Richardson City Council Meeting July 10th, 2023
OPENING
All councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer.
Councilman Dorian leads a prayer and the pledges.
Minutes of previous meetings are approved unanimously.
PUBLIC COMMENT
For the public comment portion, City Manager Don Magner states that speakers will still be given five minutes each to speak. Many cities will limit speakers’ times when there are numerous speakers, so I’m glad to see Richardson did not limit anyone’s time. Comments submitted in writing are acknowledged first. Five comments oppose the NRA relocating its HQ to Richardson, and four support the relocation. Don also reports that the city has received no official notification from the NRA that they are relocating to Richardson. Don also states that the city received a message from a senior executive at State Farm. The message refers to the various circulating reports as misinformation. State Farm’s Public Information Office released the following statement: “We have long-term leases in place and are not actively marketing space for sublease at Cityline.” State Farm’s Media Specialists can be reached here: newsroom.statefarm.com/media-contacts/ . Chris Pilcic appears to be the contact for their Cityline facility. NRA Spokesperson Andrew Arulanandam issued the following statement: “Texas remains a preferred choice for our future HQ. That said, the NRA Board of Directors has not made any decision and the association is not in contract negotiations with any property in Texas. It is not accurate that the NRA is relocating to Richardson.” The NRA’s Public Affairs Office can be reached here: home.nra.org/media-inquiries/ . Don further states that these statements confirm that the news reports regarding this situation were incorrect. (JN: The reports I saw didn’t make any confirming statements that the NRA is definitely moving to Cityline, only that the NRA toured the facility which could be an indication that they may be interested in the location. None of these statements necessarily deny that the NRA toured the facility or expressed interest unofficially. For now, I think the community that spoke up and out in response to these reports deserves credit for hopefully slamming the door shut on the NRA moving to Richardson. And I thank the media that spread this information. I refuse to call these reports misinformation.)
21 public speakers stepped to the podium. 15 spoke in opposition to the NRA moving to Richardson. Included in this group were reverends, candidates for U.S. HD 32, a candidate for TX HD 115, a former Carrollton city councilmember, a Cityline resident, a representative from Moms Demand Action, and a statement signed by 600 North Texas residents. 5 spoke in support of the NRA moving to Richardson. Included in this group were residents of San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Arlington, and one who criticized the NRA but still wants them to move here.
One speaker chose to speak on Agenda Item 11, which is the ordinance codifying the approval of ZF 23-07, a massage establishment. She briefly expresses her support for the majority in attendance opposing the NRA. She then asks the city to reconsider any regulations that inhibit new massage establishments. She comes to the defense of the profession of massage therapy. She asks that the profession not be targeted or prejudged. She states that illegal acts are committed against the profession, not by it.
(JN: The public spoke for roughly 1hr 20min, or 30% of the 4 ½ hour meeting. That’s always a good day.)
PUBLIC HEARING - FISH & CHIPS TRAILER
Council takes a short break for visitors to excuse themselves. The footage starts again after the introduction of the next item, a public hearing to consider a special permit for Winston’s Fish and Chips, a mobile food trailer at 101 S. Coit (Dal-Rich Towne Square). The agenda packet states that this type of special permit is not the same as the type described in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Therefore, this is only considered by Council and not the City Plan Commission. This special permit request is required because the proposed use is not considered an accessory use to a permanent storefront. Requested exceptions include operating out of a trailer instead of a motorized vehicle and operating past 6 p.m. The staff report notes concerns regarding traffic, safety, enforcement, and competing for business with existing brick-and-mortars in the shopping center. Mayor Dubey echoes concerns about safety, stating that residents have expressed safety concerns regarding a different site with a similar setup.
The applicant for this special permit is the property owner of the shopping center, the Weitzman Group. Senior VP of Asset Management, Bernard Shaw, gives a presentation of their plans. He starts by describing the business owner, Darren McGrady, who was the private chef to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. Bernard also states that they are also looking into Mr. McGrady opening a tearoom within Cottonwood Market. CEO and Founder of the business, Timothy Johnson, steps to the podium to address concerns about safety in the parking lot. Timothy clarifies that they are willing to move the planned spot within the parking lot, but they chose the proposed spot to not distract drivers from the highway. He also clarifies that they will pay rent for the spot. Councilman Corcoran asks if they will have tables setup in the parking lot. The applicant confirms they will not. No public speakers are present for this item.
