Farmers Branch staff reports progress on grants, transportation plan, tree giveaway and meter rollout

City sustainability staff reported progress on several ongoing initiatives at the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee meeting on Feb. 14, 2024.

The presentation covered a state-funded LED lighting retrofit for outdoor recreation-center parking lot lighting, the Active Transportation Plan and upcoming public input, a multiyear tree giveaway partnership, recycled-plastic asphalt trials observed at the University of Texas at Arlington, the city’s toilet-rebate tally and smart-meter rollout, and permitting status on the city solar farm.

Alex, a city sustainability staff member, said the city recommended and the City Council accepted a state CGO grant to retrofit outdoor lighting at the recreation center; the project has a state reimbursement component and the installation will be followed by a rebate submittal. Alex said the project’s expected total cost was “roughly $27,000” in the presentation and that the state rebate is expected to cover about 80 percent; the transcript provided inconsistent city-contribution figures and did not specify the final contract amount or the executed contract date.

Alex said consultants will present an Active Transportation Plan update to the City Council on Feb. 20 and that a public input meeting is planned for March 7, though that date might be pushed so the city can promote the meeting. The Active Transportation Plan will combine new public input with mobility input already collected during the city’s comprehensive-plan process and will cover sidewalks, trails and bike facilities for the next five years.

The city renewed a multiyear tree-giveaway contract with the Texas Trees Foundation, Alex said, and expects to continue using the nonprofit as a supplier for future giveaways; the contract length was described as at least three years but the transcript did not specify the exact term. Alex said the program has typically distributed about 200 trees per giveaway event.

City staff described a visit to a University of Texas at Arlington site where recycled plastic was incorporated into asphalt. Alex said the UT Arlington tests have shown good short-term durability and that researchers are monitoring microplastic runoff near drainage features and have not reported measurable increases to date.

On water-efficiency programs, Alex said staff processed the city’s 80th toilet rebate. On metering, Alex said the accelerated smart-meter rollout had increased residential coverage from about two-thirds to 89 percent; staff did not provide a firm completion date for full coverage or a date for when the meter platform software will be activated for customer access.

On solar, Alex said state and local permits for the city’s planned solar farm were submitted in December and the project is in a holding pattern while agencies process submissions; he added that the system size being permitted is smaller than initially presented and that staff is working with the contractor to resolve sizing questions.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about rankings for “most bikeable” lists, contract terms for the tree giveaway, and how the recycled-plastic pavement performs with expansion and contraction. Alex said staff will return with further details and documentation as the grant contracts and permit reviews advance.

Less urgent items raised during the meeting included facilities-level waste-reduction steps, possible certifications and designations for sustainability work, and discussions about incentives for commercial cool roofs. Staff said some incentives would require utility involvement or other funding mechanisms that the city does not directly control.