[{"_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",6200675,"mediaKeyId","3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5","parentId",3806691,"title","Farmers Branch sustainability committee adopts officer slate, notes attendance‑policy change and upcoming sunset review","audioSeconds",1694,"startMs",39000,"endMs",1733000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5&start=39&end=1733","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5/thumbnail_39000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6200675/Farmers-Branch/Dallas-County/Texas/Farmers-Branch-sustainability-committee-adopts-officer-slate-notes-attendancepolicy-change-and-upcoming-sunset-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200675-3b72e6de5d5877b8b038cca3e96cad85/orig.mp4?Expires=1777802528&Signature=Wh8~1hkeTdnkoGf5gESznXNn0s1AYX3Y9UA8N5OnVKDcyhTODPzp6VdqTYiRKFfWBCbE1YRcxlFekIZX8M-Crb1oDmhQm-r9snqOwJqWOLUEdjGflwRc7W0WhwSHh~GvgmdYVnAV53PkOEbyKXSssEFdKvmUFIvx1NpS8cpkVa9t~Jaz22haIOY08Ju0MF-nMBF-6zEH52sX3Cdfzmapb-nmLXZHtZBBEDoIuJkD~BPHh6F0Tn7Gcezi0E0S2NEwTLYOguHkyfRmjjtqYJCqQs-Ajc210GS4EDeViFEIHyOZwEpZ5Ls0MLyqW5wegutZZXRv~kj20NG0Ziulni3Mcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Framers Branch TX","date","2025-06-13T17:16:46.587Z","article","Members of the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee voted to elect officers for the July 2025 through June 2026 term and received staff guidance on updated attendance calculations and an approaching council review of committee terms.

The committee elected Price as chairperson, Lisa as vice chairperson and Ted as secretary by voice vote after a motion to accept the nominations. No roll‑call vote or named mover/second appears in the recorded discussion; the chair declared the motion passed.

Staff explained a change in the attendance policy calculation: instead of a continually rolling 12‑month window, absences will be counted within the 12‑month period that begins when a member's term starts (July). Staff said under the clarified approach a member may miss three meetings in a term year without exceeding the 25% absence threshold; staff also said they monitor attendance and notify members who approach the limit.

Staff also briefed the committee on a city council work session and a sunset review of committee terms. The review will appear on the council consent agenda on July 17 and is expected to align terms across boards and committees; staff said the proposed approach would standardize term lengths so that positions move to three two‑year terms (as described in the work session), and alternating members would need to sit out one year before reappointment in some cases. Staff said the planned changes would not affect current terms.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about staggered terms, alternate positions and when individual terms come up for renewal. Staff said no committee member's term expires this year and that about half of positions would be up the following year under the current schedule.

The attendance‑policy clarification and the election were administrative actions taken by the committee; the sunset review and term standardization will proceed to the City Council on the consent agenda for its action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Sustainability Committee meeting on June 11, 2025\\","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members elected officers for July 2025–June 2026, heard a change to the attendance calculation that gives members three absences per term year, and were told the city council will consider a sunset review and updated term lengths on the consent agenda July 17.","taxTitle","Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",56808,"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},6200677,"Farmers Branch staff update committee on EV purchases, grants, recycling center and upcoming public meetings",1270,33000,1303000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5&start=33&end=1303","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5/thumbnail_33000.jpg","/articles/6200677/Farmers-Branch/Dallas-County/Texas/Farmers-Branch-staff-update-committee-on-EV-purchases-grants-recycling-center-and-upcoming-public-meetings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200677-e8a8e947055ee7db74262a109f3d3c9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1777802528&Signature=fR5g8RV~So2eRNRU~Esrx0cZyCePVrGQWo7idtptrfT2OqsiJDVjHcdOd1BUu0UtpMAfCg0Dy2Vl-TeRNHhaZoKoAQ~w2BE4zQGDEdMJsaw7qcVW1wmVhgMcNxmlqZVqsP8r8Gl5ImlLfSGxcMAHcAkGcUSp2MqUDHvkw4BQbdNmABrOHassCZFz3FgOEK4La0fkfiHKUDXc-7yM37cm8j7etQu70NGkEMdGpa~-0aosje4BhFQXOVHsrRt2QibALrowuxM5UX6CCZ3pTjJ~oTwuhTw9Ov~DpddznxL9GBOnbjjl4LbGjVODwTLUEhgvjVFfx77VkoVhwFbtIAXJqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City sustainability staff briefed the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee on multiple ongoing programs and community outreach items including EV purchases, grant reimbursements, water rebates, active‑transportation outreach, and recycling and composting services.

Alex reported the city purchased two electric vehicles using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding; staff are awaiting federal reimbursement. Alex also said the city is awaiting a decision on a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) grant for three additional electric vehicles. A separate proposed TxDOT funding request for improvements along the Inwood Trail did not move forward after the related city council resolution failed, Alex said.

Alex said the city has completed 116 toilets replaced under a local rebate program and has processed 14 irrigation checkup applications, seven of which were approved. He also described coordination with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) on a regional bicycle‑safety plan; NCTCOG is collecting public input via a survey that the city will share on e‑news and social media.

