City Council - Regular Meeting

Dallas County
Tuesday, August 4, 2026Official site

The Rowlett City Council addressed several key issues, including a detailed financial report, updates on city projects and community events, and public input on various local concerns. The council also discussed and ultimately denied a proposed amendment to the city's exterior lighting ordinance and a variance for alcohol sales near a school.

About this meeting

Government Body
City Council
Meeting Type
City Council
Location
Rowlett, TX
Meeting Date
August 4, 2026

Published excerpts

Only published remarks appear here. The full transcript is not published.

51 sections (from 53 segments)

1:24•Carter Holston

Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.

7:36•Byron Fassett

I think you do, and I want to say you did an outstanding job. That was great material, and I love the tone and tenor of the way you presented it, so thank you.

7:47 – 7:59•Carter Holston

Mayor, I just want to confirm that we did have the Finance Committee meeting yesterday, and we did grill this young man. He's back tonight, so thanks for standing in there. Good report. Appreciate your help.

8:15 – 10:45•Marvin Gibbs

Thank you, Mayor. From the City Secretary's office, applications are now open for the newly created Downtown Advisory Board and the 75th Anniversary Task Force Committee. So go to www.riolette.com for more information. Communications and community engagement. Ever wondered how the City of Raleigh responds during emergencies, maintains parks, or provides services that keep our community thriving? Rowlett City Academy gives residents an inside look at local government through interactive sessions, facility tours, and conversations with city leaders and staff. Participants learn how each departme

10:56 – 12:46•Byron Fassett

all right we got a couple things here to talk about in addition to the one in white is actually Carter Gemma is who we're going to look at first Jim is a two to three year old sweet girl that loves to make new friends Jim enjoys going on walks and has a calm and gentle personality that makes her a joy to be around Gemma loves treats and knows how to take them gently. Gemma is looking for a sweet, caring family that's just like her to make her part of the family. If you'd like to meet Gemma, or interest in any of the other animals at the Brawlett Animal Services welcomes you to come and take a

13:04 – 14:54•Mike Britton

Yeah, I usually don't do this up front, but I've got a very neat couple I'd like to invite down, Broda and Sandy McAllister. As they're walking down, I'd like to thank a couple of people, Pam Bell and Diane Gentry, who live at the Lux for making me aware of the following. I'm told many of the folks over at the Lux are always looking for ways to have fun. Yes. Okay. This couple, the McAllisters, they live at the Lux. And they're currently competing in a national contest called America's Favorite Couple. Although it's a competition, it's primarily a charity event. This couple is currently in the

15:59 – 16:32•Mike Britton

Okay. All right. So here in the audience tonight, and if you're listening on streaming, you have a chance to cast a vote for them. And every vote's going to count because Thursday is the deadline. If they get in the top five, you go on, right? Yes, sir. Okay. That's americasfavoritecouple.org slash broda hyphen sandy and hyphen sandy.

16:35 – 16:55•Mike Britton

okay and she'll be glad to give you those i'm sure yes okay thank you very much thank you so much good luck thank you

1:04:17•Mike Britton

Yeah, thank you, Mayor. I move that these are approved as read.

1:08:23 – 1:08:40•Carter Holston

No confusion there, Mayor. Just want to make sure that this was put before the public. Mr. Kuhn, thank you for presenting this. I gather from the financials that there is a positive variance in our return on investment here?

1:09:07•Carter Holston

And so I take that in layman's term, generally we take a conservative approach to our budgeting. All right, that's all I have. Thank you.

1:09:33•Carter Holston

Mayor, I make a motion to consider action to receive the third quarter investment report for June 30th.

1:27:33•Chris Kizziar

I'll make a motion to approve. It was red.

1:28:11•Mike Britton

Yeah, thank you, Mayor. Just a few comments. I know we've had staff put in a lot of work into this thing. We tabled this thing.

1:28:27•Mike Britton

Mayor, I move that we deny the action as read.

