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[00:00:01]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 14TH, 2020 WORK SESSION FOR THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.

BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, OUR AGENDA JUST WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE AND CONGRATULATE.

WE ARE BACK TO NINE MEMBERS AS OF ABOUT MAYBE AN HOUR AGO.

WE WANT TO WELCOME RICKY MCNEAL AS THE APPOINTED COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT ONE.

WE JUST THIS AFTERNOON RECEIVED ALL OF THE REQUIRED INFORMATION FROM AUSTIN TO PROCEED.

AND HE HAS BEEN SWORN IN AND HE IS HE IS HERE WITH US AND READY TO GO, I'M SURE .

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SO THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA EXCUSE ME THIS EVENING IS PUBLIC COMMENTS

[1. Public Comments on Work Session Items]

ON WORK SESSION ITEMS. PERSONS WHO DESIRE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY ITEM ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA ARE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND SPEAKERS ARE TAKEN IN THE ORDER THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED.

AND I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE PERSON, WE HAD ONE PERSON ON THE LIST, BUT I DON'T SEE THEM IN THE ATTENDEES LIST.

SO LET ME DOUBLE CHECK ONE MORE TIME.

THE PERSON'S NAME WAS CHRISTY DEES OR D, BUT I DON'T I DON'T SEE THEM IN THE ATTENDEES WITH US THIS EVENING, SO.

IF THAT IF THAT IF THEY COME IN AT SOME POINT WE'LL TRY TO ADDRESS WHAT THEY WHAT THEY WERE WANTING TO SPEAK ON.

SO AT THIS POINT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD.

ITEM TWO IS CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[2. Consider the Consent Agenda]

THIS WILL BE FOR TOMORROW NIGHT.

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY REQUESTS TO HAVE ANY ITEMS PULLED AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.

BUT OBVIOUSLY, IF ONE COMES UP BETWEEN NOW AND TOMORROW, IF YOU COULD CERTAINLY GIVE US THE HEADS UP.

SO THAT WAY WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM.

SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO WRITTEN BRIEFINGS, ITEM 3.

[3. Written Briefings]

3A BUCKINGHAM ROAD CROSSING REHABILITATION AGREEMENT.

ITEM 3B, AMEND AUTHORIZED TEXPOOL REPRESENTATIVES.

ITEM 3C, EXPAND BOUNDARIES OF TIF NUMBER THREE AND APPROVAL OF A PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN FOR THE ZONE.

ITEM 3D, 2020 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATION RESOLUTION.

ITEM 3E, COUNCIL UPDATE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS AND EMERGENCY SOLUTION GRANTS THROUGH THE CARES ACT ROUND THREE PROPOSED FUNDING DISTRIBUTIONS TO BE USED TO RESPOND TO COVID-19.

ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

COUNCIL, WE HAVE A PRETTY HEALTHY AGENDA IN FRONT OF US THIS EVENING, SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR VERBAL BRIEFINGS.

ITEM, I THINK IT'S FOUR.

SORRY, YOU GUYS HAVE MADE THIS DOING THESE MEETINGS FROM HOME LOOK SO EASY AND I'M MAKING IT LOOK LIKE A TRAIN WRECK, SO I APOLOGIZE.

ITEM 4A, UNDER VERBAL BRIEFINGS DART UPDATE.

[4A. DART Update]

AND I KNOW MR. KELLY IS WITH US, SIR, AND I BELIEVE I WILL GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU THE FLOOR.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? YES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, GREAT.

I DO NOT HAVE OR TRY TO DO THE PRESENTATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE ELSE CAN PROJECT THE PRESENTATION AND I CAN MOVE THROUGH THE SLIDES.

SO TO YOUR POINT, MR. MAYOR, ABOUT MAKING IT LOOK EASY.

I SURE I CAN GET YOU ON THAT.

DO WE DO WE HAVE YOUR PRESENTATION LOADED AS FAR AS WITH THE CITY? YES, MAYOR.

GIVE ME ONE SECOND, SIR.

OK, THANK YOU.

WHILE WE'RE BRINGING THAT UP, I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST MENTION EVERYONE HERE.

MR. THOMAS, GARY THOMAS, THE CEO, PRESIDENT FOR DART IS UNAVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY RIGHT NOW.

HE HAD CONFLICTING MEETINGS.

SO HE MAY BE JOINING US AT THE LATTER PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.

I WILL TELL YOU, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVES WITH US THAT WILL

[00:05:05]

BE HERE FOR SUPPORT AND FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

BUT I DO HAVE NICOLE FONTAYNE-BARDOWELL, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AND I ALSO HAVE TODD PLESKO WHO'S THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR GROWTH AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

SO THEY'RE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL.

AND THEY'RE HERE FOR QUESTIONS AND MAY ADD SOME COLOR COMMENTARY THAT I PROVIDE TONIGHT AS WE GET TO THIS PRESENTATION.

BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I DO WANT TO MAKE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.

SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE ALREADY READ THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, THERE IS AN ITEM COMING ALONG THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS, AND IT'S GOING TO GIVE A SPOILER HERE, BUT WE'LL COME TO IT LATER AND MAKE SURE I GIVE IT THE APPROPRIATE FOCUS.

SO AT THE END OF OCTOBER, GARY THOMAS HAS PROVIDED HIS RESIGNATION OR HIS INTENT TO RETIRE.

SO HE WILL BE RETIRING FROM DART.

AND GARY JUST HAS A FANTASTIC CAREER.

AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT HIM OR WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH DART.

BUT AS I WORKED WITH WITH HIM AND THE BOARD THROUGH THE YEARS, I GOT TO TELL YOU, GARY IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE INDIVIDUAL.

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW HIM, THOSE WHO DO, I'M SURE YOU RECOGNIZE THAT.

BUT I WAS GOING TO READ THROUGH SOME OF HIS BIOGRAPHY HERE AND KIND OF GIVE YOU HIS BACKGROUND.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU, HE STARTED WITH THIS ROLE BACK IN 2001.

AND DURING HIS TENURE, HE'S DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT RAIL TRAIN LINES FOR DART TWICE.

SO YOU MAY NOT REALIZE THAT DART IS ACTUALLY THE LONGEST LIGHT RAIL LINE IN THE NATION.

AND OVER NINETY THREE MILES, I BELIEVE.

AND I WANT TO SAY THAT'S PROBABLY THE LONGEST LIGHT RAIL LINE FOR THE WORLD.

I AM GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT THAT'S A FACT.

I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT I'M THINKING IF IT'S A LIGHT RAIL [INAUDIBLE], IT'S GOT TO BE FOR THE WORLD.

SO THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

HE'S VERY RESPECTED ACROSS ALL OF THE PUBLIC TRANS INDUSTRY, NOT JUST IN THE US, BUT THAT IS INTERNATIONAL.

EVERYONE KNOWS WHO GARY THOMAS IS.

HE'S GOT NUMEROUS AWARDS AND ACCOLADES.

HE SERVES ON SEVERAL BOARDS.

HE IS THE RED RAIDER, WHICH I LIKE TO RECOGNIZE.

AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THIS COUNCIL AND MAYOR IS THAT HE IS A RESIDENT OF THE GREAT CITY OF GARLAND.

SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THAT HE IS GOING TO BE LEAVING US AND HE WILL BE EXTREMELY MISSED.

SO I'LL THROW THAT IN THERE AND WE'LL COVER THE DETAILS THAT LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION.

SO WITH THAT, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE AGENDA WILL COVER DART SERVICE AREA IN GARLAND.

SOME OF THE KEY METRICS AND RIDERSHIP UPDATES, PRETTY STANDARD FOR WHAT WE SEE FOR MOST OF THESE PRESENTATIONS.

LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE COVID SITUATION.

BUT I THINK WE'LL GET A LOT OF LIGHT TO IT.

AND AS WE START OFF, I KNOW WE HAVE A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, WHICH WELCOME.

I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THAT.

AND THEN I KNOW WE'VE HAD COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS IS BACK TO JOIN US.

HE'S NO STRANGER TO DART AND ALL THE RIDERSHIP STUFF GOING ON.

BUT WELCOME BACK THERE.

THEN WE'LL ALSO COVER THE DART RESPONSE TO COVID-19.

A LOT OF ITEMS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE FOR SAFETY MEASURES AND WHAT DART'S DOING.

AND I PROBABLY WON'T HIT THEM ALL, BUT I'LL JUST HIT THOSE SLIDES AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH DART IN RESPONSE TO COVID.

AND THEN THE DARTZOOM NETWORK OR DARTZOOM PROCESS WHERE WE'RE REIMAGINING THE BUS NETWORK.

THAT'S BEEN A BIG TOPIC.

WE'VE COVERED IT IN MY OTHER BRIEFINGS.

IT'S REALLY STARTING TO GET DOWN TO DIAL IN THE NUMBERS WHERE WE WANT THIS TO BE.

AND I'M HAPPY TO GIVE MY INSIGHTS.

AND YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO CONTACT ME ON THIS STUFF AS WELL.

BUT JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON THE DART ZOOM AND THEN THE EARLY RETIREMENT PIECE THAT THE DART OFFERED.

I'LL ADDRESS THAT AS WELL.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

AND SO [INAUDIBLE], JUST A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF THE RIDERS OR THE ROUTES, AND YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE LINE THERE THAT THE TWO STATIONS THAT ARE IN GARLAND AS WELL AS THE MAJOR BUS ROUTES THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR CITY.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO THESE ARE SOME KEY METRIC PIECES OF WHAT WE HAVE.

I DON'T THINK ANY OF THIS IS GOING TO BE A SURPRISE TO ANYONE, BUT WITH COVID AND SOME OF THE CHANGES, I WILL HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THESE THINGS.

SO THE LIGHT RAIL LINES, THE BLUE LINE HAS BEEN RESTORED, WILL RUN EVERY 20 MINUTES UP

[00:10:04]

UNTIL 7:00 P.M.

ON WEEKDAYS.

YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE STATIONS THAT ARE HERE IN THE TRANSIT CENTERS.

SO 19 BUS ROUTES ARE THE ONE CORE FREQUENT ROUTE 467.

IT'S BEEN RESTORED EVERY 20 MINUTES TILL SEVEN P.M., 30 MINUTES AND THEN 30 MINUTES ON WEEKDAYS.

SO SEVERAL THE HIGH RIDERSHIP ROUTES HAVE ALSO BEEN RESTORED TO PRE-PANDEMIC SERVICE LEVELS.

AND YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT ROUTES THERE, THE 60, 164 AND SO ON.

AND THEN 10 BUS ROUTES ARE STILL REMAINING AT PANDEMIC SERVICE LEVELS.

THIS WAS A HOT TOPIC WITH THE BOARD.

AND GETTING THOSE SERVICE LEVELS BACK AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO MAKE THE FREQUENCY MORE AVAILABLE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RIDING DART.

AND THEN ALSO TO GO LINK ZONE THAT WE HAVE IN SOUTHEAST GARLAND.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IF YOU LIKE, BUT THAT'S MORE OF AN ON CALL TYPE SERVICE.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO LOOKING AT THE TREND LINES, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY SURPRISE TO ANYONE YOU COULD SEE THE DROP OFF THAT WE SAW.

OCTOBER IS ALWAYS A HIGH MONTH FOR US.

YOU'VE GOT THE FAIR I THINK TEXAS OU YOU MAY ALSO FALL IN THAT TIME FRAME.

SO THAT'S ALWAYS A SPIKE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S NORMAL LEVELS ON THAT OCTOBER.

IT'S JUST KIND OF WHERE THE CHART STARTS AND YOU CAN SEE THE NORMAL LEVELS THERE.

AND THEN ONCE WE GET TO FEBRUARY RIDERSHIP REALLY DROPS OFF.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT REALLY HIT A LOW POINT IN APRIL, I WILL SAY IN OCTOBER IS WHEN WE ADJUSTED A LOT OF THOSE ROUTES TO START COMING BACK ON AND WE ALSO INITIATED GO LINK SERVICE IN SOUTHEAST GARLAND.

SO IT DOES SEEM THAT RIDERSHIP IS TRENDING UP.

HOWEVER, I GOT TO SAY FROM AN ANALYTICAL VIEW, IT'S REALLY VERY STABILIZED.

THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF FLUCTUATION EITHER WAY.

I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE RIDERSHIP LEVELS DOWN 28 AND A HALF PERCENT THAT YOU SEE FOR BUS IS PROBABLY NOT AS SEVERE AS SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS FOR DART.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE GET INTO THE COVID RESPONSES.

I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY COMMON TO WHICH YOU MAY HEAR.

SO CONTINUOUS CLEANING OF THE VEHICLES, OPERATE UNDER GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER, PASSENGERS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR FACE MASK COVERINGS.

WE DO PROVIDE FACE MASK COVERINGS ON THE BUSSES NOW.

OVER 70 PERCENT ARE EQUIPPED WITH SPECIAL CLEANING AND LIGHTING THAT IS USED TO KILL GERMS. I DON'T THINK I'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE.

I WOULD LEAVE IT TO TODD IF HE WANTS TO JUMP IN HERE.

TODD ARE YOU ON THE LINE? TODD PLESKO.

I AM ON YES.

TODD.

DO YOU THINK MAYBE YOU COULD SPEAK TO SOME OF THE COVID SAFETY MEASURES THAT WE HAD [INAUDIBLE]? SURE.

A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH MR. KELLY HAD EXPLAINED THAT'S UNIQUE RIGHT NOW.

ACTUALLY ALL OF DART'S BUSSES HAVE BOTH SORT OF AN AUTOMATIC DISPENSER OF INDIVIDUAL FACEMASK AND ALSO HAND SANITIZER, AND THOSE ARE MONITORED DURING THE DAY AND UPDATED WHEN NEEDED.

AND THAT'S UNIQUE.

YOU DON'T SEE THAT IN A LOT OF PLACES.

WE ALSO DO THAT OUR TRAINS, OUR RAIL TRAINS.

SO THAT'S, I THINK, A REALLY UNIQUE THING.

WE DO SPECIAL CLEANING OF THE TRAINS AT THE ENDS OF THE LINES.

SO EVERY TIME WE GET OUT TO ROWLETT OR THE OTHER END DOWN AT LEADBETTER, THE TRAINS ARE CLEANED.

SO THEN EVERY ROUND TRIP WE HAVE, THE TRAINS ARE CLEANED.

ON BUSSES, WE'RE ACTUALLY PULLING THEM OUT AND TURNING THEM IN SO THEY GET CLEANED.

NORMALLY THEY USUALLY GET CLEANED ONCE A DAY, NOW THEY'RE GETTING CLEANED AT LEAST TWICE A DAY, SPECIAL CLEANING.

AND SO AGAIN, WE BUILT SPECIAL KIND OF DROPLET SHIELD AROUND THE DRIVERS SO THAT THE DRIVER IS PROTECTED FROM PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE FOR SPREADING THE VIRUS.

AND THAT'S BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING OUR DRIVERS AND ALSO OUR CUSTOMERS.

SO I THINK THAT COVERS THE MAIN POINTS THAT WE'RE DOING ON COVID.

BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE MEET EVERY OTHER EVERY OTHER DAY AT 7:30 IN THE MORNING TO GO OVER OUR COVID RESPONSE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.

SO DART REALLY, REALLY PUTS THIS AS THAT AS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES.

SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MR. KELLY.

ALL RIGHT THANK YOU TODD.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

[00:15:02]

THINK WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AROUND COVID-19.

OK, SO DART'S, OK, THAT WAS THE OTHER ONE, MAYBE A PAGE OUT OF ORDER I GUESS.

SO ADDITIONAL DETAILS AROUND THE LEVEL OF CLEANLINESS OF THE BUS AND SO DARTZOOM A BUS NETWORK UPDATE.

CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO I'LL ADD SOME REFRESHER TO THIS PIECE OF IT.

THE IDEA HERE IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BUS NETWORK, YOU'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT EXTREMES YOU COULD CONSIDER.

YOU CAN GO TO THE FAR LEFT.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE RED BAR OR ARROW UNDERNEATH THAT PICTURE TO THE LEFT SIDE, YOU SEE A RIDERSHIP FOCUS AND THEN TO THE FAR RIGHT, THE GREEN SIDE, YOU SEE A COVERAGE FOCUS, THE IDEA BEING THAT YOU HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CAPITAL THAT YOU CAN IMPLEMENT.

SO THINK OF IT AS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BUSSES.

AND WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN PUT A HIGH FREQUENCY OF THOSE BUSSES GOING UP AND DOWN, A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF ROUTES.

AND DOING THAT, LET'S SAY IF YOU RAN THE BUSSES EVERY FIVE MINUTES UP AND DOWN A STREET, IT MAKES IT VERY CONVENIENT.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF RIDERSHIP FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW.

ON THE FLIP SIDE, IF YOU SPREAD YOUR BUSSES OR YOUR CAPITAL OUT AND YOU CAN YOU CAN COVER A LOT MORE AREA, BUT NOT NEARLY AS FREQUENT.

SO SAY MAYBE A BUS COMES BY ONCE EVERY HOUR AS OPPOSED TO ONCE EVERY FIVE MINUTES, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE CONVENIENT SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS A BUS RUNNING BY THE FRONT DOOR.

BUT THE DOWNSIDE IS IT'S NOT AS OFTEN, SO YOU DON'T GET AS MUCH RIDERSHIP.

AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS, IS WITH THIS DARTZOOM PROJECT IS WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO INCREASE THE RIDERSHIP OR QUITE FRANKLY, CONSIDER WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF RIDERSHIP AND COVERAGE THAT WE WANT TO BE AT.

I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN WE STARTED THE PROCESS, I WOULD SAY WE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT FIFTY FIVE PERCENT RIDERSHIP GOALS, SO SLIGHTLY MORE ADVANTAGEOUS TOWARDS THE RIDERSHIP PIECE.

WHEN WE STILL HAD SIGNIFICANT COVERAGE.

AND YOU THINK OF A LOT OF THE MEANDERING ROUTES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT MIGHT GO THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS OR WHERE THAT MIGHT BE AT BUS STOPS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF PEOPLE'S FRONT DOOR QUITE FRANKLY.

SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND THE BOARD'S COME UP WITH IDEAS AND WE GET A LOT OF COMPARISONS [INAUDIBLE].

MR. KELLY, I THINK WE LOST YOU SOMEWHERE IN THERE, IF YOUR.

I THINK YOUR MUTED.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? THERE YOU GO.

OK, FOR THOSE OF YOU SITTING HERE TALKING, I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT CUT OUT, BUT I RELOADED IT.

SO THE IDEA BEING WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATENESS.

HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO FOCUS ON RIDERSHIP VERSUS COVERAGE? AND THE BOARD HAS COME TO CLUES.

WE'RE GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE'VE LOOKED AT A HYBRID APPROACH, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR MAP, SO WE FOCUS ON CERTAIN ROUTES AND YOU CONSIDER THIS IS A DIAL, SO YOU DIAL MORE TO ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER AND IT MAY REMOVE CERTAIN ROUTES THE MORE YOU LEAN TOWARDS RIDERSHIP.

AND SO THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL PLAN OF WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.

AND THE BOARD HAD A LOT OF DEBATE THAT WENT ON AROUND THIS, I THINK THE TWO NUMBERS WE KIND OF LEAN TOWARDS WAS A 70 30 MIX WITH A 70 PERCENT RIDERSHIP, 30 PERCENT COVERAGE OR SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT RIDERSHIP.

I'LL TELL YOU MY PERSONAL OPINION.

WHAT I WISH FOR MORE ON THE BOARD WAS A 70 30.

AND I REALLY LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I GARLAND IS A HEAVY BUS RIDERSHIP CITY, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DEPEND ON THE BUSSES.

AND SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF A FREQUENCY.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY NEED ACCESS TO THE BUSSES ARE GOING TO HAVE IT.

SO I DON'T WANT TO TURN THE DIAL TOO FAR TO ONE WAY TO MAKE THE FREQUENCY INCREASE, WHEN WE START REMOVING ROUTES.

SO THIS WAS A HYBRID APPROACH THE STAFF PRESENTED.

IT'S NOT COMPLETELY BAKED AT THIS POINT.

BUT I JUST WANT TO MENTION WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS PROCESS TO THIS COUNCIL.

AND AS YOU'RE TALKING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT.

BUT IT IS A USE OF THE GO LINK IN ORDER TO COVER SOME OF THE AREAS THAT MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH OF A DEMAND, IF YOU WILL.

SO THINK OF LIKE THE BASS PRO SHOPS AREA.

THERE'S A ROUTE THAT RUNS OVER THERE THAT MEANDERS ALL THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT DOESN'T HAVE AS HIGH RIDERSHIP.

BUT RATHER THAN REDUCE OR ELIMINATE ROUTE COMPLETELY, WHAT WE LOOK AT IS USING THE

[00:20:01]

GO LINK.

AND SO THAT WAY THERE'S ACCESS TO AN ON DEMAND SERVICE TO DO A RIDE THAT WOULD TAKE YOU TO THE NEAREST TRAIN STATION OR ROUTE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT COULD BE MORE OF AN ADVANTAGE TO SOME OF THE RIDERS.

NEXT SLIDE.

OK, SO THIS SHOWS YOU, AGAIN, ON THE BAR WHERE WE WERE IN THE PAST, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ARROW RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE THERE ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THAT ARROW, YOU SEE A TRIANGLE TO THE FAR RIGHT.

THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE STARTED.

THAT'S THE 55 45.

AND AS YOU COME ACROSS BACK TO THE LEFT, THAT'S MORE OF A FOCUS TOWARDS RIDERSHIP.

AND SO REALLY WE ENDED UP KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE THERE WHERE IT'S THE 75 25.

BUT IT COULD BE A 70 30 MIX HYBRID IS WHERE THE BOARD IS WANTING STAFF TO REALLY DEVELOP.

SO, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THERE.

SO SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS ON NOVEMBER 10TH, WE APPROVED THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT A 75 25, 75 30 SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE.

SO NOW THE PROCESS IS TO START BUILDING UP A PLAN.

AND THEN THE SECOND BUS NETWORK DESIGN RETREAT TOOK PLACE STARTING ON NOVEMBER 16TH AND THAT INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS FROM GARLAND AND OTHER CITIES.

AND THEN FROM HERE, WE'LL START BUILDING OUT, PRESENT THE DART STAFF NETWORK, OR THE DART STAFF WILL PRESENT DART NETWORK PLAN TO THE BOARD IN JANUARY 2021.

WILL INFORM THEIR PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTING IN 2022.

TO LOOK FOR EXTENSIVE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WILL FOLLOW IN 2021.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT SO FAR.

NEXT.

AND THEN THIS IS MORE OF A TIMELINE.

IT'S PROBABLY AN I CHART TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TRYING TO [INAUDIBLE], BUT IT REALLY SHOWS THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE WE'RE HERE Q1 OF 2021.

OCTOBER, DECEMBER 2020.

YEAH.

SO WE'RE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 AT DART IN Q4 OF 2020.

AND SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RIDERSHIP COVERAGE BALANCE AND DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THAT [INAUDIBLE] AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

NEXT SLIDE.

OK, SO THE NEXT PIECE IS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE SAW A CHART ON THE RIDERSHIP DECLINE AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE.

SO RIDERSHIP HAS DECLINED.

WE KNOW THE IMPACTS OF COVID.

THAT PUTS A CONSTRAINT ON ON DART'S BUDGET AND REVENUE.

