City Council - Regular Meeting

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the regular meeting of the Irving City Council for September 10, 2026. It's a pleasure to have each one of you with us. Thank you for being here with us. Organizational service announcements. Sinead, do we have anyone signed up to give an announcement?

No, sir.

That was a no, right?

Yeah. Okay.

Thank you. Invocation, we will... You please stand. The invocation this evening will be given by Mr. Bharat Dave with BAPS Sheri Sawami Aran, Mandir in Irving.

On behalf of His Holiness Mahan Swami Maharaj, present spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha and on behalf of the BAPS Sri Swaminarayan Mandir in Irving, Texas, I bid everyone a warm and humble Namaste and Jai Swaminarayan. Approximately 245 years ago, Bhagwan Swaminarayan, the founder of the organization, had given blessings to the leaders of India at that time. Although the words were uttered many years ago, they are just as momentous today. He said, if you rule the country with morality and a sense of duty, the country will prosper. The roots of America's prosperity can be found in similar precepts. The Shantipat, the peace prayer, is a prayer which does not seek worldly bridges, success, fame, nor it is a prayer for the desire for heaven. It is a beautiful Hindu prayer to For the peace, shanti. Let us offer prayers to the God so that prosperity can also lead to peace. The words of the prayers are from traditional Sanskrit Hindu scriptures thousands of years ago. O God, grant happiness to all. May all be free from misery. May all see the which is good. Let no one suffer from the sorrow. OM DHYAU HUSHANTI RANTA RIKSHA GUN SHANTIHI PRATHVI SHANTI RAPHA SHANTI ROKHA DAYAH SHANTIHI VANASPATAYAH SHANTIR VISHVE DEVAHA May there be peace in the skies, peace in the space. May there be peace on earth, peace across the waters. May peace flow from the herbs, plants, and trees. May all the social beings bring peace. May peace provide all quarters of the universe. May that peace come to all of us as well. May there be peace, peace, and peace. Finally, recognize the respected, as one of the Indian greatest spiritual leaders and fifth spiritual successor of Bhagavan Swaminarayan, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who often said, in the joy of others lies our own. May all find peace, peace of mind. May all work for the good for others. Thank you and Jai Swaminarayan.

Thank you very much. This time, I'd like to ask Councilman Mark Conaway to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas,

City Manager, do we have a city operations update?

No, sir.

Thank you. This time, we have item number two, which are items on budget adoption. Item number two, ordinance adoption of the 2026-2027 City of Irving fiscal year budget. Sinead, do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Motion to approve. I'm sorry.

One second.

I have a, who's, Mark, are you making the motion?

Yeah.

Okay, who's the second?

Well, I got to read it for him.

Oh, okay. Go ahead and read it.

I move that the fiscal year 2026-2027 total budget of $1,161,629,229 be adopted.

Any comments? Seeing none, gentlemen, show the vote. Thank you, passes unanimous. Item three, ordinance, ratifying the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which increases property tax revenues. Shanae, do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Go ahead. I move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of .589100, which is effectively a 14.65% increase in the tax rate.

Second. Just point of order. Any comments at this time? Yes, just point of order, because this item actually is ratifying the budget. And so, Councilman Cronin, with the item that you read, the adoption of the tax rate, that is coming up. It's item number four. So we just need a simple motion and a second. Motion to approve.

Any comments at this point? Seeing none, show your vote, gentlemen. Ordinance, item number five, adopting the 2026 city of Irving tax rule as required by the state of Texas property tax code. Shanae, do we have anyone sign up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Item four. Should we skip three?

We don't do three?

I'm getting there. Okay item number four Ordinance setting 2026 tax rate and levying the tax as required by the state of Texas property tax code Sinead do we have anyone signed up to speak on this sir? Okay motion

Move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of point five eight nine one zero zero dollars Which is effectively a fourteen point six five percent increase in the tax rate Show your vote, please

Pass unanimously. Item number five, ordinance. Adopting 2026 City of Irving tax rule as required by the state of Texas property tax code. Shanae, do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Okay. Motion to approve?

Second.

Show your vote, please. Passes unanimously. We're now moving to consent agenda items, items 6 through 27. The next item on tonight's agenda is the consent agenda item. Is there any council member wishing to pull an item from the consent agenda?

Mayor, item number 10. Say again? Item number 10. Item number 10. Okay.

Okay. Okay, what we're gonna do at this point We'll go ahead and take a motion to move this aside and then we'll bring it up at the end of the of the agenda on this item That's what I'm gonna do that I make a motion to approve all the items on the agenda except number 10 Yeah, let's be sure we got the right items or we're doing item six through nine and 11 to 27. Okay, that's your motion.

Second?

I'll signify by showing your vote, please.

Are we gonna take it up now or after?

Okay, so at this time, Councilman, Web, you requested that we poll and discuss item 10?

Yeah, I just want a presentation from the police department to kind of... Mayor, just a point of order.

We need... Somebody has not voted. Mayor, someone has not voted. So if everyone can just record your vote on the consent agenda item. Just re-enter your vote. Yep, we got it. Thank you. Thank you. Okay.

Item 10, at this point. Yeah, I just want to get a presentation from the police department. You know, some people's concerned about whether this includes flock cameras. So I just want somebody from the police department to just kind of clarify that.

