City Council Approves $376M in Costs

The Dallas City Council approved $376,464,758.39 in costs to the taxpayer on Wednesday, with many of those funds going toward construction projects across the city.

Wednesday’s council meeting was the first time the body gathered since approving a $4.63 billion budget — the largest in the City’s history. This budget and accompanying tax increases were passed despite Mayor Eric Johnson’s insistence that the City must rein in both spending and taxes in order to avoid an impending financial disaster, as reported by The Dallas Express.

The new budget will take effect when fiscal year 2023-24 begins on October 1. The costs approved on Wednesday were still allocated under the FY22-23 budget.

Of these costs, $2,166,926.32 came from the federal government, while $19,371,543 came from the State of Texas, and the remaining costs were paid for by the Dallas Taxpayer, aside from one item that was covered with a $15,000 grant from the National League of Cities.

The most expensive item authorized by the council on Wednesday was a $60,973,000 construction services contract for runway safety area improvements and taxiway rehabilitation at Dallas Love Field Airport. The agreement was made with Flatiron Constructors, the only company to bid on the project.

Council members also approved a $43,179,000 construction services contract for the Bachman Dam and Spillway Improvement Project with Rebcon LLC.

Furthermore, the City Council authorized spending $41,000,000 on a mixed-income “affordable housing” multifamily development at the former Cabana Hotel at 899 North Stemmons Fwy.

Former District 3 Council Member Ed Oakley came to City Hall on Wednesday to express his disapproval of the project, in large part because of its location, but the council still approved the item.

Council members also approved spending $31,297,000 on construction services for major maintenance and rehabilitation improvements at the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant and $29,968,199 on construction services for Commerce Street from Good Latimer Expressway to Exposition Avenue.

Other expenses approved by the council on Wednesday include the following:

• $23,877,520 — construction services for the installation of a water transmission main under the Trinity River.
• $17,444,383 — construction services for the installation of water and wastewater mains at 24 locations throughout the city.
• $14,098,176 — litter maintenance and trash removal services at City-owned parks, recreation centers, aquatic centers, and splash grounds.
• $13,024,222 — purchasing insurance policies for commercial property, boiler and machinery and loss control, terrorism, cyber liability, fine arts, crime, aviation, flood, media professional liability, general liability, and other lines of coverage.
• $12,221,794 — increase in the construction services contract with Texas Materials Group for the 2023 Annual Street Maintenance Improvement Contract.
• $10,153,024 — construction services for the Street Reconstruction Group.
• $8,733,248 — construction services for the construction of the Casa View Street Improvements Project.
• $8,631,908 — renewing a contract with Parking Concepts and Parking Systems of America for passenger and employee ground transportation management at Dallas Love Field Airport.
• $6,855,180 — construction services for the construction of a thoroughfare improvement project on Camp Wisdom Road from FM 1382 to Mountain Creek Parkway.
• $6,240,559 — construction services for the Street Reconstruction Group.
• $5,705,435 — construction services for the construction of the Joppa Infrastructure Improvements.
• $4,916,382 — renewing a contract with AT&T to maintain and support the City’s 9-1-1 telephone system infrastructure.
• $3,718,654 — construction services for the Street Reconstruction Group.
• $3,700,000 — authorizing a two-year extension of the Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement and a Fee Agreement with JPMorgan Chase regarding Dallas Love Field Airport.
• $2,973,595 — construction services for the Street Reconstruction Group.
• $2,766,231 — construction services for a street reconstruction project on Bradford Drive from Maple Springs Boulevard to Hedgerow Drive.
• $2,580,646 — construction services associated with the Bachman Dam and Spillway Improvement Project.
• $2,198,966 — purchasing bedding plants, seed, sod, and trees for citywide use.
• $2,170,884 — construction services for the Street Reconstruction Group.
• $2,072,358 — construction services for the Alley Reconstruction Group.
• $1,733,274 — renewing a contract with FormMaker Software for continued printing, insertion, mailing, and document composition services of invoices for the Water Utilities Department.
• $1,500,000 — homeless recovery services on behalf of the Office of Homeless Solutions with Austin Street, City Square, and The Bridge.
• $1,454,339 — establishing a specialized proactive automobile theft program using funds from the Motor Vehicle Crimes Prevention Authority (MVCPA).
• $1,047,782 — engineering services related to programming and integration of new equipment associated with major maintenance rehabilitation and improvements at Dallas Water Utilities Water Treatment Plants.
• $975,265.99 — travel expenses and overtime reimbursement for the Dallas Police Department using funds from the Comprehensive Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP).
• $853,093 — three traffic corridor studies from HDR Engineering.
• $800,000 — “programs to mitigate Drivers of Poverty on behalf of the Office of Community Care.”
• $752,589 — construction services for the Street Reconstruction Group.
• $749,600 — three traffic corridor studies from Kimley-Horn and Associates.
• $700,000 — property management, supportive services, and housing services with Family Gateway.
• $679,650 — grounds maintenance services for the Police Department.
• $650,000 — a Landlord Subsidized Leasing Program with CitySquare on behalf of the Office of Homeless Solutions.
• $608,700 — authorize DPD to “participate in investigations, receive reimbursements, share asset forfeitures, and set out operational procedures as requested for various task forces.”
• $599,442 — pavement and asset management for street repairs.
• $526,205 — Military Parkway corridor mobility planning services.
• $472,720 — purchasing a firefighting robot vehicle for Dallas Fire-Rescue.
• $461,505 — purchasing a microwave radio system upgrade for the Water Utilities Department.
• $371,771 — substance abuse recovery and treatment programs in South Dallas.
• $334,840 — herbicide and algaecide pond treatments.
• $223,456 — an Advance Funding Agreement with TxDOT for a Federal Highway Administration 2020 Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant.
• $156,215 — purchasing trailer-valve maintenance components for the Water Utilities Department.
• $109,117 — purchasing a prime-rated mobile generator set for the Water Utilities Department.
• $105,830 — purchasing sewer inspection cleaning equipment for the Water Utilities Department.
• $84,000 — acquiring 4,494 square feet of land from Texas Heavenly Homes near the intersection of Cleaves and West Levee Streets for The Bottom Revitalization Infrastructure Project.
• $15,000 — supporting “increased benefits access through innovative and strategic marketing and outreach strategies” (paid for with a grant from the National League of Cities).

In addition to these expenditures, the City Council authorized a series of items expected to add funds to City coffers. Council members approved five items that abandon easements and portions of property throughout the city, bringing in a total of $1,240,458.

In addition, the council approved abandoning a 5,840-square-foot portion of an alley near the intersection of Good Latimer Expressway and Louise Avenue, bringing in $129,084.