Richardson City Council Meeting December 11th, 2023
OPENING
All councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer.
Councilwoman Justice leads a religiously syncretic prayer and the pledges of allegiance.
Minutes of previous meetings are approved unanimously.
Council then introduces the appointed/reappointed members of boards and commissions.
One public speaker thanks the city for their statement in response to last week’s public comments requesting a ceasefire resolution on the War in Gaza. She asks Council to consider how they would respond to a government that doesn’t grant certain citizens basic rights because of their race and religion. A second speaker, one of the speakers from the Dec. 4th meeting who experienced microphone issues, speaks on the War in Gaza and state government purchases of Israeli bonds. She again asks for Council to consider a ceasefire resolution.
ACCESS + INCLUSION 2024
The first discussion item is a presentation on the 2024 Access + Inclusion event. Eisemann Center Executive Director Ally Haynes-Hamblen presents. This year’s event will again be focused on mental wellness and the arts and will include luncheons for staff and the public. The featured guests this year will be the Los Angeles vocal group Tonality. They will perform their show, You Are Not Alone, which focuses on challenging the stigma around mental health. They will also perform with the Dallas Street Choir, an organization that helps homeless individuals find their voice through musical performance. Tonality will also conduct lectures and master classes throughout the week. This year’s event will take place Feb. 12th -15th. Olympic Gold Medalist and former WNBA Player Chamique Holdsclaw will be the featured speaker at the public luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 15th at 11:30 am at the Eisemann Center. Tickets for this luncheon will be $20, parking included.
CITY ELECTRIC PROVIDER
The next discussion is on retail electric provider options. Engineering & Capital Projects Director Jim Dulac presents. This decision relates to electricity used for city facilities, streetlights, traffic signals, parks, and pools. The city typically spends approx. $3M annually on 30M KWh. The city is partnering with energy advisory firm Energy by 5 to assist with the bidding process. Jim states that a renewable energy component will be considered for the next contract. Historically, the city has engaged in 5-year contracts, however, a 9-year contract is now recommended due to the competitive market. A price not to exceed 5.7 cents/KWh and a 25% renewable energy component are also recommended.
Councilman Corcoran asks if Energy by 5 has recommended any energy conservation opportunities. Jim answers that the firm has recommended and will continue to recommend conservation and efficiency opportunities that should save more than the cost of their consulting. Councilman Corcoran also asks what the expected increase in energy costs will be. Jim answers that, due to rising prices in the market, the city can expect to spend roughly 10% more or $300K-400K. Councilman Hutchenrider asks about the contract with Energy by 5. Jim answers that their fee is added to the electric rate that the city contracts. Their fee is approx. .2 cents/KWh or $60K-70K annually.
Councilman Hutchenrider asks what the additional cost of renewable energy will be. Jim answers that the increase in cost will be roughly $50K annually for a 25% renewable energy component. City Manager Don Magner explains that the addition of renewable energy is responsive to Council’s tactic of exploring environmental initiatives and comes with no additional risk of power failure. Councilwoman Justice reminds Council of the feedback from citizens in the comprehensive plan sessions about sustainability. She supports the renewable energy portion because citizens have been asking for it. Councilman Barrios agrees. Councilman Hutchenrider states that, while there is a component of the community that wants renewable energy, there is also a component of the community that wants the lowest taxes possible. He asks if the increased cost will be used to create more renewable energy capacity. Jim answers that he does not know. Councilman Hutchenrider asks if any other cities are doing this. Jim answers that Fort Worth recently signed a 10-year term with 50% renewable energy. City Manager Don Magner explains that the delivery system is not set up on separate grids for renewable energy. It’s simply a cost increase associated with contributing to more renewable energy generation. In other words, 25% of the rate the city pays should go to renewable energy producers. The rate is higher because it currently costs more to produce renewable energy. Council unanimously authorizes the city manager to negotiate a contract for a rate of 5.7 cents/KWh or less with a 25% renewable energy component.
