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Good evening:
Neighborhood conflict can look very different depending on where in Dallas you live.
In many corners of our city, safety, code, or development concerns are at the root of the angst.
Recently in areas of North Dallas, we’ve seen a bruising fight against a mixed-use development plan that includes multi-family housing and a wave of opposition to what will be the first H-E-B store in Dallas proper.
Neither of those dustups triggered the social media algorithms and outrage machinery quite like a controversial Christmas lighting display in the 6200 block of Deloache Avenue in Preston Hollow.
The house in question has a history of over-the-top Halloween and Christmas displays intended to draw crowds. Some neighbors on the street are not so keen on what has become a weeks-long attraction, with what they say is excessive noise, lighting, trash, and other quality of life concerns.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Gay Donnell Willis is the council member for District 13, which includes this street. She’s been working with Dallas police, code, attorneys, and her council colleagues for more than a year to address what the bureaucrats call an example of an “Extraordinary Neighborhood Event.”
I asked Willis to be my featured subject in the first installment of a new series of interviews I’ll be doing this year called “People of Interest.” Through these Q&As, we’ll try to dig a little deeper on local government issues in the headlines — or matters that ought to be in the headlines.
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
📝 Memos of Interest
The annual community survey to gauge Dallas resident priorities and satisfaction with City services is being drafted now and is expected to be completed and briefed to City Council in June. City Council members have until January 9 to offer feedback on survey questions. Read more.
🔢 Number of Interest
$44 Million
State Fair of Texas dollars reinvested for Fair Park upkeep and historic preservation since 2015.
🤝 Meetings of Interest: January 5 - 9, 2026
Monday, January 5
Dallas Landmark Commission, 9:30 a.m. Briefing, 1 p.m. Public Hearing, 6ES Briefing Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
🏳️🌈 Oak Lawn Methodist Church is seeking a permit to allow for the rainbow colored steps it painted in front of the historic building last year in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to do away with rainbow crosswalks. City staff recommends approval, while a commission task force says the rainbow steps do not comply with the development code and should not be allowed.
Commissioners are also being asked to review draft National Register of Historic Places nominations for two Downtown Dallas buildings, the Hartford Building and First United Methodist Church.
Tuesday, January 6
City Council Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
The City’s Comprehensive Environmental & Climate Action Plan (CECAP) is a 30-year initiative with eight goals and nearly 100 actions. Dallas hit 75% of those actions last fiscal year, according to this annual report briefing.
Oak Cliff Gateway Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District Board of Directors, 10 a.m., 6DN, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Board members will consider a grant request for up to $8 million for Halperin Park (formerly Southern Gateway). The new Oak Cliff deck park spanning Interstate 35E outside the Dallas Zoo is expected to open this spring.
City Council Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
The Jefferson project is a proposed mixed-use redevelopment of the former Oak Cliff United Methodist Church.
City Council members are expected to vote on January 14 on a proposed $10 million TIF development agreement to transform the vacant former Oak Cliff United Methodist Church into flexible workspaces for commercial and retail tenants, and about 45 multi-family residential units. The historic property at the northwest corner of Marsalis Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard has been vacant since 2015 and was damaged by a 2022 fire. Learn more about “The Jefferson,” an estimated $19.5 million project.
Briefing: Dallas Housing Opportunity Fund
Launched in 2022, the Dallas Housing Opportunity Fund (DHOF) is a targeted investment initiative to support affordable housing development, in partnership with The Real Estate Council (TREC) Community Investors nonprofit. This briefing highlights the fund's achievements, including $42 million in investor capital and 10 closed loans supporting 940 housing units and $245 million in total development costs.
3.86 MB • PDF File
Committee members will also discuss the previously noted $8 million grant agreement for Halperin Park, being considered earlier Tuesday by the local TIF board. Most of the dollars are TIF funds, while about $1 million comes from the 2012 bond program. The matter is expected to be up for a full City Council vote on January 28. Read more.
City Council members will vote on January 14 whether to call a public hearing for two weeks later "to receive comments on proposed amendments and updates to the City’s Economic Development Incentive Policy.” Check out the proposed changes here.
Thursday, December 8
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board, 8:30 a.m., Board Room, DFW Airport Headquarters, DFW Airport, TX 75261
This agenda includes an expanded scope and updated $1.7 billion design-build agreement with Innovation Next+ of Irving for a portion of the future Terminal F project. The total project cost has been estimated at $4 billion, with the first phase expected to open next year.
Special Called City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
A briefing on the status of the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ High-Speed Rail Corridor Identification Development is not yet posted. Any high-speed rail discussion could include debate over alignments that would either go through or around Downtown Dallas.
Regional Transportation Council, 1 p.m., Transportation Council Room, North Central Texas Council of Governments, 616 Six Flags Dr., Arlington, TX 76011
Fallout continues over an apparent retirement push for longtime regional transportation leader Michael Morris. Last year, North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Executive Director Todd Little asked for and received a succession plan from Morris, the long-time NCTCOG transportation director. But the independent 45-member Regional Transportation Council (RTC), a policymaking body comprised of area elected and appointed officials, was apparently not consulted about Morris’ job status. This draft letter — dated Thursday, January 8 — from RTC Chair Rick Bailey seeks a meeting with NCTCOG Board President Victoria Johnson to discuss ways to improve communications and ensure the RTC is consulted in the future about any process to select a new transportation director.
Members may also discuss agency aspirations to establish North Texas as a leading hub for flying taxis. The initiative aims to develop a regional network with interconnected airports, vertiports, and infrastructure upgrades, leveraging public-private partnerships, weather intelligence systems, and research institutions to support safe, scalable, and commercially viable operations, according to agenda materials.
🗣️ Quote of Interest
The discussion about Dallas City Hall’s future is reminiscent of the Dallas ISD board’s debate 10 years ago… It seems to me the city is undertaking a logical and necessary facilities review to ensure the city is prepared to serve residents in a modern, technology-driven, smart headquarters that serves residents and creates efficiencies for workers.
