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IT IS

[00:00:01]

FOUR O'CLOCK ON

[Legislative Affairs Committee on December 7, 2020]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 2020.

THIS IS THE FIRST MEETING OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.

I AM CHAIRMAN ROBERT JOHN SMITH, UH, JOINED TODAY BY COUNCIL MEMBER.

UH RAJAB AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, BJ WILLIAMS, UH, GUEST STARRING, UH, WE'LL BE COUNCILWOMAN DEBRA MORRIS.

WE ALSO HAVE MEMBERS FROM THE CITY'S LEGAL AND MANAGEMENT STAFF TODAY.

UH, THE ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

UH, I'M GOING TO SORT OF PITCH THESE ALL OUT HERE AT ONCE BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE ALL THE SAME DISCUSSION AND IT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF FREEFORM EVEN A LITTLE BIT ROUND TABLE.

UM, UH, THE ITEMS WE HAVE ARE TO CONSIDER AND DEVELOP A 20, 21 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN REFERRED IN SO FAR, UH, ARE CONSIDERING LEGISLATIVE OR OTHER AMENDMENTS TO TD THCA RULES REGARDING VETERANS HOUSING, UM, CONSIDER LEGISLATIVE OR OTHER RULES TARGETING PREDATORY APPLICATION PRACTICES AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND CONSIDER REQUESTING OR BOLSTERING LEGISLATIVE RULES GOVERNING FISCAL NOTES ON BILLS AS TO HOW THE BILL WILL HAVE A FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES.

UH, BASED ON THE WAY WE WERE POSTED AA, I DON'T THINK WE'RE LIMITED IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT WE'D WANT TO PUT INTO A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

I THINK THE, WE REALLY LEFT THIS WIDE OPEN.

UM, AND SO MR. NEIGHBOR, MY THOUGHT IS I'D KINDA LIKE TO START WITH WHAT YOUR STAFF HAS COME UP WITH, UH, FOR ITEMS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WANTING TO SEE UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF GET INTO WHAT THE COUNCIL IS PITCHING, UH, IF THAT'D BE OKAY.

UH, AN OKAY.

PLACE TO START.

SURE.

ALL YOUR SIR.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

GOT WHAT WAY NOW? THERE'S THE FIRST TIME AS YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THIS, UH, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.

UM, THE REASON BEING THAT IN ANY GIVEN SESSION, WE DEAL WITH A FERRARI PART, UH, THOUSANDS OF THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BILLS AND AMENDMENTS THEY GET FILED DURING THE SESSION.

UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, UH, INTERACTING YOU'RE IN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

AND BY THAT, I MEAN, NOT ONLY THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR STAFF TML, UM, OTHER, UH, GROUPS, UH, EITHER LOBBYING GROUPS OR GOVERNMENT GROUPS OR, UM, OTHER FORCES DOWN THERE, AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN SORT OF AGENDA.

UH, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS FOCUS THAT DOWN ON THINGS THAT ARE JUST OF INTEREST TO GARLAND, BUT AS OFTEN AS NOT WITH HAVING ONLY THE COUNCIL TO GO TO, IT'S SOMETIMES VERY HARD TO GET, UH, MID-COURSE DIRECTION, UH, OR CORRECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PURSUING OR NOT PURSUING, UH, THE RIGHT BILLS.

AND SO HAVING THOSE COMMITTEE, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY BE CALLING ON YOU QUITE FREQUENTLY DURING THE SESSION, UM, AND SAYING, WELL, HERE'S A NEW ONE, OR HERE'S A NEW TWIST ON ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING.

UH, WHAT, UH, Y'ALL UM, THE, THE GOAL IN ANY GIVEN SESSION IS, IS TO KEEP OUR FOCUS AS NARROW AS WE CAN, UH, THAT SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT AS FAR AS, AS PROACTIVE LEGISLATION AND THE KIND OF LEGISLATION THAT, THAT WE GO OUT AND FIND AUTHORS AND SPONSORS AND OTHER PEOPLE SIGN ONTO THE BILL SUPPORT.

UM, WE OF NECESSITY HAVE TO KEEP THAT LIST PRETTY SHORT BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE END UP, UM, AS I CALL IT, CHASING EACH OTHER THROUGH THE HALLS STANDARDS CAPITOL ON, EVEN KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE THIS SESSION, BUT CHASING EACH OTHER THROUGH THE HALLS DOWN THERE, UH, AT THE CAPITOL, UH, TRYING TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR BILLS BECOME LAW.

UM, AND THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT, UM, BY SPREADING OURSELVES TOO THIN, UH, WE HAVE LESS SUCCESS, SO WE HAVE LESS SUCCESS WITH MORE BILLS.

AND WE DO, UM, WHEN WE PARE IT DOWN TO TWO OR THREE, MAYBE EVEN FOUR THAT WE'RE PROACTIVELY SEEK IT, UM, EVERY SESSION.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS HOLDING UP, UM, FOR COUNCILMAN AUBURN GOT ON, IT WAS HOLDING UP THIS LIST.

UH, I STARTED THIS, UM, IN 2019.

SO THIS IS, UH, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY LEFTOVERS FROM 2019, BUT ALWAYS CREATE A, WHAT WE CALL A WISHLIST OF LEGISLATION.

[00:05:01]

AND THAT'S HOW I HAVE IT IN THE FILE LEGISLATION, 2021 WISHLIST, UH, AND WE CAN ADD TO IT AND SUBTRACT FROM IT AS NEEDED.

UM, COUPLE OF THINGS, AS FAR AS A LEFTOVER, THERE IS A LEFTOVER FROM, FROM LAST SESSION.

AND THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT OF ALL PLACES IS FOUND IN THE CIVIL SERVICE STATUTES.

ALTHOUGH IT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CIVIL SERVICE PER SE.

THERE'S A, A PROVISION IN THE CIVIL SERVICE STATUTE, UH, ONE 43 OH FIVE TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.

IF YOU WANT TO LOOK IT UP, UM, IT PROVIDES FOR AN EMERGENCY SERVICES FEE THAT CAN BE COLLECTED BY CIVIL SERVICE CITY.

SO YOU HAVE TO BE A CIVIL SERVICE CITY, A ONE 43 CITY.

WE CALL IT IN THE TRADE WITHIN CERTAIN POPULATION BRACKET RIGHT NOW IT'S TWO 20 TO TWO 50.

UM, AND THAT FEE REPRESENTS QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO US.

I'M SURE BRIAN CITY MANAGER COULD TELL US THAT 3 MILLION, 3 MILLION, $3 MILLION, SO THAT ONE'S WORTH CHASING AROUND THE HALLS OF CAPITOL FOR, UM, THE, THE PROBLEM BEING THAT WE MAY CHURN EXCEED 250,000.

AND SO WE WOULD FALL OUT OF THE POPULATION BRACKETS AND COULD NO LONGER COLLECT THAT SEAT.

UH, SO FAR AS I'M AWARE, UH, ONLY GARLAND AND IRVING FALL WITHIN A BRACKET AND, AND OTHER, UH, PREREQUISITES OF THAT LEGISLATION, UH, OF ALL THINGS IRVING REACHED OUT TO ME TODAY, UM, ANOTHER, UM, UH, REVENUE MATTER, AND THAT'S A SALES TAX OPTUM THAT IRVING IS, UH, PURSUING FOR, UM, UH, AN OPTIONAL SALES TAX THAT WOULD BE ADOPTED BY, UM, EXCUSE ME, BY ELECTION.

UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD THAT TO OUR LIST.

IT'S UP TO Y'ALL THE COURT, UH, THIS SALES TAX OPTION WOULD, WOULD APPLY TO, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND, IT'D BE BRACKETED TO CITIES WITHIN DALLAS COUNTY.

UM, I, I DOUBT AND THE LOBBYIST OR THE STAFFER FOR, UM, IRVING DOUBTS.

IT'D BE A WHOLE LOT OF SUCCESS FOR THAT, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.

ANYWAY, I, I MENTIONED TO JOHN, UH, THERE STAFFER, UH, HEY, WE NEED TO WORK ON THIS POPULATION BRACKETS BELOW.

OH YEAH, WE DO.

BECAUSE IRVING, UH, SOMEDAY IS GOING, GONNA RUN IN SAME PROBLEM.

WE ARE, THEY'RE NOT LOSING POPULATION, BUT THEY COULD WELL EXCEED TWO 50.

NOW WE WERE TOLD LAST SESSION WHEN WE FOUND AN AUTHOR FOR THAT KIND OF BRACKETS BILL, BUT WE WERE TOLD WHEN IT WENT DOWN TO THIS, UM, AGENCY, THAT'S CALLED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

IT'S NOT COUNCIL LIKE LAWYER COUNCIL.

IT'S A COUNCIL WITH A C.

UM, SO YOU AND CIL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DOES THE DRAFTING OF ALL BILLS IN THEIR FINAL FORM FOR, UM, THE LEGISLATURE.

SO ANY BILL THAT YOU WANT, EVEN THOUGH WE WRITE THEM UP IN AN INITIAL PASS, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH LEDGED COUNCIL.

WE CALL IT FOR SHORT, UM, TO BE APPROVED AND REWRITTEN.

AND WE'VE NEVER SUBMITTED ONE THAT WASN'T RE WRITTEN SOMEHOW.

UH, I GET THAT, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT BY ALLEGED COUNSEL THAT IN 2021, THERE WOULD BE A GENERAL POPULATION BRACKET, READJUSTMENT BILL DUE TO THE, UM, DECENNIAL CENSUS.

SO THE CENSUS HAPPENS IN 2020 SHOULD BE DONE, UH, 20, 21 THEY'LL COME BACK AND TRY TO ADJUST ALL OF THE POPULATION BRACKETS CONTAINED IN THE LEGISLATION.

THAT'S ONE THAT WE, THE BOTTOM LINE, WE HAVE TO PUT THAT ON THE LIST, UH, $3 MILLION.

AND IF WE DON'T SEE A, A VEHICLE FOR THAT, IF WE DON'T SEE A BILL THAT DOES THAT, UM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND SOMEBODY TO FILE OUR OWN BRACKET BILL TO, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THOSE BRACKETS GET ADJUSTED.

SO THAT'S ONE, THAT'LL BE ON THE LIST IN SOME FORM.

UH, WE MAY EVEN HAVE

[00:10:01]

TRIED TO HAVE SOME INSURANCE BY NOT ONLY PURSUING AND, AND SUPPORTING THE STATE OMNIBUS BRACKETTVILLE, BUT INCLUDE OUR OWN, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BRACKET IN ONE 43 OH FIVE, TWO GETS ADJUSTED.

OKAY.

UM, WAY I HAVE A REQUEST FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THIS GETS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED, UM, UH, PROM, UH, CHIEF LEE.

I DON'T KNOW IF CHIEF'S ON TODAY.

I DON'T SEE HIM.

YOU SEE HIM, LORD, NO CHAIRMAN, NO, UM, CHEAPLY AND THE LARGER FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE RUN INTO AN ISSUE THAT'S DRIVEN BY THE COMPOSITION OF TEXAS FIRE COMMISSION ADVISORY BOARD.

UH, ONE, IT REALLY SHOULDN'T STILL EXIST BECAUSE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AD HOC AND TEMPORARY.

UM, THE PROBLEM BEING THAT THE SMALLER, ESPECIALLY THE MID-SIZED CITIES AND VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS, UM, ACTUALLY END UP WITH SOME MORE DISPOSABLE KIND OF REVENUE THAN WE WOULD HAVE CAUSE THEIR SALARY, UM, SHORTER IT AND SO ON.

AND SO I'M GIVING YOU A VERY SHORT SYNOPSIS HERE.

UH, THE PROBLEM IS THAT BIAS ESTABLISHING RULES THAT GO THROUGH THIS ADVISORY COMMISSION AND ARE ALMOST ALWAYS RUBBER STAMP BY THE TEXAS FIRE COMMISSION.

UH, THE RULES BECOME THE LAW AS GOVERNS, UH, OR CERTIFICATIONS AND WHAT WE DO AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.

UM, THE PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS FOR EXAMPLE, AND EQUIPMENT, UM, THEY HAVE, UH, A SHORTER EQUIPMENT REVIEW AND DISPOSAL, UM, TIMETABLES AND, AND WHAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR FIRE SAFETY.

UM, I MEAN, IT'D BE GREAT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A 300 PERSON FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS OPPOSED TO A THREE PERSON FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU START RUNNING INTO SUBSTANTIAL MONEY.

UM, AND, AND THIS ADVISORY COMMISSION IS PUSHING THAT NOT NECESSARILY THE STATE OF THE ART OR FOR FIREFIGHTERS SAFETY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS GET MORE OF A VOICE OF BIGGER CITIES ON EITHER THE FIRE COMMISSION OR THIS ADVISORY BOARD DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE LEGISLATION'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND, UH, OF ALL THINGS THAT THE PARTICULAR COMMISSION INVOLVED THE FIRE COMMISSION IS UNDER SUNSET REVIEW.

IT MAY ALL OF THEIR LEGISLATION GOING TO BE REVIEWED FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.

SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THIS SESSION TO GET INVOLVED, UH, NOT JUST BANDIT, NOT RUIN ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY ELSE, BUT GET MORE VOICE, UH, ON A BOARD ADS, REPRESENTATION, OR WHERE MOST OF THE FIREFIGHTERS AREN'T BECAUSE THOSE FIREFIGHTERS, I FORGET WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGES, BUT MOST OF THEM WORK FOR A LARGER DEPARTMENT.

UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THE REST OF THEM WE CAN ADD OR SUBTRACT.

UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU HAD MENTIONED TO ME, AND I ADDED IT TO THE LIST, UH, OPEN MEETINGS ACT AMENDMENTS, PROVIDE GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR REMOTE MEETINGS LIKE WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

YEAH.

AND I'M SURE THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO BE ON THAT VERY HEAVILY.

WE PROBABLY DON'T EVEN NEED TO, WE, WE MAY DO A PIGGYBACK THERE.

YEAH.

UM, IF WE FIND SOMEBODY WHO'S, UH, SOME OF THEM MAY HATE THEM.

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO DO AWAY WITH THEM, COULD WALK OR WRITING AS WE ARE NOW UNDER GOVERNOR GORDON.

AND SO IF THE GOVERNOR HADN'T SUSPENDED CERTAIN THINGS, WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THESE ZOOM MEETINGS, BUT WE FOUND AFTER SOME INITIAL FEAR RELUCTANT, AT LEAST ON MY PART, UH, IT'S BEEN WORKING, IT WORKS QUITE HANDSOMELY.

