Carrollton City Council Regular Meeting and Worksession - July 11, 2023

The City of Carrollton City Council held a regular worksession and meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. The worksession began at 5:45 PM and the regular meeting at 7:00 PM. Key topics included updates on Parks and Recreation amenity fund projects, library budget requests, information technology project progress, and the approval of a consent agenda and a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) action plan.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously items 9 through 16:
  • Item 9: Approval of motor vehicle fuel purchase from Saratoga Rack Oil Company (primary) and Douglas Distributing (secondary) via interlocal agreement with Tarrant County, not to exceed $1,500,000 annually.
  • Item 10: Approval of RFP #23-026 for tree trimming services from Elite Tree Service for the Parks Department, annual amount not to exceed $96,500, total three-year contract value $289,500.
  • Item 11: Authorization for the City Manager to reject all proposals for Bid #23-023 (City Hall Pond Dredge Project) due to higher-than-expected quotes; project specs will be modified and rebid later.
  • Item 12: Resolution authorizing an economic development incentive agreement with IP Investments, LTD for renovation of 2660 Old Denton Road (former Office Depot) – a $3.8 million investment, incentive not to exceed $212,496 (approx. 5.5% of total investment). The project will convert the 22,000 sq ft single-story building into a 47,000 sq ft two-story structure with ground-floor retail/restaurant and second-floor office space.
  • Item 13: Resolution authorizing an economic development incentive agreement with General Radar Corporation for relocation to 4101 International Parkway. Incentive includes grants equal to 50% of taxes paid on new real and business personal property value over five years and a job creation grant ($1,500 per job, up to 140 jobs), total not to exceed $333,289. The company is relocating from Silicon Valley, California and plans to create up to 260 jobs.
  • Item 14: Resolution authorizing a single-family demolition grant and rehabilitation incentive agreement for property at 1611 East Crosby Road (within a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone), total grant not to exceed $25,000.
  • Item 15: Resolution appointing Tim Cope to the Capital Improvements Plan Advisory Committee (replacing a member who moved out of city limits).
  • Item 16: Resolution appointing David Yarbrough to the Traffic Advisory Committee (replacing a member no longer eligible).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Public Hearing on Item 17 (CDBG): David Martin, a Carrollton resident since 1981, expressed concern that CDBG funding ($727,587 new allocation plus $162,413 unspent) appeared to allocate only $105,000 to homeless prevention services (via MetroCrest) while spending larger amounts on infrastructure projects like alley reconstruction. He questioned whether the funding should primarily address homelessness. Staff clarified that HUD imposes a 15% cap on public service expenditures from CDBG funds, so the city allocated the maximum allowed to MetroCrest, and that the city provides additional funding to MetroCrest through other budget sources. The public hearing was closed with no other speakers.

Discussion Items

• Parks and Recreation Amenity Fund Projects & Budget Requests (Worksession):
  • Recap of completed projects from last year: playground synthetic turf replacement at Martha Pointer, McKinnish, and Stenson parks; irrigation upgrades at athletic fields; lighting at McKinnish Dog Park.
  • Proposed FY2024 amenity fund projects (focus on recreation facilities): upgrades to senior center AV system, Crosby Rec Center kitchen and preschool room flooring, Rosemeade racquetball courts, and room renovations at Rosemeade. Total ask to be determined as part of budget process.
  • Additional one-time ATB (add-to-base) requests: Elm Fork Nature Preserve interior updates; installation of a National Fitness Campaign outdoor fitness court (likely at Josie Ranch area); lump sum for pavilion and playground upgrades at five parks (e.g., Branch Hollow).
• Library Budget Requests (Worksession):
  • Library Director Jonathan Shue requested $75,000 one-time (non-recurring) for furniture refresh at Hebron & Josie branches. Neither library has had a major furniture refresh since opening (2001/2004). Current furniture is outdated, broken, or mismatched (over 35 chair varieties). The funds would prioritize immediate replacements and establish a standard refresh cycle.
• Information Technology Project Progress and Budget Requests (Worksession):
  • Chief Information Officer Chris Trinconi provided status updates on four major enterprise projects:
    • ERP (Infor CloudSuite): Conference room pilots and data migration phase 1 complete; go-live scheduled for January 2024.
    • HRIS (Ceridian): Initial data migration complete; day-in-life sessions underway; go-live January 2024.
    • Fire records management system (Firehouse replacement): On hold pending dependencies on HRIS and ERP.
    • Utility billing system (Vertex One): Data migration complete; user acceptance testing underway; go-live October 2023.
    • Work order asset management system: Project kicked off; environments being created; go-live Q2 2025.
  • Future project requests (to be considered in budget):
    • 311 citizen engagement app/CRM: $80,000 one-time for discovery, design, development, and implementation. Would integrate with new systems to provide two-way communication and data tracking.
    • Chatbot (AI-powered): $80,000 one-time for first chatbot implementation to provide 24/7 citizen service and reduce repetitive inquiries.
    • IP Camera refresh: $999,990 one-time to replace 482 aging cameras (7-10 years old) across city facilities; includes hardware, installation, and cabling.
    • Professional services: $925,000 requested (down from $1.1M last year) for specialized IT project support (e.g., data warehouse engineer, security services) to supplement staff during system transitions.
    • Desktop refresh: 811 devices to be replaced; item coming to next council agenda.
    • Citywide fiber project: 38.3 miles of fiber; engineering phase underway (funded with ARPA dollars); council requested a future update.
    • Secondary data center: Partnership with City of Salina; scheduled Q3 2024.
• Mayor and Council Reports:
  • Various council members reported attendance at: CPAC committee, governance meeting, DART meeting, 4th of July events, ribbon cuttings (Orchid Wellness Center, Pool Works), COG luncheon, School Partners USA graduation, Sahaja Yoga Meditation Center grand opening, One Eden meeting, and Make It Count summer camp visit to AT&T Stadium.
  • Councilmember Cline noted that TRA (Trinity River Authority) is projecting 17% annual rate increases for the next six years; suggested inviting TRA for an update.
  • Upcoming events: Christmas in July (already held), drive-in movie at Frankford Station on August 4, DART in-person meeting at Crosby Center on July 20.
  • Council retreat scheduled for July 20-21.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda (Items 9-16): Approved unanimously by voice vote (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Cline, second by Councilmember Palacios).
• Item 17 (CDBG Resolution): Approved unanimously after public hearing (motion by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Pendleton, second by Mayor Pro Tem Cline). The resolution adopts the Program Year 2023 Community Development Block Grant One-Year Plan of Action and Budget, totaling $890,000 ($727,587 new HUD funding plus $162,413 unspent funds). Allocations include: $200,000 for Carrollton Heights infrastructure (notice project), $200,000 for Crockett Drive Alley reconstruction, $190,000 for housing rehabilitation (minor/emergency repairs, People Helping People), $105,000 for MetroCrest homeless prevention services, $95,000 for code enforcement officer, and administration costs for next year's five-year consolidated plan preparation.
• No other votes taken. Discussion items and future ATB requests will be considered during the budget process in August 2023.