[District 2 Update with Council Member Deborah Morris]
[00:00:08]
HELLO AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER.IN OUR SERIES OF CITY COUNCIL UPDATES TODAY, WE'RE JOINED BY DISTRICT TWO COUNCIL MEMBER, DEBORAH MORRIS COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT GOING ON THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, SO LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT.
YES, WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN DISTRICT TWO.
IN THESE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S BEEN A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN DISTRICT TWO RESIDENTS, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY STAFF, ALL OF US, IT'S BEEN A PARTNERSHIP AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
SO I WANT TO START BY JUST RUNNING DOWN A QUICK OVERVIEW LIST OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY GOTTEN DONE.
STRAIGHT REPAIRS IN THE DISTRICT ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH.
THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE REDESIGN WE'LL START CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR, THE LONG DELAYED $6 MILLION FIRST STREET CORRIDOR BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT IS NOW ACTUALLY IN MOTION.
THE NEW GARLAND ANIMAL SHELTER IS SCHEDULED TO BREAK GROUND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE, UM, HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL.
THE LONG MISSING PLAYGROUND AT CENTRAL PARK IS NOW NEW AND BEAUTIFUL WITH A LARGE AND INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND, UM, THAT IS HEAVILY USED AS WELL AS OUR BRAND NEW FIRST GARLAND DOG PARK, WHICH IS ALSO IN CENTRAL PARK.
UM, AND IT IS BUSY ALL THE TIME.
UM, OUR PARKING MARSHALL'S PROGRAM THIS LAST YEAR HAS BEEN BOTH EFFECTIVE AND POPULAR IN OUR OLDER AND OVERCROWDED NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S, I'VE HEARD BACK FROM A LOT OF YOU, UM, WHO ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT HOW THAT'S WORKING.
THE MEDIAN REFLECTORS I ASKED FOR IN OUR LAST BUDGET YEAR ARE BRIGHTENING UP NIGHTTIME DRIVING ACROSS DISTRICT TWO AND NOW CITYWIDE.
AND I'VE ALSO HEARD FROM A LOT OF YOU SAYING THAT'S GOOD.
UM, SMALLER AND LESS EQUIPPED PARKS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT ARE NOW SCHEDULED FOR EXCITING NEW AMENITIES, INCLUDING ONE OF THE CITY'S VERY FIRST SPLASH PADS.
SO NOW DOROTHY, IF YOU CAN PULL UP THE POWERPOINT, I WANT TO GO OVER SOME OF THESE THINGS IN A WEEK AND MORE DETAIL.
IS I GET THIS UP? YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
GOING INTO FULLSCREEN IS ALWAYS ONE OF THOSE, RIGHT.
ARE YOU SEEING THE CORRECT SCREEN? NO, YOU'RE NOT.
UM, SO THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE REDESIGN, I'M NOT SEEING THE TEXT ON IT, SO ACTUALLY IS IT POSSIBLE TO REDUCE IT IN SIZE A BIT WITHOUT TAKING IT ALL THE WAY OFF THE SCREEN? IT HAS TEXT ON IT AND IF NOT, I'LL JUST WING IT.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WING IT CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADJUST THE SIZE.
WELL, YOU'RE GETTING A MORE, UH, ZOOMED IN VIEW OF THE BASIC DESIGN OF THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE THAT WILL BE STARTING ABOUT MID YEAR, NEXT YEAR.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, IT'LL TAKE ON A NEW SHAPE AND A NEW LOOK.
WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY LAWN.
WE WILL AT ONE CORNER, HAVE A SOUNDSTAGE WHERE WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMMING.
ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO START PROGRAMMING AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE A CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND.
WE'LL HAVE A STEEL PLAY, UM, TREEHOUSE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN A REAL TREE, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST YOU GO PERFECT.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DISTINCTIVE, UM, FEATURES IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA.
THIS WILL BE WHERE A NUMBER OF KIDS AND ADULTS CAN ACTUALLY GO UP AND HAVE A HIGH OVERVIEW OF THE DOWNTOWN AND THE SQUARE.
