[{"_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",6454290,"mediaKeyId","5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f","parentId",5861626,"title","Votes at a glance: DCAD nominations and two power‑purchase agreements approved","audioSeconds",184,"startMs",4513000,"endMs",4697000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f&start=4513&end=4697","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f/thumbnail_4513000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454290/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-DCAD-nominations-and-two-powerpurchase-agreements-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454290-f667844b74604d11dd749f82310198c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157860&Signature=Bjsu8EruLeTu3CdpDardMhL7xMK5VhrEcZ7zGR0NJGJaCV2fYh2MMRS-VUQArT4aiw6ciE7kTL0yc03-LmTUhms3dJsGs34lAxTdmqiPb9N0cdtL6CS1wJR5bBot1QFJUp1jGQruJiCsXKdffqhsb587C6ewVK0b3HyeANtkv9kyhz3zfkU7mMj2g5W5SwmtTWc8eEaNOsKqEJ9IecGD~5oJsFW7E8BwXHkJf7ja1dmG~cCCdCWsd~j5JuGAtAqJDRA1r7B1-ZrqfjIbFwXBYLyTAdug6LKEuXCzRn~zxdFqChDsdAF0IMSqQhvew42vysqJUC1UzmhhsEVmNrdWdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denton","date","2025-09-30T00:00:00Z","article","Denton City Council took several formal votes at its Sept. 30 meeting. The following is a concise summary of each action and the immediate effect.

Nomination to Denton Central Appraisal District board (agenda item 3A, ID 251520)
- Action: Council nominated up to two candidates to the Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) board for places with terms expiring Dec. 31. Staff said incumbents for Places 4 and 7 were interested and eligible to seek renomination; council submitted nominations during the meeting.
- Outcome: Motion passed (recorded vote: 7–0). The formal ballot and final election are administered by DCAD; city staff will return with the scheduled vote on Dec. 2 for the council’s ballot casting.

Tidewell Prairie 2 battery power-purchase agreement (agenda item 3B, ID 251663)
- Action: Council considered and approved entering a 10‑year power‑purchase agreement for a 100 MW/2‑hour utility‑scale battery storage project (Tidewell Prairie 2 A LLC), with pricing that staff said reflects available federal tax credits.
- Outcome: Adopted (motion passed 7–0). Staff said the project could be available as early as June 2026.

Blue Summit 1 wind power‑purchase agreement (agenda item 3C, ID 251665)
- Action: Council considered and approved a 15‑year power‑purchase agreement for approximately 140 MW from Blue Summit 1 Wind LLC (Nextera). Staff said the facility is already in production and that because it is operational it may be grandfathered for federal production tax credits.
- Outcome: Adopted (motion passed 7–0). Staff said the purchase helps diversify nighttime renewable generation.

Consent agenda
- Action: Council approved the consent agenda on a single vote.
- Outcome: Adopted (motion passed 7–0).

Tally and next steps
- All formal motions recorded in open session passed unanimously, 7–0, according to the council’s on‑screen roll call. For the DCAD nominations, the council’s nominations will be submitted to DCAD and the city will cast its allotted votes on the DCAD ballot when it returns to council in December.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Denton - City Council on 2025-09-30 2:00 PM (SPECIAL CALLED)","oneSentenceSummary","At its Sept. 30 meeting the Denton City Council approved nominations for the Denton Central Appraisal District board and adopted two power‑purchase agreements for a battery storage project and a wind farm; the consent agenda also passed.","taxTitle","Denton City, Denton County, Texas","taxId",2787,"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},6454294,"Denton staff recommends changes to utility billing: deposits, payment plans, leak adjustments and AMI rollout",1671,1865000,3536000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f&start=1865&end=3536","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f/thumbnail_1865000.jpg","/articles/6454294/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Denton-staff-recommends-changes-to-utility-billing-deposits-payment-plans-leak-adjustments-and-AMI-rollout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454294-88876856ccca9de6c5659c45d46e800e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157860&Signature=PCP0q~Dy6PqkkDLHePjCORlaZCuRPbcwWcMZMrzBE~rDlJF~me1EVjwRFtDVhk5LWMy47jfMos0mOYcMwiDCPXDvEBKsNC4-CQqBAaDzKwsGYP~n47A8jNYqNYqh55q1E2BXtG4arg7p4c2~RRfJ1RSuU7uMStyBL6A7ezZrJ3olRBim~sPr1e3N0JHHeba-yOsw3mtYvH~klWelOJ~iKqWIvVFjtSWvalGlYDzqQdtWEiDCVkd4UJq2UT8BuwBq3S2PvCq71Q2A3wVbelKnwZNnnkYR9qXGlpvQzdvcNwuyySI7m3aFfblQ8OODNsVVexCHpv826ztpP7~5y5SKgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a package of recommended changes Sept. 30 to Denton’s utility-billing programs, including commercial-deposit retention, payment-plan administration, leak-adjustment rules and provisions for upcoming automated metering infrastructure (AMI).

