Denton City Council Work Session and Regular Meeting – July 21, 2026

This meeting covered a broad range of economic development, utility budget and rate proposals, public comments on homelessness and parking mandates, and several routine items. The council held work sessions on economic development priorities, preliminary utility budgets and rates, and two-minute pitches, followed by the regular meeting including proclamations, public hearings, and consent agenda items.

Proclamations

• National Parks and Recreation Month (July) – Presented to Parks and Recreation staff; theme was "The Power of Play."
• Disability Justice Day (July 26) – Recognized the 36th anniversary of the ADA and the work of the city's committee on persons with disabilities.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved unanimously (7–0) with no items pulled.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Gary Steele (Texas Veterans Hall of Fame) – Requested creation of a veterans commission/liaison board to improve memorials and recognition of veterans. Cited a lack of visible memorials and a park with 28 markers for Iraq/Afghanistan veterans where only one was a Vietnam veteran (a Medal of Honor recipient from Pilot Point). He said, "freedom's not free," and urged the city to create a commission so others will emulate how Denton treats veterans.
• Tracy "Mama T" Duckworth (founder, Mama T's Butterflies) – Spoke about homelessness, stating the problem "has gotten out of control" and that a recent audit found the entire homeless response system is "fragmented and broken." She criticized the city for not asking shelter guests for input, and said the community shelter contractor (Our Daily Bread) was in violation of its contract and uses a punitive system that "likely bars more people than necessary from assistance." She also announced she is forming a homeless coalition made up of homeless individuals.
• Amanda Conway – Asked council to direct staff to remove parking minimums citywide at the August 4th work session. She said that despite recent ADU guidelines, she cannot find one in her area because parking minimums hinder homeowners who wish to add accessory dwellings for aging parents or relatives. She is formerly homeless and a former public school educator.
• Liam Gom Wakefield – Supported removing parking minimums, arguing they increase costs for housing and businesses. He noted that even if minimums are removed, financial institutions still require parking, so a rush to eliminate parking is unlikely. He cited other municipalities and states that have removed parking minimums as examples.
• Lauren Penn (North Lakes neighborhood) – Urged removal of parking minimums citywide, linking them to the urban heat island effect. She reported a surface temperature of 140°F on asphalt versus 93°F in the shade. She noted the city's urban forest master plan sets a 40% tree canopy goal by 2040 but current coverage is only 20%, and commercial areas have just 12%. She said parking minimums lock in pavement that prevents greenspace and shade.
• Kate Ross (Idiot's Hill) – Supported removing parking minimums, citing her experience as a renovation company owner and landlord. She said ADU projects for aging parents or disabled children often fail because parking requirements consume too much space. She also noted the city offers a rebate for e-bikes, which helps reduce car dependency.
• Chris Grieshaber (Northwest Denton, construction professional) – Supported removing parking minimums, stating that parking, especially surface parking, is the lowest-value land use and that requirements often "torpedo development." He gave examples from his work where national projects were killed because parking requirements made site plans infeasible.
• Willie Hatchett – Spoke in favor of the TPWD grant for Roberts Field at Mack Park, and expressed support for making interim city manager Ogden the permanent city manager.
• Larry Lawrence – Spoke in support of the grant and also urged council to appoint Ms. Ogden as permanent city manager, citing cost savings, continuity, and employee morale.
• Lauren Penn (second appearance) – Expressed support for the TPWD grant, praising the parks department and noting that parks are one of the few safe places for children in Denton.
• Aaron Ball – Provided technical advice regarding artificial turf, noting that coconut fiber infill is about 20°F cooler than black rubber infill and is softer for children playing.

Discussion Items

• Economic Development Priorities (Work Session) – Director Brittany Satella presented an update on economic development, noting that business personal property taxes contribute an estimated 25% of net taxable value. The department tracks leads and projects; in 2025 they had 61 new leads, 14 losses, 15 recruitment visits, and 12 incentive applications. From 2004 to 2015 incentivized projects produced a $577.4 million increase in taxable value. The downtown vacancy rate dropped from 8.3% (Q1 2024) to 4.8% (Q1 2026). Over 2.9 million in private investment was leveraged by $387,000 in downtown grants. Council gave direction to prioritize development recruitment (especially certified sites), small business support, and job creation/workforce development. Councilmember Villarreal requested a review of the pathway to create an Economic Development Corporation. Councilmember Jester asked for a primer on type A/B EDC funding. Councilmember Holland expressed concern that only 37% of Denton County workers live and work in the county, indicating a need for high-paying local jobs.
• Preliminary Utility Budgets and Rates (Work Session) – Chief Strategy Officer Amy Caslick presented preliminary budgets and proposed rate increases: solid waste (0%), water (3%), wastewater (9%), drainage (5%), electric (1.5% effective bill increase on a 3% base rate increase). The electric fund projections are significantly affected by data center load assumptions; actual revenues for FY2025-26 are tracking well below budget. Staff noted a transfer station for the west side is being acquired for $1 million. A WIFIA loan (low-interest federal loan) is assumed, with repayment starting 2032. The electric fund plans to increase the fund balance to the minimum target by FY2031. Council questioned methodology, the impact of data centers, and how rate increases relate to fund balance requirements.
• Two-Minute Pitches (Work Session) – Three items received consensus for follow-up:
  1. Boards and commission nominations, vacancies and absence policy – Requested by Mayor Pro Tem Stevens; to be combined with an existing September work session item from Councilmember Jester.
  2. Mental health training/resources for police officers – Requested by Councilmember Ferry; council agreed to a work session discussion, including input from the police chief and police association. Priority: medium.
  3. Creation of a citizens committee on art and culture – Requested by Mayor Watts; to be scheduled after the September discussion on boards and commissions. Priority: low.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda – Approved 7–0.
• Rezoning (Z26003B) – Rifkin Edition – Approved 6–0 (Mayor recused). Rezoned approximately 9.487 acres from rural residential (RR) to residential one (R1) to allow creation of a second single-family home lot.
• TPWD Grant Application – Roberts Field at Mack Park – Approved 7–0. Authorizes application for up to $750,000 (50/50 match) for renovations including artificial turf (infeld only), smart irrigation, trail expansion, ADA improvements, and shade structures.
• Texas Water Development Board Grant Application – Advanced Metering Infrastructure – Approved 7–0. Authorizes submission of an application for up to $35 million (100% grant) to fund advanced metering infrastructure to reduce water loss and detect leaks.
• Staff Direction on Economic Development – Council directed staff to prepare scenarios for the upcoming budget workshop, with a consensus priority on recruitment (including certified/qualified sites), followed by small business support and job creation/workforce development.
• Staff Direction on Utility Budgets – Preliminary budgets and rates were noted; a more detailed capital review is scheduled for August 4th work session, and the budget workshop is August 8th.

Next Steps

• Utility capital improvement plans to be reviewed in depth on August 4th.
• Budget workshop scheduled for August 8th.
• September work session on boards and commissions (including vacancy and absence policies).
• Work session on mental health resources for police officers to be scheduled.
• Work session on arts and culture citizens committee to be scheduled after the boards/commissions discussion.