City Council - Regular Meeting

Star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Honor guard, port, arms. Order, arms. Parade, rest. All officers, order, arms. Officers, rest. Officers, uncover.

Please remain standing as Plano Police Chaplain Henry Rogers delivers the invocation.

In 2 Corinthians...

Thank you. you you Thank you. you We'll be right back. you Thank you.

I now declare the Plano City Council as convened into open session, that all council members are present. The council will now recess into executive session in Training Room A to hold a closed executive meeting to the provisions of Vernon's Texas Code's Annotated Government Code, Chapter 551, the Open Meetings Act in accordance with the authority contained in Section 551-071, to consult with the attorney to receive legal advice and discuss litigation. Section 551-087 to discuss economic development matters. Thank you.

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I now declare that the Plano City Council preliminary open meeting is reconvened in open session, that all council members are present. Our first item on the preliminary agenda is consideration and action resulting from the executive session.

And then may I move that we authorize the city attorney to proceed as discussed in executive session?

Mayor, I'll second the motion.

Okay, thank you. I have a motion and a second to approve that motion. Lisa, we need to do this hand, yeah. So all in favor, raise your hand. All opposed? Motion passed at eight to zero. Next item is Departmental Overview, Public Safety Communications, Susan Carr.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Susan Carr. I'm the Director of Public Safety Communications, or Plano 911, as we like to call ourselves sometimes, here to give you an overview of our department tonight. But before I do that, I wanted to give you a little bit of background about how 911 is administered in the state of Texas. You've got a map there that shows you not all cities provide 911 equipment and 911 services to their cities. Some are provided through a regional planning commission or a 911 district. It depended on if the city committed early enough on to provide that 911 service. Plano did, and so we are a municipal emergency communications district. Some of the benefit to that is in that the 911 fee that is on your home phone, if you still have one, or on your cell phone, we receive those revenues. They come through the state to the city. And then that's what helps to fund our department and our equipment and our 911 network. You can see we're funded through the general fund, 76%. And then part of our budget is 15% state 911 fees. Local 911 fees are for a landline or a voice over IP phone if you have one at your home anymore. Very few people have that anymore. That's why it's such a small percentage of our budget. And then this last year we received some state grants. 1% of our budget was attributed to a state grant as well. That was to implement our next generation 911 system. Now moving on to my team. Public Safety Communications has two main divisions, the Administrative Division and the Operations Division. The Operations Division is really where the rubber meets the road. That's where our call takers and dispatchers and dispatch supervisors work. They answer the 911 calls, and they dispatch, or they also answer non-emergency for Plano Police and for animal services after hours. And then they dispatch police and fire rescue to calls. On the administrative side, those are the folks that are supporting our operations from day one, recruiting. They're bringing our team members in, recruiting and hiring. And then we have training coordinators that are responsible for training them. It's a complex job, and it takes really a good four to five months before they're operating or answering phones on their own, and then additional time for when they're working on a radio channel or a radio position talking to the field responders. Personnel, we are authorized 69 call taker dispatcher positions. And we have six dispatch supervisors that are on duty with them as well. And then that administrative staff, I'm authorized 13. This is actually a picture from one of the retirements from one of those ladies. My dispatchers work 12-hour shifts. They work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and then there's a call-taker shift from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. That's when the bulk of our activity is, so they're working that heavier activity period time. And the 12-hour shift gives our team members three days off each week, which is a great recruiting tool as well. We conduct our business out of two centers. Our primary dispatch center is here in the building in the lower level and just down the ramp and around the corner. And then our backup site is at the emergency operations center. We test that monthly. We don't operate out of there except for in emergencies or if there's something going on that we need someone at the emergency operations center. And then, like I said, we test that equipment monthly to make sure it's still operational since we're not over there all the time. I wanted to mention that a lot of times when you hear information, you know, we receive a call information, you think about someone picking up the phone and calling us with that information. But the job has really evolved and has become so much more complex. There are so many ways that we're receiving call for service information for police or fire. We talked about landlines and mobile phones just a minute ago. In Plano, we can receive an SMS message. We're working towards receiving what they call real-time text in the near future where we can see the characters being typed. And we just are moving into the ability to receive a picture or a stream from your cell phone. We would have to send you a link and then you would click on the link and accept it so we could see what you're seeing on your cell phone. A couple of other ways, your watch, your smart watch or your wearable can call 911 if it detects a fall or a hard fall. And then TDDTTY, I want to mention that. We have that accessibility for people who are hard of hearing because 911 is for everyone. A typical day in PSC, we call it shortened PSC, we answer an average of 739 calls a day. 350 of those are from 911. And of those 350, 83.5% are from a cell phone or a mobile device. And so that's why we will always ask people, what's the address of your emergency? And then we'll ask the phone number. Because if we get cut off, if we want that important piece of information first, we can send field responders to the location of the emergency and then try to call them back. So we're always going to try and ask for that information first. This is our call volume for last year, and I'm sure you guys know this, but Plano is listed as a 23rd most diverse city in the country, and that's reflected through our language line calls. We partner with a company that will provide real-time language translation for over 300 different languages, and these are our top five, and we're on par for those same language translations this year as well. When police and fire come up and talk with you guys they talk about their response times and we're at the very front end of that response time so as Quickly as we can get the phone answered and the call for service entered is as quickly as police and fire can get to that call The industry standards for our industry are the 90% within 15 seconds 95% within 20 and on the fire side It's within 10 seconds We' re averaging our ring time is 3.1 seconds and our wait time is 3.7. What that is the phone rings for 3.1 seconds but the caller it' s 3.7 in the time before they hear someone speak. Just a little bit of a difference there. 82% of the calls that we take are on the police side for police emergency and police non-emergency. We handle both. And so a lot of the matters can also be handled and referred off. We receive a lot of calls that they think they need the police for, but we help to direct them to the right place where they need to be connected to. Our call takers spend the time on the calls with the police calls. offering safety concern information and instruction prior to police arrival, as well as de-escalating some of that conflict as well. The other 17.5% are for fire and EMS calls. 10.9% of those are EMS. On the EMS side, we're staying on the phone after we get that basic information, after we get the address and the phone number and what the problem nature is or what's going on. The fire rescue is dispatched. It's the EMS or the truck or the engine is dispatched. But our call takers stay on the line to provide that, to triage and provide that life safety information. We're often providing like hemorrhaging instructions, stop the bleed, heimlich maneuver, childbirth, CPR compressions, or maintaining an airway for someone until fire rescue can be beside them. to help them and we stand that call until they're right there and we can hand off the patient to the paramedic. On top of the answering the calls and the other services we provide, we do have some services in Plano that Plano 911 provides. And the first is the Plano Care Call. And that is a call that is an automated, it's a free service for the citizens. It's an automated call where they can select a date and a time if they need to be checked on, primarily for like homebound or senior citizen. And it offers a sense of independence for folks who are in need of this call as well. If the call is made to them and there is no response on the call or they push the wrong button, we maintain a list of their emergency contact information or we can dispatch police to check on them at their location as well. Another partnership we have is with Smart 911. This gives citizens an opportunity to download the app or they can fill it out online at smart911.com and it allows them the opportunity to put any critical information they want to put about their home, about their family members, medications they may take. any pets they have in the home, that kind of information that they may want responders to know and have that where we can relay that information. It pops up on the call taker screen and then we can relay that to the field unit. And we do not have access to that information on a daily basis. It's stored at Smart 911. We only receive it if they call. So I've got some cards here. I'll put those up at the back if anybody wants to have a copy of those as well. Finally, we partner with What3Words. It's an app, but you really don't have to have the app. We receive the three words when you call into dispatch. What this is, is this company has divided the world into 10 by 10 foot squares, and it really helps to pinpoint a location where someone's at. In our area, this would be really useful if someone's at Arbor Hills in the nature preserve and They don't know you know I'm over the bridge on the right that kind of thing so the three words would really help and What's you know even what three words here at this building the entrances have different words? So if you want to meet someone at the north entrance They don't are entrance number three you can also give them their words as well but you know this is really designed to take the search out of search and rescue and So past that, 2026 and beyond, we're going to be evaluating the integration of AI technologies in the future. A lot of agencies are moving to AI for non-emergency, not 911. And even in our training area and in quality assurance. Next year, we'll be celebrating 40 years of 911 service in Plano, so we're really excited about that. And as you all know, the bond election was passed this last year, and Public safety communications was a part of that, and we will be co-locating with the police department and their new headquarters at Park and Alma. And then we are CALEA accredited along with the police department for our communications and our training division, so we continue to maintain our accreditations and exceed our industry standards. And with that, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Thank you, Susan. Any questions for Susan? Maria?