Krista Foster, the city’s customer service manager, told the council a benchmarking study of 22 Texas utilities and more than 100 U.S. utilities showed Denton’s collections and bad-debt performance “is significantly better than the industry,” but staff identified ordinance and process provisions that slow administration and limit flexibility. The recommended changes are intended to reduce manual work, align practices with peers, and give staff limited discretion to respond to exceptional circumstances.

On commercial deposits, staff recommended keeping residential refunds at 12 months of good payment history but extending commercial deposit refunds to 24 months. Foster said the recommended commercial criteria would include: an internal A credit rating, no disconnections, no meter tampering, and a current account at the time of review. Staff noted the current process requires manual screening of every deposit refund and estimated that streamlining refund rules would save 15–18 staff hours per month on residential screening alone.

Foster also proposed simplifying pay agreements: set installment due dates to match the printed bill due date, remove a rigid limit on the number of arrangements a customer may hold, and instead restrict future arrangements for customers who fail to complete two agreements within a 12‑month period. “Instead of saying you can have two arrangements a year, we’re saying you can have an arrangement every month if that’s necessary for you to meet your pay date. But you have to keep them,” Foster said.

On leak adjustments, staff recommended several changes: raise the deadline to submit an adjustment to 60 days after leak repair (the current ordinance allows 30 days to file), ensure that renters are eligible by clarifying permit/inspection pathways, cap leak adjustments at 100,000 gallons for both commercial and residential accounts and add provisions to cover sprinkler and pool leaks under the same cap. Foster noted the ordinance currently unintentionally excludes renters because a plumbing permit is often pulled by an owner or a plumber.

Council members asked for more detail on renter protections and fraud prevention; staff said they will validate repair receipts and may contact owners or plumbers for verification when documentation appears inconsistent. In response to a question about AMI timing, Stephen Gay, general manager of water utilities and street operations, said the city expects to have a vendor contract in place before the end of the year and to begin a three‑year rollout in 2026 to cover roughly 48,000 service connections. “Before the end of the year, we’ll have a contract in place with the vendor, and we should start rolling out that solution in 2026,” Gay said.

Councilmembers generally supported the recommendations; several asked staff to return with written ordinance language and to clarify specific scenarios such as applying deposit history when a business opens a second location. Staff committed to providing follow-up information, including a Friday report on edge cases, and to document discretionary decisions for audit and accountability.

