here.

Um bear with me one moment.

Uh in reflection on the and I guess I'll just summarize because I can't can't find that quote, but uh I'll direct people for the record to the Denton Record Chronicle article on November 30th, 2022, and it reflects back on the work session September 13th, 2022, and it talks about not only the the so that people understand the exhaust exhaustive nature of this, uh not only that they did they have a presentation to council, not only did they have stakeholder meetings, they opened up a portal to then allow residents uh relatives of residents that no longer live in Denton to be heard on this topic.

So it was exhaustive to the nth degree to explore what we as a community needed to do in respect to this area and and downtown more broadly.

And then last thing before uh and can you help me find the closed terminology?

Um the last thing I'll say is this if you're curious like I was who was on council in 2022, because that's noteworthy.

Uh who made that decision.

Well, I was here, councilmember Beck was here, Councilmember Byrd was here, Councilmember Davis was here, Councilmember McGuire was here, Councilmember McGee was here, and Councilmember Watts.

And and so uh that's who was on the the that was serving and would have reviewed that and provided input uh to that exhaustive information at that time.

So uh now we're gonna set the room for close to talk about terms.

Uh the city council will now at 3.39 p.m.

convene and close meeting to deliberate the closed meeting items set forth on the agenda, which includes the following item A, ID 26089 deliberation regarding real property under Texas Government Code Section 551.072 consulting with attorneys under Texas Government Code Section 551.071.

We'll set the room.

Uh I'll somebody decide who staff-wise needs to be here, and then we'll we'll get started.

Welcome back to this meeting of the Denton City Council.

It is 6 30.

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

First on the agenda is pledges to the United States flag and Texas flag.

Please stand with me if you're able.

Next on the agenda is presentations from the public.

Can we play the video for addressing council, please?

The Denton City Council has adopted rules of procedure, including a code of conduct that applies to the public as well as council members.

These rules were enacted to promote an orderly process and to preserve decorum.

Speakers will have four minutes to give a scheduled report and four minutes to give an open mic report.

A bell will ring when time has expired.

If the remarks are not concluded by that time, the speaker will be asked to stop speaking.

If the speaker does not cease and a second request is made, the mayor may request to have the speaker removed from the chamber.

Speakers should not approach the dais.

If a speaker has materials for the council, please notify the city secretary in advance.

For scheduled reports, the council may initiate discussion or ask questions.

For non-scheduled open mic reports, the council may listen.

However, because no notice of the subject of the open mic report has been provided to the public in advance.

As a result, the council may only proceed as follows on non-scheduled items.

Propose to place the item on a future agenda.

Make a statement of factual policy or a recitation of existing policy.

Speakers are asked to direct all remarks and questions to the council as a whole, and not to any individual member.

Please refrain from making abusive, personal, impertinent, profane, or slanderous remarks.

Anyone who violates the council rules of procedure may be immediately removed from the chamber.

Thank you in advance.

Copies of the rules of procedure are available from the city secretary.

First speaker is Miss Mary Wright regarding no mo zone on Cooper Creek.

Please state your name.

On April 25th, 2007, Cooper Creek flooded and caused damage to several homes.

Many of us remember the disruption, stress, and financial impact that followed.

After that flood, residents came before this council asking for improvements to reduce further risks.

For several years afterwards, the creek was properly maintained and function as intended.

In 2024, without notice or residence input, the class, the city reclassified Cooper Creek as a wildflower zone.

Since that change, maintenance has been reduced to months in 2024, and nothing for 2025.

The vegetation has become overgrown.

For a drainage creek with a known flooding history, this raises serious concerns about the water flow, debris buildup, and drainage capacity during heavy rain events.

This is not about appearances, it's about flood prevention and protecting our homes.

This change also affected our community.

Wildlife that once thrived along the creek has declined, and neighbors no longer gather walk walk along the area as they once did.

A shared community space has become less accessible and safe.

Residents who live with the consequences of these decisions deserve to be included.

We respectfully ask the city council to revisit this designation, restore appropriate maintenance, and work with this community to ensure Cooper Creek is managed in a way that protects both the environment and the homes around it.

And I'm going to flash through the pictures of what it looked like before.

And this is the area where it's located.

This is before.

And this is what it looks like now.

Thank you for you, Tom.

Thank you.

Next on the agenda, we have Miss Grace Hansen regarding ICE in our community.

If you'll approach the podium and give your name, you'll have four minutes.

Hi, uh, my name is Grace Hanson, and I've lived in District 2 of Denton for about five years now after moving up here to attend UNT.

I am here representing my friends and neighbors.

While I want you all to take any action possible to restrict ICE in our city, I'm calling on you today specifically to work with our city manager and advising Denton PD not to work with ICE or any of the county sheriffs collaborating with this reckless federal agency.

This includes but is not limited to requiring Denton PD to practice confidentiality regarding the information they collect, including immigration status, not allowing ICE agents to operate in our city jail, refusing to run joint operations involving immigrant detention, and investigating when we call and ask if the masked men who take away our community members are actual federal agents and not opportunistic predators.

I've emailed each of you detailing these safeguards and more that other cities in Texas and across the country have taken.

Like many of our city's residents, I'm alarmed by the president's the presence of ICE in Denton, as well as our city's continued compliance and cooperation with a federal agency that's in the news daily for their illegal harassment, kidnap, and murder of people, both with and without the right paperwork.

I know you love this city.

I do too.

I love my neighbors, love sitting on my porch and listening to the Bonda music they play during backyard family parties in the summer.

I love stopping by Mika Sita on the Fridays I get paid and chatting about the weather and construction with the owner Matt and his employees.

I love getting ice cream at Brahms and waving at the toddler who peeks at my friend and I in the booth next to us.

When that little girl tries to talk to us in gibberish toddler Spanish, I love laughing alongside her parents.

I worry now about what might happen to that family if they speak Spanish in the wrong place in front of the wrong people in our city.

I worry about them being stalked in their homes and threatened by people with guns who flash fake warrants and refuse to identify themselves.

Because she is in the back of an unmarked sedan, being taken to a detention facility where she will lose access to basic human rights.

All of the above are real situations being documented in Texas and across the country.

I have provided you with sources via email.

When we roll over and shake hands with ICE, we become complicit in every crime they commit without oversight or accountability.

Even our inaction, especially our inaction, is us choosing to comply.

Thank you.

Next up is Miss June Cook regarding flock cameras use and surveillance.

Come up, say your name, maybe pull the mic down just a little bit, uh, and you'll have four minutes.

Uh good evening, council members, friends, and neighbors.

My name is June Cook.

I live here in Denton, just off of Locust Street.

I'm a student, a waitress, a poll worker, and an occasional town hall attendee, but today is my first time as a town hall speaker.

I'm here on behalf of myself, my neighbors, and my broader community to ask for full transparency and enforceable limits on how surveillance data, especially flock camera data, is used and shared in the city of Denton.

I'm also here to raise the concern that a lack of oversight over this data is putting our constituents at risk and maybe indirectly aiding ICE.

Let me begin by saying how much I love my neighborhood and this city, and how most people around me usually do too.

But lately, trust in local government is strained.

Even the most politically checked out residents feel uneasy, and those who are paying attention are frankly outraged.

These feelings didn't come out of nowhere.