So Susan, first of all, I want to thank you. 911 is amazing in Plano. I've used it a couple of times. Don't ask me why. But the response has always been very, very instant. As a matter of fact, I barely even have a chance to breathe, and the police is already at my door. I do have a question though with regard to the language line. I'm actually very curious. So is there a lag time with regard to getting something translated with the language line?

You know, we have to conference in the language line and have them come online and we tell them what language we have. Yeah. You know, it can be 30 seconds. There have been times it's been a little bit longer. We are moving into some cloud services that also offer transcription, but the problem is, you know, it's AI and will it detect the right language? You know, so we want to continue our partnership with the language line, but... it does take some time to get them on the phone.

It is my experience that language line is pretty slow because first of all, you have to figure out which language and then you have to call them and then they have to figure out which language you're talking about and then they have to find someone who's a match. So is there any type of dedicated service that potentially with language line that you guys could work out?

So we use a company called Propio and they are, you know, they... They just bought Syracom, the other company, and they were dedicated to 911. But again, you still have to go through the little piece of the language. And really, when we say, what is your address? They're supposed to say exactly, what is your address? That kind of thing.

Thank you so much. You're welcome.

Anyone else? Thank you.

Thank you, Susan. Our next item is consent and regular agendas. I know that we have a speaker for item E. So we will pull that. Is there any other item a council member would like to remove? Okay. Any items for discussion on future agendas?

Okay.

We will take a recess and return at seven.

Thank you. you Thank you for watching. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. so so Thank you. Thank you. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to lie to you. so so so so Thank you. you you you you you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I now declare that the Plano City Council is reconvened into open session, that all council members are present. We'll begin tonight's regular meeting with the invocation led by Chris Bluant of Redemption Church and the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise.

Father, we come to you tonight. We're so thankful to be here, to be heard, and to listen to one another. Lord, we pray, Lord, for our wonderful city. We pray blessings over Plano, Texas. We pray blessing over every city worker, councilman, mayor, every first responder, Lord, every community member and leader. Lord, we ask you, Lord, to be with us tonight. Lord, we ask, Lord, that we would love each other and have respect for each other, to love you and to love our neighbor. Lord, lead us, God, to have wisdom and to have patience. Help us to be the city that you want us to be, God. Help us to do all of this in your name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Be seated.

Great to meet you.

Appreciate it, God bless you.

Hello, there we are. So it's our honor to present the proclamation for June 19th, which is Juneteenth Day, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. I'd like to call forward, Dolly Thomas, Executive Director of African American Museum. Donna Stimson, African American Museum. Jason Morgan, African American Museum. Denise Hamilton, Juneteenth Committee. And Terrance Wright, Juneteenth Committee. So whereas on January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, which declared, among other things, that all persons held as slaves within the rebel states are and henceforward shall be free. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day is a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of those who have been enslaved in our nation. And whereas in 1860s, shortly after receiving his freedom, Andy Drake became the first black man to settle in Plano. Soon thereafter, Drake was joined by his fellow farmer and friend, Mo Stimson, in founding the Douglas community, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Plano. And for many years, the Douglas community operated as its own self-sustaining community with retail stores, funeral homes, Hotel due to ongoing segregation. Drake and Stimson are honored as the patriarchs of this community with Simpson Drake Park named for them. Whereas direct descendants of Andy Drake and Mo Stimpson continue to embrace their heritage by memorializing past achievements and by the resolve to inspire others in their mission to educate all of Plano, Collin County, and the entire DFW Metroplex in knowing Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom. Now, therefore, I, John Munns, Mayor of the City of Plano, Texas, do hereby proclaim Friday, June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth Day in Plano and the State of Texas, and do hereby encourage all citizens to join me and the Plano City Council in honoring the many contributions of the Douglas community in the city of excellence as we look to celebrate the blessing of freedom this day and every day. Congratulations. Thank you.

Yes.

Okay, let's move on to the consent agenda.

The consent agenda. The consent agenda will be acted upon in one motion and contains items which are routine and typically non-controversial. Items may be removed from this agenda for individual discussion by a council member, the city manager, or any citizen. The presiding officer will establish time limits based upon the number of speaker requests.

Mr. Mayor, I move we approve the consent agenda with the exception of item E to be pulled for individual consideration.

I second that. Okay, I have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda with the exception of item E. Please vote. Motion passes 8-0. Item E.

Item E. To approve an expenditure in the amount of $2,550,000 for the purchase of real property located at 1410 14th Street and 1412 14th Street. Described as lots two, three, four A and four B, block C, Oglesby Place from Domo Joint Ventures and authorizing the city manager to execute all necessary documents.

We have one speaker here.

One speaker, yes. Curtis Crandall.

Go ahead, Mr. Crandall.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council Members, for allowing me to speak this evening. Because of my inexperience at public speaking, I would like to read my statement. My name is Curtis Crandall, and I have been a Plano citizen for 44 years. In 1989, I founded my dental practice at 1410 14th Street in East Plano, where I have proudly served Plano for 36 years. I have also been active in the community through Leadership Plano, City House, Plano Symphony Orchestra, Plano West Rotary, Christ United Methodist Church, and Youth Sports. I am a partner in Domo Joint Venture, which owns 1410 and 1412 14th Street. I hold more than 30% ownership, the largest individual interest, and have voluntarily served as a managing partner for 23 years. I respectfully ask that you postpone the vote on the proposed $2.55 million expenditure for these properties. This would allow the Council and Plano citizens time to fully understand the purpose of this expenditure and the controversies, legal, and other issues surrounding it. I was concerned that this item was placed on the consent agenda despite not being routine or non-controversial and requested its removal so that it can receive the discussion and scrutiny it deserves before any decision is made. I hope you received the materials I sent, including a letter from my attorney which raises questions regarding authority to sell the property, outlines the rights I may assert if necessary, and states that, based on the information currently available, I do not approve of this proposed sale. Before making a decision, I ask you to consider the following questions. First, the agenda memo states these properties are ideal for future downtown redevelopment. What specific redevelopment is planned for these properties? What alternatives were considered? What is the timeline? What are the interim plans for the property and why purchase rather than lease if the need is temporary? Second, the agenda memo stated the $2.55 million purchase price is consistent with the 26 Collin County appraisal. How was the $2.55 million valuation determined, and why did the improvements value for 1410 14th Street increase dramatically in one year, an increase of almost 10 times from approximately $123,025 to more than $1,026,000 after years of declining valuations for a 54-year-old building? Third, why the- 20 seconds. Third, why the urgency to complete this transaction after only about a month given the ongoing controversies and legal issues? Why should the city involve itself in as well as possibly add to and or impact a dispute among general partners before those issues are resolved? Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of my request to postpone the vote to obtain additional information and investigate other alternatives.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

There we go. Air pro temp. Go ahead. Is it working?

Yeah. Let's try that. Okay, Mr. Mayor, in line with what our realtor director passed on to us about this property, I make a motion that we approve agenda item E as it was presented.

Mayor, I second it.

So I have a motion and a second to approve item E. Please vote. Motion passes eight to zero. Next item.

Items for individual consideration. Public hearing items. Applicants are limited to 15 minutes presentation time with a five minute rebuttal if needed. Remaining speakers are limited to 30 total minutes of testimony time with three minutes assigned per speaker. The presiding officer may amend these times as deemed necessary. Non-public hearing items. The presiding officer will permit public comments for items put on the agenda not posted for a public hearing. The presiding officer will establish time limits based upon the number of speaker requests, length of the agenda, and to ensure meeting efficiency, and may include a cumulative time limit. Speakers will be called and the ordered requests are received until the cumulative time is exhausted. Item number one, public hearing and consideration of an ordinance to designate a geographic area within the corporate limits of the city as a tax increment reinvestment zone pursuant to chapter 311 of the Texas tax code. to be known as reinvestment zone number six, city of Plano, Texas. Describing the boundaries of the zone, creating a board of directors for the zone, and appointing members of the board. Establishing a tax increment fund, TERS number six fund for the zone, containing findings related to the creation of the zone, providing a date for the termination of the zone, providing that that zone take effect immediately upon passage of the ordinance, providing a severability clause, and providing an effective date.

