[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6631583,"mediaKeyId","2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7","parentId",2679739,"title","Grand Prairie staff report disparity-study progress; consultant MGT to deliver final data soon","audioSeconds",1103,"startMs",1930000,"endMs",3033000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7&start=1930&end=3033","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7/thumbnail_1930000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6631583/Grand-Prairie/Dallas-County/Texas/Grand-Prairie-staff-report-disparity-study-progress-consultant-MGT-to-deliver-final-data-soon","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631583-edc8cd3bea7a7790499ae65b631c680a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770814887&Signature=L3Shg7XqhSWMwzkU1PgcVZz2ab4HaMHPfGUK60IaBZabR6LeCz0KoX6JfOOnNflsmCSJng9KGvxeLjWkzp5vEJ5nwWAoKiG2UMDJxgTDTdChAT2IkqnB6SA7zHQwpfTO3~5wFx9nGjNoEWuCckv2Os7ON8QxMB0BTqXJDHi4V3OAY-lr8VW0Wli7GhnOQs2vmQMt4roIzDxMlAppY1cQURpuRmYWuPiS4qJBqGHUz1~KjScfUL~knev~BPjLDr378Sg2suUaRoYheJLdYbzNoYsIsmDXJH6ziANuX81YHahPZHXfq1P7n~mPdYhu3NFaZEOlBemSWZQ-SIR70A9GMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Grand Prairie","date","2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","article","Katrina Bonnick Higgins, the city’s business diversity administrator, updated the Grand Prairie City Council on the city’s disparity study and the next steps for setting procurement or contracting goals based on consultant recommendations.

Bonnick Higgins said the study — led by consultant MGT — is legally structured to identify barriers to contracting for minority- and women-owned businesses. She told council the study examines more than $700 million in city spending across the study period (staff described the timeframe as covering material spend from 2009 through 2019 and up to 2023) and that the study has reconstructed roughly 56% of total spend, exceeding the 50% threshold MGT requires for a valid analysis.

The MGT methodology, she said, includes three parts: quantitative utilization data, qualitative information gathered from interviews, focus groups and surveys, and a private-sector comparison. Bonnick Higgins said the quantitative analysis now includes subcontractor utilization data — an area the city had not previously tracked — and that more than 500 firms participated in interviews, focus groups or surveys.

Council members asked about details the study will show, including whether some minority- or women-owned firms had relationships with prime contractors and how that would be reflected. Bonnick Higgins said she would check with MGT on specific relationship data and that MGT, city staff and city leadership would present final numbers and recommendations to council before staff drafts and implements a program.

On geography, Bonnick Higgins said Grand Prairie’s relevant market area originally focused on four counties the city touches but the consultant expanded the analysis to 11 contiguous counties where the city spends money. Council members asked about the city’s ability to track subcontractor payments; staff said the city is implementing an enterprise resource-planning system (Workday) and already uses a B2Gnow platform that can track diversity spend down multiple tiers. Staff said they will explore integration between Workday and B2Gnow and examine whether the systems can track whether prime contractors have paid subcontractors.

Bonnick Higgins said staff expects to receive initial finalized data from MGT at the end of the month, then follow a review and question period with the consultant and staff before presenting detailed findings and recommended goals to committees and the full council. Council members urged a paced process and staff said the proposal will be brought through committee review rather than rushed to a single vote.

