The Dallas City Council approved spending $185,288,493.72 of taxpayer money on Wednesday, settling a years-long legal dispute with a drilling company and approving street resurfacing projects.
The most expensive item approved by the council was a $85,160,475 contract with Texas Materials Group for street resurfacing. The project will include surfacing milling, curb and gutter repair, sidewalk repair, ramp installation, and street restoration.
The City Council also approved spending $55 million in bond money to settle a legal dispute for unapproved gas drilling.
The settlement comes from a 2014 lawsuit filed by Trinity Easy Energy LLC alleging the City improperly denied the company permits to drill on park land owned by the City and nearby privately-owned land in 2013, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
A district court judge ordered the City to pay $44.5 million to Trinity East Energy four years ago, but the City has fought against making the payment until now. In the meantime, the cost of the payment has risen to $55 million due to accruing interest, per DMN.
Furthermore, council members authorized spending $11,568,932 on a four-year service contract with RNDI Companies for asbestos abatement and demolition services for City and non-city-owned buildings across Dallas.
The council also approved extending the Cotton Bowl Stadium Agreement with the State Fair of Texas, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Texas, and the City of Dallas for the period of 2026 through 2036.
The contract extension will cost the Dallas taxpayer $11 million, according to City documents.
Other expenditures approved by the council on Wednesday include the following:
- $6,353,154 — purchasing “aggregate materials” for multiple City departments.
- $2,354,314 — entering a 20-month contract with Housing Forward for outreach services to homeless people.
- $2,125,079 — increasing funds to the Trinity River Corridor Project Fund and acquiring 20 acres of land, including a manufacturing and storage facility, for the Dallas Floodway Extension project.
- $4,742,007 — construction services for the Frankford Road Project.
- $916,946 — construction services for additional paving and drainage improvements needed to complete Montfort Drive from the I-635 Frontage Road to Alpha Road.
- $904,363 — authorizing an agreement with Housing Forward as the “sole source” of homeless management information system (HMIS) data services.
- $839,813 — purchasing digital route management and navigation services for the sanitation department.
- $800,000 — developing and implementing a violence intervention program for the Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions.
- $792,862 — equipping police officers with “effective de-escalation skills and reducing excessive use of force.”
- $699,286 — purchasing Microsoft premier services for the IT department.
- $375,043 — increasing a construction services contract for the Fair Park Tower Building Rehabilitation at 3809 Grand Ave.
- $313,585 — purchasing airport flight scheduling data management and software.
- $300,000 — purchasing “rare and specialized” books and media for the library.
- $250,000 — authorizing a service contract with Redemption Bridge to assist with workforce training, “affordable housing,” transportation, health and wellness, digital literacy, and obtaining government documents.
- $250,000 — purchasing construction materials testing services during the installation of capital improvement projects for water and wastewater pipelines, erosion control, and storm drainage improvements.
- $240,000 — providing legal services to Dallas residential tenants at risk of eviction and homelessness.
- $213,656.24 — increase construction services contract for additional storm drainage improvements on Chalk Hill Road from I-30 Frontage Road to Singleton Boulevard.
- $88,980 — additional engineering design services for Central Business District Fair Park Link from Hall Street to I-30.
The council also approved two public works items, adding $7,940 to City funds.
Additionally, the council authorized a five-year price service agreement for transportation services for passenger drop-off and pick-up at Dallas Love Field Airport. This item is expected to add $509,852 to City coffers, according to the City.
During the same meeting where these items were passed, the council chambers were disrupted by activists protesting the Israel-Hamas war and demanding council members call for a ceasefire, as reported by The Dallas Express.