1:28:47 – 1:29:15•Mike Britton

Now I'll make some comments. Again, I apologize to the staff because we put you through a lot of work on this thing, and we tabled it before. We talked about it last night. I just remain very concerned on a number of issues. I won't go into all of them, but I'm concerned about compliance. I'm concerned about the grandfathering clause that we talked about, and based on that, I cannot support this.

1:29:50 – 1:30:33•Carter Holston

Mayor, I do thank Councilmember Britton for making the motion to deny. I thought we had a very lively discussion last night and work session. A lot of points were made. The point that I kind of come back to are two things. One security we talked about that but to the business community. We want to be open for business and rather wants to be known as a business friendly city. And so this ordinance move from 2 pages to 14 pages. I want to get our hands around all of our restrictions so that we are open for business and so for that I'm going to vote to deny this motion. Thank you.

1:40:16 – 1:41:16•Carter Holston

I THINK WE HAD A VERY ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT CDBG IN WORK SESSION, SO APPRECIATE THIS COMING FORWARD. WE KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK APPLYING FOR THESE GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATING IT. SO HATS OFF TO THE CITY AND STAFF FOR DOING THAT AND OUR ASSOCIATES. A LOT OF GOOD WORK IS BEING DONE THROUGH SALVATION ARMY AND DOING ROADS AND SUCH. I think our opportunity here is to look at this in the future and really make sure that we're maximizing the utilization of this for our citizens. I have no objection to this item, but just want to thank you for putting it forward. Thank you for your work in that area

1:41:25 – 1:41:50•Mike Britton

Thank you. No questions, but just I'll echo those kudos. Thank you, Manal. Thank you, Susan, for all your work. I sit on the Salvation Advisory Council and I just want to pass on to you, Susan. You get a lot of kudos over there because they enjoy working with you and you're always very helpful and very quick to respond to questions or needs that they have. So thank you.

1:42:16•Mike Britton

Thank you, Mayor. I move that we approve as presented.

1:48:33•Marvin Gibbs

Correct. When you said area, we're talking about Sapphire Bay, correct?

1:48:39•Marvin Gibbs

I don't believe that's why we did it. I don't believe. Just Sapphire Bayside or Sapphire side.

1:50:38 – 1:50:52•Mike Britton

And not a question, but again, thanks. You know, this has been kind of a moving target as well over a number of months. So thank you all. Thank you to your staff for all the due diligence you've done and putting up with us.

1:51:28•Chris Kizziar

Council other questions are seeing none.

1:51:40•Marvin Gibbs

Mayor, I make a motion to adopt the ordinance as read into record.

1:54:40•Carter Holston

I just want to confirm how many STRs we have in the city. I believe it's 40.

1:58:41•Mike Britton

No, I think that's a great idea. We can come back later and beef up both of those.

1:58:49•Carter Holston

Do we have a timeline of when we think we could hear both those matters and get them adjusted?

1:59:04 – 1:59:18•Mike Britton

Well, I have one more question. I think we discussed this last night. I know it's incumbent upon the owner to check the sex offender registry. That also applies to an STR owner or an operator, right? Correct.

1:59:52•Mike Britton

Yeah, thank you. I move that we approve as presented and as read.

2:06:47 – 2:07:01•Marvin Gibbs

Yes, Mayor, I have one. Are we aware of any complaints that were either valid or not valid on the prior owners at that establishment selling alcoholic beverages within their tenure of being there?

2:07:42•Carter Holston

Manal, are you aware of any other variants for the sale of alcohol near any other schools in Rowlett?

2:12:32•Marvin Gibbs

Yes, one more. I'm not sure if you're aware, but what percentage of sales is the alcohol in your store?

2:13:13•Carter Holston

One other question. Your signage on the facade, what does it say? What's the name of your store and what does it say?

2:13:42 – 2:13:53•Carter Holston

Okay, but the current lit sign on the facade is fairly large letters, country market, beer and wine, that's correct? Correct, yes.

