Printed Agenda

AGENDA

CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
City of Garland
Work Session Room, City Hall
William E. Dollar Municipal Building
200 North Fifth Street
Garland, Texas
Monday, December 6, 2021
6:00 p.m.

DEFINITIONS:

Written Briefing: Items that generally do not require a presentation or discussion by the staff or Council. On these items the staff is seeking direction from the Council or providing information in a written format.

Verbal Briefing: These items do not require written background information or are an update on items previously discussed by the Council.

The meeting will be broadcast by webinar or telephone at the following URL:

https://garlandtx.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZoTdGLiLRKi-JXTc3Jf1tw

Registration for the online meeting is required. The meeting will be recorded and will be available for viewing the next day at www.garlandtx.gov.

For those without internet access to the meeting, a dial-in option is available. The numbers are:

346-248-7799
470-250-9358
470-381-2552

The Meeting ID is: 868 2803 3158

NOTICE: The City Council may recess from the open session and convene in a closed executive session if the discussion of any of the listed agenda items concerns one or more of the following matters:

(1) Pending/contemplated litigation, settlement offer(s), and matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information deemed confidential by Rule 1.05 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. Sec. 551.071, Tex. Gov't Code.

(2) The purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, if the deliberation in an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the position of the City in negotiations with a third person. Sec. 551.072, Tex. Gov't Code.

(3) A contract for a prospective gift or donation to the City, if the deliberation in an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the position of the City in negotiations with a third person. Sec. 551.073, Tex. Gov't Code.

(4) Personnel matters involving the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline or dismissal of a public officer or employee or to hear a complaint against an officer or employee. Sec. 551.074, Tex. Gov't Code.

(5) The deployment, or specific occasions for implementation of security personnel or devices. Sec. 551.076, Tex. Gov't Code.

(6) Discussions or deliberations regarding commercial or financial information that the City has received from a business prospect that the City seeks to have locate, stay, or expand in or near the territory of the City and with which the City is conducting economic development negotiations; or to deliberate the offer of a financial or other incentive to a business prospect of the sort described in this provision. Sec. 551.087, Tex. Gov't Code.

(7) Discussions, deliberations, votes, or other final action on matters related to the City’s competitive activity, including information that would, if disclosed, give advantage to competitors or prospective competitors and is reasonably related to one or more of the following categories of information:

generation unit specific and portfolio fixed and variable costs, including forecasts of those costs, capital improvement plans for generation units, and generation unit operating characteristics and outage scheduling;
bidding and pricing information for purchased power, generation and fuel, and Electric Reliability Council of Texas bids, prices, offers, and related services and strategies;
effective fuel and purchased power agreements and fuel transportation arrangements and contracts;
risk management information, contracts, and strategies, including fuel hedging and storage;
plans, studies, proposals, and analyses for system improvements, additions, or sales, other than transmission and distribution system improvements inside the service area for which the public power utility is the sole certificated retail provider; and
customer billing, contract, and usage information, electric power pricing information, system load characteristics, and electric power marketing analyses and strategies. Sec. 551.086; Tex. Gov't Code; Sec. 552.133, Tex. Gov’t Code]


1.		Public Comments on Work Session Items Persons who desire to address the City Council on any item on the Work Session agenda are allowed three minutes to speak. Speakers are taken only at the beginning of the meeting, other than invited testimony. Speakers are grouped by Work Session item and will be taken in the order of the Work Session agenda. Speakers must submit to the City Secretary a completed speaker’s card before the beginning of the meeting. Speaker cards will not be accepted after the Mayor calls the meeting to order. Speaker cards are available in the lobby, at the visitor’s side of the Work Session Room, and from members of staff. Speakers are limited to addressing items on the Work Session agenda – any item relating to a Regular Session agenda item should be addressed at the Regular Session and any item not on an agenda may be addressed during the open microphone at the end of the Regular Session.

2.		Consider the Consent Agenda A member of the City Council may ask for discussion or further information on an item posted as a consent agenda item on the next Regular Meeting of the City Council. The Council Member may also ask that an item on the posted consent agenda be pulled from the consent agenda and considered for a vote separate from consent agenda items on the regular agenda. All discussions or deliberations on this portion of the work session agenda are limited to posted agenda items and may not include a new or unposted subject matter.

