Meetings of Interest: Marilla Freeze-Out 🥶

The Safe in the City initiative to boost police and reduce street homelessness in Downtown Dallas is “producing positive results,” writes The Dallas Morning News editorial board.

The DMN editorial board also kicked off a new series of editorials and columns on Downtown revitalization. The first two pieces in the series dropped today. Developer and restaurateur Ray Washburne calls for replacing City Hall with a $2 billion Dallas Mavericks arena, and moving the seat of government to his Founders Square building, among other grand plans. A group of architects says we should re-invest in our current City Hall and make it “the civic anchor of a vibrant sports, entertainment and cultural district.”

Negotiations on potential changes to DART governance, service, and funding are ongoing, and the City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members last week signed off on parameters including a target for Dallas to retain between 40% and 50% voting share on the board. Dallas currently has majority control of the board, a key sticking point for some cities pushing for voters to OK withdrawal from the regional agency in May. Read more in this memo. The Dallas Morning News editorial board says the ongoing negotiations offer hope for a better outcome than May elections that could destroy the agency.

Council members appear split on whether to create a “low-burden permit” process for street vendors including whose who distribute free food or drinks to people experiencing homelessness. The proposal will come back to the committee before likely moving to full City Council for discussion in coming months.

The first round of Dallas budget town halls run from March 23-26, with several other opportunities for public engagement on the fiscal 2026-27 budget to follow, according to this memo.

It’s back to the reference desk for the City’s library system leadership after members of the City Council Quality of Life Committee pushed back on a proposal to shutter four libraries, according to this memo. Staff will “reassess the recommendations before returning” to the same committee in March.

Check out the complete city manager memo packet for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.

Board members will consider calling a March 24 public hearing to receive feedback on potential service cuts should voters in five cities opt to withdraw from the agency in May elections. If voters in Plano, Farmers Branch, Irving, Highland Park, or University Park vote to pull out of DART, service would stop immediately in those cities.

Item 7 is a $347,500 increase on an engineering design contract with Freese and Nichols, Inc. for the long-planned dredging of White Rock Lake. This item was approved by Dallas Park & Recreation Board members (including me) last week.

Item 8 is 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.

Item 11 is 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.

Item 16 is 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.

Item 31 is a funding and development agreement with nonprofit Fair Park First for a planned community park in Fair Park. In order to consider this item, City Council members must first vote to “discharge” the matter from Park & Recreation Board purview. The Park Board (on which I serve) has not yet made a recommendation on whether to enter a new agreement with Fair Park First.

Item 32 is 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.

PH1 is a public hearing to receive comments on proposed amendments and updates to the City’s Economic Development Incentive Policy before a vote on the changes. The amendments are detailed here.