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The Farmers Branch City Council approved new residential parking restrictions for oversized vehicles Sept. 1 and a $600,000 increase in city funding for the employee health plan.
The council also moved forward with an Interstate 35E landscaping project expected to cost the city about $260,000 a year to maintain beginning in 2028 and adopted legislative priorities aimed in part at protecting millions of dollars in sales tax revenue.
The oversized-vehicle ordinance places new restrictions on where certain large vehicles may be stored on residential property and provides a 12-month grace period before enforcement. Staff said code enforcement will use that time to educate residents, monitor parking and work with property owners toward compliance.
Council members raised concerns about older neighborhoods where narrow side yards, easements and a lack of alleys could make complying with the new rules difficult.
Council member Tina Bennett-Burton questioned what help the city could offer residents who may not have an easy way to move or screen their vehicles.
“How are you going to help them before we punish them?” Bennett-Burton asked.
Staff said specific assistance measures had not yet been developed. Council member Lupe Gonzalez also raised concerns about residents who rely on trailers or oversized vehicles for work and questioned how some screening requirements would be applied.
Mayor Pro Tem David Reid supported moving ahead, saying the issue had been under discussion for years and the city could make adjustments during the grace period.
“We’ve got something in front of us that’s functional. Is it perfect? No,” Reid said.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Roger Neal also supported the ordinance, saying additional changes or assistance could be considered if problems emerge during the next year. The ordinance passed.
Farmers Branch also will take on an estimated $260,000 in annual maintenance costs beginning in 2028 for landscaping planned along I-35E.
The Texas Department of Transportation will fund construction of the landscaping, while Farmers Branch will be responsible for maintaining it. Staff said the $260,000 estimate is preliminary because the final design has not been completed. The design is expected to return to the council before the project goes to bid, when the city should have a clearer picture of the ongoing cost.
Council members urged staff to consider landscaping choices that could reduce future maintenance expenses. During the study session, members noted that a $260,000 annual cost could increase over time.
The council approved another $600,000 for the city’s self-funded employee health plan.
Farmers Branch will retain UMR as its medical plan administrator while moving pharmacy administration to ServeYou Rx. Human Resources Director Jeffrey Ross said medical and pharmacy cost trends indicate the additional funding will be needed to maintain the plan.
About 380 employees are enrolled. Ross said staff expects the additional $600,000 to be sufficient over the three-year agreement, although expenses will continue to vary depending on claims and health care costs. The city plans to review the plan quarterly.
The city has not built an increase in employee paycheck contributions into the budget specifically to cover the additional $600,000. Instead, staff is studying possible changes to the plan, including out-of-pocket maximums and coinsurance, as ways to control future costs.
Employees with existing prescriptions will need to provide updated pharmacy information after the administrator changes. Ross said the medical side of the plan will remain the same, so employees will not need to change doctors because of the new agreements.
The council also adopted a legislative platform that includes opposition to a potential change in state sales tax rules that Mayor Terry Lynne said could cost Farmers Branch $5 million to $7 million a year.
Lynne asked the city to specifically oppose changing sales tax sourcing from the point of origin to the point of destination. He said similar proposals have surfaced in previous legislative sessions and that he wanted Farmers Branch to have a clear position if the issue returns.
“I just want to make sure that we’re on record opposing this,” Lynne said.
The broader legislative platform calls for preserving local control and protecting city finances while supporting public safety, infrastructure, redevelopment and economic development. Staff said the document will guide Farmers Branch as state lawmakers consider legislation affecting cities during the upcoming 90th Texas Legislative Session.
Staff agreed to document the city’s opposition to the sales tax change before the council approved the platform.
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