The frustration solidified when the Denton County Sheriff's Office expanded its 287G agreement with ICE, and when both the city and DPD began increasing its flock usage.

These flock cameras photograph every car that passes and stores that data for later search without requiring warrants or notice to residents.

The agreement to install these cameras with the goal of creating a surveillance center came and passed just over a month ago without an opportunity from the public to comment or vote on it.

My understanding now is that the city is seeking a grant to create a real-time information center or RTIC.

This center would combine multiple surveillance systems into one centralized platform, including Flock cameras.

In January last year, the city approved a three-year contract with Flock with the option to extend it to five years.

Officially, Denton reports having 10 of these cameras.

Unofficially, though, tracking tools suggest there may be more than 30 cameras in the area, including privately owned cameras that law enforcement can request access to.

The public has very little information about how data from these cameras is used, and the current transparency portal is vague at best.

It says that data is used for law enforcement, plate reading, and silver alerts, that immigration enforcement is prohibited, but it also shows that many outside agencies already have access to that data, including Denton County Surf, which now has formal ICE partnership.

I know ICE and surveillance aren't the focus of today's agenda, but that's exactly why I'm here.

Many have raised transparency concerns before.

Local attorney uh Mr.

Gladden did, Councilmember Deb Armenter did, and now there's a petition calling to deflock Denton that's gaining popularity.

There are constant questions and shock happening on Denton Facebook and Reddit pages.

People are becoming more educated about surveillance practices in this city and are feeling sidelined in the decision making.

So here's the bottom line.

I understand that flock data has become embedded into police practices, but if dismantling the flock system isn't on the table, then honesty and oversight of its usage certainly must be.

Clear documentation of all data sharing partners, including interagency access, a public map of every flock camera location, and who owns it, including the planned locations of new cameras, enforced audible retention and deletion limits, and a binding written prohibition, not a goal or policy statement against any use or sharing of this data for immigration enforcement, including through partner agencies.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next we have Mark Redding.

State your name, and you'll have four minutes.

Okay, you guys, my name is Mark Redding, and I'm the owner of Rudding Marshall Arts, which is operated here in Denton for nearly 30 years.

My family has been part of this community for generations.

My father has owned and operated a business here for over 50 years.

My mother has owned and operated a local business here for over 40 years.

Both businesses are still operating today.

We live here, we work here, we have built our businesses in Denton with pride.

I'm here tonight because I received 22 months of back build utility charges, including utility charges that were accumulated with late fees, totaling $2,866.83 cents, despite never missing a single payment on my City of Denton utility account in nearly 30 years.

To be clear, I have always paid my bill on time.

Most of the time it's paid early.

Had I known after the first month, I would have addressed it immediately.

Instead, I was presented with nearly two years of charges instructed to pay them immediately, including late fees, without having received prior notice.

Because no notice was provided, I'm formally disputing the full amount of $2,866.83 cents.

This is not about avoiding responsibility.

This is about clear process and fair notice.

If a fully paid long-standing small business can accumulate nearly two years of charges without notice, that is a process that I believe deserves review.

A clear itemized explanation of how these charges were calculated, and a fair resolution based on documented notice of accurate billing.

Small businesses rely on clear communication.

We cannot correct issues we are never informed about.

I love this city.

We've invested decades of our lives here.

This isn't about one bill.

It's about whether long-standing fully paid businesses are given clear notice and a fair chance to respond.

Thank you guys for the consideration.

Thank you.

Councilmember Beck.

So I I we're not allowed to discuss that, so I'm gonna pass the floor back to the So I'm gonna have uh we we have a session coming up in February, the next meeting where we're gonna present some things.

And so I'm gonna have Tony reach out to you and sit down with you and go over all that so you can ask all the questions you want and get them answered.

Yes.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Adams and Miller.

Next we have Dana Zoltner.

Please state your name and you'll have four minutes.

More pictures, guys.

And if the mic's a little too high, you can bring it down.

There we go.

Um Dana Zoltner.

Last meeting I encourage you to table the ADU ordinance in order to fix the criteria that related to the architectural compatibility of ADUs.

During the discussion, Councilmember Jester, in response to a query of the expense for developers to pay for two ADUs on a site, stated that we can revisit the costs of the SUP and include three of the design requirements in the future.

The next day I sent an email to all the council record requesting an assurance that warehouses would not show up in backyards.

No one responded.

Therefore, I'm here tonight because more tool sheds should not have to show up before you revisit the requirements.

As Ms.

Jester suggested, you can do it at any time, and the time for the part of the ordinance is now.

Take out color and leave the other three, consistency and roof pitch, consistency and orientation of building materials, and same architectural design or detail.

This gives our neighborhoods a fighting chance to have cute little bungalows and backyards and not warehouses.

However, if it isn't addressed soon, I'll be back every meeting making the same request.

It's about time you showed some concern for those of us who live in an area that have homes built in the 40s and 50s instead of continuing to try to destroy established areas because the city has no respect for our neighborhoods.

Even now, developers come in, make major changes with no permits in sight.

It was happening two doors west of me.

I had to make two phone calls before anyone even did anything about it.

Just because you don't care to enforce your own codes when it comes to homes around the square.

Now what I've got here, uh I'm sorry, I'm I am I am technology.

And this is what I showed you before was it's 1107 Broadway.

It's the exact same building that's at 605 Emory.

So we've got two already in our neighborhood.

The one at 1107 Broadway is called a tool shed.

The picture I took was six cars in front of the tool shed and the three-bedroom, one bath property.

And it's been that way for months.

I called and asked about that.

They said, Oh, we'll check if it's being rented, then we'll take care of it.

Nobody's done anything.

Yeah, what?

1107 Broadway.

And it was built before ours in our neighborhood.

The irony of ours is it's a it's an STR.

It isn't even gonna help what you all want to do, which is in film rental property.

All I'm asking is that you is that you put this on the agenda and get this fixed now, so we can at least protect our neighborhoods.

Thank you, Ms.

Altner.

All right, next on the agenda is consent agenda.

We had items E and F polled.

So can I get a motion for uh the rest of the consent agenda minus E and F just for a separate vote for a separate vote?

Uh councilmember Beck.

I move approval of the consent agenda, excepting for items E and F.

Councilmember McGee.

I'll second.

All right.

Um everybody ready for a vote.

Vote on the screen.

That passes.

Next we have item E, ID 25-2367.

Consider adoption of ordinance of City of Denton, granting Balfour Beatty a noise exception pursuant to Section 1720 C3F of the City of Denton Code of Ordinances with respect to sound levels and hours of operation for approximately 29 concrete concrete parking lot foundation and insulated concrete form wall pores, which utilizes concrete pumps, generators, and lights related to the construction of a new elementary school located at 2525 Yellowstone Place, granting an increase in sound levels and a variance in the hours of operation, which may be affected by weather from 3 a.m.

to 7 a.m.

with sound to not exceed 95 decibels, providing an effective date.

Any presentation or no presentation?

Councilmember McGee.

A motion approval.

Do I hear a second?

Councilmember Byrd.

I'll second.

And then Councilmember Beck would like to speak.

Yeah, I I uh I I'm the one that asked to have this pulled.

Um I recognize that it's a challenge as especially on a couple of the pores, but I I think it's we we need to.

