City of Carrollton City Council Worksession & Regular Meeting Summary - December 5, 2023

The Carrollton City Council convened on December 5, 2023, starting with a worksession at 5:45 PM followed by the regular meeting at 7:00 PM. The agenda included presentations on environmental awards, a large consent agenda, several public hearings for zoning and land use changes, and a public forum. Key highlights included the approval of economic development incentives for DuraPlas Inc. and JBB Advanced Technologies, the adoption of a revised nuisance ordinance with a specific 45/30-day holiday decoration provision passed by a 5-2 vote, the initiation of the 4 Minute City AED program, and the approval of multiple zoning cases including the Texas Car One SUP, the El Paisa PD amendment, and a new Dallas Billiards and Academy SUP.

Consent Calendar

• Items 9 through 15 and 17 through 22 were approved unanimously in one motion. These included the purchase of firefighter protective equipment ($465,000), renewal of the Mark43 Police RMS licensing subscription ($162,441.77 first year, $836,240.17 total), approval of short-term rental software from Deckard Technologies ($23,750 annually), and the renewal of Microsoft Unified Support ($65,000). Economic development incentive agreements were authorized for DuraPlas Inc. (up to $481,284) and JBB Advanced Technologies ($217,000). The Council also approved the 4 Minute City AED program with Avive Solutions ($108,000 first year, $508,000 total contract), a court security agreement with Twin City Security ($64,087.86 annually), and the appointment of new members to the Carrollton Police Reserve.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No speakers addressed the Council during the public comment period for the consent agenda (Items 9-22).
• A written comment opposing the Dallas Billiards and Academy Special Use Permit was received from the Carrollton Asian Town Center.
• During the Public Forum (Item 30), resident Don Plasing urged the Council to address the unauthorized use of city electric vehicle charging stations by non-city vehicles, characterizing it as theft from taxpayers.

Discussion Items

• Worksession: Residential Streetlight Infill Prioritization: Jonathan Wheat, Director of Engineering, presented the Traffic Advisory Committee's (TAC) prioritization list. Using $500,000 from the 2022 bond, a benefit formula analyzed darkness (spacing over 500 ft), crime data, proximity to schools and parks, and resident requests. TAC recommended proceeding first with the Carrollton Highlands and Crosby Estates neighborhoods.
• Worksession: Potential Charter Propositions: City Attorney Meredith Ladd introduced three propositions for the May 2024 election: Proposition A aligns the 12-month residency requirement with state law; Proposition B updates the resign-to-run provision to comply with the Texas Constitution; Proposition C changes the redistricting cycle from every 5 years to every 10 years, aligning with the federal census and state law (HB 3613).
• Environmental Awards: Councilmember Axberg presented the Environmental Leadership Award to ten facilities and the Environmental Distinction Award to Century Products and Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products for their pollution prevention and sustainability efforts.
• 4 Minute City AED Program (Item 21): Fire Chief Michael Thompson presented a new program to deploy 200 hyper-connected AEDs with citizen volunteers, aiming to reduce response times to sudden cardiac arrest. The program is fully funded by the Metrocrest Hospital Authority. Councilmembers expressed strong support for the initiative.
• Nuisance Ordinance Amendment (Item 16): The Mayor noted that Item 16 was pulled for separate consideration. Staff prepared an alternative to the original proposal, changing the holiday decoration allowable timeframe from 30 days prior to 45 days prior, while keeping the removal requirement at 30 days after. Councilmember Axberg thanked the Mayor and staff for the compromise. The item passed with Councilmembers Carpenter and Fleming voting against.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Amendments (Items 9-15, 17-22): Approved unanimously.
• Ordinance Amending Chapter 92 (Nuisances) (Item 16): Approved 5-2 (Councilmembers Carpenter and Fleming opposed). The approved amendment includes the 45-day prior / 30-day after provision for holiday decorations.
• Adoption of PY22 CDBG CAPER (Item 23): Approved unanimously, adopting the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report.
• Texas Car One SUP (Item 24): Approved unanimously, amending SUP-486 at 1729 S. Broadway to allow a repair garage and paint/body shop as accessory uses.
• El Paisa PD Amendment (Item 25): Approved unanimously, re-establishing PD-185 for a limited-service restaurant with a drive-through at 1912 Parker Road.
• Dallas Billiards and Academy SUP (Item 26): Approved unanimously, establishing SUP-495 for a billiard hall at 2630 Old Denton Road with no alcohol sales.
• Airport Zoning Map Update (Item 27): Approved unanimously, updating the referenced map date from April 1979 to September 2016.
• HP Overlay District Text Amendment (Item 28): Approved unanimously, updating duties and procedures for the Museum and Historic Advisory Committee.
• Dwelling Unit Definition (Item 29): Approved unanimously, refining the definition in Article XXXIV to explicitly exclude transient lodging such as hotels and short-term rentals.