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Editor's Note: This story has been corrected with the correct spelling of Tom Cusick's name.
The Farmers Branch Local Government Corporation on Monday, July 28, approved a timeline extension for a former landfill site and authorized a new property sale agreement during a meeting that also saw the appointment of new officers.
The corporation voted unanimously to extend the deadline for a property transaction at 1349-1399 Valley View Lane from July 31 to December 31, 2025, citing delays with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
"They're working with TCEQ, which we all know can take some time and sometimes a lot of time," City Manager Ben Williamson told board members during his presentation.
The property, previously the citizen collection center, is a former brown site where trash was historically dumped outside major city limits. The buyer has completed phase one and geotechnical studies but is waiting for TCEQ permission to drill through the protective cap covering the site.
"What will happen here is they're checking to see what's in there to make sure it's just basic trash," Williamson said. "And then what will happen is remediation to remove, basically dig it all up, and get it out of there and reset it as usable land for foundational buildings."
When asked who would bear the cost of excavation and remediation, Williamson said, "Not the city of Farmers Branch."
In other business, the corporation approved by a 4-1 vote to authorize negotiation and execution of agreements for property at 13309 Josey Lane, a city-owned lot at Golfing Green Drive and Josey Lane. The property will be sold to home builder Tom Cusick for $200,000, significantly below its assessed value of $660,000.
However, Mayor Terry Lynne said the buyer will make up the difference through infrastructure improvements.
"The purchaser has agreed to make up that difference with infrastructure that they're putting in at their expense," Lynne said. "That infrastructure, streets and whatnot should far exceed that $400,000 difference."
Williamson confirmed the arrangement, "They're required to make up the difference. So, they're doing it through infrastructure and other elements as well."
The Josey Lane property has a complex history. An original purchase agreement was signed January 11, 2021, but the corporation terminated that contract in the first quarter of 2025 after the terms were not met.
"We have had nine meetings over the last 18 months, essentially 12-13 months to discuss this property resulting in action that brings us here today," Williamson said.
Questions arose about earlier potential contracts for the property. While acknowledging discussions dating back to 2018, Williamson clarified that previous negotiations occurred in executive session with no resulting action.
"There were discussions for several years going backwards on that property with the council, but because they were all in executive session, there's no records because no action resulted from it," Williamson said.
The meeting also featured a changing of leadership. Pam Dehon, who had been serving as acting president, stepped aside due to potential conflicts of interest related to her role as accounting manager in the finance department.
"I, personally, do not feel comfortable being president of this board because I am the accounting manager in the finance department and I am responsible for transferring the money in the city's bank accounts from the FBLGC to the city's accounts back and forth," Dehon said.
Mayor Lynne was unanimously elected as the new president, with Councilmember Tina Bennett-Burton becoming vice president and Jessica Alvarado remaining as secretary.