UM, WE HAVE WE'LL HAVE A, UM, ESSENTIALLY SOMETHING LIKE A SPLASH PAD OR DANCING WATERS OVER BY THE CHILDREN'S AREA.
WE'LL HAVE MANY DIFFERENT WHAT WE'RE CALLING ROOMS, SHADED AREAS OFF TO DIFFERENT SIDES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GATHER, UM, TO READ, TO GET TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS.
THIS WILL GIVE A LOT OF BOTH COMMUNITY POSSIBILITIES AND ALSO SMALLER GROUP GATHERING POSSIBILITIES.
THERE'S A LOT MORE COMING AND WE'LL BE TALKING A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS IN COMING MONTHS, BUT HERE WE GO.
HERE'S MORE, UM, THIS WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY COUNCIL IN APRIL, UM, AS A BASIC DESIGN FOR THE, UM, FOR THE SQUARE, THE DETAILED DESIGN IS ACTUALLY UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CONSTRUCTION STARTING MID NEXT YEAR.
AS I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO BE BREAKING GROUND ON THIS WITHIN WEEKS.
THIS NEW SHELTER IS GOING TO BE GORGEOUS.
[00:05:01]
LARGER THAN OUR EXISTING SHELTER AND CAPABLE OF HOUSING AROUND 200 DOGS.THAT'S TWICE WHAT WE CAN CURRENTLY DO AND OUR SHELTER.
AND I WILL SAY HOUSING THEM FAR MORE COMFORTABLY.
UM, THIS WILL BE A FULLY HEATED AND AIR CONDITIONED FACILITY.
THAT'LL ALSO HAVE AN EXTREMELY EFFICIENT FILTRATION SYSTEM TO REDUCE ANY KIND OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION.
UM, WE ALSO WILL BE HAVING A MUCH LARGER AREA FOR CATS SO WE CAN HOUSE A HUNDRED CATS, WHICH IS THREE TIMES OUR CURRENT AMOUNT.
AND THIS IS AN ADDITION TO EXOTIC PETS.
WE'VE HAD EVERYTHING FROM, UM, WOW.
FROM GIANT TORTOISES TO LLAMAS, TO BIG HORN SHEEP TO RIGHT NOW I THINK WE HAVE A CHICKEN.
IF YOU WANT A CHICKEN IT'S THERE RIGHT NOW, RUN GET IT.
UM, WE WILL ALSO HAVE A DEDICATED MEDICAL SUITE FOR SURGICAL STERILIZATION AND TREATMENT.
UM, LOTS OF WINDOWS, LOTS OF SKYLIGHTS, LOTS OF HAPPINESS, OUTDOOR SPACE, SO THAT YOU CAN COME AND BRING YOUR OTHER PESTS TO GET TO KNOW A POTENTIAL NEW FRIENDS.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR FOR YEARS AND FRIENDS.
WELL, HERE ARE A COUPLE MORE VIEWS OF THE, UM, SHELTER AND THE TARGET COMPLETION DATE IS IN MARCH, 2022.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO HIT THIS ONE REALLY QUICK.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO OVER THE DETAILS, BUT WE HAVE IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF STREET REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS DONE IN DISTRICT TWO.
THIS IS JUST A LIST, UM, FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT DONE.
WE ALSO HAVE EVEN MORE COMING.
THIS IS AGAIN, A RECORD NUMBER OF RECONSTRUCTIONS AND, AND CONCRETE REHABS FOR THE DISTRICT.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS DOING AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB AND MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A NEW STREET FOR A VERY LONG TIME, YOU'RE FINALLY GETTING IT.
AND I WILL SAY SOME OF YOU WHO ARE LIKE ON CURTIS, WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A BRAND NEW STREET ARE HAVING TO LIVE WITH BULLDOZERS AND A REALLY TORN UP NEIGHBORHOOD.
HANG ON BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT WHEN IT'S DONE.
AND YOU ALSO GET BRAND NEW SIDEWALKS FOR FREE.
