[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6383467,"mediaKeyId","2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13","parentId",2124227,"title","Council reviews CIP worksheet; members propose targeted projects and debate tradeoffs with street funding","audioSeconds",794,"startMs",13906000,"endMs",14700000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13&start=13906&end=14700","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13/thumbnail_13906000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6383467/Mesquite/Dallas-County/Texas/Council-reviews-CIP-worksheet-members-propose-targeted-projects-and-debate-tradeoffs-with-street-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383467-dc5bd329aaaa66393ef148a292030acf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157431&Signature=RwYjZZ0nXiqI6guFZpO83vgOE5bd5H5Ii26-tTmWQiiD-nR9TYyufzGect-7R1GagpQZI0q9UjRRMhoG1iBzA9-aLiA-AIiaGLao5tToNqaWq1O28~PA9ehfRndxVx360AXmzHqajcuS90AuZYh7eobCPMHN0-XeubCQXo~wpBmyabRICZIiqYlCq1vefrOsM7~heE16MifTlLEtYiddI7RUvwf1WAdmNSQOiVfMMdJlcyzRyKglnuTA~LH520Lv~pct910-g2qXoOhBP9sRLYilbg8QWimL7l5dLTXohmIAztkJKBIeI~Qs3~xBLjO8jOwExX2C1fTzQKjbFfz9xA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Mesquite TX ","date","2025-01-11T00:00:00Z","article","City staff used the workshop to walk through an evolving capital improvement program (CIP) worksheet and to collect council direction on priorities and possible new projects. The worksheet included multi‑year projects across roadways, parks, drainage, public safety and facilities; staff said project timing will depend on available funding and will be refined during the budget process.

Several council members proposed specific additions to the CIP worksheet. Councilwoman Elizabeth Rodriguez Ross asked staff to consider moving reconstruction of Fire Station 5 earlier in the schedule and to evaluate the station’s footprint and response‑time impacts; she also requested that Blackwood Park be considered for a larger redevelopment with playground, pavilion, restroom and parking improvements. Council members also discussed a proposed citywide camera program to increase public‑space monitoring and an initial rough cost estimate of about $3 million to begin systemwide deployment.

Why it matters: the workshop is part of a new CIP preparation approach intended to give council more policy input before budget hearings. Councilmembers repeatedly returned to streets funding as the council’s highest ongoing priority and pressed staff to recommend spending levels that balance residential pavement preservation against major corridor improvements and other capital needs.

Costs, tradeoffs and timing: directors and the city manager told council that major corridor projects (for example Lawson Road and Lucas Boulevard segments) can be multi‑year, high‑cost items (Lawson was discussed as a project with an approximate multi‑year cost cited in the presentation) and that larger park or camera programs would compete with recurring residential pavement funding of roughly the $8–10 million per year staff said would be needed to stabilize network conditions. Council members generally said high‑priority capital needs should be identified now so staff can look for grants, alternative funding and partnerships and present funding options during the July budget schedule.

Next steps: staff will gather additional board input (4B, Parks & Recreation), refine project cost estimates, check grant possibilities for camera, park and corridor work, and return with funding scenarios for FY2025‑26. No projects were approved at the workshop; council directed staff to propose prioritized packages that can be evaluated alongside the upcoming budget and bond options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Jan 11, 2025 City Council Policy Workshop","oneSentenceSummary","At a policy workshop staff circulated a multi‑year capital improvement worksheet. Council members proposed additions — including a Blackwood Park redevelopment, a citywide camera program and moving up reconstruction of Fire Station 5 — and debated priorities against a backdrop of competing street funding needs.","taxTitle","Mesquite, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2785,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6383471,"Mesquite outlines community engagement push and plans to replace the citizen request app",2100,8640000,10740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13&start=8640&end=10740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13/thumbnail_8640000.jpg","/articles/6383471/Mesquite/Dallas-County/Texas/Mesquite-outlines-community-engagement-push-and-plans-to-replace-the-citizen-request-app","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383471-11d0b2afc801251cbe35ed223235a2b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157431&Signature=Uc3LK1FVnotDaAHun8SB-bpANUvlO~L98bdwT3z5y2pgDX-3cMOs8mpcYoCDINsLDvhBYE~4X4ZKPwsGU3U9pC1VS8e36ZDs5CWZRpUkzEyulZ8L1PCy7Uha~btaWZ-NNUqvahW7lUC1In4j-dz1LC-S0SonUxJXtxYuWfo6K7bm7w8PYe~3p1T2fFWkM4s9LZ3yy75UOIL9Rmlcp4Q9DxMAao82U8pAtjLMaPCQSikCO96QL4eYm5CgqMt60EPvbFGNL-mxG-IKzsPt1x5yG3Er548Pac6sYQdDIPi8EOg~oG6EHFE9gd0Px9g330dT6ksqmZ4OmDTueOPyDmCQRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Whitney Golin, the city’s director of communications, described 2024 metrics and priorities for outreach, noting that web and social platforms have grown but that subscriber lists and direct notification reach could improve. Golin said mobile traffic is now the majority of web users and that video and short‑form content are growing engagement channels.

