Good evening:
Few city services have the potential to impact our daily lives as much as trash and recycling pickup.
Take for example my reasonable confusion last week, when I thought that my regular Thursday alley pickup would be delayed at least one day due to the icy weather. I was wrong — and my marriage may unravel in coming days because of our overflowing bins.
Imagine how many marriages may have been at risk if City Hall had gone through with its original plan two years ago to phase out all 94,000 alley pickups to front curbside service. City staff said at the time the changes were necessary because of safety and operational challenges. Many alleys are too narrow for sanitation trucks, causing frequent damage to city vehicles and public or private property, as well as injuries to workers, City staff say.
The public outcry over the proposal was fierce. The plan was tossed.
One year later, council members were presented an updated plan to transition a much smaller number of alley customers, about 26,000, at homes where front pickup was most doable. City Council members put that plan on pause and asked that a survey be conducted of thousands of alley customers.
The results are in, according to a briefing scheduled for City Council this Wednesday. Of the more than 10,000 respondents, 93% favor continued alley collection, with 60% willing to pay some amount more to keep it.
Now, City Council members are being asked to choose whether to charge a higher monthly fee for alley customers, while transitioning a few thousand targeted alleys to curbside. City staff says this approach would continue to put workers, equipment, and property at risk. Staff will also “research and explore non-industry standard solutions.”
How did we get here? It’s a classic Dallas tale.
The City has generally done a poor job taking care of residential alley infrastructure. Residents also often do a less than stellar job maintaining their backyard trees and shrubs, which can obstruct sanitation vehicles. Various City Council members over many years have kicked the can down the road on what to do.
So, here we are, with a growing list of foul options, few of which will win City Council members votes.
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
Dallas To Comply With Orders To Remove Rainbow Crosswalks
Acting on federal and state orders, Dallas will remove Oak Lawn rainbow crosswalks and any other pavement markings that do not comply with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) “Pavement Marking Standards on Public Roads.” The state crackdown stems from an order last year from MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” housemate Sean Duffy, who is also the U.S. secretary of transportation, made in the name of safety. The City of Dallas was denied a requested exception and will come into compliance within 90 days, according to this memo.
Dallas City Council members on Wednesday, January 28:
Approved Item 7, a $347,500 increase on an engineering design contract with Freese and Nichols, Inc. for the long-planned dredging of White Rock Lake.
Approved Item 8, up to $8 million in funding for phase 1 of Halperin Park, a southern Dallas deck park set to open this spring just outside of the Dallas Zoo. Most of the funding comes from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District funds, with a little over $1 million from 2012 bond funds.
Approved Item 11, a nearly $700,000 funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for reimbursement of some costs related to traffic signal installations at dangerous intersections along South Great Trinity Forest Way and East Ledbetter Drive. Until recently, that stretch of Loop 12 was among the deadliest roads in Dallas, according to this NBC 5 investigative series.
Approved Item 16, a $150,000 construction manager at risk contract with Swinerton Builders for the planned new Dallas Police Department Law Enforcement Training Center at the University of North Texas at Dallas in southern Dallas. Check out this December briefing for more on the $185 million project.
Voted to remove from Park Board oversight a proposed development agreement with nonprofit Fair Park First for a planned Fair Park community park. City Council members then voted to send the matter to the City Council Parks, Trails, & the Environment Committee for further review. I serve on the Park Board representing District 10 (Lake Highlands).
Approved Item 32, a $26 million increase on a previously approved loan to finance transportation related improvements and demolition tied to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas redevelopment.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) board members voted to call a March 24, 2026, public hearing on potentially deep service cuts if May voters in six service area cities choose to leave the agency. Learn more about the hearing and upcoming community education meetings.
These responses to convention center redevelopment questions include information on future street and bike lane changes and Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) process for designing a convention center station.
This memo provides updates on the City of Dallas's preparations for hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026, including transportation planning, community engagement, local business participation, Fair Park activation, public information tools, and human rights commitments.
Here’s the latest timeline on fiscal year 2027 budget development, including opportunities for resident feedback.
Check out the complete city manager memo packet for Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
🔢 Number of Interest
$39,126,741
Average annual amount of direct labor income created by historic tax credits in Dallas, according to this memo and linked report on the economic impact of historic preservation.
🤝 Meetings of Interest: February 2 - 6, 2026
Monday, February 2
City Council Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Wondering how Dallas is doing in the quest to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions? I’ve got a whole briefing for you here.
Landmark Commission, 9:30 a.m. Briefing, 1 p.m. Public Hearing, 6ES Briefing Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Tuesday, February 3
City Council Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller just can’t quit City Hall. She’s back on Tuesday to brief committee members on “The Ladder Project,” a faith-based initiative that she leads to support people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. Miller wrote about the program in The Dallas Morning News last year. Read the briefing here.
Committee members are also expected to be briefed on the City’s homeless encampment response process and a proposed housing and homelessness policy framework.
Special Called City Council Committee on Finance, 1 p.m, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Briefing: Real Estate Process for the Sale of City Property
This briefing outlines the process for selling surplus City-owned properties in Dallas, including by public auctions, sealed bids, and sales through real estate brokers. It also details the allocation of sale proceeds for capital improvements and highlights next steps for reviewing and updating real estate policies and governance models.
589.42 KB • PDF File
Committee members will also discuss the process to hire a new City Auditor in coming months. Current Auditor Mark Swann submitted his resignation, effective March 17, last month after nearly seven years in the role.
Wednesday, February 4
City Council Briefing, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
A planned briefing on the Love Field Expansion Airport Program (LEAP) is not publicly available. Here’s an August briefing on the airport master plan and a fun video to get you warmed up.
Thursday, February 5
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board, 8:30 a.m., 2400 Aviation Drive, Board Room - DFW Airport Headquarters Building, DFW Airport, TX 75261
City Plan Commission, 9 a.m. Briefing, 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Dallas Park & Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Park Board members will vote on adoption of the White Rock Lake Master Plan.
🗣️ Quote of Interest
Staff is connecting with community leaders to explore creative approaches that reflect neighborhood identity and character through community art initiatives. These efforts aim to preserve the unique sense of place in our communities while continuing to meet current state standards for pavement markings.
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 and managing partners of The GoldHam Group, a Dallas-based boutique communications, events, and public affairs firm.