JUST REALLY QUICK, STRAIGHT, CORRECT REFLECTORS.
UM, THESE GO INTO MEDIUMS. UM, I HAVE HEARD THAT FROM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU SAYING YOU LOVE IT? I LOVE IT TOO.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALL ALSO SAFER DRIVING AT NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW OUR SIDEWALKS IN DISTRICT TWO ARE HORRIBLE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY HEARD THAT IN JULY, THIS YEAR, WE PASSED AN ORDINANCE TO REFORM OUR SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM AND BY REFORM, WE MEAN WE CHANGE THINGS, SO IT WOULD COST YOU LESS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE ALWAYS DONE A 50 50 COST SPLIT, BUT THAT'S BEEN TOO MUCH FOR MOST OF US.
SO THE NEW PROGRAM GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF DISCOUNTS, ABOUT 15% ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT.
IF YOU HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, ANOTHER ADDITIONAL 15% DISCOUNT.
IF THE PROPERTY IS IN A CDBG AREA, DEFINED BY HEAD.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I, AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DISTRICT TWO IS INDEED IN A CDBG AREA.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, CALL ME AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW, ANOTHER 10% ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT IF IT HAS A SENIOR OR DISABILITY EXEMPTION.
SO IN MANY CASES, UM, PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET NEW SIDEWALKS AND THEY ONLY PAY 10% OF THE TOTAL TOTAL COST.
ANOTHER EXCITING THING, UNPAID DALLY PROGRAM.
WE HAVE MONEY TO AT LEAST START WORKING ON THE MANY, MANY UNPAID DALLIES, UM, IN THIS CITY.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE PRIORITIES WILL BE THE ALLEYS THAT HAVE HAD THE MOST REGRADING REQUESTS.
AND I HAVE SPOKEN AT LENGTH WITH STREETS AND GUESS WHICH DISTRICT HAS HAD THE MOST REGRADING REQUESTS THAT WOULD BE YES.
SO, UM, I AM ANTICIPATING US GETTING A NUMBER OF OUR ALLEYS ACTUALLY PAID FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN DISTRICT TWO.
QUICKLY, MOST OF YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THESE SIGNS, THE FIRE GUN GO TO JAIL.
IT HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT TWO, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I'VE HEARD FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER DISTRICTS SAYING, YES, IT JUST MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
GREATLY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF THE AMOUNT OF GUNFIRE ON THE 4TH OF JULY AND ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.
AS OF THIS SUMMER, WE ALSO TOOK ANOTHER STEP BECAUSE FIREWORKS, ILLEGAL FIREWORKS ARE DRIVING US CRAZY ON 4TH OF JULY, PARTICULARLY, AND WE INCREASED THE FINE FOR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS FROM $500 TO $2,000.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEARING ABOUT A LOT AS, AS WE APPROACH NEW YEARS, WE WANT
[00:10:01]
IT TO STOP.DISTRICT TWO PARKS, NEW AND COMING IMPROVEMENTS.
WE HAVE NEW PLAYGROUNDS HEADING OUR WAY.
UM, TWO OF THEM IN THE FIRST ROUND ARE GOING TO BE COMING TO LOU HUFF PARK AND DOUGLAS PARK, TWO OF OUR PARKS WITH THE LEAST AMENITIES.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING A BEAUTIFUL NEW PLAYGROUND THERE.
WE HAVE RECREATION CENTER RENOVATIONS, UM, AT GALE FIELDS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A RENOVATION AND A DEGRADER ANNEX.
THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PARK AMENITIES THAT ARE COMING WITH THAT, BUT THOSE TWO REC CENTERS ARE BEING RENOVATED.
UM, BLEACHER SHADE STRUCTURES.
THE BUDDY LEAGUE AT BRADFIELD SPECIFICALLY ASKED ME ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE, GUESS WHAT IT IS.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING, UM, SHADE STRUCTURES OVER THOSE BLEACHERS SO THAT YOU DON'T ACTUALLY ROAST YOUR HEAD SYDNEY.
