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Record of Proceedings

Richland Hills City Council Meeting Summary - March 23, 2026

City Council — Monday, March 23, 2026
BodyRichland Hills, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, March 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

5:06

All right,

Speaker 1

5:06

it's 5 30.

5:07

Welcome everyone to the Richmond Hill City Council work session for March 23rd, 2026.

5:16

First item.

5:16

Mrs.

5:17

William do we have a forum present?

Speaker 2

5:19

We do.

Speaker 1

5:20

All right.

5:21

Forum present, I'll call the meeting.

5:30

First order of business in our work session.

5:33

I'll turn it over to staff for item A.

Speaker 3

5:36

Thank you, Mayor.

5:37

Item A is a discussion regarding Toto Verde IT solutions and meter network infrastructure.

5:44

Some of you know our IT infrastructure related to servers and equipment is dated and to replace can be extremely costly.

5:52

So I'm gonna ask Sheena McAkron to come forward to present a solution to you that she believes is a win-win along with our our IT representatives from Toto Verde.

Speaker 4

6:03

Again, Sheena McAcker and support services.

6:05

Um kind of go through, kind of give you an overview of kind of where we're at and how we got to right now.

6:12

So just up on the screen, you can see we have 16 network switches, all of various ages and brands.

6:19

Um actually installed prior to Toto Verde um becoming our managed services

Speaker 5

6:25

contractor.

Speaker 4

6:26

Um just over the years, that's just how they've we've just kind of rolled with it, um replacing them as needed, kind of thing.

6:33

Um we also we did budget to replace some of them, but this is where we stand all together.

6:38

We've um just due to costs, we've never replaced all of them at once.

Unassigned speaker

6:43

Um

Speaker 4

6:43

and you'll we'll get to how much each of these cost, and you can see why we've never replaced them all at once.

6:48

Um we have various wireless access points.

6:51

Um the network is actually in need of a reconfiguration and cleanup just over the years, new technology, new um added staff, added equipment.

7:00

Um so we really need a new uh re uh refresh of the network.

7:05

Um with a network refresh, we could also get um we need better uh remote support and monitoring and really proactive monitoring due to the ages of some of these network switches.

7:15

Um we don't have complete remote capabilities to manage it.

7:19

We can manage it to an extent, um, but a lot of times our IT company has to actually come on site to do more uh management of that.

7:26

So not as efficient as they could

Unassigned speaker

7:28

be.

Speaker 4

7:29

Um and then in addition to that, uh most of our hardware requires separate licensing for each piece of

Unassigned speaker

7:34

it.

Speaker 4

7:36

So to do a complete network refresh to refresh all of it all at once to bring all of our equipment into the same age, the same year, same support.

7:45

Um this is an overview of what each of these pieces would cost.

7:49

And as you can see, each network switch is almost $1,900.

7:53

Um and at the bottom you also have the annual licensing.

7:57

So despite all that, if we didn't do anything, the bottom line is we would still have to do the we still have to do our annual licensing to pay and to maintain service on each of these hardware pieces.

Speaker 6

8:10

Was the firewalls two because they're reduced.

8:13

We have two firewalls redundant.

Speaker 4

8:14

Yeah.

Unassigned speaker

8:15

Okay.

Speaker 7

8:16

Yeah.

Unassigned speaker

8:20

That's pretty

Speaker 6

8:20

stupid.

Speaker 4

8:23

So that before.

Speaker 8

8:26

All your upfront, oh so all your upfront costs here are 735 and your annual run rate is 26?

8:32

Yes.

Speaker 4

8:34

Yes.

8:34

So we budgeted two, we did budget to replace so many switches, but due to budget, you know limitations, we we don't replace all of them at once.

Unassigned speaker

8:45

Um,

Speaker 4

8:45

which does kind of make it hard because each each piece has different support.

8:49

Each piece has different limitations of what they what they can do.

8:54

So it's it's kind of got to a point where it's it's kind of challenging and and they could provide we could have better service provided to us um if we had all of our network switches the same year, you know, newer ones.

9:07

Um,

Unassigned speaker

9:08

because

Speaker 4

9:08

our oldest one is from 2018.

9:10

So technology-wise, you're looking at five to seven years is pretty much when you need to start replacing them.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation████████████████████20%
Short Term Rentals████████████12%
Miscellaneous██████████10%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%
Public Safety█████████9%
Procedural████████8%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Public Engagement████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Richland Hills City Council Meeting Summary - March 23, 2026

The Richland Hills City Council convened for a Work Session at 5:30 PM followed by a Regular Session on March 23, 2026. The Work Session included detailed discussions on upgrading the city's IT network infrastructure, an update on the Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFTA), and proposed updates to water and wastewater impact fees for new development. The Regular Session featured public comments regarding meeting start times, a 5-year service award, amendments to the short-term rental registration ordinance, and a resolution for a new outdoor audio system at City Plaza which was tabled on fiscal grounds.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the March 9, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting.
  • Resolution 639-26: Participating in the National Wildlife Federation's Mayor's Monarch Pledge.
  • Resolution 640-26: Authorizing a change of authorized representatives for LOGIC.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Vicki Hamilton (7905 Leslie Drive) expressed concern that the Regular Session start time was listed ambiguously as "immediately following the Executive Session" rather than a fixed time like 7 PM. She requested a specific published time or "no earlier than 7 PM" language for transparency.
  • John Garza (7900 Leslie Drive) supported Ms. Hamilton's transparency concerns, stating ambiguity "optically looks bad." He also thanked the council for progress on neighborhood gates and trail lighting.

