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Staff outlines five options to coordinate Garland nonprofits and volunteers; CMO task force recommended
Summary
Jeff Bryant presented five models to improve city coordination with nonprofits and volunteers — ranging from an informal social‑services roundtable to a new board — and said a CMO task force (option 3) is the best balance of speed and oversight; committee members agreed to report the recommendation to council.
Jeff Bryant presented a framework on July 23 for a city‑supported community partnership coalition and laid out five options for how the city could organize coordination with nonprofits and volunteer groups.
Bryant said the choices range from an informal "social services roundtable" (staff‑led and fast) to formally creating a new board or commission (slow and resource intensive). "This task would have a built‑in sunset review," Bryant said of the City Manager's Office (CMO) task‑force option, describing it as a middle ground that would allow the city to organize and measure results before deciding whether to create a permanent board.
Bryant described past efforts — a large coalition formed before COVID with Parkland Hospital, NAMI, Good Sam’s and local churches — and said the city has developed a "blue book" directory of community resources that will soon be available by QR code. He noted the city added social‑work positions about seven years ago and that police and fire departments now include social workers who frequently coordinate with charities and other providers.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Carissa Dutton and other committee members said they favored the CMO task‑force approach because it would be quicker to stand up but still provide structure and city backing. "I like option 3… I think that that is the most logical," Dutton said. Staff told the committee they would prepare a one‑page summary and brief council about next steps; the committee agreed to report the recommendation to the full council.
The committee did not enact a formal ordinance or board at the meeting; instead members directed staff to report the recommendation and return with implementation details if the council requests further action.