I know this is an elementary school, but at the same token, we need to be responsible respectful of the our noise ordinances and having construction pores for two of the pores at three in the morning that are not heat related but that are logistics and and scheduling related.

Um I think doesn't respect the neighborhood's need for why we have the noise ordinance in the first place.

I I recognize the other two ports that that are in the summertime heat are absolutely that's we're gonna need that to protect the workers, so I'm respectful of that.

But I'll I'll I I think we also have to respect the neighborhood.

So I won't be supporting this.

Councilmember Holland.

Thank you.

Is this uh Jennings elementary school?

The new one?

Okay, very good.

Thank you.

All right, we'll vote on the screen.

Point of order, please.

Yes, sir.

Uh it the the um a yes vote is approving the motion.

Correct.

Okay, very good.

Thank you.

All right, we'll vote on the screen.

The motion passes 51.

Next item is item F, ID 26241.

Consider adoption of the ordinance of City of Denton granting approval of a wastewater easement for the public and conveyance of a temporary construct construction easement to Dentex Land, Cattle and Energy LP for construction of wastewater improvements being located within City of Denton Parkland, known as it as Sagebrook Park, providing for the consideration of 7,26 for such easements providing for several ability and an effective date.

No one to speak on this.

Anyone wanting to make a comment?

Councilmember Juster.

Uh I move approval as uh proposed.

Councilmember McGee.

Oh, sorry.

Any discussion?

Councilmember Beckett.

Thank you.

Yeah, this was me again, and I won't be supporting this because it's not that I have any issues with this the sanitary sewer plan that's running through this area.

It's it's the impacts on the surrounding thing were not laid out.

Um there was some discussion with staff that that they will be mitigated, but no details were provided.

So I sort of think that without those additional details, it's it's premature for me to support uh given the environmental potential environmental impact.

So uh again, it's not the sanitary sewer that I object to.

It's it's the planning around the sanitary sewer that uh that I I have qualms about.

So thank you.

Thank you.

We have a motion and a second.

Any other discussion?

Seeing none, we'll vote on the screen.

That passes 5-1.

Next up we have public hearings.

The first item is item A, ID 25-1975.

Hold a public hearing and consider adoption of an ordinance of the city of Denton, Texas, amending the Denton Design Criteria Manual, authorizing the city manager to execute stormwater facility maintenance agreements and providing for severality, a savings clause, and an effective date.

Uh good evening, Mayor Pro Tem and City Council.

I am uh Mike Linder, uh, interim city engineer, and I'm here this evening to present on the uh proposed updates to our design criteria manual uh as well as authorizing the city manager to execute stormwater facility maintenance agreements.

Um we'll uh work look briefly on what the design criteria manual is and how it's used within the city, um, then have a uh background on how these updates are done and coordinated within the city and outside stakeholders, uh, and touch on some of the more significant updates to each section of the design criteria manual.

So the city of Denton has a number of governing documents that has an established hierarchy.

Uh at the top of that hierarchy is our comprehensive plan.

Uh this is a long-range plan that uh directs the development in the city and the areas that we'd like to grow in the way that we'd like to grow.

Uh below that is the Denton Development Code.

Um this lays out policies and procedures for zoning and subdivision regulation.

It's a planning level document.

Uh next would be the design criteria manual, which is the document that we're discussing uh this evening.

Uh this is a uh technical uh engineering resource that lays out the approved methodologies uh for designing infrastructure within the city of Denton.

Below that is the construction specifications, um, which lays out the approved construction methodologies, uh, approved materials list, how to actually build what's been designed.

Uh and last, we would have the standard details, which provides a um detailed depiction of the infrastructure to be built.

Um, some background on on how we do these updates.

Um the uh criteria manual uh uh has a wide range of impacts across uh the different departments.

Um so our first step is to get uh technical experts from each department to come and look at all the comments we've received since the previous manual update.

We we log comments both from internal stakeholders and outside entities.

Umce we've uh have a draft of how to address all of these comments.

We have much larger in-person meetings with representative groups from each department uh where we go through the manual together, uh look at how we plan to address these updates, make sure that there's uh agreement uh and that there's uh no conflicts between uh the planned resolution to these comments uh before posting uh an approved internal final draft online and then bringing that draft.

Boards and commissions in the city, as well as presenting to uh professional organizations.

Uh this is a summary of the public outreach plan.

As you can see, it's it's pretty extensive just due to the number of projects that this manual impacts, both internal capital projects as well as development projects.

It's always a big push uh to get the information out there uh as well as get that um the feedbacks and comments.

Uh we kicked this off in uh early September by putting the development community on notice that these updates were coming.

Uh got that initial draft posted in October, um, gave uh presentations to uh Texas Society of Professional Engineers, as well as bringing it before the various boards and commissions and receiving feedback.

Uh I'll go over some of the uh more significant updates from each uh section within the design criteria manual.

Um the the solid waste and recycling section, uh additional guidance was given to provide for side load enclosures in areas where a more typical front load enclosure uh may not fit.

Uh under stormwater, we'll um touch on the stormwater facility maintenance agreements.

Um these agreements are required anytime there's a uh uh stormwater asset that uh is being privately maintained.

This is typically a detention basin.

Um it makes it clear that the uh maintenance responsibility for that asset is private, typically through an HOA, and also provides them uh with a tailored uh inspection and maintenance checklist that's put together by the engineer that designed that detention basin uh so that those owners know exactly um how to take care of that asset.

Uh the requirement for these agreements uh was actually included during the previous criteria manual in 2024.

Uh but as we're beginning to get um the first handful of these agreements uh getting ready to be executed, we're recognizing the value and having the city manager uh able to uh enter these agreements rather than bringing every detention basin that's to be constructed uh before the um council individually as an item.

Uh other noteworthy updates uh under the stormwater section uh are uh more robust protections for water quality, uh, as well as uh allowing a new uh pipe material within the storm uh water collection system.

Uh we'd be allowing a polypropylene in addition to reinforced concrete.

Um transportation section of the manual, uh, we've updated the roadway uh geometry table uh as well as provided additional uh guidance um for traffic management and school-related areas.

Uh there's also additional guidance provided for um on-street parking, uh, just designed to uh make sure that that parking adjacent to a travel way remains safe.

Uh under the water and wastewater section, uh, we're now proposing to require uh geotechnical studies anytime uh metal pipe is being used.

Uh this is because there's a um uh corrosive soils present within the city of Denton, uh, and it can drastically reduce the performance life of metal pipe uh if that's not identified up front.

So these geotechnical studies would um notify us that uh corrosive soils are present, and then we would require some type of cathodic protection to extend the life of that public asset.

Uh there are also additional requirements placed on lift station design uh to enhance uh response during emergency provisions as well as station monitoring.

Uh under the street light design uh section, we added a new signal pole as well as uh uh adding some clarity on the process by which uh lighting can either be requested to be added or removed from a street.

Um a new section uh that's being proposed under this update uh would be specific to environmentally sensitive areas, uh, and this is kind of a consolidation of uh existing um uh code and requirements uh across checklists and other uh city staff to the development process uh just to make it easier and more digestible for applicants and developers to understand how these areas uh are to be uh identified, uh assessed, and how to design for them.

