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, January 13, 2020
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.












 

 

 


 

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.   Strategic Project Portfolio - Quarterly Update

Council is receiving an update on the Strategic Project Portfolio. The summary report shows the status and condition of projects through the end of December 2019.
 
b.   Optional Redemption of Tax Notes

Council is requested to consider approving a resolution to redeem the Tax Notes, Series 2019A and 2019B as contemplated.  This item is scheduled for formal consideration at the January 14, 2020 Regular Meeting.
 
c.   Boards and Commissions Quarterly Report

The Board and Commission Quarterly Reports for the period of October 1 - December 31, 2019 are submitted for Council's review.  
 
             
4. Verbal Briefings:  
 
a.   Landfill Gas to Energy Project

In the Spring of 2019, staff developed a Request for Proposal to solicit offers to collect and purchase landfill gas from the C.M. Hinton Jr. Regional Landfill.  Morrow Renewables was selected as the most qualified bidder.  Staff will present an overview of the landfill gas to energy concept and the terms of the agreement with Morrow Renewables.  Council is requested to authorize a contract with Morrow Renewables that provides for the purchase of landfill gas for a period of 15 years with a five year automatic renewal if the terms of the initial contract period are met and to provide upgrades to a portion of the landfill gas collection and control system at the C.M. Hinton Jr. Regional Landfill.  This item is scheduled for formal consideration at the January 14, 2020 Regular Meeting. 
 
b.   Garland Senior Living, Ltd. Senior Multifamily Housing Development

Garland Senior Living, Ltd., is considering submitting an application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits.  Approval will permit a multifamily housing development on a 6.01 acre site located at 2222 Monarch Drive and 301 Tina Drive.  The applicants are requesting formal support from the City of Garland for the proposed development in order to move forward with the application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program. 
 
c.   Administrative Services Committee Update 

Mayor Pro Tem Robert John Smith, Chair of the Administrative Services Committee, will provide a committee report on the following items:
  • Budget Method Change (staff report followed by general discussion and direction)
  • New Rules for Boards and Commissions (legal presentation) 
 
5. Discuss Appointments to Boards and Commissions  
 
  Mayor Pro Tem Smith
  • Forrest Oliver - Senior Citizens Advisory Committee
 
6. 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.
 
 
             
7. 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:
 
 

 
 
The City Council will adjourn into executive session pursuant to Sections 551.071 and 551.072 of the Texas Government Code to deliberate or discuss:
  1. Pending or 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 in regard to:
    1. Limitations on the use of park land for alternative purposes; and
    2. Acquiring real property where public convenience and necessity requires the use of eminent domain (551.071). 
  2. The purchase, lease, or exchange of several lots or tracts of real property, or use of eminent domain to acquire real property, generally located east of  First Street and Avenue D and in the vicinity of Jupiter Road north of Forest Lane (551.072).
 
 
8. Adjourn