“Reach is the number of unique users who saw a page or a post,” Golin explained as she described rising social reach and the city’s goal to increase subscribers for its weekly resident newsletter and alert services. She called for better meshing of existing email lists (for utilities, council connection and alerts) and said staff is evaluating a texting platform and a refreshed branding and style guide to improve consistency.

The city’s neighborhood engagement work was presented by Tony Cowell, who described volunteer recruitment, neighborhood captains and a Project LEAD leadership cohort that has fed local boards and volunteer pipelines. Council members and staff debated the frequency and format of district meetings, town halls and council picnics; several members suggested moving events to existing large city gatherings or school PTA events to meet people where they already are.

Citizen request platform: Assistant City Manager Raymond Rivas told the council staff recommends migrating from the city’s current Rock Solid‑backed reporting module to a customer‑centric vendor (SeeClickFix) that is widely used by peer cities and better optimized for resident reporting and public feedback. Rivas said staff wants a platform that provides clearer status messages to submitters and easier reporting and mapping by council district.

Why it matters: staff said the city receives many routine service and code complaints and that faster, clearer two‑way communication would reduce confusion and increase trust. Rivas recommended a planning and integration phase and suggested a possible beta test with council and resident volunteers before the systemwide rollout. “Staff definitely recommends that we migrate to a new customer request module,” Rivas said.

Next steps: staff will return with an implementation timeline and options (including an estimated spring rollout), further plans to unify email lists and a proposed texting platform for urgent alerts. No procurement or contract approvals were taken at the workshop.","Communications and neighborhood teams reviewed outreach strategies, digital subscriber growth and a proposed migration of the city’s request/311 system to a more user‑centric platform (seeClickFix); staff recommended meshing email lists and investigating texting to expand reach.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6383477,"Mesquite expands rental inspection program; staff report higher fees, new staffing and multifamily enforcement",759,5511000,6270000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13&start=5511&end=6270","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13/thumbnail_5511000.jpg","/articles/6383477/Mesquite/Dallas-County/Texas/Mesquite-expands-rental-inspection-program-staff-report-higher-fees-new-staffing-and-multifamily-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383477-66c15d724abc53920ed1a097d1d37069/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157431&Signature=FJx~KugxD7VVhwsuHRn5XvNYxX8UCPtgPHOoYtDuxvaW8ewMJP19ncNxi8T5jdP8k-~eboDihbeX5cdt5Ag2o2XeXMtKZT2cHy21sL4TYdoT2n17rwn8~kiqdGqY5m7SYVPO9RN3v6VTtaPVryED7whU2dj1RDxnETAYhCM7rQ2Ge9VKnEdUw2aryvi6~H2jvBXuynBLWFlmPqcK4dzwgdKsva1qdxB4zV32PiS~dFSb2ZmDwEeqQ1OzPxrYhoER9saDgL1ujHyZqMFzJA0UER2JNJ6er5R5epv5D6bgmyQ20u7tm7u~DPXWnFpNp3FnSNpaYLy1u1-5hv35nZ--vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maria Martinez, director of Neighborhood Services, briefed the council on the rental inspection and property maintenance program’s expansion and enforcement changes. Martinez said the city added staff and updated fees to support the shift toward more proactive enforcement and to bring multifamily properties under more frequent review.

“Single family rental license was formally $125, and it increased to a $150,” Martinez said. She told council the fee covers application review, the initial inspection and one reinspection for a newly licensed single‑family rental. Martinez also said the multifamily license fee moved from $15 to $20 per unit to fund expanded 100% inspections at apartment complexes.

Why it matters: the city is seeing rapid population growth and increased rental housing across neighborhoods. Martinez said the city aims to ensure safety and address code compliance by improving transparency and training with owners and managers; the office also translated inspection checklists into Hindi after stakeholder requests for clearer guidance.

Key metrics and operations: Martinez reported roughly 2,000 initial inspections in calendar year 2024 and said the city’s licensed single‑family rentals count is 5,143. She said the city has identified 63 multifamily complexes and is working to inspect all complexes, aiming to complete the current round of multifamily 100% inspections by mid‑year. For long‑term occupied units (occupied by the same tenant three years or longer), Martinez said the inspections will focus on life‑safety items and the city is rolling out an abbreviated three‑year inspection checklist.

Council reaction and issues raised: Council members supported the program’s emphasis on life‑safety inspections but asked about transparency and public access to inspection results. Councilman Green suggested publishing inspection outcomes or a simple summary (like health‑department style scores) to increase landlord accountability and help renters assess properties. Martinez said inspection reports are currently available by public records request and that the city’s citizen self‑service portal permits users to check whether a property has an active license.