Good evening, Council. Peter Brassa, Director of Special Projects. We have a short presentation before you open up for the public hearing. Again, tax increment financing, this is the method. Lisa, Society of Dakota 311. The important thing on this slide is two things. One, this is not our first one. This is actually, would be the fifth active TERS that we have. And then this tool does not impact the current property tax rate for our citizens. It's just not, it's not one of those kind of things. What it does is is it keeps the revenue coming that we have today and move any additional revenue as growth happens to a fund, which is within the caption that Lisa read. The district itself is pretty large. Almost 900 acres, it is all the commercial properties along the tollway from George Bush all the way to Windhaven. You can see it sort of borders on the east with Parkwood and then swiggles around, but mostly along communications on the east side. The current valuations, this is a 41-year TERS. What we're talking about is our contribution. This is the property tax number and the sales tax number from within the zones. And again, we will continue to collect about $7 million on each of those things as time goes on. And then we also talk about the project plan, which is a draft that you would approve as part of the ordinance tonight. These are the values of growth. It's important to note that Willow Bend itself was projected to be a $3 billion project. But tonight you have a public hearing, then you'll consider the order, open the public hearing, close the public hearing, consider an ordinance, which also establishes a board of directors, and the next steps would be then to meet and then go ahead and approve that as time goes on. Happy to answer any questions at this time.

Any comments or questions for staff? Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. I'll open the public hearing. Do we have any speakers?

We do. We have six speakers this evening. The first one is Sean McKenna, followed by Drew Nickerson.

Before you start, Sean. We're going to give everybody their three minutes on all items here. For those of you that are on multiple items, please respect the time. If you're going to repeat yourself, I appreciate you cutting it down, but feel free to take your full three minutes.

I already cut it down from the standard five minutes, so yes.

We've never had a five minute.

Okay.

Okay? Thank you.

My name is Sean McKenna, and I live on Jeremy's Landing in Central Plano. I oppose the creation of a new TERS exclusively for the benefit of a corporation who cleared $250 million in revenue last year. Last year, the city had a hiring freeze and delayed spending due to a budget crisis. by requiring a large amount of the property tax base to only go to specific areas in the city for infrastructure. It reduces the financial flexibility the city has to deal with budget issues. Pre-allocating a large amount of the tax base to specific areas of the city means that in a budget crisis, the non-tourist areas will have reduced investment while the TURS areas always get their funding. It is a fact that the TURS districts shift investment from one part of the city to another. By creating TURS districts only in the expressway corridors of Plano, you are abandoning central Plano to having poor infrastructure and development. Thank you.

How y'all doing?

Good. Are you Drew?

Yes, sir.

Oh, okay. Please, go ahead.

Well, my name is Drew Nickerson. I'm the founder of TrainWatch, a grade-crossing intelligence platform operating in Texas and Oklahoma. And I'm an approved vendor on the IonWave state procurement platform, and I'm also a resident of West Plano and Carrollton. And I have Plano members that attend schools and go to work locally. and they're affected by this new development. So I'd like to be clear here that I don't oppose the Stars Arena. I think this project is remarkable for Plano, but there's an infrastructure gap here that I believe that has not been addressed. And so at the Willow Bend site, there's a corridor with 12 active at-grade crossings for railroad tracks. And in the addition with that, with the new arena, there's going to be 20,000 event night attendants that go across those same roads in Plano. So with that... all of that blockage and all those people in that area, you create a large bottleneck of traffic and all types of people. And based entirely on FRA data, the Federal Rail Administration, there's already been 18 incidents in Plano on this area leading to Willow Bend. So the LOI before you tonight commits the city to a new transportation investment around the area, and every federal dollar tied to this investment requires machine-verified, continuously documented data that records, so cities that don't have this right are at a disadvantage. And so the point that I'm trying to come to is this matters directly to taxpayers because the federal grant dollars can be budget relief to this new arena. And so if we were to show the federal government that there is a traffic bottleneck here, give them this data that's put on paper as opposed to anybody else, like an engineering company that will come out there and survey with clipboards and pieces of paper, We can give you hard data that you can send to the federal government, give you a real bid for a federal grant that can be worth $50 million, get yourself an at-grade or below-grade crossing, and essentially get rid of these traffic bottlenecks. So hopefully you guys can consider this. I sent you guys some letters, and I appreciate you guys for the time.

Thank you.

Renee Elgersma, followed by Jennifer Groisman.

Mayor and Council Members, my name is Renee Elgersma and I live in Cliffview here in Plano. I have proudly called Plano home for the past 17 years. I appreciate the opportunity to speak regarding the proposed Dallas Stars Arena and Entertainment Centre in Willow Bend. I would first like to acknowledge that I am involved professionally in commercial real estate and land acquisition, so I do understand the value of thoughtful development, which it can bring to the community, and I understand the perspective of developers, investors, as well as landowners. My concern, though, is not development. My concern is whether this particular project is the right fit for West Plano. For decades, West Plano has become one of the most desirable communities in North Texas because of its neighborhoods, schools, safety, accessibility, and quality of life. The neighborhoods surrounding Willow Bend were built around the expectation of a suburban residential environment, not a regional sports and entertainment venue. A typical Stars game attracts approximately 18 to 20,000 attendees, but this proposal is about much more than hockey. This is an arena, restaurants, bars, retail, concerts, entertainment venues, and special events designed to attract visitors throughout the entire year. In effect, we are being asked to reform Willow Bend from a retail destination into a regional entertainment destination. Before taking that step, residents deserve clear answers. Anyone who regularly drives through the Torway and Park, or for Preston and Park for that matter, already knows these corridors experience significant congestion. Residents deserve to know what traffic conditions will look like not only on game nights, but on concert nights, weekends and special events. What infrastructure improvements will be required? How will nearby neighbourhoods be affected? And ultimately, who will pay for those improvements? I am also concerned about existing homeowners. Many families have invested a significant portion of their life savings into homes in West Plano. Residents deserve assurance that this project will enhance, not diminish, the quality, desirability and character of the neighbourhoods they call home. Finally, I am concerned about taxpayer exposure. If significant public subsidies, tax incentives, infrastructure commitments or public financing mechanisms are being contemplated, then Plano residents deserve complete transparency before any commitments are made. Private sports franchises are valuable businesses. If this project is truly a strong investment, then its success should not depend on transferring any potential risk to Plano taxpayers. Once this decision is made, it cannot easily be undone. The traffic infrastructure commitments and changes to the surrounding area will remain long after the excitement of the announcement has passed. The burden of proof should not be on residents to demonstrate why this project may be harmful. The burden should be on the developers and city to demonstrate with independent studies and transparent analysis that this project will improve Plano's future without compromising the quality of life that has made West Plano such a desirable place to live. Growth is inevitable, change is inevitable, but not every change is automatically progress. The question before us is whether this project is the right fit in the right place at the right cost for the residents who already call West Plano home. Thank you.

Hello, Jennifer Groisman. This is 800 to 900 acres in West Plano. I live right next to Communications. The city should only make the mall property a TERS, not everything below Windhaven, above the Bush-Turban Pike, and between Communications and Parker. In the city's own ordinance for TERS 6, you say this area needs essential public infrastructure and economic development programs. It goes on to say the area is predominantly opened or undeveloped and that private businesses won't do this by themselves. None of that is true. Have you been there? This area has only two empty parcels of land left. It has Target, Walmart, Costco's, grocery stores, medical offices, business offices, upscale restaurants, fast food, small stores, Home Depot, craft stores, Porsche, and Ferrari dealerships. It also has a mixed use development that is not old. It is crowded on the weekends for dinner and hard to park your car. It actually is overdeveloped. According to the city's own appraisals, property values are over $1.6 billion. The sales taxes total over $7 million. I pay some of those. That is not an economic problem area. However, in the finance plan, one of the requirements for the TERS is the area must be an economic or social liability and a menace to public health, safety, morals, or welfare in its present condition. The only area in the zone that is a problem is the mall. But I would not say it was a menace. Only the mall can qualify as a TERS legally. And you want this zone for 41 years? Most of you and I will probably be in the cemetery. The only reason the city wants to zone this is so it can build an arena for a corporation that is worth $2 billion, over $2 billion. taking property and sales taxes over the baseline away from the general fund to pay for first responders and putting it into the tourist fund. Your own terms finance plan lays it out clearly. This is nothing more than a corporate welfare scheme. Vote no.