AND THE BOARD DID LOOK FOR WAYS WITH STAFF, HOW WE CAN REDUCE THE BUDGET.

AND THE PROPOSAL WAS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT ARE AT DART.

SO REDUCING THE TOTAL HEADCOUNT AT DART, BUT USING A VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PROGRAM TO DO THAT.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE NUMBERS THERE REDUCING THE HEADCOUNT BUDGET TO NO MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND SEVEN FORTY EIGHT EMPLOYEES AND LOWERS ITS OPERATING BUDGET TO FIVE HUNDRED FORTY TWO MILLION FOR THIS NEXT YEAR FROM 562 SO SLASHING 20 MILLION DOLLARS OFF THE OFF THE THE BUDGET.

SO THE PROGRAM THAT WAS OFFERED WAS TO EMPLOYEES THAT WERE FIFTY FIVE YEARS OF AGE OR OVER AND HAD BEEN WITH DART FOR 10 YEARS.

THAT WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER.

OUT OF THE SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY NINE ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES, THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY OF THEM ACCEPTED IT.

THAT WAS REALLY CLOSE TO BEING IN LINE WITH I WANNA SAY IT WAS LIKE.

WAS IT? THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY OR THREE FORTY WAS THE NUMBER OF TARGETED REDUCTION OF HEAD COUNTS.

SO THERE WERE QUITE A FEW THAT TOOK THE PROGRAM.

IN THAT, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS POSITIONS THAT TOOK THE TOOK THE EARLY RETIREMENT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, THAT WERE CRITICAL TO THE OPERATIONS OF DART.

SO IN THIS PROCESS, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD 16 POSITIONS PUT ON CONTRACT TO KEEP FOR A LITTLE LONGER UNTIL WE CAN WORK THROUGH THIS.

MR. THOMAS BEING ONE OF THOSE I MENTIONED EARLY ON.

SO NEXT PAGE.

SO GARY THOMAS WAS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM, SO HE WILL BE LEAVING DART.

WE HAVE ASKED HIM TO STAY ON BOARD AND WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

NOW WE'VE ACTUALLY ENGAGED DAVID LEININGER, WHO IS THE FORMER CFO OF DART, WHO WAS AVAILABLE TO ACT AS OUR INTERIM PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

[00:25:02]

AND SO WE DID TAKE CARE OF THAT PROCESS.

AND THAT'S EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 2021 TO SERVE UNTIL SUCH TIME AS PERMANENT PRESIDENT EXEC IS APPOINTED.

AND HE'LL BE EMPLOYED ON NOVEMBER 30TH THROUGH JANUARY 31ST AS DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

SO WE DO HAVE AND DAVID IS A FANTASTIC INDIVIDUAL, HE KNOWS THE SYSTEM AND KNOWS THE BUSINESS AND THE PLAYERS.

HE HAD RETIRED, I WANT TO SAY TWO YEARS AGO, MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

SO IT WAS VERY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US THAT HE WAS AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO ACT IN CAPACITY.

NEXT.

SO IN CLOSING, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.

HAVING DAVID IN THAT CAPACITY IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL.

I WILL SAY WE ARE STARTING THE SEARCH PROCESS FOR A NEW CEO OF DART.

THAT HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE CANDIDATES AND GET THE PROCESS ROLLING HERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

AND AGAIN, GARY THOMAS, INCREDIBLE LEADER FOR DART.

HE WILL BE MISSED AND HOPEFULLY HE WILL STILL BE AROUND AND WE'LL BE IN TOUCH.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP.

ANY QUESTIONS? AND MR. KELLY, IF YOU TURN YOUR CAMERA ON, I THINK WE LOST YOUR CAMERA AT SOME POINT.

THERE YOU ARE.

I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS? THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MR. KELLY, FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND FOR CATCHING US UP AND REALLY, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S MAINLY A QUESTION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING.

THE MY DISTRICT IS HEAVY IN BUS AND TRAIN USE.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF PRONENESS THERE TO WANT COVERAGE RATHER THAN RIDERSHIP.

AND I SEE WE'RE MOVING PRETTY SHARPLY IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, WHICH IS GOING TO LEAVE A LOT OF MY PEOPLE IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS PRETTY FAR FROM THAT.

SO [INAUDIBLE].

CAN YOU TELL ME THE COST? WHAT'S THE COST DIFFERENCE IN USING GO LINK TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO MAKE UP FOR THESE GAPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FORMING BETWEEN PEOPLE'S NEIGHBORHOODS AND A BUS ROUTE THAT WE'LL HAVE IN THE FUTURE? YEAH, I AM.

AS FAR AS THE SPECIFICS ON THE COST, I'LL DIFFER EITHER TODD OR NICOLE, IF THAT'S ONE OF Y'ALL MORE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.

HAS JOINED US.

OK.

WELL WHOEVER HAS AND I KNOW THIS MAY NOT BE WORKED OUT TO THE DIME YET, BUT JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE A GENERAL IDEA, THEY'VE BEEN USING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USED TO THE REGULAR RATES THEY'RE PAYING NOW TO RIDE THE BUS THAT COMES CLOSE TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND NOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE GO LINK TO CONNECT.

SO I'M ASSUMING THAT WILL COST THEM MORE THAN IT COSTS NOW TO HOP THE BUS ON THE EDGE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR IS THAT NOT ACCURATE? I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S ACCURATE.

BUT GARY? HOW ABOUT YOU, GARY THOMAS IF YOU WANT TO JUMP THERE? SURE.

SO THANK YOU.

AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING A LITTLE BIT LATE TONIGHT, BUT THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER KELLY AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO, COUNCILWOMAN, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING ACTUALLY PROVIDES BETTER COVERAGE OVERALL THAN WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

TRUE SOME OF THAT WILL BE THROUGH THE GO LINK SERVICES.

BUT IT'S A IT'S A COMBINATION OF WE THINK OF THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, BETTER COVERAGE AND MORE FREQUENT BUS ROUTES ON OUR BUSIEST ROUTES.

FROM A COST PER TRIP BASIS.

TODD CAN HELP ME OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, RIDING THE IF YOU GET ON THE VAN IN THE GO LINK ZONE.

SO FIRST OF ALL, GO LINK IS AN APP BASED SERVICE AND OUR METRIC IS A 10 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, OUR GOAL IS TO BE THERE WITHIN 10 MINUTES WHEN YOU ASK US TO BE THERE AND AS THE CUSTOMER, YOU GET TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO GET IN A SMALL BUS OR UBER POOL VEHICLE.

AND WHEN YOU GO TO THE APP, IT WILL ACTUALLY TELL YOU WHICH VEHICLE IS WHERE.

SO IT MAY SAY THE VAN IS 16 MINUTES AWAY AND UBER POOL IS EIGHT MINUTES AWAY.

YOU MAY CHOOSE TO RIDE THE VAN FOR YOUR OWN PARTICULAR REASONS OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO RIDE UBER POOL.

[00:30:01]

GENERALLY, THE COST IS THE SAME.

SO IF YOU GET ON THE VAN, THEN THAT TRANSFERS TO BUSSES OR TRAINS.

IF YOU RIDE, IF YOU CHOOSE UBER POOL, THEN THAT IS A PER TRIP KIND OF RIDE AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR DAILY PASS IF YOU GET ON THE TRAIN OR BUS AFTER THAT.

IF IS THAT, ISN'T THAT CORRECT TODD? THAT'S CORRECT.

IT'S THE GO LINK IS THE SAME FARE.

SO IF YOU'RE REDUCED [INAUDIBLE] RIDER, HALF FARE, THAT'S YOUR FARE FOR A GO LINK.

AND THEN YOU THEN YOU BUY YOUR TICKET AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO TRAVEL ON THE TRAIN OR BUSSES AS WELL.

GO LINK ON ON THE UBER POOL.

IT'S IN THE RUSH HOUR FEEDING INTO THE BUSSES OR THE TRAIN.

WE DON'T ACTUALLY CHARGE YOU, FOR UBER POOL, BUT WE KNOW YOU HAVE TO PAY WHEN YOU GET TO THE TRAINS AND YOU'RE NOT PAYING ANY LESS THAN YOU WOULD PAY NORMALLY.

AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, IT'S A 3 DOLLAR COST WHICH IS SIMILAR TO DART'S, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO DART'S FARE OR LIKE AN AM PASS OR PM PASS.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN THE FARES BUT FOR REGULAR GO LINK.

IT'S IDENTICAL.

SO NO ADDITIONAL COST, COUNCIL MEMBER.

SO FROM A PREVIOUS BUS STOP THAT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE THAT GOES AWAY.

AND NOW I GET GO LINK AND I CONNECT WITH A ONE OF THE NEW ROUTES THAT PICKS UP MORE OFTEN.

YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT BE ANY KIND OF A SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL COST? IF I USE GO LINK RATHER THAN UBER FOR ME TO CONNECT FROM THE VICINITY OF MY HOUSE TO ONE OF THE MAJOR BUS LINES.

SO, YES, MA'AM, AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE.

IF YOU USE TO GO LINK YOU WOULD PICK YOU UP AT YOUR HOUSE AND IT WOULD TAKE YOU ANYWHERE WITHIN THE ZONE WITHIN THAT GO LINK ZONE, OR IT WOULD TAKE YOU TO THE CLOSEST DESIGNATED ROUTE STATION.

SO THAT'S HOW THAT WOULD WORK.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S AS MUCH DETAIL AS I WANT TO SPEND TIME ON TONIGHT.

BUT THANK YOU.

AND I MEAN, FOR ME, GO LINK SOUNDS LIKE A TREMENDOUSLY WINNING CONCEPT AND THE HYBRID CONCEPT IS GOOD.

I JUST A LOT OF MY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, A DOLLAR A DOLLAR FIFTY TWO DOLLARS A DAY, TWICE A DAY.

IT'S A BIG DEAL.

IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THEM.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU ALL.

THANKS MAYOR.

WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

WE WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE TO REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY IN WHATEVER FORM YOU WANT US TO.

EASY FOR ME TO SAY I'LL BE GONE, BUT TODD WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT AND AND WORK AND WORK WITH THOSE FOLKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM SERVICE.

HAPPY TO DO THAT AND HAPPY TO FACILITATE THAT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK YOU MA'AM.

COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

THANKS, MR. KELLY, FOR THAT REPORT.

GOOD EVENING AND CONGRATULATIONS, THOMAS, TO YOU.

MY QUESTION IS REGARDING THE TRANSIT CENTERS.

CAN YOU SPEAK AND THIS IS DIRECTED PRIMARILY MR. KELLY.

BUT ANYBODY CAN CHIME IN.

WHAT IS WHAT IS THE NOW PUBLIC ACCESS AT THE TRANSIT CENTER SINCE WE'VE GOT TWO AND I'VE GOT ONE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY DISTRICT.

AND PART B TO THAT QUESTION IS, CAN YOU SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE PREVENTIVE OR SAFETY COVID MEASURES THAT ARE NOW IN PLACE AT THE TRANSIT CENTERS? THANK YOU, COUNCILOR WILLIAMS AND I'M GOING TO DEFER AGAIN TO MR. THOMAS AND MR. PLESKO ON THAT, AS FOR THE SPECIFICS OF THE COVID MEASURES THAT ARE GOING ON, BUT I BELIEVE THOSE TRANSIT CENTERS ARE UP AND RUNNING.

SO, MR. THOMAS? SURE.

COUNCILMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

AND WE'RE VERY OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, WE'RE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR CUSTOMERS AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS CLEANED, DISINFECTED AND WIPED DOWN.

AND TODD, NICOLE, I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE TRANSIT CENTERS ARE OPEN AT THIS TIME.

I DON'T I IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THE PERIPHERAL ONES ARE NOT OPEN YET, WE'VE BEEN EVALUATED THEM TO OPEN THEM.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE NOT.

SO COUNCILMAN LET US GET A LIST OF WHICH ONES ARE OPEN AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT RIGHT NOW.

OK, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

[00:35:03]

CAN YOU SPEAK TO APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION, BUT CAN YOU OR YOUR STAFF, SPEAK TO THE GENERAL COVID SAFETY MEASURES THAT WILL BE PUT IN PLACE WHEN THOSE ARE OPEN AND WHAT'S IN PLACE NOW AT THE CENTERS? BECAUSE I'VE JUST RECENTLY I'VE NOTICED SOME FOLKS PARTICULAR AT MY STATION PEOPLE SHOW UP AND THEN DRIVE AWAY IN THIS KIND OF THING.

SO WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT IF SOMEONE DRIVES UP TO THE TRAIN, THE RAY HUBBARD TRANSIT CENTER TOMORROW IN THE WAY OF SAFETY MEASURES? CAN YOU ALL SPEAK TO THAT? NICOLE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SPEAK TO SAFETY MEASURES THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED ON BUSSES AND TRAINS AND FACILITIES.

WELL, GOOD EVENING.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND YOUR SUPPORT IN DART.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME VERY EXTENSIVE CLEANING, DISINFECTING AND SANITIZING PROTOCOLS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.

WE ARE CLEANING AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF EACH ROUTE, BUT WE ALSO ARE CLEANING IN BETWEEN DURING THE DAY.

MOST OF THE TIME THAT'S TWICE A DAY.

IF THERE ARE SITUATIONS THAT OCCUR WHERE WE NEED IMMEDIATE CLEANING AND SUCH AS A BIOMEDICAL SITUATION, BIOMEDICAL HAZARD, THERE ARE CREWS THAT ARE DISPENSED VERY QUICKLY.

AGAIN, 70 PERCENT OF THE BUS ROLLING STOCK HAVE FILTER SYSTEMS ON THERE THAT ARE CLEANSING THE AIR AND ALSO ULTRAVIOLET AS PART OF THAT.

SO IT'S A IT'S A VERY EXTENSIVE PROCESS.

WE HAVE CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN OUR PROTOCOLS THROUGHOUT COVID FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR EMPLOYEES.

WE'RE VERY, VERY COMMITTED AND REALLY ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO WEAR MASKS.

WE HAD A REALLY STRONG CAMPAIGN ON THAT FOR RIDERS AND STAFF.

SO I HOPE THAT HELPS, SIR.

THANK YOU, MA'AM, FOR RESPONSE.

THANKS VERY MUCH MR. MAYOR.

THANK YOU.

COUNCILOR WILLIAMS. I'LL ALSO JUST ADD IN HERE, THAT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY IS A VERY IMPORTANT GOAL FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE.

THAT'S BEEN DIRECTED TO STAFF.

I MEAN, I THINK THE COVID IS A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL OF SAFETY MEASURES, AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE A PERCEPTION OF COMPLETELY BEING SAFE AS THEY'RE RIDING DART OR IF THEY'RE IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES THAT DART MAINTAINS.

SO THAT IS OF MOST IMPORTANCE TO US.

VERY GOOD.

COUNCILOR MCNEAL? GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

AND MR. KELLY.

MR. THOMAS.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

AND THE FIRST IS, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED IT, IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY OUTREACH, OBVIOUSLY IN TRYING TO GET OUR RIDERSHIP BACK UP.

BUT THAT COMMUNITY, THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW WE CAN KIND OF TABLE THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY? NICOLE? I'M SORRY, MR. KELLY.

WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, FROM AN OUTREACH, I'LL TELL YOU THIS A LITTLE BIT.

DART HAS A LOT OF OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT WE DO.

AND I THINK NICOLE WILL ADDRESS THAT HERE IN JUST A SECOND.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU ALSO AS YOUR BOARD MEMBER, IF THERE'S ANY OUTREACH, IF YOU'RE DOING ANY LOCAL MEETINGS WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING ME VISIT OR ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER FROM DART.

I'D BE HAPPY TO BE AVAILABLE AND ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS AND HELP ADDRESS QUESTIONS ONE ON ONE.

AND I LOVE THE FEEDBACK, QUITE FRANKLY.

SO AS I'M WORKING WITH THE BOARD, I'M AWARE OF WHAT THE CONCERNS OF ITS CONSTITUENTS ARE.

I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS AND I ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND RODE BUSSES ONE DAY TOGETHER JUST TO TAKE THE PULSE OF THE RIDER.

SO I WELCOME THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AND AND I'LL TURN OVER NICOLE TO GIVE HER RESPONSE.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY WELCOME AND APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AS WELL.

SO THANKS AND WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL.

NICOLE? THANK YOU, MR. KELLY.

YOU'VE GIVEN A GREAT BROAD BRUSH STROKE.

YES, WE DO HAVE REGULAR OUTREACH.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A STAFF OF AMBASSADORS, IF YOU WILL, THAT ARE IN THE GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS GROUP.

PRE-COVID THEY VISITED MANY TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS IN THE SCHOOLS, MOST

[00:40:07]

OF THAT OBVIOUSLY IS VIRTUAL NOW, AND TODD, THROUGH HIS GROUP, WILL CONVENE FOCUS GROUPS AND OTHER TYPES OF ARENAS.

WE'VE ALSO USED FACEBOOK TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND WOULD LIKE TO SECURE INPUT AND CONVERSATION WITH THE RIDERS AND ALSO HAVE A CUSTOMER ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHERE THERE ARE MEMBERS WHO ARE APPOINTED BY THE BOARD, WHO ARE RIDERS AND JUST HAVE GENERAL INTEREST IN DART.

WE MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

THEY PROVIDE REPORTS TO THE BOARD ON THEIR WORK AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS.

AND THANK YOU, MS. NICOLE, AND ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

WE HAD A GROUP OF OUR, FROM ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS HERE IN THE AREA, THEY GOT A CHANCE TO VISIT YOUR OPERATIONS CENTER AND SAW IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

AND THANK YOU FOR AVAILING YOURSELF AND YOUR SYSTEM TO THAT.

AND I GUESS WHERE I WAS REALLY GOING WITH THAT IS WITH REGARDS TO COVID, WHAT OUTREACH CAMPAIGN HAVE WE HAD TO ASSURE OUR RIDERS OF THE PLANS AND THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT THESE ARE OUTSTANDING AND GREAT.

SO JUST PROVIDING THAT PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH ARE WE DOING TO REALLY GAIN THAT RIDERSHIP AND THAT CONFIDENCE BACK IN OUR SYSTEM? WELL WE ARE RUNNING REGULAR CAMPAIGNS ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS OF MEDIA AND WHETHER THAT'S SOCIAL MEDIA, SOME TV SPOTS, SOME RADIO SPOTS TO MAKE EVERYONE AWARE OF OUR CONCERN, INTEREST AND ACTIONS AROUND CLEANLINESS AND SAFETY ON THE SYSTEM.

SO YOU WILL SEE IT REALLY EVERYWHERE THAT DART TRAVERSES AT THIS POINT.

LET'S SEE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE AND MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING SOMETHING, BUT JUST OFF OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS WAS SAYING AND WHAT THE POTENTIAL PLAN IS WITH RESPECT TO.

THE HYBRID SERVICE AND THE GO LINK, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GO LINK ZONES, BUT THOSE ZONES ARE NOT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE WHEREVER SERVICE MAYBE HAVE BEEN REDUCED OR REMOVED, YOU'RE NOT AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO HAVE GO LINK, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT, AS FAR AS THE DETAILS ON THE DIFFERENT AREAS, ONLY CERTAIN AREAS WILL BE GO LINK COVERAGE.

OK.

I DIDN'T SEE A MAP OF THAT.

I MEAN, I KNOW AT SOME POINT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, BUT THAT'S ALL SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO COME LATER.

BUT IF YOUR BUS STOP IS MOVED FROM 10 FEET IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE TO 500 FEET, YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO HAVE AN OPTION FOR GO LINK TO BRIDGE THAT GAP, CORRECT? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

AND I WOULD TELL YOU THAT PART OF THE INCREASE IN THE RIDER EXPERIENCES IS FEWER STOPS.

AND SO YOU MAY EVEN SEE STOPS THAT ARE BEING REMOVED.

SO IF YOU'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THAT STOP RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WALK SEVERAL BLOCKS TO GET TO THE NEXT CLOSEST STOP.

SO BUT AND THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS YOU DO GET A BETTER RIDER EXPERIENCE BECAUSE YOU DO GET TO YOUR DESTINATION QUICKER.

ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

IN MY RECOLLECTION FROM WHEN WE WENT TO SOME OF THEM, I MEAN, BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN I LOOKED AT WHEN I WENT TO THE PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MAYBE THIS IS FOR TODD TO ANSWER OR FOR YOU, SIR.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NOW HAVING TO NOW HAVING NO BUS SERVICE IN GARLAND, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO GO MILE A MILE AND A HALF TO A BUS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INSTEAD OF A TWO MINUTE WALK, YOU MIGHT HAVE A FIVE MINUTE WALK OR TEN MINUTE WALK.

IS THAT ROUGHLY, IS THAT'S STILL WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO THE HYBRID PLAN? I'LL LET TODD SPEAK TO THE HYBRID PLAN.

BUT NOW ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR TOO IS AS WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS VERY UPFRONT WITH, WITH AND DOING THIS IS IF YOU THINK OF IF YOU'RE REDEPLOYING CAPITAL OR BUSSES [INAUDIBLE].

IT MIGHT BE REALLY EASY TO SAY CHOOSE A BUNCH OF THE POPULAR ROUTES, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN GARLAND.

AND SO I GAVE THIS A FOCUS THAT WE DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE BUSSES THAT CURRENTLY

[00:45:01]

SERVE GARLAND TO SERVE A DIFFERENT CITY.

IT IS A REGIONAL SYSTEM AND I GET THAT.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT SACRIFICING ANYTHING ON THE RIDERS OF GARLAND.

AND IF ANYTHING, WE MAY BE COMING OUT AHEAD.

SO WE'RE TIED.

WELL TODD YOU WANT TO JUMP IN HERE [INAUDIBLE] QUESTION? YES.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, GARLAND IS ACTUALLY IS AS MR. KELLY SAID BEFORE, ONE OF THE STRONGER BUSSES USING COMMUNITIES.

AND SO THE HYBRID PLAN ACTUALLY IMPROVES BUS SERVICE IN TERMS OF FREQUENCY AND AVAILABILITY.

AT LEAST ONE AREA WHERE GO LINK WOULD IS IN OPERATION NOW, WHICH IS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION, THE BASS PRO AREA, THAT GO LINK IS IN OPERATION.

BUT IN GENERAL, YOU WILL NOT FIND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK A MILE OR MILE AND A HALF TO GET TO A BUS.

AND I THINK YOU'LL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.

WE DID WORK WITH YOUR STAFF IN DEVELOPING THIS CONCEPT.

WE MET ON THIS THE BEGINNING ON THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER.

AND IT WAS A VERY HELPFUL PROCESS, HAVING YOUR STAFF HELP US WITH THAT.

AND SO ONCE WE SHARE THE RESULTS OF THAT WITH THE BOARD WILL BE COMING BACK OUT TO CITY COUNCILS IF THEY WANT TO SEE.

SO WE CAN SHARE THE DETAILS, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED OR YOU IDENTIFY, WE STILL WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.

BUT CLEARLY, GARLAND WILL BE A PRETTY STRONG BUS NETWORK, AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE MUCH BETTER FREQUENCY.

AND I BELIEVE YOU'LL GET BETTER RIDERSHIP FROM IT.

ABSOLUTELY NO THANK YOU.

AND I CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN GREAT SO FAR.

WHILE I HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT THINGS.

