Carrollton City Council Regular Worksession & Meeting, 2024-07-02 11:45:00+00:00

The Carrollton City Council convened for a Regular Worksession and Meeting on 2024-07-02 11:45:00+00:00. The session included a worksession discussion on Fiscal Year 2025 Departmental Additions to Base (ATBs), unanimous approval of a combined consent agenda, and the unanimous passage of three public hearing items related to zoning and land use.

Consent Calendar

All items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously (8-0).

• Items 7 & 8 (Vehicle Purchases): Approved the purchase of two Ford F-150 pickup trucks ($92,974) and three Ford Explorers ($205,743) for the Police Department through the Texas Smart Buy Cooperative, replacing aging fleet vehicles.
• Item 9 (A.W. Perry Homestead Renovations): Approved historical renovations to the A.W. Perry Homestead by Dallas Harmony Construction for $534,223.80, funded by capital improvement project funds. Work includes roof repairs, an ADA lift, sidewalk, painting, and HVAC/electrical upgrades.
• Items 10 & 11 (Change Orders): Approved Change Order No. 3 with KIK Underground, LLC for $68,174.30 to repair a slope failure in the Northland Estates drainage channel caused by heavy rain. Also approved Change Order No. 2 with Garrett Demolition, Inc. for $22,576 to excavate a second foundation discovered during demolition of the former Van Hyundai structure.
• Items 12 & 15 (Property Acquisitions): Authorized right-of-way purchases for the Carrollton Heights Addition reconstruction ($52,000) and the acquisition of 0.55 acres at 1429 & 1437 N. IH-35E ($845,000) for downtown land banking.
• Item 13 (Grant Application): Authorized the submission of a $221,000 application for the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) Catalytic Converter Grant Program to continue leasing 57 IP cameras.
• Item 14 (Lease Agreement): Approved a resolution authorizing a lease with Firehouse Theatre for the city-owned property at 1003 West Main Street. The tenant agreed to allow city use of restroom facilities for up to 24 special events per year at no cost.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Consent Agenda & Public Hearings (Items 16, 17, 18): No members of the public addressed the council on these items. Staff noted two comment cards were received in opposition for the short-term rental case during the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
• Public Forum: Richard Woodmancy (3102 Cambridge Shire Drive) addressed the council to ask about the purpose of the demolition of the former Van Hyundai property and adjacent land acquisition. Mayor Steve Babick explained the demolition prepares the site for redevelopment and the property purchase is part of a downtown land banking strategy to facilitate larger future projects.

Discussion Items

The council held a worksession to discuss Fiscal Year 2025 Departmental Additions to Base (ATBs).

• Parks and Recreation (Scott Whitaker): Proposed two ATBs. The first was a non-recurring request to replace an aging restroom facility at the Josey Ranch synthetic turf field (Field 6). The second requested $300,000 in savings for the future development of the TC Rice property into a natural area.
• Information Technology (Chris Chiancone): Presented an aggregate ATB request of $1.9 million for non-recurring IT projects. The funding covers several major initiatives: continued mobile app development (currently in beta), expanded chatbot development for internal and external use, a voice attendant system for automated citizen notifications, a project manager for a new Laserfiche document management system, and general staff augmentation. Councilmember Palacios requested a detailed breakdown of the $1.9 million to allow for individual decision-making on distinct projects. A discussion on return on investment followed, with IT staff explaining the role of these technologies in providing "cognitive offload" to improve staff efficiency and citizen self-service. Mayor Babick noted that staff augmentation accounts for approximately $1 million of the total request.
• Mayor and Council Reports: Councilmember Palomo thanked the city for its response to storm debris cleanup. Councilmember Waters shared appreciation from the DFW Golf Ladies Association for Indian Creek Golf Course and highlighted the "Hunger Mitao" movement, which has provided over 60 million meals. Mayor Babick updated the council on the "4-minute city" AED program (40 out of a 200-resident goal), the upcoming 4th of July fireworks and concert, and the Battle of the Badges blood drive.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda (Items 7-15): Approved unanimously (8-0).
• Item 16 (Short-Term Rental SUP): Approved unanimously (8-0) to establish a Special Use Permit for a short-term rental at 1829 East Belt Line Road. The permit includes stipulations limiting occupancy to 5 individuals (max 4 unrelated guests), restricting to 3 bedrooms, prohibiting alley parking and separate room rentals, and requiring a lodging license and physical inspection.
• Item 17 (Repeal of Two SUPs): Approved unanimously (8-0) to repeal SUP-237 (100-foot protective golf net at 2308 Marsh Lane) and SUP-340 (motorcycle rental at 1518 S. IH-35E).
• Item 18 (Penikam Warehouse PD): Approved unanimously (8-0) to establish Planned Development District No. 227 at 1811 Trinity Valley Drive, allowing an office and warehouse expansion with modified development standards.