Discussion Items

Work Session: Todo Verde IT Solutions & Meter Network Infrastructure

  • Sheena McAcker and Dory Thompson (Todo Verde) proposed replacing the city's aging network (16 switches, almost $1,900 each, many out of support by end of 2026) with a "Network-as-a-Service" from Meter.
  • The model costs $27,118/year (or $2,486/month) for a 5-year term, covering all hardware (switches, firewalls, Wi-Fi 7 APs), cabling, installation, 24/7 monitoring, ISP management, and lifecycle upgrades, converting capital expenses to operational expenses.
  • Council questioned contract duration, end-of-term equipment ownership, CPI increases, SLAs, cybersecurity, and requested a pro forma cost savings analysis. Staff was directed to bring back pricing for 5, 7, and 10-year options, and the contract for legal review.

Work Session: Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFTA) Update

  • Chief Rhodes presented an overview of NEFTA, a 15-member regional collaboration (880 firefighters, 178 sq miles, 26,000-28,000 calls annually) providing hazmat (hosted by Richland Hills/NRH), bomb, technical rescue, and swift water teams. DFW Airport joined as the 15th member with a fixed fee based on a deemed daily population of 60,000.
  • Councilmember Roland questioned the fairness of the dues structure, noting Richland Hills (pop. 8,678) pays $16,110 in operational base+per capita dues, while North Richland Hills (pop. 75,000) pays $27,621, arguing the base fee component makes the cost disproportionate for smaller cities. The increase this year was attributed to adding a mental health services program for first responders. A NEFTA Show and Tell is scheduled for May 21st.

Work Session: Water and Wastewater System Facility Impact Fees

  • JP DuGay and Kelly Morris presented proposed updates to impact fees, reactive to Fort Worth's new phased rate schedule (effective Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 1, 2026).
  • Staff determined an independent impact fee study (approx. $150,000) is not cost-effective given the city's limited projected growth (3%) and existing capacity (10-15%). The proposed ordinance adopts Fort Worth's new fee schedule.
  • Council discussed the impact on redevelopment (meter upsizes) and the new state requirement (SB 14) to implement a credit program for developers using water conservation. The item is scheduled for formal adoption on April 27th.

New Business: Short-Term Rental Registration (Ordinance 1538-26)

  • Staff proposed removing the liability insurance requirement entirely, as operators found it cumbersome.
  • Council decided to require proof of insurance but removed the specific $1 million minimum and the requirement to name the City as an additional insured, as these specific provisions were identified as the source of the operators' difficulties. The ordinance also included clean-up language on permit expiration, revocation, and appeals.

New Business: City Plaza Outdoor Audio System

  • Eric Velaz presented a $107,378.56 project for a permanent outdoor audio system covering City Hall, the Fire Department, The Link, and the Pavilion, procured through a TIPS cooperative contract.
  • The City Manager recommended tabling the item due to a sales tax shortfall and the project not being in the approved FY26 budget. Council unanimously agreed to table the project indefinitely. Temporary amplified sound will be arranged for events this year.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance 1538-26 (STR Registration): Passed (7-0). Amends Article 13 to require proof of insurance for STR operators, removing the previous mandates for specific minimum coverage of $1M and naming the city as an additional insured.
  • City Plaza Audio Resolution: Tabled indefinitely (Unanimous).
  • Recognition: Police Lieutenant Adam Atteberry received a 5-Year Service Award.
  • Future Actions: The IT network proposal will return with additional pricing and contract details. The impact fee ordinance is scheduled for formal adoption on April 27th. The meeting format and start time will be discussed at a future council meeting following public feedback.

Meeting Transcript

All right, it's 5 30. Welcome everyone to the Richmond Hill City Council work session for March 23rd, 2026. First item. Mrs. William do we have a forum present? We do. All right. Forum present, I'll call the meeting. First order of business in our work session. I'll turn it over to staff for item A. Thank you, Mayor. Item A is a discussion regarding Toto Verde IT solutions and meter network infrastructure. Some of you know our IT infrastructure related to servers and equipment is dated and to replace can be extremely costly. So I'm gonna ask Sheena McAkron to come forward to present a solution to you that she believes is a win-win along with our our IT representatives from Toto Verde. Again, Sheena McAcker and support services. Um kind of go through, kind of give you an overview of kind of where we're at and how we got to right now. So just up on the screen, you can see we have 16 network switches, all of various ages and brands. Um actually installed prior to Toto Verde um becoming our managed services contractor. Um just over the years, that's just how they've we've just kind of rolled with it, um replacing them as needed, kind of thing. Um we also we did budget to replace some of them, but this is where we stand all together. We've um just due to costs, we've never replaced all of them at once. Um and you'll we'll get to how much each of these cost, and you can see why we've never replaced them all at once. Um we have various wireless access points. Um the network is actually in need of a reconfiguration and cleanup just over the years, new technology, new um added staff, added equipment. Um so we really need a new uh re uh refresh of the network. Um with a network refresh, we could also get um we need better uh remote support and monitoring and really proactive monitoring due to the ages of some of these network switches. Um we don't have complete remote capabilities to manage it. We can manage it to an extent, um, but a lot of times our IT company has to actually come on site to do more uh management of that. So not as efficient as they could be. Um and then in addition to that, uh most of our hardware requires separate licensing for each piece of it. So to do a complete network refresh to refresh all of it all at once to bring all of our equipment into the same age, the same year, same support. Um this is an overview of what each of these pieces would cost. And as you can see, each network switch is almost $1,900. Um and at the bottom you also have the annual licensing. So despite all that, if we didn't do anything, the bottom line is we would still have to do the we still have to do our annual licensing to pay and to maintain service on each of these hardware pieces. Was the firewalls two because they're reduced. We have two firewalls redundant. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That's pretty stupid. So that before. All your upfront, oh so all your upfront costs here are 735 and your annual run rate is 26? Yes.

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