Uh and with that I'll stand for any questions.

Questions for staff?

Councilmember Jester.

Well, thank you.

I mean, it's very important that we keep up to date with what the best practices that we know of that make sense for our community and for the building longevity.

I was actually just curious as far as the Denton Development Community update.

Was there much discussion?

Was there much feedback there, or was it just kind of sent out and crickets or what is the involvement?

Um we didn't get a tremendous amount of comments from the development community.

We we did get a large amount of feedback from other engineers and even from from other uh municipalities that were uh really great comments that we were able to uh incorporate.

Um I actually wasn't uh able to uh be present for the developer town hall.

That was the um uh previous city engineer that gave that presentation, but I understand there was some good discussion during that that outreach.

Well, I know that we have these updates fairly often, but at the same time I'm just very impressed with all of the public outreach and this public outreach plan to try to vet as much as possible what we're doing, that we're not asking the world but asking what is uh reasonable and and best for our city.

So uh thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

You council member Beck.

Thank you.

Um Mike, I really appreciate we getting these updates.

It's it's gratifying to see them come uh through PZ and DCRC and finally uh hit the streets.

Uh it's a long time coming.

The uh to that point, I know that um detention basins and and whatnot are a hot topic in in some of those committees.

Can you give some color to where developments and and changes that we're working on now, what the time frames will be likely before they hit the design criteria manual for any that happened to be approved?

Um well our our goal is to um wait between three and five years for the next major update to the manual, a large update across all of the sections.

Um but we can have uh uh more targeted updates uh at as needed if there was something specific if something came out of those discussions regarding uh detention uh that you know um we were asked to uh explore amending that criteria that that there's certainly opportunity for that.

No, that that's perfect.

That that's exactly my question.

There's uh it's sort of you know reassuring the public that should we discover something that the city needs to address.

We're not we're not locking ourselves into keeping the current status quo for three to five years.

We can update update that as needed.

Is that correct?

Yes, sir.

Uh appreciate that.

Thanks, Mike.

This is a public hearing, so I'll go ahead and open the public hearing.

And is there anybody that would like to speak?

For public hearings, you can come down without a card and fill out a card after you speak.

Anyone liking wishing to speak?

All right, seeing none, I'll close the public hearing.

Uh council member Byrd.

I'll motion to approve.

Councilmember Jester.

Second.

Any discussion?

All right, with that, we will vote on the screen.

What?

I can't leave yet.

He's gonna have to get back out.

Motion passes 6 0, and we got a little presentation.

First presentation.

The awkward elephant.

Thank you so much.

Congratulations.

Right.

Yeah.

Next on the agenda, we have item B, ID 25-2371.

Hold a public hearing and consider approval of a resolution of the city of Denton supporting Palladium Fall Meadow Denton LTD's nine percent housing tax credit application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for the proposed new construction of the palladium Denton West Living Apartments to provide affordable rental housing, committing to provide fee reductions in the amount of 500 and providing an effective date.

Good evening, Mayor Pro Tim and Council Jesse Kent, Director of Community Services.

This is our first low-income housing tax credit applicant for the 9% cycle uh after our November work session on the rework policy.

I'm excited to talk to you about it.

Just as a as a little bit of a refresher, when we're talking about housing tax credits, that is money issued by the federal government to subsidize affordable housing development.

Uh those are sometimes paired with tax exemptions, which do impact our local taxing jurisdictions and do take money off the tax rolls.

Uh, this particular project is not a tax exempt property, so they will be paying full property taxes.

They are only seeking support for a housing tax credit, which is again those federal dollars coming into our community.

The cycle for these these projects in December.

Uh the TDHCA releases their qualified action or qualified allocation plan, excuse me, which kind of the the guidelines for the competition.

Uh developers are required to provide their application to us by January 6th, wherein staff does a quick analysis, they conduct the public meeting uh to get neighborhood input, and then by February 27th, they're required to submit their completed packet to TDHCA for the 9% competition.

Uh we did have a public meeting for this project.

Unfortunately, we were somewhat impacted by the storm.

Uh it was uh Mayor Pro Tim and I and our friends here, um, plus one community member.

We did our best to try and get the word out about uh but about the uh the community meeting, but uh unfortunately we weren't able to get a ton of attendance.

We had uh to reschedule twice, and on the third one we wanted to make sure that we could at least have some opportunity for the neighborhood to participate and did it virtually.

Uh this particular project is uh in the vicinity of Fall Meadow Street and Garden View Street, as you can see here on the map.

It's about four acres.

The current zoning is R7, and I misspoke a little bit ago.

So R7 is not uh total multi total multifamily, but it is um uh townhomes, things like that.

They did receive an SUP from planning and zoning that was approved last year.

Um so are set to go with that.

And again, the the property to property will be fully taxed.

Uh this is a a slide that you're familiar with in these presentations.

It's the unit mix is 120 unit development.

Uh it's gonna have 40 or uh 34 percent of their units at that affordable for dentin rate that we spoke about during our work session.

Again, affordable for Denton means those units that are most likely to provide an actual rent reduction for residents, and those are those very low-income units and extremely low-income units.

Uh a new graph you see here, and that you saw in your backup is we wanted to provide more transparency into what are the actual financial impacts of the decisions when we're looking at tax exempt properties and properties that are applying for these things, um, and implementing council scoring matrix for consideration.

This particular project scored 20 points on just affordability.

Uh, when they you factored in the uh the program participation for housing choice vouchers, so those those income requirements and then scoring within an opportunity zone with the location base.

They scored 35 points on the total on council's matrix.

Uh they only needed 10 because they were a property taxed uh uh property, and so we're looking at an estimated kind of annual benefit to residents of about 60,000 a year.

And with that, we'll ask uh for uh yes, no, or wait.

Councilmember Beck.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.

Jesse, um, I know that the ice storm um caused a little bit of a kerfuffle with the the standard community engagement, but am I correct that essentially mine minus the new scoring rubric?

This is the same application that they made last year, and in that application, they had a number of uh public engagement uh opportunities.

Yes, sir.

So the this project um also received a resolution of support from council last year, which they conducted a public meeting at North Branch.

They also had their SUP that went through planning and zoning, which also had the notice requirements.

Uh we made sure that folks knew where they could find information.

So we um we tried to be, even though they had within the last year conducted community meetings, had done neighborhood engagement, we did the best we could to try and get as much as possible.

No, thank you.

I appreciate that, Jesse.

Yes, sir.

Councilmember Jester.

Um I just wanted to say a quick word of um appreciation.

Um you and and the team you work with have made this much easier to digest and determine whether this is real affordable housing for the city of Denton.

Um, and the scoring matrix, the housing tax credit application analysis uh very much helps us determine whether this is going to be good for the city.

Uh there are a lot of factors that come into uh saying yes to uh these types of developments just because of um how many people it puts into a space and and uh what it then adds to our schools and streets and everything else, but um you know that this one is just uh uh it's you know by right with the SCP by P and Z, and um uh and I appreciate you taking time to answer my questions earlier today to uh demonstrate that this is something that will benefit our city, especially um in the income levels that that need good housing.

So thank you.

Just wanted to say that.

Thank you.

This is a public hearing, so I'll go ahead and open the public hearing.

I don't have any cards on this item.

Is there anyone wishing to speak?

