Four Dallas City Council members and some city staffers went to Japan to see about its high-speed rail system. Their trip cost over $60,000, according to a revised memo sent to a city council committee and obtained by KERA.
A previous version of the memo lists the total estimated cost of the trip to be around $52,000. The revised memo placed that total at around $66,000.
The delegation went to Japan to “learn about the key elements of transportation, infrastructure, and economic development related to High-Speed Rail.” And the city’s Convention and Event Services department picked up the bill.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua, District 6 Council Member Omar Narvaez, District 2 Council Member Jesse Moreno and District 13 Council Member Gay Donnell Willis are all listed as delegates on the Japan trip, according to a memo sent in early November to the mayor and city council.
Some who went on the trip said they learned a lot from the visit.
"I 100% left with the knowledge I think we were seeking when it comes to high speed rail," Bazaldua said during Tuesday's Government Performance and Financial Management Committee meeting.
Bazaldua also said he believes the trip strengthened Dallas' relationship with different delegations in Japan.
Other elected officials had questions about the trip.
"I agree that there are benefits to these types of trips," District 5 Council Member Jaime Resendez said during the meeting. "But I am curious to know why this particular trip was kept under wraps from the public and other city leaders."
"I don't think that was the intent, to keep this trip under wraps...I don't have a response to that," Dev Rastogi, an assistant city manager, responded.
District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn said international travel should be approved by the entire council.
Council Member Paula Blackmon, who represents District 9 and has previously held other roles at City Hall prior to being elected, said more context is needed about the trips.
"Putting some understanding of what is our strategy and then what is the objectivity of who does attend," Blackmon said. "I think that would go a long way with the public understanding of what our mission is."
The department “paid for the trip using enterprise funds designated for data preparation, research, and site visits as part of the [Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center] Master Plan,” according to the December memo.
Of those funds, almost $14,000 was spent on airfare and another $6,311 went to per diem for those on the trip.
Four nights in Tokyo — and one night in Nagoya — ran the city $20,485. Getting everyone around the country cost about $5,300. The “Texas-Japan Office” served as fixers for the delegation.
“They helped coordinate travel throughout Japan, set up meetings with Japanese government officials, and served as guides and translators for the delegation throughout the five days,” Assistant City Manager Dev Rastogi said in the memo.
The city is waiting on an official invoice, but it estimates those services cost around $20,000. A previous estimate from city staffers placed that total at $6,000.
The city has been looking into a Dallas to Houston high speed rail project since 2015. The trip had been postponed several times and ultimately slated the delegation to fly out the day after the election, according to the memo.
The group of city officials met with officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, toured the Japan Rail Central Operations Control Center and had a transit development tour of Nagoya Station, according to the trip itinerary.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
