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Sunday, September 15, 2024

Good evening:

A widely unpopular plan to install digital advertising boards on sidewalks in Downtown, Uptown, and other high traffic areas of Dallas makes its way back to City Hall this week.

City staff will present Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members with three potential paths:

1. Wait until after the existing 20-year contract for separate massive static sidewalk advertising kiosks expires in June 2028 before considering a new digital board program.

2. Allow for a pilot digital ad boards program in designated areas.

3. Phase out the contracted static advertising kiosk program before the existing contract ends “and then reimagine a new comprehensive signage and wayfinding program throughout the City.”

The committee discussion comes a few months after Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert ordered a reset on a flawed process that lacked public input and ended with City Council members canceling a Request for Proposals.

In recent months, City staff visited with key stakeholders, including DDI. There was no consensus and most organizations continued to express reservations.

Now, the decision is back in the hands of City Council members.

Review the full briefing here.

Read on for more on:

• A big step forward for transformational plans to reconnect Downtown to southern Dallas.

• The latest version of the ForwardDallas 2.0 land use plan.

• Wednesday’s vote on the interim city manager’s proposed $4.97 billion budget.

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⚡ Highlights From Last Week’s Meetings of Interest:

— Dallas City Council members approved $42 million in funding agreements for DDI-backed plans for deck caps over Interstate 30 to reconnect Downtown to southern Dallas. DDI’s Vice President of Planning & Policy Evan Sheets (above left) spoke to NBC 5 about the transformational plans.

— City Council members also approved over $187 million in contracts for the redevelopment of the Downtown Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. Read more.

— Council members approved “a plan to remedy billions in unfunded police and fire pension liabilities,” KERA News reports.

— Regional transportation planners are urging area leaders to support Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), as some suburban cities advocate for funding cuts, The Dallas Morning News reports. The issue was part of a discussion on state legislative priorities at last week’s Regional Transportation Council meeting.

— Key reviews continue for an alternate Dallas-to-Fort Worth high-speed rail route. Some speakers at a public meeting last week questioned potential lack of connectivity to Downtown Dallas under the revised proposal. Read more from The Dallas Morning News.

— Members of a City Council committee voted unanimously to recommend killing a proposal from five colleagues to make it easier to spend taxpayer dollars to travel to Washington, D.C., and Austin for legislative advocacy. The full City Council will consider the proposal on September 25.

— Members of the same committee continued to wordsmith and debate photos and colors for a draft brochure to advertise the city manager job opening. Hopefully, no prospective candidates are watching.

Thanks to DDI's Nikia Summerlin, Urban Planning Manager, for monitoring hours of meetings every week and contributing to these summaries.Questions? Nikia can be reached at [email protected].

📝 Memos of Interest:

— The latest version of the ForwardDallas 2.0 land-use plan includes the “key edits” noted above. The plan is set to come to the full City Council for a public hearing and a possible vote on September 25. DDI supports the plan for the reasons outlined in this August letter to City Council members.

— City Council members had budget questions. City staff has answers here. Topics include streets, libraries, crosswalks, and Downtown pedestrian tunnels.

— Check out all the latest City Hall memos here and here.

Meetings of Interest: September 16 - 20, 2024

Watch City of Dallas Meetings Live

Monday, September 16

City Council Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Short-term rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo) are back on the agenda, with City staff reporting 160 complaints about operators since June 2023. A Dallas County judge last year blocked the City from enforcing an ordinance that would have effectively banned the operations in Dallas. A trial in the case is pending.

— The Dallas library system proposes cutting an internet hotspot laptop rental program that costs nearly $620,000 for 1,800 hotpots, according to this memo.

City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— The aforementioned briefing on digital advertising boards is up for discussion. Read the full briefing.

— Proposed state and federal legislative transportation priorities are also on the agenda for review. The full City Council is scheduled to be briefed on Wednesday on the complete legislative agenda, with a vote set for the following week, on September 25.

— Mark your calendars: the Dallas Bike Plan update briefing is tentatively planned for this committee’s October 21 meeting.

Wednesday, September 18

Dallas City Council Briefing Meeting and Budget Workshop, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— It is budget vote day at City Council, following one of the smoother budget deliberation processes in recent memory. This memo explains the final steps to adopt the budget.

— Discussions on the proposed state and federal legislative priorities are also on this agenda. City Council members are expected to vote on the priorities on September 25.

— City Council members will also discuss expanding the City’s smoking ban to include vaping, as noted above. A vote on the proposal could happen this fall.

Thursday, September 19

City Plan Commission, 9 a.m. Briefing; 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, Council Chambers 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Item 9 is consideration of a new three-year Specific Use Permit (SUP) for the location that is currently home to Club Vivo at the corner of Pacific Avenue and North Harwood Street. The owner is attorney Kevin Kelley, who also owns the nearby Kitchen + Kocktails.

— Item 17 is consideration of amendments to the Dallas Development Code to allow for permitted poker houses. The discussion follows an appeals court ruling last month ordering the City to reinstate permits for Texas Card House, as reported by KERA News.

Park and Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to talk about meetings? Let me know.

Were you forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here.Have a great week.

Best,Scott Goldstein

Communications & Government Relations Consultant

Downtown Dallas, Inc.

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