Development alliance asks council for $365,000 to engineer a ramp reversal near U.S. 75 and Highway 84

The Denison Development Alliance wants to spend $365,000 on engineering plans to reverse a highway ramp near U.S. 75 and Highway 84, a step the city says is needed to open property there to development. The City Council takes up the request Monday.

The item, an amendment to the alliance's 2026-27 budget, is on the council's Nov. 2 agenda, which the city posted Tuesday. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 300 W. Main St.

What the money would pay for

According to a staff report from Finance Director Laurie Alsabbagh, the alliance's board approved the amended budget on Oct. 16. The change adds one new line, "75/84 Ramp Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering)," to cover engineering for what the report calls a ramp reversal project near the Highway 84/U.S. 75 property, "to allow for development of the property."

The report does not say which ramp would be reversed, who owns the property or what development is expected there.

The alliance is paid for in part by a dedicated sales tax for economic development, which the city collects and forwards to it each month. Staff say the amendment has no direct financial effect on the city and recommend approval. Council approved the alliance's original budget on Sept. 8.

The alliance's budget, before and after

The amendment raises the alliance's planned spending for the year from about $6.15 million to about $6.51 million. Its revenue estimate does not change: about $4.58 million, including $2.93 million in sales tax and a $1.5 million EDA grant listed for Johns Manville infrastructure.

Other big lines stay as they were, including $3 million for an EDA infrastructure grant project, $354,000 for a Johns Manville bond note, $150,000 for planning and engineering at the North Texas Logistics Park and $750,000 for a targeted building incentive. The money the alliance projects it will have left for new incentives or infrastructure falls from about $3.94 million to about $3.58 million.

Rest of the meeting

The evening opens with a presentation to the Denison Police Department of a Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices certificate of accreditation and a proclamation for Municipal Court Week.

On the consent agenda, the council is set to buy a new $73,350 truck for the Solid Waste Division and to rewrite parts of the water and sewer ordinance that cover properties where one meter serves several homes or businesses.

Under the new wording, the meter's full usage would be billed to the building nearest the meter, with an extra minimum base charge, carrying a 1,000-gallon credit, for each additional unit until each is metered separately. Staff say the change clarifies billing and does not alter any rates.

In closed session, the council is scheduled to confer with the city attorney about a potential development in Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 3, an economic development matter called Project Silver, and Shafer Ranch.

Sources

denisontx.api.civicclerk.com