SO, UM, IF WE FIND A BILL TO PIGGYBACK ON, THEN I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE AND, AND TRY TO MAKE THE ZOOM MEETINGS WORK.

UM, I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC GRIPING Y'ALL WOULD HEAR BETTER THAN I WOULD, BUT, UM, THEY SEEM TO BE PRETTY HANDY.

UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS CERTAINLY IT'S ALREADY ON YOUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT AND THAT'S THE, THE VETERANS TAX CREDIT HOUSING PREFERENCE

[00:15:01]

THAT ALL HOLLY TO YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, TOO, UM, UH, WE, WE HAVE A RELATIVELY BLANK SHEET.

JUST REMEMBER WE GOT TO KEEP THE LIST, UM, VERY, VERY SHORT THAT'S PROACTIVE LEGISLATION.

HERE'S THE OTHER PART.

UM, AND, AND IT'S PROBABLY WHERE WE SPEND 99% OF OUR TIME.

AND THAT'S DEFENSE, UM, OF, OF ALL THE BILLS YOU GET FILED IN A PARTICULAR SESSION.

VERY FEW ARE HELPFUL TO US, OR MAYBE EVEN TO THE PUBLIC POLICY OF THE STATE, NOT REALLY MY CALL, THAT THAT'S WHERE YOU ALL COME IN.

UM, IT'S SOMEWHAT EASIER TO KILL A BILL THAN IT IS TO GET ONE ALIVE.

AND THROUGH THE PROCESS, THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE BILLS CAN FALL OFF AND DIE.

UM, AND SOMETIMES WE HELP THAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING DEFENSE.

OF COURSE IT ALL MATTERED.

IT DEPENDS ON THE POLITICS WERE NOW YOU, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO HAVE AN IDEA.

IT, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS BOTH OF THEM HATE CITIES OR AN EASY TARGET, ODDLY ENOUGH, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE LOBBYISTS, UH, LIKE SOME OF THESE OUTFITS, WE CAN'T GO DOWN THERE WITH A HANDFUL OF CHECKS, UH, OR SPONSOR COCKTAIL PARTIES OR GALAS, OR, UH, TRIPS TO CANCUN OR ANYTHING ELSE.

AND, UM, SO WE'RE AN EASY TARGET.

I EXPECT THE LEGISLATURE WILL BE BACK AFTER US IN 2021.

UM, W WE HAVE A LOT OF ALLIES.

WE HAVE TML THAT, THAT DOES A TON OF WORK.

AND I GIVE US A PRETTY HANDY SYNOPSIS, ALMOST EVERY BILL, UM, THAT AFFECTS CARLIN, NOT NECESSARILY ALL OF THEM, BECAUSE WHEN IT'S A BILL THAT AFFECTS ONLY A FEW CITIES, UM, OR THAT CREATES CONTROVERSY BETWEEN CITIES, TML IS SAME KIND OF EFFECTS.

THEY MAY HAVE IT ON THEIR LIST, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA HELP US DO OUR JOB AND GO DOWN AND FIVE TO BILL.

UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, WE'RE EXPECTING A BILL RELATED TO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES PNL.

UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY AIMED AT, UM, SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN, UM, GAVE US A LOT OF ENEMIES.

AND IN ANY GIVEN, UH, THIS ONE IS DIRECTED AT THEIR PRACTICE, THE FUND TRANSFERS, UM, FROM FUNDS THAT THEY RECEIVED BY SELLING ELECTRICITY OUTSIDE OF THEIR CITY LIMITS, WHERE THOSE RIGHT HEIRS DON'T HAVE A VOICE IN SELECTING THE RIGHT CENTERS.

OF COURSE, IT'S THE EXACT OPPOSITE HERE IN GARLAND, WE HAVE 75, 80%.

THAT'S ALL WE HAVE THE ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS IN GARLAND.

AND IF THE RIGHT PARENTS DON'T LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING, I CAN COME DOWN AND, AND YELL AT Y'ALL.

UM, UH, WE EXPECT THAT WE'LL SEE THAT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A KIND OF MANDATORY DEREGULATION CUSTOMER CHOICE OPT IN A BILL FILED IT'S DIRECTED AT GEORGETOWN.

I UNDERSTAND CAUSE GEORGETOWN GOT HEAVILY INTO RENEWABLE AND, UH, DIDN'T CHOOSE ALL THAT WISELY THAT'S PRICING.

UM, THE PROBLEM WITH THOSE BILLS IS, UM, IT CAN BE VERY COMPLEX AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE LOVES ONE SIZE FITS ALL LEGISLATION.

UH, BUT APPLYING THAT TO EACH OF THOSE CITIES GIVES DIFFERENT RESULTS.

LUBBOCK, UH, IS AN MOU.

THEY CAN HANDLE CUSTOMER CHOICE, NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY STRANDED CARS.

WE, UH, HAVE STRANDED COSTS ALL OVER THE PLACE, STRANDED COST, THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR.

UM, LUBBOCK'S KIND OF NEW IN ERCOT, NEW AND NEW IN THIS MARKET, AND THEY'RE DIFFERENT.

AND JUST LIKE ON THE FUN TRANSFERRED BILLS, EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT AND CHANGING THE LAW AND THE IMPACT IS DIFFERENT.

AND THAT'S, TO OUR ADVANTAGE, WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN THOSE DIFFERENCES TO THE LEGISLATURE IN EITHER CARVE OURSELVES OUT OR,

[00:20:01]

UM, KILL THE BILL ENTIRELY IF WE CAN.

UM, THERE ARE BILLS THAT COME UP OCCASIONALLY THAT, UH, WE STAY AWAY FROM BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER DIRECTION.

UH, LAST SESSION, IT WAS RED LIGHT CAMERAS, OR WE STARTED RED LIGHT CAMERAS HERE IN GARLAND.

UM, WE WERE ONE OF THE MAIN AUTHORS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT SENATOR CORONA HAD PASSED.

WE DIDN'T SAY A WORD LAST SESSION IN ANY COMMITTEE HEARING OR ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE LEGISLATION THAT KILLED RED LIGHT CAMERAS, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL DIDN'T HAVE A VOICE.

I DIDN'T TELL US TO GO SUPPORT IT.

THEY DIDN'T TELL US, GO KILL IT.

AND SO BY DEFAULT, WE KEPT OUR MOUTH SHUT AND THAT HAPPENS TOO.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE WOULD LIKE YOUR INPUT, SO YOU COULD TELL US, YEAH, GO FIGHT IT OR NO STAND FAR, FAR AWAY FROM IT.

AND SOME OF THESE THINGS GET VERY CONTROVERSIAL AND THEY, UH, THEY MAKE THE NEWS.

UM, WE, WE DID FIGHT SOME PROVISIONS, THE SB TWO COURSE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A TRAIN TO, UH, TAX ELECTION KIND OF ROLL BACK RATE SO-CALLED TAX REFORM.

UM, W W WE DID PARTICIPATE IN THOSE HEARINGS.

UM, BUT WE DIDN'T TRY TO STAND IN FRONT OF THE TRAIN CARS THAT WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN RUN OVER.

UM, BUT IT WAS ALSO JUST STAFFED, I THINK HERE.

UH, AND I'M, I'M STARTING TO MUMBLE ALONG HERE, SO I'LL STOP AND REMEMBER, UM, ONE LAST THING, LET ME JUST DROP, DROP THAT THERE, BUT YOUR PARTICIPATION AS ELECTED OFFICIALS CARRIES MORE WEIGHT THAN, UM, EVEN A VERY INFLUENTIAL, UH, LAURA DELLA VEGA, UH, OR AREA THE STAFF HERE.

IF I GO DOWN THERE, IT'S ANOTHER LAWYER, ANOTHER LOBBYIST, ANOTHER STORY.

AND JUST AS IT MEAN THAT MUCH.

AND WHEN I SAY GO, DAN, I THINK, UH, THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, LEGISLATIVE EFFORT, JUST LIKE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN SOME FORM VIA ZOOM, BUT YOUR PARTICIPATION, YOUR INTERACTION WITH THE LEGISLATURE CARRIES A LOT MORE LIGHT BECAUSE YOU'RE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

UM, WE WOULDN'T THROW YOU TO THE WOODS TO ON YOUR OWN.

UM, WE CAN GET YOU BRIEFED UP AND BULLET POINTED ON A THING.

UM, BUT, UH, YOUR HELP IN THAT REGARD, AS FAR AS INTERACTING WITH THE LEGISLATORS, UM, IS IMMENSELY MORE HELPFUL THAN ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO.

AND, UM, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THE BACK OFFICE PARTICIPATION THAT STAFF, UH, HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU GET THINGS DONE, UM, BECAUSE FROM ONE BUREAUCRAT TO ANOTHER, UM, WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THE BACK OFFICE AS WE CALL IT DOWN IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE CAPITOL.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR.

UM, NOT BECAUSE WE'RE CITY TAXPAYER FUNDED, LOBBYING SICKER TERM.

UM, BUT BECAUSE THERE AREN'T GOING TO LET ANYBODY IN THE CAP EXCEPT FOR REAL LOBBYIST WITH REAL MONEY IN THEIR POCKET, I HATE TO BE SO SNIPPY ABOUT IT, BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS HAPPENED DOWN HERE IN AUSTIN.

WAS THAT MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M GOING TO STOP TALKING, SHOOT MY COFFEE AND CATCH UP WITH MY VOICE.

VERY GOOD.

UM, MR. BRADFORD, MR. BATES, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD TO, WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, MAY THE FORCE BE WITH US? UH, MITCH, YOU GOTTA THINK I CANNOT TALK THAT ONE.

SO, UM, NOW BRAD'S ALREADY COVERED SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WERE WATCHING.

UM, JUST CURIOUS, UH, LAST YEAR, DID WE GET THE, UH, THE INTERVENTION BILL PASSED WHERE OUR OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO GO AND, UH, DEAL WITH THE SCHOOL THREAT ISSUE? UH, DID, DID THAT MAKE IT THROUGH? YEAH, IT WAS, UH, UH, THREATENED TO DISPLAY A FIREARM.

YES, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR SUCCESSES.

YEAH.

OKAY.

SO WE DON'T NEED TO BRING THAT BACK THIS YEAR.

VERY GOOD.

VERY GOOD.

UM, OKAY.

LET ME STOP AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS

[00:25:01]

FOR, FROM ANYBODY FOR ANYTHING, UH, THAT MR. NEIGHBOR SAID, UH, BRIDGET, GO AHEAD.

OKAY.

AM I MR. CHAIR? I'M MIKE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

I ALMOST SAID FRIDAY EVENING, BUT IT'S NOT FRIDAY, MONDAY.

UM, BRAD, JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATION.

JUST, JUST WANT TO ECHO YOUR S YOUR LAST STATEMENT ABOUT, UM, PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT, EVEN THOUGH WE WON'T HAVE THAT PROBABLY NEXT CENTURY WE WILL, AND THAT WE ALL WILL BE BIG, A STATUTES, A STATUETTE SOMEPLACE, PROBABLY NOT ON SOME CITY COUNCIL.

UM, UM, A COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF THINGS, JUST JUST OPINION.

ONE IS THE SUBJECT BRAND OF MEET AND CONFER.

UH, AND I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN BOUNCED AROUND FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, WITH PRIMARILY A FIRE.

DO YOU, DO YOU HEAR ANYTHING OR ANTICIPATE ANYTHING AND PUSH AGAIN FOR, UH, FOR LEGISLATION THAT IS GOING TO GET PUSH US CLOSER TO PERHAPS HAVING TO HAVE A REFERENDUM ON MEET AND CONFER ANY, ANY RUMORS OR ANYTHING ON THAT BREAD? HI, I KNOW PREVIOUS, UH, MEMBERS OF THE FIRE ASSOCIATION HAVE REALLY BEEN HOT ON MEET AND CONFER AND, AND EVERY TIME THERE'S A NEW ISSUE, THEY HAVE A SOLUTION, UM, MEET AND CONFER COURSE IS JUST A EUPHEMISM FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

SURE.

I'VE NEVER, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY RUMORS LIKE THAT.

I THINK THEY HAVE ALL THE LEGISLATION THEY NEED, BECAUSE IT CAN EITHER BE A MANDATED THROUGH AN ELECTION OR THROUGH A DIRECTION OF THE, A CITY COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND, UH, OR, OR AN ENTITY WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND THAT'S BEEN THERE.

SO IT'S, IT'S A POLITICAL, UM, A MATTER OF POLITICS GETTING A CITY COUNCIL TO PULL THE TRIGGER AND SAY, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ME FOR NOT ON THAT ISSUE.

UM, THE PROBLEM WITH MEET AND CONFER.

AND I THINK WHY IT HADN'T BEEN PUSHED IN A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS IS IT TAKES AWAY, UM, UH, A LOT OF THE INTERACTION THAT YOU WOULD OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO HAVE BETWEEN YOUR FIRE, CHEAPER POLICE SHAPE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, UH, ADMINISTRATION AND ACTUAL WORKERS.

AND, UM, I DON'T SEE THAT AS BEING CHANGED LEGISLATIVELY.

SO, UM, BECAUSE, UM, IT, IT WOULD GIVE UP TOO MUCH INFLUENCE AT THE ASSOCIATIONS.

AND, UM, YEAH, I JUST DON'T SEE ANY CHANGES COMING ALONG.

NOW WE CAN ADD THAT AS, AS AN ALERT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MOMENTARILY.

WHAT, UM, LAURA DOES A LOT OF IN THE BACKGROUND, UM, AND WHAT I DO IN THE BACKGROUND, WHAT BRIAN DOES, WE, WE MAINTAIN THESE LISTS OF THE BILLS TO TAG, BUT, UH, WE CAN ADD THAT WARREN, IF SOMETHING POPS UP, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF MEET AND CONFER KIND OF BILL COMES THROUGH.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

UH, MY SECOND POINT AND I WOULD ONE MORE MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE, UH, WITH COVID-19 RELATED, UH, THERE'VE BEEN, UH, DOES, UH, ONGOING TUG OF WAR BETWEEN, UH, THE STATE AND LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES ON WHO CAN DO WHAT AND WHEN, AND, AND HOW, UH, JUST THE TALKING AROUND AND FILLING THE POLITICAL WATERS.

I DON'T THINK THAT CONVERSATION IS GOING TO END COME JANUARY.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO INTENSIFY, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO IMPACT LOCAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

UM, UH, I THINK THAT I'M NOT SURE WHAT OUR LANGUAGE SHOULD BE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE PLACED SOMEPLACE ON THE TABLE BECAUSE THAT DISCUSSION IS, IS, UH, FROM, AND, AND I'VE TALKED TO SOME LEGISLATORS AND I'VE TALKED TO SOME CITY COUNCILMAN AND ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM OTHER CITIES AND, AND THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT CONVERSATION IS GOING TO COME UP, UH, IN THE NEXT SESSION AND COULD VERY WELL IMPACT, UH, HORMONAL CHARTER AND, AND, UH, MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS.

SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON MR. CHAIRMAN? DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS BRETT, THAT BRIAN AND IT'S ALSO NOT, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FACING, UM, MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE I THINK THERE SOME FOLKS WHO WANT TO CODIFY SOME THINGS IN THE WAY OF CONTROL OR POWER

[00:30:01]

OR WHATEVER WORDS YOU WANT TO USE IN THAT.

SO ANY THOUGHTS, BRETT, BRIAN, OR MITCH, ANYBODY ON THAT, ARE YOU TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, HOW DISASTER DECLARATIONS ARE MANAGED AND EXACTLY WHAT LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS THRASH TO DO AND WHAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED? IT HAS BEEN VERY AMBIGUOUS TO SAY THAT, TO BE KIND THIS POINT, BUT, UH, I'M HEARING SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT THERE CAN BE SOME, UH, SHOULD ACTIVITY TO TRY TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS, UM, AND WHERE THAT PLANE'S GOING TO LAND.

NOBODY KNOWS, BUT, UH, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO IMPACT US ON A LOCAL LEVEL.

WELL, AND I, AND I KNOW MR. NEIGHBOR, YOU AND I HAD SPOKEN AT LENGTH MANY TIMES ABOUT THE COMPETING INTERESTS THERE, AND WHAT'S CONSTITUTIONALLY ALLOWED VERSUS THE AUTHORITY THAT WE'RE GIVEN BY THE CONSTITUTION VERSUS WHAT SECTION, WHAT FOUR 18, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND THE, UH, AND STATE GOVERNMENT CODE AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AND WHO GETS TO DO WHAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A, A GOOD CRYSTAL BALL ON THAT? UH, I, I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE LOTS AND LOTS.

UH, DOZENS IS PROBABLY AN UNDER COUNT OF BILLS DIRECTED AT WHO HAS WHAT AUTHORITY AND AT SITUATIONS LIKE WE SAW THIS YEAR WITH, UH, COVID-19 THE REASON BEING THAT THE, THE STATUTES THAT THE CHAIRMAN JUST MENTIONED WAS REALLY WRITTEN WITH COLD WAR IN MIND.

IT WAS DESIGNED TO GIVE THE GOVERNOR SOME IMMEDIATE POWERS IF WE JUST BEEN, UM, LEVELED BY SOVIET MISSILES, UH, NUCLEAR WEAPONS, AND, AND WHO DOES WHAT, AND IT HAD TO BE IMMEDIATE.

UM, WE'VE KIND OF USE THOSE OVER THE YEARS TO RESPOND TO BIG EVENTS LIKE FLOOD OR HURRICANE TO, THEY WERE REALLY WEREN'T DESIGNED WITH THAT IN MIND.

UH, THEY SET UP AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD THING.

UM, AND IT'S NOT A BAD THING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF HIERARCHY.

UM, BUT, UH, I GOTTA BE HONEST, A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE SEEN, UH, AS FAR AS THE SPLIT BETWEEN WHAT'S A GOVERNOR CAN DO AND, AND WHAT'S THE COUNTY JUDGE CAN DO AND THAT SORT OF THING.

UM, IT'S NOT SUPPORTED BY THE LAW.

IT'S NOT SUPPORTED BY THE STATUTE.

AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME HELPFUL CLARIFICATION OF WHO CAN DO WHAT, AND WHEN, UM, SURPRISINGLY CITIES HAVE COMMA SETS THIS OUT, UM, THIS PANDEMIC OUT, AND WE DID INVOLVE THEM, UM, BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO BE UNPRODUCTIVE, UH, TO OUR CITIZENS, THAT EVERYBODY HAD AN ORDER SAYING STOP THEM.

AND THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH EACH OTHER.

SO IF WE SEE LEGISLATION LIKE THAT, I THINK IT'S GOOD.

UM, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT TO EXPECT, UH, WHAT I WOULD CALL BAD LEGISLATION LEGISLATION THAT SAID, CITY, YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING.

AND YOU THINK, WELL, WHO'S GOING TO DO THE WORK CITIES.

DON'T DO IT.

WE'RE THE NUMBER ONE PROVIDER OF DIRECT SERVICES, UH, TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE IN GARLAND.

AND IF YOU'RE GONNA PULL THE AUTHORITY FROM US, WELL, GOOD LUCK.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, WHO, UH, IS GOING TO IMPLEMENT THESE STRATEGIES.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE, UM, STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMES AND ENFORCES THESE ORDERS IN GARLAND, UH, OR PROVIDES THE VACCINATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES THE INFORMATION TO THE CITIZENS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO SEE GOOD AND BAD.

I SUSPECT A LOT OF BAD, UM, BUT MAYBE A COOLER HEADS WILL PREVAIL AND, AND, AND IT'S ALL A MATTER OF POLITICS TOO.

OKAY.

SO COULD WE ADD THAT AS AN ITEM TO THE LIST MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, COMING DOWN, JUST NOT KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY, MY, MY, MY LAST PIECE IS, UM, WE ALSO KNOW, AND THIS WAS FROM THE, UM, THEY TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ON THE CHAMBER'S, UH, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS FOR THEM TO HAVE LAST WEEK.

AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LARGEST DISCUSSION, UH, AROUND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, UM, ON THE TEXAS VERSION OF THE GEORGE FORGE ACT.

UM, AND HOW THAT MAY IMPACT, UH, UM, CERTAINLY WILL IMPACT, UH, CITIES, UH, WHAT, WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE, WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOBODY KNOWS DEBATABLE RIGHT

[00:35:01]

NOW, BUT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, ALSO COMING OUT OF THE, THE FORUM LAST WEEK.

THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE AN AYE, AYE.

AND ITEM, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY AT LEAST IN THE TOP 10, IF NOT THE TOP FIVE, THAT IT'S GOING TO HIT THE TABLE NOW, BUT WHAT IT DOES IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S ANYBODY'S GUESS, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ADEQUATE DISCUSSION.

AND AGAIN, AS YOU SAID, BRAD, UM, IMPLEMENTATION EXECUTION OF THOSE THINGS COME RIGHT BACK DOWN TO, TO US AT THE CITY LEVEL.

SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THAT'S AN ITEM THAT WE NEED TO AT LEAST TO PUT ON OUR RADAR SCREEN WAS CHAIRMAN, UH, TO, TO, UH, UH, TO MONITOR.

YEAH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANKS, SIR.

UH, MR. BRADFORD, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MEET AND CONFER.

DID YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN THERE? UM, I ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, W UH, AND I'LL, I'LL SKIP THE MEET AND CONFER.

THEY, UH, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PLAY DEFENSE ON THIS YEAR.

BETANCOURT IS PLANNING ON INTRODUCING A BILL TO GO AFTER THE ISSUE OF CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, UH, IN PARTICULAR, I THINK HE'S WANTING TO, UH, REQUIRE THAT THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THOSE, UH, INSTRUMENTS BE PAID FROM THE O AND M RIGHT, RATHER THAN DEBT SERVICE.

RIGHT.

UM, WHICH, UH, WHICH COULD BE VERY, VERY CRIPPLING, UM, UH, ON THE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE MATTERS THAT, THAT BJ JUST MENTIONED AS FAR AS POLICE REFORM, EVERYTHING I'M HEARING SO FAR ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING.

AND, AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD REALLY BE, UH, I THINK ADVANTAGE IF WE CAN FIND A SEAT AT THE TABLE, UH, TO, TO HELP, UM, UH, GUIDE THE LEGISLATION INTO SOMETHING THAT IS DOABLE AND SENSIBLE, BECAUSE, UH, WHETHER AUSTIN WANTS TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, I THINK WE HAVE AN IDEAL, UH, POLICE PROGRAM WHEN IT COMES TO SO MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC RIGHT NOW.

AND SO, UH, I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US AS A GROUP, TO, TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR, FOR THOSE PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITIES.

ALL RIGHT.

ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR.

VERY GOOD.

AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE YOUR ROLE FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, EVEN AT THE, AT REACHING OUT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND HELPING OTHER POLICE FORCES, UH, FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE RULES LOOKS LIKE, SO THAT WE MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LEADERSHIP THERE AT THE STATE LEVEL.

UH, OKAY.

SO COUNCIL MEMBER, ROBIN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO JUMP IN ON, ON THE STAFF PRESENTATION SO FAR? NO, NOT IN PARTICULAR.

UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION VERY MUCH.

I AGREE.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SPEND MOST OF THIS SESSION ON DEFENSE AND IN MY CONCERN, IT EVEN, AND IT'S ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE WOULD BE MORE ON DEFENSE AND WE WERE LAST SESSION, BUT, BUT THAT IS MY CONCERN.

UM, AND BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SEE THINGS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, TERRIBLE THINGS THAT WERE PROPOSED LAST TIME, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO SEE COME A LITTLE SHARPER AND HARDER THIS TIME.

UM, AND SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS, AND, AND, AND FROM A STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT, I'D ALMOST LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING FROM A, YOU KNOW, AS THESE BILLS COME IN, THAT WE START CLASSIFYING THEM IN THE SENSE OF, TO IT, WHICH WILL HELP GIVE STAFF SOME IMMEDIATE DIRECTION IN THE SENSE OF HERE'S THIS CLASS OF BILLS THAT INVOLVES INCREASING CITIES' COSTS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE BEING CRUSHED DOWN AND DO WE HAVE KIND OF CITIES AND WE'RE LOSING YOUR VIDEO QUALITY, YOU'RE BREAKING UP HEAVILY.

WE HAVE.

SO THAT'S THE BETTER, YES, SIR.

UH, GO BACK.

YEAH.

THE LAST THING I HEARD WAS THE BILL CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFYING THINGS THAT, UH, WERE COSTING THE CITY MONEY.

AND THEN YOU WENT GARBLED AFTER THAT.

UM, JUST THE IDEA THAT, THAT WE CAN GIVE SOME GUIDANCE TO STAFF THAT MAY NOT EVEN KNOW WE'RE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THIS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THAT CAN MEET ON SHORT NOTICE THAT WE HAVE SOME GUIDANCE TO STAFF ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S THIS CLASS OF BILLS, IF SOMETHING FALLS INTO CLASS, THE BILLS THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE AN UNFUNDED MANDATE THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT WE HAVE A DEFAULT KIND OF POSITION THAT WE'RE TAKING ON THAT.

AND IF WE HAVE A BILLS THAT AFFECT, FOR EXAMPLE, I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT

[00:40:01]

GOD, THE, UM, THE BUILDING MATERIALS BILL FROM WA I MEAN, WHAT A CAR THAT CAME COMPLETELY OUT OF NOWHERE.

AND, AND HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT CHANGE, THAT, THAT MATERIALLY AFFECT CITY OPERATIONS.

UM, I ALSO WOULDN'T MIND HAVING A CLEAN UP LIST OF BILLS.

IN OTHER WORDS, ARE THERE BILLS FROM LAST SESSION THAT, THAT REQUIRE SOME DEGREE OF CLEANUP? AND CAN WE BE KEYED IN ON THAT? THOSE ARE OFTEN I KNOW RELATIVELY, UH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN OFTEN GET INVOLVED IN AND GET SOME TWEAKS IN AND TALK TO SOME PEOPLE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALREADY GOING TO TWEAK.

WHAT WAS IT, UH, WAS IT SENATE? WAS IT NINE? I CAN'T REMEMBER NOW THOUGH, THE ONE ABOUT KEEPING ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, SENATE NINE WAS A NINE 11 OR NINE 44, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THINGS LIKE THE MATERIALS BILL, WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, OKAY, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GET IN ON A REWRITE OF THAT? SO IT'S NOT AS DRACONIAN AS IT WAS.

SO I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T MIND HAVING A LIST OF, OF BILLS THAT NEED REPAIR.

AND IF THERE'S ALREADY SOMEBODY CARRYING THE WATER, MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME DISCUSSION ON THAT, UH, WITH SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, OTHER FOLKS.

SO THOSE ARE THE BIG THINGS FOR ME.

UM, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME, I KNOW THE RTC IN A LOT OF THESE OTHER ENTITIES HAVE THEIR OWN LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS.

THE RTC THIS YEAR EXPLICITLY ASKED THE CITIES TO LOOK AT THEIR AGENDA.

DON'T HAVE THAT HANDY RIGHT NOW.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

BUT, BUT TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT, THAT COULD BE PUSHED OR FORWARDED REGARDING THAT FROM THE CITIES, THOSE TEND TO BE A LOT KIND OF BIGGER PICTURE TYPE THINGS.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE WOULD BE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, AS BRAD WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE ENDED UP DILUTING OUR INFLUENCE IF WE'RE PUSHING TOO MUCH ON THOSE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA TO AT LEAST AT LEAST HAVE A SENSE OF IT.

UM, OF COURSE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE FAIRLY LIMITED.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THREE OF OUR FOUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE REPRESENTED IN THE MINORITY PARTY, SO I DON'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU COME UP TO THE, AND WHEN YOU COME UP TO THE SENATE, I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF HELP AT THE SENATE LEVEL EITHER.

SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER THERE FOR US TO EFFECTIVELY, WHICH IS WHY I ENDED UP THINKING WE WERE MOSTLY ON DEFENSE AND WE MOSTLY LOOK AT, UM, HOW CAN YOU MAKE BAD BILLS, BETTER TYPE STUFF.

SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS FOR THE MOMENT.

THANK YOU.

THE NOTES I HAVE OUR BILL CLASSIFICATIONS.

UH, SO WE HAVE SOME DEFAULT POSITIONS.

AND IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE REPORT, MR. NEIGHBOR, THAT YOU DID FOR US LAST YEAR, WHERE WE'RE RICH AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE MIC, JUST YELLING ABOUT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, AND LOOK AT THOSE AS OPTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLEANUP.

UH, I THINK THAT, THAT THAT'S PROBABLY AS GOOD A PLACE TO START AS ANY, UH, LET'S SEE, CHECKING FOR ANYBODY RAISING HANDS.

I'VE GOT NOTHING SO FAR.

OKAY.

UH, UH, I'LL DO SOME OF MY COMMENTS.

UM, LET'S SEE, YOU'VE TOUCHED ON MOST OF THEM, AS FAR AS THE DISASTER DECLARATION PIECE GOES, I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE LOOK AT, UH, UH, SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN DALLAS COUNTY, UH, WHICH I THINK PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THAT LEGISLATION OR AT LEAST THAT SECTION OF LAW.

UM, THE CHIEF COMPLAINT THAT I HEARD WAS THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE KEPT RENEWING HIS DECLARATION, BUT THERE WAS NEVER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BODY TO RATIFY, UH, WHAT HE WAS PUSHING.

CAUSE HE WAS JUST DOING THIS INFINITE RENEWAL OF HIS DECLARATION.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK A NICE MIDDLE GROUND WOULD BE IF WE WANTED TO, IF WE EVEN WANT TO TAKE A POSITION ON IT, IS THAT ANYBODY WHO'S ISSUING A DISASTER DECLARATION, UM, IF THEY'VE GOT ANY BODY THAT THEY'RE A MEMBER OF AT SOME POINT, THE BODY NEEDS TO RATIFY, UH, THAT DECLARATION.

AND I THINK IF WE PUSH FOR SORT OF A COMMON SENSE, UH, TYPE OF, UH, APPROACH TO IT, WE CAN, WE CAN LEAVE SOME OF THE POLITICS OUT OF IT.

I'M AN OPTIMIST.

AND, AND I KNOW THAT AUSTIN DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY, BUT I CAN, AT LEAST I CAN AT LEAST TRY AND THINK POLICY AND NOT POLITICS ON THIS.

SO W WE DID A VERY GOOD OF HERE IN THE CITY, SCOTT WOULDN'T WOULD DO A DECLARATION AND THEN WE WOULD MEET AS A COUNCIL AND WE WOULD EITHER CHOOSE TO RATIFY IT OR NOT.

AND IT SEEMS, SEEMS REASONABLE TO ASK THE COUNTY TO DO THE SAME AND POTENTIALLY EVEN THE STATE TO DO THE SAME.

UM, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WITH, UH, WITH OUR LEGISLATURE.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY NOTES.

UM, AS I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED MY COMMENTS ON THE GEORGE FLORIDA PIECE WHERE I THINK WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP ROLE THERE.

UH, BUT YEAH, I'D LIKE JUST TO STAY PLUGGED INTO IT AND, AND KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING AND, AND HELP GUIDE IT.

[00:45:01]

UH, BECAUSE WE, WE KNOW THE, UH, WE KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE OPERATIONALIZED, AND I THINK WE CAN BE A BIG HELP THERE, UH, SENATE BILL TWO, IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON THE CALENDAR FIXES, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE CAN'T CONTROL THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND IT, BUT IF WE CAN HELP CONTROL THE IMPLEMENTATION, WE RAN INTO SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THIS YEAR, UH, WITH WAS LIKE AN AUGUST 25TH, UH, CERTIFICATION DATE.

AND IT PUT US A MONTH BEHIND ON ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS AND, AND REALLY WHAT IT BOILED DOWN TO WAS WAS IT LESSENED, UH, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION BECAUSE WHAT WE HAD 30 DAYS LESS IN WHICH TO ACT, AND YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU CAN'T REACT TO THAT QUICKLY AND ALLOW CITIZEN INPUT TO BE MEANINGFUL IF YOU'RE RUSHING THROUGH THE PROCESS.

UM, AND THAT, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO KIND OF BE MY, MY MANTRA THIS TIME IS ALL OF THESE BILLS THAT PASSED THAT, THAT WENT AFTER CITIES REALLY THOUGH THE IMPACT IS THE CITIZENS.

IT'S NOT US, WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE JUST FINE, BUT THINGS LIKE THE, UH, THE 30 DAY SHOT CLOCK ON PLANNING AND ZONING CASES.

UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING TO, UH, ANGIE BUTTON'S STAFF EARLIER THIS YEAR AND WAS LIKE, LOOK, 30 IS CRAZY BECAUSE I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CASES THIS YEAR FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME WHERE I HAD TO TELL CITIZENS, WE CAN'T DELAY THIS STATE LAW.

DOESN'T ALLOW US TO, YOU HAVE NO OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY MAKE ANY INFLUENTIAL CHANGE TO THIS CASE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME.

AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US PUSH FOR A 60 DAY TIMER INSTEAD OF A 30 DAY.

UH, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD GET THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE, UH, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF GREATER CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT.

UH, OBVIOUSLY THE LEGISLATURE IS NOT GOING TO DO CITIES ANY FAVORS, BUT THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATE FOR THE PEOPLE.

SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN I WAS THINKING OF, UH, THE ITEMS THAT I'D PUT ON THE ACTUAL AGENDA, UM, TDH RULES REGARDING VETERANS HOUSING, UH, THIS IS KIND OF A, A PASSION OF MINE.

UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SENIOR HOUSING AND WE HAVE WORKFORCE HOUSING.

I'M TRYING TO DO A, A VETERANS HOUSING PROJECT, UH, NEAR THE VA FOR THE PURPOSES OF CONCENTRATING SERVICES.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF AWARENESS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AMONGST THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, UM, UH, VETERANS SUICIDE AND, UH, VETERAN MEDICAL NEEDS.

AND OF COURSE SAMMY'S GROWING IN THE BACKGROUND NOW.

SO YOU'LL GET TO HEAR THAT IN A SECOND, SAMMY, IT'S JUST A DOG, SWEETIE.

YOU'RE FINE.

HEY, YOU'RE FINE.

UH, BUT, UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR SOME TWEAK TO THE TDH D RULES THAT INCENTIVIZES VETERAN HOUSING, OR AT LEAST ALLOWS FOR IT.

UH, WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO SOME FAIR HOUSING ISSUES POTENTIALLY THERE.

AND SO THIS, THIS MAY BE, I DON'T KNOW, TO WHAT EXTENT WE CAN INFLUENCE THAT PROGRAM LEGALLY.

UH, BUT I'D LIKE FOR US TO EXPLORE IT AND JUST SEE, SEE KIND OF WHERE THE LAW TAKES US.

UH, THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF A CORRECTIVE THING.

UM, AS FAR AS, UH, IN, IN COUNSELOR, BOB AND, OH, LET ME HOLD OFF.

UH, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, GO AHEAD, SIR.

SEND ME, OH, OKAY.

SORRY.

I HAVE TO, I'LL JUST SIT DOWN.

OKAY.

OKAY.

JUST, JUST, UH, I WANT TO JUST, JUST THROW THIS OUT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GROUP THINKS ABOUT IT AS, AS, AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, UM, AFTER LAST YEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTS PREVIOUS COUNSELORS WENT THROUGH ALL THESE THINGS LAST YEAR.

UM, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE SORT OF TO DO, UH, A LESSON LEARNED SORT OF EXERCISE BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION GETS, GETS ROLLING IN THE SECOND YEAR? UM, I DON'T KNOW.

AND TELL ME IF, IF, IF, IF, IF THIS WAS DONE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DIRECT CONVERSATION WAS, LET'S SAY WITH THE, OUR CUTTING COMMISSIONER, UM, LESS THAN DARREN, UM, ON THIS, HOW MUCH DIRECT CONVERSATION WAS HAD WITH OUR LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURES IN PRIMARY, WITHOUT REFERRING TO THE THREE STATE REPS THAT, UH, HAVE THAT COUNCILMAN AUBURN REFERRED TO JUST SOME DIRECT SET OF SOME SURVEILLANCE, IF YOU WILL, SOME PREEMPTIVE, UH, KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE IT JUST ONE PIECE OF INTELLIGENCE, BUT THAT MAY HELP US OUT IN SOME AREAS.

AND I WAS THINKING IF THIS CHAIRMAN, IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MAYBE PERHAPS IT MIGHT MAYBE THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, IT COULD BE, OUR GUESTS WERE ALL THESE THINGS FROM WHERE SHE SITS, YOU KNOW, SHE SEES THINGS AND SORT OF, UH, DO SOME INTELLIGENCE

[00:50:01]

GATHERING, UH, IF YOU WILL.

AND, UH, ALSO WITH OUR, WITH OUR REPS, UM, I KNOW AT LEAST TWO OF THEM THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO HAVE OFFERED, AND I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WE'D LIKE TO FIX YOUR SAFE THINGS TO GET YOU OUT OF THEIR FACE.

UH, BUT I I'M ONE, I HOLD THEM TO IT.

IF YOU, IF YOU TELL ME AND YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIAL, I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO CALL YOU ON IT.

SO MAYBE LATER, BUT I'M GOING TO CALL YOU ON IT.

AND, UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT JUST PERHAPS AS SOME INTELLIGENCE GATHERING SO THAT, UH, SO THAT WHEN THE GAVEL DOES DROP IN AN AUSTIN WEEK, PERHAPS HAVE, HAVE THE BENEFIT OF, OF SOME INTELLIGENCE, UM, TOO, AND THEN WE CAN FURTHER PRIORITIZE IS RICH SAID FOR OUR TIES, OUR BATTLE PLAN TO FOLKS, BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO A SHOTGUN APPROACH, UH, CAUSE YOU ENDED UP HITTING NOTHING.

SO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IDEA OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT THE COMMITTEE AND STAFF THINKS OF THAT IS.

I'LL DO THAT, UH, INTELLIGENCE GATHERING.

AND MAYBE THAT COULD SAY INVITE OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER IS AS A GUEST IN, AND FROM WHAT SHE SAID DURING THIS WHOLE, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO COVID, THAT'S KIND OF THING IF WE ARE LOOKING AT, SO IT'S JUST A THOUGHT I'M SURE.

YES, SIR.

AND I ABSOLUTELY WOULD, WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM HAVING, UH, ANY OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, SHARE BORDERS WITH US TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US ABOUT ANY LESSONS LEARNED OR LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES OR, OR, UH, I THINK THE MORE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE THE BETTER.

SO I DON'T SEE A DOWNSIDE TO THAT AT ALL.

UH, AS LONG AS THEY'RE WILLING TO COME AND SHOW UP AND SPEND THE TIME WITH US AND I WILL, UH, I WILL LET YOU REMIND THEM OF THEIR OFFER SO WE CAN GO FROM THERE.

UM, CHECKING FOR HANDS, NOTHING.

OKAY.

WE HAVE TWO OTHER ITEMS THAT I'D PUT IN.

UH, THE FIRST IN, IN COUNCILMAN ROBIN ALREADY TOUCHED ON THIS, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FISCAL NOTE RIGHT NOW THAT GETS PLACED ON A BILL.

IF IT'S GOING TO COST THE STATE MONEY.

AND THE STATE TRIES TO ESTIMATE THAT COST, UH, I WOULD REALLY LOVE AND, AND I'M SURE THIS WON'T HAPPEN, BUT I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LOVE TO SEE, UM, SOME NOTE, UH, FISCAL NOTE ON A BILL THAT SAYS THAT IT WILL COST A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT MONEY.

ALTHOUGH I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO ESTIMATE THAT COST.

UH, I THINK THAT'S UNWIELDY AND UNREASONABLE TO ASK THEM TO PUT A NUMBER TO IT.

UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE JUST TO NOTE THAT SAYS, UH, THIS WON'T COST THE STATE ANY MONEY, BUT THIS WILL COST MUNICIPALITIES MONEY OR COUNTY'S MONEY OR MUDS OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THEY'RE THEY'RE TACKLING, UH, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THAT THEY'RE SHIFTING COSTS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS DURING THE MEETING THE OTHER DAY, UH, AND I'LL READ MY QUESTION THAT I ASKED HER.

I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S A, WHEN THERE'S A BUDGET SHORTFALL, THE STATE TYPICALLY TRIES TO SHIFT SOME OF THE FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL, TO COVER LEVEL, TO COVER THE GAP.

UH, WITH SB TWO, WE'VE HAD A VERY TOUGH TIME PICKING UP THAT SLACK.

WHAT FINANCIAL PRESSURE DO YOU BELIEVE THIS LEGISLATURE WILL APPLY TO MUNICIPALITIES TO HELP BALANCE THE STATE BUDGET AND KEEP IN MIND, THEY'VE GOT AN $11 BILLION SHORTFALL GOING INTO THIS THIS YEAR.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET SLAMMED AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY IT BECAUSE THEY'VE PREVENTED US FROM DOING THAT WITH SB TWO.

AND SO I, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT US TO GO IN THERE WITH IS THIS, THIS IDEA OF OKAY, BUT WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST THE CITIES? AND I THINK THAT QUESTION HAS TO BE ASKED ON EVERY SINGLE BILL THAT TARGETS US IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT ONLY COSTING US MONEY TO PICK UP YOUR SLACK, BUT YOU'RE PREVENTING US FROM RAISING THE FUNDS TO DO IT.

SO W WE CAN'T, YOU GOTTA PICK ONE OR THE OTHER SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE, WE CAN'T BE THE BAD GUYS ON EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PAY YOUR BILLS AS A STATE.

AND SO I'M, I'M, I'VE STARTED PUSHING THAT WITH OUR, WITH THE SIX AREA REPS, THE FOUR STATE REPS, THE TWO SENATORS, UM, OF COURSE, ONE OF THE SENATORS, WON'T, IT WON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY WON'T RESONATE AT ALL, BUT THAT THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE ENTIRELY.

UM, GO AHEAD, BRETT.

TH THERE IS A, A FISCAL NOTE IS SHORTS.

UM, FOR OTHER GOVERNMENT COSTS.

IT'S JUST NOT VERY EXACT.

AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS I SEND OUT STAGE REQUESTS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD OR WHATEVER IT IS.

THEY SEND OUT SEARCH REQUESTS LIKE TONIGHT, BEFORE A COMMITTEE HERE.

RIGHT? AND THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN RESPOND.

I'M THINKING WHAT WE COULD DO TO EXPAND ON YOUR IDEA IS PERHAPS HABIT OR GENERIC.

IN OTHER WORDS, IF THERE'S ANY COST, ANY UNFUNDED

[00:55:01]

MANDATE INVOLVED, THEN THE BILL GETS NOTED.

YEP.

THIS BILL, AND WE COULD PRESCRIBE THE LANGUAGE.

THIS BILL IS AN UNFUNDED MANDATE AND LEAVE IT AT HIS HAND AND THEN, UM, TRY TO LET HIM DEFEND THEIR RECORD ON, ON VOTING FOR THAT BILL, IF THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO.

TOTALLY AGREE.

TOTALLY AGREE.

I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S, IF WE WANT TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT, WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO QUANTIFY THE FIGHT.

AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.

I MEAN, WE'RE DEBATING PHILOSOPHY WITH THEM, BUT THEY CAN JUST SAY, OH, IT WASN'T THAT BAD.

AND WE CAN'T ARGUE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER, BUT IF I, IF I GO BACK AND YOU KNOW, I, I BLOW UP SOCIAL MEDIA AND SAY, HEY, THE STATE LEGISLATURE JUST COST YOU $80 MILLION THIS YEAR.

YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR STATE REP AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION.

RIGHT.

BUT IF THEY ONLY COST US A MILLION, WELL, OKAY, WHATEVER FINE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL MOVE ON.

SO, UH, THE LAST ONE THAT I HAD WAS CONSIDERING LEGISLATIVE OR THE RULES TARGETING PREDATORY APPLICATION PRACTICES OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.

AND THIS IS A TOUGH ONE.

LET ME EXPLAIN THE SCENARIO.

WE HAVE A THEORETICAL APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO POINT IN NAMING NAMES HERE.

UM, THAT LEAVES ONE UNIT OPEN.

UH, THEY HAVE A VERY HIGH FEE AND THEY OFFER WHAT'S CALLED SECOND CHANCE LIVING.

SO PEOPLE WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD CAN LIVE THERE.

AND ALL THEY DO IS THEY LEAVE ONE UNIT OPEN AND THEY COLLECT $200 APPLICATION FEES FOR PEOPLE THAT REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS.

THEY NEVER FILL THE UNIT AND THEN MAKE A TON OF MONEY ON THOSE APP FEES.

I'VE REACHED OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES TO A COUPLE OF STATE REPS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN STATE LAW THAT, THAT CAN GOVERN THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.

UH, AND THERE, THERE ISN'T, UH, ODDLY ENOUGH, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN, THERE ARE CERTAIN DISCRIMINATION PRACTICES THAT YOU, YOU CAN'T BE GUILTY OF, BUT, BUT CHOOSING NOT TO FILL A UNIT AND JUST BANKING APPLICATION FEES, UH, WHICH TO ME IS PREDATORY BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING THEM FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE NEVER GOING TO ENGAGE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO REPORT IT.

THESE PEOPLE WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TREAT IT AS A MIX OF PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED, OR YOU JUST PICK, HOWEVER, YOU, WHATEVER PATH YOU WANT TO TAKE, THESE PEOPLE ARE SCAMMING OTHER PEOPLE.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE ANSWER IS AT STATE OR WHERE, AND SO I WANTED TO BRING IT UP HERE AND SEE IF WE HAD ANY IDEAS ABOUT, UH, IF THE COUNCIL HAD ANY INTEREST IN TACKLING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.

UM, AND IF SO, IS IT, IS IT APPROPRIATE TO DO SO THROUGH THE STATE BECAUSE THEY MANAGE THOSE, UH, UH, RENTER LANDLORD AGREEMENTS OR, UH, IS THERE A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE SHOULD TACKLE THIS AT? OR SHOULD WE BE INVOLVED AT ALL? SO IF ANYBODY'S GOT IDEAS OR INPUT, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE CAN DO ON A LOCAL.

WELL, OKAY.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? EVERYBODY'S YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT FOR AWHILE, MR. CHAIRMAN? I AGREE WITH BRENDA.

I THINK WE CAN APPROACH IT IN A LOCAL, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO NEED SOME STATE LEGISLATIVE ACTION BECAUSE IT'S A FIRST COUSIN TO PREDATORY LENDING.

YEAH.

THEY ARE.

THEY'RE IN THE SAME FAMILY.

THEY MAY LIVE IN DIFFERENT ROOMS IN THE SAME HOUSE.

AND, UM, SO I MEAN, IF, AGAIN, UM, IF WE, AS MUNICIPALITIES, YOU KNOW, SPEND TIME AND RESOURCES, AND OF COURSE YOU AND I BOTH KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGED, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, AS, AS, AS A CITY ATTORNEY SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TRIPS AND WE DON'T HAVE THE DOLLARS.

AND, UH, UH, THE, UH, THE TOURIST AT THE BAHAMAS, UH, TO OFFER LOBBYISTS AND THAT INDUSTRY DOES THERE WILL BANK INDUSTRY AS WELL BANK.

SO WE DEFINITELY WILL HAVE, UM, WHEN THEY STAY, I THINK CHAIRMAN THAT, THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT, UH, WHEN THIS COMMITTEE INVITES, UH, A, ONE OF OUR STATE LEGISLATORS THAT WE BROACH THIS, THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH HIM.

AND IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, IF, IF WE CAN WORK ON IT, I'LL PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME INFORMATION.

AND AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW WHO OUR NUMBER OF DAYS ARE THROUGHOUT DALLAS COUNTY.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ALL ARE IN THE CITY HAVE GONE.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, SO WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S, UH, IT WOULD BE, UH, UM, SEVERAL PARALLEL GET DATA

[01:00:01]

ON IT.

UH, SHARE THIS WITH, WITH, UH, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.

AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE THEM DO RESEARCH TO DETERMINE WHETHER, WHETHER THEY RESTRICTED TO THE NORTH TEXAS REGION OR WHATEVER, THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM AND TO POST LEGISLATION ON THERE RAN WHILE WE WERE WORKING ON IT HERE, CIVILLY, BECAUSE I, I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S, IT GOES BEYOND OUR BORDERS BECAUSE I, I KNOW OF AT LEAST A COUPLE OF INSTANCES, UM, I TRIED TO, UH, ASSIST THE LADY ONE TIME.

YOU EXACTLY.

RIGHT.

UM, BUT OUR PROBLEM WAS, SHE HAD VERY BAD CREDIT, I MEAN, OFF THE BULLET AND, AND, UH, SHE MADE THAT PHONE CALL AND, AND IT HAPPENED TO HER EXACTLY, AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, UH, SHE PUT THE MONEY DOWN, YOU KNOW, AND SHE SHOWS UP AND SHE DIDN'T GET THE UNIT AND SHE DIDN'T GET HER MONEY BACK.

AND SHE HAD HAD SOME RUN INS ALSO WITH THE LAW.

AND SO SHE COULDN'T GO TO THE LODGE.

SHE COULDN'T GO TO THE COURT.

SO SHE WAS JUST OUT THERE.

SO YOU EXACTLY WHAT, BUT, BUT I THINK PUTTING THIS ON A PARALLEL TRACK, AND AS WE PURSUED THE COUNSELOR, CHOOSES TO DO IT AND CHARGE OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, ADDRESSING THIS, UH, THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COME OUT WITH A WIN FOR THAT FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO NEED THIS ASSISTANCE.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

AND, UH, YEAH, IT, IT IS CERTAINLY CRIMINAL FRAUD AND I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE KIND OF COVERED ALREADY, BUT IT'S HARD TO PROVE INTENT AND IT'S HARD TO GO AFTER THESE FOLKS.

AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

BRAD, ARE YOU PUNCHED BACK IN OR DID I FORGET TO LOWER YOUR HAND? CAUSE I'M STILL NEW AT MANAGING THESE.

I'VE GOT YOUR HAND.

NOPE, YOU'RE GOOD.

OKAY.

LET ME, I'M STILL FIGURING OUT MY INTERFACE HERE, SO THANK YOU.

OKAY.

UH, THE LAST ITEM THAT HAD COME TO ME, UH, WAS, UH, LOCAL LOBBYING.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A VERY LARGE PUSH, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE SRPC, UH, TO, TO FIND WAYS TO, UH, STOP ANY PUBLIC FUNDING OF ANY FORM OF LOBBYING ACTIVITY.

UM, THE ROUGH DRAFTS I'VE SEEN SO FAR, UM, OR AT LEAST BEEN TOLD ABOUT SO FAR, UH, WOULD SAY THAT THAT NO PUBLIC FUNDS ARE TO BE USED FOR ANY LOBBYING WHATSOEVER.

AND ANY GOVERNMENT LIAISONS CAN NOT HAVE THAT POSITION AS THEIR FULL-TIME JOB, OR THEY CAN'T SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME DOING, UH, THAT, THAT GOVERNMENTAL LIAISON WORK, SORRY, LAURA, THIS ONE'S, THIS ONE'S STARTED IN NEW DIRECTLY.

UM, AND SO, UH, I WAS HOPING THIS BODY COULD DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, DO WE FEEL THAT THERE'S AN APPROPRIATE ROLE FOR, UH, LEGISLATIVE, UH, AT OUR LOCAL LEVEL? UH, AND IF SO, DO WE WANT TO TAKE STEPS TO DEFEND THAT, THAT ABILITY AND, UH, THINGS MIGHT, WE WANT TO SEE INCLUDED IN ANY SORT OF LEGISLATION THAT COMES FORWARD? UH, I'LL THROW A COUPLE OF IDEAS OUT THERE TO GET THE CONVERSATION ROLLING.

UH, WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION THAT, UH, THAT, UH, IT IS, UH, QUOTE UNQUOTE UNETHICAL, UH, FOR US TO SPEND PUBLIC MONEY, UM, AND A LOBBYING CAPACITY.

YEAH, REALLY ALL THIS BOILS DOWN TO IS THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE FACT THAT WE SHOWED UP TO ARGUE AGAINST SB TWO AND HB THREE, THAT'S IT, THAT'S THE NUTS AND BOLTS RIGHT THERE.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT SO MUCH OF OUR LOBBYING IS WHAT I WOULD CALL TECHNICAL LOBBYING.

UH, WHEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING LIKE THIS, THIS MULTIFAMILY THING, IF WE WENT DOWN THERE AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SEE A LEGISLATOR HERE.

HERE'S WHAT OUR PROBLEM IS.

AND WE WANT TO SEE SOME LEGISLATION TO FIX IT.

UH, I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR US TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT.

IF WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE A LANDFILL AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WE WANT TO USE A TARP EACH NIGHT INSTEAD OF DIRT TO SAVE AIRSPACE.

YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE CITIZEN IS NOT GOING TO GO DOWN TO AUSTIN TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE THAT THAT'S ON US, THAT THAT'S OUR JOB TO GO LOBBY FOR THAT CHANGE.

UH, YOU KNOW, FURTHER, IF IT'S UNETHICAL FOR US TO DO IT, IT'S CERTAINLY UNETHICAL FOR THE STATE TO DO IT.

AND SO ANY, ANY LEGISLATIVE OR ANY PUBLIC FUNDING OF LOBBYISTS, UH, PROHIBITIONS THAT THEY PASS, UH, I WOULD DEMAND OF OUR LEGISLATORS, UH, BE APPLIED TO THE STATE AS WELL, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN PULL THEIR LOBBYISTS OUT OF, OUT OF WASHINGTON.

UH, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY IDEAS.

UH, I WANT TO MAKE SOME, SOME VERY HARD SEPARATIONS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOBBYING FOR.

UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THE QUESTION OF, UH, THERE'S A FIRST AMENDMENT QUESTION THERE, YOU KNOW, IS THE CONTENT OF OUR SPEECH.

UM, AND IN ANY WAY, SHOULD WE BE PREVENTED FROM UNDERTAKING LOVING ACTIVITIES BASED ON THE CONTENT OF THE SPEECH THAT

[01:05:01]

WE'RE EXPRESSING.

AND I, AND I THINK WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT ONE.

UH, THE OTHER IS IF WE'RE GOING TO BE BOUND BY THESE RULES, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD INSIST THAT THE STATE BE MOUNTED BY THESE RULES AS WELL.

THOSE ARE JUST SOME THOUGHTS TO GET THE BALL ROLLING.

Y'ALL JUMP IN.

IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS, THAT'S ON IT, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIG DEFENSE PLAYS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

DID I MAKE EVERYBODY SAD THERE? I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD, SIR.

I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK IT MAKES ME SAD, BUT I I'M FAIRLY CYNICAL AFTER THE LAST SESSION.

I DON'T THINK THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO CARE IF YOU COME DOWN AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WELL YOU JUST HAVE TO DO THE SAME IN WASHINGTON BECAUSE THE RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE LIKE, NO, WE DON'T.

I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, WHAT WAS THAT? I MEAN, A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEY'LL JUST GO, NO, WE DON'T.

AND YOU'LL SAY WHY.

AND THEY JUST SAY, WELL, WE JUST DON'T HAVE TO.

AND THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONCEPT OF, OF CONSISTENT APPROACH THAT HAS LONG BEEN THE UNDERPINNING OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT GOVERNANCE IS, IS COMPLETELY GONE.

THERE'S NO NEED TO BE CONSISTENT ABOUT ANYTHING.

AND THEN I THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT IN THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS IT? I CAN'T REMEMBER.

WE HAD A FORMER STATE REP COME TALK TO US.

THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO.

AND, AND HE WAS LIKE, WELL, THEY ABSOLUTELY MUST.

THE CITY MUST.

ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CITY.

THE STATE ABSOLUTELY MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT SCHOOLS, ABOUT SCHOOL FUNDING OR SCHOOL SOMETHING OR WHATEVER.

AND IT'S LIKE, NO, THEY DON'T, NO, THERE'S NO MUST PADS.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS, AS MUCH PAST LITIGATION, IT MUST PASS LEGISLATION THESE DAYS.

IT SEEMS. UM, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE NO CONCERN FOR, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, AND, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, W WE CAN TALK ABOUT REACHING OUT, YOU KNOW, BUT I REMEMBER ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR AS KIND OF THE POSTMORTEM WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, GEE WHIZ, WHY DIDN'T WE GO DOWN MORE AND ARGUE MORE AND MEET MORE? AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF IN THE BRAD MADE THE VERY SALIENT POINT OF IT WAS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POINTLESS.

IT WOULD'VE JUST BEEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ON SOME OF THESE THINGS, WHETHER IT'S HB TWO OR SOME OF THE, OR THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS OR WHATEVER ELSE, A LOT OF THIS STUFF JUST HAS THIS FEEL OF POINTLESSNESS AND YOU CAN'T STOP IT.

I MEAN, EVEN THE EFFORTS TO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, TH THE INITIAL EFFORTS ON, ON SB TWO, WHERE IT WAS LIKE, WHERE IS THIS GOING? IT'S COMING, WHERE IS IT GOING TO LAND? AND IT JUST KEPT GETTING WORSE AND WORSE.

AND IT'S LIKE, THE MORE YOU, IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE MORE YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.

AND THE MORE YOU GET OUT TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT, THE MORE THEY WANT TO PUT THE SCREWS TO YOU, OH, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU, OH, OH, OH SIX, SIX, SIX WOULD BE A DEATH KNELL FOR YOU TRY THREE AND A HALF, TRY FOUR, TRY TO, YOU KNOW, AND SO THOSE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I, UM, THAT I WORRY ABOUT IN, IN, IN SOME OF THIS STUFF, THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, AND AGAIN, NOT TO BE A HORRIBLE CYNIC, BUT GEE WHIZ, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS STUFF WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, HERE'S WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT.

THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THAT.

IT'S LIKE, OH YES.

SOME SOMEBODY PUT OUT SOME BILL REGARDING SOME SIDE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MATERIALS BILL THAT STARTED OUT AS THIS COMPANY, THIS INDUSTRY WANTED THIS BILL.

AND SO THEY GOT IT.

YOU KNOW, EVERYONE ELSE, THE INDIVIDUALS BE DAMNED, CITIES BE DAMNED.

AND I KIND OF FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY RUN INTO THAT.

IF WE GO IN AND SAY, OH, THESE PEOPLE ARE GETTING SCAMMED WITH A $200 APPLICATION FEE AND WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, GOOD LUCK RUNNING.

YOU'RE LOCKED UP AGAIN, SIR.

YEAH.

OKAY.

REMEMBER MR. ROBIN, JUST A MINUTE TO GET HIS BANDWIDTH BACK HERE, LIKE HE'S DISCONNECTED.

I HATE TO INTERRUPT HIM TOO.

HE WAS ROLLING THERE.

WASN'T HE WELCOME BACK, SIR.

THANK YOU.

IS THIS BETTER? YES, SIR.

GO FRUSTRATING.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU

[01:10:01]

LOST ME IN MY RANT, BUT, BUT BASICALLY I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, THE LAST THING I WAS SAYING IS YOU, WE'RE GOING TO RUN UP AGAINST THE APARTMENT, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.

IF WE START TALKING ABOUT APPLICATION, WHICH I'M PERFECTLY DONE, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T DO IT.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEGISLATURE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST SESSION WHERE IT'S LIKE, AND, AND IF ANYBODY COMES AND, YOU KNOW, W THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE CRIMINAL PENALTIES AGAINST COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT FOR CERTAIN INVOLVEMENT.

AND SO TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, AND IT'S LIKE, AND NOBODY WHO'S INVOLVED WITHIN A CITY CAN HELP US OR A COUNTY.

I MEAN, TH TH IT'S NOT JUST US.

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK DALLAS COUNTY HELPS AT ALL.

I DON'T THINK I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE ANY TRACTION PARTNERING WITH DALLAS COUNTY ON ANYTHING, GIVEN THE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY ALL WANT TO BURN CLAY JENKINS AT THE STATE.

SO I, I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS EXCEPT TO TRY AND, AND FIX THE THINGS THAT ARE BAD AND, AND, AND AVOID, UH, OR TRY AND BLUNT THE EFFECTS OF SOME OF THIS BAD LEGISLATION THAT'S GOING TO BECOME.

AND I MEAN, THE CEO THING, THAT'S A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE IN TERMS OF, IN, IN, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, MAYBE THE ANSWER IS OKAY, WE JUST HAVE TO PLAN ON HAVING AN ELECTION.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BOND ELECTION EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR, WE'LL PASS OUR CIP IN JANUARY AND WE'LL HAVE A BOND ELECTION EVERY MAY, EVERY MAY TELL PEOPLE WHAT WE WANT.

BOOM.

IT PASSES.

I MEAN, I, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF THESE DAYS.

AND THEN THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED IN NOVEMBER BY THE TAX RATE ELECTION FOR THE, UH, FOR, FOR ONM.

I JUST, I KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE WORLD THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUSHING US TO AN S TO TAX PAYER FUNDED.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL GET ANYWHERE.

IF THAT BILL FROM TAXPAYER ON TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING GOES THROUGH.

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T KNOW THAT OUR POSITION ON THAT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP ANYTHING I'M HAPPY TO TRY, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER DISASTER FOR OUR PEOPLE, FOR OUR CITIZENS.

CAUSE THEY'RE NOT, AS YOU SAID, MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH PEOPLE AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS STUFF.

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

THERE ARE 10,000 BILLS AND THE GOAL WAS CONFUSION AND THERE'S GOING TO BE NOTHING BUT CONFUSION IN MORASS.

AND NO INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, REGULAR FOLKS CAN'T FOLLOW THIS STUFF.

WE CAN BARELY FOLLOW IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF THEY WANT TO, IF THEY WANT TO COMMIT TO HAVING, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE IT'S EASIER IN THE WORLD OF ZOOM, BUT IF THEY, IF, IF OUR LEGISLATURES WANT TO LET LEGISLATORS WANT TO COMMIT TO HAVING REGULAR PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH REGULAR FOLKS ON THIS STUFF HERE IN GARLAND, THEN THE, MAYBE THAT SOLVES IT.

BUT I DON'T THINK IT DOES.

SO ANYWAY, I'LL GET OFF MY SOAP BOX.

WELL, I THINK HE MADE A NUMBER OF GOOD POINTS.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE A LOT OF THE LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY JUST TO GET US OUT OF THEIR WAY SO THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT WITHOUT AS MUCH, UH, WITHOUT AS MUCH CONFLICT.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT SUPPRESSION OF SPEECH IS NOT ANYTHING NEW, UH, FOR, FOR THE MAKEUP OF THIS PARTICULAR, UH, LEGISLATIVE BODY.

AND THAT IS A, THAT IS A SHAME.

UM, I THINK ALL WE CAN DO IS ALL WE CAN DO THOUGH.

YOU KNOW, LET'S PICK OUR BATTLES, FIGHT THE FIGHT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BE SMART ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH THINGS POLITICALLY.

UM, BECAUSE WE, WE KNOW WHAT THE POLITICS ARE AND OF COURSE I'M AN OPTIMIST AND I ALWAYS THINK GOOD POLICY WILL, WILL TRUMP BAD POLITICS.

I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE.

UH, BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS ALL WE CAN DO.

UH, RICH, GO AHEAD AND JUMP BACK IN.

AND THEN MR. BRADFORD, WE'LL GET YOU NEXT.

YOU'RE MUTED, SIR.

JUST SOMETHING YOU SAID THAT JUST REMINDED ME OF THIS, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT COUNCIL, I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE MAY NEED TO DO IS GET COUNCIL MORE INVOLVED IN DIRECT LOBBYING ALL OF US, BECAUSE WHEN I CALL UP SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, RIGHT? IT'S NOT, NOBODY'S PAYING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS BEING EFFECTIVELY A VOLUNTEER JOB.

I MEAN, I GET PAID FOR GOING TO MEETINGS.

UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING.

NOW THAT MAY MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IN FUTURE SESSIONS THAT MAY MEAN WE GET INTO, YOU KNOW, THREE OF US GET IN THE CAR AND WE DRIVE DOWN AND GO WITHOUT ANY STAFF OR SOMETHING.

I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, ISN'T LOBBYING FOR BRAD TO DRIVE ME DOWN TO AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OR JUST,

[01:15:01]

YOU KNOW, OR DO YOU HAVE TO DRIVE? AND, YOU KNOW, THE THREE OF US WILL GO, BJ KNOWS WHERE ALL THE CRACKER BARRELS ARE ON THE WAY DOWN THERE.

SO WE'LL BE FINE.

YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE NEED TO, TO, TO CONSIDER THAT POSSIBILITY THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE PEOPLE LIKE TAI DIRECTLY IN THE FUTURE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN, BUT, BUT THEN YOU GET BACK TO THE DEFINITION OF WHAT IS LOBBYING IF TY SHOWS UP AND ONE OF OUR MEETINGS AND TELLS US WHAT TO DO IS THAT LOBBYING.

IF TAI WALKS US AROUND THROUGH THE CAPITOL AND SAYS, GO TALK TO THIS PERSON, AND THAT PERSON IS AT LOBBYING.

IF HE'S NOT DOING THE COMMUNICATION, I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT LIKE MANY OF THESE THINGS, I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO BE CREATIVE AND COUNCIL'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, TO JUMP IN THERE IN, IN PITCH, IN, AND HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD ON THESE THINGS.

AND MAYBE YOU ASSIGN PEOPLE TO CERTAIN PARTICULAR SUBJECT MATTER AREAS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT GOING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO KNOW.

ANYWAY, THANK YOU, MR. BURFORD, GO AHEAD.

WELL, UH, GOING BACK TO BJ'S IDEA OF COUNCIL'S LEARNED OR LESSONS LEARNED LAST YEAR.

UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE HARD LESSONS WE LEARNED WAS DON'T GO TESTIFY TO COMMITTEES, UH, BECAME BECAUSE, UH, WE BECAME THE TARGETS AND, UH, WE WERE RIDICULED AND WE WERE, UH, WE HAD EVERYTHING THROWN BACK AT US AND, UH, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT.

THEY, THEY DIDN'T LISTEN AND IT JUST BECAME A, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BEAT US UP, UM, THE, FOR, FOR A LONG TIME NOW, WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF PRETENDED TO HAVE THIS, THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER WHEN IT COMES TO LEGISLATIVE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS. AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT REALLY HASN'T HAPPENED, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL THERE.

IF, IF WE CAN HAVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS FROM THE CHAMBER THAT GO AND SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF, RATHER THAN, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OR CITY STAFF AND OUR LOBBYIST, YOU, YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THERE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THE POSTURE CHANGES AND, AND, UM, BUT WE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CAMOUFLAGE OUR INFLUENCE IN A LOT OF RESPECTS BECAUSE WE'RE SHUT OUT AT THE FRONT DOOR.

AND, UM, UH, AND, AND SO MAYBE WE CAN FIND SOME, SOME INDIVIDUALS THROUGH, THROUGH THE CHAMBER WHO, UH, ARE ARTICULATE AND WILLING TO INVEST IN AN IDEAS.

UH, RICKY MCNEIL MAY BE ONE OF THOSE BY THE TIME HE FINISHES HIS, HIS TERM ON THE COUNCIL.

UH, BUT, UM, WE, UH, UH, I BJ, I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE LEGISLATURE, THE WAY THEY TREAT US HAS CHANGED A LOT IN TWO YEARS, AND IT IS NOT FOR THE BETTER.

AND, UM, OUR, OUR ABILITY TO EVEN GO UP THERE AND FINISH OUR, OUR PREPARED PRESENTATIONS, UH, IS, HAS BEEN GREATLY IMPAIRED.

BUT WITH THAT CHAIRMAN ALTERNATIVE BACK TO YOU CAN SPEND MORE TIME.

YEAH.

IF, UM, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, BRIAN.

I HEARD, UH, GRAY AND I'M KIND OF SITTING HERE.

YOU DON'T KNOW, UH, YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY THE WIND'S GOING TO BLOW.

SO, UM, I'M WONDERING HERE, IF, IF I THINK TAKING EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID AND SAY IT NOW, WE PROBABLY ENDED UP, UH, GOING TO USING A HYBRID.

UM, I, WHAT BRIAN IS SAYING, IF WE CAN FIND THOSE PEOPLE, WHEN YOU TALK CHAMBER, I THINK THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, IT JUST KIND OF, A LOT OF MAGNET COMES TO MY BRAIN WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

WHO'S INTERESTED TO KNOW ONE IS BEING BROUGHT UP TO SPEED AND, UM, AND KNOWING WHAT THE WISHES OF OTHER CITY OTHER COUNCIL, OR I'D BE, I'D BE IN LINE WITH THAT.

UH, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THE HYBRID PIECE, AND, AND THANKS RYAN FOR REMINDING ME OF THE CHANGE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT I THINK A LITTLE MISH MIXTURE OF WHAT, GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT RICH SAID EARLIER, UM, THAT'S GOING DOWN BECAUSE, UM, TERMINOLOGY AND WORDS MATTERS AND MRS. CHAIRMAN THAT I, I BELIEVE, AND I'VE SEEN ENOUGH AND READ ENOUGH TO JUST SAY THAT THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT LOBBYING, UH, MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS AND TEXAS MONEY, THE REAL BIG FISH HERE,

[01:20:01]

UH, THAT, THAT, UH, WHAT WE DICK'S REALLY LOOKING FOR IS TML TH TH TH THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PRIZE, THE SU THE SUPER BOWL TROPHY.

AND I'M GOING TO SAY THE SUN'S CALL IS IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IS F THAT'S, THAT'S PRINCIPALLY HOW, HOW TML HAS BEEN VIEWED THROUGH ITS SUBCOMMITTEES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TAKING DIFFERENT AREAS.

SO, SO THIS STRATEGY I THINK, WAS BORN OUT OF, OUT OF, UH, WISH THAT IF WE CAN NUMBER ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UNDERMINE THE MEMBERSHIP IN TML AND THEN UNDERMINE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR POLICYMAKING ANTIA MOST, THEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY SEMBLANCE OF A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT CAN IDENTIFY ISSUES.

AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S IT'S SO IT'S, IF IT APPEARS THAT THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, WE WANT CITIES TO STOP.

THEY ACTUALLY WANT, THEY DON'T WANT THEM TO BE COLLECTED BODY, AT LEAST AT LEAST PUBLIC ELECTED BODY TO SPEAK.

SO TO ME, THAT'S THE TERROR BECAUSE THAT CONVERSATION GOES BACK, UH, THROUGHOUT, AFTER I FIRST CAME ON THE COUNCIL MANY MOONS AGO, AND THAT CONVERSATION HAS JUST INTENSIFIED OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE, UM, AND I THINK A PART OF WHAT WE'VE, WHAT YOU SHOW IN THE LAST LEGISLATION WAS RETRIBUTION, BECAUSE REMEMBER SB TWO DIDN'T PASS THE FIRST TIME AROUND AND TML.

AND THE CITY'S WAS A BIG REASON WHY DID NOT PASS.

AND PART OF THE STRATEGY WAS WHAT RICH MENTIONED, UH, COUNCIL PEOPLE GOING DOWN, AND ACTUALLY, AND WHEN WE COULD HAVING FLESH TO FLESH CONTACT WITH, WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES.

SO THAT'S WORKED, SO THIS, THIS, AND THE LAST SESSION AND THIS COMING IS ACTUALLY, WE'RE GOING TO GET YOUR BACK KIND OF THING.

SO I THINK THAT MAYBE A HYBRID OF, OF, OF BOTH, YOU KNOW, I THINK BACK TO SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS CONTROVERSIAL, YOU KNOW, MY PARTING SHOT WAS WHAT'S SIX 35 WHEN WE HAD CERTAIN REPRESENTATIVES FOR OUR AREA WHO FOUGHT THAT PROJECT UNTIL THE END, LIKE SOUTHERN WIND SHIFTING.

AND THEY SHIFTED BECAUSE WE HAD, WE HAD SOME WELL AND FOLK IN THE ROOM AT THE TIME.

SO I THINK A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, BUT, BUT KEEP IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THAT KIND OF THE MOTIVE OF ALL OF THIS.

SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WERE PROBABLY LOOKING AT A HYBRID APPROACH DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ISSUE IS, AS WE SAID, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, IN ENRICHED RE SOMETIMES YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE JUST WASTING YOUR BREATH, YOU KNOW, BUT I DON'T MIND TALKING TO THEM.

I'M NOT GONNA USE THE TERM ENEMY THAT THEY, I DON'T MIND MY LEFT HAND TALKING TO MY RIGHT HAND, LET ME PUT, LET ME USE THAT ANALOGY.

OKAY.

AND WE HAD TO DO THAT, THAT PROJECT.

SO BASICALLY BY THE LINE OF WHAT I'M SAYING, SHERMAN, I THINK A HYBRID, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD GET OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY MORE INVOLVED AND, AND, AND REPRESENTATIVE AND DIRECT CENTERS DOWN THERE.

I THINK IT WOULD BE A HUGE PLUS.

THANK YOU.

AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS, UH, WHEN YOU COMBINE EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS TOGETHER AND YOU, YOU GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT MR. NEIGHBORS SAID, RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I ARE TREATED MUCH, MUCH DIFFERENTLY, UH, THAN, THAN STAFF IS.

AND I THINK A MIX OF UTILIZING THE BUSINESS COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY AND US GOING IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE MEDIUM IS GOING TO BE THIS YEAR.

UM, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR BEST APPROACH.

SO YOUR, YOUR HYBRID APPROACH IS CORRECT.

AND I THINK THAT WE PERSONALLY HAVE TO BE A LOT MORE INVOLVED THAN WE'VE BEEN IN THE PAST.

SO, UH, WE KNOW THAT THE, UH, THE ATTITUDES HAVE SHIFTED HEAVILY IN AUSTIN, AND WE'VE GOT A VERY LONG UPHILL CLIMB, BUT I THINK IF WE, YOU KNOW, MY GENERAL STRATEGY IS TO UNDERSTAND, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS, UNDERSTAND THE PHILOSOPHIES THAT ARE DRIVING THESE BILLS, AND THEN MEET THOSE FOLKS ON THOSE TERMS AND EXPLAIN HOW, WHAT WE WANT TO DO, UH, FURTHERS THEIR GOAL, UH, BECAUSE THEY WANT RESPONSIBLE USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

THEY WANT, UH, MORE POWER WITHIN THE HANDS OF THE TAXPAYERS, AND WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT.

UH, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, THAT THAT'S OUR, OUR END GOAL, TOO.

WE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF GETTING THERE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SIT TO TALK TO THESE GROUPS AND ESPECIALLY THESE COMMITTEES, UH, YOU NEED TO BE ON YOUR A GAME, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP FOCUSING ON WHAT'S THE END, WHAT'S THE END GOAL.

AND WHAT IS IT THAT THE LEGISLATION THAT THEY'RE WRITING DOES TO ACHIEVE

[01:25:01]

THAT GOAL AND HOW DOES IT HURT THE GOAL? AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME, SOME TIMES IN THE PAST WHERE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO EITHER KILL A BILL OR GET A BILL REWARDED BECAUSE I APPROACHED IT IN THAT MANNER.

IT WAS LIKE, WHAT'S YOUR GOAL.

I SEE WHAT YOU'RE WRITING, BUT WHAT'S YOUR GOAL.

YEAH.

I THINK IF WE'D BEEN INVOLVED HEAVILY ON THE BUILDING MATERIALS BILL, WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT, UH, LAST SESSION BECAUSE IT WAS, WE WANT, WE DON'T WANT MUNICIPALITIES PICKING AND CHOOSING WHAT MANUFACTURER OF WHAT MATERIALS THAT WAS THE GOAL, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET ANY MUNICIPALITY CHOOSE ANY OF THE MATERIALS.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE THIS BIG DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE TWO THAT WE MAY HAVE TO STEP IN AND HELP HELP THESE PEOPLE CONCEPTUALIZE.

BUT AGAIN, UH, I'M THE OPTIMIST OF THE GROUP.

AND SO I ASSUME EVERYTHING'S ON THE UP AND UP A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS BEFORE WE, UH, BEFORE WE GET TOWARDS THE END OF THIS TODAY, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MY THOUGHT IS THAT THIS GROUP SHOULD PLAN TO MEET EVERY MONDAY THAT THERE ISN'T A WORK SESSION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

UH, THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT'S THE ONLY TIME WE'LL MEET, BUT, UH, I'M WONDERING IF WE SHOULD ESTABLISH A CADENCE OF EVERY MONDAY AT FOUR O'CLOCK WE SIT DOWN, UH, THAT GIVES LAURA A CHANCE TO PROCESS, UH, THE WEEK'S ACTIVITIES OVER THE WEEKEND.

UH, YOU, YOU DON'T GET DAYS OFF DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, DO YOU NOT EVEN THE WEEKENDS? NO.

OKAY.

I DIDN'T FIGURE.

UM, BUT THAT WILL GIVE STAFF A CHANCE TO DIGEST WHAT'S HAPPENED THE WEEK BEFORE.

AND IF WE NEED TO MEET MORE OFTEN THAN THAT, WE ABSOLUTELY CAN.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT THE STAKES ARE HERE.

UM, IS THAT AN ACCEPTABLE, UH, APPROACH, UH, MR. WILLIAMS? IS THAT, IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU TO PLAN FOR EVERY MONDAY THAT YOU SAY EVERY MONDAY, MR. CHAIR? YES, SIR.

UH, SAY THREE OR 4:00 PM, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WORKS BEST FOR EVERYBODY.

OKAY.

UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.

THE MAJORITY, UH, I'D JUST SUGGEST, UM, GOING FORWARD THAT UNTIL I GUESS, TO GAMBLE, UH, IF I CAN MAKE AN ORDINANCE SUGGESTION, I SUGGEST, UH, ALTERNATE, MONDAYS, NONE, NON COUNCIL MEETING WORK SESSION, MONDAYS THAT WILL PUT US TWICE A MONTH AND SHIT, THE NEED ARISES.

YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, SAN GANGSTER, WE CERTAINLY CAN GO BACK TO EVERY MONDAY.

THAT WOULD BE SORT OF A COMPROMISE, SUPPOSEDLY IS WHAT I'D SUGGEST SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT AND I ALREADY GOT A THUMBS UP FROM GENSLER ROBIN, SO HE'S GOOD.

UH, STAFF.

IS THAT, IS THAT COMFORTABLE FOR YOU GUYS? AM I RUNNING OVER ANYTHING? ARE WE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE THERE? GOOD.

OKAY.

VERY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE WILL PLAN FOR EVERY MONDAY.

IS, IS THIS A FOUR O'CLOCK START GOOD FOR EVERYBODY WHO DO WE WANT TO DO EARLIER LATER? FOUR O'CLOCK IS FINE FOR ME RIGHT NOW ON MONDAYS.

HAPPY TO DO THAT.

I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY KNOW IF WE CAN POST THINGS AS BROADLY AS WE CAN, BECAUSE IT'S EVERY, I MEAN, EVERY WEEK WE MAY HAVE SPECIFIC ITEMS. IF WE HAVE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT WE CAN POST SPECIFICALLY, I THINK WE SHOULD, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD PLAN ON IN EVERY, WHENEVER WE MEET, IT'S JUST GOING TO BASICALLY BE NOT JUSTICE, BUT WE'LL HAVE AN ITEM THAT'S JUST LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.

WE'RE, WE'RE BRANDON, LAURA, AND, AND, AND BRIAN CAN UPDATE US ON STUFF JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONVERSATION CAN FLOW PRETTY FREELY AS, AS YOU KNOW, THESE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS ARE, UM, ARE EXTREMELY FLUID.

AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE STEADY STAFF HAS THE BACKUP THAT THEY NEED, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO NOT PUTTING RESOURCES ON PLACES WHERE WE DON'T NEED IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S MY, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAD WAS THAT OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WOULD BE KIND OF A VERY FLUID LIVING DOCUMENT, UH, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY AMENDING AND GOING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL ON A, AND IF WE WANTED TO TAKE THE APPROACH THAT THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, THE SECOND IS CONSIDER ANY CHANGES TO THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, THE 20, 21 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

I THINK THAT COVERS US COVERS ALL OF OUR DISCUSSION.

UH, YEAH, I, I DON'T, I THINK WE NEED IT AS OPEN AND PUBLISH POSTED AS POSSIBLE, AND IT REALLY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT OTHERWISE.

I DON'T EVEN, PARTICULARLY AS FAR AS A LEGAL MATTER, SEE A NEED TO BE ANY MORE SPECIFIC THAT, THAT ON POSTING YEAH.

CONSIDER THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT OR ANY UPTAKES, TAKE IT FROM THERE.

UH, IN GENERAL, UM,

[01:30:01]

I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.

RICH.

NO, WELL, I COULD PROBABLY GO AFTER YOU GO AHEAD.

OKAY.

UH, ANOTHER FUNCTIONAL ISSUE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE TAKE INPUT INTO THIS COMMITTEE? AND, UH, THE SORT OF THE SETUP THAT I HAD PITCHED TO THE MAYOR WAS THAT ANYTHING INVOLVING THE CITY COULD EITHER COME TO THE COUNCIL OR COME TO THE COMMITTEE DIRECTLY.

UH, BUT WE WOULD TAKE NO FORMAL ACTION AS A, AS A COMMITTEE, UH, WITHOUT THE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL.

UM, ANYTHING THAT CAME STRAIGHT INTO THE COMMITTEE, WE COULD CONSIDER, PUT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD AND GET THEM BACK TO THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION.

UH, SO THE COUNCIL COULD GIVE US FURTHER DIRECTION.

UH, THE IS GOING TO BE WHEN A BILL POPS UP OVERNIGHT AND WE HAVE 48, 72 HOURS TO RESPOND TO IT.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHERE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBBINS, BILL CATEGORIZATION, AND SORT OF DEFAULT BEHAVIORS GOING TO COME IN, UH, WHERE STAFF CAN GO AHEAD AND REACT TO IT.

EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO PUT A MEETING TOGETHER, UH, DUE TO LIMITATIONS THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.

UM, I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY THAT ONE BY EAR.

AND IF WE FIND A MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO DO IT, WE CAN ADOPT THAT, THAT STRATEGY.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY MEMORY.

WE'VE HAD A LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

AND SO I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T OVERSTEP OUR BOUNDS, BUT THAT WE'RE EFFECTIVE AT THE SAME TIME.

THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY FINE LINE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY WITH.

SO, UH, IF YOU GUYS FEEL AT ANY TIME THAT WE'RE, WE'RE EITHER DOING TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE, UH, ENGAGE ME, ENGAGE THE MAYOR, UH, AND LET'S FIND A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO OUR BUSINESS.

UH, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE KINDA MAKING THIS UP ON THE FLY.

SO, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS, IS ENCOURAGED.

AND I KNOW THAT I CAN COUNT ON BOTH OF THE MEMBERS TO PROVIDE THAT GOODRICH.

YEAH.

ONE THING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT JUST BASED ON THE WHOLE OF OUR DISCUSSION HERE IS, IS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL HELP US.

I MEAN, I THINK BJ'S RIGHT, THAT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BASICALLY ELIMINATE ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF LARGE-SCALE ORGANIZED OPPOSITION FROM, FROM CITIES, FROM MUNICIPALITIES, WHETHER THAT'S ELIMINATING TML OR A LOT OF THESE OTHER, OTHER LOBBYISTS AND ELIMINATING THAT SCRUTINY.

I MEAN, YOU SEE THAT JUST WITH, WITH ALL THIS CRAZY STUFF, IS THERE, IT'S ABOUT ELIMINATING TRANSPARENCY AS IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OPEN MEETINGS, ACT EXCEPTIONS AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.

UM, THE, BUT I WONDER IF OUR APPROACH, BECAUSE I DO WORRY, I THINK BRIAN MADE A VERY GOOD POINT ABOUT THE SENSE OF US BEING PUNISHED, UM, IN CITIES ARE ROUTINELY.

AND IT'S NOT JUST THAT CITIES ARE ROUTINELY PUNISHED.

I MEAN, AUSTIN, AUSTIN GETS PUNISHED FOR EVERYTHING.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THEY DO.

ANYTHING THEY DO IS WRONG.

I MEAN, YOU COULD, YOU COULD LIKE WRITE LIKE WHAT, WHAT ARE THE GREATEST HITS ON AUSTIN OF THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION? AND WE'D TAKE YOU QUITE A WHILE.

CAUSE IT, EVERY SESSION IT'S SOMETHING NEW.

AND NOW, NOW GOVERNOR ABBOTT IS TALKING ABOUT TAKING OVER THEIR POLICING AND HE'S GOT AN ACTUALLY SPECIFIC TIE-IN.

UM, WHAT I WONDER IF, IF WE START TO TAKE THE POSITION OF THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, WHICH IS THAT, UM, THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT DOWN THERE TO TAKE A POSITION ON ANY BILL WITH THE LEGISLATURE.

WE'RE NOT HERE, WE'RE NOT IN FAVOR OR POST ANY, BUT YOU GUYS ARE REPRESENTATIVES.

Y'ALL FIGURE IT OUT.

WE'RE JUST HERE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IN FACTUAL DATA.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYBODY ON ANYTHING.

HERE'S JUST, HERE'S SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE, THE IMPACT OF DOING IT THIS WAY OR THAT WAY DON'T EVEN CALL IT A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

CALL IT, I DON'T KNOW, LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION PLAN.

I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, UH, MAYOR, PORT, TIM SMITH.

YOU'RE A LOT MORE.

AND IN PJ, YOU GUYS ARE, YOU GUYS ARE A LOT MORE CONNECTED.

EVERYONE HERE PROBABLY IS A LOT MORE CONNECTED INTO, INTO THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EFFECT THAT HAS, BUT MAYBE IT'S AN APPROACH TYPE THING.

IT'S LIKE, LISTEN, MAN, I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH YOU.

IT'S KINDA LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH YOU ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE TOLL ROADS OR NOT, BUT HERE'S THE IMPACT OF HAVING A TOLL ROAD.

HERE'S THE IMPACT OF, OF THIS.

AND YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER TYPE THINGS JUST INFORMATIONAL ONLY, YOU ALL DECIDE WHEREVER YOU WANT, BUT THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE CITY OF GARLAND AND DONE.

AND MAYBE THAT MAYBE THAT GENERATES LESS BECAUSE INSTEAD OF SAYING, OH MY GOD, NO, WE DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO HOOK TOTALLY HAMSTRING US ON CEO'S IT'S MORE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTION EVERY YEAR FOR SOME PRETTY MUNDANE STUFF.

LIKE, YOU KNOW, FIXING ROADS AND SEWERS AND OTHER STUFF.

AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT IF THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATURE TELLS US TO DO, BUT THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL COST OF, YOU KNOW, 80 TO A HUNDRED

[01:35:01]

THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A CITY-WIDE ELECTION EVERY YEAR.

BUT IF YOU WANT TO DO IT, YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD.

I DON'T KNOW.

MAYBE THAT'S MAYBE NONE OF THAT IS EFFECTUAL AND ALL, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD THAT, THAT I DON'T KNOW IF IT HELPS, MAYBE IT DOES.

AND, AND THIS MAY END UP BEING A, UM, YOU KNOW, A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

YOU KNOW, WHAT APPROACH DO WE WANT TO TAKE? BECAUSE THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN WE WANT TO GO IN THERE AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

AS I THINK THE SCENARIO YOU JUST PAINTED FOR US IS, IS A GOOD ONE.

UH, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER TIMES WHERE WE DECIDE IT'S WORTH SPENDING ALL THE POLITICAL CAPITAL, WE HAVE TO GO AFTER SOMETHING.

UM, MEAN WE MAKE THOSE THE SAME, SAME DECISIONS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS PRETTY WELL.

UH, MR. NEIGHBOR, GO AHEAD, SIR.

OH, IT'S GOING TO RESPOND TO A COUNCIL MEMBER OP AND REMEMBER THAT THEY MAKE US PICK, UM, WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO BE A WITNESS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SAY, OR AGAINST OR ON, AND YOU'RE RARELY GET TO BE ON BECAUSE THEY, AS YOU START TESTIFYING, UH, THE CHAIRMAN, IF HE PERCEIVED YOU AS AGAINST, HE'S GOING TO PUSH YOU INTO IT.

SO YOU'RE REALLY HERE TO TESTIFY.

AND AGAIN, UH, ON THE NEUTRAL CATEGORY IS REALLY FOR THE STATE WITNESSES OR INVITED WITNESSES.

IT STOPPED AND WE'LL GO DOWN OR OFTEN IS NOT WITH THE SOLE MESSAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WORDS MATTER AND BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ENFORCE OR, UM, UH, OR LIVE WITH THESE BILLS, THEN WE NEED THE WORDS TO SAY A CERTAIN THING, OR AT LEAST TO MAKE SENSE.

AND EVEN THAT'S A TOUGH GOAL TO ACHIEVE SOMETIMES, BUT WE'LL TRY IT NOW.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, BEING WILLING TO HELP US WITH THAT CAN BE A NEW, A NEW SESSION, A NEW YEAR.

WE'LL SEE HOW IT HAPPENS IN THE ZOOM COVID WORLD.

OKAY.

UH, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR TODAY IS, UM, DO WE WANT THIS COMMITTEE TO MEET BACK AND TRY TO FINALIZE A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BASED ON ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP TODAY, UH, TO SEND BACK TO COUNCIL? OR DO WE WANT TO TAKE THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD TODAY AND GET THIS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL ON MONDAY NIGHT, UH, TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR AND WE'LL LOSE ANOTHER THREE WEEKS, UH, BETWEEN COUNCIL MEETINGS.

SO, UH, ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM ANYBODY, SIR? I DON'T REALLY DOESN'T, I DON'T WANT TO SPIT HAIR.

UM, I'D KIND OF WANT TO SEE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS NOW, HERE IS TODAY, THIS IS OUR KICKOFF MEETING.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE THAT SHAPED INTO A, A DRAFT OR A TENTATIVE, BUT DO WE WANT TO CALL IT LESS FOR US TO LOOK AT THE NEXT TIME AND, AND AFTER GIVING IT SOME THOUGHT AND TWEAK, AND THEN PERHAPS IN JANUARY THE NEW YEAR OR SHARING WITH, WITH, WITH COUNCIL? UM, YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M THINKING ABOUT MYSELF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST TAKE THIS REFLECTION THAT WE'VE DONE THE DAY BACK TO COUNCIL.

I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT WE'D SAY ABOUT IT OTHER THAN WE MET, WE MAY, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE AND MORE TIME TO MASSAGE IT KIND OF, KIND OF THINK THROUGH IT, TALK ABOUT IT ONE OTHER ONE MORE TIME AND REFINE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE BACK THE COUNCIL.

UM, AND, AND IN WHAT FORM ARE WE GOING TO TAKE IT BACK TO COUNCIL? THAT'S THAT WOULD BE MESSAGES.

AND GENERALLY, SO WE WOULD BRING THIS UNDER YOUR SUGGESTION.

WE'D BRING THIS BACK TO COUNCIL.

IS IT THE FOURTH OR THE 11TH? LET ME CHECK THE CALENDAR.

FOURTH, THE FOURTH JANUARY.

YES, SIR.

THAT'D GIVE US THREE OR FOUR WEEKS.

UM, MR. ROBIN, JUST GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN, SIR.

AND WE'VE LOST YOU AGAIN.

I THINK, UH, SHE MEANT LIKE KILL YOUR VIDEO RIGHT THERE.

WE NEED THAT BETTER.

A LITTLE BIT EMAIL.

NOPE.

NOPE.

YOU'RE STILL VERY JOBBY FEED DROPS.

COME BACK.

I THINK HE'S GOT SOME WIRELESS CONGESTION ON HIS END.

I'LL HELP HIM OUT LATER ON

[01:40:01]

YOU BACK WITH US.

YEAH.

BETTER.

YES, SIR.

WAS REALLY ANNOYING.

I'M SORRY.

IT'S OKAY.

UM, I MAY HAVE TOTALLY LOST MY PLACE.

UH, NO, I, I, I GENERALLY, I AGREE THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR US TO HAVE SOMETHING, UM, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL, BUT I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE AT LEAST NEED SOME KIND OF UPDATE TO COUNCIL IN THE SENSE OF, BECAUSE THINGS ARE GONNA START MOVING FAST AND, AND SO IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SPECIFIC, BUT IT CAN BE, WE MET HERE'S WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT YOUR, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, HERE ARE THE ISSUES THAT COULD PUT IN AND HERE ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE DON'T HAVE.

WE DON'T HAVE A LEGEND.

WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION YET, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY INPUT, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INPUT, ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN WORK ON IT DURING THIS, YOU KNOW, THREE OR SO WEEK BREAK BETWEEN THE NEXT MEETING, BECAUSE IN THE IDEA OF, I THINK YOU WANT TO PRIME THE PUMP.

SO PEOPLE HAVE SOME IDEA WHAT'S COMING SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY, I DON'T WANT TO GET TO JANUARY 4TH.

AND IF PEOPLE GO, WELL, THIS IS ALL VERY INTERESTING.

AND NOW I NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL THE LAST MEETING, THE FIRST MEETING OF FEBRUARY, SOMETHING I DON'T WANT TO GET, AND THEN WE'RE WAY BEHIND.

SO I THINK THE IDEA OF KIND OF GETTING PEOPLE KIND OF PREPPED FOR HERE'S, WHAT'S COMING, HERE'S A GENERAL IDEA, AND YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY PUT THAT BEFORE THAT STRUCTURE, BEFORE FOLKS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT IF THEY'VE GOT ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY THINK MIGHT NEED TO COME BEFORE US, AND I'D EVEN PUT OUT A CALL TO THE CITIZEN, RIGHT? ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BREAKING THAT FOURTH WALL, ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING THIS AT HOME, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF, THAT YOU THINK OF AS A PARTICULAR CONCERN, WE'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU AND CONSIDERING BOOM.

AND THEN THAT GIVES US SO WE CAN HIT THE GROUND.

YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS IN THAT TIME AND HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.

SO THEN WHEN WE GET TO THAT FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY, WE CAN BE A LOT MORE PRODUCTIVE.

THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS ON THAT.

BUT I THINK BY THE BIG, RIGHT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING READY.

RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE READY FOR COUNCIL.

LIKE, HERE'S AN AGENDA YOU WANT TO ADOPT, BUT IT'S KIND OF A PREVIEW.

AND BRAD, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE, UH, DOING A QUICK PRESENTATION NEXT MONDAY NIGHT JUST SAYING, HEY, HERE'S THE LIST WE PUT TOGETHER SO FAR, I'LL CHIP IN WITH, HERE'S HOW THE COMMITTEE'S PLANNING TO FUNCTION.

HERE'S WHAT OUR SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE.

AND WE JUST KIND OF, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, ROBIN SAID, JUST SORT OF PRIME THE PUMP.

WELL, TWO, TWO OBSERVATIONS HERE.

UM, ONE, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE MEETINGS ON THE PRECEDING, THE WORK SESSION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME REAL TIME DISCIPLINE.

UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THE BACKGROUND OR YOU'RE EATING WELL.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING EVERY MONDAY THAT ISN'T A WORK SESSION.

OKAY, AWESOME.

OKAY.

NO, NO, NO, NO, BECAUSE WE, WE GET THAT WEEK TO, TO REACT TO COUNCIL AND THEN A WEEK PUT THE THING TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL AND YEAH.

YEAH.

OKAY.

YEP.

UM, AND AS FAR AS NEXT MONDAY, UH, AND I'M LOOKING AT CITY MANAGER, WE'VE GOT A PRETTY SICK, PRETTY BUSY NEXT MONDAY, IF WE JUST MADE A REPORT, UM, THAT WE HAVE MET AND THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING, UH, A PROTOCOL, A WAY TO DEAL WITH HAYES AND THEN THAT'S FINE.

IT FELT ALL IT WOULD TAKE.

UM, WE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM HERE IS TO LET THINGS GEL, UH, YOU'LL START STAYING SOMEWHERE, UH, UH, BUILDS THAT GO INTO OUR TRACKING LIST.

THINGS THAT WE LOOKED LOOK AT, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT DOWN TO A MANAGEABLE NUMBER THIS TIME WE WANT TO ADD TO IT.

WE CAN, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE OFF, WE CAN.

UM, AND SO THAT'LL START HELPING YOU, UH, SOLIDIFY WHAT THIS COMMITTEE DOES AND THE SCOPE OF HOW MUCH WORK IT WANTS TO TAKE ON.

CAUSE YOU COULD GET REAL BUSY, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT WHAT EIGHT PEOPLE ON THIS CALL RIGHT NOW, THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE HERE TO GET IT ALL DONE UNLESS WE KEEP IT IN A MANAGEABLE NUMBER.

I PERSONALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON IT TWO YEARS AGO AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO REALLY TRACK ABOUT 200 MYSELF.

AND WITH 10,000 OUT THERE, I GET IT.

I GET IT.

UH, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN HAVE MAYBE 10, 15 MINUTES TOPS, THE NEXT WORK SESSION, I THINK I CAN GET IT OUT THERE.

UH, I CAN GIVE YOU SOME WRITTEN STUFF TO GO WITH IT, IF YOU WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, AND I WANT TO TALK OFFLINE HERE, BRAD, AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN PUT THEM INTO THE PACKAGE.

SURE.

AND WE CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR YOU, SOME TALKING POINTS.

THEN

[01:45:01]

I SAY, BRIAN BRADFORD MAKING NOTES, BUT CAN WE GET THAT ON? RIGHT? YEAH, I WAS, I WAS RUNNING DOWN THE QUOTE, 15 MINUTES.

I CAN BE BRIEF.

SO WE DO HAVE A VERY, VERY FULL AGENDA.

10, 10 BJ SAY IN 10 MINUTES, I CAN DO 10.

I CAN SAY I GOT, I'VE GOT ALLOW THREE TIMES THAT MUCH FOR YOUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CHIME IN.

SO YEAH.

I'LL WORK ON IT.

WE'LL MAKE IT WORK.

YEAH.

BUT, UH, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT TO TOUCH THE FULL COUNCIL WITH THIS SOMEHOW SOME WAY NEXT MONDAY, BECAUSE AS, AS RICH, VERY ACCURATELY SAID, I DON'T WANT JANUARY 4TH TO BE, TO BE THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE ALL SEEN THIS AND THEN HAVE TO SIT AND THINK ABOUT IT.

THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOLD US OVER DURING THEIR VACATIONS BECAUSE THAT'S TOTALLY WHAT THEY'LL BE DOING.

OKAY.

UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE MISSED TODAY? ANYTHING ANYBODY WANTED TO BRING UP? UH, I DO HAVE AN, UH, ONE ATTENDEE, UH, MS. CHAMBERS, THANK YOU FOR HANGING OUT HERE WITH US FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.

IF YOU HAD ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE COMMENTS FROM YOU.

UH, COUNSEL MEMORIA, SHE'D BEEN QUIET IN THE BACKGROUND.

IF YOU HAD ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO, TO ADD IN, UH, WE DO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTARY AT EVERY, UH, AT EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAVE.

SO IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY OPEN AND I'LL GIVE YOU ALL JUST A MINUTE TO USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION.

IF YOU WANT TO, UH, ADD YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCILMAN.

UH, AND WITH MY VIDEO TO SAY, I'VE JUST BEEN TAKING NOTES AND LISTENING.

SO, EH, AND, AND I WILL TAKE A PLEDGE NOT TO, UH, COMMENT ON THIS AT THE MONDAY WORK SESSION.

SO HOPEFULLY THE CITY MANAGER CAN BE, BE MORE CALM ABOUT THAT.

AND IF ANYBODY NEAR ME STARTS DOING IT ALL, I'LL TEXT THEM TO SHUT UP.

SO I'LL DO MY PART.

GOOD JOB.

WELL DONE, ENJOYED THE CONVERSATION.

AND I'LL BE EXCITED ABOUT SEEING, SEEING THIS COMMITTEE KIND OF LOCK IN AND FUNCTION IN A WAY.

HAVE WE EVER HAD A COMMITTEE LIKE THIS BEFORE ON COUNCIL? OKAY.

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY WILL LISTEN TO US.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL HAVE ANY PRACTICAL, UM, INFLUENCE ANYWHERE, BUT I STILL THINK THAT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING DONE TO US AND BE ABLE TO BRACE OURSELVES INSTEAD OF GETTING BLINDSIDED, AS WE CERTAINLY WERE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS AT THE LAST SESSION.

SO THAT ALL MY COMMENTS AND, UH, I DON'T DOES BRANDY HAVE HER HAND UP? I WILL POP BACK OUT.

NO, I DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK WE'RE GOOD.

WELL, FOLKS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING YOUR MONDAY EVENING WITH US.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT WITH THIS GROUP.

AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST BUT NOT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND.

UH, IT IS 5:48 PM AND THIS COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING EVERYBODY.