Carrollton City Council Regular Worksession and Meeting, September 26, 2023

The Carrollton City Council met on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at City Hall, 1945 E. Jackson Road, Carrollton, Texas. The posted agenda scheduled a 6:15 p.m. pre-meeting/worksession and a 7:00 p.m. regular meeting; the regular meeting was called to order at approximately 7:26 p.m. and adjourned around 8:15 p.m. Mayor Steve Babick presided. Mayor Pro Tem Nancy S. Cline and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem H.A. 'Rusty' Pendleton were absent, traveling on personal business. The council approved routine purchases and agreements, received a Metrocrest Hospital Authority update, recognized community organizations and volunteers, and adopted a revised Governance Policy and Rules of Procedure after pulling it from the consent agenda for separate discussion.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the purchase of one John Deere 320P backhoe from RDO Equipment Company through the Sourcewell purchasing cooperative, not to exceed $154,132, including a 10% contingency. The backhoe is a replacement for a Public Works unit and was funded from previously budgeted Water Fund dollars.
• Approved the purchase of two HVAC air handling units from Trane Manufacturing through the BuyBoard purchasing cooperative, not to exceed $456,142.50, including a 10% contingency. This was described as phase 2 of a 5-phase replacement of the aging City Hall HVAC system, with the prior system approximately 36 years old.
• Approved Change Order No. 4 with La Banda, LLC for the Ridgecrest Phase 1 Street Replacements Project, not to exceed $200,768, increasing the total project contract to $3,201,973, a 6.84% increase over the original $2,997,048 contract. The change order reroutes a sanitary sewer line after pipe-bursting equipment became stuck and an easement issue was discovered.
• Approved the purchase of gymnasium maintenance and wall pad installation/repair from Texas Precision Services, not to exceed $66,110. The vendor is a HUB vendor.
• Approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Children's Advocacy Center for North Texas for FY2023-24 services, not to exceed $40,000.
• Approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Metrocrest Services, Inc. for FY2024 services. The agenda memo stated up to $508,011 for the first year and $1,344,371 for the life of the contract; the attached resolution text referenced a $403,011 renewal plus a separate $105,000 Community Development Block Grant one-time payment for homeless efforts.
• Approved a resolution authorizing a service contract with Stateside Right-of-Way Services, LLC for right-of-way acquisition and general brokerage services, not to exceed $100,000.

Consent agenda items 9-12 and 14-16 were approved unanimously. Item 13 was pulled for separate consideration.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Adam Poulter, identified as a former councilmember, spoke during public comment on Item 13. He opposed adopting the Governance Policy as written, citing the lack of a specific public speaker time limit, arguing that treating non-compliance as 'official misconduct' was redundant and could weaponize the policy, and noting Texas Municipal League guidance recommending no more than two council members be required to place an item on an agenda. He urged the council to table the item for further worksession review.
• During public forum, Pat Cochran invited the council to an art and culture event in downtown Carrollton concurrent with Spooty Fest, featuring women artists and using golf carts to bring older patrons from distant parking areas.
• Cheryl Johnson asked the council to address ongoing mailbox blocking on Staffordshire Drive, citing federal law protecting mailboxes and saying police and postal officials told her council action was needed.
• Craig Johnson supported a mailbox parking ban, citing ordinances in Lancaster (2018), Mesquite (1992), and Lewisville (1997), and argued parking would not be negatively affected.
• Susannah Dooling thanked the council for supporting downtown yarn art, new murals, flowers, and the Metrocrest Leadership scholarship.

Worksession Items

• Metrocrest Hospital Authority Update: The CEO of the Metrocrest Hospital Authority, a former Carrollton councilmember, presented. He explained the authority's history, noted it is not taxpayer funded, and said it distributed about $3 million in community grants last year for health-related services in the Metrocrest area. He highlighted partnerships with the Carrollton Fire Department on AEDs and CPR training, collaboration with CFB ISD, and funding for organizations including the Children's Advocacy Center, Metrocrest Services, and others. He said mental health was a top need identified in a community needs assessment and that the authority's COO is leading work in that area.
• Mayor and Council Reports and Information Sharing: Councilmembers reported on Coffee with a Cop, the Hispanic Heritage Month Festival at Grandscape with approximately 5,000 attendees, a veteran-support chili cook-off, a transit coalition luncheon at DFW Airport, a meeting with LISD Superintendent Dr. Lori Rapp about an upcoming bond election and school safety programs, and upcoming community events. The mayor noted upcoming events including National Night Out, World of Foodies, the Dragon Boat Festival, Hebron homecoming, and the TML conference.

Discussion Items

• Governance Policy and Rules of Procedure (Item 13): During the worksession, Councilmember Richard Fleming asked that the item be pulled from the consent agenda for separate discussion. He raised concerns about the agenda-setting process, the three-member threshold for placing items on a future agenda, public speaker time limits, use of Robert's Rules, and Section 5.16, which states non-compliance with the policy constitutes official misconduct as defined in the city charter. City Attorney Meredith Ladd and council committee members explained the rationale behind the revisions. Councilmember Andrew Palacios, as committee chair, said the committee was unanimous in supporting the revisions. Councilmember Daisy Palomo said she supported keeping Section 5.16 for accountability. During the regular meeting, Fleming reiterated his concern about the three-member threshold and said it should be reduced to two. Palacios moved approval of Item 13, Axberg seconded, and the ordinance passed with Fleming voting in opposition.

Presentations

• Police Chief Roberto Arredondo presented Certificates of Appreciation to community organizations. Dallas Gun Source and SPS Guns were recognized for employee actions that helped law enforcement arrest an individual on federal firearms charges. The Korean Women's Association of North Texas and the Korean American Development and Advancements Foundation were recognized for providing nine scholarships, including two to children of Carrollton Police Department employees.
• The Carrollton Police Department presented Presidential Volunteer Service Awards to community volunteers. Department representatives said CPD volunteers' hours represented approximately six full-time employees' worth of work. Awards were given in bronze, silver, and gold categories. Two volunteers with more than 900 hours each, including Judy Nally with 903 hours, received an informal platinum-level recognition.

Key Outcomes

• The council unanimously approved consent agenda items 9-12 and 14-16.
• The council adopted the Governance Policy and Rules of Procedure ordinance (Item 13) by a vote of 5-1, with Councilmember Richard Fleming voting in opposition.
• The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:15 p.m.