The City Council approved dropping nearly $60 million in taxpayer money on Wednesday.
The $59,737,838 total costs include both spending and “estimated revenue forgone.”
The expenditures will be funded by $8,649,723 in taxes collected by the State of Texas and by $15,148,949 in taxes collected by the federal government. Dallas taxpayers will cover the remaining costs.
During a council meeting on Wednesday, the council authorized the Dallas Public Facility Corporation (DPFC) to spend $10 million in taxpayer funds on purchasing and developing a property into an “affordable housing” complex called The Park at Northpoint.
The DPFC was authorized to enter a 75-year lease agreement with The Park at Northpoint LP. The $10 million will come from community development block grant (CDBG) funds from the federal government.
The council also approved spending $13.6 million ($13,694,429.80) on construction services for water and wastewater installations as a 12-month agreement with Omega Contracting Inc. The money will be taken from a variety of City funds.
Furthermore, the City Council authorized spending $5.9 million ($5,957,631) of taxpayer money to redevelop the Miramar Hotel into housing for the homeless.
Per the council’s approval, the Office of Homeless Solutions will sign contracts with the nonprofits CitySquare and Family Gateway to manage “temporary and permanent housing” at the former hotel.
This project will be funded by $3.6 million from federal COVID recovery funds and $2.3 million from the City’s 2017 bond.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, three separate facilities bought by the City still remain vacant — a problem that Council Member Cara Mendelsohn called attention to during a committee meeting on Monday.
The City Council also authorized spending $7 million on roadway construction from Eads Avenue and East Colorado Boulevard to Hutchins Avenue and 8th Street.
The project will reconstruct the four-lane thruway and accompanying sidewalks, crosswalks, drainage, and potential traffic signals.
The $7 million in funding will come from TxDOT ($5.6 million) and Dallas taxpayers ($1.4 million).
City leaders approved several more infrastructure projects on Wednesday.
Per the council’s authorization, the City will spend $1,960,000 on “pedestrian connections,” including crosswalks, ramps, and lighting on South Lancaster Road from East Kiest Boulevard to East Ledbetter Drive.
While the project will cost $2,092,708 in total, the action by the council allocated $1,960,000 towards the project in the form of a federal grant through TxDOT.
The federal grant will reimburse the City for money spent on the project, while the State will cover the remainder of the $2 million.
Furthermore, the City Council authorized the following expenditures:
- $2,540,000 — “transportation improvements” in the Fair Park Area.
- $1,387,559 — pressure washing of surfaces and vehicles.
- $873,104 — purchasing agreement for device threat detection response solution for the IT department.
- $837,900 — awarding the settlement of a condemnation proceeding with Southerland 37 LLC for the Dallas Floodway Extension Project
- $500,000 — consulting for DPD (funding: Confiscated Monies-Federal Department of Treasury).
- $500,000 — reskilling or upskilling low-income residents.
- $160,248 — increasing an engineering contract to design a new street crossing from $5,710,679 to $5,870,927.
- $459,468 — five traffic signals and related intersection improvements.
- $457,891 — five more traffic signals and related intersection improvements.
- $453,533 — vehicle tracking system for the Aviation Department.
- $215,455 — replacing an on-road compressed natural gas dump truck to reduce Nitrogen Oxides.
- $175,000 — consulting contract for Human Resources.
- $150,000 — increasing agreement with Dallas County for housing assistance for people with AIDS from $2,273,350 to $2,423,350.
- $104,378 — “cost overruns” related to constructing five traffic signals.
- $35,000 — settling a lawsuit over alleged injuries sustained by a citizen after a car accident with a Building Services employee driving a City-owned vehicle.
- $32,000 — settling a lawsuit over alleged injuries suffered by a citizen after a car accident with a DPD employee driving a City-owned vehicle.
In addition to these expenditures, the council approved several items that involve the reduced collection of certain funding by the City.
The Dallas Housing Finance Corporation will purchase a multifamily development estimated to forgo a total of $11,762,667 in tax dollars over the next 15 years.
Furthermore, the Dallas Public Facility Corporation will purchase a multifamily development estimated to forgo a total of $361,038 in tax dollars over the next 15 years.
The council also authorized selling a total of 41 “land transfer program lots,” forgoing an estimated $120,544 in tax dollars. However, these sales will provide the City with $44,777 in funding.
Furthermore, the City Council approved “abandoning” six water, drainage, and sewage easements. This will add an estimated total of $83,205 to the City coffers.