The next speaker is Joseph Lanners, followed by Gary Carey.

Good evening. Mayor, council, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I am Joseph Lanners. I am a city of Plano resident for over 25 years and a board member at a local HOA. I'm not speaking for the board. I am speaking for myself and some of my neighbors. We strongly support the Willow Bend redevelopment, TERS number six, and the sports community venue plans. These projects will bring economic vitality, and great amenities to Plano. We ask that they be implemented thoughtfully with strong maintenance, code enforcement, security and safety measures to complement our established neighborhoods. First, please preserve all the live mature trees in the space and make meaningful green space. Second, we urge a comprehensive traffic impact study with predictive modeling for a three-mile radius. This should help with traffic flows during large events, overlap busy services at Prestonwood Baptist Church, increased density on Midway, Plano Parkway, George Bush Turnpike, and the North Dallas Tollway require this study. We encourage close coordination with the North Dallas Toll Authority and TxDOT, funding and upgrades, plus Carrollton and neighboring cities. These are vital steps for the safety and security of our children and elderly residents. In our hills of Prestonwood neighborhood, we're facing sidewalk needs, replacements, repair roads, and we're asking for stop signs at possible short traffic light on La Costa and Plano Parkway, speed monitoring sides on La Costa, Midway, and Plano Parkway, engineering reviews, and reduced speed limits where required. Measures to prevent dangerous U-turns and limit cut-through traffic. solutions for parking spillover during large events. We also ask for improved traffic flow pickups lines at Barksdale Elementary School which backs up quite often on midway to protect our children. Third, provide adequate policing, and increase patrols. We support AI-enhanced video cameras at neighborhood entrances. Registered with the Plano Police, we urge city to seek federal, DHS, FBI funding to prevent possible terrorist threats. We further request safe, well-lit sidewalks and dedicated bike paths connecting the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve and Plano's, and supported in alignment with Plano's bicycle transportation plan. Including wider sidewalks, median tree and irrigation improvements, work with Encore to bury power lines that are on Plano Parkway. In addition, priorities in the city plan, such as modern multimodal transit hub, should be placed further from- Mr. Lanners.

Your time's up, but I appreciate it. Thank you.

Hello, I am Gary Currie. I live at 5613 Champions Drive in Willow Bend. And good evening Mayor Munns, council members, and staff. Good to see you guys. I came tonight to speak on the Dallas Stars project and, if approved, the effect on our city and our community. While serving as a P&Z commissioner, I was proud of the work we did with Centennial in planning the evolution of the Willow Bend Mall. It provided a great outcome for the area and the city, novel retail, unique restaurants, inviting common areas, and much needed housing. As a matter of fact, I see Steve here now. Hey, how are you doing? So anyway, I think most of us root for the stars. In fact, I attended games when they were the North Stars at the Met in Minnesota. That was a great place to watch hockey. Then they came to Reunion Arena. next to American Airlines, and now they want to come to Plano. And that's one of my concerns. Sports teams constantly move. When I lived in Phoenix, I used to watch the Arizona Coyotes, who are now in Utah. We now have the Vegas Raiders. The Rams have moved constantly. Now the Bears are leaving Chicago. I have concerns in the future we'll have a dead stadium instead of the vibrant retail area we've already approved. If approved, I have concerns on the effect of the new Star Stadium on the surrounding area. On game and event nights, we'll have increased traffic on a tollway that's already overburdened. The demolition and construction will be a giant undertaking, creating disturbance for the years it's being built, especially to the homes around it. The special zone will drain much needed tax dollars from Plano. And please remember, council, you just raised our taxes. The site's proximate to residential neighborhoods, and research shows that sporting stadiums bring increased crime to cities, especially in a one-kilometer area, possibly as much as 10%. I understand the excitement of this project, but urge our elected officials to carefully consider the benefit of the project. The Stars should find a way to stay in Dallas. as the businesses in American Airlines will be devastated once they leave. And if we build this stadium and they leave, we're going to be in the same boat. So frankly, all things considered, I'm not seeing the benefit of Plano to having a sports arena in our suburban community. And I thank you for listening and ask for your careful consideration. Thanks.

There are no other speakers.

I'll close the public hearing, combine the comments to the council.

Mr. Mayor, I listened to all the public comments. We received your emails and I want to thank you all for your concern about the area and the redevelopment out there. You're fully aware of the mall itself. It's gone through various iterations. There was so much excitement when it was built. It happened shortly after what? I believe it was 9-11 that we opened up. Bad timing. I mean, that was terrible. And if you look at the mall now, it's basically dead. It's a place where you see a lot of our senior citizens doing their walks. And we looked at several cases. I agree with Mr. Carey there. We looked at it when we tried to renovate it as the bend. Now we have this opportunity to bring a top-notch sports entity here. It will continue to make the city vibrant, and we're not going to be going willy-nilly. We're not going to address this in a cavalier manner. We will have public comments and public meetings so we can hear your concerns and so we can address them. We're taking a thoughtful approach to where we can finance this with no additional burden to the citizens. So with that being said, I'd like to make a motion that we approve agenda item one.

Excuse me. If this continues, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This is a meeting of the council, okay?

Go ahead. But as I said, I'll make a motion that we approve agenda item one. Mayor, I second that motion.

I have a motion and a second to approve agenda item number one. Please vote. Motion passes eight to zero. Next item.

Item number two, consideration to approve an economic development incentive agreement Between the city of Plano, Texas and Centennial Waterfall Willow Bend LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. Providing an economic development grant to the company and authorizing the city manager or his authorized designee to execute all necessary documents.

Good evening, Mayor, Council. Michael Talley, Director, Economic Development. I'll be covering a overview of the Economic Development Incentive Agreement that is proposed this evening with Centennial Waterfall Willow Bend LLC. As Councilman Horne mentioned, The mall opened in 2001, considered to be the last traditional enclosed indoor mall built in Texas. Just to highlight the improvement value of the mall, in 2018, that value was at just under 108 million and was currently valued in 2025 at 2.1 million. The land over that time has gone from $27 million to $47 million in value into 2025. And then below that, you'll see a number of different tenants that have been there over the years with some of those years to the right as their exit with Neiman Marcus announcing their exit for 2027. As we know from prior developments, malls are challenging and require consolidation of land, which Centennial has done over the years with a combined total of just about $120 million. They rezoned the property in 2024 to develop a mixed-use district called The Bend, as mentioned, replacing the enclosed mall with housing, retail offices, and hotel, estimated at $1 billion. But with the potential of working with a sports team in one of the four major leagues in the country that opportunity has estimated to be at just around 3 billion with a full entertainment district. What does that mean with the redevelopment of course demolition those costs will be estimated at just over 25 million. existing components to remain including equinox the creighton barrel the neiman marcus building would actually be reimagined 65 000 square feet of the restaurant district with current restaurants there and future restaurants coming to that site as well as the parking structures and then the demolition would begin early 2027. The city participation would include $10 million in demolition assistance that would come in two different forms, one being provided at milestones with a performance bond or paid in full at the end of demolition with Centennial taking on the burden of that cost up front. Including that, overall $15 million would be another $5 million for a new visitor center storefront and office space with a minimum 6,500 square feet. visit planos in just over 4,000 square feet at their current facility in Legacy West. And then there would be a waiver of building inspections, planning, and engineering fees through December of 2031. That funding would come from City's Economic Development Incentive Fund and partial hotel occupancy tax. The obligations from Centennial, that redevelopment must include a multi-purpose arena with one of the four major sports leagues having a team there. It would also include a construction and build out of the shell space for Visit Plano's new visitor center, again at no smaller than 6,500 square feet. Provide the visitor center space rent free for ten years. It would also require Significant contractors for the redevelopment to purchase both equipment and materials for resale tax free and charge state and Plano local taxes upon separate costs that would be Allowing the city of Plano to collect those sales taxes during the construction process So the next steps tonight Under consideration, of course, is the Economic Development Incentive Agreement with Centennial Waterfall Willow Bend. And if approved, those next steps would be Centennial submitting for demolition with that beginning in 2027. They would also work with Planning and Zoning and the Planning Department on development plans and any amendments to the existing plan development. And with that, I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Michael. Any questions for staff? Council Member Levine.