On waste and composting, staff said a revamped collection center (Senlac Service Center) is nearing completion and will include manned collection for some materials; the site will host electronics recycling and shredding events, with the next electronics event scheduled for July 26. Staff described plans for a Compost 101 workshop modeled on last year's event and asked committee members to help recruit participants.

Council Member Elizabeth (introduced herself as a new District 4 council member during the meeting) spoke during the public comment portion to suggest the city explore distributing small kitchen compost bins used in other cities to increase household participation in composting. Alex said the city will explore the idea and noted compost drop‑off capacity is limited until the new collection center opens and secures TCEQ permitting.

Alex also confirmed that the utility has installed advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meters and is conducting staff demos; a customer portal and staff training are planned to help residents use leak‑detection tools once the portal goes live. The city will notify residents about demonstrations and available training.

Alex said DART will hold a public hearing on proposed service and fare changes in Farmers Branch on Wednesday, June 18, at the recreation center; staff will share details and the streaming availability as they become known. Alex outlined which regional agencies and cities participate in transportation development credit programs and said those credits can be used for pedestrian and sidewalk connectors.

Staff updates were informational; the committee asked staff for follow‑up on demo dates and on whether composting outreach could coordinate with school grounds and park partnerships.","City staff told the sustainability committee that two EVs are in the fleet, the city is awaiting EECBG reimbursement and a TCEQ grant decision, water‑efficiency rebates continue, the regional bicycle safety survey is active and a city recycling/compost collection center will reopen.",{"_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},6200682,"Farmers Branch preliminary 2023 greenhouse‑gas inventory shows drop from 2019 benchmark",1525,1675000,3200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5&start=1675&end=3200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806691-4b1725a9f6d0d04d26b2d4227b38a8d5/thumbnail_1675000.jpg","/articles/6200682/Farmers-Branch/Dallas-County/Texas/Farmers-Branch-preliminary-2023-greenhousegas-inventory-shows-drop-from-2019-benchmark","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200682-97441ac020e751b34f891840bba6b77c/orig.mp4?Expires=1777802528&Signature=RDK7zCZVKrtlUQp8UR8A90VOEaECnFwGVS47cRZCu3xpwAvGNGLJbxh-G3rMg-nUJCeqtlhkzx6VZNfoRh9p3JAr8Nd2P4x8hUVdeigiMZdFlJZZGKB4WBipbX4TwbhfHKHVMKj5DxljUjVrOWnf4vsIKoKMjp79aQFG114qE-17hCNjMJRXbPTVEOAUppe15khrEJabq3Ll185lHEDod9W6lAG3q2DwU8BTEfKnP-m2JrqFLCLVwSX9bb6lzwyPnjt3nGSpKOJN-m0YW85tHrK1nOOmUP989izFzF6AjFBWjRwzWZL53QuBAV5npoCILcIVxoR9HGTk1J4ZqyecZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented preliminary results of a 2023 greenhouse‑gas inventory to the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee, reporting preliminary decreases in total and per‑capita emissions compared with the committee's 2019 benchmark.

Alex, a city sustainability staff member, said the city completed separate inventories for the community and for municipal operations and used the ICLEI ClearPath software and regional grid emission factors to standardize calculations. He said the community and municipal totals are both trending downward in preliminary figures under technical review by the software vendor.

The inventory compares the 2023 data against a 2019 baseline the city used previously. Staff cited several drivers behind the reductions: a cleaner electricity mix on the ERCOT grid, energy efficiency work and added solar installations on municipal buildings, and greater vehicle efficiency and additional electric vehicles in the municipal fleet. Alex told the committee that four municipal buildings now have solar arrays and that the grid emission factors for 2023 reflect a higher share of wind and solar than in 2019.

Committee members asked whether tree canopy and carbon sequestration were included. Alex said tree carbon sequestration was not included in the inventory as presented but could be modeled separately using tree‑survey data and standard sequestration assumptions used by partners such as Texas Trees Foundation. He noted the city has conducted multiple tree giveaways and that Texas Trees Foundation provides a 20‑year sequestration estimate for planted trees.

The presentation also discussed methane and landfill emissions. Alex explained the city captures and burns landfill methane in generator systems to produce electricity; the burn converts methane into carbon dioxide, which has a lower global warming potential than unmanaged methane.

No formal target or council action was adopted during the meeting. Alex said the city intends to update inventories every four years going forward, and that staff may align future schedules with a regional inventory being managed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. He recommended using the 2023 baseline to inform future sustainability goals and capital projects such as additional solar or LED retrofits.

The committee requested follow‑up analysis comparing Farmers Branch emissions per capita to nearby cities and a separate estimate of carbon sequestration from trees and tree giveaways for presentation to the City Council.","City staff presented preliminary results from a 2023 greenhouse‑gas inventory showing reductions in total and per‑capita emissions versus the committee's 2019 benchmark; staff said municipal solar, cleaner grid electricity and fleet changes drove much of the decline.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Farmers Branch sustainability committee adopts officer slate, notes attendance‑policy change and upcoming sunset review

Farmers Branch staff update committee on EV purchases, grants, recycling center and upcoming public meetings

Farmers Branch preliminary 2023 greenhouse‑gas inventory shows drop from 2019 benchmark