Sunday, June 25, 2023

Dear

:

Good evening. The new Dallas City Council meets for its first regular voting meeting this Wednesday. It is also the last meeting before the July recess, meaning no City Council or committee meetings again until August.

Mayor Eric L. Johnson will also soon be exercising one of his most important powers as mayor when he reconstitutes City Council committees for the 2023-25 term, including appointing his chairs and vice chairs. Almost every policy item of significance must first go through a committee before coming to the full City Council. We will be sure to share committee information as soon as it is released.

Mayor Eric L. Johnson and his City Council colleagues were sworn in at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in our Dallas Arts District on Tuesday, June 20th.

Before we dive into what else is happening this week, here's a few updates on what went down last week.

• In his Inauguration address, Mayor Eric L. Johnson committed to three goals for his second and final term: bringing Dallas closer to becoming the safest major city in the United States, the major city with the best park system in Texas, and the major city with the lowest tax rate in the North Texas region. Read more from The Dallas Morning News.

• The City Council members were technically sworn in one day earlier, as required by the City Charter. They elected Council member Tennell Atkins as Mayor Pro Tem and Council member Carolyn King Arnold as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem. NBC 5 reports on the selections.

• D Magazine's Bethany Erickson breaks down the results of the City's 2023 Community Survey, which was briefed to City Council last week.

 City of Dallas

Chimalma Taco Bar in Downtown took advantage of the City's Street Seats program to construct outdoor seating on the street. The City Council will vote this week to make the program permanent. (Photo from Chimalma Taco Bar Facebook)

📝 A few City Hall memos of interest:

• The City Council on Wednesday will be asked to make permanent the DDI-backed Dallas Street Seats Pilot Program. The program, conceived at the height of the pandemic, allows restaurants, bars, retail establishments, and other entities a way to transition parking spaces into expanded seating or gathering places. Read more.

• City Council members are being asked to schedule their budget town hall meetings between Thursday, August 10, and Thursday, August 24. The meetings provide residents with the chance to provide feedback on the City Manager's Recommended Biennial Budget for FY 2023-24. The schedule should be set by late July. Read more.

• Check out all the weekly City Manager Memos here.

Meetings of Interest

Tuesday, June 27

🏞 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board, 2:15 p.m. Committee-of-the-Whole, 6 p.m. Board of Directors, 1401 Pacific Ave.

Watch DART meetings live here

• DART briefings this week include:

  • An update on the scope of work for a report to document DART's costs by service area city. The plan is to hire a consultant to produce an independent report to the DART Board by April 2024. Read the briefing.

  • An update on the Bus Corridor Improvement Program. Read the briefing.

  • Review of public feedback DART gathered on its fares and potential changes to the fare structure. See below highlights of public "likes/dislikes" and read the briefing here. The Board is expected to receive preliminary fare recommendations by late Summer and vote on potential new fares in January.

Wednesday, June 28

🏛 City Council Voting Agenda, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, Dallas City Hall

• Item 2 is a cost increase for architectural design, planning services and construction administration for reconstruction of our Downtown Dallas Museum of Art stemming from August 2022 flood damage. The contract is with Downtown-based Corgan.

• Item 14 is an ordinance to make permanent the DDI-backed Dallas Street Seats Pilot Program, as noted in the above City Manager memo. This is an example of a major policy win that came out of the pandemic era.

• Item 24 grants a new license for a sidewalk cafe near Market and Corbin streets in the West End, where one has existed since 1998 under a different company. It's not yet clear what is planned for that location.

• Item 55 is a decrease in the contract amount for construction of the Hi-Line Connector Trail between the Katy Trail and the Trinity Strand Trail. The lower amount is because of "construction and labor cost increases along with removing accent lighting and underground electrical service routing," according to the item.

• Item 72 seeks City Council approval of Mayor Johnson's request to change the name of the Environment and Sustainability Committee to the Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee. The mayor explains why the change is necessary in a memo sent to City Manager T.C. Broadnax last week, included below.

Thursday, June 29

🏞 Dallas Park & Recreation Board, Special Called Meeting, 9 a.m.

• This meeting will focus on 2024 Bond Program priorities.

Downtown Dallas Quote of the Week

Downtown Dallas, Inc., Public Space & Improvements Committee Chair Steve Hulsey, AIA, RID, NCARB, President and Principal at Downtown-based Corgan, on DDI's 2023 Matching Grant recipients...

"By investing in the improvement of public spaces, these organizations and businesses are contributing to the vibrancy and livability of our city. It is through such collaborative efforts that we can create spaces that not only enrich the urban experience but also foster a sense of community pride."

  Read more 

Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to say hi?

Let me know

.

Stay cool and hydrated this week in Downtown Dallas.

Best,

Scott GoldsteinChief of External Affairs& Government RelationsDowntown Dallas, Inc.

The DDI Clean Team is a group of full-time employees dedicated to maintaining the beauty and accessibility of parks, sidewalks and public spaces in Downtown Dallas.Our Clean Team removes litter, graffiti, dog waste and gum, pressure-washes sidewalks, maintains trees and plants, and conducts cleaning and repairs of benches, bike racks and trash receptacles.Each year, the DDI Clean Team removes more than 5,000 pieces of graffiti and stickers, 3,500 cubic yards of litter and debris, and power washes more than 3 million square feet of sidewalks.Download the See Say app to report non-emergency quality of life issues, such as graffiti, dog waste, or litter. Our dedicated DDI team members will respond within minutes, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.

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