Meetings of Interest: December Heat 🥶 🥵

Could Fair Park one day be home to restaurants, hotels, and year-round events and activations? Maybe, but The Dallas Morning News editorial board writes of some of the low-hanging fruit to focus on fixing first. The newspaper’s editorial department continues to serve as a clear-eyed force for good at our city’s most treasured park asset (I serve on the Dallas Park & Recreation Board).

The nonprofit Dallas Economic Development Corporation (EDC) will oversee a City Council-backed review of the condition of City Hall and potential relocation options, The Dallas Morning News reports. The EDC’s board approved the arrangement, which includes assistance from Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI), AECOM, and Corgan.

Dallas Landmark Commissioners approved plans to rehab and improve the Carona Plaza — named for former State Senator John Carona and his wife, Helen — leading to the Cotton Bowl entrance at Fair Park. The plan includes the installation of new trees, replacement of existing pavement, and removal and installation of flagpoles. Read more about the plans.

Dallas Park & Recreation Board members approved an amended $122 million funding agreement for an expansion of Klyde Warren Park. The project is funded with a mix of sources including state, federal, private, and 2024 voter-approved bond funds.

Uber’s self-driving vehicles hit the streets of Downtown, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, and Deep Ellum in recent days, according to this memo. The initial fleet of up to 10 Hyundai IONIQ5 autonomous rideshare Avride cars will each have a “safety rider” in the driver’s seat — for now. Learn more from this WFAA report.

Do we have too much noise, lighting, or joyous gatherings in Dallas? A community survey is underway to help find out. This is partly a response to a now infamous Preston Hollow mansion known for “causing headaches in the neighborhood” with what some may consider gaudy holiday displays.

Read more about upcoming agenda items, plans for temporary cold weather homeless shelters and warming stations, and City budget updates in the complete memo packet here.

Members of this newly formed committee, chaired by Maxie Johnson, will receive a couple “back to basics” briefings on the City’s Home Rule Authority and the Roles and Responsibilities of other Government Entities. These are excellent informational briefings to bookmark for future reference.

Overall crime is down nearly 9% across Dallas through 11 months, as compared to the same period in 2024, according to this update. Violent crime is down by more than 12%, including a 23% drop in homicides. Dallas police officers are also making substantial progress reducing response times to all types of 911 calls.

This agenda also includes updates on police hiring, meet and confer contract negotiations for police officers and firefighters, modernization of technology, and gun shot detection systems.

Committee members are expected to discuss the City’s $10 million allocation to continue the Street-to-Home initiative that has reduced street homelessness in Downtown and other neighborhoods. The expenditure—approved by City Council as part of this year’s budget in September—must be codified by contract with nonprofit lead agency Housing Forward. The funding supports the work of other agencies including Austin Street Center, Catholic Charities Dallas, The Stewpot, Family Gateway, Harmony CDC, Salvation Army Dallas, The Bridge, and Under 1 Roof. Read more here.

Item 9 is a $22.6 million five-year cooperative purchasing agreement with Freeit Data Solutions, Inc., for new dispatching and records management systems for Dallas police, fire, and municipal courts.

Item 12 authorizes acceptance of a $1 million federal grant to assess impacts from contaminants and define mitigation actions to enable shoreline modifications at Hensley Field, the former Naval Air Station on Mountain Creek Lake. You don’t really know what I’m talking about, you say? There’s a Robert Wilonsky column for that.

Item 13 is the previously noted $10 million contract with nonprofit Housing Forward to continue to accelerate pathways off the streets and out of shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Item 48 is an ordinance granting a license to IKE Smart City, LLC, to install digital advertising screens on public sidewalks in Downtown and other areas of Dallas, part of a program approved by City Council members earlier this year. The item also authorizes payment of a termination fee to remove existing round static advertising kiosks installed on sidewalks over the past 20 years.

Item 54 is the previously noted $2.6 million contract with City Detect Inc. to install AI-powered cameras on Dallas sanitation trucks.

Item 83 is an amended $122 million funding agreement for a long-planned expansion of Klyde Warren Park. The project is funded with a mix of sources including state, federal, private, and 2024 voter-approved bond funds.

Item 86 is an agreed-upon funding plan for the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System, including settlement of a lawsuit the system filed against the City last year. Read more from WFAA.

Z15 is a zoning change to allow for development of the City’s first H-E-B store in North Dallas City Council Member Bill Roth’s district. Some in the nearby neighborhoods have said they don’t want the beloved Texas brand in their backyard.

Long-time regional Director of Transportation Michael Morris lays out a proposed succession plan for when he chooses to retire. The letter from Morris to Regional Transportation Council members comes after reports that his job status may be under scrutiny.

RTC members will also vote on nearly $8 million in funding for the Klyde Warren Park expansion referenced in the City Council voting item above.