GARLAND, TX — Last night’s city council meeting began with a heartfelt proclamation honoring Fort Battad for his 20 years of excellence at the Coleman Tennis Center. Mayor Scott LeMay presented the proclamation, stating, “Fort’s dedication to our community has inspired many young athletes and enriched our local sports culture.” The room filled with applause as Fort, visibly moved, thanked the council and attendees for their support.
The council moved through the consent agenda without any issues, unanimously approving all items. This included items related to various construction projects and agreements aimed at improving the city’s infrastructure.
In the Individual Consideration agenda, items 8 and 9 also passed unanimously. The council voted to reappoint Lori Barnett Dodson to the North Texas Municipal Water District Board and approved an ordinance for the Youth Programs Standards of Care, ensuring compliance with the Texas Human Resource Code to exempt certain recreational programs from state child care licensing.
However, item 10 sparked a lengthy discussion. The council expressed the need for more context regarding the Everest Gas and Food Mart application, which requested a variance to sell alcoholic beverages within 300 feet of South Garland High School.
Mayor LeMay opened the discussion, stating, “We need to ensure we understand the surrounding area and whether other businesses have received similar variances.”
A city staff member responded, “The site is approximately 47 feet from the school property line, which is significantly less than the required distance. We haven’t found records of previous variances for this location.”
Councilmember Dutton raised a point, asking, “Do any other businesses in the area have variances?”
Simultaneously, City Staff replied, “No,” while Mayor LeMay interjected, “Yes, we have granted variances in this area before.”
This prompted further questions from Councilmember Bass, who queried, “Do we have any complaints from the school about alcohol sales in that vicinity?” The staff’s response was, “No, we do not have any complaints.” Bass pressed on, “How can we make a decision without knowing if this impacts our students? We need to consider their safety.”
Councilmember Moore added, “This case needs to stand on its own. We must ensure our decisions don’t inadvertently harm the community.”
The item concluded with a commitment to gather more information regarding the Everest Gas and Food Mart application before making a final decision. Councilmember Williams motioned to postpone the item until the June 3rd meeting, stating, “We need more clarity before we proceed.” The motion passed unanimously.
The discussion shifted as five individuals stepped forward during public comments, one by one, to urge the city to support DART, as funding threats loom in Austin. Matthew Banks, a Garland native, passionately stated, “I rely on our public transit system. If cuts happen, we could lose vital bus routes. Our city deserves better support.”
As he spoke, he addressed the misconceptions surrounding public transit users, saying, “The stereotype, as you well know, is that it [public transit] is used by the unclean and the unhoused. That’s not the case. I’m pretty clean and I live in a house.” He motioned towards his outfit, prompting a chuckle from the room.
Echoing these sentiments, Simon Matthew added, “The proposed 5% general mobility plan could jeopardize our routes. We need to tell our representatives to vote against it.”
The meeting concluded after public comments, with the expectation that further discussion on Everest Gas and Food Mart’s variance application will take place on June 3rd. In the meantime, city staff will gather additional information to help the council make a more informed decision. With increasing community pressure to support DART, will the council choose to voice support?
