Garland, TX – The Garland City Council convened last night, on September 2, 2025, to largely discuss zoning items and to approve the City Manager’s proposed city budget.
Invocation and Pet of the Month
The session opened with the invocation led by Councilmember Kris Beard, who spoke about the importance of kindness and community support. Following this, the Council recognized Fritos, a mixed-breed dog from the Garland Animal Shelter, as the Pet of the Month. Dogs adopted through the shelter are $25, and they are seeking loving owners for the many pets waiting for their forever homes.
Consent Agenda
The Council approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from previous meetings and several bids, such as a $600,000 contract for shelf-ready books and materials for the libraries. Beard made a motion to approve the consent agenda, which was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Lucht, passing unanimously.
Here is what was included on the Consent Agenda:
1. Approve the minutes of the August 16, 2025 Budget Workshop
2. Approve the minutes of the August 19, 2025 Regular Meeting
3. Approve the following bids:
a. Shelf-Ready Books & Materials for Libraries (Bid No. RFQ00000157) Brodart Co. for $600,000.00. This request is for the purchase of shelf-ready physical books and materials for the use of Garland Library patrons. This approval is for a Term Agreement with four optional renewals.
4. Grant Disbursement Agreement – Garland Housing Finance Corporation
Accept a $325,000 grant from the Garland Housing Finance Corporation (GHFC) for the Where The Heart Is program with the City of Garland and authorize the City Manager to sign and execute a disbursement agreement for deployment of these funds. Council was briefed on this item at the August 4, 2025, Work Session.
5. Resolution Confirming the Appointment of Civil Service Commissioners and Recognizing
Staggered Terms of Office Approve a resolution confirming the City Manager’s appointment of Ricky McNeal, Rick Parra, and Marisol Trevizo as commissioners of the Firefighters’ and Police Officers’ Civil Service Commission and staggering their terms of office. Council was briefed on this item at the September 2, 2025 Work Session.
6. Amendment to the Tax Roll
Approve an Ordinance to amend the tax roll by $79,585.29 by removing uncollectible ad valorem taxes as recommended by generally accepted accounting principles. Council was briefed on this item at the September 2, 2025 Work Session.
7. “Clean-up” Amendments to the Garland Development Code
Approve “clean-up” amendments to certain provisions of the GDC to align local ordinances with recently enacted state law and regulations. The proposed amendments are either related to changes in state law or are primarily process-oriented and technical in nature. Except as required by state law, they are not intended to effectuate substantial shifts in overall public policy, as directed by City Council. Council was briefed on this item at the September 2, 2025, Work Session.
8. “Clean-up” Amendments to the Code of Ordinances
Approve “clean-up” amendments to certain provisions of the Code of Ordinances to: (1) align local ordinances with state law and regulations, (2) provide for regulatory efficiency, and (3) allow for more efficient enforcement and prosecution. The proposed amendments are primarily process-oriented and technical in nature. They are not intended to effectuate substantial shifts in overall public policy, as approved by Council. Council was briefed on this item at the September 2, 2025, Work Session.
9. FY 2025-26 Civil Service Classifications and Compensation Ordinance
Council is requested to adopt the FY 2025-26 Civil Service Classifications and Compensation Ordinance, pursuant to Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code.
Public Hearings on Budget Matters
The Council then moved to public hearings regarding the proposed FY 2025-26 tax rate and annual operating budget. The proposed tax rate increase aims to raise approximately $10.3 million, or a 5.75 percent increase from the previous year. Despite the opportunity for public comment, no citizens came forward to share their remarks on the budget or tax rate. In early August, the City shared a calendar of key dates where the Council would review the proposed budget.
Beard subsequently moved to ratify the property tax revenue increase, which also received unanimous approval from the Council.
Zoning Requests and Public Comments
The meeting continued with individual consideration items, starting with a request from Resource One Credit Union for a Planned Development amendment to permit a tire shop use at 2401 Arapaho Road. The proposal faced opposition, both from City staff and from Council members, who raised concerns about the saturation of auto repair services in the area. In a notable comment, Councilmember Bass expressed his frustration, stating, “It’s disingenuous to claim that if it could have been developed, it would have already been done. That’s not always the case. We need to be careful about the types of developments we allow in our neighborhoods.” Ultimately, Councilmember Thomas made a motion to deny the request, which passed with an 8-1 vote, with Mayor Dylan Hedrick casting the dissenting vote.
The Council then addressed a Specific Use Provision (SUP) for an existing guest house at 2813 Seminary Circle. The guest house had been built without proper permitting prior to the current owner purchasing the property. After discussing the implications for the neighborhood, Councilmember Ed Moore moved to approve the SUP with an indefinite time period, which the Council unanimously supported.
The next item on the agenda was a request for fuel pumps at 2000 East Centerville Road. During the discussion, Planning Director Nabila Nur presented the staff’s recommendation for denial, citing concerns about the potential impact on the community. The Council had deliberated the pros and cons of permitting this use, including the unique offerings that the proposed convenience store and gas station brand brought. However, staff had presented that the property is roughly 10 acres in size and is located within a growing area with larger potential. Councilmember Margaret Lucht pointed out that this is ultimately another gas station, adding, “[It’s] a gas station wrapped up in a pizza box.” Beard made a motion to deny the request, which was seconded and passed unanimously.
Next, the Council considered a request by Kang Lin for a Specific Use Provision (SUP) for personal services, specifically a spa, located at 1914 South Jupiter Road. The site is already developed, but is zoned for industrial use. Staff stated that while the SUP could match the vision of a commercial center, it felt out of place within the predominantly industrial area. The Planning Commission recommended denial of the request, and after a brief discussion, the Council voted unanimously to deny the SUP.
Amendments to Short-Term Rental Regulations
The Council discussed amendments to Chapters 26 and 32 of the Code of Ordinances related to short-term rental regulations. Public comments reflected concerns about enforcement and compliance issues with existing short-term rentals. Residents urged the Council to ensure that the new regulations include effective enforcement mechanisms to address ongoing problems with nearby short-term rentals.
Roxanne Seibert, a resident living next to a short-term rental, shared her experiences with noise and parking violations, urging the Council to ensure that the new regulations are robust enough to protect residential neighborhoods. In response to these concerns, the Council moved forward with amendments that will enhance compliance and enforcement capabilities regarding short-term rentals.
Amendments to Chapter 22, Article II of Garland City Ordinance
The Individual Consideration agenda items concluded with a discussion on amendments to Chapter 22, Article II of the Garland City Ordinance related to food establishments, which received unanimous support from the Council. The change will be to the scoring threshold for food establishment permit revocation from three scores of 59 or below within 18 months to three scores of 69 or below in a 24-month period, and assigning the appeal process from one heard by City Council to an appeal heard by the Property Standards Board. Additionally, details surrounding permit revocation duration will be defined in departmental policy, and will no longer be a 3-year revocation that prevents the owner from operating another food establishment in Garland. A new fee of $200 per reinspection will also be incurred for reinspections to determine compliance after a permit suspension, if no reasonable effort was made to correct the violations.
Citizen Comments and Closing Remarks
In a separate public comment, a resident expressed disheartenment over the Council’s decision to move forward with the MD Health Pathways agreement for telehealth services, raising concerns about the potential impact on those who may not benefit from the program.
The meeting concluded without any further public comments, and the Council adjourned. Residents can watch the full meeting on CGTV online.