You can come down without a card during a public hearing.

Seeing no sudden movements, I'll close the public hearing.

Council member Beck.

Yes, uh, I I want to lead off um uh saying that um our the development here palladium has gone above and beyond this why I asked my questions about community engagement.

Um they've they've really worked hard to make sure that they listen to the community.

Uh I I think they're setting a better standard for the way that can be done in our community, and they're they're setting a nice standard for uh a good mix of affordable housing as Councilor Jester said.

So I happily move approval.

Councilmember McGee.

Very happy to second this.

And Madam Chair have a question for if you don't mind.

Yes, sir.

Um I cannot remember last year uh if Palladium gave us a presentation, or have they prepared one today?

No, no.

Did we get one?

If we got one last year, I just I'm sorry I can't remember.

I think so.

Yeah, I didn't know.

I think we got the presentation from the development.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

And as somebody that attended, I probably two or three of the public input meetings.

I really appreciate all the effort that you guys put into it and not just the public input, but making the math work to provide affordable for Denton units and without any prop without a hit to the city.

And so I I really appreciate that as well.

Um any other discussion before we vote.

All right, seeing none, uh, we'll vote on the screen.

I think that passes 6-0.

Next on the item, we have item C 25-0014B.

Hold a public hearing and consider adoption of an ordinance of the city of Denton, Texas regarding a change in the zoning district and use classification from rural residential district and residential R2 district to mixed res mixed use regional MR district on approximately 16.24 acres of land generally located north of West University Drive US 380, approximately 2800 feet west of Golden Hoof Drive, adopting an amendment to the city's official zoning map, providing for penalty in the maximum amount of $2,000 of violations thereof, providing a severability clause and an effective date.

The planning and zoning commission voted 5-1 on this item.

Evening, Mayor Pratim, and members of the city council, Mia Hines, senior planner.

Um this item is stated in the caption is a rezoning for Hickory Grove multifamily project.

Um as stated in the caption, the property is just uh about 16 and a half acres.

The existing future land use uh designation for this property is mixed use regional.

Um that was uh recently changed by this body um in the last uh special call meeting.

The existing zoning here is rural residential with a sliver of R2 at the eastern edge of the property, and the proposed zoning here is mixed use regional.

The purpose of this is to is to entitle the property with the proper zoning in order for uh uh the uh property to develop according to multifamily development um as described in the um Hickory Grove Legends Ranch Municipal Utility District Development Agreement.

So here is the map to the on the left uh hand side is the existing zoning map showing that R R and that R2 uh again sliver on the eastern side of the property.

The proposal request would change the property zoning to mixed use regional.

Um the key or main differences um in this is that rural residential is uh largely that large lot developments that we typically think of for agricultural purposes, whereas mixed use regional um does allow for a mix of residential and commercial uh with range with uh regional scale.

Um we did put this request up against the criteria for approval and found that ultimately um the proposal is intended to allow for the property to develop according to the prior approvals, as I mentioned a little earlier, and we'll go into here in a second, that Hickory Grove Legends and Ranch Mud.

Um additionally, the proposal is intended to allow development compatible with the surrounding developments in the city's uh ETJ and some anticipated developments coming into the city as well, uh just uh east of this property.

Um additionally, uh this is generally consistent with the goals and policies of the proposed future land use uh map amendment that again was recently approved by this body in January.

And um this uh is in support of some regional growth uh trends that we've seen uh that reflect the need to allow for regional scale development on this property and within this area.

So as far as those prior approvals, uh prior approvals, um, I've given this uh history a little bit um over the past couple of meetings with you all.

Um they didn't uh uh plan 2030 identify this area as rural areas, but uh we recently uh took a look at that that in January and changed that um from um uh uh rule to uh mixed use or regional mixed use.

Um that was consistent with the Hickory Grove Municipal Utility District uh development agreement that was um uh approved for this property that anticipated the construction of um approximately 625 multifamily units uh within this property and on the property to the west of it that is to remain in the city's ETJ.

Um with regards to the regional development that we're seeing in this area and sort of why we see the need to support um or allow for uses um greater than agriculture and rural residential in this area.

Um the image on your left is an aerial from 2021 that shows not much development uh in the city, and the read the area on the right side um is from 2025 that shows um some significant development in that area.

Specifically, we have the um uh single family subdivisions and developments uh just to the north and west of this property developing uh within the city's ETJ, but as a part of uh municipal utility districts.

Um we have the uh industrial area that's just west of I-35 and south of West University Drive, uh bringing more jobs and things to this area, and then of course we have the uh Razor Ranch retail area just east of I-35.

So, as we we see that the the east or the west side of town is really um growing and um uh needs to uh uh to be able to provide for that additional growth.

Um, in keeping with what is required by the DDC and state law, we did notice for this property and had not up to this point received any um communication and objection or um support for this property or for this project.

Um, and the planning and zoning commission did uh hear this uh property or this project in December of last year, and recommended approval 5.1 of this request, with that staff is also recommending approval of this rezoning request.

Uh that concludes my presentation.

I'm happy to stand for any questions you have at this time.

Councilmember Beck.

Thank you.

Uh Mia, and in some of the prior discussions, you know, we we we had some discussions and maps about the Lomars and the floodplains.

Do you happen to have that in your slide deck this time?

Not the floodplain, no, sir.

What is what's the question I might be able to help?

Yeah, so I'll just ask you verbally.

Is as I recall from the prior discussion and looking at that, um, the the vast bulk of this area is or you know, substantially in the floodplain and the and the the low mar.

And I understand from the the previous discussion that you know the the applicant would would seek to do uh in in um engineering changes to the region.

Um, but but has has any of those details or any of that plan changed since since the last time when we discussed the flume or anything?

No, sir.

So, yeah, the applicant stated last time, and um, city staff is still in the process of reviewing civil engineering plans, at least for the multifamily portion on the the to the west of this property in the ETJ.

Um, and as the applicant stated last time, the drainage in this area was really drained or was really planned for regionally accounting for this development as well as the development to the west and the development to the to the north.

So, all of that is going into effect, and all that work is still um still going forward.

Okay, no, that that that I was just confirming there's no changes since the last time we discussed it.

Thank you, Mia.

This is a public hearing, so I'll open the public hearing.

Is there anyone wishing to speak?

Seeing no sudden movements, I'll close the public hearing.

Can I get a motion?

Councilmember Jester.

Uh I move approval as proposed.

Councilmember Byrd.

I'll second.

Any discussion?

We've got council member Beck.

Thank you.

Yeah, no, the reason I asked Mia those those questions is the the details hadn't changed.

I I couldn't, I didn't want to support uh development of these sort of more intensive uses in the floodplain for the reasons I discussed last time.

I don't want to belabor it, I just want to be consistent with my vote from last time that I don't I think this and it's not this whole development, it is this piece up against the creek is too high in intensity development to take the risk for for development nearby.

So I won't be supporting this.

Any other comments?

Seeing none, we'll vote on the screen.

That passes 5-1.

Next on the agenda is items for individual consideration.

The first item is item A, ID 25-2265.

Consider approval of a resolution of the city of Denton renaming the Civic Center 321 East McKinney Street to the Quaker Town Civic Center and providing an effective date.

The parks and recreation board voted 5-0 to adopt this.

