Your trusted source for community news
City council unanimously approved a $748,600 professional services agreement Tuesday, Feb. 3, for a water and wastewater capital improvement plan that will replace aging infrastructure across the city.
The agreement with Birkhoff, Hendricks & Carter LLP covers design work for the 2026 capital improvement plan. The first year includes approximately $13 million in construction for pipeline replacements using PVC with a 100-year lifespan.
Public Works Director Ray Silva-Reyes said the 20-year plan uses a scoring matrix to objectively prioritize aging infrastructure replacement citywide.
"We're replacing all this aging infrastructure with PVC," Silva-Reyes said. "This is a material that has a 100-year usable life."
During public comment, two residents and DART Police Chief Charles Ko addressed council members about the city's potential withdrawal from Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
David Jones asked council members to cancel the May election if no agreement is reached with DART by Feb. 27.
"If we hit pause on February 27th and retain our right to hold an election in November, we will regain all our leverage with DART," Jones said. "Such a strategic pause will give us very valuable time to see if any of the other member cities are successful in securing a new agreement with DART."
Jones said the original vote to schedule a May election passed 3-2 and "could have easily gone the other way."
Resident Rinkesh Desai echoed Jones's concerns about the Feb. 27 deadline and the potential impact on residents who rely on transit service.
DART Police Chief Charles Ko provided crime statistics for the Farmers Branch station, reporting 12 offenses in 2025 and zero crimes in January 2026. The station accounted for 0.57 percent of the city's total calls for service last year.
"I'm very aware of the crime at all the stations, I track everything," Ko said. "Every week, every month, I have every 15 days, I have a meeting with my staff and reallocate resources as necessary."
Council members also directed staff to modify the sister city program to emphasize economic development over cultural exchange. The program, established in 1956, has a budget of $20,000 per five-year visitation cycle.
Council members reached consensus to explore establishing a relationship with a Mexican city while maintaining existing partnerships.
Council member Elizabeth Villafranca suggested focusing on Mexico, noting that 40 percent of Mexican businesses with U.S. operations have a presence in North Texas. She emphasized the need for economic development and partnerships beyond cultural exchange.
Mayor Terry Lynne also emphasized the importance of measurable goals.
"I want it to be able to produce tangible business developments in our city," Lynne said, citing Plano's success recruiting six Taiwanese businesses.
The next city council meeting is Feb. 17.
