22 July Agenda Questions and Responses 22 July Agenda Questions and Responses smartsheet
� item Number Department Question/Comment Staff Response
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session A ID 24-2617 Streets&Drainage What are the planned drainage improvements on Cooper Creek near Nottingham? The FY 2025-2026 Capital Improvement Plan includes$300,000 for study,public outreach,and design work to address
ongoing erosion issues along Cooper Creek,specifically adjacent to homes on Emerson Lane and Burning Tree Lane
between Nottingham Drive and Burning Tree Lane.The creek channel in this area is experiencing significant erosion.
In the short term,the City is focused on evaluating the extent of the erosion,identifying stabilization options,and
engaging with residents to understand site-specific concerns.This includes conducting engineering studies and public
outreach to ensure proposed solutions are effective and coordinated.
In the long term,the City will use the results of the study and design work to seek Council direction on whether capital
improvements,such as channel stabilization or slope protection,may be included in future CIP construction funding
requests.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session A ID 24-2617 DME Give examples of Transmission Overload Projects that are pending ERCOT approval? These projects will include transmission level voltage lines(345 kV and 138 kV),transmission substations(number and
location still to be determined)and associated equipment for both.Regional Planning Group is still working through the
projects and ownership,and then ERCOT is anticipated to make a final decision later this fall,if not sooner.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session A ID 24-2617 Finance/Capital Projects Can staff note/list which capital projects could be delayed without dramatic service level impacts Staff has coordinated with the City Manager's Office and Finance to evaluate projects that can be delayed.Some
and which cannot? adjustments made included Water Works improvements,Ryan Road,and Mingo and Ruddell,based on the project's
current design and acquisition schedule.Current projects under construction(Neighborhoods 2&6,1 B,Bonnie Brae 3,
and Bonnie Brae 6)would have significant service level impacts if the construction duration is lengthened until funding
becomes available.Projects going into construction in FY26(Linda McNatt Animal Shelter,Fire Station 5&6,Westgate
3 Phase 2,and DCTA TRIP projects)will likely incur increased costs and may have limited scopes to cover these cost
increases,including redesign if delayed.Projects in early design phases may be delayed with minimal service level
impacts,but with higher construction and design costs expected.
Regarding treatment-related projects,these are essential.We have met or exceeded Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality(TCEQ)requirements.Staff is only recommending projects move forward that are essential to
ensuring reliable service delivery.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session B ID 25-1272 Development Services Given the midpoint of EV type 2 being$1650,the monthly change on a 30 yr fixed mortgage for The National Association of Home Builders published an article on March 3,2025 that indicated that nationally 10.5
the average home in 76201 of$378K is$12/mo.Does staff believe$12/mo is inhibitory? million households are already unable to afford the median-priced new home($459,826)at a 6.5%interest rate.A
Similarly,$3000 for solar ready is$22/mo.is that inhibitory? $1,000 increase in the price of that median-priced home further prices out 115,593 US households.So,while the
4 monthly cost may seem low,its impact on the total cost of the home is a concern in maintaining affordable housing.This
should be the individual consumer's decision as to whether they wish to add these improvements to their residence,
taking into consideration their own personal needs and financial situation.Households Priced-Out by Higher House
Prices and Interest Rates I NAHB
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session B ID 25-1272 Development Services Why would staff time increase for pre-authorized EV ready plans particularly for subdivisions Staff time will increase due to the additional plan review that will take place with the SFR permit review.If mandated staff
with limited construction design plans that are repeated over and over? will need to review for the additional code requirements of EV and Solar ready—EV receptacle location,an open space
5 marked for a 40amp breaker in the electrical panel;solar ready roof zone indicated on plans,roof loads/calculations,roof
orientation degrees or low slope roof provided,additional reserved space in the electrical panel,and a permanent
certificate indicating the solar-ready zone.Additionally,the inspectors will have to inspect these additional required
items.