3.		Written Briefings:

	a.	West Kingsley Road Railroad Crossing Rehabilitation Agreement Council is requested to consider authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS) to rehabilitate the West Kingsley Road railroad crossing. The existing tracks, concrete crossing surface and the concrete pavement on both sides of the tracks will be reconstructed. The track/crossing surface construction will be completely performed by KCS's contractor at the City's expense, which is estimated at $214,257. After the track construction is complete, the City's arterial concrete repair contractor will perform the concrete pavement reconstruction. This work will provide a better riding surface when motorists cross the railroad tracks. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the December 14, 2021 Regular Meeting.

	b.	West Miller Road Railroad Crossing Cost Reimbursement Agreement Council is requested to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad Inc. (DGNO) to rehabilitate the West Miller Road railroad crossing. The existing tracks, concrete crossing surface and the concrete pavement on both sides of the tracks will be reconstructed. The track/crossing surface construction will be completely performed by DGNO’s contractor at the City’s expense, which is estimated at $146,743.00. After the track reconstruction is complete, the City’s concrete repair contractor will perform the concrete pavement reconstruction. This work will provide a better riding surface when motorists cross the railroad tracks. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the December 14, 2021 Regular Meeting.

	c.	Miller Park Road Railroad Crossing Improvements Council is requested to approve a resolution in which the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad, Inc. (DGNO) agrees to allow the City to remove the existing railroad tracks and pavement materials and reconstruct the roadway crossing areas with reinforced concrete pavement. The resolution also acknowledges DGNO's continued rights, title and interest to and upon these spur crossings and retains their ability to reinstall crossing facilities in the future at their expense. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the December 14, 2021 Regular Meeting.

	d.	South Jupiter Road Railroad Crossing Improvements Council is requested to approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad, Inc. (DGNO) to rehabilitate the South Jupiter Road railroad crossing. The existing double tracks, concrete crossing surface and the concrete pavement on both sides of the tracks (approximately 300 feet on each side) will be reconstructed. The double track/crossing surface construction will be completely performed by DGNO’s contractor at the City’s expense, which is estimated at $237,240.00. After the track reconstruction is complete, the City’s contractor will perform the concrete pavement reconstruction. This work will provide a better riding surface when motorists cross the railroad tracks. This agreement also provides approval for DGNO’s contractor to perform temporary improvements adjacent to the existing double tracks to improve rideability for the traveling public until such time as the reconstruction work is completed. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the December 14, 2021 Regular Meeting.

	e.	Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant Fall 2021 Applications The Community Services Committee recommends approval for Crystal Lake HOA, Fall Creek HOA, and Rainbow Estates as submitted. The Community Services Committee recommends partial approval for Captain's Quarters HOA, Provence at Firewheel HOA and Town North HOA in adherence with the current Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant guidelines. Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the December 14, 2021 Regular Meeting.

	f.	Impact Fee Study Re-adoption Section 395.052 of the Texas Local Government Code mandates updates every five years to the land use assumptions and capital improvements plan for a political subdivision imposing an impact fee. The City may re-adopt previous impact fee studies that are still deemed valid. In 2016 (with a March 1, 2017 effective date), the City Council adopted the Land Use Assumptions, Roadway and Water Impact Fee Capital Improvement Plan, and a Maximum Roadway and Water Impact Fee, as drafted by consultant Kimley-Horn. Staff has determined that the impact fee study is still valid for another five (5) years and recommends re-adoption. This item will be considered at a future Council meeting.

	g.	Donation Request from Garland Emergency Corps The Garland Emergency Corps (GEC) has expressed "an interest in adding to our inventory some retired or surplus City of Garland equipment to increase our usefulness to the citizens of Garland and the general fulfillment of our mission of service to our community during disasters, matters of emergency or events with opportunities to support public safety missions." The GEC is seeking a donation by the City of some or all of the items. If Council chooses to donate one or both items, a resolution for the donation will be placed on a future Regular Session for formal approval by City Council. Unless directed by Council to do otherwise, staff will proceed with the donation of Item #1 (Dump Truck) and Item #4 (Utility Equipment or Flatbed Trailer).

4.		Verbal Briefings:

	a.	Public Safety Committee Update - EMS Transports The Public Safety Committee was asked to review the emergency transport policy for EMS transports to area hospitals. The Committee discussed complaints by residents of quality of care when taken to certain hospitals. As a result of Fire's research and analysis, EMS' operating policies are being modified to give residents options for different qualified hospitals at the time of their transport unless the department is in ambulance overload or if the medical need dictates that time is of the essence.

	b.	COVID-19 Briefing Staff will provide an update to Council and ask for direction, if needed, on various matters related to COVID-19 and actions being taken by the City.

5.		Announce Future Agenda Items A member of the City Council, with a second by another member, or the Mayor alone, may ask that an item be placed on a future agenda of the City Council or a committee of the City Council. No substantive discussion of that item will take place at this time.


6.		Council will move into Executive Session

		EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA NOTICE: The City Council may recess from the open session and convene in a closed executive session if the discussion of any of the listed agenda items concerns one or more of the following matters:

	99.

		Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to Sections 551.133 and 551.071 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate, discuss, vote, and take final action with regard to competitive matters on the following: A resolution relating to electric utility competitive matters; approving First Amendment to Solar Renewable Energy Purchase Agreement with Delilah Solar Energy LLC, and authorizing the City Manager to execute the same (551.133); and attorney/client matters concerning privileged and unprivileged client information (551.071).

7.		Adjourn