Volunteers praise Gallatin Preserve cleanup, ask council to include sidewalks in bond

At the start of the meeting two residents spoke during public comment to thank city crews and urge continued maintenance and safety work at Gallatin Preserve and other trail areas.

Marcus Batson, listing his address, said he's noticed Gallatin Park has been much cleaner in recent months, credited extra trash cans and city maintenance, and said he looks forward to upcoming discussions about support for people experiencing homelessness. He asked the council to consider including sidewalks in the next bond proposal.

Volunteer Carly Stern, who leads a local cleanup group called Pickup and Pites, told council members her group meets every other Monday near City Line and collects litter at Spring Creek and Gallatin Preserve. She said the group reported a weekly minimum of 25 to 30 pounds of trash, had one week where they collected over 90 pounds, and that their cumulative reported total for the year in the two areas is about 600 pounds. Stern said recent brush clearing by the city increased visibility, deterred encampments and made cleanup easier. She urged closer coordination among parks staff, DART Police and Richardson Police on safety, and she told council she looks forward to hearing more about plans for helping unhoused residents because "their well-being impacts all of us."

No council action followed the public comments; staff later referenced the Gallatin cleanup during the HELP program briefing and confirmed parks staff participation in the internal coordination on unhoused response.