2026-09-29 - City Council (Afternoon)
Summary
Built from the official minutes (approved; signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Secretary). Companion page: 2026-09-29 - City Council (Evening).
- Special session convened 12:45 p.m. (called to order 12:48); Mayor Ross presiding; all present except Councilmember Hogg.
- Executive session 12:48 to 2:30 p.m. under Sections 551.071 (attorney consultation), 551.072 (possible sale, exchange, lease or value of real property at 1707 and 1708 New York) and 551.087 (economic development negotiations: offers of incentives to business prospects). No action recorded.
- Open session reconvened 2:39 p.m.; adjourned 5:29 p.m.
- Work session briefings: FIFA World Cup wrap up; erosion policy review with peer city benchmarking; Opportunity Zones update; Council priority "Strengthening Our Communities" (FY2026 business plan, third quarter).
- Issues session: Data Center Regulation background; human trafficking update; items 4.1 and 4.4 had no discussion.
- Committee reports and future agenda requests (below).
Work session items
- FIFA World Cup Wrap Up: presented by Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann and Brent DeRaad, President of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- Erosion Policy Review and Peer City Benchmarking: presented by Amy Cannon, Assistant Director, Public Works; City Manager Yelverton available for questions.
- Opportunity Zones Update: presented by Marty Wieder, Executive Director, Arlington Economic Development Corporation.
- Strengthening Our Communities: presented by Jennifer Wichmann.
Informal staff reports
- 2027 Neighborhood Matching Grant Call for Projects: no discussion.
- Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Arlington: presented by Police Chief Al Jones, with Sergeant Tarik Muslimovic available for questions.
- Data Center Regulation: background presented by Gincy Thoppil, Director of Planning and Development Services.
- Arlington Film Incentive Program: no discussion.
Committees and miscellaneous
- Economic Development Committee (C-PACE; executive session on incentives): Galante, chair, reported; the rest was in executive session.
- Arlington Housing Finance Corporation: Hunter reported.
- 22 board and commission appointments were previewed for the evening agenda.
- Evening items 7.19, 7.22 and 7.23 were discussed: see Tarrant County Polling Places Resolution and Delinquent Collections Contracts.
- TxDOT: Mayor Ross and the City Manager met the Fort Worth District Engineer on real estate priorities and possible aggregation of remnant parcels along I-30; the Mayor noted progress on the Southeast Connector at I-20, US 287 and I-820.
- External committee reports: North Texas Commission board and executive committee (Mayor Ross); Regional Transportation Council and its Transit Vision Subcommittee (Gonzalez).
Future agenda requests
- Pham: illegal parking; report on the September 2026 Arlington Police Survey results.
- Hunter: food truck regulations, with comparisons to other cities.
- Mayor Ross: possible resolution opposing single-member trustee districts for Mansfield ISD; data centers and the Unified Development Code (Data Center Regulation); the City's anti-discrimination ordinance.