Good evening, Darren Steele, Assistant Chief. This item that's on the agenda is not for flock cameras. It's for pan, tilt, zoom traffic cameras that monitor the traffic intersections, and it doesn't have any flock features on it. So it's strictly to monitor traffic.

Thank you. Yeah, I just wondered if some of those citizens who may not have seen the work session when you gave that presentation, for them to be able to hear that information before we vote.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. I make a motion to approve item 10 on the consent agenda.

Second. Show your vote, gentlemen. Thank you. Unanimous vote. Thank you. We're now moving to individual consideration items 28 to 31. Item 28, ordinance public hearing and second reading of the ordinance amending chapter 33 entitled refuse garbage and weeds sections 33-33. 33-34 of the Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances of the City of Irving, Texas, providing for new solid waste services rates and fees. Sinead, do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Any comments by the council?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second? Thank you. Please show your vote. Passage Anonymous. Item 29, Ordinance, Public Hearing and Second Reading and Ordinance Amending Section 41-57 of Article 9, entitled Municipal Drainage Utility System of Chapter 41, entitled Water and Sewer Systems of the Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinance of the City of Irving, Texas, setting a new schedule of draining charges. Sinead, do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Motion to approve. Show your vote, please. Item 30, ordinance, public hearing and second reading, an ordinance amending chapter 52 entitled water and sewer rates and the code of civil and criminal ordinances of the city of Irving, Texas, providing for new monthly water and sewer rates. Sinead, do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir.

Motion to approve. Second.

Second. Show your vote, please. Passes unanimously. Item 31, ordinance. Take any necessary action relating to the fiscal year 2026... twenty twenty six gives me dash twenty twenty seven vacant municipal court judge positions shanae do we have anyone signed up to speak on this item no sir motion to approve second show your vote point of order mayor there should be

What he's trying to say is that there is some specific language.

There should be a specific motion. Yeah, I'll make it. Yeah, with the names of the individuals.

Yeah, so I move to approve the ordinance adopting Catherine Hung and Christine Primrose as municipal court judges.

That's our fourth case. We're on 31.

I'm confused. 31, sir, is the right one. 31 is right? Yes, sir.

I'm on 31.

Second. Is there a second? Yeah. Okay. Show your vote, please. Pass this unanimously. Okay. We're on ordinance item number 31, ordinance. Take any necessary action relating... I just read this. Excuse me. We just did that. Next. Zoning cases and companion items 32. At this point... We will ask anyone wishing to speak for or against any of our zoning cases to stand and be sworn in by the city secretary, Shanae Jennings. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak? If you would, if you would please stand to take the oath.

I think we just have one zoning item tonight. I'm sorry? One zoning item tonight, and that is by us, correct? Correct. Do you want to speak?

Okay, we have nobody speaking on this item. Am I correct?

He hasn't signed up, so Mayor, that's your discernment. Now, who is that?

You want to speak on this item? Or a question? Please come up and identify yourself and ask your question.

Please state your name and address.

Thank you. My name is Jesse Santos, and I just have a question that references the room-in-house and board-in-house definition, so we can all understand what that means.

City Manager?

Jocelyn, or I'm sorry.

Thank you.

And then, Shane, if you want to come down, there's a resource as well.

Jocelyn's got it. Jocelyn, did you hear the question?

Good evening, Jocelyn Murphy, Director of Planning. The current definition of a rooming house is basically an establishment that provides rental for a period of time for people in rooms, does not provide temporary abode for transient persons. And the amendment is to create a rooming house, lodging house, and adjust that definition slightly. So there won't be a big change. but it is intended to be for long-term residential stays and would not be for short-term rentals.

Thank you. Shane, did you have a comment?

Not really a comment so much as if there's any further questions or clarification that's needed.

Very good. Does that answer your question, sir? Yes. Okay, thank you. Thanks for coming down.

And if you do have any more questions, either Shane or Jocelyn would be happy to meet you in the back and help you answer those.

Okay, again, Item 32, Ordinance 2026-194-UDC, amendments to the Unified Development Code relating to rooming house and boarding house. Sinead, do we have... Well, we just had a gentleman speak on it, so thank you. At this time, any comments from... Yes, Abdul.

No comments, but I would like to put a motion to approve.

Thank you. Is there a second? Second. We have a second. Please show your vote. Okay. That passes unanimously. That completes the items that we were taking up at this evening. At this point, Sinead, do we have for public comments, are there any comments or individuals that would like to speak?

We do, Mayor. We have two people who have signed up to speak. Public comments provide the opportunity to our citizens to address the council on items that are not listed on the regular agenda. Council will listen, but they will not respond as they are restricted from deliberation by the Texas Open Meeting Act. While the mayor and council may not respond, you are welcome to contact them directly. Their phone numbers and emails are listed on the website, and a meeting can be requested. If your comments require a response, the follow-up will be handled by the communications team. Each speaker will be limited to three minutes. I will let you know when one minute is left. Please state your name and address prior to your comments. A professional presentation is requested. Any handouts you wish to provide to the council members should be given to the police officers on either side of the chamber. Please do not approach the dais. Our first speaker is Jesse Santos, followed by Maxwell.