Good evening, Mayor Pro Tim and Council.

I'm Alison Wing, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation.

Background here, this naming policy has been in place since adoption by council in 2020 for the naming of city buildings, property, and land.

Naming applications can come from any individual or group.

Once received by the city manager's office, these items have been routed to Parks and Recreation, who takes them to park board once or twice a year, depending on the volume of requests.

In January, this council gave direction that the parks recreation and beautification board should continue to serve as the committee that reviews naming requests when they are received.

We have two requests to review today.

The Parks Recreation and Beautification Board unanimously recommended approving this naming request.

The next application was submitted by Dr.

Rudy Rodriguez, former Denton ISD trustee and professor at TWU and UNT.

And the proposed name for consideration for the currently unnamed day labor site is the Popo Gonzalez Day Labor site.

The Parks Recreation and Beautification Board unanimously recommended approving this naming request.

When we brought these items to council in November 2025, direction was given that staff solicit additional public input for the naming applications.

Since that date, staff have created a discussed Denton page, emailed all known neighborhood groups, posted a citywide next door post, a post to the Parks and Recreation Facebook page, a news flash press release on the city's website.

A DRC article was written, and we held an additional public input meeting on December 15th.

The resulting engagement tallied together for the Civic Center is 34 in favor and 13 opposed.

And for the day labor site, there were 34 in favor and 11 opposed.

Staff recommends approving the naming application for the Quaker Town Civic Center, and staff recommends approving the application for the Popo Gonzalez Day Labor site.

Additionally, staff is updating the naming policy to reflect council's direction for park board to serve as the naming committee.

That policy change will be presented to city council for consideration in the coming months.

Any questions?

Thank you, Allison.

I didn't realize we were doing these together, so I'm gonna go ahead and read off the second item, and then we'll do separate votes afterwards.

So item B, ID 25-2266.

Consider approval of a resolution of the City of Denton, naming the Day Labor Site 301 Fort Worth Drive to the Popo Gonzalez Day Labor site and providing an effective date.

All right, questions for staff.

We've got Councilmember McGee.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um this question is for staff.

This is based on our order session conversation.

Madam Chair possible.

Our member Councilmember Byrd mentioned that she changed the name community to civic, and um in an interest to to be conciliatory.

Can you just kind of talk more about that?

How we got to civic why instead of community?

Um it's not going to change where but I'm just curious.

I remember you said it, but I don't remember you saying it why a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you, Major.

Uh I I initially put it in as um Quakertown Community Center because of the history uh regarding a community center in that area anyway.

And that would be to uh connect and reflect back to that time frame.

Um the parks and recreation uh board asked me to consider uh fund conciliary purposes uh to you know look into and accept the fact that it would be uh called Quaker Town Civic Center.

So what my premise was to get the uh name Quaker Town on it in any in any case to reflect the uh amending of the history of some history uh for that area anyway.

So it's not very complicated, it was just uh a matter of being able to get it done.

So here we are.

Appreciate that.

Um we do have two speakers on this item.

The first up we have Miss Frances Punch.

State your name, and you'll have four minutes.

I'm Francis Punch.

Good evening, City Council.

I have had the honor to serve as this chair for the Denton Parks and Recreation Board for 10 years.

In that 10 years, I've had the honor to oversee the updating of the re of the naming policy.

I serve as the advisory group as part of the advisory group for design downtown Denton, which included Quakertown Park, and the renaming of Quaker Town Park.

I stand here today in support of renaming the Civic Center to Quakertown Civic Center.

The renaming application submitted on behalf of the descendants.

Um passed by the Parks and Recreation Board.

It memorializes Quakertown's history.

Um lastly, renaming the Civic Center to Quakertown Civic Center will provide the historical recognition to preserve the legacy that Quaker Town deserves.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Alinda Alexander Pegram.

State your name, and you'll have four minutes.

I'm Zelinda Alexander Pegram, and uh I'm a longtime Denton resident.

I attended Fred Moore, attended uh Strickland Middle School.

Uh did not I even stay for UNT.

And uh, but despite my my many roots here, I never heard about Quaker Town.

I never heard about the rich history of Crakertown.

It was a hidden um chapter in our city's history, and I'm a descendant of Quaker Town.

Uh John Robert Logan uh had a business in Quaker Town, and I didn't know anything about this until we brought it forward uh in recent years.

Um so I find it remarkable that we missed out on this significant part of my heritage growing up.

But I want to thank you for consideration of renaming the Denton Civic Center to Quaker Town Civic Center.

Years ago, I attended the prom at the Civic Center, many other activities, and we just call it the Civic Center.

So I don't think I I think that it will do a great positive uh change for our community by renaming it, uh Quaker Town Civic Center.

It sh it brings it to light, uh it doesn't take away anything from the community.

Uh it helps foster, I think, great uh unity and understanding among our citizens, and well, it doesn't take anything.

I think it brings success.

And you don't always see that until the change actually happens.

Uh there are many buildings and monuments around the uh country that have impacted us.

I'm just proud that I live in a city that you would consider a positive change like this.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And then we do have one comment card in favor of this item.

All right, so can I get a motion for this is item A to change the um civic center name.

Can I get a motion?

Uh Councilmember McGee.

Mayor Purto.

Excuse me.

Well, will there be an opportunity to speak before the next vote?

Yes, thank you.

I'm happy to make this motion unless I would be out of order and you would like to do so since you started this.

I like to make the motion.

Okay.

Councilmember Burt.

I'll move for approval.

Oh, well, I gotta turn it on.

Uh yes, move for approval.

I'll let you press that button so we can figure out who our second.

Oh, can I redo it?

Okay.

Now you can second.

Do you mind?

Go for it.

Okay.

Um Councilmember McGee.

Thank you.

And I'd like to second because um I remember Councilmember Burt a couple of uh years ago back on the partnerships committee was myself, you and Councilmember Davis.

And I remember rushing back from Denton County Days, I believe it was, to approve the funding for the Quaker Town film.

That's right.

And hearing from Mr.

King and Ms.

Mr.

Hollis about how important it was, I see this as a continuation of that.

So with that, I am very happy to second your emotion.

Thank you for your leadership in the community and what you've done here tonight.

Thank you.

We have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Councilmember Beck.

Thank you.

Yeah, I I just wanted to relate some of the words we just heard that that it's it's nice to be in a community that that feels um you know that respect is is something that we need to engage in at all times to the awareness and acknowledgement uh in a positive way that moves forward.

So I I'm really happy that we're you know we're choosing this path of respect.

So I appreciate all of us.

And I do want to say one final thank you to staff.

I know we bumped this back at y'all to get some further public input, and I really appreciate having that input as we consider this item.

Any further discussion?

All right, with that, we'll motion on the board.

And that passes 6-0.

So next we will make a motion on the Popo Gonzalez site.

Councilmember Jester.

Um may I speak first?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Um Emilio Gonzalez isn't here tonight, but he and I went uh to school together.

Uh and he is the son of uh Popo Gonzalez, and um he sent me some words that he had prepared if he was able to be here.

And I'm not going to read all of it, but if you would please indulge me, I'm going to just read a select uh few paragraphs to talk about why we're doing what we're doing tonight.

Thank you for your uh uh grace.