Thank you, Michael. On the visitor center, it's my understanding that that basically is pretty much equal to what the city would be spending if we stayed in our current area and with plans to expand that somewhat in the near future. So basically, it's kind of a wash. That's correct.

Yes, sir.

Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you. Thank you, Michael, for a great presentation. I do have a question. You had these contingencies here based on this agreement here that Centennial had these steps here. My question is, for instance, if we're not able to move forward with the construction of the Big Four sports arena, does this agreement go away?

It has the ability to go away, correct?

Yes, sir. Would we be able to use this agreement to support a plan B if there was some other requirement that Mr. Centennial may need?

If that's the direction from council, further down the road, possibly.

Okay, just wanted to know. But right now, as it stands, if the arena does not move forward, it would have to come back to council for revisiting this. Correct, yes, sir. Thank you.

All right, any other comments?

We do have four speakers on this item.

Okay, let's go ahead and get that started.

Okay, Steve Levin, or Steven Levin, excuse me.

Good evening. My name's Steven Levin. I'm managing partner of Centennial. We'll abandon the project in question, and I'm really here to answer any questions that you may have. I think that Michael Talley did a very good job on explaining the agenda item, and if there's any questions that I can answer, I'm happy to answer them.

Okay.

The next speaker is Drew Nickerson followed by Jennifer Groisman.

Making sure, okay, thank you.

Ms. Groisman.

$15 million to the current owners of the property. In exchange, the owners will demolish the inline space of the mall, community theater, Dillard's, and the Crayola factory. They will also do site preparation work. What does the city get? A shell space, 6,500 square feet. All building inspections, planning, engineering fees totally waived. And of course, sales taxes. waved. The theater that can't even afford mics and costumes for their actors gets the boot. But the $2.3 billion stars get an arena, and you get a visitor center. The theater was originally supposed to get a space in the original design plan. What happened to that? Where is the community theater group that my daughter just joined supposed to go? Also, you have a water and sewer study, but no energy study. I am an ice dancer for 30 plus years. So I know ice rinks use a lot of water and a lot of electricity. Where are we supposed to get those from? Because they are both in short supply. vote no on this deal.

The last speaker is Joseph Lanners.

Thank you again, Mayor and Council. I'll just finish the other prepared comments that I had. Additional priorities and city plans such as a multimodal transit hub should be placed further from established neighborhoods Effective management or elimination of short-term rentals should be considered FAA height limits should be looked at and followed a well cited Plano visitor center are most valuable when paired with preservation and enhancement of nearby neighborhoods a the city. Finally I respectfully request that the trz number 6 grant funding or set aside or use a set aside for neighborhoods matching grants focused on safety security and beautification or We strongly reiterate, though, our full support for the TERS number six and Willow Bend redevelopment and these protections. We also thank the mayor, city council, and the hardworking staff in the city of Plano for their dedication and their differentiated services. You do a great job. These enhancements will help redevelopment. They'll complement our community. improve overall quality of life for our generation and the next We are happy to partner with or through the neighborhood traffic management program or with the police and neighborhood watch Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you That last one, okay so that we This is not a public hearing so If I have a motion or comments, you're welcome. I

Mr. Mayor, I move to approve agenda item number two.

Mr. Mayor, I second that.

So I have a motion and a second to approve agenda item number two. Please vote. Motion passes eight to zero. Next item.

Item number three, consideration to approve a non-binding letter of intent between the city of Plano, Texas and Dallas Sports and Entertainment LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and authorizing the city manager or his designee to execute such letter of intent.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, Doug McDonald, Deputy City Manager of Development Services. Tonight, we're presenting to you the consideration of the non-binding letter of intent between the City of Plano and the Dallas Sports and Entertainment LP. As you've read, the letter of intent is a non-binding agreement between us and the organization. What this does is actually starts the process. This is kind of day one of us walking through the process and working with the public on transportation, working with the council on funding mechanisms and getting a funding plan put together. but allows us to now publicly go out and work on some of these issues that are going to be really critical in the development of the Willoughby redevelopment. It does identify key terms and general commitments really to kind of help us take that next step of now the evaluation and consideration feasibility process. It allows us to continue to fund to look at funding opportunities with other entities and also proceed with the transportation and feasibility studies that have been discussed here previously. And then it allows the team to proceed with selecting an architecture firm, developing site and transportation plans, working with the neighborhoods, and also pursuing sponsorship opportunities for the new arena. DSE, through its subsidiary, is DSE Hockey Club, which owns and operates the NHL franchise known as the Dallas Stars. The Dallas Stars, in partnership with the city of Plano and Centennial, will together develop a sports and entertainment district anchored by the new arena that will be home for the Dallas Stars, as well as to accommodate other indoor sports, entertainment, cultural, educational, and civic events. As you know, this site is at the former and current Willow Bend site. This is a rendering provided to us by the Bicentennial, looking at the district as a whole, looking at the areas of redevelopment that would come down, also the areas that we preserved. You can see Neiman Marcus Box, as well as the parking garage. Then you also see the facility and where it's located really kind of orient itself closer to Dallas-North Tollway. So the city's contribution to the arena cost. We are looking at the TERS 6 and other funding tools that would contribute to that $700 million commitment so long as the development costs in the arena are equal to or exceed the $1 billion. Just as a reminder, the mixed-use development is the $2 billion around the arena plus the $1 billion for the arena. So it's, again, a $3 billion sports and entertainment district that would be proposed. The TURs will be funding based on the property value growth of TUR 6, which incorporates the Willapin side as well as other non-registered properties along the tollway, looking for funding from both future growth TURs and also from visitor spend. Underfunding sources will include other economic development tools, the state level that we'll pursue, but also the venue taxes that will be presented in the next item. The city will not issue bonds for construction for the arena without the phasing commitments from Dallas Stars and Centennial to develop the actual district. The arena would be owned by the city and leased to the Dallas Sports and Entertainment for an initial term of 30 years. And the arena would be home to the Dallas Stars as well as the other events such as Plano ISD graduations. And just a reminder, this contribution does not impact the current property tax rate for our residents. This is a street view or a rendering of from the restaurant district actually looking to the west. Here's another example of a potential arena rendering. Again, this is all subject to change as of today. But as we go through the process and work with the public, you'll see Centennial in the city as well as the Dallas Stars will be working with the public to now refine this vision set forth. So now, Council, we enter this kind of begin the period of negotiations to look at future agreements and future plans. First of all, we'll also be looking at the Arena Master Agreement. This is kind of the actual agreement that we're working through with you all to negotiate, again, the further agreements between us and the Dallas Stars. There will be a capital asset management plan. We've had some discussions about making sure this facility stays continuing to be first in class and best in class. We'll be working with our partners to actually develop an asset management plan to make sure that there are refreshes built into our program as this progresses and times change. We will be working with the transportation, parking, and event plan. We're now interviewing consultants to bring in, pending council's decision tonight, to move forward and working with the public on developing a transportation plan. This is going to be something that as we kind of progress on, we have five years to work on. So there's going to be technology innovations, there's going to be things we want to make sure we're incorporating and moving forward, and that it's not just a plan we're creating today, but it's a plan that we'll be able to implement for the next five years. We'll be developing a community benefits agreement. This looks at areas that the team will be bringing back to the organization, to the city of Plano, and what their commitment is back to the city of Plano now being a corporate partner of our community. And we have a lot of other definitive agreements we'll have to get through. Again, this is a... a 12 to 24 month process through these agreements, through the parking plans, the capital management plans. But during that time, we are working closely with the Dallas Stars and it's not defined to our mutually exclusive negotiating agreement that we'll be working with them. So tonight, council, you have consideration to approve the non-binding letter of intent between the city of Plano and Dallas Sports Entertainment. Next steps, if the council were to proceed with this, is to finalize our financing plan for its contribution for the arena cost. We will be hiring a transportation firm that will be coming to you hopefully in late June or early July to move forward with bringing on a partner with us to work with the neighbors on the entertainment district experience and hold open house meetings next month for the Plano citizens. This is not the only time that we'll be getting input throughout the process. The team will then hire the architect to design the arena and develop the financing plan on their end. working with the property owner to design the site configuration, mix of uses, and district phasing plan, and then working with the city on the master agreement and the definitive documents. This is some information we'll be releasing tonight. Again, if the council were to proceed, is community open houses that we'll have both in-person and virtually this summer. We'll have in-house meetings at Willow Bend property on July 8th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then July 14th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., so hopefully catching both folks who can take off during lunch or both in the evenings that may have other commitments in the evening. You'll be entering the mall through the Equinox and Creighton Burrell side. We will have a dedicated web page that will be launching tomorrow morning at plano.gov backslash Willow Bend District that will have all the information on this process as the community can continue to follow this as it progresses for the next few months. And then also a guided virtual open house that will be available for those unable to attend these in-person events from July 8th to the 22nd at plano.gov backslash Willow Bend Development. With that, Council, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Doug. Council Member Kerr.

