Public input is being sought on how to use a billion-dollar Dallas Public Improvement bond referendum planned next year. The Dallas Police and Fire Departments are asking for $730 million. NBC 5’s Ken Kalthoff reports it would help with old problems in some places and add protection in others.
The City of Dallas plans a $1 billion public improvement bond referendum in 2024 with many city needs competing for a share of the money.
The Dallas police and fire departments Monday presented their list which totals $730 million in needs to the City Council Public Safety Committee.
Dallas Fire-Rescue proposes adding five entirely new stations, most of them along I-20 in southern Dallas where there are many new homes and industrial buildings.
"On your worst day you want us to be as close as possible and be able to get to you as fast as possible. You don’t want to be sitting around waiting as you watch your house go down in flames because we’re just too far away," Dallas Firefighters Association President Jim McDade said.
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The $265 million DFR request also calls for replacing 7 other older fire stations. Of the 59 DFR stations currently operating, 21 are more than 50 years old. Many of those were not designed for today's larger fire trucks.
Dallas Police ask for $465 million in the briefing submitted to the committee Monday.
Police photos in the briefing show the cramped property room where storage containers are lined up outside the old building for overflow storage.
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"We wait too long to address these problems until they become very big problems. We have $1 billion for probably a $3 billion problem as far as facilities," Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata said.
Police want to replace several other very old facilities.
But at Monday's meeting, police officials said replacing the Dallas Police Academy is their top priority.
A new academy is planned at the University of North Texas at Dallas campus.
Firefighters also want their training academy updated.
"And that's a huge need that we have that must remain in the bond," McDade said.
Input from residents will help decide what city hall includes in the final bond referendum plan after a series of public input meetings in city council districts around the city starting Monday night.
More details on the bond referendum can be found here.
The meeting schedule for the week of June 5 is as follows:
Monday, June 5:
- ** District 2: 6 p.m., Samuell Grand Recreation Center, 6200 E. Grand Avenue
Tuesday, June 6:
- District 9: 6 p.m., Ridgewood Recreation Center, 6818 Fisher Road
- ** District 8: 6 p.m., Singing Hills Recreation Center, 6805 Patrol Way
Wednesday, June 7:
- District 3: 6 p.m.: Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center, 5150 Mark Trail Way
Thursday, June 8:
- District 11: 6 p.m., Prism Center (District Office), 5580 Peterson Lane, Suite 175
The town halls will be in-person or virtual. Closed captioning with auto-translation to languages other than English will be available for virtual meetings. The meetings marked with two asterisks will have simultaneous Spanish interpretation available.
To request ASL or other language interpretation, please call the Bond and Construction Management office at 214-671-5390. The meetings will run through the month of June.