PUBLIC HEARING – NATURICH BEAUTY PRODUCT MANUFACTURER
Two public hearings are scheduled. The first is for ZF 23-12, a special permit and planned development request for Naturich, a beauty products manufacturing facility, at Research Dr. and Telecom Pkwy. This item was also discussed at the Oct. 17th CPC meeting. Staff provides a background of the request and the applicant steps forward to answer questions. He states that all chemicals have been approved by the fire marshal and waste is disposed of through a third-party waste disposal service. Councilman Dorian asks if landscaping plans will utilize native landscaping. The architect answers that they can look into that. Councilman Corcoran asks if the facility will use mica, a silicate used to make products shimmer. The applicant answers that they do use mica obtained from Kobo Products Inc. (Mica can be either synthetically produced or naturally mined. When naturally mined, miners suffer from health issues that come from inhaling mica particles. This mining industry also has a history of child labor issues. Whether or not mica is biodegradable in its natural form appears to be up for debate. This applicant has claimed that all the materials they use are biodegradable, but mica isn’t necessarily completely biodegradable. I don’t know how Kobo sources their mica, but the ethics of mica mining are important to consider, and I appreciate the question being asked.) No other speakers are present for the item. Council unanimously approves the request.
PUBLIC HEARING – SHERMAN LOFTS
The next hearing is for ZF 23-13, a special permit and development plan request for Sherman Lofts, a mixed-use multifamily development at S. Sherman and W. Spring Valley. This item was also covered in the Nov. 21st CPC meeting. Staff presents a background of the request. A dedicated right-turn lane that was recommended in previous traffic studies is no longer recommended due to the impact on pedestrian safety. Councilman Corcoran asks why the initial studies recommended it. City Manager Don Magner states that the previous studies were conducted by a different engineer. Councilman Hutchenrider asks about correspondence related to the request. Staff answers that one written comment was received opposing the request. The applicant then steps to the podium to answer questions. Mayor Dubey asks when construction will begin. The applicant answers that it’s hard to get construction loans right now. He states it’ll be up to the banks. Council unanimously approves the request.
CONSENT AGENDA
Council unanimously approves the consent agenda. It includes an ordinance officially codifying the creation of the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Also included are resolutions adopting the investment policy. Votes for both the Dallas and Collin appraisal districts are also included. On the Dallas side, the city votes for Michael Hurtt. On the Collin side, the city votes for Rick Grady and Ronald Kelley. The 2024 Council meeting calendar is also officially adopted. Eight bids are awarded: $600K to Texas Pride Utilities LLC for sewer pipe rehabilitation, $2.2M to DDM Construction for Sherwood Dr. reconstruction, a $60K annual requirements contract to Metro Golf Cars for golf car rentals, $64K to Sunbelt Pools for gelcoat replacement, $51K to Texas Tennis Contractors for Huffhines Tennis Center resurfacing, $113K for ammunition for the police department (the vendor is not specified), $90K to Entech Sales & Service for Fire Training Center access controls, and $200K to Cactus Abatement & Demolition for Library asbestos removal. Two Competitive Sealed Proposals are also included: $7M to JC Commercial Inc. for the Animal Shelter and Fire Station #5 projects, and $7M to Landscapes Unlimited for the Sherrill Park Golf Course renovation. The final consent agenda items are two change orders: increasing the Axis Contracting contract for West Prairie Creek Dr. reconstruction by $400K and decreasing the Aushill Construction contract for Napier Dr. reconstruction by $60K.
COMMUNITY EVENTS & MAIN ST. EMINENT DOMAIN AUTHORIZATION
Council discusses a visit to the East Plano Islamic Center, the boards & commissions appreciation dinner, the Leadership Richardson Alumni holiday party, the JJ Pearce HS robotics team open house, the CityLine Hanukkah celebration, and the meeting convenes into executive session to discuss the purchase of property near Greenville Ave. and Main St.
Council reconvenes after executive session and City Manager Don Magner gives a short briefing on the Main St. improvement project. He states they are improving the pedestrian-friendly environment and adding a left-turn lane to improve access to the public safety campus. He also states that they have been working with property owners on the south side of Main St. to acquire the necessary right-of-way to facilitate the new cross-section. In the negotiations, two properties remain. Don further states that the property owners were initially given fair-market-value offers and then above-fair-market-value offers to settle the negotiation. He states that these negotiations have not been successful, so they are now asking for authorization to use eminent domain if necessary. The negotiations are still ongoing, and the negotiations could still potentially be settled without using eminent domain. Engineering & Capital Projects Director Jim Dulac also provides an update on the Main St. improvement project. He states that 306 E Main St. will only have a small pole and some parking area removed for the project. For 310 E Main St., only the front parking will be impacted to make room for a widened sidewalk and landscaping. Council unanimously approves the use of the eminent domain process for the necessary areas of both properties, and the meeting adjourns.
The next meeting will be on Dec. 18th at 6 pm.
Link to meeting footage: richardsontx.new.swagit.com/videos/285405
Link to meeting schedule: www.cor.net/government/boards-commissions-meetings/city-council/city-council