Good evening:
Complicated government challenges are never solved overnight.
The long-struggling Dallas Police & Fire Pension system has been undergoing critical changes intended to stabilize it for nearly a decade. Governance and funding efforts to revitalize Fair Park have failed again and again. The Trinity River Corridor Project never quite materialized as it was envisioned in the late 1990s.
In all likelihood, we won’t know for sure what the future of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will look like at least until we get through another state legislative session next year. That is when many of the tenets of a plan that advanced with key approvals in recent days will need to be formalized in state law.
But the outlook for the agency keeping most — if not all — of its 13 member cities is remarkably brighter today than it was even two weeks ago, when it appeared at least six cities would be asking voters in May to approve bolting from the 42-year-old organization.
That is due in no small part to Dallas City Council members voting on Wednesday to give up its majority hold of the DART Board and agreeing to hold a minimum of 45% voting power. The agreement is part of the “one city, one seat” governance model whereby every city gets at least one seat with voting power weighted by population.
Perhaps more impactful for riders and residents are funding agreements that mean tens of millions of dollars in sales tax monies being sent from DART back to cities in coming years. To soften the blow, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) has committed significant funding for DART, and the agency will also pursue new funding streams at the state level.
A new entity is also likely to be formed to manage regional rail systems, including DART’s new Silver Line.
In coming days, Plano and other cities are expected to hold votes to call off the May withdrawal elections.
Much has been written recently about the various moving pieces of this seemingly grand compromise. For those interested in learning more, I’d highly recommend reading both this piece from D Magazine’s Alex Wolford and this piece from Lilly Kersh of The Dallas Morning News.
What’s unfolding is far from a final chapter. But it is a historic step toward a more stable one.
(Note: Our firm, The GoldHam Group, provides communications consulting services for DART).
A note to readers: Meetings of Interest is an independent newsletter curated and authored by The GoldHam Group Managing Partner Scott Goldstein and edited by GoldHam Managing Partners Sam Goldstein and Vana Hammond. The content, perspectives, or commentary presented herein reflect the views of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of any other organization, institution, or individual, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Any affiliations are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement.
📖 Table of Contents
🗞️ Highlights From Last Week: Meetings, Memos, and Media of Interest
Eatin’ Good In… A Different Neighborhood?
In a “State of the City” speech hosted by the Greater Dallas Planning Council on Friday morning, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said the city is working to keep the Mavericks and Stars playing in Dallas. Neither team wants to look out from a future home to a skyline that includes Applebee’s, she said, a not-to-subtle shot at potential suburban suitors. “I said it. I said it,” she said. Read more from The Dallas Morning News.
In addition to approval of DART governance changes noted above, Dallas City Council members on Wednesday approved:
A donation from QuickTrip Corporation for the purchase of four Ford F550 blocker trucks for the Dallas Police Department. The trucks are used to protect officers responding to traffic crashes and other roadway incidents.
Lease and development agreements with Hampton Hospitality Limited Partnership to develop an 87-room hotel on City-owned land at Dallas Executive Airport in southern Dallas. Read more in this memo.
The hiring of Strategic Governance Resources, Inc., as the search firm to help fill the inspector general position, which reports directly to City Council members. Here’s hoping they read the section of the City Charter on qualifications for the job.
Eight of the first nine digital advertising kiosks proposed for public spaces under a City Council-approved program may be located in Downtown and Deep Ellum, according to this memo. IKE Smart City, LLC, is required to gather community input before submitting permit applications. The company will send notifications to people in areas near the proposed sites this week and will host an in-person engagement session at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in Downtown on Thursday, March 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Nonprofit Economic Development Corporation (EDC) CEO Linda McMahon’s anticipated report on the future of City Hall could go public by the end of this week, with City Council members set to be briefed on Monday, February 23, the Dallas Business Journal reports from a recent EDC board meeting.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the City of Dallas on Friday, alleging insufficient funding for police and other public safety priorities, KERA News reports. Paxton, who is in the middle of a tight primary race with Sen. John Cornyn, claims the City is violating a Charter measure narrowly approved by voters in November 2024. Proposition U requires allocating no less than 50% of of year-over-year growth in revenues to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System and other public safety objectives outlined in the proposition language. This September 2025 memo explains in detail how the City planned at that time to comply with Proposition U.
Check out the complete city manager memo packet for Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
🔢 Number of Interest
$8.73 Billion
The total needs inventory for City of Dallas flood management, storm drainage relief, and erosion control projects, per this briefing scheduled for Tuesday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting.
🤝 Meetings of Interest: February 17 - 20, 2026
Tuesday, February 17
City Council Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Briefing: Proposed Street Feeding Code Amendments
A proposed ordinance would require groups distributing free food — including to large groups of homeless people — to obtain a simple, no-cost permit and follow basic food safety, sanitation, and cleanup standards. By bringing unsanctioned feedings under the city’s Street Vendor code, City staff says it will establish advance notice, a responsible party, and enforceable rules for location, safety, and debris removal. For Downtown stakeholders long frustrated by mass feedings on private property, this could create clearer oversight and accountability while helping reduce disorder, public health risks, and repeated uncoordinated feeding activity.
2.96 MB • PDF File
City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Briefing: Convention Center TxDOT State Infrastructure Bank Loan Application
Dallas plans to secure up to $116 million through a state loan program to fund critical transportation and infrastructure improvements tied to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center redevelopment in Downtown. Proposed projects include roadway, mobility hub, pedestrian network, utility, and deck cap improvements, central to strengthening Downtown’s economic vitality, connectivity, and long-term competitiveness.
753.53 KB • PDF File
Downtown Dallas, Inc.’s (DDI) annual Halloween event last year provided a successful test run of the “Open Streets” concept in which the City temporarily closes major streets to vehicles for pedestrian-friendly events, according to this City memo. Working with DDI (a GoldHam Group client), City officials are proposing potential closures on sections of Main and Akard streets for events during FIFA World Cup 2026.
Thursday, February 19
Dallas Park & Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Voting items include a construction manager at risk contract with Linbeck Group, LLC, for the Dallas Zoo Safari Trail Project, a three-phase $90 million project funded with private dollars and voter-approved bonds.
Park Department staff will also present operational overviews of the City-owned Zoo and Arboretum.
Note: I serve on the Park Board representing District 10 (Lake Highlands).
Dallas City Plan Commission, 10 a.m. Briefing, 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Friday, February 20
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Special Called Board of Directors’ Meeting, 3 p.m., Board Room, DART HQ, 1401 Pacific Ave., Dallas, TX 75202
Board members are expected to vote on new funding agreements with service area cities.
🗣️ Quote of Interest
I think what we’ll see is the continuance of DART as a whole. So, we’ll have the buses. We’ll have the express. We’ll have paratransit. We’ll have our rails.
Want to work with The GoldHam Group or sponsor this newsletter? Reach out to us directly.
Have a great week.
Best,
Scott Goldstein
Managing Partner
The GoldHam Group
Sam Goldstein, Scott Goldstein, and Vana Hammond are co-founders of The GoldHam Group, a southern Dallas-based boutique communications, events, and public affairs firm.