I JUST WANT TO BE AS PEOPLE AT HOME ARE WATCHING, I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO PANIC THAT WE'RE SOMEHOW LOSING BUS SERVICE OR THEY'LL HAVE TO FIND ALL KINDS OF NEW METHODS AND WHATNOT.

AND ACTUALLY, I SUPPORT A STRONG RIDERSHIP MODEL.

AND I THINK IN THE LONG TERM, IT'S PROBABLY MORE BENEFICIAL TO OUR CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO USE THE BUSSES, TO HAVE GREATER FREQUENCY AND GREATER FLEXIBILITY.

I THINK WHEN WE MET, YOU KNOW, I TOLD YOU THE STORY OF ME WHEN I WHEN I FIRST CAME DOWN FROM A GROUP UP NORTH WITH THE BOSTON TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT HAD A HIGH RIDERSHIP MODEL.

AND I CAME DOWN HERE, AND DIDN'T THINK THAT I NEEDED A CAR AT ALL TO LIVE IN DALLAS.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS BACK IN THE EARLY 90S, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BUS [INAUDIBLE] EVERY 40 MINUTES THEN WENT TO RUNNING EVERY HOUR DURING THE DAY.

AND SO OF GREATER FREQUENCY, I THINK ALSO WILL PROVIDE IT'S JUST A GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A NINE TO FIVE WORLD ANYMORE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO WORK HERE IN GARLAND.

AND SO HAVING GREATER FREQUENCY DURING THE DAY, IF YOU'VE GOT TO GET TO A IF YOU HAVE TO GET TO A RESTAURANT JOB AT NOON OR A RETAIL JOB AT 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON OR SOMETHING, YOU HAVE THAT FREQUENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN GET TO THAT TO THAT JOB IN A TIMELY MANNER.

AND SO I THINK THAT THE RIDERSHIP GOAL LOOKS LIKE THE BALANCE IS JUST ABOUT RIGHT.

AND SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE, TO FUTURE CONVERSATIONS ON THAT.

AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND [INAUBLIBLE] I THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US.

AND MR. THOMAS, I'M NOT MAD AT YOU, BUT I REALLY HATE TO SEE YOU GO AND INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE FOR THE ENTIRE REGION, BUT PARTICULARLY FOR GARLAND AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE WITH ALL THOSE SYSTEMS, WITH [INAUDIBLE] TRAIN SYSTEM AND MAKING SURE WE [INAUDIBLE].

CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH, YOU AND YOUR STAFF, FOR THE WOR THAT YOU'VE DONE.

AND I'M SURE THE BOARD WILL ENDEAVOR TO FIND A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT, BUT CERTAINLY WON'T MATCH THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AT LEAST FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.

AND I'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM, CERTAINLY TODD, NICOLE HERE TONIGHT.

BUT WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A GREAT TEAM AND I'VE ALWAYS THOROUGHLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND.

AND I'LL CONTINUE TO REMAIN A RESIDENT OF GARLAND, SO I'LL TUNE IN.

I'VE TUNE IN THE COUNCIL MEETING, BUT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A DISTRICT ONE SLOT AVAILABLE, COME MAY, SO DON'T BE SHY.

[LAUGHTER] MR. MCNEAL IS GOING TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT UNTIL THEN.

BUT DON'T BE SHY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK YOU.

WE HAVE CLEARED THE QUEUES.

ARE THERE ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I THINK FROM MEMORY WE HAVE THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST LISTS OF DART

[00:50:03]

REPRESENTATIVES WE'VE HAD WITH US IN FRONT OF US AT ONE TIME.

SO IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, I DON'T SEE ANY ELSE.

ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.

MR. KELLY AND AGAIN, ALL THE DART STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING YOUR UPDATE TO US.

AND MR. THOMAS, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN PRETTY MUCH WRAPPED UP MY THOUGHTS.

AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO DART AND TO THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND, AND WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU'RE STILL GOING TO BE LIVING HERE.

SO THAT'S THAT'S GOOD.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MR. MAYOR.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

AND EXCUSE ME, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 4B, COVID-19 RESPONSE UPDATE AND FURTHER

[4B. COVID-19 Response Update and Further Actions]

ACTIONS, MR. CHESSHER? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING COUNCIL.

I WILL GO AHEAD AND ASK MISTIE TO SHARE HER SCREEN.

I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE A BUSY AGENDA, AND THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO TRY TO RUN THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.

SO THIS IS THE TYPICAL REPORT THAT I GIVE EVERY DAY.

THESE ARE THE NUMBER IN BLUE, OF COURSE, REPRESENTS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC TO NOW, COINCIDENTALLY, THAT'S REPRESENTS SIX PERCENT OF THE POPULATION.

OR ANOTHER WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS ABOUT ONE IN EVERY 17 RESIDENTS HAVE AT SOME POINT THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC, TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.

SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW PREVALENT THIS DISEASE HAS BEEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

JUST REAL QUICKLY, WE HAVE THAT NUMBER BROKEN DOWN IN THE TOTAL RECOVERED, OF COURSE, ELEVEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR.

THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE CASES.

SO THE LION'S SHARE OF THOSE TOTAL CASES REPRESENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOTTEN SICK, PROGRESSED THROUGH THE DISEASE PHASE AND RECOVERED.

THE ACTIVE CASES, TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN.

THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT 19 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CASES AND THEN THE DEATHS THERE AT ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN.

THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT EIGHT TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CASES.

AND OF COURSE, THE GRAPH ON THE LEFT ILLUSTRATES CASES BY COLLECTION DATE.

SO IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA.

OF COURSE, IT'S LOOKING BACK IN TIME, BUT IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHEN WE'RE SEEING OR WHEN WE HAVE SEEN, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY, HIGHER DAILY COUNTS.

SO THANK YOU, MISTIE.

YOU CAN UNSHARE YOUR SCREEN.

I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED AT THE VERY BEGINNING WE HAD TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TODAY.

AND OUR SEVEN DAY ROLLING AVERAGE OF THE CASES REPORTED BY DAY IS IT'S ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

IT'S RUNNING AT ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY PER DAY NOW, WHICH IS CERTAINLY MUCH HIGHER THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.

VERY QUICKLY, A VACCINE UPDATE.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, MY GOSH, HUNDREDS OF NEWS ARTICLES OF REGARDING VACCINES.

WE HAVE WE'RE HAVING MULTIPLE WEBINARS EACH DAY WITH EITHER THE THE STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL.

WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME OVER THE WEEKEND THAT TELLS YOU HOW BUSY THIS PROCESS IS OR HOW QUICKLY THIS PROCESS IS RAMPING UP.

SO LOTS OF LOTS OF INFORMATION COMING DOWN ON VACCINES.

IT'S BEEN WIDELY REPORTED THAT THE PFIZER VACCINE, OF COURSE, DISTRIBUTION BEGAN, I BELIEVE I BELIEVE THAT WAS YESTERDAY AND VACCINES WERE ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTED TODAY.

AND, OF COURSE, THAT FIRST ROUND OF VACCINES IS GOING DIRECTLY TO HOSPITALS AND LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES.

THOSE ARE THE MOST AT RISK FOLKS.

SO THEY WERE SELECTED TO GET THE VACCINE FIRST.

WE WON'T SEE ANY OF THAT FIRST ROUND OF VACCINE.

IT WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO THOSE FIRST TIER GROUPS.

AND YOU KNOW OF COURSE, AS VACCINE BECOMES MORE AVAILABLE, THEY WILL EXPAND THE GROUPS THAT ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE VACCINE.

OF COURSE, THAT INCLUDES THE FIRST RESPONDERS, FIRE AND EMT, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL SETTINGS.

SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA.

THERE'S A VERY DETAILED DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR VACCINE BY VOCATION.

SO AS VACCINES BECOME AVAILABLE.

WE'LL FOLLOW THOSE GUIDELINES.

THAT FRANKLY, I DON'T EXPECT US TO SEE ANY VACCINE, AT LEAST FOR THE GARLAND HEALTH

[00:55:01]

DEPARTMENT UNTIL JANUARY, IF NOT LATER.

I THINK IF WE GET ANY VACCINE IN JANUARY, IT'LL BE A TRICKLE, BUT, OF COURSE, WE'LL IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO DISTRIBUTE IT TO THOSE PRIORITY GROUPS SO.

THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THE VACCINE IS BEING DISTRIBUTED IS GREAT NEWS.

WE FINALLY HAVE A TOOL OTHER THAN PREVENTATIVE MEASURES TO FIGHT THIS DISEASE.

AND OF COURSE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE VACCINES IN THE PIPELINE.

I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, THERE'S UPWARDS OF TWO HUNDRED VACCINES AT SOME STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT.

NOW, MANY OF THOSE MAY BE MONTHS AWAY FROM APPROVAL, BUT THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE FAST PACE THE FAST PACE OF CHANGE AND FAST PACE OF DISTRIBUTION FOR THE VACCINES.

SO FINALLY, THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES, OF COURSE, EVEN THOUGH VACCINES HAVE ARRIVED FOR SOME, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP ON THOSE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES.

THAT HAVE HELPED STEM THE SPREAD OF DISEASE THUS FAR, AND THESE ARE MEASURES THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE UNTIL A VACCINE IS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.

I CAN'T GIVE YOU A DAY OR EVEN A MONTH THAT WE'LL STOP RECOMMENDING THESE PERSONAL PREVENTATIVE MEASURES.

BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ASK THE PUBLIC TO PRACTICE THESE MEASURES.

SO VERY QUICKLY, WASH HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS.

YOU WANT TO AVOID TOUCHING EYES, NOSE OR MOUTH, PARTICULARLY WITH UNWASHED HANDS.

YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT SOCIAL DISTANCE WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

CERTAINLY WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN PUBLIC SETTING, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO APPEAR HEALTHY CAN STILL BE INFECTED AND SPREAD COVID-19 SO THAT THE MINIMUM 6 FEET OF SOCIAL DISTANCING CERTAINLY IS KEY.

YOU WANT TO STAY HOME IF YOU'RE SICK.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF COVID-19 ARE ALMOST INDISTINGUISHABLE, OR MANY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE BETWEEN SYMPTOMS OF COLD OR FLU OR ALLERGIES.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THOSE SYMPTOMS, WE WANT TO PLAY IT SAFE AND ASK YOU TO STAY HOME SO THAT WE DON'T RISK INFECTING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

AND OF COURSE, YOU WANT TO BE COURTEOUS, COVER YOUR COUGHS AND SNEEZES WITH YOUR ELBOWS TO PREVENT DROPLETS SPREAD.

AND YOU WANT TO CLEAN THOSE HIGH TOUCH SURFACES, THOSE SURFACES THAT ARE TOUCHED FREQUENTLY, PARTICULARLY IN PUBLIC AREAS.

AND I'M TALKING ABOUT DOORKNOBS, HANDRAILS IN THE LINE.

AND FINALLY, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO URGE RESIDENTS TO WEAR MASKS.

MASKS CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PREVENT BOTH THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE AND OR AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, THEY PREVENT INFECTION.

SO CERTAINLY WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR MASKS.

FINALLY, THE INFORMATION THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THE NUMBERS, OF COURSE, THOSE ARE POSTED DAILY.

AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PUBLIC AND MEDIA AFFAIRS GROUP TO BEGIN TO DISTRIBUTE GARLAND SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR COVID-19 VACCINE.

SO WE WANT TO BE PREPARED TO BOTH ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO TAKE VACCINES WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND TO KEEP THE PUBLIC AS UP TO DATE AS POSSIBLE ON THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION IN GARLAND.

SO YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THAT INFORMATION BECOMING PUBLIC IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

MAYOR, I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.

I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT A COUPLE.

COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING, MR. CHESSHER, APPRECIATE THAT REPORT.

GOOD EVENING SIR.

GOOD.

I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. THIS IS DIRECTED TO MR. BRADFORD.

HE'S HERE, GO AHEAD.

MR. BRADFORD, WOULD YOU BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THE INTERNAL MEASURES AS RELATES TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE LATEST MEASURE AS IT RELATES TO WHAT'S COMMONLY KNOWN AS OUR UTILITY BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET FROM CITY HALL? CAN YOU BRIEFLY SET TO BRING CITIZENS UP TO DATE ON WHAT ARE WITH THOSE TWO AREAS? THANK YOU, SIR.

SURE.

WE HAVE AS WE HAVE ENTERED INTO THIS SECOND SPIKE OF COVID DURING THE FALL, WE HAVE REDUCED OUR OFFICE STAFFING TO A VERY BARE MINIMUM.

AND WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC FACILITIES SUCH AS LIBRARIES, PARKS, WE ARE WE ARE RUNNING AT REDUCED CAPACITY.

WE HAVE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE FOR BOTH STAFF AND CITIZENS WHO COME TO THE FACILITIES.

AGAIN, THEY ARE OPEN, BUT THEY ARE IN A VERY REDUCED CAPACITY LIMITS.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN LARGE PART IS, IS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS RESPONDED TO THE CURRENT

[01:00:05]

CRISIS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY HAVE ADOPTED THE MEASURES THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE TO AVOID HAVING TO COME TO CITY FACILITIES.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE THE UTILITY LINES AT THE DUCKWORTH BUILDING ARE OPEN AGAIN, SO FEW PEOPLE COME TO THE LOBBY NOW THAT THERE IS SAFE DISTANCING, MASKS ARE WORN, PEOPLE ADJUSTED THEIR BEHAVIOR WHEN WE GAVE THEM ADDITIONAL OPTIONS, SUCH AS TAKING CARE OF THINGS AT THE DRIVE THRU.

AND SO WE HAVE WE HAVE CERTAINLY ADJUSTED OUR SERVICE LEVELS AS THE THREAT LEVELS AND THE CASE LEVELS HAVE CLIMBED.

BUT THE PUBLIC, TOO, HAS CHANGED THE WAY THEY INTERFACE WITH US.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

SIR.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR JASON BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO MISTIE? GO AHEAD, COUNCIL MEMBER MCNEAL.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MR. CHESSHER, FOR ALL YOUR WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU INDICATED, THE VACCINES MAY NOT BE READY FOR OUR COMMUNITY UNTIL JANUARY, FEBRUARY.

HAVE WE GIVEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO A ROLL OUT PLAN TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY? BECAUSE WE KNOW WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE APPREHENSIVE TO TAKE THE VACCINES.

SO HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT SOME KIND OF CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE THAT? IF SO, ONCE THE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR AREA, THAT WE COULD HIT THE GROUND RUNNING? VERY GOOD QUESTION.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH DOROTHY WHITE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF OUR PUBLIC AND MEDIA AFFAIRS GROUP.

WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH DOROTHY ON FRIDAY TO DISCUSS THAT VERY TOPIC.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, SPECIFICS, NO DOUBT THERE'S GOING TO BE.

I GUESS EFFORTS LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, I THINK I THINK SEVERAL PAST PRESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ENLISTED TO PROMOTE THE VACCINE.

SO CERTAINLY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, I'M SURE THAT WILL BE REPEATED AT THE STATE LEVEL.

SO THERE'S YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL WANT TO UTILIZE THAT NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL ENCOURAGEMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

BUT IN OUR OPINION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMETHING GARLAND SPECIFIC.

AND BY THAT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY LEADERS, WELL-KNOWN FOLKS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, PERHAPS FIRST RESPONDERS, THAT IS OUR INTENT.

AND I SAY OUR INTENT LOOSELY BECAUSE DOROTHY AND HER GROUP WILL DEVELOP THOSE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

BUT WE ARE, I GUESS, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, WE ARE WE'VE ALREADY SPENT SOME TIME AND HAVE PLANS THIS WEEK TO CONTINUE TO PREPARE AND DEVELOP THOSE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO TAKE THE VACCINE.

OK, VERY GOOD.

I THINK WE'VE CLEARED THE QUEUE, SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.

MISTIE, YOU'RE UP.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK YOU COUNCIL.

LET ME, SHARE MY SCREEN AND I WILL SHARE THE REST OF THE STATISTICS WITH YOU.

ALL RIGHT, SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL GO OVER THE STATE PERSPECTIVE, WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE THERE, THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE COUNTY LEVEL AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPACTS FOR CITY STAFF.

SO, FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS CONFIRMED CASES, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, WE'VE HAD OR AS OF TODAY, WE HAD EIGHT THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE NEW CASES IN TEXAS, BRINGING THE TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES TO ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND AND NINETY SIX.

WE HAD TWENTY SIX NEWLY REPORTED FATALITIES, BRINGING THE FATALITY TOTAL TO TWENTY THREE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN, WHICH IS ABOUT TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED MORE THAN WHAT WE REPORTED LAST REPORT ON THE 30TH.

WITH AN ESTIMATED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY NINE THOUSAND FIFTY THREE ACTIVE CASES COMPARED TO LAST REPORT WAS ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND.

FOR TEXAS HOSPITALIZATIONS, THE STAFF BED COUNT FOR TODAY WAS SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY FOUR, WITH ELEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT BEDS BEING AVAILABLE FOR A TOTAL OCCUPANCY RIGHT NOW AT FIFTY FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL IN TEXAS.

[01:05:02]

THAT'S UP ABOUT FORTY ONE HUNDRED FROM LAST REPORT.

AND THEN OUT OF THE FIFTY FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX PATIENTS, THERE ARE NINETY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY THAT ARE COVID CONFIRMED PATIENTS.

AND THAT'S UP ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FROM LAST REPORT.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT JUST COVID PATIENTS COMPARED TO REGULAR PATIENTS, IT'S RIGHT AT SIXTEEN POINT NINE TWO PERCENT.

LOOKING AT DALLAS COUNTY CASES SPECIFICALLY, A CUMULATIVE TOTAL IS ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX THOUSAND FORTY TWO CASES, BUT FOR TODAY'S NEW CASES, THEY BREAK IT UP.

A TOTAL NEW CASES FOR TODAY WAS ONE HUNDRED I'M SORRY, ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY NINE AND THEN CONFIRMED OUT OF THOSE IS ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED NINETEEN.

THEY REPORT BOTH CONFIRMED POSITIVES AND PROBABLE CASES.

SO THERE WERE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY PROBABLE POSITIVE CASES.

THAT'S WHERE THAT DIFFERENCE IS IN THE REPORT THERE.

AND THEN THEY'RE UP TO ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVE CONFIRMED DEATHS FOR DALLAS COUNTY.

LOOKING AT DALLAS COUNTY HOSPITALIZATIONS, THIS IS ONE WE FOLLOW CLOSELY, JUST BECAUSE IT'S RELATED TO OBVIOUSLY POTENTIAL SECONDARY IMPACTS WITH HOSPITAL CAPACITY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT'S TIED TO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER NUMBER THIRTY TWO AND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR COUNTY.

SO LOOKING AT A LICENSE BEDS REPORTED FOR TODAY, TOTAL [INAUDIBLE] BEDS REPORTED WAS SIX THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR.

BUT THE CENSUS RIGHT NOW FOR INPATIENT TOTAL WAS FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN.

EIGHT HUNDRED OF THOSE PATIENTS BEING COVID CONFIRMED POSITIVES.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT SEVENTEEN POINT EIGHTEEN PERCENT OR SEVENTEEN POINT ONE EIGHT PERCENT.

VENTILATOR AVAILABILITY, TOTAL VENTILATORS AVAILABLE LOWER RIGHT CORNER, SIXTEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE AND THEN AVAILABLE STAFFED INPATIENT BEDS IS SIX HUNDRED TWENTY SIX WITH THE AVAILABLE ADULT ICU BEDS BEING DOWN TO 14.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M ASKED ABOUT JUST ABOUT EVERY MEETING, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND COMPARE IT FOR LAST REPORT, WE WERE AT THIRTY SIX AVAILABLE BEDS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPHIC, I'M GOING TO BLOW THE GRAPHIC UP FROM THE CENTER AND IT KIND OF MAKES IT FUZZY, SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT IT DOES SHOW A COMPARISON FROM OUR HIGHEST TIMES TO NOW.

SO MID JULY, AUGUST AREA ALL THE WAY TO NOW.

THE TWO LINES THERE, THE ORANGE LINE SHOWS YOU THE PERCENT OF ALL PATIENTS WITH COVID.

THE RED LINE SHOWS YOU THE PERCENT OF HOSPITAL CAPACITY WITH COVID.

SO THE RED LINE IS MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE STATE IS COMPARING FOR HOSPITAL CAPACITY.

SO WITH THAT, WE ARE RIGHT AT THE 15 PERCENT MARK.

IT'S FOURTEEN POINT NINE THREE TODAY AND THEY LOOK BACK COMPARISON OVER THE LAST SEVEN DAYS.

SO FOR THE COUNTY, WE HAVEN'T QUITE GOT TO 15 PERCENT YET, BUT WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY CLOSE.

WHAT THEY LOOK AT FOR THE STATE ORDERS IS THE TRAUMA I'M SORRY, THE TRAUMA SERVICE AREA, AND THAT'S BASICALLY THE METROPLEX, THAT'S THE DARK GREEN AREA E UP IN THE MAP.

AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LAST SEVEN DAYS, WE'VE BEEN OVER 15 PERCENT EVERY DAY WITH TODAY'S PERCENTAGE BEING SIXTEEN POINT TWO EIGHT PERCENT.

THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT JASON REVIEWS FOR THE CITY FIRST AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE GARLAND ACT.

WELL, IT WAS CARES ACT FUNDED AND WE ARE CONTINUING EVEN THOUGH CARES ACT FUNDING PERFORMANCE PERIOD IS OVER.

WE'RE CONTINUING TO FUND THE TESTING SITE THAT WE HAVE OPENED.

THAT TESTING SITE IS THE ONE AT FIRST FAMILY HEALTH AT 2201 FOREST LANE.

SO TOTAL TESTS TO DATE ARE TWELVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY.

ORIGINALLY THERE WERE TWO TEST SITES WE'RE DOWN TO ONE NOW.

BUT THIS DOES ADD BOTH TOTALS TOGETHER.

CONFIRMED POSITIVES FOR THIS REPORTING PERIOD WERE ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY.

AND THEN IT SHOWS YOU A CONFIRMED NEGATIVE.

THE REASON FOR THAT IS WE'VE HAD RESULTS FOR ELEVEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN.

SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE STILL PENDING RESULTS.

THIS IS A TABLE AND I'M SORRY, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT IT DOES SHOW ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE IMPACTS TO STAFF RELATED TO COVID.

SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED FORTY SIX STAFF MEMBERS WHO'VE RECOVERED FROM COVID AND RETURN TO WORK.

THAT'S THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN, THE WHITE COLUMN.

AND THEN THE PINK COLUMN ON THE LEFT WE'LL START THERE.

TWENTY FOUR TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID CURRENTLY THAT ARE EXCLUDED FROM WORK.

WE HAVE 11 THAT ARE EXCLUDED FROM WORK THAT ARE PENDING COVID TESTS AND THEN FORTY SIX THAT ARE EXCLUDED DUE TO HIGH RISK EXPOSURES.

[01:10:04]

AND THEN FINALLY, THIS IS THE GRAPHIC THAT JASON AND HIS TEAM MADE, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW THOSE STATISTICS HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME.

SO YOU SEE, WE WERE AT OUR PEAK BACK IN JULY AND THEN NOW HE REPORTS OUT EVERY SEVEN DAYS, SO EVERY FRIDAY.