No ordinance change was adopted at the meeting; staff will bring ordinance revisions and implementation details back to council for formal action.","City staff proposed policy changes to speed refunds, reduce manual processing, and broaden discretion in pay agreements and leak adjustments; council generally supported the recommendations and asked for details on renter eligibility and AMI timing.",{"_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},6454297,"Denton council discusses new Capital Improvements Advisory Committee after state law change",1810,137000,1947000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f&start=137&end=1947","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861626-56d5da359d63ed68c0490b07dab20a7f/thumbnail_137000.jpg","/articles/6454297/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Denton-council-discusses-new-Capital-Improvements-Advisory-Committee-after-state-law-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454297-14967c4716a2132d18bf1c21f55e88c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157860&Signature=ftrtr05183LWUcZW3Pc2Wusz3Xfs8oRgWCWaEE4TlDTSsNVONVLUFNHKMz811J7Kg2xSrKV23Y0eI2ssdikQTDKwtMT4IXBkE-w3voixri2g3OfoprYwfwd9YWYMfRzSvp08486O5SQAl89uWEi0qrxRlFTtpkZnLGRat6qBDMjKHrMrtYtygPfiIRqgAUUVyAHn1dr918uywkbIIXPWAcTll1kv7EeVx8mKztEwfFXlh6m1R0PH96Ty7JEePhtACEkgpSlL8kNXE0Ey1zHz99EGB0fNff-6QYWZ-nPZKTgUHhgOWAOSMvHtJnw5dvzVutp~xtRGXwRIkHyElNIwog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Denton City Council heard a staff proposal Sept. 30 to create a new Capital Improvements Advisory Committee after recent changes to state law eliminated the option to use the Planning and Zoning Commission as the CIAC.

The council was told the changes in Senate Bill 1883 and Chapter 395 of the Texas Local Government Code require a separate CIAC and raise membership and audit requirements. Angie Mangleris, the city’s development review manager, said staff recommends a seven-member body plus one extraterritorial-jurisdiction (ETJ) representative, four-year terms with a three-term maximum, and a requirement that at least 50% of members represent the real estate, development or building industries and not be city employees or officials. “SB 1883 was recently passed with this legislative session and amended several sections of the Texas Local Government Code as it relates to the CIAC,” Mangleris said.

The nut of the discussion was how to implement those statutory requirements. The CIAC’s statutory role is to advise on land-use assumptions, capital improvement plans and proposed impact fees and to receive semiannual reports and an independent financial audit before the city adopts or raises impact fees. Staff said the CIAC typically meets twice a year but would meet more frequently when fees or plans are under review.

Council members generally supported creating a standalone CIAC that meets the 50% industry-membership requirement and supported requiring applicants to submit resumes to document qualifications. Several council members pushed staff to return with specific definitions and a draft ordinance for appointment procedure, residency and age requirements, and the process for filling the ETJ seat.

Councilmember Jester said the committee “has to be addressed” and praised the parameters staff proposed. Multiple council members asked whether retired industry professionals or faculty with relevant expertise would meet the statutory industry-representation requirement; Mangleris and Chief of Staff Christy Fogel said the statute’s language is open-ended and that staff will seek legal guidance and refine definitions in the ordinance.

Citizenship and residency requirements were singled out for clarification. Staff confirmed all seven standing members must be residents of the City of Denton, with the ETJ representative an exception. Several council members expressed a preference for a two-year Denton residency requirement for applicants; others asked to preserve the existing, shorter residency rule used by other boards. There was also a brief debate over raising the minimum applicant age from 18 to 21; council members were split.

On selection of the ETJ representative, the council discussed three options: a council appointment, staff recommendation, or carrying over the current ETJ member. Several council members said they prefer council appointments for that seat; others were open to staff proposing a nominee for Council approval. Staff noted the draft ordinance in the meeting materials currently prescribes seven city residents plus one ETJ representative for a total of eight CIAC members.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Instead council directed staff to return with a condensed draft ordinance and clarified questions (including definitions of eligible industry representatives, residency and age thresholds, and the ETJ appointment process) for further action. Mangleris told the council staff will use resumes to help monitor compliance with the statutory 50% industry representation requirement.

Council members emphasized that because the new CIAC will advise on impact fees for water, wastewater and roadways, staff should ensure the committee makeup, meeting schedule and required semiannual reporting align with state law.

The council’s next step will be a future agenda item presenting a revised ordinance and appointment procedure for formal action.","City staff recommended creating a new, independent Capital Improvements Advisory Committee (CIAC) after recent state amendments; council members asked for clarifications on residency, ETJ representation and term lengths and directed staff to return with a refined ordinance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: DCAD nominations and two power‑purchase agreements approved

Denton staff recommends changes to utility billing: deposits, payment plans, leak adjustments and AMI rollout

Denton council discusses new Capital Improvements Advisory Committee after state law change