6 7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session B ID 25-1272 Development Services Do not building permit fees incorporate cost-recovery for inspections such that the builders pay The building permit fees are based on square footage,so there would not be an increase in the fee for these additional
this element of the project costs and pass it along to the home buyer? items if mandated,as they do not increase the square footage of the home.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session B ID 25-1272 Development Services If staff envisions incentives rather than de minimis costs,is staff suggesting$144 per year Staffs recommendation is no action currently.The direction to consider incentives came from the Health and Building
7 Green Sense credits for 30 years or one time up front rebates of$1650? Standards Commission(HABSCO)when the presentation was given to them.Currently,the City offers an EV rebate that
could be used by a resident for EV charging if they choose.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Work Session B ID 25-1272 Development Services Staff requested REMOVAL of solar incentives approximately a year ago because the ITC Staffs recommendation is no action currently.The direction to consider incentives came from the Health and Building
8 federal rebates were in place.With the ITC credits sunsetting,it sounds like staff is Standards Commission(HABSCO)when the presentation was given to them.
recommending their restoration?
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent N ID 24-1863 DME What does"DME has decided to take a more comprehensive approach to long-term resource The initial scope of the RFP was intended to be a peer review of a revised DRRP.However,the range of prices from
9 planning.As a result,the utility will develop a full Integrated Resource Plan(IRP),which will proposers was cost-prohibitive,and DME instead proposed to the Council the creation of a long-term IRP.The creation
encompass and expand upon the goals and scope originally envisioned in the DRRP of an IRP was beyond the scope of this RFP,so a rejection of this RFP is needed for DME to proceed with a new RFP.
Whitepaper"mean in detail?
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent N ID 24-1863 DME Why is review of the existing DRRP goals and outcomes not desirable and how can the The review of the existing DRRP was presented to the City Council on June 3,2025.The creation of an IRP will certainly
10 development of an IRP not include an analysis of current goals in order to know from where we look at all aspects of DME's resource and power portfolio historical management to make recommendations for their
start? future management,given resource types.
11 7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent N ID 24-1863 DME Is the implication of this item that the IRP will supersede/replace the DRRP?If so,council did On June 3,2025,the City Council gave staff direction to create a City Renewable Energy Policy and an IRP.These two
not give direction for that,only for the creation of an IRP. efforts will replace the DRRP and set DME's renewable goal and resource mix for the next 15-20 years.
12 7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent O ID 25-1223 DME Are these CUs mostly for lines,poles,transformers and other common distribution grid(DG) For common distribution and transmission elements only.Other assets,such as administrative and generation facilities,
elements,or for the entirety of the assets? are not included.
13 7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent O ID 25-1223 DME DME has previously mentioned some need for DG redesign?Will these trainings and tools Yes.This will include DME's plan for a higher system voltage(24 kV vs 13 kV)in the Hunter/Cole Ranch Developments
facilitate that or is this unrelated? and surrounding areas.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent P ID 25-1224 DME Cloud deployment of virtual assets is a common business practice with both in-house This decision was primarily based on the overall cost of the SaaS solution vs in-house sourcing.
14 management and commercial SaaS(software as a solution)workflows commonplace.Can staff
comment on why they contract this versus in-house the activity?
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent Q ID 25-1240 Human Resources Burnout and job related behavioral health programs are particularly critical for retention in first The current programs and services offered through the Departments and the citywide Employee Assistance Program
responders and as such directly impact the need for overtime.How will staff monitor job- (EAP)will remain in place.The EAP services include:
performance metrics to assure that delaying implementation for cost-savings will not impact job-
performance and retention? Six face-to-face visits per incident at no cost to the employee,Telephonic counseling,Helpful resources available on the
Optum EAP website and mobile app,including:
-Finding an EAP provider
-Reviewing and exploring health topics
-Requesting authorization for an EAP visit
15 -Accessing childcare and elder resources
-Finding financial and legal services
Additionally,the Employee Health Center has a staffed behavioral health professional.
