Carrollton City Council Worksession and Regular Meeting - January 24, 2023

The Carrollton City Council met on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, beginning with a 5:45 p.m. pre-meeting/executive session, followed by a worksession and a regular meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Steve Babick presided, and the regular meeting opened with an invocation by Mayor Pro Tem Andrew Palacios and the Pledge of Allegiance by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Cline. The council received a TxDOT update on the IH-35E Phase 2 reconstruction project, nominated a Metrocrest Chamber Rising Star honoree, unanimously approved the consent agenda, and heard public forum comments before adjourning at 7:11 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the January 10, 2023 regular meeting minutes.
• Approved a change order for three ambulance purchases from Frazer LTD through BuyBoard, not to exceed $45,000, for a total cost of $871,941.50. The change switches the chassis from Dodge to International because the Dodge chassis had been on order since February 2022 with no build date; the International chassis has an October 2023 delivery date and adds $15,000 per unit.
• Approved purchase of 20 cardiac monitor hardware and software upgrade kits and associated equipment from Zoll Medical Corporation as a sole source provider, not to exceed $118,000.
• Authorized the City Manager to purchase IP camera equipment and IDF network cabling equipment and services from CTG through a TIPS purchasing cooperative interlocal agreement, not to exceed $196,722.62, for work at Don Cline Pump Station and Sandy Lake Service Center.
• Approved RFP #23-004 for the Tertiary Alley Improvement Program with Talbran Enterprises, LLC, not to exceed $3,750,000. This ARPA-funded program is designed to reconstruct about 15 additional alleys and requires two construction crews. The bid tabulation showed four responses, with response totals ranging from $5,087,250 to $6,082,375; the staff recommendation was capped at the budgeted amount because quantities were estimates.
• Authorized payment to the Dallas County Election Department for the November 8, 2022 bond election, not to exceed $86,221.52, based on a $78,383.20 estimate plus a 10% contingency.
• Authorized payment to the Denton County Election Department for the November 8, 2022 bond election, not to exceed $76,569.99.
• Ordered the May 6, 2023 General Election for Mayor and Council Places 2, 4, and 6, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; filing January 18-February 17, write-in declaration deadline February 21, and early voting April 24-May 2.
• Authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute an interlocal agreement with DART for Carrollton Heights NOTICE drainage improvements, not to exceed $1,733,575.55. Two stormwater pipe crossings will be built across DART Silver Line right-of-way, with the city paying for the work and DART's contractor performing construction.

At the formal regular meeting, the consent agenda was approved by a unanimous 7-0 vote on a motion by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Cline, seconded by Councilmember Pendleton.

Public Comments & Testimony

• During the public comment period for agenda items, no speaker cards were submitted and no one spoke.
• Paul Casimir, 2973 Country Place Circle, spoke on behalf of Country Place Townhouse One HOA, which includes 115 homes. He asked the council to reconsider the city's decision not to contribute to dredging a stormwater pond. He said Carrollton shared dredging costs in 2012, and that such ponds typically need dredging every 10 to 20 years.
• James Lockridge alleged that a code compliance officer falsely told a judge his driveway no longer existed and was overgrown, that he was convicted without evidence from the city or state, and that code compliance has harassed him since. He also read from a letter about state protections for agricultural operations and asked the city to address code compliance practices.
• Terence Vidovic returned to his prior complaints about his arrest, named Carrollton police officers he said were involved, alleged he was beaten and detained without a warrant or identification, and alleged police cooperation with neighbors over a trespassing claim. He provided what he described as a redacted police report.

Worksession: TxDOT IH-35E Phase 2 Update

• Transportation Engineering Manager Tom Hammonds introduced TxDOT Deputy District Engineer John Hudsmith, TxDOT Project Manager Nolan Del Yero, and contractor Project Manager Bob Stevens.
• Del Yero said the project is a 6.5-mile full reconstruction of IH-35E from I-635 to the President George Bush Turnpike. It rebuilds the existing six general-purpose lanes and widens them to eight, while also reconstructing managed toll lanes, frontage roads, and intersections. The timeline runs from schematic/environmental approval in 2012, right-of-way acquisition in 2019-2020, award to Lone Star, design beginning in 2021, phase 2 construction starting in 2022, and targeted completion in late 2025-2026.
• Current construction includes utility relocations, water and wastewater crossings at Crosby/Luna and Crosby/Bowwood, a 12-inch wastewater line along the southbound frontage road at Sandy Lake and Luna, bridge drill shafts and columns at Sandy Lake/Whitlock and Belt Line, permanent drainage, and temporary detour grading.
• TxDOT discussed downtown parking impacts. The contractor plans to restore approximately 25 spaces under the northbound frontage road by early February 2023 and add overflow parking with at least 50 spaces on the southbound side, for roughly 75 spaces. TxDOT also committed to lighting, a dedicated pedestrian pathway, reduced work zones around TexFest and Switchyard, and continued communication with the city and downtown stakeholders.
• TxDOT agreed to review striping under the Dickerson overpass, confirmed the southbound Belt Line exit would be straightened, and noted the southbound frontage road will have two lanes from Belt Line to Crosby before expanding to three.
• Project information and closure updates are available at 35ephase2.com, with text alert options; city staff said links are also on the city's website.

Worksession: Rising Star Nomination

• Council considered four nominees: Trey Williams of Inspiring Lives, Natasha Singh of the Neighborhood Advisory Council, Marty Rubio of Make It Count/B's Kids, and Susan Thomas of Serve Your City.
• After discussion, the council narrowed the field to Susan Thomas and Marty Rubio. A show-of-hands vote selected Susan Thomas as Carrollton's 2023 Metrocrest Chamber Rising Star nominee. She is scheduled to be honored at the Metrocrest Chamber's 53rd Annual Awards Luncheon on February 24, 2023.

Mayor and Council Reports

• Councilmembers shared news about Lunar New Year celebrations, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, Korean American Day, upcoming Taste of Opera, Coffee with a Cop, United Way Gala, TexFest on March 4, and Carrollton Disaster Relief Alliance training.
• Councilmember Pendleton reported that the DART Silver Line completion date has moved to mid-2026, and DART is exploring grant funding to reuse the old train station as retail or possibly as a Carrollton or DART sub-police station.

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda, items 8 through 16, was approved unanimously, 7-0.
• Susan Thomas was selected as the 2023 Rising Star nominee.
• Council received the TxDOT briefing as a worksession item; no formal vote was taken, but TxDOT committed to specific parking, pedestrian safety, lighting, and communication actions.
• The regular meeting adjourned at 7:11 p.m.