City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026

The City Council convened on January 13, 2026, to approve meeting minutes and the Consent Calendar. The meeting focused on three major pre-solicitation items: a study on service costs and revenue opportunities for the Sports and Entertainment District, the selection of an Executive Program Manager (EPM) for the district, and two construction contracts for new community centers in Districts 1 and 3. Council members provided feedback on timeline aggressiveness, local business preferences, and performance-based payment structures.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Item 1 (Minutes): Motion to approve minutes with corrections passed unanimously.
• Agenda Items 2-3 (Audits): Final audit report presentations accepted; two specific areas (freight operations and housing improvement programs) noted as requiring follow-up.
• Consent Calendar Action: A motion to approve the consent calendar (covering routine audit approvals) passed unanimously without any items removed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were received or scheduled during this session.

Discussion Items

Pre-Solicitation: Service Cost Study & Revenue Opportunities for Sports & Entertainment District (Article 4)

• Proposal Overview: Presentation by Troy (Chief of Finance) regarding a $350,000 contract to study service costs (traffic, safety, fire) and revenue opportunities (sales tax, hotel tax, concessions) for the Sports and Entertainment District, including the new NBA arena and Alamo Dome expansion.
• Council Feedback & Positions:
  • Councilmember 1: Expressed appreciation for the aggressive timeline but requested that the study scope explicitly include a timeframe extending to 2045 and scenarios for government shutdowns or pandemics to analyze potential service cost increases. Request: A follow-up memo on these specific scenarios.
  • Councilmember 1: Emphasized the importance of local business preference and the need to clarify the deadline for political campaign contributions to avoid disqualification.
  • Councilmember 1: Requested the study cover solid waste management, parking permit logistics (including private lots), and traffic flow, citing past events (e.g., Garrocks concert) as reference points.
  • Councilmember 2: Questioned the financial team's composition, suggesting the inclusion of public safety experts (police/fire) to ensure accurate cost modeling.
  • Councilmember 2: Requested a memo detailing how to negotiate costs for ongoing construction phases and street closures.
  • Councilmember 2: Stressed the need to evaluate parking permit programs and police/fire costs associated with parking to ensure safety and cost recovery.
  • Councilmember 3: Clarified that the advisory committee will coordinate with police and fire departments after selection, aiming for a scalable service model.
  • Councilmember 3: Requested that the study separate parking analysis as a distinct component to focus on traffic feeder routes and police location.

Pre-Solicitation: Executive Program Manager (EPM) for Sports & Entertainment District (Article 5)

• Proposal Overview: Presentation regarding a contract (estimated $200k-$18M over phases) to hire an EPM to coordinate the Convention Center expansion, NBA arena, and mixed-use development. The initial phase focuses on planning and governance; subsequent phases involve implementation.
• Evaluation Criteria: 50 points for experience/qualifications, 25 for the proposed plan, 15 for cost/value.
• Council Feedback & Positions:
  • Councilmember 1: Proposed adjustments to the evaluation criteria: increase "Experience, Background, and Qualifications" to 80 points, add 5 points to the "Proposed Plan," and allocate 5 points to "Local Preference" to ensure strong local involvement.
  • Councilmember 1: Requested that "Veteran Business Preference" be included in the scoring criteria.
  • Councilmember 1: Suggested that the solicitation include performance-based payment structures (bonuses for on-time/on-budget completion, penalties for delays) and asked staff to explore this option.
  • Councilmember 2: Expressed concern that the EPM might have too much authority over contractor selection without council oversight; emphasized the need for clear metrics and council control.
  • CouncilMember 3: Clarified that the EPM is responsible for overall program supervision and cost control, while specific contractors are selected by the City/Council.
  • CouncilMember 3: Stressed the necessity of robust community communication and requested that community engagement (including the external dashboard) be explicitly part of the EPM's scope.
  • CouncilMember 3: Requested clarification on whether community engagement would be a separate contract or part of the EPM contract.

Pre-Solicitation: Construction for Kenwood Community Center (Article 6)

• Presentation: Christi Chapman (Capital Delivery) presented on a $6.2M contract for a new 8,800 sq. ft. center in District 1, including senior dining, a gym, and offices.
• Evaluation Criteria: 35 points for experience, 30 for project understanding, 10 for regional experience, 15 for price; requires 7% small business participation. No local preference or veteran preference applies.
• Councilmember 1: Expressed strong support for the project given the age of the current structure and issued a reminder regarding the February 13 deadline for political campaign contributions for the 2026 fiscal year.

Pre-Solicitation: Construction for Padre Román Community Center (Article 7)

• Presentation: Capital Delivery presented on an $8.6M contract for a new 2,000 sq. ft. center in District 3 to replace a demolished building, including park connections and parking.
• Evaluation Criteria: 35 points for experience, 30 for project understanding, 10 for regional experience, 15 for price, 10 for small business program; no local preference or veteran preference.
• Councilmember 3: Expressed gratitude to the community and staff for the long-awaited project, noting the building was unsafe due to soil conditions and weather. Reaffirmed the community's desire to keep the original mural in the new design.

Audit Follow-Up (Article 8)

• Presentation: City Auditor Baddy Vargas provided a status update on implementation of prior audit recommendations. 39 recommendations are complete, 2 are pending verification.
• Status: Most items in "yellow" are in process; "red" items indicate completed recommendations pending final verification or resource adjustments. The Police Department noted delays due to case adjournments.
• Council Discussion: Council members discussed the tracking methodology and the reasons for delays (primarily staffing/resources).

Key Outcomes

• Approvals: The agenda minutes and consent calendar were approved unanimously.
• Directives to Staff:
  • Article 4 & 5: Staff are directed to prepare follow-up memos addressing: (1) scenario-based service cost modeling (2045 horizon), (2) integration of public safety experts, (3) integration of parking and street closure cost analysis, (4) adjustments to evaluation criteria (specifically higher local and veteran preferences) if feasible, and (5) inclusion of performance-based payment structures.
  • Article 5: Staff to clarify the scope of community engagement within the EPM contract.
  • Article 6 & 7: Staff to ensure strict adherence to political contribution deadlines (February 13, 2026) for bidders.
• Timeline Acknowledgement: Council acknowledged the aggressive timelines for the study and EPM solicitations, with pre-solicitation comments requested by January 16, 2026.
• Audits: The audit implementation matrix status was noted; no immediate votes required as follow-up is ongoing.