This RFP was intended to expand existing services,which would have resulted in increased costs to the City.Since
these services were not previously procured and are not currently in place,delaying implementation does not produce
cost savings.The City will continue to monitor first responder performance and provide access to existing resources,
which will remain available for use.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent T ID 25-1266 Development Services How will this integrate with our existing street sign programs?For example,should a Because the Hunter Ranch District is a Municipal Management District(MMD),it maintains several infrastructure items,
neighborhood within the improvement district apply for and receive sign-topper or other allowed including right-of-way landscaping and parks.They have requested enhanced signage and have proposed that the MMD
alternative signage,who maintains and funds the combined street sign combinations? maintain this signage as shown in Exhibit B.If,in the future,there are requests for additional features,such as sign
toppers,staff would expect the MMD to install and maintain these sign features.
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Date Submitted By Type Item Item Number Department _--l-Question/Comment Staff Response
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent U ID 25-1255 Capital Projects During prior staff discussions,it was not made clear that the proposed settlement was in lieu of The time extension is 32 calendar days.
liquidated damages.Nor was the amount of time extension specified.How much additional time
is being allowed?What would be the impact of NOT agreeing to the settlement?How will a If a settlement cannot be reached,contractual provisions provide additional options including,but not limited to,the filing
17 settlement in this case set precedent for other CMAR disputes in the city? of a lawsuit.
Each claim is reviewed separately by Capital Projects and legal staff for merit,costs,and project impacts.This
settlement will not change any Capital Project processes for future change orders or claims.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent V ID 25-193 Community Services Can staff point out Action Plan items and goals that align with the recommendations in the audit The Action Plan goal that aligns with the Homelessness Response Audit recommendations is to Make Homelessness
of the shelter,especially any items that were modified as a result of the audit? Rare,Brief,and Non-Recurring.There were no shelter recommendations for CDBG or HOME funding items for the 2025
Action Plan Cycle.Support for shelter case management was recommended for Human Services funding.
18
The 2025 Action Plan goals are based on funding recommendations put forward by the Community Services Advisory
Committee through the notice of funding and award process,which began in December 2024.These recommendations
are based on the goals outlined in the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan and community feedback.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Consent X I D 25-1362 Finance Is the steering committee likely to approve the 12.3%and 51%increases?Will steering Rate cases are generally postponed to allow for time to review and enter into a settlement.At this time,it is unknown
committee expenses during the 90 review period be incorporated into rate payments? what the final settled percentages will be.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Individual Consideration B I D 25-1197 Fleet What did we actually spend on parts and materials covered in this contract over the last year or Over the last two years(2023 and 2024),we spent a total of$8,709,231.65 on parts and materials covered by this
two? contract,with an additional$2,110,711.53 already spent in 2025.The five-year total spend,Year-To-Date(YTD)through
2025,amounts to$22,006,319.99.This historical spend is a critical factor when evaluating new contract values,as it
establishes a robust baseline for expected costs.The consistent upward trend in annual spend,combined with the
current year's expenditure,suggests that parts and materials costs are likely to continue their ascent.
7/21/2025 Brian Beck Individual Consideration C ID 25-1257 Capital Projects Can staff explain the differences between the GMP vs Stipulated Lump Sum Proposal? The structure of the contract was changed from a cost-plus fee structure to a lump sum.In a cost-plus fee structure,the
contractor is responsible for submitting all project costs as reimbursable,and then a fee is added to cover overhead and
profits.The estimate of proposed costs,risks,contingency,allowances,and fee form the GMP.In the lump sum
proposal,the contractor provides one price to build everything within the plans.This cost is inclusive of all costs,
contingencies,and risks within the contract documents.The price is guaranteed to the contractor under the GMP except
for unused owner contingency and allowances.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Work Session A ID 24-2617 Finance/Capital Projects Is it possible to revenue fund CIP projects beyond vehicle replacement?I'd like to see us plan Over the next several years,the City plans to move toward revenue funding for more capital.This may include a gradual
for revenue-funded projects to gradually make up an increasing overall percentage of CIP increase in funding year over year for all Departments.
projects year-over-year,when and where possible.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Work Session A ID 24-2617 Finance/Fleet Slide 6-Vehicle Replacement-How many vehicle replacements does$7.26 million fund?In The average cost per asset varies significantly.For example,light-duty vehicles(white fleet pickup trucks)average
other words,how much does each vehicle cost,on average?How often do we replace solid around$60,000,whereas heavy-duty assets like refuse trucks typically cost approximately$380,000.Therefore,the
waste and recycling vehicles? quantity and type of assets replaced vary from year to year,depending on which assets are due for replacement,the
department's operational needs,and their current market cost.The life cycle of a refuse truck is generally 4-5 years.