No formal council action was taken during the update; staff said their next step is to meet with MGT and return with final data and recommended steps for committee review.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Grand Prairie - CC Briefings 03182025 - Mar 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff said the disparity study — led by consultant MGT and covering more than $700 million in city spending across a multi-year period — has reconstructed roughly 56% of spend and will return with final numbers at the end of the month; staff and council discussed tracking subcontractor data and implementation through committees.","taxTitle","Grand Prairie, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2784,"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},6631587,"City staff and American Resort Management outline Epic Waters expansion, timeline and costs",1021,919000,1940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7&start=919&end=1940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7/thumbnail_919000.jpg","/articles/6631587/Grand-Prairie/Dallas-County/Texas/City-staff-and-American-Resort-Management-outline-Epic-Waters-expansion-timeline-and-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631587-b6c675062a9249dfc8d4203baafa877f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770814887&Signature=l2HWrcOiQXBLjUsX~7sTCCAZDdaMGNP~Vok4LPF-nNw6wlrlWJCbUwjp4sZm3UhZ3Kn6~y-a8BrJ7w77IpMZ1wvmKXpnoBFDD61yA3VKECDZ0ZItKImJVowT~B6kmDGhAT2L1NbgeCTP7RXtitd1niQjt~j5bGnjT4qN6EKMl7-WjoAlcfwx~V2q~3A4eqYGLs2JmFmQ6vVPcSvGaH-jVHKsM6AdlQYnaAJhl6gXU5mXo0tasXHmDLuEttLxSg90w6nOj4S7Uo~WB3movOovRiZoWd~cy4ZsBkhWYpOeNV~l1BuR3alwsdxApH~AZPVzWaMEuU7La90Gn5tlsdjsmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff, with representatives from American Resort Management, presented a master plan for expanding Epic Waters to the Grand Prairie City Council and asked for council permission to return with a design-fee proposal on April 1 and April 15.

A staff presenter said the master-plan work was done by Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering after a 2020 RFQ and a selection process that began before COVID; design-phase work started in July 2021 and concluded in June 2022. The proposal before council focused on a first phase that would enclose the existing outdoor wave pool, add two indoor–outdoor slide towers and three kiddie slides, a food-and-beverage building, upgraded restrooms, party rooms and two-story cabanas. The presenter said the first-floor footprint for the new enclosed space is about 42,000 square feet, with total building area between 45,000 and 50,000 square feet when including basement mechanical space.

On costs, staff presented multiple figures. They initially cited a design-fee range of $1,900,000 to $2,100,000, then said the design fee “is actually $1,000,009.89” for the current proposal. The presentation also included a construction-cost estimate “in the range of 18.25 to 21.75” (units not specified in the presentation). Staff said none of the work “hits the budget, the CIP tax rate” and described the funding source as EPIC quarter-cent revenue; staff asserted the project’s energy and operations revenue would pay back the investment “under 10 years.”

Staff requested council’s “blessing” to bring back the finalized design-fee proposal for formal consideration on April 1 and April 15. If approved to proceed with design, the presenter said the design phase would likely take eight to 10 months, construction would start in spring 2026 and last roughly 10 to 14 months, and the team would target a summer 2027 opening — noting that construction would likely eliminate one outdoor-wave-pool season during the work.

Council members asked about parking and short-term revenue impacts. Staff said a separate parking-design effort is already underway to expand an existing VIP parking area and noted an area proposed for parking sits over an Encore easement (power lines) and may limit land uses. Staff estimated the revenue loss from closing the wave-pool area for one summer at about $2.5 million; that figure is part of the project’s 10-year return-on-investment calculation.

Representatives from American Resort Management and staff emphasized the need to move early on long lead times for certain equipment — “some of the lead time on our equipment is 40 weeks,” the Encore area manager had noted earlier in the meeting — and to plan mechanical, electrical and plumbing capacity in a lower-level basement to avoid painting the facility into a corner for future phases.

No formal vote was recorded on the master-plan presentation during the meeting. Staff requested direction to return with formal documents in April.