Um he starts with Good evening, my name is Emilio Gonzalez.

Some people know me better by my Japanese name, Popo San.

If you did not know my father, Popo, I am sorry.

You missed out on knowing an incredible human being.

Please know my father would not have wanted any recognition or accolades of any kind.

Everything he ever did, he did out of his true love for people, and because in his heart he knew it was the right thing to do.

My man, my my dad was the kind of man, my man, my dad was the kind of man, he'll appreciate that, who saw a need and just took action.

He always felt a sense of worth was extremely important, and that having the ability to work for a living was the best way to earn that sense of worth.

He felt a centralized location would be the best way for those seeking work to find it.

As a matter of fact, my father felt so strongly about the need for this site.

He pushed for it to be built directly across the street from his business and his home.

Did this decrease the value of his property?

Did putting this site here have an impact on his business?

It didn't matter to him.

These people needed it, and it was for the greater good.

True selfishlessness, a trait that is missing today.

No.

My dad would share the stories of the many workers he encountered and struggles, many of them suffered.

Many times people would hire them to work all day and not pay them.

Dad would take time out of his day to confront those that did that and try to get them to pay.

He would also tell stories of triumphs where some would land jobs that lasted for years and had the opportunity to enhance the lives of their families.

The site was developed for anyone who is willing to put in an honest day's work so they would have a chance, a chance to pay rent, a chance to buy a meal, a chance to provide for their family, a chance just to make it to the next day.

And I'm gonna skip down now.

He says the last paragraph.

Again, to be honest, my father would not have cared to have this pavilion named after him.

And as for me and my family, we don't need a reminder of the kind man he was.

But for the people whose lives were changed because of the opportunities they discovered there.

Well, they may want to have a reminder to honor their beloved senor Popo.

Thank you for your time and attention.

So thank you very much for giving me that time, and that comes from his his son.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for sharing that.

Uh Councilmember McGee.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, forgive me before the last item for not acknowledging.

Thank you, Miss Alexander Ms.

Punch.

And I also want to acknowledge Mr.

Hill, thank you and your family for the contributions that you made to this city, particularly your father, sir.

All right, do I have a motion?

Councilmember Jester.

A move approval as proposed.

Councilmember Beck.

Oh, I'm so sorry, there's another speaker or oh.

Another speaker.

Hi, my name's L Autry, and I really appreciate what you read.

Um that really adds um validity to what I wanted to say.

Um I know Popo, I don't know him, but I like I know that he's a great guy because we have that preschool named after him, which is fabulous.

Um, but to know that he wouldn't probably like something like this.

I just wanted to say, make sure that we all recognize Popo is lying for police, and if this is gonna be a day labor site.

Not everyone, you know, takes the time to learn so much about our city or whatever, if they're especially if they have to work all the time.

So I know I'm not sure if that's respectful to our Hispanic folks who would be trying to get work at a place called Popo, and they you know, it's police, and also um from searching online.

I see that Popo is also uh in baby talk, English, Spanish, and German butt or bottom.

So I think these are things to also consider for our people who work so hard in our community.

Councilmember Holland.

Am I the only person in the room that knew Popo Gonzalez?

Yeah, okay.

Um before he became a deacon at uh Immaculate Conception Church.

I knew him owning a barber shop on the uh just off of the North Texas campus.

And uh all the cool guys got their hair cut at Popo's.

I uh they let me come in the back door because I wasn't cool, but uh but but uh Popo was uh was a was a uh a character, and I'm and I'm proud to say that I knew him.

Councilmember Jester.

I move approval as presented, thank you.

Councilmember Beck.

Yes, I I'm I'm happy to to second that it um when uh Dr.

Rodriguez um introduced me to these concepts several years ago, and and we've been chatting about it and and learning that that um to the point that councillor Jester talked about in Emilio's letter that Popo would uh actually have his personal phone number on the emergency signs there at the day labor center.

So when you call that number, it was Popo's number.

I don't know where it goes through today.

I hope uh I hope it's not bothering the family at this point, but uh that's that's just the sort of relationship that um that they had uh with their community and and it's it's uh my absolute uh privilege um to second the motion.

We have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion seeing none, we'll vote on the screen that passes 6-0.

Next on the agenda is item C ID 26-0008.

Consider adoption of an ordinance of the city of Denton, a Texas Home Rule Municipal Corporation authorizing the city manager to execute a contract with RSVP services LLC for comprehensive veterinary services for the Linda McNat Animal Care and Adoption Center, providing the expenditure of funds therefore and providing an effective date.

With one year with the option for four additional one-year extensions for a total of five year not to exceed amount of nine million dollars.

Good evening, Mayor Pro Tem and Council, Nikki Sassinis, Director of Animal Services.

Today I'm presenting the proposed contract with RSVP services to provide comprehensive veterinary services for the animal shelter.

Animal Services provides routine in-house care for animals in the shelter, intake exams, uh vaccinations, diagnostics, span neuter services, and treatments.

Animal Services utilizes contracted vet staff for these services, and our current contract with RSVP is set to expire in March.

So the new contract continues uh veterinary and certified vet tech support to perform these services.

It is also includes off site urgent and emergency care services when specialized equipment or after hours services are required.

And uh the new contract addresses scope of work and performance requirements identified by the 2025 audit.

Cost projections are based on the intake trends, medical needs, and price increases over the last several years, and the five-year not to exceed total is nine million dollars.

So staff recommends approval of a one-year contract with four optional renewals, and I'm happy to take any questions.

Thank you, Nikki.

Councilmember Holland.

Uh I don't have a question.

Nikki, I have some trivia for you though.

Okay.

When I was growing up, the we called it the dog pound back then.

Isn't that awful?

The dog pound.

Gee, what is it?

Don't say that too loudly.

Yeah, I know it's it's it's it's it's disgusting to even think of.

But the the uh the lack of shelter for animals was where the civic center is today.

Right there, right?

I mean, and it and it wasn't a very nice place.

So I am I am real real pleased that that we have gotten to where we've where we are now with with your help and uh and uh and after after the the rest of the comments I look forward to to motioning to approve this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Beck.

Thank you.

Uh Nikki, I really appreciate the answers to the questions.

Um I know that the community has had um you know some concerns, and we've been trying to address those.

And um, so so just just so that I I'm I'm clear that in the contract with RSVP, and I'm following in from the the answer you gave me earlier, um, that those those alterations are built into this new contract.

Is is that correct?

Yes, sir.

We did update the scope.

It hadn't been updated in since the last time the contract went out five years previously.

So we did update the scope to include the concerns that were brought up in the audit.

One um we've implemented our own verification system of the invoices, um, and then also the inventory tracking were managing that as well, and then also the performance metric performance measures as well.

And and if you don't mind, uh in I wasn't clear from the the backup materials, so you could probably clear this up tonight.

Do you have a feel?

RSVP is more than one vet.

And do you have a feel for sort of the the number of uh uh veterinary uh uh doctor uh equivalents and vet tech equivalents that are in the the contract?

Sort of how many how many units of veteran medicine are we contracting ourselves for considering it's a it's a service contract, and we're not necessarily tied to a particular vet.

Correct.

So one uh doctor of veterinary medicine to perform surgeries, and that rotates through.

Um, and then also seven vet techs.