Mr. McDonald, I just want to sort of reiterate what I've heard today. Although we've been in talks with the STARS for some time, this is really just the beginning. This is really where we're getting the chance to really get started. And I would say that the citizens, the residents, they all have their chance to give us plenty of input. identify potential problems, and for us to address it well ahead of time.

That's correct, Council. As I mentioned, this is a start line for us to look at, is this feasible? Can we do this? What are the impacts? How do we address the impacts? And then be able to bring that forward for both the community and both your consideration in the future.

And approving this tonight doesn't mean it's a done deal. There's still plenty of work to do and a lot of decisions to be made between now and the finalized. That's correct. Great, thank you.

Council Member Downs.

Thank you, Mayor. Mr. McDonald, I just have a question about the community benefits aspect of that. As those conversations continue with Dallas Stars, will there be an opportunity to address the needs of our arts and cultures community to see how maybe that can be integrated into a little bit of what this arts and entertainment district may look like over there?

No, absolutely. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to work with the Dallas Stars on what are the needs that we have in our community and how can they address them.

Thank you.

Councilmember Thomas.

Thank you for your time and input on this initiative. My thought is with the community and it matters to me how they feel. I see that there will be open houses and other opportunities for input. Have we developed the ways that they will be able to participate and voice their concerns and opinions throughout this process?

Yes, ma'am. So one of the, we will have these two open houses. This is not the only time we'll be coming out to the public. There'll be different times we need to go out to the public and meet with neighborhoods. There may be instances where we need to actually go out and meet with a specific neighborhood. I know we've had some meetings previously with some of the neighborhoods around the site, and we want to make sure we have some specific input and guidance from certain neighborhood associations or HOAs. Our website will have on plato.gov backslash will have been district that will have all the information we have and what's next. There's also ability to sign up as part of a newsletter. So we'll be able to keep the public updated as it progresses. But again, this is going to be a long process for us to work to the community, work to the organization to make sure it's the right fit, make sure we have all the feasibility studies done and that we have all the information for you all to consider.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Doug.

All right, thank you.

Once again, this is... Oh, that's right, we got a lot of speakers. Okay. We have several speakers on this. Let's go ahead and get started on the speakers.

Okay, the first speaker is Nicole Miller, followed by Jody Venturoni. Nicole Miller. Okay. Jody Venturoni.

Hello. You know things are getting serious when the introverts show up, so I'm happy to be here and represent all introverts in the city of Plano. First of all, Mayor, members of the council, I appreciate you listening to us and hearing our concerns about this proposal. What we're talking about here is really 70 cents on every dollar that the city of Plano is going to pay toward a privately owned sports franchise. My name, I think you've heard, is Jody Venturoni, and I live in Willow Bend, right near, like within two miles of where the development is gonna take place. And it's close enough that I'm gonna feel every single consequence of the vote that you guys apply here tonight. When we're talking about the $1 billion project, we're talking about $700 million that is coming from the city coffers. That is not a partnership. That is Plano taxpayers subsidizing a privately owned professional sports team. And the data tells us a really interesting story about deals like this. If arenas were the economic engines they claim to be, cities would move heaven and earth to keep their teams. But they don't. Dallas didn't keep the Cowboys, the Mavericks, and now they're letting the Stars go. Chicago let the Bears walk. Oakland and LA let the Raiders go. And the list can go on and on. These aren't struggling towns. These are major U.S. cities that did the math and decided the fight wasn't worth it. Plano should ask why. Maybe the reason is because there's decades of research that show us that publicly funded arenas are great at generating excitement, as we have seen in the news coverage, and bad at generating the returns that they promise. Recently in Cobb County, Georgia, nearby neighbors of the new Brave Stadium paid for a deal as taxpayers, and then they watched their property value fall versus the rest of the Atlanta metro area. And this is a pattern that we see repeated in city after city. And in almost every case, people closest to the arena, people like me and my neighbors, pay twice. Once as taxpayers who are funding the deal, and again as homeowners absorbing the traffic, the noise, the congestion, and the lagging property values. My neighbors and I did not choose Plano to live next to a regional entertainment district. We chose it for the quiet streets, the good schools, and a city that puts its residents first. We're asking the council not to undo that choice for us. 20 seconds. Before this vote, I ask you to answer three questions on the record. Where's the independent economic analysis? Who guarantees the TERS revenue projections? And what protections exist for residents like me who live with the consequences long after the ribbon's cut? We chose Plano, and now we're asking Plano to choose us. Please vote no.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Ethan Robbins followed by Jeff Paschal.

Try it again. Ethan Robbins.

Ethan Robbins followed by Jeff Paschal.

Jeff, thank you.

Good evening. My name is Jeff Paschal. I live in Plano, and I'm here representing the collective voices of my neighborhood, which is Glen Meadows, the Villas of Glen Meadows, and Wyndham Hill. Our three neighborhoods make up the 324 homes that are closest neighborhood to the mall. First, I want to express our thanks to city staff that's already recognized our neighborhood as ground zero for negative impacts. And they've proactively engaged with us to discuss various what-if scenarios. So thank you. The impacts that we anticipate include major arena traffic, which will create gridlock around our neighborhood, impact our quality of life, impact our ability to get in and out of our neighborhood on event nights, to do things that we already do, go out to dinner, to make it to our kids' evening activities, school functions, and our own events. We are literally ground zero. We're worried about cut-through traffic as drivers try to bypass major intersections, along with event-goers invading our residential streets to seek free parking. We're worried about crime spilling over from the high-density entertainment venue, as well as immediate disruptions of light and noise pollution. As a side note, I didn't love seeing the giant neon green because that's going to light up my backyard. And then we're afraid of what it does to our property values. Some in our neighborhood thinks that we're gonna have artificial property value spikes costing residents of Plano extra tax dollars on top of what they would have normally been paying. And then others are afraid of diminished resale values because buyers don't wanna live in a neighborhood that is literally 0.1 miles from the mall site. So I would ask the council to make sure y'all explicitly allocate necessary funds, infrastructure, and public safety resources to offset very real localized impacts to our three neighborhoods. main thing that our residents want is our neighborhood to be gated to limit the cut through traffic and to provide safety but then we also have very real other ideas and concepts we're not here to say no we have many people in our neighborhood that are in favor of the arena and we have many that are opposed I'm here to represent the group and the voices to the city and with the city, and hopefully y'all will continue to work beside us to make this not become a misery upon our neighborhood. Thank you.

The next speaker is Sean McKenna, followed by Drew Nickerson.

Hello. According to the letter of intent for this item, all revenue produced by the city-owned arena will go to the Dallas Stars. It is unclear from this letter of intent if this includes non-hockey revenue, but the history of 21st century arena development shows that most of the agreements lead to the team keeping all the revenue. If a concert plays the area, the Dallas Stars get a cut, not the city of Plano. There are no indications in this agreement that the Dallas Stars will pay any rent to the city for using a city-owned facility. This is crazy. The city of Plano will own the arena but get nothing from it. Even with the sweetheart deal, the Dallas Stars have an option in 15 years to demand renovation to the arena. History has shown that even in this short amount of time, sports teams demand renovations that cost just as much as the initial cost of the arena. You are not spending $700 million. You are likely spending $1.4 million in 15 years. This renovation money can also come from any source, not just the terrorist funds. Why should my tax dollars be used for the private gain of a corporation? Thank you.

