Carrollton City Council Regular Worksession and Meeting - August 2, 2022

The City Council of Carrollton, Texas, held a combined worksession and regular meeting on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, beginning at 5:45 p.m. and moving to the regular open session at 7:00 p.m. The agenda included the FY 2023 Preliminary Budget, proposed landscaping and buffering ordinance changes, Leadership Metrocrest scholarship direction, consent agenda items, four public hearings on zoning cases, and setting the proposed property tax rate for tax year 2022. The regular meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:55 p.m.; council then reconvened for a brief worksession item and entered executive session.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the June 28, 2022 and July 12, 2022 regular meeting minutes.
• Approved resolutions acknowledging receipt of the Castle Hills Public Improvement District No. 1 and No. 2 Annual Service Plan Updates.
• Approved a $40,000 annual contract amendment with Focus Merchant Services, LLC, increasing the annual credit card processing and merchant services contract to no more than $400,000; staff reported credit card transactions rose 50%, from 136,373 in 2019 to 205,207 in 2021.
• Approved the partial defeasance and redemption of a portion of the Series 2013 General Obligation Improvement Bonds: four maturities (2029-2033) totaling $2,715,000 in par value, with an estimated payment of $2,840,953 and debt service savings of $1,011,075.
• Approved awarding Bid #21-022 to VertexOne for utility billing software in an amount not to exceed $2,864,683, effective October 1, 2022.

The consent agenda motion passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mike Dooling, a Carrollton resident, spoke on item 20, expressing support for a more restrained budget. He recommended setting the property tax rate at the no-new-revenue rate, raising the lowest city wages to $15 per hour, and considering CPI-linked pay increases. He cited 9.1% inflation and rising home values as context.
• During the Item 17 public hearing for the Frankford Shopping Center PD-57 amendment, multiple nearby residents and Scott Foster, president of the Woodgate Neighborhood Association, spoke in opposition. Concerns included the two-story building's height and privacy impact, traffic and cut-through vehicles, dumpster and grease odors, rodents, stormwater, removal of mature trees, and compatibility with the residential neighborhood. James and Peggy Chaney, Pam Crow, Eric Rothert, Lindsey Morrow, Alvid McLaughlin, and Melissa Rummers registered opposition without speaking.

Worksession Discussion

• FY 2023 Preliminary Budget: CFO Diana Vaughn presented an overview. The preliminary budget was posted July 29, 2022, with adoption required by September 20, 2022. Property tax, sales tax, and franchise fees make up over 88% of general fund revenue. Taxable value grew to approximately $19.4 billion. General fund recurring sources are $128 million and recurring uses $125 million. The built-in employee pay increase is 4%; each additional 1% across-the-board pay increase would cost about $747,000 total, with a $608,000 general fund impact. A one-cent tax rate reduction would cost about $1.871 million. Solid waste collection rates would rise 50 cents per month due to contract costs. Council scheduled a follow-up budget worksession for August 16, 2022.
• Landscaping and buffering ordinance: Landscape Planner Leanne Wagener and Assistant City Manager Marc Guy presented proposed updates to Article 25 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Proposed changes included raising minimum commercial landscape area from 10% to 15%, increasing the minimum landscape buffer width from 5 to 10 feet, changing site tree requirements from one tree per 4,000 square feet to one shade or ornamental tree per 3,000 square feet, adding prohibited invasive species, and allowing artificial turf only through a Board of Adjustment variance after demonstrating hardship. Artificial turf would remain prohibited in city parkways. Discussion only; no vote.
• Leadership Metrocrest Scholarship: The Chamber's program costs $1,200 for members and $1,400 for non-members; 24 applicants were accepted. Council agreed to fund two scholarships for Victor Johnson and Susan Thomas, while recognizing that a self-employed applicant offered to co-fund a half-scholarship for another female applicant.

Public Hearings and Individual Considerations

• Item 16 - Graham Addition PD-212 Amendment (PLZ 2022-044): Public hearing on approximately 5 acres at Josey Lane and Parker Road. The applicant, McDonald's, requested a PD-212 amendment to permit a drive-through window without a technical site plan and revise conceptual plans. Staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, with stipulations including drive-through stacking and landscape buffer requirements. Council approved the ordinance; Councilmember Axberg voted in opposition.
• Item 17 - Frankford Shopping Center PD-57 Amendment (PLZ 2022-077): Public hearing on approximately 2.2 acres at 1033 W. Frankford Road. The applicant sought to revise conceptual plans and add a drive-through window; the Planning and Zoning Commission had removed retail uses from the request, and the revised proposal replaced four older buildings with one two-story building with a 50-foot rear setback and translucent second-floor windows. Because signed opposition exceeded 20% of the notification area, approval required a three-fourths supermajority. A motion to approve without prejudice failed to receive the required votes, with Councilmembers Axberg, Polter, Fleming, Cline, and Pendleton opposed. A subsequent motion to deny without prejudice passed, with Councilmember Sung abstaining.
• Item 18 - Texas Car One Special Use Permit (PLSUP 2022-054): Public hearing for used automobile and light-load truck sales at 1729 S. Broadway on approximately 1.86 acres zoned Light Industrial. The permit required all vehicles for sale to be stored and displayed inside the building, prohibited street parking of inventory, and prohibited outdoor banners or similar advertising. Council approved unanimously.
• Item 19 - Lowe's Canopy Addition (PLZ 2022-079): Public hearing to amend PD-5 for the approximately 16.9-acre Lowe's tract at 1253 E. Trinity Mills Road to add a canopy over the southeast entrance and revise conceptual plans. Staff recommended approval, and council approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent agenda items 9-15 unanimously.
• Approved Item 16 with one opposing vote.
• Denied Item 17 without prejudice, allowing the applicant to return without the usual 12-18 month waiting period; the deny motion passed with Councilmember Sung abstaining.
• Approved Items 18 and 19 unanimously.
• Set the proposed property tax rate for tax year 2022 at 58.250 cents per $100 valuation and scheduled the public hearing and proposed FY 2023 budget adoption for 7:00 p.m. on September 13, 2022.
• Agreed to award two Leadership Metrocrest scholarships and scheduled continued FY 2023 budget deliberations for August 16, 2022.