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Councilmembers report on Gateway to the Globe event and National League of Cities conference
Summary
Councilmembers recapped the Gateway to the Globe festival, and one councilmember described takeaways from the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C., including sessions on housing, economic development and lead and copper rule revisions, plus meetings with federal representatives.
Councilmembers used the study session on April 1 to report recent community events and conferences, including the Gateway to the Globe festival and the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C., and to request future briefing items.
Councilwoman Bennett Burton said she attended Gateway to the Globe over the weekend and noted her work with the civic league on visits to local service providers, mentioning “PD Place” as a resource for residents without insurance and that she will ask Chief McCoy for a future briefing about a nonprofit that serves abused children. Councilmember Reid also praised Gateway to the Globe as “a phenomenal experience” and thanked event staff and participants.
An extended update at the meeting described the National League of Cities conference as an opportunity to network with elected officials from other jurisdictions and learn about policy tools cities use to address shared problems. The speaker (identified in the transcript only as a councilmember) said sessions attended included America’s Housing Comeback (strategies for housing partnerships), maintaining momentum on economic and workforce development (creating business “ecosystems” to support startups through their early years), and a session on the EPA’s lead and copper rule revisions and financing options for compliance. The councilmember also described “Hill Day” meetings with Texas federal representatives — including Senator John Cornyn, Senator Ted Cruz, Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, and Congresswoman Julie Johnson — to discuss Farmers Branch priorities and funding resources.
Councilmembers noted these events as networking and learning opportunities and suggested the City use federal, state and other resources for major infrastructure projects. Burton asked that Chief McCoy present information about a nonprofit serving abused children at a future meeting so the council and public can learn more about the organization and potential city collaboration. No formal actions were taken during the updates.
The council briefly discussed future agenda items later in the session, including a requested annual review of legal services and a future item on the life cycle of city buildings (including rooftop solar, drinking-water and sewage mapping).