2:14:06•Carter Holston

And is it backlit? Does it show up at night? No.

2:14:15•Carter Holston

But it's not backlit now? No. Okay. It's not. Thank you.

2:19:45 – 2:20:19•Chris Kizziar

Mr. Kazar. So a couple questions probably runs more so for Manal. I'm very familiar with that area as well. I live pretty close to that. So one clarification to make sure the drawing you put that went to the church for clarification, that's actually a school. It's not a church anymore. It is a little Epstein's WHATEVER THAT PRIVATE DAY CARE, LEARNING CARE SCHOOL.

2:20:35 – 2:21:22•Chris Kizziar

SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE GETS INTO The applicant mentioned it's been around a long time, and I know it has for many years. But in the interim of that, there's a question that comes into a couple doors down. There's a karate place for all the kids. Behind it, of course, is a bullet with a bunch of kids. And all of these kind of places all came in way after the inception of that. So I'm going to assume there's no ordinance that deals with Again, they're all learning places, they're just a little bit different than an educational piece that's guideline by the state maybe. I don't know, I woul

2:21:49 – 2:22:04•Chris Kizziar

Okay. I mean, I've never seen a problem over there ever. It's just one of those kind of question marks that you talk about nothing's happened over there, but none of these places were there when that place first opened up. So just to kind of make sure we cover our bases.

2:22:08•Byron Fassett

Yeah, just to clarify, though, Little Einstein's, that falls under the school category, doesn't it?

2:22:27 – 2:22:52•Chris Kizziar

It does say it's the Little Einstein Learning Center, just to make sure we're clear on that, because I just don't know that part of it. But it is a daycare. BUT THEY DEFINE THEMSELVES AS MUCH, MUCH MORE, AS IN EDUCATIONAL TOWARDS THOSE YOUNGER AGES. SO THAT DOESN'T APPLY. NOT TO MENTION THE FACT IT'S OVER 700 FEET ANYWAY, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR WITH THAT DEFINITION.

2:25:14 – 2:25:34•Marvin Gibbs

Mayor, I make a motion that we adopt an ordinance granting the variance to the city's alcoholic beverage distance requirements to allow the sale of wine and malt beverages off-premises consumption to the retail sales establishment located within Waterview area, situated in the intersection of Liberty Grove Road and Princeton Road.

2:25:45•Marvin Gibbs

And I would like to add amendment to change church to school.

2:28:18 – 2:28:57•Carter Holston

Mayor, I just comment, you know, this is a tough one and it requires some wisdom. I just look to the TABC and who puts out the regulations and suggestions and basically sets those limits. And so if it were reversed that it was 300 feet within a church, I probably could say, okay, well, that's occupied once a week, not a big threat. But because of the number of children in this school, I'm going to stand firm on being against alcohol sales near a school. And I'm going to follow the TABC regulations on that. Thank you.

2:32:21 – 2:32:37•Chris Kizziar

Yeah, I have a question for you. Just for clarity, going down Century, that area, you're mentioning sidewalks and replacement of meters. Are you going to put sidewalks down Century currently? I don't know if I read that right or not.

2:32:48•Chris Kizziar

As far as meter replacement goes with that be also only on the left side on the South side or would it be. I don't know how far you're taking out that road are you expanding the road or just replacing it.

2:33:15•Chris Kizziar

ON BOTH SIDES? YES. SO ALL THE METERS THAT RUN DOWN ON THAT ROAD NEXT TO THE CURBS WILL ALL BE REPLACED?

2:33:39•Chris Kizziar

OKAY. THAT'S THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR THE MOMENT.

2:34:13•Carter Holston

Yes, I make a motion to consider to adopt the resolution authorizing the award contract for the Tolerant Business Park as stated.

2:34:52•Chris Kizziar

I could just ask, I don't remember the length of time for the project.

These excerpts are remarks by officials whose identity a person confirmed, from a transcript generated automatically from the official public meeting video and presented unedited. Accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.