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The Real Estate Council is
actively monitoring issues at the state and local level that impact
the commercial real estate industry and our partners. Our mission is
to build a better city – and public policy is an essential component
of that vision.
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More Changes at City Hall
Since Interim City
Manager (ICM) Kim Bizor Tolbert took over in March, she has
implemented major organizational changes to City Hall. In June,
Tolbert announced the merger of the Planning and Urban Design and
Development Services Departments into the new Planning and
Development Department. This consolidation aims to streamline the
development process, create a more cohesive workflow, and improve
efficiency by housing all land use and permitting functions under one
department. Under the leadership of Director Emily Liu, new deputy
director positions have been created to provide direct contact for
each of the department’s core functions:
·
Andrea
Gilles, who previously served
as Interim Director of Planning and Urban Design, as Deputy Director
over Planning
·
Andreea
Udrea as Deputy Director
over Zoning
·
Sam
Eskander as Interim Deputy
Director and Chief Building Official over Permitting
·
Vernon
Young as Deputy Director
over Customer and Team Excellence
City Council approved
the change on Wednesday, June 28.
In a June 28 memo, Mayor Eric Johnson announced the
reassignment of two council committee chairs. Councilmember Paul Ridley (District 14) now chairs the
Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee, taking over from
Councilmember Adam Bazaldua (District 7). Carolyn King Arnold (District 4) now chairs
the Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee, succeeding Jaynie
Schultz (District 11), who has been appointed vice chair.
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Forward Dallas
Forward Dallas,
the draft comprehensive land use plan, is still under review and
amendment by the City Plan Commission (CPC). One of the goals of
Forward Dallas is increasing housing density and expanding housing
options in areas along peripheral lots and thoroughfares. Vocal
opposition from neighborhood groups concerned about increased density
in single-family neighborhoods has resulted in productive public
input and community town halls. In June, the CPC voted to adopt an
amendment to change multiplexes (multifamily development with fewer
than nine units) from a primary to secondary use in traditional
single-family neighborhoods identified as a “community residential”
placetype in the draft plan. The CPC will continue their work into
July, and the Council is expected to review the Forward Dallas plan
in the fall. TREC is monitoring changes and progress of the plan
closely and will provide updates as they happen.
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2024-25 Draft Budget
City Council is now on
its traditional July recess, and upon their return on Monday, August
5, it will hit the ground running on adopting the 2024-25 budget.
City CFO Jack Ireland says Dallas is facing a $38 million budget
shortfall, with the City facing pressure from post-COVID sales tax
receipts, statewide property tax revenue caps, and Dallas Police and
Fire Pension liabilities. In the May 15 budget briefing, Ireland laid out a strategy for
filling this gap by leadership evaluating new service delivery
models, the organizational structure of City Hall, and the manner of
funding the police and fire pension.
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Charter Review Amendments
The Council voted to
delay consideration of the amendment draft ordinance and will be
briefed again on Wednesday, August 7. They will vote on the final
ordinance to place the amendments on the November ballot on
Wednesday, August 14. Until then, any potential amendments are
subject to change by councilmembers until they call the election and
seek voter approval. Among the list of charter amendments yet
to be voted on by the Council is an amendment to nearly double
councilmembers’ salaries and increase the length of council terms.
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Digital Kiosk Meeting
Due to the fallout from
a lack of input in the digital kiosk RFP process, Interim City
Manager Kim Tolbert, Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley, Director
of Public Works Ali Hatefi, and Director of Planning and Permitting
Emily Liu organized a gathering to hear feedback from key
stakeholders. At this meeting, TREC reiterated its opposition to the
kiosks. Bentley said that the City is starting over from square one
and staff will have to evaluate next steps. The Transportation &
Infrastructure Committee will likely be briefed again this fall.
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Dallas to Fort Worth High-Speed Rail
In June, City Council
unanimously approved a resolution that would postpone any further
consideration of high-speed rail construction from Dallas to Fort
Worth until an economic impact assessment can be completed. Some
councilmembers had reservations about the alignment of the track and
new rail station south of downtown Dallas, and the impact that could
have on future investment near the future Kay Bailey Hutchison
Convention Center. This resolution should not impact the planned
Houston to Dallas rail line.
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Public Policy Committee
Interested in joining
TREC's Public Policy Committee?
Contact Michael Williams to
learn more. The next meeting will be Thursday, August 1 at 8:30 a.m. Interim Dallas
Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley will be our guest speaker.
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You can register for
our upcoming events here.
- Wednesday, August
21| The Deal: From
Acquisition to Disposition Module I -- Capital & Ownership
Structures Overview
- Wednesday, August
21 | Industry
Insights: Turtle Creek Development/Uptown Development Update
- Tuesday, August 27 | Market Matters: Artificial
Intelligence (AI) Insights and Innovations
- Thursday,
September 19 | FightNight XXXV
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Manage Your Preferences
The
Real Estate Council
3100 McKinnon Street, Suite 1150 Dallas, TX 75201
214.692.3600 | recouncil.com
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