SO AS OF FRIDAY, THIS FAR RIGHT SHOWS YOU WHERE WE KIND OF COMPARED THERE.

SO THE THE RED IS THE EXCLUDED POSITIVE CASES, THE BLUE IS THE EXCLUDED HIGH RISK CASES, AND THEN THE GREEN IS THE TOTAL EMPLOYEES EXCLUDED.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL STOP SHARING MY SCREEN AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR MISTIE? COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

MISTIE CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT SCREEN THAT SHOWED THE NUMBER OF ICU BEDS AVAILABLE? OF COURSE.

HOLD ON.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT NOW, SIR.

NO, WE'RE STILL SEEING STILL SEEING EACH OTHER.

WELL.

AS LOVELY AS IT IS.

AS LOVELY AS A VISION AS THAT IS.

YES.

HOW ABOUT NOW? THERE YOU GO.

THERE WE GO.

SO.

I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME THERE WERE I THINK YOU SAID THIRTY SIX AND NOW THEY'RE DOWN TO 14 STAFF BEDS.

YES SIR.

AND EVEN IF I MEAN, EVEN IF WE ADDED CAPACITY, THERE'S A QUESTION OF STAFFING.

BEING ABLE TO GET THESE BEDS STAFFED.

SO I JUST I GUESS I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE FOLKS WATCHING FROM HOME.

THAT THERE'S HOPE ON THE HORIZON WITH THE VIRUS, BUT THE PRECAUTIONS THAT MR. CHESSHER MENTIONED, I HOPE EVERYONE TAKES SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IF YOU GET SICK NOW, THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE HOSPITAL FOR YOU.

AND IF YOU GET VERY SICK, THERE REALLY IS NO ROOM I HAD A FRIEND DIED TODAY.

HE HAS A FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, THE FAMILY, IT'S VERY SAD AND WE HEAR ABOUT BETTER TREATMENTS AND WHATEVER ELSE, BUT YOUR BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO NOT GET THIS VIRUS.

AND WE'LL SEE.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN IT YET.

AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY I DON'T THINK I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DATA TEXAS WISE FOR HOSPITALIZATION RATES.

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF THAT, MISTIE? DO WE HAVE.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT.

RATES COMPARED TO WHAT I'M SORRY? RATE OF HOSPITALIZATION.

WITH RESPECT TO TOTAL NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES, I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THAT DATA AND I DON'T SEE IT ANYWHERE.

THE CLOSEST THING WE HAVE IS WHAT I COMPARE.

I USUALLY DO A COMPARISON FOR TOTAL NUMBER OF PATIENTS, BASICALLY COMPARED TO THE ACTUAL INPATIENTS THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITAL.

SO WHAT A STATE USUALLY DOES THE COMPARISON IN THE RATES THAT YOU'LL SEE ARE THE CAPACITY.

SO THEY'LL COMPARE THE LAB CONFIRMED COVID PATIENTS WITH TOTAL STAFF HOSPITAL BEDS OR CAPACITY.

RIGHT NOW, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF COVID PATIENTS VERSUS ACTUAL PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL, WE'RE RIGHT AT AROUND 17 PERCENT OF THE STATE IN COVID PATIENTS.

OK, I GUESS WHAT I'M WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS THERE'S BEEN SOME NATIONAL DATA REPORTED, PARTICULARLY FROM SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE HAVING IT VERY BAD FOR THE HOSPITAL, WHERE THE RATE OF HOSPITALIZATION, IN OTHER WORDS, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TEST POSITIVE WHO END UP IN THE HOSPITAL.

I'M SORRY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW.

I DON'T HAVE THAT FOR THE STATE, BUT I'LL FIND IT FOR YOU.

OK, BECAUSE THAT NUMBER IN STATES WHERE IT'S REALLY BAD, THAT NUMBER IS GOING DOWN, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A BAD TREND.

IT'S GOING DOWN BECAUSE HOSPITALS ARE CHANGING THEIR ADMISSION CRITERIA BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED NUMBER OF BEDS AVAILABLE.

AND IT'S A BAD SIGN.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THERE IN TEXAS YET.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF ILLNESS THAT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN YOU ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL IN SEPTEMBER MAY NOT GET YOU ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL NOW.

SO IN ADDITION TO MR. CHESSHER'S PRECAUTIONS REGARDING NOT GETTING THE DISEASE, PEOPLE DO HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT.

WHAT THEY WILL DO IF THEY GET IT AND HAVE A PLAN FOR IF YOU GET THIS DISEASE AND YOU CANNOT GET ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL, YOU HAVE A PULSE OXIMETER, DO YOU HAVE OTHER KINDS OF THINGS? I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE OUT ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.

I'M NOT A DOCTOR, BUT THEY'RE OUT.

RECOMMENDATIONS OR TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF YOU DO GET IT AND HOW TO CARE FOR YOURSELF AND WHATNOT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CRITERIA ARE.

[01:15:04]

SO JUST ASK THAT EVERYONE TAKE EXTREME CARE.

AND THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS TIME.

AND PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER AS WE GET INTO THE HOLIDAYS, AS THEY TALKED ABOUT WITH THANKSGIVING, LIMITING CONTACT WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR HOME, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE OUTSIDE YOUR HOME.

AS HARD AS THAT IS, IT IS BETTER TO BETTER TO HAVE ANOTHER CHRISTMAS WITH SOME OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEN HAVE THIS ONE BE THE LAST ONE.

THANK YOU, MISTIE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

MISTIE, IF YOU CAN, UNSHARED FOR ME.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COUNCILOR MCNEAL? AND THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

AND MISTIE IN CONNECTION WITH COUNCILMAN AUBIN'S QUESTION REGARDING THOSE HOSPITAL BEDS AVAILABLE, ONE OF THE OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT INDIVIDUALS NEED TO BE AWARE OF IS THOSE THAT HAVE THEIR PRIVATE INSURANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE HOSPITALS ARE COVERED.

AND SO THAT INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET AN UNFORESEEN BILL BECAUSE A HOSPITAL THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO BE ROUTED TO MAY NOT BE IN NETWORK.

SO OUR CITIZENS DEFINITELY NEED TO BE AWARE OF SOME OF THOSE OTHER SERVICES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE.

BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TRY TO EDUCATE THEM AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAY BE WITHIN THEIR NETWORKS TO LIMIT THEIR PERSONAL LIABILITY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

LET'S SEE, COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF? I DIDN'T KNOW IF I DIDN'T KNOW IF MR. BATES WAS GOING TO TALK TONIGHT OR I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE DONE WITH WITH MISTIE BEFORE WE MOVE ON.

[INAUDIBLE] I THINK WE ARE THE QUEUE IS CLEAR.

SO AND MR. BATES IS HERE.

WELL, I JUST HAD WE TALKED TWO MEETINGS AGO ABOUT CITY FACILITIES AND THERE WAS CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN WITH RESPECT TO EVENTS AT THE ATRIUM.

AND THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO GOING FORWARD ABOUT EVENTS WERE ALREADY SCHEDULED.

I JUST WANTED TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OPERATIONS AT THE ATRIUM AND ANY OTHER CHANGES WE'VE MADE REGARDING FACILITY OPERATIONS.

YES, SIR.

MY UNDERSTANDING AT THE ATRIUM WE DID TALK AFTER THE LAST TIME WAS STAFF, IS THAT THE EVENTS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY EITHER LOOKING AT OR TRYING TO SCHEDULE AN EVENT AT THE ATRIUM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR HAD ALL CANCELED.

THE GROUPS HAD CANCELED AND POSTPONED.

SO WE HAD ALREADY IMPLEMENTED A MAXIMUM AT THE ATRIUM OF TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OR LESS FOR AN EVENT.

BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THROUGH IT WAS THROUGH NOVEMBER, AT THAT TIME, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, THOSE EVENTS HAD CANCELED.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT THE NO MORE THAN TWENTY FIVE PERCENT AT THE ATRIUM AND WITH THE SAME THING AT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

BUT AND KEEP IN MIND THAT WITH THE WITH THE I'M SORRY, WITH THE THEATERS, WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING THE GOVERNOR, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE GOVERNOR'S WEBSITE TO SKIP EVERY OTHER ROW AND THEN TO STAGGER SEVERAL SEATS IN BETWEEN.

BUT AS OF YET, WE STILL HAVE OUR FACILITIES OPEN.

THE REC CENTERS ARE OPEN.

I WILL TELL YOU, AGAIN, AS MR. BRADFORD ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WITH SOME OF OUR CITIZENS COMING SEEKING SERVICES, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT OUR LIBRARIES ARE AT THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY.

TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.

BUT THEY'RE NOT REACHING THAT LIMIT.

OUR CITIZENS ARE IT'S LITTLE BY LITTLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THEY'RE NOT REACHING THOSE LIMITS EITHER THERE OR AT OUR REC CENTERS.

SO THEY'RE STILL OUR CITIZENS ARE STILL PARTICIPATING.

THEY'RE STILL USING SOME OF OUR SERVICES.

MORE AND MORE.

THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO US BY PHONE OR ONLINE AND TRYING TO HANDLE THINGS THAT WAY.

BUT WE STILL HAVE OUR FACILITIES OPEN AS OF THIS TIME.

OK, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ARE ON FACILITIES? COUNCIL.

ONE THING I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ITEM 4E UP.

[4E. Briefing on the Impact of COVID-19 on Police and Fire Operations]

I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT ON THE AGENDA, BRIEFING ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON POLICE AND FIRE OPERATIONS.

JUST SO WE'RE ALL STILL KIND OF IN THE SAME IN THE SAME GROVE, SO TO SPEAK.

SO UNLESS [INAUDIBLE], IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS AS FAR AS JASON, MISTIE OR MITCH, AS FAR AS CITY OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES? OK, AND I BELIEVE CHIEF BRYAN AND CHIEF LEE ARE ON WITH US AND WE'LL GO AHEAD.

THIS IS THE WAY IT'S POSTED, POLICE IS FIRST.

SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET THE UPDATE FROM POLICE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO FIRE.

[01:20:04]

I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO GET ANYBODY UPSET, BUT I'M JUST THAT'S WHAT THE PAPER SAYS RIGHT HERE.

POLICE IS FIRST.

NO, MAYOR.

I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.

[LAUGHTER] CHIEF BRYAN, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US, SIR? SO WE ARE HERE AND WE'RE WORKING.

WE ARE STRICTLY FOLLOWING JASON'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE HAVE PPE SUPPLIES, MASK AND GLOVES.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT JENNIFER WYNN'S DONATION OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MASKS CERTAINLY IS GOING TO GET US FOR A LONG TIME.

HANDWASHING, DISINFECTANT.

WE HAVE TEMPERATURE GAUGES AT THE ENTRANCES TO THE PD.

WE PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND IN MEETINGS, AGGRESSIVE TESTING OF OUR PERSONNEL.

WE DO NOT ALLOW VISITORS INSIDE THE POLICE STATION, BUT OUR LOBBY IS OPEN.

AND I CAN TELL YOU WE ARE SEEING POSITIVE RESULTS OF THAT.

WE HAVE VERY LITTLE PEOPLE GETTING SICK, COMING TO WORK, BUT WE DO HAVE PEOPLE GETTING SICK.

A TOTAL WE'VE HAD FORTY FOUR POSITIVE COVID CASES, WHICH IS ABOUT EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT OF OUR STAFF HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, WHICH IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

OF THOSE FORTY FOUR, THIRTY NINE HAVE RECOVERED AND WE HAVE FIVE THAT ARE OUT RIGHT NOW WITH COVID.

AND AGAIN, MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN TRACED TO FAMILY MEMBERS.

AND IF YOU SAW THE BIG SPIKE WE HAD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT WAS DUE TO CONTACTS DURING THANKSGIVING, THEY GOT TOGETHER WITH FAMILY GROUPS AND WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER COME BACK AND LET US KNOW THAT THEY HAD A HIGH RISK CONTACT.

SO WE SAW A LARGE BUMP.

DURING THE THANKSGIVING, BUT WE'RE STILL HERE, WE'RE STILL WORKING AND OUR PPE SUPPLIES ARE GOOD.

I THINK OUR OFFICERS ARE IN GOOD SPIRITS, BUT THEY ARE A LITTLE FATIGUED OVER THESE COVID ISSUES.

BUT.

I'LL LET IT PASS.

PASS IT OVER TO THE NUMBER TWO PERSON ON THIS [INAUDIBLE].

YOU KNOW, AND I WAS I WAS TRYING SO HARD TO KEEP THIS CIVIL.

AND LOOK WHAT YOU DID.

CHIEF LEE? MR. MAYOR, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT IN THIS SCENARIO.

THE IMPACT ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS FIRST.

WE'VE HAD THIRTY EIGHT POSITIVES.

TWO OF THOSE ARE CURRENTLY POSITIVE.

ONE OF THOSE IS IN RECOVERY.

THAT'S ABOUT FOURTEEN POINT SIX PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION OF THE FIRE SERVICE.

THE SWORN FOLKS THAT ARE HAVE BEEN POSITIVE AT SOME POINT.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR THAT ARE PENDING WAITING THEIR RESULTS.

I WAS LOOKING AT THE NOTES ON THEM TODAY, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT THOSE FOUR ARE GOING TO BE POSITIVE WHEN THE RESULTS COME IN.

WE'VE GOT FIVE THAT ARE AT HOME WITH SICK FAMILY MEMBERS, 12 THAT ARE OUT DUE TO A MEDIUM OR HIGH RISK EXPOSURES, GIVING US A TOTAL.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOWN TWENTY THREE PEOPLE IN THE OPERATIONS SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE IS CURRENTLY SIDELINED DUE TO COVID IN SOME SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION.

HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR THE CANDIDATES.

WE JUST GAVE AN ENTRANCE EXAM LAST MONDAY.

WE HAD FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR CANDIDATES SHOW UP FOR THAT TEST THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DALLAS CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE BIG ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SOCIAL DISTANCING AT A MAGNITUDE THAT PROTECT THOSE CANDIDATES AND THE H.R.

DEPARTMENT ADMINISTERING THAT EXAM.

SO THAT'S ONGOING.

AND THEN THE IMPACT TO OUR TRAINING DIVISION.

WE HAD TWO CLASSES THAT WE HIRED DURING COVID AND ROOKIE SCHOOLS.

THEY WERE BLENDED DOING SOME WEB BASED, SOME FACE TO FACE.

WE'VE GOT BOTH THOSE CLASSES GRADUATED.

WE HAD A PARAMEDIC SCHOOL THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR NINE MONTHS.

I THINK IT WENT ELEVEN AND A HALF DUE TO OUTAGE TIMES AND DISTANCE LEARNING.

SO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY SIDE WERE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF KEEPING OUR FOLKS.

HEALTHY AND THE BEST THAT WE CAN.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STRAIN OF THE PANDEMIC ON OUR WORKFORCE.

AS ALL OF YOU ALL KNOW THE FIRE SERVICE IS ALL ABOUT BEING TOGETHER, THAT SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE.

AND ONE PLACE IS THE KITCHEN TABLE.

WELL, WE HAVE TOLD THEM YOU CAN'T BE AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, IT DOESN'T ALLOW ENOUGH SOCIAL DISTANCE SPACE, SO THAT'S BEEN REAL DIFFICULT FOR THEM.

WE'RE HEARING SOME COMMENTS THAT IT'S NOT FUN COMING TO WORK RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE TIRED OF BEING EXPOSED TO THE COVID STUFF.

SOME OF THEM ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN

[01:25:01]

POSITIVE.

THE WHEN THEY GO INTO ISOLATION, THEY'RE ISOLATED FROM THEIR WORK FAMILY AND THEIR HOME FAMILY, AND THEY FEAR THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE AROUND THEM.

SO IT'S TAKEN A TOLL TO THE TO THE MENTAL PIECE OF THIS JOB.

BUT THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF SUPPORTING EACH OTHER THROUGH IT.

WE'RE WATCHING EVERYBODY REALLY CLOSE.

WE HAVE HAD SOME MINOR REDUCTIONS IN SERVICE LEVELS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT RESPONSE TIMES, OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE ELEVATED.

THIS IS PARTIALLY DUE TO DONNING THE ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY DO ON THE EMS CALLS.

IT IS DUE TO HAVING LONGER TURNAROUND TIMES AT THE HOSPITAL.

IT TAKES US LONGER TIME TO GET A PATIENT OFF OF OUR COT AND ON TO A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM GURNEY.

WE'RE SEEING THAT NUMBER BOUNCING AROUND 15 MINUTES OF JUST STANDING IN THE LOBBY OF THE HOSPITAL WAITING FOR A BED TO OPEN UP IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE ADDITIONAL DECONTAMINATION OF THE UNITS THAT FOLLOWS IS INCREASED OUR OVERALL HOSPITAL AT HOSPITAL TIME AND WHICH CREATES MORE OUT OF DISTRICT CALLS FOR OTHER AMBULANCES TO COVER WHILE THEY'RE OUT.

SO WE HAVE SEEN THE RESPONSE TIMES CREEP UP ON US.

WE'VE SEEN OUR OVERTIME SKYROCKET, AS YOU CAN SEE, WITH TWENTY THREE PEOPLE IN THE OPERATIONS DIVISION SIDELINED.

RIGHT NOW, OVERTIME IS COVERING ALL OF THOSE SPOTS TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM STAFFING LEVEL, THE BEST THAT WE CAN.

WE HAVE HAD ON OCCASION TO BROWN OUT ONE AMBULANCE AND TAKE ONE PERSON OFF OF A ENGINE ONE.

ON SOME DAYS THIS IS TO REDUCE THAT OVERTIME AND FINANCIALLY, AND I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T TELL MY BOSSES THIS FINANCIALLY.

WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE DOLLARS RIGHT NOW IN THIS OVERTIME.

WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS THE THE HEALTH OF MY PERSONNEL.

THE MORE THEY WORK OVERTIME, THE MORE OVERTIME IT'S GOING TO CREATE.

WE SEE THEIR FATIGUE LEVELS SKYROCKET.

THEY GET ONE PLUM SMOOTH OUT AND JUST GOT TO HAVE A DAY OFF.

AND SO WE'RE SEEING SOME SICK TIME GO UP AS WELL.

THAT'S NOT COVID RELATED.

AND THEN THE CALL VOLUMES EARLY ON, WE SAW OUR CALL VOLUMES DIP PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IN APRIL AND MAY.

THEY NORMALIZED BACK OUT IN JUNE.

AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING RECORD NUMBERS OF CALLS PER DAY, SPIKE AROUND 60 TO 70 CALLS PER DAY RIGHT NOW.

SO.

THE GOOD NEWS, LIKE CHIEF BRYAN WAS SHARING, OUR PPE SUPPLIES ARE STAYING PRETTY STRONG, OUR PERSONNEL ARE ARE PUTTING ON THEIR BEST FACE AND THEY ARE KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER SERVICE.

ON ALL TYPES OF CALLS, WE'VE SEEN OUR FIRES ESCALATE A LITTLE BIT.

WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FIRES HERE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

AND THAT.

THEY'RE TAKING GOOD CARE OF OUR PUBLIC OUT THERE.

THEY'RE LOCKING IT UP.

SO I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING, GENTLEMEN.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

GOOD TO SEE BOTH OF YOU.

JUST KIND OF A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

CHIEF LEE, YOU JUST YOU JUST STOLE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.

SO I'M DOWN TO TWO THINGS.

THANK YOU SIR.

TWO QUESTIONS RIGHT QUICK AND WANT THEM TO GO BACK TO THE NUMBER ONE GUY, I GUESS, CHIEF BRYAN, JUST TO SHARE AN OBSERVATION.

I WAS IN A SISTER CITY.

I'M NOT GOING TO NAME THE CITY AND WHERE I WAS AN EYEWITNESS TO A CITIZEN CONTACT BY A GROUP OF OFFICERS IN THAT CITY.

AND THEY THE PUBLIC PERSON CONTACT THAT THEY WERE CONTACTING WAS WEARING A MASK.

AND THERE WERE AT LEAST FIVE OFFICERS ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.

AND NONE OF THOSE OFFICERS HAVE MASKS.

I'VE NOT SEEN THAT IN GARLAND.

SO I WANT TO COMMEND OUR DEPARTMENT AND YOUR UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP FOR THIS [INAUDIBLE].

IF I MENTIONED THE NAME, YOU KNOW THE CITY WELL, BUT I WON'T DO THAT.

SO I WANT YOU TO.

SO I WANT TO BRAG ABOUT ABOUT THAT.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS.

TO BOTH OF YOU LOOKING AT THAT REPORT THAT JASON GAVE EARLIER, WE HAD TWENTY THREE IN FIRE AND I THINK IT WAS I THINK IT WAS 12 IN POLICE AND SO OF THE EMPLOYEES IMPACTED AND THAT REPRESENTED ABOUT 43 PERCENT.

OK, WHAT'S YOUR ASSESSMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR OFFICERS AND TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS IN THE WAY OF COUNSELING TO HELP THEM ADDRESS AND DEAL WITH SOME OF THE EMOTIONAL ISSUES THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO FACE DAY BY DAY?

[01:30:04]

CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF ASSESSMENT OF, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED THERE? HOW DO YOU BOTH MEASURE THE SUPPORT AND ARE THEY ABLE TO ACCESS THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS? GOOD QUESTION, AND I'LL START AND, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM AND IT'S COUNSELING, IT'S PEER SUPPORT AND IT'S CRITICAL INCIDENT SUPPORT.

SO THAT HAS FLOWED INTO ANY ISSUES, INCLUDING THE C COVID ISSUES.

WHEN COVID FIRST HIT, WE STARTED A COVID TASK FORCE IN ADDITION TO THAT, SO THAT WHEN WE HAD FOLKS THAT WERE OUT AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS SMALL AS THEY NEEDED FOOD OR THEY NEEDED A PLACE TO STAY OR THEY NEEDED CHILDCARE, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT TEAM ADDRESSES.

SO ANY COVID RELATED ISSUES, WE HAVE THE COVID TASK FORCE.

BUT ANY FATIGUE ISSUES, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OUR TEAM IS UP AND RUNNING.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT JUST A COVID ISSUE.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT UNDER THE PREVIOUS CHIEF WE ESTABLISHED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

AND WE'RE STRONGER THAN EVER IN THAT REGARD.

I HOPE THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

CHIEF LEE? YES, SIR, I KIND OF ECHO WHAT CHIEF BRYAN WAS SAYING THERE, THAT WE HAVE A PEER SUPPORT TEAM AS WELL.

THESE GUYS ARE ACTIVATED, TRANSPARENT, WITHOUT EVEN KNOWLEDGE.

MY OFFICE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT, IT'S TRULY A PEER SUPPORT NETWORK.

THEY HELP EACH OTHER.

THEY TALK WITH EACH OTHER.

THE OFFICERS IDENTIFIED SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE NEEDING A PEER SUPPORT MEMBER TO CONTACT THEM.

WE REACH OUT TO THEM AND DO THAT REFERRAL.

AND IF THEY NEED TO BE REFERRED TO FURTHER RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S THE EAP OR SOMETHING ELSE, THAT THAT TEAM IS IS HANDLING ALL OF THAT FOR THEM AND THAT IT'S A PROGRAM THAT WORKS REALLY WELL.

AND WE'RE PROUD OF THIS PROGRAM AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM HAS BEEN DOING.

OK, AND MY SECOND AND LAST QUESTION IS ON YOUR PUBLIC CONTACT, THE PUBLIC INTERACTION SORT OF TIES BACK TO SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED EARLIER ABOUT INFORMATION AND EDUCATION.

CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF ASSESSMENT OF WHAT IS BEING BOTH DEPARTMENTS EXPERIENCE, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, WITH PUBLIC CONTACT DOING THIS COVID PANDEMIC AND WHAT ADJUSTMENTS WERE REQUIRED AND WHAT ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE DOING TO MINIMIZE ANY ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR FIRE AND POLICE? I CAN SPEAK FOR POLICE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'VE SEEN US WITH THE MASK AND GLOVES WHEN WE HAVE THESE INTERACTIONS.

BUT WE [INAUDIBLE] WE HAVE ALSO CHANGED THE WAY OUR JOB IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TREATING PEOPLE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT OUR HANDS ON PEOPLE.

SO WE ASK THEM TO COME OUTSIDE AND SPEAK TO US INSTEAD OF GOING INSIDE OF THE HOUSE.

WE LIMIT OUR ARREST NOW TO NECESSARY ARREST.

OTHERWISE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN FILE A CASE IF WE NEED TO.

WE'RE NOT CONFIRMING CLASS C WARRANTS RIGHT NOW JUST TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN OUR JAIL.

SO A NUMBER OF THINGS JUST TO REDUCE THE CLOSE INTERACTIONS.

PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING IS THE MASK, BUT TRYING TO TALK TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE AS WELL.

SO THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS WE DID THAT I KNOW OUR JOB IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S JOB.

AND FOR US, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE TROOPS ARE WEARING ALL OF THEIR PPE, DEPENDING ON THEY LET THE SITUATION DICTATE.

THE TYPICAL INTERACTION WITH A PATIENT OR SOMEBODY IN A FIRE SCENE OR A CAR CRASH.

WE'RE IN THE N95 MASK AND WE HAVE OUR PROTECTION ON SOME OF OUR FOLKS MAYBE WEARING A GOWN.

SOME OF THEM MAY NOT.

AS THE RISK LEVEL ESCALATE.

THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WORN BY OUR TROOPS ALSO ESCALATES.

ON CPRS.

YOU'LL SEE ANYBODY FROM THE IT'S CALLED [INAUDIBLE], BUT IT'S THE SPACE HELMET LOOKING DEVICE WITH AIR HOSE HOOKED UP TO IT.

MAY SEE THEM THAT OR YOU MAY SEE THEM IN SCIENCE LAB GOGGLES AND ALL OF THEIR GEAR ON.

AND THEN THE PATIENT THEMSELVES, IF THEY'RE BEING ARTIFICIALLY VENTILATED, WE'RE USING EXHAUST FILTERS TO FILTER THE BREATH THAT'S COMING BACK OFF OF THAT PATIENT.

ANY HIGH OXYGEN USE ACTIVITY ESCALATES THAT LEVEL OF PROTECTION AS WELL.

AND THEN OUR TROOPS DOING REALLY WELL WITH IT.

NOW WE'RE STILL HAVING IF YOU LIFT [INAUDIBLE] AND STUFF WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO BE IN CLOSE PERSONAL CONTACT SPACE FOR REALLY CLOSE.

[01:35:06]

AND THEY'RE DRESSING FOR THAT PART AS WELL, USING THEIR GOWNS AND THEIR.

THE WORLD OF EMS HAS CERTAINLY CHANGED WITH THE PANDEMIC, BUT I THINK THE PUBLIC IS RESPONDING TO IT WELL, THEY SEE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THEM, AS WELL AS PROTECTING THEM FROM US, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE SEEING COVID PATIENTS.

THEY KNOW THAT WE MAY BE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF BEING INFECTED.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE N95 MASK ALSO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM US.

OK.

OK.

MY FINAL QUESTION TO YOU.

YOU MADE ME THINK OF ONE MORE CHIEF LEE AND BECAUSE THESE INCIDENTS I KNOW ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES, ARE YOU OR YOUR FIREFIGHTERS EXPERIENCE ANY THREATS AS THEY RESPOND TO SERVICE CALLS OR ANY INCIDENTS? AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO STATE SPECIFICS, BUT JUST GENERALLY OR ARE THEY OR EVEN YOU CHIEF BRYAN, FROM THE PUBLIC AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES? ARE WE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THAT KIND OF KIND OF BEHAVIOR IN GARLAND? I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] OTHER CITIES WHERE PARTICULARLY OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN UNDER DURESS IN RESPONDING.

SO CAN BOTH OF YOU ARE WE EXPERIENCED ANY OF THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR? ANY THREATS, NOT ANY THREATS THAT I'M AWARE OF.

WE DO HAVE ISSUES FROM TIME TO TIME OF INDIVIDUALS NOT WEARING A MASK AND THEN SOMEONE GETS UPSET WITH THE FACT THEY'RE NOT WEARING A MASK.

SO WE HAVE CALLS LIKE THAT THAT WE WORK THROUGH.

WE HAVEN'T HAD TOO MANY PEOPLE UPSET WITH US OR ANY THREATS TOWARDS US AS RELATED TO COVID-19.

WE DO HAVE PROBLEMS TIME TO TIME WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE MASK AND PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES WITH THE MASK.

AND IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY THEM.

BUT THERE'S SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE NOT SEEN BEFORE.

BUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE USED AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL, THE PUBLIC IS VERY RECEPTIVE AND POSITIVE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.

AND I ECHO A LOT OF THAT AS WELL.

THE YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT.

IT'S RARE, BUT THERE ARE TIMES THAT PATIENTS WANT TO ENGAGE WITH A FIREFIGHTER IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT AND USUALLY OUR FRIENDS IN THE DARKER SHADE OF BLUE, SHOW UP PRETTY QUICK AND NEUTRALIZE THAT SITUATION RAPIDLY.

BUT I'M NOT AWARE THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THAT.

I THINK THAT IT'S REMAINED PRETTY CONSTANT.

OK, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

COUNCILOR MCNEAL.

SORRY.

YEAH.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, ONE FOR CHIEF LEE AND THEN ONE FOR CHIEF BRYAN.

CHIEF, THANK YOU AGAIN.

AWESOME JOB.

AND THANKS FOR YESTERDAY.

REGARDING OUR DETENTION CENTER.

WHEN THOSE WHEN WE DO HAVE TO HAVE INTAKE THERE, ARE OFFICERS PRETTY MUCH PROTECTED THERE AS WELL.

THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED? ANY THOUGHTS AROUND THE DETENTION CENTER? YES, A LOT OF OUR EFFORTS ARE IN THE DETENTION CENTER, AND SO WE SCREEN HEAVILY, WE TAKE TEMPERATURES, WE ASK QUESTIONS.

AND SO IF THERE ARE TIMES THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WITH A FEVER OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY, OR WE FILE THE CHARGE AT A LATER TIME AND THEN PPE, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IS HEAVY DOWN THERE.

WE ALSO HAVE SANITATION DEVICES AND I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF IT, BUT THAT FOGS THE AREA TO SANITIZE CELLS AND TO SANITIZE LARGER AREAS SO.

AS FAR AS OFFICERS ARE THEY'RE AT CALL AND THEN THEY'RE ON TO THE NEXT CALL.

BUT OUR DETENTION FACILITY THEY'RE SPENDING THE NIGHT, THEY'RE THERE ARE MUCH LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.

SO THAT IS PROBABLY MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS OUR DETENTION STAFF.

AND SO, YEAH, WE TAKE AS MANY EFFORTS AS WE CAN TO NOT ONLY PROTECT OUR DETENTION STAFF, BUT TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE IN THERE AT ANY ONE TIME.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE OPERATING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON FILING CASES A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, AT LEAST UNTIL THIS IS THROUGH.

OBVIOUSLY, WITH THAT BEING ONE OF OUR NEWER FACILITIES, NO CONCERNS AT ALL WITH

[01:40:02]

VENTILATION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE? I THINK OUR VENTILATION, I THINK OUR EFFORTS ARE AS GOOD AS WE CAN DO.

OUR VENTILATION IS GOOD.

IT'S A REALLY I MEAN, IT'S AN AWESOME FACILITY.

I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THERE, BUT I THINK OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS IS, IS JUST THE CLOSE CONTACT.

AND SO WE TRY WHEN THERE IS ANY CLOSE CONTACT, OUR JAIL STAFF IS ALMOST LIKE EMS IN WHAT THEY'RE DRESSED IN.

SO IT'S JUST LIMITING THAT CLOSE CONTACT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU.

AND CHIEF LEE, REAL QUICKLY, I THINK YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR REPORT THAT SOME OF OUR SOME OF OUR STAFF THERE HAVE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT LONG TERM EFFECT AND THEN MAYBE SOME MORALE CONCERNS THERE.

AND OBVIOUSLY, THE DATA IS NEW.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE, BUT IS THERE ANY RESOURCE THAT MAY GIVE US SOME INDICATION AS TO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PROVIDE OUR STAFFS TO GIVE THEM SOME KIND OF REASSURANCE THAT IF THEY ARE IMPACTED, THAT THEY THE OUTLOOK IS PRETTY POSITIVE? I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY STUDIES OUT THERE OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.

AND I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY STUDIES OUT THERE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE CONCLUSIVE AND MAYBE A BETTER QUESTION FOR JASON AND CERTAINLY DR. LAMBERT HAS BEEN STAYING ON TOP OF THE SCIENCES FOR US AND OUR WEEKLY BIWEEKLY MEETINGS WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS GROUP.

WE GET A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM DR. LAMBERT ON WHAT TO WATCH FOR, WHAT TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR AND WHAT TO EXPECT.

SO WE PASS THAT ALONG WHERE WE CAN.

AND I THINK THAT OUR CREWS ARE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF STAYING ON TOP OF THE SCIENCE AS WELL THROUGH HOPEFULLY NOT THROUGH FACEBOOK, BUT MOSTLY THROUGH RELIABLE SOURCES.

SO.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEFS? CHIEF BRYAN, CHIEF LEE THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE UPDATE AND YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WHAT YOUR CREWS ARE HAVING TO EXPERIENCE IN FIRE AND.

WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE HAVING TO EXPERIENCE ON THE STREET HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN GREATLY IMPACTED BY ALL OF THIS AS WELL.

AND COUNCILOR MCNEAL BROUGHT IT UP.

YOU KNOW, THAT OUR ACTIONS AT THE DETENTION CENTER AS WELL.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CHANGED.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS FOR US.

COUNCIL WITH THAT.

WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A BIT.

WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A RECESS.

WE WILL.

LET'S HAVE EVERYBODY BACK AT 8:00 O'CLOCK, 8:00, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, AND WE ARE COMING BACK FROM RECESS IN THE DECEMBER 14TH WORK SESSION.

WE ARE NOW TO ITEM 4C GARLAND CULTURAL ARTS MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

[4C. Garland Cultural Arts Master Plan Update]

MR. HESSER? YES, SIR.

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

WE WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE THE COUNCIL ON THE CULTURAL ARTS MASTER PLAN, WHICH BEGAN IN EARNEST EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

WE'VE HAD A FEW DELAYS, OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE COVID SITUATION, BUT NOT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT.

WE ARE STILL ON TRACK FOR COMPLETION.

SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE OUR CONSULTANTS WITH CIVIC ARTS, LYNN OSGOOD AND BEN MARTIN, AND THEY WILL SHARE THEIR SCREEN AND PROVIDE THEIR PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT.

AND THIS IS BASICALLY AN UPDATE ON OUR CURRENT DRAFTS.

SO WE'RE NOT REALLY ASKING ANY ACTION FROM COUNCIL TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY ABLE TO FIELD ANY QUESTIONS ON WHERE WE STAND WITH THE PROCESS.

WE ANTICIPATE A LARGE PUBLIC SURVEY GOING OUT THIS MONTH AND HOPEFULLY FINISHING UP FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN FEBRUARY TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL WITH THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL CHECK AND SEE IF BEN AND LYNN ARE READY TO PRESENT.

MEMBERS, FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.

AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE.

IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO BE WORKING ON THIS PLAN.

AND IT'S HUMBLING TO GO AFTER THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE JUST SAW EARLIER.

SO WHAT WE PRESENT TONIGHT IS THE VIEW, THE LONG TERM VIEW WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO ALL COME BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.

THESE ARE THE ACTION STEPS THAT WE HOPE THAT THE CITY CAN BE USING TO HELP BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND CULTURAL EXPRESSION IN THE ARTS.

[01:45:01]

SO MY NAME IS LYNN OSGOOD.

I AM THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CIVIC ARTS.

WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THAT FOCUSES ON CULTURAL PLANNING.

AND I'M HERE THIS EVENING WITH MY COLLEAGUE BEN MARTIN.

AND SO TONIGHT, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH AN OVERVIEW OF THE CULTURAL PLANNING PROCESS UP TO DATE.

SO, YOU KNOW SORT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND DISCOVERING AND WHERE WE'LL BE GOING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

SO, BEN, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE AS ANDY MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN WORKING SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2020 AND WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IN ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS AND FOCUS GROUPS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS THAT THE CITY OF GARLAND IS WORKING FROM A VERY STRONG BASE OF EXISTING EFFORTS AROUND THE ARTS AND CULTURE.

WONDERFULLY SO.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY HAVE A VERY UNIQUE GARLAND, THE CITY OF GARLAND.

YOU ALL HAVE A VERY UNIQUE AND PARTICULAR HERITAGE AROUND THE IDEA OF MAKING AND CRAFTSMANSHIP.

AND THIS ISN'T SOMETHING TO BE SORT OF PUT ASIDE IT.

IT IS VERY DISTINCT.

WE ADVISE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE NATION ON CULTURAL PLANNING ISSUES AND GARLAND WITH ITS WITH ITS INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING AND THE CREATIVITY THAT WE SEE IN THE YOUTH THERE REALLY HAS AN ETHOS OF MAKING WHICH WE THINK IS SOMETHING VERY DISTINCT AND VITAL AND THAT WE HOPE THE PLAN CAN SUPPORT.

SO BEN NEXT SLIDE.

SO SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE SEE THE ARTS AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION AND THE VITALITY OF THAT SECTOR ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.

WE SEE A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS GOING ON, LIKE THE VERY FAVORED BIG ART DAY THAT HAPPENS WITH GISD.

WE SEE VERY STRONG PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ALREADY HAPPENING.

I THINK THE MOST VISIBLE ONE IS THERE AT 506 ART, WHERE YOU SEE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PIECES AND INSTALLATIONS.

WE SEE A LOT OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION ALREADY THERE ON THE GROUND AND VITAL AND HAPPENING, AND AN EVENT THAT MANY PEOPLE MENTION AS WE TALK TO THEM IS THE DIA DEL LOS MUERTOS.

AND ALREADY FORAYS INTO PUBLIC ART AND THIS IDEA THAT ART EXISTS OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS OF DOWNTOWN OR OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE TRADITIONAL SETTINGS AND INTO THE PUBLIC REALM AND IN THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND VERY ACTIVE WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH IS REALLY SOMETHING WONDERFUL AND I THINK I WANT TO HOLD UP THAT THE CITY OF GARLAND IS VERY UNIQUE AND VERY FORWARD IN THEIR EFFORTS TO WORK WITH RESIDENTS, TO TAP INTO THEIR OWN CREATIVITY, AND PARTICULARLY WITH THE WORK OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY, WHICH IS REALLY TO BE HELD UP AND COMMENDED.

SO WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS IS WE, AS WE SAID, WE BEGAN IN THE SUMMER, WE BEGAN WITH OUR DISCOVER PHASE AND OUR DISCOVER PHASE IS WHEN WE DIG DEEP, WE LOOK INTO ECONOMIC DATA, WE LOOK INTO EXISTING POLICY DATA.

WE DON'T BELIEVE ARTS AND CULTURAL POLICY EXISTS IN A VACUUM.

IT NEEDS TO AND PARTICULARLY IN ITS ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WE MAKE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DEEPLY TIED TO EXISTING PLANNING EFFORTS AND EXISTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES.

WE IN THE FALL, WE REALLY WE WENT THROUGH A PHASE, THE ENVISION PHASE, WHERE WE WORK A LOT WITH INTERVIEWS AND STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUPS, REALLY TRYING TO DIG DEEP INTO POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS, WHICH WE THEN LOOK AT AND COMPARE TO NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND FINDING THAT THAT SWEET SPOT WHERE RESIDENT NEEDS REALLY MEET BEST PRACTICES OF THE DAY.

AND SO RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN THE DEVELOPED PHASE WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING OUT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND REALLY REACHING OUT MORE DEEPLY TO THE COMMUNITY TO FIND OUT THEIR PATTERNS OF USING THE ARTS AND HOW IT IS THE BOTH PRE BEFORE COVID AND AFTER SO THAT WE CAN BEST SUPPORT THOSE NEEDS DESIRES INTO THE FUTURE.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO BRING FORWARD, BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTS.

AND CULTURAL PLANNING IS THAT THIS IDEA THAT THE ARTS ARE MORE THAN VISUAL ARTS, AND SO WE PUT THIS DIAGRAM UP HERE TO SHOW HOW.

HOW WE APPROACH OUR ARTS ECOLOGIES, WE CALL THEM ECOLOGIES BECAUSE WE VIEW THEM AS DYNAMIC SYSTEMS, AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE ARTS ARE THAT WHEN WE LOOK IN THE ARTS, WE LOOK AT MORE THAN VISUAL ARTS AND WE LOOK AT MORE THAN THEATER.

WE LOOK AT MORE THAN THE WRITTEN ARTS.

WE LOOK BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL ARTS TO REALLY LOOK AT THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM

[01:50:02]

OF CREATIVITY.

AND THAT CAN INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM MUSIC TO FOOD AND EVEN TATTOO ARTS AND AND WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS.

AND IN GARLAND'S CASE, THE PRODUCTION AND MAKING OF STUFF [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT IS PART OF THE LARGER ECONOMY AS WELL, THAT WE LOOK AT AND SAY THAT'S PART OF THE ESSENTIAL CREATIVITY THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS INTEGRATED AS A WHOLE.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ARTS, WE LOOK BEYOND IT IS PUBLIC ART THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT, BUT IT'S ALSO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ARTS AND BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT'S CULTURAL TOURISM, I'S PLACE VITALITY, IT'S NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY, AND ULTIMATELY THE QUALITY OF PLACE AND QUALITY OF LIFE.

AND I THINK AS SO MANY FOLKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE ALL IN ISOLATION NOW.

AND WE KNOW WHEN WE GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, WHATEVER OUR NEXT NORMAL IS, WE'LL BE WANTING TO COME TOGETHER AND COMING TOGETHER, ENJOY AND THROUGH EXPRESSION AND SO WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ARTS ARE THERE STRONGLY TO ENABLE THAT TO HAPPEN.

SO AS PART OF OUR PROCESS, WE'VE HAD AN IN DEPTH COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER PROCESS SO FAR, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE CONTINUING THROUGH THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY.

TWO OF OUR MAIN.

WE HAVE TWO ADVISORY GROUPS TO HELP SHEPHERD US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP OF 13 MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND WE'VE HAD FIVE DIFFERENT MEETINGS WITH THEM.

WE ALSO HAVE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP WHICH ARE MADE UP OF CITY STAFF.

WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE WE VIEW OUR JOB AS LOOKING AT WHAT IS IT REALLY LISTENING DEEPLY TO WHAT IT IS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING TO ACHIEVE, BUT THEN ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME VERY PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS.

SO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT ADVISORY GROUPS SO WE CAN HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS.

WE'VE HAD MANY DIFFERENT INTERVIEWS.

WE'VE HAD 14 ONE HOUR LONG INTERVIEWS.

AND BEN WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THOSE AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, WHICH INCLUDED ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.

AND ONE WE WERE VERY HAPPY WITH OF YOUTH, WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO YOUTH ADVISORS WHO WERE WE WORK WITH THEM IN ADVANCE AND THEY LED THE YOUTH MEETING.

SO WE WERE THERE IS NOTE TAKERS.

AND THEY HAD THEIR OWN CONVERSATION.

AND IT'S AN AMAZING GROUP OF YOUTH WE HAVE THERE.

COMING UP IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.

YOU WILL SEE A SURVEY THAT [INAUDIBLE].

IT'S BEING LAUNCHED AS BROADLY TO GET A MUCH BROADER BASE OF INPUT AND ALSO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH LOCAL ARTISTS TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THAT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO UNDERLINE AS WE'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO FOLKS THAT WE'VE BEEN FIGURING OUT WHO TO INTERVIEW AND THE FOCUS GROUPS AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A BROAD REPRESENTATION OF PERSPECTIVES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO THAT INCLUDES DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT THE PERSPECTIVES THAT DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC AND CULTURAL GROUPS BRING TO THE TABLE, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ARTS SECTOR, AND THEN JUST DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, WHETHER THAT'S FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR YOUTH OR ARTS NONPROFITS OR THE IDEAS OF HERITAGE AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

WE VIEW IT IS ALL VERY DYNAMIC PART.

SO WHERE THAT HAS LEFT US HERE AT THIS MOMENT IS WE ARE SITTING ON A BIG PILE OF INFORMATION, LOTS OF DIFFERENT DATA THAT WE COLLECTED ALONG THE WAY.

AND I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO MY COLLEAGUE, BEN MARTIN, WHO'S GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT WE WORK WITH THAT INFORMATION AND THEN WHAT KIND OF IDEAS ARE SURFACING.

WE WANT TO BRING TO YOU ALL SOME THREE KEY IDEAS THAT WE SEE ARE RISING TO THE TOP.

THANK YOU, DR. OSGOOD, AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO, AS DR. OSGOOD MENTIONED, WE THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY ADVISERS AND OUR INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERS ACROSS SECTORS AND THEN FOCUS GROUPS WITH ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTS AND YOUTH, WE TOOK ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE FOUND FROM THOSE FOLKS WHO PARTICIPATED.

AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH A FORMAL CODING PROCESS WHERE WE'VE DEVELOPED THEMES FROM FUNDING TO IDEAS FOR POLICIES TO IDEAS FOR PARTNERSHIPS.

WE HAVE FORTY THREE DIFFERENT THEMES THAT WE'VE COATED ALL OF THIS CONTENT WITH, AND WE'VE ENDED UP WITH OVER THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY AND COUNTING INDIVIDUAL TAKEAWAYS OR IDEAS OR RESONANT THINGS THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS HAVE MENTIONED.

WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THOSE TAKEAWAYS TOGETHER AND DISTILLED THEM DOWN INTO SIX PLAN AND POLICY GOAL CATEGORIES THAT WE FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING THAT FOLKS ARE BRINGING UP SEEM TO BE SORTING THEMSELVES INTO THESE SIX CATEGORIES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDES HERE.

AND THESE ARE THE POLICY CATEGORIES THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AS KIND OF

[01:55:05]

THE FRAME FOR THE PLAN.

SO THOSE ARE PROVIDING EXPERIENCES IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS IN DOWNTOWN FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.

GROWING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH.

CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING THE DIVERSE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE UP THE CITY OF GARLAND.

SUPPORTING AND ATTRACTING ARTISTS AND CREATIVES.

FOSTERING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP, THAT'S WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND ACROSS SECTORS AS WELL.

AND THEN THE SIXTH CATEGORY IN SUPPORT OF THE OTHER FIVE, OPTIMIZING MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS.

NOW, ALL SIX OF THOSE GOALS THEN THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDER LEADERS, THEY THEN FUNNEL DOWN INTO THE VISION STATEMENT THAT WILL GUIDE THE ENTIRE PLAN.

AND THIS VISION STATEMENT HAS ALSO BEEN WORKSHOPPED WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP, AND THAT IS THAT GARLAND'S CULTURAL ARTS SECTOR GROWS FROM STRONG COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS AND PROVIDES RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ACCESS TO CREATIVE EXPERIENCES AND EXPRESSION.

THE CITY OF GARLAND STRIVES TO BUILD A REPUTATION AS A REGIONAL CULTURAL DESTINATION, TO BE A TRAINING GROUND FOR ALL FORMS OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND TO NURTURE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS GROUNDED IN DIVERSITY.

FAMILY AND YOUTH.

AND NOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE ACTUAL PLAN IS A SERIES OF POLICY AND OPERATIONAL ACTION ITEM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE DIVIDED INTO THOSE SIX CATEGORIES.

THERE ARE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS THAN WE WILL BE ABLE TO COVER IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY BY A LOT.

AND ALSO, WE ARE STILL GETTING MORE INFORMATION FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH THE SURVEY, CONTINUING CONVERSATION AROUND THIS.

BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING TO YOU TODAY IS THREE EXAMPLES, THREE IDEAS THAT HAVE RISEN TO THE TOP THAT WE HAVE HEARD.

WE'VE HEARD THIS THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THESE IDEAS ARE GROUNDED IN NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE.

SO THE FIRST OF THOSE IDEAS IS TO REVISE A PUBLIC ART BPOLICY IN ORDER TO ADDRESS AND COME UP WITH CITY WIDE STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC ART, COMMISSIONING ARTIST SELECTION, MAINTENANCE AND DECOMMISSIONING.

AND WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION HAS ALREADY BEEN EMBARKING ON IN TERMS OF PUBLIC ART AND ALSO NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY.

WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PUBLIC ART POLICY SHOULD COVER ACTIVITIES BY BOTH DEPARTMENTS AND LEAVE FLEXIBILITY OR SORRY, EXCUSE ME, THE COMMISSION AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY DEPARTMENT AND THEN LEAVE FLEXIBILITY FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN ART SPACE PLACEMAKING THROUGH PUBLIC ART.

WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WE SEE EXAMPLES IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS ACROSS THE NATION ARE TO INCREASE PUBLIC SPACE VITALITY, FOR INSTANCE, IN PUBLIC PARKS LIKE PROSPERITY PARK HERE IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE THEY, INSTEAD OF A MURAL, HAVE ACTUALLY PAINTED THE WALKWAY.

IN BEND, OREGON, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT INSTALLED PUBLIC ART IN A SERIES OF ROUNDABOUT'S.

AND IN NEW YORK CITY, THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COLLABORATED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DECORATE A MURAL ON A BIKE BARRIER THAT BOTH MAKES THE PLACE MORE VITAL AND ATTRACTIVE TO BE IN AND ALSO INCREASES VISIBILITY AND SAFETY OF THE BARRIER AND BIKERS THAT MAY USE IT.

SO A SECOND EXAMPLE, ACTION ITEM IS TO EXPLORE IDEAS, TO SET UP NONTRADITIONAL GALLERIES AND EVENT SPACES BOTH DOWNTOWN AND THROUGHOUT OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, AND THIS WILL SERVE TWO GOALS, BOTH TO INCREASE ACCESS TO ARTS, CREATIVE AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR MORE RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT A WIDER GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINT.

AND THEN ALSO, IT OPENS UP POSSIBILITIES OF TEMPORARY ACTIVATIONS TO EXPLORE IDEAS THAT ARE PROMISING BUT MAYBE CAN'T BE SUPPORTIVE AT THE TIME BEING WITH A NEW PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT.

JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF THOSE THAT WE BROUGHT HERE TONIGHT, THE EDISON NEIGHBORHOOD IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, A PHOTOGRAPHER TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS, PORTRAITS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND DID A WHEAT PASTE INSTALLATION ON THE FRONT OF A STOREFRONT THAT WAS CURRENTLY VACANT IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT SPACE A LITERAL REFLECTION OF THE COMMUNITY THAT LIVES THERE.

[02:00:04]

IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, AN ARTIST WORKED WITH THE CITY TO TO GET THE GO AHEAD AND A THUMBS UP TO DO A SERIES OF EVENTS AROUND MUSIC AND ART ACTIVATIONS IN A VACANT STOREFRONT SPACE IN ORDER TO GET FOLKS TO TRAVEL TO A PART OF TOWN THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE TRAVEL TO ON A WEEKEND TO CELEBRATE AND PARTICIPATE IN ARTS AND CULTURE ACTIVITIES.

AND WE SEE OTHER INTERESTING CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS OR NONTRADITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, FOR INSTANCE, THIS ORGANIZATION, ARTS IN SACRED PLACES OUT OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUT THEY ALSO DO WORK IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY.

AND LYNN, IN FACT, HAS WORKED WITH THEM HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHERE WE OFFICE OUT OF.

THEY WORK BASICALLY THEY WORK TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN ARTISTS AND FAITH SPACES THAT MIGHT NOT THEY MIGHT HAVE SPACE THAT'S UNDERUTILIZED, THAT'S NOT USED TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK THAT ARTIST MAY BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE AND FOR STUDIO SPACE OR PERFORMANCE SPACE.

AND FINALLY, THE THIRD ACTION ITEM THAT WE BROUGHT TONIGHT, JUST TO GIVE A SENSE OF THE TYPE OF ACTION ITEMS THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD, IS TO EXPLORE APPLYING FOR A VARIETY OF CULTURAL DESIGNATIONS THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS OFFERS.

THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS OFFERS A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION THAT IS AN ATTRACTION FOR TOURISTS AND VISITORS.

IT CAN INCREASE CIVIC PRIDE FOR RESIDENTS.

AND MORE RECENTLY, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY OPENED UP FUNDING STREAMS, GRANTS THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A DESIGNATED CULTURAL DISTRICT IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR THOSE FUNDS.

THE TEXAS FILM COMMISSION OFFERS A FILM FRIENDLY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION.

THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE OFFERS A MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION.

AND ALL OF THIS CAN COME TOGETHER TO BE A REALLY EXCITING PART OF THE NARRATIVE OF WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE IN TO VISIT, SPEND TIME, CELEBRATE AND EXPERIENCE GARLAND.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE USED THAT DESIGNATION TO CODIFY AND SET A NARRATIVE OF AND TO CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURAL SPACES.

SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK EXAMPLES OF WACO.

LAREDO DOES A SERIES OF EVENTS AROUND THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICT TO DRAW PEOPLE IN AND HELP RESIDENTS CELEBRATE AS WELL.

AND THERE ARE JUST MANY, MANY MORE EXAMPLES TO PULL FROM OF CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS.

THANK YOU, BEN.

SO JUST TO SUM UP AND ONE POINT I WANTED TO THE STORY WE ALWAYS TELL SINCE WE DO COME FROM AUSTIN, IS THAT AUSTIN IS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY NAMED THEMSELVES THAT.

THEY WEREN'T BEFOREHAND.

AND SO THE IDEA OF A CITY GOING AND ACTIVELY NAMING THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICT, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT TO BE KNOWN ABOUT FOR IN TERMS OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION, WE'VE SEEN ORGANICALLY GROW IN AUSTIN AS VERY MUCH AN EXERCISE AND AN ADVANCE EXERCISE OF NAMING IT FIRST AND GROWING INTO IT.

SO AGAIN, WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS IS WE ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES.

WE ARE LAUNCHING A COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY THAT'S LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ARTS IN GARLAND PATTERNS OF ENGAGEMENT, PRE AND POST COVID.

PEOPLE'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DIFFERENT OFFERINGS.

DO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT? HOW DO THEY HEAR ABOUT THINGS? AND HOW CAN THAT COMMUNICATION HAPPEN BETTER AND THEIR PREFERENCES FOR ACTIVITIES AND LOCATIONS? SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL WITH THAT LATER IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY AND SOME FINAL ACTION ITEM DRAFT FOR YOUR REVIEW.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

OK, MR. MARTIN, IF I CAN GET YOU TO UNSHARE YOUR SCREEN FOR ME.

THERE WE GO.

MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH, WE DO.

I'M SORRY.

WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

SURE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

DR. OSGOOD, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.

ONE OF THE ORIGINAL CONCERNS I HAD AND THE REASON I THINK IT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT WE KIND OF GOT THIS STARTED WAS, YOU KNOW, WE FELT LIKE WE HAD A GOOD OFFERING IN DOWNTOWN, BUT WE REALLY NEEDED WAS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK YOU'VE TOUCHED REALLY WELL ON A LOT OF THOSE OPTIONS WITH POP UPS AND ARTWORK IN THE PARKS AND IN UTILIZING THE PARK SYSTEM TO HELP GET SOME OF THAT OUT OF THE CORE OF THE CITY AND REALLY REACH EVERYBODY.

SO I'VE NEVER BEEN WORRIED ABOUT OUR DEPTH BUT OUR BREADTH OF OFFERING.

AND SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'VE GONE DOWN THAT PATH.

[02:05:02]

HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT TYPE OF BREADTH WITH THE MUNICIPAL EFFICIENCY THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, PAINTING, PAINTING A SIDEWALK? I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT LASTS.

WHAT CAN WE DO THAT MAKES EFFICIENT USE OF TAX DOLLARS BUT STILL ACHIEVES OUR OBJECTIVES? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE BECAUSE IT IS IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN THAT THAT BREATH AND THAT DEPTH AND EFFICIENCY.

AND SO THE WAY THAT THERE'S TWO PERSPECTIVES THAT WE BRING IN.

ONE, IT'S ABOUT HAVING GOOD PROCEDURES ON THE BOOKS.

AND WHAT WE NOTICE A LOT IS THAT OFTEN CITIES CALL US IN WHEN THEY'RE AT A MOMENT OF SCALE CHANGE, WHEN THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AND DOING PRODUCING ART OR EVENTS FOR A WHILE.

AND THEY'RE READY FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT.

AND WE SEE THAT IN THE CITY OF GARLAND, WHERE THE IDEA OF BRINGING SOME MORE, MORE BEST PRACTICES, MORE, MORE CODIFIED PRACTICES ON PUBLIC ART CREATION CAN REALLY HELP.

THE FIELD OF PUBLIC ART IS OVER 30 YEARS OLD.

AND SO THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD LESSONS LEARNED.

HOW DO YOU TAKE A SUBJECTIVE CREATION AND BRING IT THROUGH A TRANSPARENT AND EFFICIENT MUNICIPAL SYSTEM? LOTS OF LESSONS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY AND LOTS OF IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN BRING FORTH.

SO THAT'S ONE THING.

AND THEN ALSO PREPARING THE SYSTEM, THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, TO REALLY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

WHAT WE NOTICE IN THE ARTS IS THAT TRADITIONALLY CITIES HAVE VERY OFTEN BEEN THE PRODUCERS OF ARTS.

THEY'VE BEEN THE THE PRODUCERS OF EVENTS OR OTHER THINGS THAT SUPPORT IT.

BUT WHAT WE FIND HAPPENING NOW NATIONALLY IS THAT IT'S REALLY BEING MORE ABOUT THE WIND IN THE SAILS.

HOW DO YOU AND I THINK THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF BEING THERE TO WHEN THE COMMUNITY STEPS UP AND SAYS WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING, THEY'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE IT.

AND THE TRICK IS HAVING THE POLICIES IN PLACE THAT ALLOW DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO DO THAT EQUALLY.

AND WITH A CITY VOICE, WHAT WE SEE, THIS IS ACTUALLY A TREND WE SEE HAPPENING A LOT ACROSS CITIES IS THAT MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING INTERESTED IN DOING THINGS ON THEIR OWN.

MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THEM, BUT NOT EVERYONE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT SPEAKS WITH A SIMILAR VOICE.

SO ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS CAN GET CONFUSED.

WE WANT TO HELP COME FORWARD AND JUST AND HELP UNIFY THAT, MAKE IT EFFICIENT, MAKE IT CLEAR SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS HOW THESE PROJECTS SMALL OR LARGE, COME ABOUT, MOVE THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

AND THAT BRINGS THE EFFICIENCY.

A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.

IN YOUR FINAL PLAN WE HAVE.

SOME SUGGESTED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR HOW WE MIGHT WORK WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.

YOU HAVE A BLESSING THERE IN GISD AND THE STAFF THAT ARE INVOLVED AND THE YOUTH THAT ARE INVOLVED, REALLY.

AND I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO OFFER THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY.

SO THERE'S AN INCREDIBLY STRONG BASE THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING FROM.

AND WE'RE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEM REALLY THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN.

SO, YES, THEY WILL THEY ARE GOING TO BE A STRONG PART OF IT.

AND WE REALLY VIEW THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARTS AS A LIFELONG LEARNING TYPE OF TRAJECTORY.

IT'S NOT IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T STOP AT ANY TIME.

WE'RE ALWAYS LEARNING HOW WE CAN EXPRESS OURSELVES CREATIVELY AND WELL AND BEAUTIFULLY.

YOU MENTIONED THE AUSTIN THEME THAT THEY HAD ADOPTED FOR THEMSELVES.

WILL YOUR FINAL RECOMMENDATION HAVE A THEME SUGGESTION FOR US AS WELL? WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE DIGGING IN DEEP TO THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, WHICH IS SO MUCH AROUND THIS IDEA OF MAKING AS PART OF THE CREATIVITY, THE MANUFACTURING, AND, YES, IN COMING FORWARD WITH IDEAS FOR HOW THAT COULD BE HARNESSED FOR THE LONG VIEW, FOR WHERE AND HOW IS IT THAT THE CITY COULD REALLY, REALLY HARNESS THA IT'S ALL THERE.

IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER AND HOW AND THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.

WELL, I HAVE TO SAY, I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK SO FAR, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU, GUYS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCILMAN HEDRICK, YOU WERE IN THE QUEUE.

DID YOU JUMP OUT? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T KNOCK YOU OUT OF THE QUEUE.

GO AHEAD, SIR.

YOU, I KNOCKED MYSELF OUT, BUT IF YOU CALL ON ME, I'LL ASK A QUESTION IF YOU DON'T MIND? WHAT IF I TAKE IT BACK.

OH, WELL, IT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE, SIR.

YOU'RE THE MAYOR.

GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

AND THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

AND I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

I KNOW YOU MENTIONED YOU GUYS ARE BASED IN AUSTIN AND YOU MENTIONED SOME OTHER CITIES THAT ARE RELATIVELY BIG FOR THEIR SIZE.

DO YOU HAVE I ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE

[02:10:04]

REPORT FOR FIRST TIER SUBURBS LIKE GARLAND IS WHERE WE HAVE A LARGE CULTURAL ARTS CITY OF DALLAS RIGHT NEXT TO US.

AND I IMAGINE YOU HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE WE'LL BE MAKING OUR OWN KIND OF IMPACT IT WHILE WE ARE SO CLOSE TO ANOTHER BIG CULTURAL INFLUENCER.

YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE TRICK IS, IS LETTING GARLAND BE THE FULLY GARLAND AND HARNESS THE RESOURCES AND CAPACITIES THAT ARE RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

AND I THINK THAT'LL PLAY IN A LOT OF VERY MUCH IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF HOW GARLAND POSITIONS ITSELF REGIONALLY AS AN ART CENTER WITH A UNIQUE IDENTITY, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN DALLAS IS.

AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND HOW IT IS THAT THEY CAN REALLY ADVERTISE THEMSELVES TO THE REGION AT LARGE, BECAUSE THERE IS A LARGE REGIONAL TOURISM, CULTURAL TOURISM REALLY INDUSTRY IN TEXAS.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT GARLAND IS POSITIONED TO DO BOTH TO HAVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY, BUT ALSO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE SO CLOSE.

WONDERFUL.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE FINAL.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE FOR THE PRESENTATIONS, IF YOU WOULD, OR IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE LIKE TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T IN OUR PACKET.

SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL GETS GETS A COPY OF THAT.

THE.

THERE IS A LIST OF FOLKS THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO AND WHATNOT.

CAN WE ALSO GET A LIST OF WHO'S IN THOSE GROUPS OR HOW THOSE GROUPS WERE PUT TOGETHER.

SURE.

ABSOLUTELY.

BECAUSE MY CONCERN SOMETIMES IS, IS THAT BY YOU KNOW, AND NOT THAT ANYONE WOULD DO SO INTENTIONALLY, BUT THAT BY PICKING THE GROUPS THAT YOU ALL TALK TO, IT CAN KIND OF DIRECT WHERE THINGS GO.

AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT IT AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE A GROUP THAT IS.

THAT IS DIVERSE.

ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S IMPORTANT.

IN EVERY WAY.

I MEAN, GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUND DIVERSE, ETHNICALLY DIVERSE, ALL OF THESE THINGS.

I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT.

I DO HOPE THAT AT SOME POINT YOU ALL WILL INTERVIEW COUNCIL AND TALK TO FOLKS I SEE THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE.

AND I USUALLY CONSIDER THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF BACKGROUNDS, BUT THEY ALSO ARE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THEIR DISTRICTS AND WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, WHO THE PEOPLE ARE, WHERE THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER BLIND SPOTS FOR OTHER GROUPS.

SO I DO HOPE THAT THAT SOMEWHERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE IN THE PLAN, BUT I HOPE THAT IT THAT IT DOES GET IN THERE.

THERE WAS A MENTION OF ONE OF THE PRIORITIES BEING MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS.

CAN YOU CAN YOU KIND OF FILL THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT FOR ME? SURE, I THINK THAT YEAH, AND FIRST, THANK YOU, YEAH, WE'D LOVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH YOU ALL MORE IN DEPTH.

AND THIS IS THIS IS A WONDERFUL TIME AFTER OUR FIRST FORAY AND DEEP DIVE INTO MANY, MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS.

THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE WE'RE SAYING, WELL, WHAT ARE WE MISSING AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED? AND SO, AGAIN, WE'LL GET ALL THAT INFORMATION TO YOU SO YOU CAN VIEW IT AS WELL.

AND THEN IN TERMS OF MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AROUND CULTURAL ARTS AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND PUBLIC ART.

AND I THINK IT GOES BACK TO MAYOR PRO TEM'S QUESTION AROUND EFFICIENCY AND HOW CAN WE HELP GARLAND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ART, WHICH IS REALLY THE QUESTION OF HOW DO YOU HELP? HOW CAN THE CITY HELP SUPPORT THIS CREATION OF AN ARTISTIC AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY THE TYPICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

AND SO HOW CAN THAT HELP AND WELL, WHAT ARE THE REVIEW PROCESSES? WHO ARE ON THE REVIEW PANELS? WHAT ARE THE PROCESSES FOR BRINGING ON ARTS DONATIONS AND HOW CAN THAT HAPPEN WHILE THERE'S SO MANY LESSONS LEARNED? AND SO WE WANT TO BRING THOSE TO YOU ALL.

OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE EVERYTHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH RESPECT, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A PUSH-PULL.

YOU PUT IN TOO MUCH STRUCTURE, AND THEN I THINK THAT THAT YOU END UP RESTRICTING CREATIVITY AND RESTRICTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ART OUT THERE.

AND SO I WORRY.

I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THINGS IN PLACE, BUT I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT THAT BALANCE, APPRECIATING ASPECTS ABOUT THAT, THAT WE DON'T OVERREGULATE, THAT WE DON'T OVER REQUIRE OR MAKE THINGS THAT ARE TOO STRINGENT KIND OF HIGHLY REGULATED, BECAUSE I THINK WE THEN THEY GET INTO THE WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT

[02:15:06]

THIS HERE, BUT YOU CAN'T PUT IT THERE AND YOU CAN HAVE THIS PROCESS OR THAT PROCESS.

AND SO I WANT TO KEEP THAT FLEXIBILITY IN MIND.

AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE JUST APPROVED ON [INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC ART SCULPTURE TO COME INTO MY DISTRICT THAT I'M SUPER HAPPY ABOUT.

I HOPE WE HAVE A LOT MORE AND AS WE BEGIN TO KIND OF JOIN THESE THINGS TOGETHER, LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE WE CAN PUT THESE THINGS AND HAVE A MIND TOWARDS PUBLIC ART, AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE BUILD THESE PARKS, DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THERE AND KIND OF KEEPING THOSE THINGS OPEN IN THE IDEA OF CREATING, YOU KNOW, HAVING CREATIVE SPACES, PLACES THAT PROMOTE THAT KIND OF CREATIVITY OR FOR PEOPLE TO DISPLAY IT.

THERE'S ALSO A PUSH PULL I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH IN PARTICULARLY, AS YOU MENTIONED, DISTRICTS AND IF WE HAVE A CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT OR FILM DISTRICT OR WHATEVER THAT IS, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

BUT I FEEL AT LEAST TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE CONCENTRATED SO MUCH IN THE CENTER OF OUR CITY.

AND WHILE IN MANY WAYS THAT'S VERY GOOD TO BUILD THAT KIND OF CRITICAL MASS, THERE ARE OTHER PARTS IN THE CITY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, THE CITY IS BIG ENOUGH THAT YOU RUN INTO FOLKS WHO SAY, I'VE NEVER BEEN TO DOWNTOWN.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME, WHO JUST NEVER--AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HOPE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT BRINGING ART TO THE PEOPLE AND TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE AND NOT JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR PERFORMANCE OR SEE YOUR MOVIE OR HEAR SOMEBODY READ POETRY, THAT THIS IS THE ONE PLACE THAT HAPPENS.

AND SO I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK ON THAT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE--I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO CALL IT BREADTH OR DEPTH TO THE DIVERSITY OF THE TYPES OF ARTS THAT WE OFFER AND PROMOTE, NOT JUST LIMIT OURSELVES TO ONE PARTICULAR.

ASPECT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES HERE.

I KNOW I'VE PUSHED IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A THEATER THAT'S BEEN CONVERTED INTO KIND OF A PERFORMING ARTS THAT COULD GO BACK TO BEING A MOVIE THEATER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DYNAMIC OPPORTUNITIES THERE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RESPECT TO TYPES OF FACILITIES, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE OR WHAT WE LACK? AND IS THERE A PREFERENCE GENERALLY FOR MULTI-USE FACILITIES OR GENERALLY ARE WE LOOKING AT IS THERE SOMEWHERE WHERE WE SHOULD GO MORE TOWARDS SPECIFIC OR SPECIAL USE FACILITIES OR TYPES OF FACILITIES? YEAH, WELL, THE CULTURAL PLAN THAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT A SPECIFIC SPACE AUDIT.

BUT WE WILL BE TALKING IN GENERAL ABOUT THE TYPE OF--GARLAND ACTUALLY HAS AN AMAZING BASE THERE, THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

THAT IS JUST LOVELY.

AND PARTICULARLY FOR A CITY THE SIZE OF GARLAND.

AND SO I THINK THE QUESTION IN TERMS OF SPACE IS MORE ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF SPACES AND THE LOCATIONS OF THOSE SPACES.

AND THAT'S WHERE THAT PARTNERSHIP EQUATION COMES IN.

