We’ll spare you this weekend on the latest drama surrounding Dallas City Hall, as there isn’t all that much. Needless to say, the rumor mill is still churning, and the anger is palpable in some spaces online.
As previously reported, council members are giving City Manager Kimberly Tolbert the go-ahead to start scouting for possible new digs and to assess the cost-benefit of moving out of 1500 Marilla St. versus catching up on the building’s deferred maintenance. Staff will report back to the Finance Committee in February.
Meanwhile, a petition is underway calling on council members to slow things down and commission a comprehensive assessment of the I.M.-Pei-designed landmark. It’s nearing 4,000 signatures.
“Demolishing this architectural icon would be an irreversible loss for our city, erasing a landmark recognized worldwide for its form, engineering, and vision. City Hall is not just a building, it represents our shared history, our commitment to progress, ambition for excellence, and our reputation as a world class city,” the petition reads.
Anyway, here’s a couple other things that happened this week:
Say So Long to May Elections in Dallas
In a bid to improve voter turnout, council members voted unanimously to scrap Dallas’ May elections and move them to November on odd-numbered years.
Voters approved the change themselves when the proposal came before them as an amendment to the city charter, making the city council’s vote somewhat of a procedural hurdle (unless a majority wanted to thwart the will of their constituents).
While everyone’s basically on board, there is some interesting fallout from the decision. Some folks at the horseshoe will technically be termed out come June 2027 — Mayor Eric Johnson, and Council Members Jaime Resendez (District 5), Adam Bazaldua (District 7), Paula Blackmon (District 9), and Cara Mendelsohn (District 12). They’ll be staying on serving an extra several months.
As for everyone else, they’ll be adopting a budget and making board and commission appointments not long before an election.
City Council Splits the Difference on Parkland Fees for Two-Bedroom Unit Construction
Dallas City Council set a new parkland dedication fee schedule on Wednesday, increasing how much developers have to contribute for the acquisition of land for new parks — albeit by a more modest amount than staff advised.
Under the previous ordinance, multifamily developers paid a flat fee of $457 per one-bedroom unit and $917 per two-bedroom unit. Staff recommended a rate of 1% of Dallas median family income for a one-bedroom, which bumps the yield up to $677.60, and 2% of Dallas MFI for a two-bedroom, which puts the contribution at $1,355.20.
Council members landed on a compromise after a tie vote (6-6) failed to adopt the Dallas Park & Recreation Department’s proposal for multifamily. Instead, they went with a lower rate for two-bedrooms: 1.75%.
“Although last night’s vote was disappointing, this is not the end of the road for Parkland Dedication Fees,” Dallas Park & Recreation Board member Rudy Karimi posted on social media. “These policies can and should be revisited, and I have no doubt they will.”
Karimi had been working to raise awareness about parkland dedication fees after the City Plan Commission recommended rates below what the development community itself had suggested.