Terrell council approves application for up to $300,000 GLO Resilient Communities grant to update city plans

Terrell, Texas — City staff received council approval May 6 to submit an application and accept an award from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) Resilient Communities Program for up to $300,000 to update the city’s comprehensive plan and related planning documents.

Assistant Municipal Development Director Raylan Smith told the council the grant can be used to cover multiple planning documents and that staff intends to list several projects in the application to maximize possible funding. “This is a grant specifically for the comprehensive plan and other planning units for the cities,” Raylan Smith said.

City Manager Mike Sims reviewed local history: the current comprehensive plan process began in 2016, and the city approved a comprehensive plan and related downtown and parks plans in late 2017 and early 2018. Staff and council said the city has experienced growth, annexations and changing needs and that an updated comprehensive plan would better reflect current conditions.

Raylan Smith said the GLO award is up to $300,000 and does not require a local match; if awarded, staff will follow state procurement rules and release a Request for Qualifications for a consultant to update the comprehensive plan, downtown plan, parks plan and other documents as council prioritizes. Staff estimated that updating the comprehensive plan alone could be in the $282,000–$300,000 range, and adding park and downtown updates could add around $150,000, though Raylan and the city manager said actual costs will be determined through procurement and negotiations with the selected firm.

Councilmember Stephanie Holmes Thomas moved to approve the resolution authorizing the application; Donna Renee Anderson seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Staff said, if awarded, the RFQ and subsequent contract recommendations will be brought back to council for approval and that grant funding will be applied to the negotiated scope.