Just in time for Thanksgiving and the consequent trash overflow, officials got a little update on the alleyway pickup saga and some garbage truck tech. Staff also dug up an old assessment of Dallas City Hall, which outlined projected costs for certain repairs.
Check out the details below before hitting the road or tuning out for the holiday week.
Future of Alleyway Trash Collection Will Depend on Survey Results
We got a little update on the alleyway trash pickup fiasco on Monday during a meeting of the Quality of Life, Arts & Culture Committee.
As it stands, staff are finalizing a customer survey that will be sent out to households whose service could be transitioned to curbside trash pickup. Sanitation Director Clifton Gillespie’s initial plan to phase out alleyway pickup for 26,000 households got put on hold after significant resident pushback. The new plan is to gauge interest in maintaining alleyway service where it’s offered citywide and then figure out how to go about it. Higher monthly rates are pretty much guaranteed wherever it stays.
“The survey data that we get back will guide us, but we do expect to evaluate all potential operational models, including the possibility of private providers if that could help sustain safe and reliable service,” Gillespie said.
Council Member Bill Roth (District 11) pressed the sanitation director on staff’s briefing memo, which said insufficient neighborhood interest in “pursuing alternative service models” would result in a phase out in that area. He said there was considerable opposition to ending alleyway service and cautioned against doing so over the wishes of residents.
Bill Roth
“I think there’s a very strong public perception anecdotally that City Hall is trying to do away with alley service generally within the city,” Roth said. “I think that if that is in fact the case, that needs to be explained in more detail. If it’s not the case, it needs to be communicated properly to the people that are immediately and directly involved.”
Gillespie said staff will not be discounting residents’ opinions but that it was “possible or likely” that not every impacted neighborhood wants to keep alleyway service.
“Our goal is to use the information [from the survey] to identify feasible solutions that may allow alley collection to continue in areas where both operationally possible and, as I said, strongly preferred by the residents,” he said.
The survey is going to go out to about 44,000 households sometime this month, according to the briefing memo. Results will be presented to the city council in January 2026.
On a Somewhat Related Note…
Speaking of trash pickup, council members are set to vote next month on authorizing a contract for AI-powered camera technology to be deployed on 50 sanitation vehicles that handle brush and bulk waste.
The point of the initiative is to leverage AI to give the Sanitation Department data on how often residents use brush and bulky pickup, helping staff better deploy trucks by cutting down on unnecessary mileage. Additionally, the Code Compliance Department would get monthly visual scans to flag areas for issues like illegal dumping, graffiti, and deteriorating structures so they could be more proactive with enforcement.
Council Member Chad West (District 1) grilled Gillespie on Monday over what the cameras might capture on private property and how the footage would be stored. He said he was concerned about violating privacy rights and how footage could be used in litigation in divorces and between neighbors.
“I’m going to need answers to that, or I’m a definite no on this issue,” he said.
Staff responded to the council member’s questions in a memo on Friday. They cover some of the technical capabilities, legal obligations, and access related to captured footage. Read about the details here.
Staff Publish Old City Hall Repairs Estimate
An old report on some of the repairs needed at Dallas City Hall was dug up by staff and published for public review as officials weigh the cost-benefits of fixing up the iconic building or relocating to office space downtown.
The 2017 Facility Condition Assessment conducted by the construction engineering firm AECOM after a four-day inspection catalogued tens of millions of dollars in deficiencies across 1500 Marilla St. — about $18.9 million. However, it did not cover structural or water infiltration issues, the two biggest ticket items laid out by staff in presentations this fall.
Electrical made up the bulk of AECOM’s repair cost estimates (roughly $15.7 million). Fire protection upgrades totaled nearly $1 million, while roofing and interior flooring issues accounted for another $1 million combined. The assessment stated a total building replacement cost of $92.9 million.
Staff have been projecting that catching up on deferred maintenance could cost upwards of $345 million or more.
The report had some important caveats that suggest staff may be on to something. AECOM stressed that its repair figures were rough estimates that could vary by as much as 50%. They also noted they exclude design fees, code-required upgrades, hazardous materials abatement, and any analysis of leaks or structural integrity. And, of course, there’s inflation.
While it might not reach $345, it stands to be a pretty penny if officials opt to rehabilitate the landmark I.M. Pei-designed building. Even still, there are plenty of folks around town who think the city would be better off maintaining the Brutalist structure, one of the most recognizable buildings in Dallas, than leasing space out of some high-rise.
FIFA, Officials Christen World Cup Volunteer Center in Fair Park
The FIFA World Cup Volunteer Center had its grand opening on Tuesday at the Food & Fiber Pavilion in Fair Park, where thousands of local volunteers are expected to be trained in the coming weeks to help support the international tournament.
“Dallas is gearing up to take the spotlight on the global stage with the World Cup next year, and our volunteers are essential to making this event a success,” Mayor Eric Johnson said. “Dallas’ community-focused volunteer spirit is unmatched, and I’m excited to see our volunteers serve as outstanding Dallas ambassadors as we showcase our renowned Texas hospitality to the world.”
Credit: Council Member Jesse Moreno’s office
Some 6,100 volunteers will be selected after tryouts to serve in various capacities, including accreditation, ceremonies, fan and guest operations, and language services, among others. Roughly 15,000 people applied to volunteer.
Dallas will have the second-biggest number of required volunteers out of any host city this World Cup. Millions of visitors are expected to descend on the D-FW across nine matches in June and July.
Monica Paul, president of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, said participants stand to “gain a wealth of experiences, memories, and valuable perks” in exchange for lending a hand during the tournament.
“Volunteers are truly the backbone, the heartbeat of any sporting event that we host,” Paul said, according to WFAA. “They are the first people that our visitors will see when they arrive at the airport, on transportation, and at the hotels.”