Coming to you guys as a resident, I do believe there needs to be a restructuring in how we do go about these funds. Because taking this money from taxpayers is going to give pushback in any way, shape, or form. And I don't really know who watches hockey in Texas. I mean, it doesn't seem like the best place. I think we should have got the Mavericks Arena or pushed for something better. Because me coming from somewhere like Garland, where I grew up, and moving to West Plano, seeing how great of a city it is, seeing the high schools, the new Legacy West, all the nice cars and whatnot, and you guys are going to build a stadium that might go down in 20 to 30 years, like everybody's saying, is something that needs to be considered. There needs to be real urban planning around this, as if there already isn't enough traffic. And I think true consideration needs to be taken from all of you guys on this subject, because... it doesn't seem to be working properly or going to be planned properly. And if it isn't, then you're going to have another failed city or part of the city. So thank you for your time.

The next speaker is Ethan Beauregard, followed by Jerry Frankel. Ethan. Jerry Frankel. All right, we will move on to Jennifer Groisman. And she will be followed by Joseph Lenners.

The letter of intent for the Stars clearly states the city will own the arena site and the arena. The Stars get a 30-year lease for it. Doesn't say how much. After that time, the Stars can pick up and they can leave just like they did to Dallas. The Stars get to keep all the money from the tickets, sales, use, and operations of the arena. They will also be responsible for operations, maintenance, and routine repairs, but the taxpayers are on the hook for major capital expenses. Parking for the arena is listed at $3 per car, If you take DART, it would cost you $6 round trip. Also, the city says it will work in good faith with transit providers to expand bus routes and shuttles. However, these providers could tell the city to go pound sand. Clearly, you have not thought this all through. The arena where the stars are right now holds about 20,000 people. If we guess two people per car, that would be $10,000. cars on event days. Are you gonna build a ramp up the tollway to the property like Buc-ee's? If not, are you gonna have to go, they're gonna have to go on the streets around the property, making it hard for residents to get to their homes on event days. You will be making it hell for the residents like me who live near this property. If you really care about the people who live and work here, you will vote no on this. If you do not care, then you'll vote yes. And I will know exactly how to vote for you all May, 2027.

Joseph Lenners. And the last speaker following Joseph will be Jennifer Joplin.

I'm just going to reiterate to the mayor and city council, sincerely appreciate your hard work in making a deal like this come together. Just please remember the close neighborhoods that were mentioned do need extra support. We are hardworking citizens. I've been paying taxes for 25 years. Kids grew up here. And I know you all have worked incredibly hard. We have all of these opportunities in front of us to work on communicating our concerns. And I trust that you'll listen to them. Everybody in this room deserves to be listened to, but it's clear to me that Willow Bend has been a defunct mall for 20 years. There are people that are gonna be affected. I do enjoy the community center where people act and all the kids are acting. They probably need a spot. probably fair enough. But I think you'll figure that out. You're all leaders in your own right. And I think it's probable that you'll make this work for everyone here or the majority. There are always people who are never going to be satisfied with whatever plan you put forward. Please remember that. I, for one, do trust that you will come up with the right plan. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, the introverts are out. My name is Jennifer. We built our house 30 years ago within walking distance of the mall. Lived in Plano for close to 37 years, so very familiar. And I'm going to take the mall has not been defunct for 20 years. Used to drop my kids off there or go with them to the mall, so that's not true. Other people have said what I wanted to say, including the lady in the blue dress, and then probably the last couple of speakers before me. So I'm just gonna end with all the people that hopefully will support me in clapping. We don't want it.

Thank you.

That was the last speaker.

Okay, that's the last speaker. I'll leave the comments to the council. Council Member Kerr.

Mr. Mayor, I'd like to offer some of my own perspectives. I heard from the citizens today, have been hearing them for a little while about your concerns, and I definitely understand it. And I think they're valid concerns, and that we absolutely must address it. You know, I think the city is what it is because of thoughtful planning, a lot of effort from the city, from leadership, from input from the community. These are the reasons why this city is what it is. This is why organizations are moving here. It's high quality of life. They know that they'll be able to provide for their employees, that they'll be able to have thriving businesses. You know, as I look at the project, it is clear to me that the stars want to be in this area. And if we say no to this, they may end up in a city that's on our border, which is going to affect our traffic and all the things we've been hearing about today. And so if we say no to this LOI, We're saying no forever, and we don't have the opportunity to make this better. And we may very end up with the same problems, but without it being under our control, without our having the ability to work with the city and the community to figure out ways to solve problems as they come about. And so with that in mind, I am in favor of moving forward with the LOI, knowing there's opportunity for the community to continue to have input.

Mayor Pro Tem, go ahead.

Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Again, we hear you. Please understand. We hear you.

Come on, y'all. Please.

We hear you. Please understand, this is the first step. As Deputy City Manager McDonald pointed out, we can't move forward with any decision unless we have this non-binding agreement signed and moving forward. As he pointed out, we have two public meetings scheduled right now for next month. Please look at them and please plan to attend. But those are just the first. Yes, our emails work. We get all your emails. We get all your emails. And we are going to continue having these meetings. We want to protect our neighborhoods. We want to protect all the neighborhoods here. But we also still want to be a vibrant, relevant city in the future. And we don't want to be turned into one of the tired cities that you see surrounding us, including some of the larger cities that we're seeing. The Stars are leaving Dallas. It was probably because of politic, but it was also probably because of economics. They could move anywhere. And yes, they could move after 30 years. But the way we have our tours set up is that we can have a plan B after or if the Stars do leave. If you look at the agreement that we're going to put together with the Stars, we have an initial 30-year term with an option for another 20 years. We hope you love the Stars. We hope that they bring a championship to Plano. So with that moving forward, I'd like to make a motion we approve a move forward with the LOI with STARS.

I'll second, Mr. Mayor.

Okay, I have a motion and a second, but I'm going to let Councilmember Levine.

Thank you, Mayor. Again, I want to make the statement that we have been listening and we will be continuing to listen. This is not just the time that we will vote on it. We will be voting on aspects of this for months and years as this gets developed. asked whether or not we would have an independent economic analysis. We do. I mean, we wouldn't have gotten this far without knowing whether or not the city thought this was a good deal for the city and our taxpayers. But we have a lot to learn yet, and we have a lot to work to make sure that it is the best deal that we possibly can for our taxpayers. And as has been said, it's the beginning. We can't do the traffic analysis until we get this approved. And now the work begins. So I look forward to hearing your comments, not just tonight, but in our meetings in the next couple of weeks. And as this goes forward, there'll be other times for you to speak up. So thank you for being here tonight. And I also am in favor of moving forward.

So I have a motion and a second to approve item three. Please vote. Motion passes eight to zero. Next item.

Item number four, consideration to approve a resolution designating and providing for the planning, acquisition, establishment, development, construction, and renovation of a sports and community venue project under Chapter 334 of the Texas Local Government Code and designating methods of financing for the project subject to voter approval and an election called for such purpose.

Thank you, Mayor and Council. I want to first recognize Brett, Greg, and Cooper here, our bond council, representing McCall, Parkhurst, and Horton. This is a project that we've been working really closely on them to make sure we're compliant with the state of Texas. So I want to talk to you a little bit about the venue project. There's been some discussions about ticket sales, parking taxes, things like that. This is where a lot of this comes into play. Cities cannot enforce those taxes without public referendum and public support from my election. So this is a first step in this process. In order for the city of Plano to actually consider these use of these new type of taxes, this is what we'll have to process and go through tonight. And first and foremost, the city must, by resolution, designate the venue project and propose methods of financing such as the venue projects and submit the resolution to the Texas Comptroller. The comptroller then reviews the implementation of the resolution to make sure it does not have any significant negative impacts on state revenue. And if approved by the comptroller, the city would then proceed with calling a venue tax election to be held at an upcoming election date. So what is a venue tax election? These are taxes that are really applied to visitors and activities that are related to the venue to assist with the construction and renovation of the venue, kind of the ongoing maintenance. These are short-term motor rental vehicle tax. At maximum, by state law, we can go up to 5%. An increase of a hotel occupancy tax at maximum at 2%. A venue event parking tax at maximum $3 per vehicle. The venue admissions tax, a maximum rate of 10%. And then a venue use tax of maximum $5,000 per game on each member of a major league team that plays in the venue. Again, these are taxes that we're not able to enforce today, but by the public's vote, these would be taxes that could potentially be enforced to bring in additional revenue from not only for the construction of the venue, but also the overall maintenance of the venue. The last day to call the election is August 17th for a tentative election date of November 3rd. But again, this is not calling the election itself. This is approving the resolution to go down the comptroller. If the comptroller does approve the resolution, it will come back before you city council to actually call the election. So council, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Council Member Kerr.