One and seven vet techs.

And and and uh the the salaries in this quote are sort of commensurate with the the regional salaries for uh for uh uh a vet and vet techs the RSVP, what we pay RSVP is laid out in what they were provided.

So we pay an hourly rate for the vet, we pay an hourly rate for the vet techs, then what they pay their employees that's that's between them.

Yeah, yeah, no, I I I appreciate the distinction.

Uh thank you, Nikki.

I appreciate it.

Councilmember Vicky.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um so I I appreciate Councilmember um Dr.

Beck's questions.

Was RSVP the only company that submitted for the bid?

Yes, sir.

Why is that?

There is not really another player in the industry.

Um I would say all of the municipal shelters that we have relationships with also use RSVP for their veterinary services as well.

Okay, so they're they're the only bid.

Um so we've made uh we've made efforts to hire our own techs.

I'm sorry.

Have we made efforts to hire our own techs?

We do not hire our own techs.

Our techs are hired through RSVP uh as well as our doctor of veterinary medicine.

We have a little bit of say in who they send over.

Um if we don't like a particular vet or we have performance issues with a particular vet or vet tech, we talk to RSVP and they don't come back.

Any reason why we haven't tried to hire our own techs?

Not vets, but techs.

That is something that we're exploring with finance right now uh in HR, if we can if we can bring them in-house.

That would be preferable in my opinion, but okay.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Either way, we would still need the RSVP contract for veterinary services.

Correct.

Okay, or even to fill in as relief as needed.

Thank you.

All right, council member Holly.

Uh look, uh I I'm moved to uh approve this motion, look forward to the day when there's no dogs or cats there because they've all been adopted.

Councilmember Byrd, a second.

We have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, we'll vote on the screen.

That passes 6-0.

That brings us to the final item on the agenda.

That's item six, concluding items.

Councilmember Beck.

Um, I I would be remiss in our discussions of uh of uh Quaker Town and some of the other issues that we've had going on.

Um, that this uh remind folk that this is Black History Awareness Month.

So I encourage people to um while we we had this the showing of of Quaker Town, the documentary, when that when that comes out, I'm gonna encourage you to see that.

I'm gonna encourage you to to be aware of the contributions of these members of our community and take time and and realize that it takes a village and and this is one component of our village.

So thank you.

Councilmember Mickey.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Since we've last met, um federal officers and another state to our north have once again killed someone.

I just want to continue to uh continue to encourage those locally who are choosing to peacefully protest.

Thank you for continuing to make your voices heard and lift those up.

I encourage you to continue to do so, obviously in a peaceful way.

And I thank all the police officers of the city of Denton for the way that they deal with our constituents and a compassionate and caring away not carrying away, and I thank you for leadership who has provided good instruction and training so that they know how to treat us.

So I hope that we can uh one day live in a country where our police officers stop killing unarmed people, black, white, male, female.

Thank you very much.

Councilmember Byrd, here I want to um express my sincerest um appreciation for the ancestors of Quaker Town.

Um Southeast Ditton neighborhood, and anyone else that has given me any kind of support that has made me feel like this is something that I could do.

Um you know, when you get on city council, you begin to recognize.

Well, this is for me, beginning to recognize a level of authority that um you know you can actually do something.

And so we we uh make decisions on a lot of things, but there's some times when you want to do uh something that is very real and close to you, and and you want to leave a legacy of achievement of some sort.

Uh this conversation about Quaker Town has been in my midst since the very first time that I read that book, White Globics.

I did not know I was gonna be on city council when I read that book, but it stayed with me, and I knew that there was a connective tissue there with the Southeast Didden folks because again, like I've said many a times, even through my campaign, is that they embraced me as a student at Texas Warman's university, and then being able to find my church home and then finding my uh kids uh child care, you know, as babies.

It was just uh me knowing that you know I'm embraced, and then to have them to resoundly vote for me to get me on this council.

So being able to pull this off with this Quaker Town um documentary, uh renaming of it, layering, uh having a chance to go to Tulsa and look at what they were doing up there.

Uh I knew that this is something that we can do in our community because we are an inclusive community.

We care about each other here.

Want to make sure that we take care of each other and we do our best.

We fuss at each other, but that's only to make us better.

But then we have these opportunities for this cultural awareness.

We're a very diversified city, and because we have so have such a rich, rich history with both of our universities and everything that we've gone through, just having that opportunity to tell the community that I hear you and I see you and I love you and I care about you because you've given that to me as just a random.

I'm just a random.

And so um again, thank you for all of your support in this.

I'm not done.

I am gonna be uh releasing myself from the uh from this dais here coming up uh with other adventures, but I'm certainly not going to uh count myself out uh of this race of Quaker Town.

So I'll always be around in that regard.

So thank you all.

Um thank you all the parks and recreation.

I did start my time on parks and recreation several years ago in the 2008, 2009 season.

So um that's how I got involved, first involvement with the city.

So I appreciate you all.

We're not done.

There's many more things to do in this area, and I certainly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Byrne.

Um, I wanted to give a huge shout out to staff during this recent winter weather.

Y'all are working around the clock.

Um, we got we had Jesse Kent, our director of community services out there trying to connect people to resources, like out in the ice trying to help people out.

Uh, we had police and fire still responding to things despite the the streets, but we also had street staff working as hard as they could.

How much ice was that?

Like an inch and a half of ice.

Like I tried scraping it off of my, you know, my patio and stuff, and I I couldn't get it to move.

So I mean, I appreciate all the work staff did.

We had staff on the weekend meeting probably multiple times a day.

Um so I just wanted to recognize staff and all the hard work y'all put in during the winter storm, and you tell it all.

You might know more than me.

No, you're not going to be able to do that.

You said it all.

I think that I appreciate you saying that, Mirabo Cham.

I um, you know, this was an unexpected to extend as long as it did, but um, we were in constant contact with the county and the school district and the two universities in CTC to make sure that we were uh aligned with what we were doing.

But I will say, you know, um our staff uh 24-7 out there trying to get the roads cleared, especially over uh the our roads, the bridges and things.

Um I know some of our citizens don't understand that some of those roads are not ours, they're tech stocks or their county roads.

Um, but we all of our staff worked hard.

Um, and it was um, you know, one station alone had 27 calls on one of the days uh for um either accidents, bump, you know, little bumps, or people that were off in a ditch couldn't get out.

Um but it was a when you really go through it all and realize you know our staff from facilities were going out and opening the gates because they were freezing up so staff could get in and out.

They were making sure the buildings uh didn't have frozen pipes, so we didn't have a problem there.

It was a constant uh barrage of things that these staff members were doing and and keeping the electricity on.

And um, so just a big shout out, but thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, because it takes a village seriously to keep a city running, even though we're not open, but we're still working.

So thank you.

On that, I uh forgot to mention animal shelter was they weren't open, but they were still helping out the pets or the you know, the animals in the animal shelter.

They were still traveling to the animal shelter in all of the winter weather.

And I would be remiss to not also thank the community for for those of you that helped people out, um, got people into shelter, got people food, handed out you know, hand warmers and that kind of thing.

So I also appreciate the hustle from the community as well.

And with that, uh it is 7:57.

I will conclude this meeting of the Denton City Council.

Thank you all.

Have a good night.