However,some trucks may last longer depending on operational needs,while others in high-usage operations may be
replaced sooner.Vehicle replacements are also subject to budgetary considerations.Replacement points are
determined on a 15-point scale based on specific data points for maintenance cost,age,and condition,each assigned a
weighting.For maintenance cost,data points typically include historical repair expenses or maintenance cost per use,
often compared against an average for similar items to derive a score.Age is measured by specific metrics such as
"months in service,"with higher values directly contributing to a greater score.Condition is assessed directly,likely
through a numerical rating system where a lower rating(indicating poorer condition)results in more replacement points.
These individual scores,derived from the raw data for each factor,are then multiplied by their assigned weights and
summed to produce the final replacement score on the 15-point scale.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Work Session A ID 24-2617 Finance Slide 17-The anticipated total increase of-$0.0525/$100 AV is attributed to the 2023 bond The 0.0525/$100 increase was the total estimated maximum increase to the I&S rate related to the 2023 Bond Program
program.Is this increase only due to the 2023 bond program,or is it due to a mix of all debt over a six-year implementation period.The 0.0525/$100 increase does not include CO issuance.A portion of the annual
issuance-both GO and CO? Certificates of Obligation issuances are"self-supported"and funded by utility revenues.The remaining portion,issued for
general government obligations,do affect the tax rate.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Work Session A ID 24-2617 Finance When determining how much debt capacity we have(i.e.our ability to take on more debt Debt capacity calculations include both GO and tax-supported CO debt.It does not include self-supported COs.The
without damage to our credit rating),do we separately calculate our capacity of GO and CO City's policy limits debt service to no more than 30%of budgeted expenditures in the City's General Fund.An example of
debt,or do we calculate them together as a single amount of debt capacity?Do credit agencies self-supported CO debt is utility system COs,which are supported by the utility's rates,rather than by tax revenues.Staff
view these types of debt differently? is not currently aware of rating agencies viewing the type of debt significantly different in their rating analysis.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Work Session A ID 24-2617 Finance What is Denton's annual taxable value growth(in percentages)from 2022 through the most FY 2025=10.16%,2024=15.05%,2023=16.40%,2022=6.05%.The City experienced considerable taxable value
26 recent data we have? growth in 2023 and 2024,and is now returning to a more normal range of 5%to 8%.The estimated amount for FY 2026
is approximately 7%(subject to change with certified values).
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Individual Consideration B ID 25-1197 Fleet Does this contract mean a NAPA employee is on-site at Fleet Services all day during business Yes,NAPA employees are housed out of the Fleet Services location.They operate the NAPA storefront during the same
27 hours?Or would it be some other amount of time? hours as Fleet Services,providing services to the Fleet technicians and other departments as needed during business
hours.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Individual Consideration B ID 25-1197 Fleet I need help visualizing the setup and how it works.Can you send a photo of what the on-site NAPA provides a wide range of inventoried parts that are readily available for the City's use and stored at the Fleet
28 parts provider works out of(room/building/container)?Are parts stored on-site,or does the on- Services location.They will also act as a liaison between manufacturers and travel to store locations and acquire other
site parts provider travel back-and-forth when parts requests come in? non-inventoried parts for City use.Attached,you will find a floor plan of the NAPA space and a customer flow diagram
for Fleet Services.
7/21/2025 Suzi Rumohr Consent U ID 25-1255 Capital Projects Slide 4-CMAR construction cost summary:In the table on the left,the Temp Fire Station#5 This is an error that has been corrected.Fire Station#6 is 10.3M and the Temp Station#5 is 1.4M.
29 costs$10 million while the entire Fire Station#6 costs only$1.4 million.Are these numbers
correct?If so,please explain how Fire Station#6 costs less than$2 million while Fire Station#5
costs nearly$11 million.
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