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- Meetings of Interest: Monday, October 9, 2023
Meetings of Interest: Monday, October 9, 2023
Meetings of Interest: ⚠️ False Narrative
Monday, October 9, 2023
Good evening:
Leaders of the biggest Dallas police and fire unions are calling on City leaders to delay the planned May 2024 bond vote to November.
A slide from a recent City Council committee briefing shows why police and fire unions may be seeking a one-time cash infusion to boost the beleaguered Dallas Police and Fire Pension System. View the complete briefing here.
The request came in identical letters last week from
and
. In the letters, addressed to Community Bond Task Force Chairman Arun Agarwal, the men argue that some of the city's bond capacity may be needed to help shore up the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System and the Employees' Retirement Fund.
"Using the debt capacity to issue general obligations to infuse the pensions with a lump sum may be part of a solution for one or both pensions," they write.
They appear to be arguing that some of the $1.1 billion currently earmarked for much-needed investments in streets, housing, parks, libraries, recreation centers, life-saving flood protection, sidewalks, and more, might be needed to bail out the police and fire pension system instead.
The police and fire pension woes are well-documented and attributed in large part to "ill-advised direct real estate investments during the period 2005-2009, much of it with managers lacking the appropriate skills,"
. The pension was also plagued by its Deferred Retirement Option Plan, or DROP, that allowed officers and firefighters to work beyond 20 years and put their pension payments into a fund that guarantee 8 to 10 percent interest, regardless of the pension’s investment returns, with no limits on withdrawals.
A 2017 state legislative compromise (HB 3158) was never seen as a long-term fix, but rather "was intended to avoid near-term insolvency and be a bridge to a permanent solution by 2025," last month's briefing said. It was "a blueprint to recovery,"
. It also boosted taxpayer contributions and created a new board that includes a majority of appointees with expertise in finance and investments, as opposed to politicians, police officers, and firefighters.
In a
, City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the choice between holding a bond election in May or addressing the pension challenges is a "false narrative."
"This is not an either-or decision," Broadnax said. "I am committed to both protecting the pension benefits of our first responders as well as addressing the infrastructure needs that our residents demand and deserve."
He said he continues to recommend that a $1.1 billion bond election should be held in May "to address the significant infrastructure needs throughout the city." The Ad Hoc Committee on Pensions and the Community Bond Task Force should continue their work and make recommendations to the full City Council in January, the memo said. That would still allow time for the City Council to delay the bond election to November, if they so choose.
"At that time, the City Council will be able to make a much more informed decision instead of conflating these two critical but distinct concerns," Broadnax said.
Also factoring into the decision on when to hold the bond election is the fact that every successful bond election held in this century was on a November ballot, including in 2006, 2012, and 2017. Holding the election this May, with no other City of Dallas race on the ballot, would likely mean a historically dismal -- and potentially unpredictable -- turnout.
The 2017 bond was also far along in the planning process when then-Mayor Mike Rawlings and a majority of City Council members opted to push it from May to November. That decision was made in part because Broadnax was brand new to his job at the time and had not had time to provide input on bond priorities. Voters approved every proposition that November.
The City Council would have to call a May election by February 16.
Meanwhile, the Ad Hoc Committee on Pensions, chaired by Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, meets again on Thursday (see agenda below).
❎ Highlights From Last Week's Meetings:
-- The Economic Development Committee signed off on
, which is currently free, but asked that the matter come back for committee review in two years.
-- The Landmark Commission recommended additional changes to some of the proposed improvements to the historic Magnolia Building, including a three-story addition on the east side of the main building for a much-needed ballroom, event space, and pool deck.
📝 Memos of Interest:
-- The City received positive news from S&P Global Ratings on the upcoming bond issuances for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas redevelopment and Fair Park upgrades. The report notes a "strong-to-very strong economy and favorable location in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area (MSA)."
.
-- Check out all the latest City Hall memos
and
.
Meetings of Interest
Tuesday, October 10
🌆 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Committee (CLUP), 8:30 a.m., 6ES, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- Work continues on proposed updates to the City's
. DDI President & CEO Jennifer Scripps sits on this committee.
💪🏽 Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- This agenda includes briefings on the City's
,
, and
.
-- Committee members will also get an update on how the proposed 2024 Bond Program aligns with the City's Racial Equity Plan.
.
🚓 Public Safety Committee, 2 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- Overall violent crime in Dallas is down by nearly 12 percent through September as compared to the same time period last year. The decrease is driven largely by a more than 16 percent reduction in non-family violence aggravated assaults. Murders, however, are up by 10 percent.
.
-- A separate briefing provides an update on the the multi-pronged approach Dallas police take to combat domestic violence.
.
-- Cruise driverless rideshare cars are expected to hit Dallas streets soon. On Tuesday, the company will brief this committee on some of their safety practices and how they train first responders to work with their vehicles. Texas cities
over the vehicles, thanks to a 2017 state law that puts all oversight with the state.
.
-- Dallas police and fire officials will provide updates on recruitment and retention strategies. The above chart shows recent Dallas Fire-Rescue staffing numbers. The below chart shows recent Dallas Police Department staffing numbers. Read the fire briefing
and the police briefing
.
-- A
is also on the agenda.
Wednesday, October 11
🏛 Dallas City Council, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- In the wake of the Hamas terror attack on hundreds of civilians in Israel on Saturday, Mayor Johnson says he will bring a resolution "for the Dallas City Council to formalize Dallas’ condemnation of this attack and our support for Israel."
--
authorizes a $262,840 contract with SWA Group that will include site assessment and analysis of the Old City Park site located at 1515 South Harwood Street, the City's first park in 1876. "SWA Group will inventory existing conditions and analyze the existing vehicular traffic, vegetation, pedestrian traffic, stormwater drainage, paved surfaces, structures above ground and utilities below ground," according to the agenda item.
--
amends the City's prostitution ordinance, which was
, upholding an earlier ruling by a municipal court judge. Deputy City Manager Jon Fortune provided further background in
.
--
is the appointment of Tammy L. Palomino as Dallas City Attorney. Palomino has been doing the job in an interim capacity for most of the year. A City Council committee last month unanimously recommended skipping a national search and hiring her.
Thursday, October 12
💹 City of Dallas Economic Development Corporation, 9 a.m., WeCreation Center, 3016 Colonial Avenue, Dallas, TX 75215
-- The nonprofit board will discuss the ongoing search for its first CEO. They will also hear from Tampa Bay Economic Development Council President & CEO Craig Richard on "strategic considerations for a new economic development organization."
💵 Ad Hoc Committee on Pensions, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- Briefings are scheduled on the Employees' Retirement Fund and the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System. Neither briefing was posted online as of this afternoon.
💳 Community Bond Task Force, 6 p.m., 4EN, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- The task force will discuss allocation amounts for 2024 Bond Program propositions.
📃 Charter Review Commission, 6:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- The commission will discuss its suggested amendment submission process and receive an overview briefing on the City Charter.
Quote of the Week
Brandon Luke, one of the partners behind Downtown's The Woolworth restaurant and bar, which has reopened after renovations.
"Our intention with the new updates is to return to the roots of what made us thrive when we first opened in 2013, while continuing to elevate our menu to push the boundaries on what our guests have come to know and love about us over the past 10 years."
Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to talk about meetings?
.
Were you forwarded this newsletter?
.
Have a great week.
Best,
Scott GoldsteinChief of External Affairs& Government RelationsDowntown Dallas, Inc.
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