","Staff and American Resort Management presented a phased master plan for Epic Waters including enclosing the outdoor wave pool, new slide towers, cabanas and parking. Staff sought council approval to return with a design-fee proposal on April 1 and April 15 and gave an estimated construction-cost range and timeline.",{"_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},6631592,"Encore area manager tells Grand Prairie council how the company prioritizes storm restoration and tree trimming",889,55000,944000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7&start=55&end=944","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2679739-24311243021d076a398fde737da179f7/thumbnail_55000.jpg","/articles/6631592/Grand-Prairie/Dallas-County/Texas/Encore-area-manager-tells-Grand-Prairie-council-how-the-company-prioritizes-storm-restoration-and-tree-trimming","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631592-f1845abfd950fc616a902b112807f4e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770814887&Signature=QMtzovbqZAAA5Mt9IAPdaBlSXZyb~SrBZAJDcJ75zpaTcpASUMcw2FC8JTwBVn~aD8QUK7kiL5xmn3psHIVbADQYDb~IdOTQPZq0n2ckAE9DPfQX3RlR5KrupVDOcwY1StycPLFMw0xNTpMTedTz6nSsxOhI7UBfRTt0CLsCpSTokIyL3TS6aBcpHk3Ncwq9qMbGSExNOTKBEJcUAu4MeLFV3PxbY3BXxNYdbfqRQzoCKFyikO9n9rabiDKDu99IqTOqnDurZgx6og-xZl4-6BMumoyXfS-JGHCCaNbQbfzgijnyYKCk9Mdr8YY3Wa-1I6vwUQ70hFZnu5JcOZijEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sean Reddy, area manager for Encore, told the Grand Prairie City Council that Encore does not sell electricity but operates the transmission and distribution system that delivers power to customers.

Reddy said Encore is a “transmission distribution company” and likened the firm to a delivery service: “we're just FedEx. We pick up the package, we drop it to the house.” He told council members Encore collects a delivery charge for each customer it serves and does not generate power.

The presentation and follow-up questions focused on outage priorities, vegetation trimming, equipment that can reduce truck rolls and how the company coordinates with city emergency operations. Reddy said during a storm Encore prioritizes repairs to equipment that will restore the most customers: “during a storm, we operate on the piece of equipment first that will turn on the most people.” He said some pieces of equipment can affect 2,500 customers and are therefore serviced before smaller, single-customer outages.

Reddy described several operational tools. Smart meters can flag outages before residents call, allowing Encore to “roll a truck” with an informed initial diagnosis. Encore also uses a device Reddy called a “trip saver,” a digital fuse that attempts to clear transient faults and can automatically re-engage up to three times so crews do not have to dispatch for temporary animal or vegetation faults.

On vegetation management, Reddy said Encore uses three trimming levels and that a “make ready” trimming is available when heavy vegetation interferes with lines; Encore trims for clearance rather than aesthetics, and residents are responsible for debris removal. He asked residents to trim trees before they become problematic and said Encore asks cities to report locations of trees that may cause future outages.

Council members pressed on coordination for critical facilities. Reddy confirmed Encore maintains a process to register critical loads but said the company has not always had access to the city’s critical-address lists, citing a past instance in which Encore declined to provide addresses to city emergency staff for proprietary reasons. He added, however, that in a recent storm he personally worked with the city’s emergency operations liaison to report power status for addresses on the list.

Reddy offered a direct point of contact for city staff and council via email and said Cheryl (transportation and mobility staff) had distributed his business card to council members.

The council and Encore representatives also discussed customer expectations after outages and how Encore sequences repairs to restore the largest number of customers quickly and safely. Council members raised concerns about older neighborhoods with more trees and wildlife and asked how Encore could proactively address potential trouble spots.

No formal action or vote was recorded during the presentation; Encore was on the agenda to introduce its area manager and answer operational questions.

","Encore’s area manager said the utility is a transmission and distribution company, not a power seller, and described how it prioritizes repairs after storms, handles vegetation clearance, and uses smart meters and automated devices to reduce truck rolls.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Grand Prairie staff report disparity-study progress; consultant MGT to deliver final data soon

City staff and American Resort Management outline Epic Waters expansion, timeline and costs

Encore area manager tells Grand Prairie council how the company prioritizes storm restoration and tree trimming