I'm just validating. The taxes are basically for a ticket holder. Is that right? It applies only to ticket holders.

A visitor or a ticket holder. So someone who may be visiting our city for a game and staying in our hotels, they'll have additional tax. If they were to rent a car in Plano, it would have additional tax. So potentially really kind of the activities surrounding the arena and activities itself, but they may have influence in terms of just visitors itself coming to Plano and paying those additional taxes.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Doug. You have some speakers for this?

We do. We have four speakers on this item. The first one is Camille Hall, followed by Karen Dubrow.

Good evening.

My name is Camille Hall, and I live in Plano, West Plano. And good evening, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem, Mr. City Manager, Ms. Secretary, and Ms. Deputy City Attorney, and Plano City Council. I support agenda number four, item number four. I personally believe that that there's a serious infrastructure issue, like some other people have mentioned, with the stars coming to Willoughby. My research reveals that the American Airlines Center has a capacity for 18,532 spectators in an ice hockey game. Dallas North Tollway, Dallas Parkway, Parkwood, and even Midway and Preston Roads cannot accommodate somewhere between 10,000 and 18,500 spectators' vehicles. I checked one 40 foot dark bus only holds 20 passengers and at that rate it would take 927 buses if each one was filled with 20 passengers. You know, that's impossible. And then the smaller bus is even held less at 17 passengers. Although the city of Plano will pay more than $120 million to DART this year, DART will be unable to provide the necessary transportation to and from the proposed Stars Arena. West Plano doesn't have the option of DART rail. I understand that DART rail in the West Plano area is not on DART's long-range plan. I think that's correct information. If it were an option, I do not believe the citizens of West Plano would want DART rail and its accompanying crime issues. In addition, the cities of West Plano would want to continue a ban on short-term rentals. In addition, games are generally held at night. Thus, there are many additional parking lots in downtown Dallas available for those fans who wish to drive their own vehicles as the many downtown parking lots are empty during the evening. In summary, my biggest concerns are traffic, parking, noise, and potential crime. resulting from bringing the Stars Arena to West Plano. The resolution to create a plan for the arena and community project that will assist in a proper evaluation of the proposed arena project and eventually allow the citizens of Plano to vote on the matter is essential. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Karen Dubrow, and I live at the southeast area of Plano Parkway and the tollway. Plano is the city of excellence based on many factors. The most important is the exceptional quality of life, as you guys have talked about. Exceptional quality is due to limited noise, traffic, and air pollution near our residential communities. We are number six in this country for businesses to relocate here because people want to live here. Our planning department is excellent. Our business petitioners often do not meet that excellence in that they promise to implement protections for neighborhoods but fail to do so. Our city has been remiss in executing agreements that protect the residents from businesses. I know this from personal experience being the HOA president of Stone Lake Estates for too many years. And when St. Andrews Methodist Church wanted to expand, they promised a hike and bike trail. And I worked with the planning department and saw all the plans right along my street and the next street and all through my neighborhood. That hike and bike trail never happened. And the city leaders did not enforce it. We have parking lot from St. Andrews. backing up to two of our streets, which have caused economic obsolescence. We also had Walmart. Now Walmart has been a much better partner with us in that- Karen. Yes.

You gotta stay on the agenda item.

Okay.

Please.

I meant to be on agenda item three. Okay. Let's talk about traffic. I understand from a knowledgeable resource that the Willow Bend area of Home Depot might be a teardown opportunity for parking. We don't want that. We definitely don't want that. So what everybody else has mentioned tonight, the parking, the noise, the proximity to our residences that we did not buy onto when we bought our homes, we want you to pay attention. We want you to actually listen to us and implement anything that is written with the group that's planning on doing this. Thank you. Thank you.

The next speaker is Jennifer Groisman followed by Joseph Lanners.

The only thing good about this resolution is we get to vote on it as residents. Most of the funding for this arena will come from a $700 million bond. The rest will come from an increase in hotel motel taxes of 15%. Now when my husband's patients who fly in from all over the world for their long COVID treatments come in, Their hotel bills are going to go up. My husband has probably done a lot for the tourism of the west side of Plano. But he's got nothing from this city but a headache. Also, the rental car that they'll have to have, that bill will go up. And anyone in this room who needs a car when their car is in the shop is going to go up. There will be a 10% tax rate on event tickets. The stars will only be paying 300 million for this arena. The only, like I said, the only good thing is the residents get to vote. Study after study after study for 50 years all make it clear They all say when cities do this, they lose. They lose financially, they lose economically, and the only winner is the team. Everyone thinks it will be great for the city at first. It will bring business and tourism, but it doesn't. Studies find event day business in the area goes down. Why? Because the people who shop at the stores like Home Depot and Michaels avoid the areas on event days like the plague. Those that come to the events don't stop in at PetSmart or other retail stores. They go to the event and then they go home. They stay within the complex. So while business may be great in the complex, outside it, it tanks. Have you read it? Any of these studies, crime, drunk driving, and traffic all go up during event days. Yet even with all the studies and economic evidence that this arena will be a loss for the city, our council is voting on building one with that the taxpayers will have to pay back. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So council, are you insane?

Thank you.

Is that it?

All right, so any comments from council? I have agenda item number four. Council member two.

Motion to approve agenda item number four.

Second.

I have a motion and a second to approve agenda item number four. Please vote. Motion passed eight to zero. Thank you. Next item.

Consideration to approve RFB number 2026-159B, vehicle detection system upgrade citywide project number TPS00013 for the engineering department to Albatross Construction LLC in the amount of $8,500,000 and authorizing the city manager to execute all necessary documents.

Good evening, council. Caleb Thornhill, director of engineering. Tonight's item is to a consideration for a request for bids for the vehicle detection system. So vehicle detection, this will be at all 278 locations throughout the city, all our signalized intersections. The bid came in at $8.5 million, which is right in our budget range. From an improvement standpoint, these will be at each of our signals. Like the name says, it's vehicle detection. It helps improve the signal timing at our locations, improve congestion. We have signals with the age system today. You know, technology gets old very quickly. Most of our equipment is exceeding the 20-year life. So this will be going in to replace them. This is a turnkey project, which means it includes the purchase of the cameras. any cabling, wiring, conduit, the installation, the testing, the balancing of all the equipment. With that, I'll turn it over for any questions you may have.

All right. Any questions for staff on this item? All right.

We have two speakers. The first one is Sean McKenna. And he's followed by Joseph Lanners.

Hi. So I support procuring new traffic cameras as long as they detect cyclist traffic signals. If you look at here at the computer vision boxes, they don't. I regularly cycle on the designated on-road plain of cycling routes, and often you will come to a signal that will refuse to change when you are waiting at the signal as a cyclist. The biggest offender on the routes I take is the signal at the intersection of Independence and Park Haven. The light cycles for turning lanes on Independence, but then skips the cycle for Park Haven and turns Independence green again if I am the only one waiting at the intersection if I am a cyclist. I pointed out this issue multiple times to emails to council, you said you read them, and to fix it Plano, and I have gotten nothing but silence in response. I hope the new traffic cameras will address the issue of ignoring cyclists at traffic signals. If the city doesn't care about cyclists on their own city designated cycle routes, perhaps the council should instead spend this money on more dedicated cycle lanes and multi-use So they don't have to deal with the signals. Thank you.

Thank you.

Joseph Lanners, again, City of Plano resident. I am thrilled that you're investing in technology to assist with traffic. Thank you very much for that. And with this type of AI video analytics capabilities and servers that are going to be able to process this type of data, I suspect it won't be very difficult to add cyclists and pedestrians to things that are recognized. That's been available technology for about 20 years. Thank you.

Thank you. Any more speakers? All right, there are none.

Mr. Mayor, can I ask Caleb a question? Sure. Thank you. Caleb, we heard our citizen here about the cyclists. Can you address that with this proposed system?

Yeah, the system will detect cyclists and pedestrians, but there's none in this picture, but it will be.

Okay, thank you. With that being said, I'd like to make a motion we approve agenda item number five as presented.

Okay, so I have a motion and a second to approve agenda number five. Please vote. Motion passes eight to zero. There being no further business, meeting is adjourned.

And for the composer, the takeaway is simple.

I wanted to make them feel proud.