Richardson City Council Meeting June 17th, 2024
OPENING & ZF 24-08 CONTINUANCE
Six of the seven councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer. Councilman Barrios is absent.
Councilwoman Justice leads a prayer and invites a Boy Scouts Troop to conduct the pledges of allegiance.
Minutes of the previous meeting are approved unanimously.
No public speakers are present.
At this time, a change in the order of agenda items is acknowledged. ZF 24-08 is heard first. City Manager Don Magner explains that a key member of the applicant’s team was unable to be present due to illness. The applicant has requested to continue the hearing until July 15th. No speakers are present for this hearing today. Council unanimously approves continuing the hearing until July 15th.
STORM RECOVERY EFFORTS
City Manager Don Magner then provides an update on the storm recovery efforts. He estimates they are roughly 60% complete with debris removal. He acknowledges that the process is taking longer than anticipated due to an overwhelming amount of debris. He estimates this will end up being 200,000 cubic yards of debris once completed. The process is now estimated to take 6-8 weeks for a complete recovery. Total recovery costs are estimated to be $3M - $4M. The city will seek reimbursement from FEMA if damage thresholds are met. Collin County currently meets only 10% of the required $4.8M threshold for public damage. Dallas County is at 58% of the required $6.8M threshold. July 5th is the deadline for applying for this reimbursement. The city will work with other cities to properly report damages so they can hopefully meet the thresholds.
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams have been deployed in Richardson. A Disaster Recovery Center is open 7 - 7 every day at the Network of Community Ministries. FEMA offers specific assistance to individuals for different categories. Rental assistance is available for those displaced during the disaster. Home repair assistance is available for those with storm damage. Personal property and basic needs assistance are also available for items destroyed during the storm. Assistance is also available to help pay for medical costs due to injury from the storm and increased childcare expenses related to the storm. Assistance to replace vehicles, pay for storage, and pay for items used to recover or mitigate damages is also available.
Three types of Small Business Association loans are available. Home Disaster Loans are available to owners and renters to replace damaged property including vehicles. Business Physical Disaster Loans are available to businesses to repair or replace damaged property. Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to help small businesses meet financial obligations due to conditions caused by the disaster.
CITY HALL UPDATE
Asst. City Manager Charles Goff now presents an update on the new city hall. Currently, demolition is being completed. They are in the process of beginning bidding and negotiations and beginning construction documents. Construction should begin this fall. Charles presents an image of the proposed city hall. View these images beginning on slide 24 of the handouts posted to the city website. The building will utilize sustainable materials such as brick, limestone, and concrete. Windows will be blue-tinted. A prominent Council chamber is featured with large windows facing the plaza. Council chambers will have a limestone exterior. Entrances will have brick. The remainder of the building will be a concrete panel exterior. Councilman Hutchenrider asks about the proposed copper material under the entrance canopy. Charles explains that this is only copper-appearing. It’s not actually copper so it won’t develop a patina. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul asks for clarification. Charles clarifies that the material is aluminum.
This city hall will be three stories. The first floor will have Council Chambers and a one-stop shop with water customer service, the health department, building inspections, and community services. The first floor will also have a public lobby and the Richardson Room. The Richardson Room will now have exterior doors to be able to serve as a voting center. The second floor will also have a lobby, conference rooms, staff areas, and an outdoor patio and break room. The third floor will have administrative offices. The interior design will feature historical and natural imagery. The corridor outside of the Richardson Room will feature a historical mural and a display area for historical artifacts. Council Chambers will feature sitting and standing moveable podiums. The chambers will have tiered theater-style seating with some moveable seating.
Councilman Corcoran compliments the looks and function of the design. He would like to lean into the local and historic imagery over any generic colors. Councilwoman Justice agrees. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul asks about the floor material. Charles answers that the lobby will have terrazzo flooring. Public areas and corridors will have concrete. Work and meeting areas will be carpeted.
Charles highlights the sustainability elements of the design. The now-required 2021 code updates will result in a building that is 10% more energy efficient. LED light fixtures with daylight and motion sensors will provide 80% energy savings. A solar water heater and low-flow plumbing will also be utilized. Landscaping will be native landscaping and Leadership Grove is planned to be completely preserved. They have applied for grant funding for electric vehicle charging stations. Showers will be installed to encourage physical activity and biking to work.
The current budget remains at $91M. Construction costs have risen so the escalation budget has been reduced accordingly. Mayor Dubey asks how insurance settlements will help with budget costs. Charles answers that insurance money is already included in the budget. Other additional options that would require additional costs are $1.2M for solar panels (10% power generation. Charles says costs would not be recovered at that rate), $1M for plaza and Leadership Grove enhancements, $200K parking lot enhancement, $300K for an enhanced second-floor patio and $200K to relocate the site transformer.
Councilman Dorian asks about installing a water recapture system. Charles answers that it would be costly and maintenance-intensive. They are pursuing native landscaping to conserve water. Councilman Dorian encourages some element of water recapture or rainwater collection for landscape irrigation since it could serve as an example to residents and visitors. He supports the second-floor patio enhancement. Councilman Corcoran asks about the length of the electric vehicle chargers grant. Charles answers that this grant opportunity comes up often so they should be able to renew it when necessary. Councilwoman Justice supports the solar panel addition, the second-floor patio enhancement, and the Leadership Grove enhancements. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul also encourages a small rainwater collection area so residents and students can tour and observe an example of the process.