Councilman Barrios, citing concerns over safety and setting a precedent, states he is leaning towards voting against this special permit. Councilman Hutchenrider, also citing concerns over setting a precedent, states he is also leaning towards voting against. Councilman Corcoran states that if he were to support this, he would want to set a time limit for reviewing the special permit in the future. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul states he is not in support of this special permit. Councilwoman Justice expresses concerns over safety and the possibility of designating the area as a reinvestment zone. Council discusses potentially continuing the item to allow for the applicant to return with site plans and presentations that address the concerns expressed. Councilman Dorian expresses support for continuing the item, stating that he would like a better understanding of lighting, safety, and traffic. Council votes unanimously to continue the item. We will see this again sometime in the future.
NETWORK, COMMUNITY CRIME MAP, & MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES (BUDGET DISCUSSIONS PREP)
The next item is a discussion on the Network of Community Ministries. CEO Abbie Kauffman presents. Abbie provides an overview of the demographics served by Network and the criteria to qualify for their services. She continues by highlighting the various services Network offers including senior services, a food pantry, and job fairs. This next fiscal year, Network plans to add mental health services.
Next, Chief Tittle presents the Community Crime Map. This is a map meant to give residents a general overview of crime in their area. For questions about specific crimes, residents can contact the Community Relations Unit at 972-744-4955. This new method of updating the community on crime allows for data to be uploaded daily and provides an interactive map for residents to look at crime data. Residents can still signup to receive email reports. Residents can access the map at communitycrimemap.com or under the Crime Stats tab of the Richardson PD website.
After another brief recess, the next discussion is on streets & alleys maintenance strategies. Engineering Director Jim Dulac presents. Costs have escalated an average of roughly 30% across several categories with concrete road pavement costs escalating roughly 60% from last year. The department has plans to improve accessibility at street crossings by replacing diagonal sidewalk ramps with barrier-free ramps. Residents can view an interactive map of currently planned projects at www.cor.net/projectmap . Since costs have escalated, the budgeted funds do not accomplish as much. City Manager Don Magner states that they will be looking at increasing their year-to-year budget index for this category.
The next discussion is an overview of fleet operations. Finance Director Keith Dagen presents. Police patrol SUVs experience some of the shortest lifecycles at 3 years or 120,000 miles. Inflation and industry staffing issues have increased costs in this area of the budget. This next fiscal year, 45 vehicles need to be purchased totaling roughly $5.8M. $2.6M will come from city funds and the remaining majority will come from 8-year certificates of obligation. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul asks how the department expects to combat rising costs over the next decade. Keith answers that technological advances should lower the cost of emissions controls and stabilize vehicle pricing. They also expect technological advances to allow some conversion to an electric fleet in the future.
One last discussion is on facilities services maintenance strategies. Jim Dulac once again presents. Maintenance costs are up roughly 20%, some of which is due to an increase in service calls as building systems become more complex. The preliminary budget projections for next fiscal year only amount to an average 7 – 11% increase across the different maintenance categories.
CONSENT AGENDA & CLOSING
The next item is a vote on an ordinance codifying the approval of ZF 23-07 (massage establishment). Though these types of items are typically included in the consent agenda, this item is not part of tonight’s consent agenda. Without discussion, the ordinance is approved 6-1 with Councilman Barrios opposed.
The consent agenda, which includes seven bid awards for construction ($1.8M), street banner management ($65K), computers ($100K), traffic signal equipment ($60K), a fire department vehicle ($320K), radio systems ($16.5M), and wiring for the temporary city hall location ($140K), passes unanimously.
Council discusses the recent Independence Day celebrations and convene into closed session to discuss economic development negotiations regarding a commercial development at W. Belt Line & U.S. 75.