Allen City Council met on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Read on for the highlights and approved projects. The full agenda and meeting video are available here.
Budget, tax rate approved
Following a public hearing and council discussion, councilmembers approved the 2022-2023 City budget and tax rate. The council voted to approve a ($302,652,181) budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 and approved a tax rate of $0.4212 per $100 of taxable value.
The approved budget includes funding for important initiatives such as street maintenance and repairs, setting aside funds for radio replacement for public safety and other facility and infrastructure needs. It also includes funding for 19 new full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members across several city functions, including police (7 FTEs), fire (4 FTEs), and water/sewer/solid waste (3 FTEs). In addition, 59.48 FTEs were added for the new Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center (STRC) slated to open in late Summer 2023. Most positions at STRC are part-time roles which do not offer City benefits and will not be added until 3-4 months before the facility opens.
The City’s Capital Improvement Program budget, which funds major City infrastructure projects, includes 54 active projects for the upcoming fiscal year, including 25 facility projects, 15 water/sewer projects, 14 street/transportation projects and one drainage project.
Other new projects and expenses in the FY2023 budget include:
- Added capacity for emergency dispatch
- Cybersecurity and technology upgrades to replace outdated systems
- Neighborhood improvement projects and beautification of landscaping areas not owned by homeowner’s association (HOA) groups
- Update of Allen’s comprehensive development plan to ensure quality growth management through city buildout
- Public copier replacement and online catalog update at Allen Public Library
- Reading kiosk, story trail and library mobile unit to provide library services at the Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center
The City of Allen’s 2022-2023 fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, 2022 and ends on Sept. 30, 2023. Once the approved budget document is finalized, it will be available on the Finance web page.
Construction contract approved for new loop trail at Bethany Lakes Park
Trail enthusiasts soon can enjoy a new loop trail in Allen. City Council approved a $522,362 construction contract for a new loop trail at Bethany Lakes Park. The park is also home to Joe Farmer Recreation Center, the Allen Veterans Memorial and Lakeside Pavilion.
With this addition, 0.8 miles of concrete trail will be constructed totaling 1.13 miles for the complete loop.
The new loop will accommodate two-way pedestrian and bicycle traffic and allow for views across the park. Designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, the trail also provides more accessibility for visitors to navigate the park.
The project was selected for funding assistance in the amount of $134,176 through the Collin County Parks and Open Space Funding Assistance Program. These reimbursable funds will be requested from the County as construction progresses, not to exceed $134,176.
Allen approves annual contract for City-owned streetlight maintenance
City of Allen will enter an annual contract with Standard Utility Construction, Inc., for maintenance of City-owned streetlights in an amount not to exceed $325,000. This replaces the City’s current maintenance contract which has reached the end of its term.
The City hires a contractor to handle repairs to community streetlights that are not maintained by HOAs or the utility company. Residents can report streetlight outages using the MyAllen app.
The contract consists of two components:
- Monthly audit of streetlight operation and routine maintenance for any discovered outages for 3,638 streetlights (annual expense of $202,782.12); and
- Non-routine maintenance (e.g., knock-down replacement) as those occur over time, establishing unit prices for pole replacement, labor, traffic control and equipment.
Funds for this service are included in the Engineering Department’s operational funds budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
Follow council news and future meetings
Allen City Council meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Meetings are held in Council Chambers at Allen City Hall (305 Century Parkway). A calendar of upcoming meetings is available on the City website.
To receive a link to upcoming meetings by email, visit CityofAllen.org/NotifyMe and sign up for City Meeting Notices. Meeting agendas are posted at least 72 hours prior to each meeting. Agenda links are provided within the meeting details of each calendar listing and at CityofAllen.org/Agendas.