Councilman Hutchenrider asks if they should include room for future expansion. Charles answers that there is room for at least 40 additional staff in this design. Land to the east of city hall could be used if building footprint expansion is ever needed. Councilman Dorian asks about LEED certification. Charles answers that they don’t pursue LEED certification. Councilman Dorian asks if they could consider it. The consultant answers that there is an added cost to pursuing that. Additional items would need to be addressed. City Manager Don Magner adds that some things don’t have a good return on the LEED checklist. They aim to be energy efficient without pursuing the certification. Councilman Dorian pushes one more time for a water recapture system.
WATER MAINTENANCE PLAN (BUDGET AND RATE PREP)
Now, Public Services Director Eric Robison presents the water maintenance plan for the next fiscal year. Eric highlights the facilities and equipment that the department is responsible for. This fiscal year, the department is estimated to spend roughly $1.6M maintaining and replacing equipment. The proposed budget for the next fiscal year amounts to a roughly 11% increase over this year’s budget. Eric explains that the increase is mostly due to planned fence replacement. Six major maintenance projects are planned on top of hydrant maintenance for the next fiscal year.
Eric also provides an update on the Water Master Plan. Freese & Nichols was the firm chosen to form the plan last July. Pump field test data is currently being collected to wrap up the planning process. A draft plan will be presented this fall with implementation scheduled for winter. Eric also highlights the latest adopted revisions to the EPA’s Lead & Copper Rule. The new goal is to eliminate all lead service lines. Oct. 16th of this year is the deadline for the city to comply with the new reporting requirements. These new requirements specify that the city will publish an inventory of service line materials on its website.
City Manager Don Magner states that this is an unfunded federal mandate that could cost $500K by October. This will contribute to rate increases. Councilwoman Justice asks if this is a one-time expense. Don answers that they will have a better idea in October, but this could potentially have a multiyear impact. The new rules are still being revised to clarify if the city is responsible for replacing anything on the private property side. More clarification will be given once these regulations are finalized. Councilman Hutchenrider encourages the city to contact federal representatives to ask that the city not be held responsible for replacing private property. Councilman Corcoran encourages the city to offer a public comment since the EPA is currently accepting comments on the new revisions.
Eric also highlights some environmental initiatives. The city is resuming several pre-pandemic programs for water conservation. The environmental outreach coordinator is planning Waterwise Landscape tours and Waterwise workshops for irrigation and landscape design. In addition to the recycling education programs, the city will also offer composting workshops.
Eric then highlights projects that are funded through certificate of obligation debt. For the next fiscal year, the city projects $2.4M of CO debt water projects. These projects include four water main replacements, two valve replacements, conversion to ultrasonic meters, and designing upgrades for the Westside Pump Station.
825 PRESSURE ZONE PROJECT, WASTEWATER AND DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE PLANS (BUDGET PREP)
Asst. Director of Capital Projects Nick Kohel presents an update on the 825 pressure zone project. This project will expand the ability to deliver water due to expected increased development. Median landscaping along Renner and a ground storage tank are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The pump station should be completed mid-2025 with the generator being delivered by the end of next year. The NTMWD (Water District) line and meters should be complete in the first half of next year.
Nick also covers the wastewater maintenance plan. The proposed operational budget for wastewater next fiscal year is $4.7M, a 25% reduction from the current fiscal year’s budget. This maintenance plan includes rehabilitating pipes and designing the rehab for FY 26. It also includes a rehabilitation of the Spring Creek manhole. Inspections and long-term planning with NTMWD are also included. The CO debt issuance planned for the next fiscal year is $4.1M, or a 5% reduction from the current fiscal year’s CO debt issuance for wastewater projects. Eleven projects are funded by this ranging from replacing sewer lines and manholes to creek erosion mitigation. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul offers suggestions for reducing iodine in the sewer system.
Nick also presents the drainage utility plan for the next fiscal year. The operational budget for this area is projected to be the same as the current fiscal year, $3.3M. This plan includes identifying flood risk and mitigation as well as citywide creek erosion assessments. The plan also includes inspecting stormwater pipes and removing and repairing obstructions. Sinkhole repairs will be performed at Breckenridge Park. Councilman Corcoran encourages more litter inlet baskets to be installed in the Spring Creek Nature Area. Mayor Dubey asks for more details about the Breckenridge Park sinkhole. Nick explains that this is the result of a broken storm drainage pipe. Soil is making its way into the pipe and causing sinkhole conditions.
Rate increases for all of these areas will be discussed during the August budget work sessions.
CONSENT AGENDA & CLOSING
Council unanimously approves the consent agenda. It includes four bid awards: $3.3M to Flow-Line Construction Inc. for erosion control and sewer improvements at Huffhines and Chestnut Creeks, a $50K annual requirements contract to UWS, Inc. for large water meter testing and repairs, $81K to Mallory Safety and Supply, LLC for helmet mounted IR night vision for the police, and $168K to EMR Elevator Inc. to modernize the Eisemann Center elevator.
Council discusses Councilwoman Justice’s appointment as secretary-treasurer of the NCTCOG Executive Board, a Parks Commission meeting, and two volunteer appreciation events.
Mayor Dubey then calls for a motion to adjourn the meeting, which is not how Richardson closes its meetings. Councilman Hutchenrider obliges and offers the motion with a second from Councilman Corcoran. Council unanimously and unnecessarily votes to close the meeting. Meeting adjourned.