February 04, 2019 Minutes
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
February 4, 2019
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas
convened in a Work Session on Monday, February 4, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Public Safety
Training Facility, Classroom C, at City Hall East, 601 E. Hickory Street, Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Council Member Hudspeth, Council Member Briggs, Council Member Duff, Mayor
Pro Tem Ryan, Council Member Armintor, and Council Member Meltzer.
ABSENT: Mayor Watts.
WORK SESSION
1. Work Session Reports
A. ID 19-015 Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding the City of
Denton’s application to the Texas Commission on the Arts Cultural Districts Program.
Caroline Booth, Director of Economic Development, provided an update on the application
process for a cultural district. Cultural districts were defined geographical areas which encouraged
and celebrated arts, culture, entertainment, and history for the purpose of economic and community
development. They were formed around an existing concentration of cultural assets clustered in a
walkable area that a city wanted to promote to visitors and residents. Cultural districts did not
obligate property owners to any type of additional regulations.
There were three options for the district boundaries. Option 1 was 0.35 square miles and was the
Downtown TIF boundary. Option 2 was 1.8 square miles and was the 1917 city limits boundary.
Option 3 included the Downtown TIF boundary plus Quakertown Park and Oakwood Cemetery.
There were two governance options. Option 1 was the Public Art Committee. Option 2 was to
create a new committee with the Department of Economic Development staff serving as committee
liaison.
General consensus of Council was to go with Option 3 boundary and the Public Art Committee to
provide governance.
B. ID 19-285 Receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding potential
polling locations for the May 4, 2019 City Council election.
Rachel Wood, Chief of Staff, reviewed the polling locations used during the 2018 election and
basic information for the 2019 election. In January, the Council had provided a general consensus
that there should be two polling locations per district. The polling locations used last year were
available with the exception of Ryan High School. The DISD Annex was available to use in place
of Ryan High School.
Council discussed an additional voting location on the UNT campus, TWU campus, and the Civic
Center.
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February 4, 2019
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C. ID 19-199 Conduct a walking tour of the Denton Police Department and Public Safety
Dispatch located within City Hall East.
The Council and staff participated in a walking tour of the Police Department and Dispatch Center.
D. ID 19-200 Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding current and
future space planning needs at City Hall East for municipal operations including Police,
Public Safety Dispatch, Public Safety Training Center, and Development Services.
Mario Canizares, Assistant City Manager, reviewed the history of the building. In 2018, Council
and staff went on a tour of the Police Department and Public Safety Dispatch. It was noted that
there was broken and outdated furniture; outdated computers; undersized and mismatched work
spaces for police operations; inefficient space configurations which contributed to workflow
problems; no locker rooms for employees and inadequate restrooms facilities; inadequate work
space for public safety dispatch; and a lack of parking.
Council Member Armintor left the meeting at 1:40 p.m.
At that time, the proposed facility renovations for Public Safety Dispatch and the Criminal
Investigations Bureau were stopped until the entire facility could be reviewed and better planned.
The City engaged the architectural services of Brinkley, Sargent, Wiginton (BSW) of Dallas to
develop options for the City Council to consider that addressed staff concerns. The options were
Option A. Renovate existing Police building and Shell Space - $26,381,000 ; Option B. Renovate and
add to existing Police building and Shell Space – 34,253,413; Option C. Build a new Police Substation
- $11,424,084; Option D. Build a new Police Substation and add a Training Center - $22,200,000; and
Option E. Build a new Police facility at the City Hall East site - $47,242,227.
Staff recommended options A and C which was to renovate the existing Police building, the shell
space, and build a new Police substation. The estimated cost for these two options was
$37,805,084. To immediately initiate this project, property would need to be acquired and an
architectural firm selected to provide 30% designs services. The funds needed for these two
components were estimated at $3,948,000.
Consensus of Council was to proceed with Options A and C.
Following the completion of the Work Session, the City Council convened in a Closed Meeting at
2:22 p.m. to consider the following item.
1. Closed Meeting:
A. ID 19-281 Deliberations regarding Real Property - Under Texas Government Code Section
551.072; Consultation with Attorneys - Under Texas Government Code Section
551.071. Receive information from staff, discuss, deliberate, and provide staff with direction
pertaining to the potential acquisition of real property interests located in the City of Denton,
Texas generally east of Railroad Ave., south of E. McKinney St., west of N. Bradshaw St.,
and north of E. Hickory St. Consultation with the City’s attorneys regarding legal issues
associated with the potential acquisition or condemnation of the real property interests
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February 4, 2019
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described above where a public discussion of these legal matters would conflict with the duty
of the City’s attorneys to the City of Denton and the Denton City Council under the Texas
Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas, or would jeopardize
the City’s legal position in any administrative proceeding or potential litigation. (City Hall
East)
The Council reconvened in Open Session and with no further business, the meeting was adjourned
at 2:45 p.m.
____________________________________
JOHN RYAN
MAYOR PRO TEM
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
____________________________________
JANE RICHARDSON
ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS