The Dallas City Council approved spending $70,198,782 of taxpayer money for a variety of programs and projects during Wednesday’s meeting on March 8.
Of these funds, $5.8 million came from a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and $2.6 million came from federal COVID-19 relief funds, both of which are drawn from federal taxpayer dollars. The remaining $61.8 million came from the pockets of the Dallas taxpayer.
Big ticket items included contracts for City facilities construction, infrastructure projects, drainage improvements, and a new public park.
The City Council authorized $25 million for construction services at City facilities, with Metco Engineering, Brown & Root Industrial Services, RS Commercial Construction, 3i Contracting, Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, and Big Sky Construction. The initial contracts will last two years but include three one-year renewal options.
Other infrastructure spending was approved to the tune of over $7.3 million, including sidewalk widening projects and installing pedestrian streetlights at crosswalks. Council members also green-lit $8.4 million for erosion control and storm drainage improvements at 13 locations throughout Dallas.
The City further allocated $5.5 million for the design and construction of a new City park at the corner of Forest Lane and Audelia Road.
The council authorized $551,000 and $303,000 to settle two separate eminent domain cases in which the City seized control of properties on both Keist Boulevard and Morrell Avenue for the Dallas Floodway Extension Project.
In addition, the council approved moving forward with acquiring sand and gravel rights for another piece of property to be used for the Dallas Floodway Project, costing about $4,000.
The City authorized spending an additional $396,000 to purchase a property from Dallas ISD, bringing the total cost of the transaction to $4,574,000. The council also approved spending $225,000 on expanding the Lamar Levee. Both of these items are related to the Dallas Floodway Extension Project.
City Hall extended an existing lease for office space at 2121 Main Street for $3.2 million and spent $3.2 million on street reconstruction on North Munger Boulevard. Estrada Concrete will handle the construction.
An additional $2 million of tax dollars were directed toward “internet access and digital literacy skills” for people who were “disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” particularly people who come from lower-income households.
The City Council contributed $194,000 to a funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for traffic signal upgrades throughout the City. The total funding agreement amounts to $2.5 million, but on Wednesday the council simply approved the allocation of $194,000 taken from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
Along with these items, the City Council approved spending on the following:
- $248,000 — Parking lot and drainage upgrades at Dallas Love-Field Airport
- $358,000 — Traffic signal design for six intersections.
- $850,000 — A three-year cyber security software subscription.
- $2.8 million — Purchasing fleet trailers for the Department of Sanitation Services.
- $1.5 million — Purchasing asphalt emulsion for the Department of Public Works.
- $2.1 million — Renewing for one-year an existing agreement for purchasing rugged mobile computers.
- $1.6 million — Repairing a thermal storage tank for the Department of Aviation
- $750,000 — Providing dental care for seniors over the age of 60
- $1 million — Specialized response training for Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Water Utilities Department from the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX).
- $1.1 million — Maintenance of computers, software, and handheld meter-reading devices for the Water Utilities Department
- $428,000 — Hiring temporary workers for the Parks & Recreation Department
- $599,000 — Architectural and engineering services for the Magnolia Lounge in Fair Park