2026-09-23 - City Council
Summary
Built from the official minutes (Voting Agenda Meeting, 80 pages with the action sheets). No video is posted, so there is no transcript or timing.
- Voting agenda meeting, 9:23 a.m. to 5:32 p.m., with a closed session recess from 12:35 to 1:53 p.m. All 15 members were present at some point; Mayor Johnson presided and Gracey gave the invocation.
- A Facilities Condition Assessment contract with Tetra Tech ($3.49 million) was denied unanimously.
- Cadillac Heights Phase II property purchases ($800,500) passed 9 to 5; a five-month extension of the convention center management agreement passed 8 to 6.
- The Walnut Hill Lane and Betty Jane Lane planned development passed 9 to 5 with added conditions after fifteen speakers.
- The Harwood Street change to "Exchange Place" failed to reach the required three-fourths vote and was held to October 14 and then to October 28; a church alcohol spacing variance was also held to October 14 and denied that day (see October 14).
- A zoning request on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Colonial Avenue was denied; Camp Wisdom Road zoning was deferred to October 28; The Stewpot loan amendment was deferred to December 9.
- Items 6 (a reduction in the Dallas County highway traffic program agreement from $4,374,000 to $1,100,000) and 8 (payments of up to $9,363,602 to Dallas County for jailing City prisoners) were deleted from the agenda; they returned on October 14 as Items 3 and 4, where the jail payments were reduced to not more than $8,500,000 (see Dallas County Jail Payments).
Facilities Condition Assessment Contract
- West moved to deny; Blackmon seconded; unanimous (Bazaldua absent).
Cadillac Heights Phase II Acquisition
- Pulled by Mendelsohn; West moved, Moreno seconded; adopted 9 to 5.
Convention Center Management Contract
- Global Spectrum extension to February 26, 2027, $2,675,479; adopted 8 to 6 on Moreno's motion.
Walnut Hill Betty Jane Planned Development
- Fifteen speakers; conditions on parking (19 guest spaces), open space (16.8 percent), units (37) and height; passed 9 to 5 (Ordinance No. 33579).
Street Renaming Proposals
- Exchange Place motion had 9 yes and 5 no, short of three-fourths; held to October 14, 8 to 6.
Church Alcohol Spacing Variance
- Six speakers; Blair moved to hold to October 14; unanimous.
Stewpot Forgivable Loan Amendment
- Deferred to December 9 on West's motion.
Homeless Assistance Contracts
- Year-five Bridge management renewal (up to $5,147,500), senior homelessness services (up to $250,000 more) and diversion services (up to $255,000 more) adopted on consent.
Martin Luther King Boulevard Colonial Avenue Zoning
- Z245-200(TB)/Z-25-000073 denied unanimously after three earlier deferrals.
Camp Wisdom Road Zoning
- Deferred to October 28 on Gracey's motion.
Cleveland Road Industrial District
- Approved with changes (Ordinance No. 33580), unanimous.
Arts Funding Requests
- Dallas Cultural Plan 2018, Revised and Restated 2026, adopted unanimously; resident company use agreements at the Latino Cultural Center approved unanimously.
International Sporting Event Agreement
- City Manager authorized to enter an agreement with an unnamed international sports organization; unanimous.
Airport Board Actions
- Re-noticed ordinance approving the airport board's speed limit cut on International Parkway (55 to 45 mph) adopted unanimously (Ordinance No. 33569).
Affordable Housing Approvals
- Tax credit hearing and no-objection resolution for The Pemberton at Independence (257 units) adopted unanimously.
Biennial City Budget
- Ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025-26 budget (not to exceed $5,967,988,552) adopted unanimously after being pulled by Mendelsohn and Blackmon.
Other zoning
- Consent zoning docket passed with Z2, Z5 and Z9 pulled. Z1 alcohol permit for a restaurant on Samuell Boulevard; Z3 truck parking permit on Bonnie View Road (one speaker); Z4 planned development amendment near South Polk Street (amended to comply with the Texas Agriculture Code); Z6 rezoning to R-5(A) at Elam Road; Z7 Oak Lawn subdistrict (amended to comply with the Local Government Code); Z8 alcohol permit for a store on Bruton Road. All followed City Plan Commission recommendations.
- Z2 (Preston Road planned development amendment): two representatives of developers spoke; Roth moved to allow agricultural uses by right and a parking ratio of one space per 300 square feet; passed unanimously as amended (Ordinance No. 33571).
- Z5 and Z9 (Deep Ellum bar permits on Elm Street, one year each): pulled by Moreno; one speaker; both approved unanimously.
- Municipal setting designation near Singleton Boulevard and Vinson Street (GoodRE Singleton Investments LLC), prohibiting groundwater use as drinking water, adopted unanimously (Ordinance No. 33581).
- The minutes print Ordinance No. 33573 for both Z4 and Z5.
Other business
- Minutes of September 9 adopted. Consent agenda items 2 to 47 (less pulled and deleted items) adopted on Blackmon's motion, with speakers on Items 2 and 9.
- Public safety grants: catalytic converter theft program $1,128,369 (City match $227,026); Selective Traffic Enforcement Program $870,196.26 (match $153,622.33); Auto Theft Task Force $1,466,864 (match $294,617); task force agreements up to $456,727.90; South Dallas Drug Court $326,099.
- Parks and culture: grant applications for $15,000,000 (Southwestern Medical District park project), $400,000 (invasive species at a park) and $100,000 (youth outdoor program); Forest Audelia Recreation Center contract increase of $157,317; Dallas Zoo Safari Trail construction manager agreement up to $28,008,458.
- Development: tax increment financing agreement up to $1,188,662 for a retail and office redevelopment in the Skillman Corridor district; an interlocal agreement with DART on tax increment contributions; two nominees approved for the Economic Development Corporation board.
- Water and infrastructure: Lake Lewisville and Lake Ray Roberts yield study with Denton ($250,000); regional water planning agreements; a USGS stream gauging agreement ($2,374,050); engineering contracts for the East Bank Interceptor ($3,487,729), lift stations ($1,844,612) and 19 flood and drainage locations ($4,997,569); construction contracts for the East Side Water Treatment Plant residuals project ($22,442,000), water and wastewater mains ($10,653,390.90 and $14,552,545), Jefferson Complete Street design ($2,658,246.35) and the 2026 on-call paving contract ($42,136,372).
- Other: insurance purchase up to $12,830,063.20 through the City's broker; one lawsuit settlement up to $40,000; federal aviation lease extensions; an Early Childhood and Out-of-School Time program ($550,537).
- Board appointments: one Youth Commission appointee, plus chairs for the Commission on Disabilities, Reinvestment Zone Nineteen and the South Dallas/Fair Park Opportunity Fund Board; Mayor Johnson abstained on the chair confirmations under the charter.
- Open microphone: six speakers on the State of Dallas, Preston and Royal zoning, West Dallas lead, Week Without Driving, the catalytic converter grant and police reports.