Enforcement and next steps: Martinez said the city requires a local agent for licensed rental properties (a person who can respond quickly to issues) and that staff will continue outreach with property‑management stakeholders, pursue translation and education efforts, and refine the multifamily tier approach to identify properties that need more intensive follow‑up. No formal ordinances were adopted at the workshop; staff will continue operational implementation and return with updates.","City staff increased single‑family and multifamily rental license fees, added inspectors, and began 100% inspections of apartments; staff reported over 2,000 inspections in 2024 and ~5,143 licensed single‑family rentals on file.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6383481,"Mesquite council workshop focuses on roads: staff outlines 5-year pavement plan, council presses for more funding",4644,1766000,6410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13&start=1766&end=6410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2124227-1156c447b40eb43a82df8719d889bb13/thumbnail_1766000.jpg","/articles/6383481/Mesquite/Dallas-County/Texas/Mesquite-council-workshop-focuses-on-roads-staff-outlines-5-year-pavement-plan-council-presses-for-more-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383481-0f6e8e05a9770af8b623bafb5c4fe737/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157431&Signature=Mbzwwgj1oY3Jo7dThCoretE6dGODS~gyL98p9ATXf4s12BJGMiD8Ei2zOE796SFUtNfiHKPBUFvCNQpchXjXTTE~LnlcIDFCozT1S9GzhxVV3u8DTRlo7WbQHqF~JiFHFgYzovRCKgrKxkUTFehZbjbhaFkQLBAxoFp0EWt6VZAR83nPBKlitnhuie2epnIXwenmXhvlxfV58kRid9ptrC4~yCb5X4uwTRI6eYWSSapVYfVUD5e-UaOoGEvw8w~yyt1jI7Dq8cirQaEfWnC84gYgPs8Y9FUftEH8krvcf8Nk3jRZ6c2GQ~LYoFW1hD5AevMGyLQb-mCILdfvWE3LuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Director of Public Works Eric Galt presented the results of a citywide pavement assessment and a preliminary five‑year program, telling the City Council the city’s average network pavement condition index (PCI) is 64. Galt said the study identifies concentrated pockets of very poor and poor pavement — mostly older asphalt sections in the east and northeast — and recommended a mix of contractor reconstruction and more frequent in‑house asphalt repairs.

The report lays out funding scenarios: a very aggressive program that would bring the network to “very good to excellent” would cost roughly $231 million over five years, while a year‑to‑year backlog‑control approach narrows work to the worst streets. Galt warned the precise targets depend on how much the council is willing to commit annually and noted the Real Texas Roads bond has been carrying a large share of residential work in recent years. “Our average network PCI was 64,” Galt said. “Again, this book is in the appendices and fairly easy to follow.”

Why it matters: residents consistently put streets and alleys at or near the top of priorities in city surveys, and multiple council members said they want a clear, funded plan rather than ad‑hoc patching. Councilman Burrows asked whether crews were spending more on repeated patches than on permanent repairs: “When do we say enough is enough? And let’s stop patching and let’s fix the street,” he said. Public comments and council discussion focused on whether the city should prioritize a “worst‑first” approach, concentrate on high‑volume neighborhood collectors, or continue a neighborhood‑block strategy to get the most impact for each mobilization.

Supporting details: Galt said some current programs already target neighborhoods, and noted a backlog metric in the report that put Mesquite slightly above the average backlog percentage cited by the consultant. The presentation included maps highlighting red pockets of very poor and poor pavement and an alley plan that raised the possibility of removing or abandoning long, low‑use alleys from the city’s roadway network to reduce maintenance obligations.

Council reaction and options: Several members urged increasing the recurring annual investment for local streets. The city manager and other staff said the city budget currently includes a mix of bond and general fund resources and that the Real Texas Roads program has contributed roughly $8 million per year; staff suggested a target of roughly $8–10 million per year just to stabilize residential pavement conditions, with higher levels needed to reduce the backlog. Councilman Green and others said the choice will require tradeoffs or new revenue: “If roads are your top priority, are you willing to set a tax rate that provides us the funds that address that?” the city manager asked.

Implementation and next steps: Staff will use the council feedback to refine a five‑year program (prioritizing collector access routes and the worst pockets), align the street plan with utility master planning to avoid premature reconstruction, and return during the budget process with specific annual funding requests and project lists. Staff also said they will continue to review alley policy (abandon, maintain minimum access, or actively rehabilitate) and explore additional grant opportunities for corridors and safety projects. No formal decisions were made at the workshop; the council directed staff to bring refined cost and funding options into the budget process.

Ending note: The presentation underscored a recurring council theme: citizens want visible progress on streets and alleys, and staff said the scale of need requires a sustained, multi‑year commitment coupled with careful prioritization and coordination with utility work.","Public works staff presented a pavement-condition assessment showing a citywide average PCI of 64 and proposed a multi-year, hybrid strategy to address very poor and poor streets. Council members pressed for higher recurring street investment and discussed tradeoffs with other priorities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council reviews CIP worksheet; members propose targeted projects and debate tradeoffs with street funding

Mesquite outlines community engagement push and plans to replace the citizen request app

Mesquite expands rental inspection program; staff report higher fees, new staffing and multifamily enforcement

Mesquite council workshop focuses on roads: staff outlines 5-year pavement plan, council presses for more funding