AND I WANT TO PULL FROM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE METAPHOR YOU WERE USING ON KNITTING THINGS TOGETHER, ALONG WITH THAT TENSION OF HOW DO YOU BRING THINGS TOGETHER, BUT ALSO LEAVE THAT MOVEMENT SO THAT IT'S NOT NOT A REGULATING ABOUT WHAT'S GOOD ART AND WHAT'S BAD ART.

IT'S REALLY MAKING AN EFFICIENCY WITHIN THE SYSTEM THAT ARTS PROCESSES CAN MOVE THROUGH, KNOWING THAT ARTS CREATION PROCESSES AREN'T NECESSARILY THE SAME AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES OR MUNICIPAL PROCESSES.

SO HOW DO WE BRING THE TWO TOGETHER SO THAT THERE'S CLARITY, THERE'S STEPS AND EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE WITH IT.

AND SO THEN IF ONE DEPARTMENT DOES SOMETHING, IT'S NOT AS WHEN THE ARTIST COMES IN AND MAYBE THERE'S ENERGY FROM THE COMMUNITY LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO RAISE A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO DO THIS PROJECT.

MAYBE THE CITY CAN MATCH IT.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT'S THE CITY APPROVAL PROCESS? THAT'S ACTUALLY CLEAR AND BASED ON BEST PRACTICES.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING TO DO.

BUT NOT IT'S NOT UP TO US TO SAY WHAT ART IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD.

JUST HOW CAN THE CITY SUPPORT IT WELL, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO COME FROM THE RESIDENTS ULTIMATELY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU AND OF COURSE, SEEING THE FULL REPORT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS.

[02:20:02]

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING, DR. [INAUDIBLE].

COUNCILMAN AUBIN COVERED MOST OF MY POINT, SO I'LL CUT THIS SHORT.

JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS AND A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

I'D VERY MUCH LIKE TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED WITH YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN THIS INITIATIVE, PARTICULARLY OUR STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE ART IS OFTEN IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER.

AND I KNOW OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, SOME FORMS OF ART HAVE EVOLVED THROUGH THE YEARS THROUGHOUT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THINGS THAT WERE NOT CONSIDERED ART FORMS 10 YEARS AGO ARE NOW CONSIDERED AS ACCEPTABLE ART FORMS. SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IT'S CRITICAL TO HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED, NOT JUST ON THE BACK END OF THIS, BUT ON THE FRONT END OF THIS.

I MEAN THAT THEIR IDEAS ARE IMPORTANT.

THEY ARE A LOT MORE CREATIVE THAN MOST OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU SEE ON THIS CALL TONIGHT, AND THEY HAVE THE ENERGY TO DELIVER.

SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.

THE SECOND POINT IS, CAN YOU SPEAK TO--PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING COUNCILMAN AUBIN SAID--THE PORTABILITY OF OF OUR CULTURAL ARTS? WE HAVE A LARGE CITY AND I TOO WANT TO SEE SOMETHING IN HERE WHERE WE'RE NOT ALWAYS SAYING, YOU KNOW, COME TO THIS, THAT WE TAKE OUR ART FORMS TO OTHER PEOPLE AND WE HAVE SOME BALANCE CITYWIDE FOR OUR PRODUCTION.

SO YOU CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE PORTABILITY? BUT MY SECOND QUESTION TO YOU IS YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT VISUAL I DIDN'T SEE IN YOUR PRESENTATION OR HERE, MAYBE I MISSED IT, DISCUSSION ABOUT MUSIC, WHICH IS IS VERY FLUID AND CHANGES ALMOST AS OFTEN AS CELL PHONES DO.

AND SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHERE THAT WILL FIT IN? MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU IS THE EDUCATION PROCESS, WHEN YOU BRING BACK THIS PROJECT, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A COMPONENT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION/INFORMATION? AND WHAT IS THIS? WHY SHOULD I BUY INTO THIS KIND OF THING? SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR US, PLEASE? AND LASTLY.

AS A PART OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, ARE YOU GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED PERHAPS A PILOT? OR SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO A TEST RUN, WHATEVER THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, TO THEN THEN GET PUBLIC INPUT, A REACTION TO THAT PILOT, TO DO FURTHER TWEAKING, SO I HOPE I DIDN'T RUN THOSE TOGETHER FOR YOU, DID YOU GET--.

I NOTED THEM ALL DOWN.

WE'RE GOOD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SURE.

YEAH.

FIRST WITH THE YOUTH COMMENT, ABSOLUTELY.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST ENJOYABLE MOMENTS OF THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN THE YOUTH FOCUS GROUP.

WHAT WE WERE IMPRESSED BY NOT ONLY THE YOUTH THEMSELVES, THESE WERE YOUTH THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY THEIR TEACHERS THAT WERE NOT ONLY CREATIVE AND EXPRESSIVE INDIVIDUALS, BUT HAD A BIT OF A CIVIC HEART IN THEM AND COULD REALLY TALK ABOUT WE COULD TALK WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT A CITY COULD DO TO SUPPORT THE ARTS, STARTING FROM A YOUNG AGE THROUGH MATURITY.

BUT WHAT WE NOTICED WITHIN THE CONVERSATION WITH THE YOUTH WAS THAT NOT ONLY WERE THEY VERY HELD AND HELD TO THE SENSE OF BEING A FAMILY WITHIN THE ARTS EDUCATION THAT THEY WERE GETTING WITHIN GISD, BUT THAT EXTENDED TO BOTH CITY FACILITIES AND NON-PROFITS AND FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY WORKED WITH IN TOWN.

AND THAT'S TO BE COMMENDED, PARTICULARLY FOR A CITY OF GARLAND'S SIZE.

SO, YEAH, I THINK YOUTH AND THEN THAT LIFELONG DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE

[02:25:10]

EXPRESSION WILL BE PART OF THE ACTION ITEMS, THE PORTABILITY OF THE ARTS.

IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.

AND I THINK IT GOES FROM ONE OF YOUR FINAL QUESTIONS ON PILOT PROJECTS.

WE ALWAYS LIKE TO LEAVE A PLAN WITH REALLY SORT OF IT'S AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION, WHICH HAS A TOP 10 LIST.

AND PART OF THAT TOP 10 LIST IS AN INITIAL PILOT PROJECT, SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN REALLY DIVE OFF ON OR FROM.

WE WORKED IN CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AND THEIR INITIAL PROJECT WAS AN ART BUS.

THEY WANTED TO TAKE AN ART BUS CONVERT--THEY TOOK AN OLD BUS AND CONVERTED IT.

AND THAT ART DEPARTMENT WAS LOCATED WITHIN LIBRARIES.

AND THEY WENT AROUND TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES BRINGING BOOKS AND ARTS EDUCATION TO DIFFERENT NETWORKS.

SO PORTABILITY CAN BE TAKEN VERY LITERALLY.

AND WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS.

IN TERMS OF MUSIC, THAT WAS OUR NEGLECT.

WE SHOULD HAVE PUT MUSIC UP THERE BECAUSE GARLAND HAS A REALLY STRONG HISTORY, A VERY GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC MUSIC COMING OUT OF IT.

AND SO, YEAH, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT.

AND THEN TO END ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, IF I UNDERSTOOD RIGHT, WILL THERE BE WITHIN THE PLAN LANGUAGE AND IDEAS AND FOR MOVING FORWARD IN TERMS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT WHY THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE CULTURAL ARTS AND SUPPORTING CULTURAL ARTS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL ARTS THAT WILL BE IN THE PLAN.

AND IT IS PART OF THEN ALSO WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION AS WE LOOK REALLY TO PASS THIS OFF FOR THEM BEING THE BEARERS OF THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

SIR, COUNCIL MEMBER MCNEAL.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

DR. [INAUDIBLE], JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION IS FOR MAXIMUM EXPOSURE, ARE YOU'RE GOING TO BRING BACK IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION, THESE ARE SOME POSSIBLE COLLATERAL TO GIVE US MAXIMUM EXPOSURE TO OUR REGION AND TO MAYBE OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.

AND I CAN ENVISION THINGS LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO DISNEY WORLD FIRST THING YOU WALK IN, HERE'S A MAP, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO GO TO SPACE MOUNTAIN, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THESE SITES.

ARE YOU'RE GOING TO BRING BACK SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COUNCIL CAN SELECT FROM TO GAIN THAT MAXIMUM EXPOSURE.

YES.

THE DOOR WE ENTER INTO FOR THAT CONVERSATION IS WE KNOW A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ARTS FUNDING THESE DAYS COMES FROM THE REALM OF WHAT THEY CALL CREATIVE PLACEMAKING, WHICH IS ARTS BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND THE FOUNDATION OF BEING ABLE TO GARNER FUNDS FROM PRIVATE PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS WHO ARE LOOKING TO GIVE TO CITIES AND COMMUNITIES STARTS WITH THE FOUNDATION OF A REALLY GOOD NARRATIVE.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY, THE HERITAGE, THE CULTURE OF A PLACE? AND HOW IS IT THAT THE ARTS INTERVENTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE NOW RELATED TO THAT NARRATIVE? SO AND THIS IS WHAT THAT NARRATIVE IS THEN WHAT ALSO PLAYS INTO THAT REGIONAL DIMENSION? WHAT IS THE STORY THAT'S BEING TOLD? WHY SHOULD PEOPLE BE INTERESTED WITH PEOPLE SO HUNGRY FOR THIS IDEA OF AUTHENTICITY? IT'S REALLY ABOUT TELLING THE STORY AND TELLING IT WELL.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT AND WE'RE TALKING WITH FOLKS IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT NARRATIVE SO THAT THE CITY CAN LAUNCH OFF AND FIND THOSE PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS AND START BUILDING THE PROJECTS THEY'RE GOING TO PULL FROM THAT AND THE REGIONAL IDENTITY AND DRAW.

VERY GOOD, IF I COULD BRIEFLY, FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MCNEAL, THE OTHER BENEFIT OF HAVING THIS PROGRAM IN OUR DEPARTMENT IS WE'VE ALSO AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION, WE'VE GOT THE CDB MARKETING PLANNERS AND THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.

SO WE'VE GOT A GREAT SYNERGY WITH ALL OF OUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THAT THIS PLAN GIVES US SOMETHING TO SELL IN MANY, MANY WAYS FOR FOLKS TO COME VISIT AND EXPERIENCE IN GARLAND.

VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD.

JUST REAL QUICK, I THINK WE CLEARED THE QUEUE.

ANDY, CAN YOU COORDINATE GETTING THE INFORMATION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN HAD REQUESTED AS FAR AS THE PRESENTATION ITSELF AND THEN THE FOCUS GROUP MAKEUP.

ABSOLUTELY.

OK, THANK YOU.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT QUESTIONS HERE TONIGHT.

AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A HUGE INTEREST, NOT JUST CITIZENS, BUT OBVIOUSLY HERE ON THE COUNCIL AND LOOKING AT YOUR PICTURES, REALLY, YOU KNOW, REALLY MAKES ME MISS A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING PRIOR TO ALL THIS AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS [INAUDIBLE] ABOUT A PILOT PROGRAM.

YOU KNOW, TO BE TO BE HONEST, SUMMER BEFORE LAST, WE HAD AN AWESOME PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE WERE WORKING ON.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC ART THINGS WE WERE DOING AND THAT WERE

[02:30:02]

GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION AND A LOT OF INTEREST AND A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE DOING THEM.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE HAD TO YOU KNOW, LAST SUMMER WE HAD TO CURB ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, DR. [INAUDIBLE], YOU MENTIONED THERE'S A HUNGER FOR IT.

AND I CAN TELL YOU AND THIS IS NO EARTH-SHATTERING INFORMATION COMING FOR ME, BUT AS WE COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC, THERE IS SO MUCH PENT UP DESIRE TO SEE AND TO BE OUT AND TO CREATE.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THIS SUMMER OR NOT, BUT IN OUR VERY NEAR FUTURE, PEOPLE ARE JUST, THEY'RE READY TO GO; THEY'RE READY TO SEE; THEY'RE READY TO DO.

AND WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT AS IT CONTINUES TO DEVELOP.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND THAT WILL BRING US TO ITEM FOUR D CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU UPDATE.

[4D. Convention and Visitors Bureau Update]

MR. HESSER, YOU'RE UP AGAIN.

YES, SIR.

AND JUST REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I DO WANT TO REITERATE, WE DEFINITELY HEAR AND APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S INTEREST IN THAT PROJECT.

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

WE THINK IT'S A BIG DEAL.

AND I THINK WE'RE HEARING TO COUNCIL, IT'S A VERY BIG DEAL.

SO WE HOPE TO MAKE SURE WE DELIVER ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD THIS EVENING AND IN THE PAST.

SO OUR NEXT THING ACTUALLY THEY'RE KIND OF RELATED, THEY DOVETAIL BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.

DANA LODGE, AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, WAS WAS HIRED AS OUR CDB DIRECTOR.

GOSH, IT'S MAYBE ALMOST A YEAR NOW.

IT SEEMS LIKE TIME FLIES INCREDIBLY THIS YEAR.

SO SHE WILL BASICALLY PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT THAT DEPARTMENT HAS KIND OF EVOLVED AND WHAT SHE'S BROUGHT TO THE TABLE AND WHAT WE THINK ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR US, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TRAVEL OBVIOUSLY.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'VE BEEN ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.

WE'VE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE IS SLOWING DOWN.

WE'RE SOWING SEEDS SO THAT WHEN THE DAY COMES BACK, WE CAN MAKE HAY THAT WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME A LITTLE BIT.

SO.

SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO LET DANA LODGE PROVIDE A LITTLE UPDATE ON WHAT HER TEAM HAS BEEN UP TO THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU, ANDY, AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

IS ELISA GOING TO SHARE MY PRESENTATION OR? I BELIEVE WE CAN GET IT.

ELISA, DO YOU HAVE TO CDB PRESENTATION? YES, SIR THERE YOU GO.

THANK YOU.

GREAT.

THANK YOU.

I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE LOTS ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY.

WE CAN JUST GO RIGHT ON INTO THE NEXT SLIDE IF YOU WANT TO DO A [INAUDIBLE]--THAT'LL WORK.

SO SOMEWHAT LIKE THE CULTURAL ARTS MASTER PLAN, THE CBD IS ACTUALLY GOING WITH A CBD ASSESSMENT, NOT A FULL FLEDGED MASTER PLAN.

AND THIS FIRST SLIDE REPRESENTS SIX GOALS THAT THE CONSULTANT THAT'S DOING THE CDB ASSESSMENT PLAN HAS COME UP FOR VISIT GARLAND.

AND I WOULD JUST SAY YOUR MAIN TAKEAWAY FOR THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE IS TO KNOW THAT VISIT GARLAND'S PURPOSE IS TO MARKET AND COMMUNICATE AND BUILD INTEREST IN POSSIBLE VISITORS TO COME TO OUR COMMUNITY TO ENJOY EVERYTHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS, BUT ALSO TO BRING THEIR TOURNAMENTS, THEIR CONVENTIONS, THEIR CONFERENCES, THE REUNIONS TO COME AND DO DAY TRIPS TO SHOP, ENJOY THE LAKE, JUST A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT REASONS THAT WE WOULD BRING VISITORS INTO TOWN.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE MAIN PURPOSE.

AND THESE GOALS ALL FEED THEMSELVES TO THAT PURPOSE FOR VISIT GARLAND.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN HELPFUL FOR US, AT LEAST ON THE NEXT SLIDE, IS THAT WE HAVE REALLY BUILT A REALLY NICE DEPARTMENT TO THAT END.

IN CASE YOU ARE NOT AWARE, WE'VE HAD SOME REORGANIZATION THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND WE'VE BROUGHT [INAUDIBLE], THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE,

[02:35:02]

THE SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT AND VISIT GARLAND.

AND IT JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE THAT THIS HAS ALL COME TOGETHER.

WE'RE VERY INTERRELATED, OFTEN WORKING ON A LOT OF THE SAME PLANS.

SO IT HAS JUST MADE A LOT OF SENSE.

WE'VE GOT JUST A PHENOMENAL TEAM WITH MANY, MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT SELLING CITIES, SELLING DESTINATIONS AND MARKETING DESTINATIONS.

SO I THINK WE CAN MEET THOSE GOALS THAT OUR CDB ASSESSMENT CONSULTANT HAS COME UP WITH.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THAT OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY IN THE CITY, EVERYBODY ACROSS THE WORLD HAS HAD TO PIVOT.

I WILL TELL YOU, EARLY IN TWENTY TWENTY, BEFORE IT WAS APPARENT THAT WE ALL KIND OF NEEDED TO CHANGE OUR GAME PLAN, OUR SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT WAS SUCCESSFUL AT BRINGING THE WALL THAT HEALS TO TOWN.

IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY MOVING MEMORIAL.

WE HAD THIRTEEN THOUSAND AN ESTIMATED THIRTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE VISIT.

IT JUST REALLY, REALLY WENT OFF WELL.

WE ALSO HAD A FIRST TIME EVENT THAT THE SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT ASSISTED WITH GISD AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CALLED BIG ART DAY, AGAIN CELEBRATING THE ARTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO THOSE TWO EVENTS DID TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO COVID, MAKING EVERYTHING KIND OF SHUT DOWN.

SO, WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE DID PRETTY MUCH PIVOT OUR GAME PLAN.

WE NEEDED TO FOCUS AND HELP OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES WHO WERE OBVIOUSLY SUFFERING AND HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME.

SO WE REALLY PIVOTED TOWARDS THAT KIND OF A FOCUS.

AND THEN WE ALSO FOCUSED ON VISITORS THAT WERE MUCH, MUCH CLOSER AND EVEN OUR OWN COMMUNITY AND TREATED THEM AS VISITORS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAME AND ENJOYED ALL THE ASSETS THAT GARLAND HAS TO OFFER.

ONE OF THE FUN THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE FACT THAT PEOPLE NOW HAD TO HAVE TO-GO ORDERS OR DELIVERY ORDERS WAS A FUN CAMPAIGN CALLED THE SQUARE MEAL, AND IT WAS PROMOTING PEOPLE TO HAVE THOSE TO-GO ORDERS AND ENJOY THEM ON OUR SQUARE UNDER OUR COLORFUL UMBRELLAS.

ANOTHER CAMPAIGN THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WAS REALLY TRYING TO TELL A HUMAN INTEREST STORY.

WE WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THOSE BUSINESSES ALL HAVE PEOPLE BEHIND THEM AND THAT THEY WERE STRUGGLING AND WE WANTED THEM TO GET TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE BIT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.

AND SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE PMR DEPARTMENT AND SPECIAL EVENTS AND VISIT GARLAND TO PRODUCE THESE BEHIND THE MENU STORYBOARDS THAT WERE VERY WELL DONE--ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS THAT WE DID.

AND THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL GO OVER PRETTY QUICKLY, ELISA, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY EASY TO ENCOURAGE ALL THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT GARLAND HAS.

ONE, IT WAS A SAFE WAY TO SURVIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO BECAUSE GARLAND HAS SO MANY WONDERFUL OUTDOOR SPACES.

SO IT WAS ONE OF OUR MAJOR STORIES AND ONE OF OUR MARKETING EFFORTS THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY EASY TO LEAN INTO.

AND THEN THANKS, ELISA.

AND THEN OUR SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT HAD TO ACT QUICKLY, QUICKLY, LEARN HOW TO PUT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT VIRTUAL EVENTS, BECAUSE WE DETERMINED THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE ANY MUSIC IN OUR CITY THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE VIRTUAL.

SO THEY PRODUCED 10 VIRTUAL CONCERTS OVER THE SUMMER WHEN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SQUARE AND HAVING THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AND TRIED TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT LIFE WILL RETURN TO NORMAL SOONER OR LATER.

THE DIA FESTIVAL WAS JUST A REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL, WELL DONE VIRTUAL EVENT THAT WAS FILMED BY THE PMR DEPARTMENT, AND IT REALLY FOCUSED IN ON THE MEANING OF THAT CELEBRATION, WHICH I THOUGHT BROUGHT SO MUCH MORE TO IT.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE VIRTUAL EVENTS.

AND ALSO ON THE NEXT ONE, ELISA, WE EVEN TURNED THE FUN GARLAND GUZZLER INTO A

[02:40:08]

VIRTUAL EVENT SO PEOPLE COULD CLOCK THEIR TIME EVEN IF THEY WERE RUNNING IT IN FRONT OF THEIR OWN HOME ON THE SIDEWALK.

SO JUST A REALLY FUN WAY TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THESE JUST GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR US TO GET BACK TO THOSE.

AND AS YOU, COUNCIL, ARE SO WELL AWARE, EVEN OUR TREE LIGHTING WENT VIRTUAL THIS YEAR AND WAS FOLLOWED UP WITH A REALLY NICE CONCERT BY BOBBY OROSCO, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT SOONER THAN LATER WE CAN START ACTUALLY HAVING SOME IN PERSON JUST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO ON THE NEXT ONE, OUR VISIT GARLAND, A SALES MANAGER, DIDN'T LET THE PANDEMIC SLOW HER DOWN AT ALL.

HER NAME IS ERIN WILSON.

SELLING GARLAND NEVER SLOWED DOWN AND NEVER STOPPED BECAUSE OUR SALES TEAM IS SELLING FOR YEARS IN THE FUTURE.

SO SHE'S OUT THERE TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE DOING IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

TWENTY TWENTY THREE.

SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE EVER STOPPED DOING.

SHE ATTENDED MULTIPLE VIRTUAL TRADE SHOWS WHERE LITERALLY SHE HAD APPOINTMENTS, ONE ON ONE APPOINTMENT, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE VIRTUAL, THEY WERE STILL ONE ON ONE APPOINTMENTS TO DISCUSS WHAT KINDS OF FACILITIES THEY NEEDED, WHAT THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO BRING THEIR TOURNAMENT OR THEIR MEETING OR THEIR CONFERENCE TO GARLAND.

AS A RESULT, WE RECEIVED QUITE A FEW RFPS AND SOME PRETTY SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS TO BRING THEIR BUSINESS TO GARLAND.

WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AT BOOKING QUITE A FEW ACTUAL SPORTS EVENTS.

MULTIPLE OF THOSE ENDED UP CANCELING BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT COVID DIDN'T CALM DOWN AS QUICKLY AS ANY OF US HAD WISHED FOR.

BUT WE DID BOOK THOSE AND SOME DID GET HELD IN SAFE DISTANCING MANNERS, OTHERS CANCELED.

OTHERS ARE ON THE BOOKS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

BUT DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN THE FACT THAT WE CAN BRING THESE VISITORS TO GARLAND AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE'RE NOT BOOKING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.

SO WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT SPORTS WAS GOING TO BE, WE KNEW SPORTS MATCHED GARLAND.

WE HAVE SO MANY PARKS, FACILITIES THAT OFFER SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING TOURNAMENTS.

ELISA, WILL YOU SWITCH TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR ME.

BUT THEN WHEN WE WENT TO THESE TRADE SHOWS, IT BECAME EVEN MORE APPARENT, APPARENT THAT SPORTS WAS JUST SUCH A NATURAL FIT FOR GARLAND.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE REALLY LACKING WAS JUST A WAY TO TELL THAT STORY REALLY, REALLY WELL.