AFTER WATCHING THE KIDS PLAY NEW LIGHTING ON THE SPORTS FIELDS, RENOVATED RESTROOMS AND CONCESSION STANDS AND MORE SO NEXT SLIDE, HELPFUL THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
AND A LOT OF YOU HAVE SEEN GARLAND'S FIRST DOG PARK AND CENTRAL PARK HAS BEEN A ROARING SUCCESS.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY HAPPY PEOPLE AND HAPPY DOGS AS FREQUENT THAT PARK.
AND I HAVE GOTTEN A, AN AVALANCHE OF HAPPY EMAIL OVER THAT.
ANOTHER THING AT CENTRAL PARK.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE IS A CENTRAL PARK PLAYGROUND.
THERE USED TO BE A WOODEN PLAYGROUND.
AND WE WERE TOLD AT THAT TIME, THIS IS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, DID THAT'D BE RIGHT BACK WITH A REALLY NICE PLAYGROUND AND IT NEVER HAPPENED.
SO WE ARE SO OVERJOYED NOW TO HAVE THIS PLAYGROUND, WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL.
IT IS, UM, IT'S INCLUSIVE AND OF COURSE ADA COMPLIANT, BUT ALSO IT'S GOT ELEMENTS THAT ARE MADE FOR, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE, ARE MORE SENSITIVE TO SOUND AND NOISE.
IT HAS AREAS WHERE YOU CAN BE QUIET, BUT STILL HAVE FUN BOTH FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
AND HERE'S REALLY SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING NEWS COMING UP IN BERRY PARK, WHICH IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE DISTRICT TWO PARKS THAT HAS BEEN VERY POORLY EQUIPPED OVERALL IS GETTING ONE OF THE FIRST THREE SPLASH PADS IN THE CITY OF GARLAND.
SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
NOW THIS WILL BE A NEIGHBORHOOD SPLASH PAD.
UM, AND THIS, THIS ISN'T THE EXACT ONE THAT YOU'LL SEE, BUT THIS IS THE, UM, UM, GENERALLY WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND SO OVERALL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY 2020 HAS BEEN A HARD YEAR.
ALL OF US KNOW THAT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THE NEXT TWO YEARS, YOU ARE GOING TO BE SEEING BEAUTIFUL THINGS, THRIVING ALL AROUND YOU.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING PARKS, UM, SPRINGING UP AND GETTING NEW AMENITIES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING NATURE, SEEING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE HAVING NEW STREETS, BUT NOT ONLY NEW STREETS, NEW IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS NOW THAT ARE WELL WITHIN THE GRASP OF EVEN SOME OF OUR LOWEST INCOME RESIDENTS WHO NEED HELP FIXING THEIR HOUSES.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HOUSES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, STARTING TO LOOK BETTER.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE LESS CROWDED PARKING AS OUR PARKING MARSHALL'S PROGRAM WORKS THROUGH MORE AND MORE.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, YOU ARE GOING TO BE SEEING BEAUTIFUL THINGS HAPPEN IN THE CITY.
THE CITY WILL BECOME MORE DRIVABLE, MORE PLEASANT, MORE FUN FOR FAMILIES, MORE FUN FOR CHILDREN.
UM, THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE BRIGHT AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS AND TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS, AND I HAVE TO COMMENT ON THE NEW PLAYGROUND AND THE DOG PARK.
I DRIVE PAST THAT DOG PARK ON MY WAY HOME EVERY EVENING, AND IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME HOW MANY FOLKS ARE THERE, BUT I'VE ALSO CUT THROUGH THE PARK SEVERAL TIMES TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PLAYGROUND.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY ENJOYING THAT CENTRAL PARK.
I GREW UP PLAYING IN CENTRAL PARK MYSELF.
SO IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE SO MUCH ACTIVITY THERE.
AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE ANNEX.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS INTO OUR VIEWERS.
WE WILL HAVE MORE CITY COUNCIL UPDATES COMING UP.