SO WE CREATED A REALLY NICE SPORTS FACILITY GUIDE AND ALL OF YOU GUYS DO HAVE IT IN YOUR MAILBOX AT CITY HALL.

YOU EACH HAVE A COPY OF IT.

SO WHENEVER YOU'RE IN THERE TO PICK UP YOUR MAIL, YOU CAN GET IT.

BUT THE GRAPHIC AND THE WORK OF THIS WAS DONE BY CHRISTY ANDERSON AND THAT PMR OFFICE, AND IT WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARKS AND VISIT GARLAND.

AND JUST TO REALLY TELL THE STORY OF WHAT FACILITIES WE HAVE HERE AND HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THEM, IF THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX TO BRING THEIR TOURNAMENT, IT'S NOT THE ONLY PIECE OF COLLATERAL THAT WE WILL BE UPDATING OR CHANGING OR BRINGING FORWARD.

IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

WE'LL BE LOOKING AT OUR MEETING PLANNING GUIDE, OUR VISITOR GUIDE, JUST DIFFERENT PIECES OF COLLATERAL SO THAT THEY, ONE, HAVE A COHESIVE LOOK AND SO THAT WE MEET OUR NEEDS RIGHT NOW.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT ONE IS SOME UPDATED PRINT ADS THAT WE HAVE DONE THE ALWAYS EVENTFUL AD THAT YOU SEE IS GOING TO BE IN THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE TEXAS HIGHWAYS CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAGAZINE.

THE OTHER AD YOU CAN'T RESIST US WILL BE IN THE TEXAS STATE TRAVEL GUIDE,

[02:45:02]

WHICH IS THE OFFICIAL FULFILLMENT PIECE FOR THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF TOURISM.

SO KIND OF PLAYING OFF ON THE [INAUDIBLE] STORY LINE WITH THAT.

SO JUST SOME REFRESHED ADVERTISING THAT WE WILL BE DOING IN TWENTY, TWENTY ONE.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE, WE DIDN'T JUST UPDATE PRINT AD, BUT WE UPDATED WITH A LOT OF ASSETS THAT ARE IN THE VIDEO REALM.

WE CREATED A REALLY NICE VIDEO WITH THE CHEF OF [INAUDIBLE] DOING A COOKING DEMONSTRATION.

WE'VE REALLY BEEN POSITIONING GARLAND AS A FOODIE DESTINATION.

AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES THAT HAPPENS PRETTY COMMON.

WE'RE DOING THAT PRETTY OFTEN.

WE ALSO HAVE A VIDEO COMING OUT IN TWENTY, TWENTY ONE WITH THE CHEF FROM PANGEA WHO IS OF THE BEAT BOBBY FLAY FAME.

SO THAT WILL BE A FUN VIDEO THAT WILL BE COMING OUT IN TWENTY ONE.

WE TAPPED OUR MAYOR FOR SAFE STAYCATION VIDEO, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE WAS STILL TIME AT THE END OF SUMMER TO ENJOY SOME OF OUR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN A SAFE WAY.

SO JUST BUILDING THE ASSETS OF THE MARKETING MATERIALS THAT WE NEED TO TELL OUR STORY WAS SOMETHING THAT WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME ON IN TWENTY TWENTY.

THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POST.

OUR JOB IS TO TALK ABOUT THE ASSETS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

SO TALKING ABOUT OUR CULTURAL ARTS, ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE DOWNTOWN.

ONE OF OUR CAMPAIGNS WAS THE FAIR FARE FOOD, WHICH I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE HAVE DONE.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE, A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE, WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE I CAME ON BOARD? VISIT GARLAND JOINED FORCES WITH THE MAKE YOU MARK CAMPAIGN.

THIS YEAR, THE MAKE YOU MARK CAMPAIGN ALSO ADDED SOME ASSETS, INCREASED SOME ASSETS, SOME PHOTOGRAPHY ASSETS AND ALSO SOME VIDEOS.

AND WE WANTED TO KEEP WITH THAT ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE MAKE YOU MARK CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS THAT IMAGE CAMPAIGN BUILDING THAT PRIDE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO SPEAKING TO THE VISITOR.

AND SO THE ASSETS THAT GOT CREATED FOR THIS YEAR TO HELP TELL THAT STORY AND HELP BUILD UPON THE STORY THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB WITH WAS AGAIN PROMOTING OUTDOORS.

YOU CAN SEE THE LAKE PICTURE, THE FOODIE PICTURE, UNIQUE STORES THAT HAPPEN TO BE HERE IN GARLAND AND THEN NOT REPRESENTED HERE.

BUT ANOTHER ASSET PICTURE IS THE ARTS.

SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE NEW KIND OF ASSETS THAT GOT ADDED TO THE MAKE YOU MARK CAMPAIGN.

AND MAKE YOU MARK DID NOT TAKE A BREAK DURING COVID, WE KEPT THE MESSAGING GOING THE WHOLE TIME AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE MAKE YOU MARK TOOK A BACK SEAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T.

THEY KEPT MOVING.

THE NEXT SLIDE IS SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF MAKE YOU MARK CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAD OUT THERE.

THESE ARE THREE DIFFERENT BILLBOARDS THAT WE HAD OUT MOST OF THE YEAR.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE SAME MESSAGING THAT WE WERE PROMOTING, THE OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN GARLAND AND THE UNIQUE SHOPS.

SO, AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK HAS BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE MAKE YOU MARK CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR IS THESE EDITORIAL STORIES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE D MAGAZINE DIGITAL PLATFORM.

YOU CAN SEE THE THREE SUBJECT LINES.

AGAIN, I THINK THE THING THAT'S BEEN INTERESTING ABOUT THIS EDITORIAL ON D MAGAZINE IS, ONE, THE ANALYTICS ARE REALLY OFF THE CHART GREAT.

BUT FOR INSTANCE, THE ROOM TO ROAM STORY SHOWED THE AVERAGE READER WAS ON THAT SITE FOR THREE AND A HALF MINUTES, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLY LONG TIME IN THIS DAY AND AGE ON ANY DIGITAL STORY.

SO JUST REALLY BEEN REALLY, REALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR US.

[02:50:04]

AND ALL OF THEM LIST MULTIPLE RESTAURANTS OR MULTIPLE SHOPS OR MULTIPLE PARKS AND DIFFERENT PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT ARE ALL OVER OUR CITY, NOT JUST CONCENTRATED IN ONE AREA.

SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR US.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MAKE YOU MARK DEPARTMENT AND THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND VISIT GARLAND HAS ALSO BEEN HAPPENING THIS WHOLE YEAR.

AND I THINK MOST OF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE FAIR FARE CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAD.

I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS PARTICULAR YEAR.

IT ALLOWED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING BECAUSE IT LASTED FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.

IT HAD 14 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS, ALL OFFERING THAT TRADITIONAL STATE FAIR OF TEXAS TYPE FOOD THAT THEY COULDN'T GET BECAUSE OUR STATE FAIR WAS CANCELED THIS YEAR.

SO IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY FUN, GREAT CAMPAIGN.

BUT MORE SO THAN THAT, IT RECEIVED ALL KINDS AND GARNERED ALL KINDS OF OUTSIDE COVERAGE FROM THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE, FROM THE OBSERVER, FROM GOOD MORNING, TEXAS.

SO WE GOT A LOT OF PUBLICITY OFF OF IT, BUT I THINK REALLY AND TRULY, PROBABLY THE BEST KIND OF TESTIMONIAL ABOUT THAT CAMPAIGN WAS OUR OWN RESTAURANTS WERE SUPER, SUPER HAPPY THAT THIS CAMPAIGN WAS HAPPENING.

THEY FELT LIKE IT WAS HELPING THEIR BUSINESS.

WE HAD ONE OF OUR RESTAURANTS TELL US THAT THEIR SALES WERE FOUR HUNDRED PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE SATURDAY PRIOR TO THE START OF THAT PARTICULAR CAMPAIGN.

WE HAD OTHER RESTAURANTS TELL US THAT THEY JUST COULDN'T EVEN KEEP THE FAIR FARE FOOD IN STOCK.

IT WAS GOING SO QUICKLY AND OTHER RESTAURANTS TELLING US THAT IT WAS SUCH A POPULAR FOOD ITEM THAT PEOPLE WERE ORDERING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO KEEP IT YEAR- LONG.

SO IF WE'RE MAKING OUR BUSINESSES HAPPY, THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING.

SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I KNOW THAT I MENTIONED THE TEN CONCERTS THAT OUR SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT DID THE VIRTUAL CONCERTS TO KEEP THAT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY ALIVE.

BUT THE VERY FIRST ONE WAS REALLY THE BRAINCHILD OF OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR.

AND THAT FIRST CONCERT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PMR OFFICE, WHO JUST DID A GREAT FILM OF AN OLD CLASSIC CAR PULLING UP TO THE PLAZA THEATER, GETTING READY TO HEAR A LIVE CONCERT VIRTUALLY WITH BOBBY OROSCO.

IT WAS DONE SO WELL THAT THE TEXAS DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION AWARDED GARLAND THE 2020 BEST DIGITAL PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN.

SO JUST KUDOS TO THAT PMR TEAM FOR ALWAYS JUST PRODUCING TOP NOTCH VIDEO FOR US.

SOME OTHER MARKETING EFFORTS THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH ON THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICES, THE THIRSTY THIRD THURSDAY.

THAT'S A NEW FUN THING THAT DVO OFFICE IS DOING, OF COURSE, PROMOTING VISITING THE REST OF THE RETAIL IN A SAFE MANNER.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN ORDER TO KIND OF INCREASE THAT FOOT TRAFFIC.

THEY'RE STAYING OPEN LATER ON THAT PARTICULAR THURSDAY AND OFFERING SOME KIND OF REFRESHMENT TO THE GUESTS THAT COME IN.

THE DVO OFFICE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE CHAMBER FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY FOLLOWING THANKSGIVING AGAIN THIS YEAR.

THEY HAD ALMOST THE SAME NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AS THEY HAD PRE PANDEMIC YEAR.

SO, AGAIN, TRYING TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE AND SOCIAL-DISTANCED AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT AT THE FOREFRONT.

IT STILL WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR.

AND THEN THANKS ELISA.

AND THEN JUST AN EXAMPLE, WHAT VISIT GARLAND IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IS TALKING ABOUT OUR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN TOWN, AND ONE OF THEM IS OUR LANDMARK MUSEUM.

SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE MESSAGING THAT WE PUT OUT FOR THEM,

[02:55:06]

PROMOTING THEIR SCAVENGER HUNT OR THEIR CEMETERY WALKING TOUR.

OUR JOB IS TO TALK ABOUT THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE.

SO WHETHER OR NOT IT IS OUR WONDERFUL SHOPPING OR GOLF COURSE OR LAKE, ALL OF THOSE ASSETS ARE SOMETHING THAT VISIT GARLAND IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT FROM TIME TO TIME, SO.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR IS SOME GARLAND-CENTRIC MERCHANDISE THAT WE ARE NOW OFFERING OR TRYING TO HAVE LOCAL AMBASSADORS WALKING AROUND OUR TOWN WITH GARLAND T-SHIRTS ON AND TELLING THEM, HELPING US TELL THE STORY SO THAT IT'S NOW AVAILABLE IN THE LOBBY OF THE VISIT GARLAND BUILDING.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDED OUR ARTISTS THAT WERE IN TOWN.

SO WE DID A DESIGN CHALLENGE WHERE THEY COULD SEND IN GARLAND-CENTRIC, ICONIC IMAGES IN THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE IT FOR MERCHANDISE.

SO THAT CONTEST JUST ENDED AND WE GOT SOME GREAT, GREAT ENTRIES.

AND SO IN TWENTY, TWENTY ONE, WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT SOME NEW MERCHANDISE WITH OUR OWN ARTIST WHO HELPED TO MAKE US SHINE AND HELP US HAVE THAT WHOLE GARLAND FEEL AND LOOK ABOUT IT.

SO YOU GUYS NEED TO COME OVER AND DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IF YOU STILL HAVE SOME SHOPPING TO DO.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS A LITTLE LESS MARKETING AND A LITTLE MORE ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF IT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WORKED ON THIS PARTICULAR YEAR IS WE COLLABORATED WITH THE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT IN THE TAX OFFICE TO ENGAGE WITH A THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE COMPANY TO HELP US IDENTIFY THE SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPLIANT AND THAT THEY'RE PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT IS OWED JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS WAS NOT A SYSTEM TO ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE THE NUMBER OF SHORT TERM RENTALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT WAS TO IDENTIFY THOSE WHO ARE A SHORT TERM RENTAL AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPLIANT AND ARE PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

SO THAT PROGRAM IS WELL ON ITS WAY BETWEEN THE COMPLIANCE AND TAX OFFICE AND SHOULD ROLL OUT AND START BEING EFFICIENT IN THE VERY, VERY EARLY TWENTY, TWENTY ONE, PROBABLY IN JANUARY.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST ABOUT READY TO GO.

SO.

AND THEN MY LAST SLIDE JUST KIND OF RELATES BACK TO THAT VERY FIRST SLIDE OF THE GOALS THAT THE CDB ASSESSMENT CONSULTANT HAS SET OUT FOR US, AND HERE IS JUST PRESENTING TO YOU THAT THE NEXT STEP IN THAT ASSESSMENT WILL BE ACTION ITEMS. WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THIS ACTION ITEMS. WE'RE GOING AHEAD AND ACTING ON THEM.

AND HERE'S THE LIST OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING TO MEET THOSE GOALS.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DO HAVE THE TEXAS FILM FRIENDLY DESIGNATION AND ALSO THE MUSIC FRIENDLY DESIGNATION ON OUR HORIZON FOR TWENTY, TWENTY ONE.

AND ALSO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IS NOT A DISTRICT.

IT'S NOT LIKE A CULTURAL DISTRICT.

THE TEXAS FILM FRIENDLY DESIGNATION COVERS THE ENTIRE CITY.

AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WHAT FILM OR FILM PRODUCTION PEOPLE MAY WANT TO TAKE BASED ON EVERY PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY.

SO IT IS NOT AT ALL A DISTRICT-ORIENTED KIND OF DESIGNATION.

SO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE ON THE VISIT GARLAND'S HORIZONS.

SO HOPEFULLY ONE IN TWENTY ONE, PROBABLY THE FILM FRIENDLY IN TWENTY ONE AND THEN PROBABLY THE MUSIC FRIENDLY IN TWENTY TWO.

[03:00:02]

SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY, AS YOU GUYS ARE WELL AWARE, TOOK A VERY HARD HIT ALONG WITH SO MANY OTHER INDUSTRIES.

BUT VISIT GARLAND IS PIVOTING AND MAKING IT WORK AND TELLING THE STORY THAT GARLAND HAS TO TELL AND GETTING US IN POSITION TO BE AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING THESE VISITORS IN AND AS COMPETITIVE TO OUR NEIGHBORS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BE BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE A LOT TO OFFER.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE OUT THERE TELLING THEM ALL ABOUT.

SO I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE DO HAVE A FEW.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

DANA, JUST FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY KUDOS TO YOU AND LATISHA AND THE WHOLE VISIT GARLAND TEAM.

JUST DOING YOUR REVIEW AND LOOKING AT ALL YOU'VE DONE.

AND I WAS PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF IT.

BUT HAVING IT ALL ON A STRING LIKE THAT, I'M JUST EXHAUSTED.

[LAUGHTER] WELL DONE.

I JUST WANTED TO START THERE.

THE CREATIVITY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE AND REALLY MADE SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

AND OF COURSE, MY VISIBILITY IS LARGELY IN THE DOWNTOWN SINCE I'M A BLOCK AND HALF FROM IT.

BUT THE DIFFERENCE YOU ALL MADE WITH THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GAVE TO KEEP A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ALIVE ALL THIS TIME WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED, I DON'T THINK, IF YOU ALL HAD NOT DONE WHAT YOU DID.

SO YOU JUST DID MIRACULOUS THINGS AND TAKING THINGS VIRTUAL THAT NONE OF US A YEAR AGO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED ANYBODY WOULD HAVE CARED ABOUT, YOU DID AMAZING THINGS.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANY CRITICISMS OR ANY CRITIQUES.

I HAVE ONE REQUEST WHICH CAME ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN.

THE FAIR FARE EVENT JUST NEEDS TO BE ANNUAL.

FORGET THE PANDEMIC THAT WAS SUCH A ROARING SUCCESS.

THIS JUST NEEDS TO BE ANNUAL AND WE SHOULD JUST DO IT.

IT WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY WONDERFUL.

SO I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT MAKING THAT ONE OF OUR NEW ANNUAL MONTH LONG EVENTS DOWNTOWN AND SPREAD IT OUT ANYWAY.

WELL DONE.

I'LL GET OFF HERE, BUT I'M JUST SO IMPRESSED AND NOW SO TIRED.

SO GLAD YOU'RE YOUNG AND ENERGETIC.

[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU.

VERY GOOD.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE ITEM? I SEE NONE.

DANA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU AND ALL YOUR TEAM FOR FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE SOME OF THESE THINGS WORK AND THEN BEING PREPARED FOR THE DAY WHEN WE DO START GETTING BACK TO A NORMAL PACE OF LIFE AND SO KNOWING THAT, WE'LL BE READY WHEN THAT DAY COMES.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM FOUR F GATEWOOD ROAD

[4F. Gatewood Road Improvements - Broadway Boulevard to Oates Road]

IMPROVEMENTS, BROADWAY BOULEVARD TO OATES.

AND I BELIEVE I'M GUESSING MR. [INAUDIBLE] IS UP ON THIS ONE.

YES, SIR, I AM.

CAN EVERYONE SEE MY SCREEN THAT I DECIDED TO SHARE THERE.

NO, SIR, WE JUST SEE YOURSELVES.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.

HOW ABOUT NOW? THERE YOU GO.

THERE WE GO.

THERE WE GO.

GOOD EVENING.

HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

PER COUNCIL'S REQUEST, I'M PROVIDING A VERBAL BRIEFING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF GATEWOOD ROAD FROM BROADWAY BOULEVARD TO OATES ROAD, DOING A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN THIS WAS ACTUALLY PAVED YEARS AGO.

I COULDN'T FIND THE PAVING PLANS, BUT I DID FIND SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION.

IT WAS AN UNINCORPORATED DALLAS COUNTY PLAT FOR ROSEHILL ACREAGE HOMESITES THAT WAS FILED IN DECEMBER OF 1940.

GATEWOOD ROAD ACTUALLY EXISTED BACK THEN.

SO WE CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT GATEWOOD ROAD IS OVER 80 YEARS OLD.

SO WITH THAT MOVING RIGHT INTO IT, BACK IN 2018-19, JANUARY 19, WE TOOK SOME

[03:05:08]

PHOTOS OUT THERE IN ANTICIPATION OF SOME OF THE DISCUSSION THAT MIGHT HAVE COME UP ON THIS ROAD DURING THE DAY REVIEW OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE GOING ON THE BOND REFERENDUM AT THE TIME.

WE WENT OUT THERE AND TOOK SOME PHOTOS.

AND AGAIN, GATEWOOD ROAD, YOU'RE LOOKING BASICALLY SOUTHWEST FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST ALONG THE ROADWAY.

IT IS A TWO LANE ASPHALT ROAD WITH BAR DITCHES ON THE SIDES.

YOU CAN SEE ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROAD, AS YOU SEE HERE, THERE, SOME SIDEWALK IN CERTAIN PLACES.

THERE'S SIDEWALK MISSING AND OTHER PLACES.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, THERE'S NO SIDEWALK AT ALL.

ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THIS PROJECT HAD BEEN CONSIDERED FOR THE BOND REFERENDUM BACK IN TWENTY NINETEEN LAST YEAR WAS THAT WE HAD A LOT OF DRAINAGE ISSUES ALONG HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BAR DITCH.

AND AS I GET THROUGH SOME OF THESE OTHER PHOTOS HERE, WE'LL SEE A FEW OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE THE BAR DITCHES THE STREETS DRAIN TO THE BAR DITCH, AND IT JUST TAKES TIME FOR THE WATER TO DRAIN OUT.

AND THERE'S SOME RELATIVELY HIGH WATER IN THESE AREAS.

CARS ARE DRIVING THROUGH IT.

WE DID HAVE SOME FLOODING OF LOCAL RESIDENTS IN SOME OF THESE SUBDIVISIONS AS WELL.

AND THE ONLY WAY TO ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THAT FLOODING ISSUE IS TO IMPROVE THE ROADWAY AND PUT THE CORRECT DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN.

MOVING DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, THERE IS A DRAINAGE CHANNEL THAT CROSSES THROUGH HERE RIGHT BEHIND MAYFLOWER DRIVE.

AND I'LL GET INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER IN A COUPLE OF OTHER OF MY SLIDES.

AND BUT AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE SIDEWALK STOPS.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET AROUND THIS IS TO ACTUALLY WALK IN THE ROAD IN THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, TO GET OVER THE CREEK CROSSING HERE, THE CHANNEL CROSSING, TO GET OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE, IF YOU'RE WALKING ALONG THIS AREA, THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, NO BRIDGE ACROSS THIS SMALL EXCEPT FOR THE ROAD ITSELF.

AND THEN AGAIN, AS YOU SEE, I'M GOING TO ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT HERE.

YOU CAN SEE THE SIDEWALKS PICKED BACK UP ON ON THIS OTHER SIDE.

AND AGAIN, THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD.

ONE OF THE BIGGER ISSUES AS WE GET INTO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S KIND OF TO THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE ROAD IS IN ALLEYS AND STREETS THAT CONNECT TO IT.

THERE'S ISSUES WITH THE GRADE DIFFERENTIAL FROM THE ROAD DOWN TO THE ALLEY LOCATIONS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THERE'S BEEN ASPHALT PATCHES PUT IN TO TRY TO SMOOTH THAT TRANSITION OUT.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE PAVEMENT, THERE'S SOME SCARRING ON THE PAVEMENT, OBVIOUSLY, FROM VEHICLES THAT ARE HAVING TROUBLE MANEUVERING THESE GREAT DIFFERENTIALS THROUGH HERE.

ALSO AS YOU FEATHER THIS ASPHALT OUT INTO THE DRAINAGE WAY, YOU'RE OBSTRUCTING THE FLOW OF THE DRAINAGE, WHICH WHICH INHIBITS THE FLOW AND COULD CAUSE SOME OF THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING, BUT TRYING TO BALANCE BETWEEN CARS, TRYING TO MANEUVER THE THE GRADE DIFFERENTIAL AND ALSO THE DRAINAGE OF THE CHANNELS, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A HAPP MEDIUM HERE.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE SLIDE HERE, THE SIDEWALKS ARE LOWER THAN THE ROADBED, AND AS THIS DRAINAGE CHANNEL FLOWS THROUGH IN LARGER STORM EVENTS.

SOME OF THESE SIDEWALKS ARE GETTING INUNDATED BY DRAINAGE AND LEAVING SILT DEPOSITS AND CLEANUP ISSUES.

AND I HAVE ONE SLIDE THAT SHOWS KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF THAT HERE IN A FEW SECONDS.

LOOKING DOWNSTREAM AGAIN, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE THE STREET INTERSECTION.

THIS OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T HAVE THE SCARRING ON THE PAVEMENT, BUT TO ALLEVIATE THAT, IN THE SLOPE DIFFERENTIAL, WE HAD TO ACTUALLY CROSS THE DRAINAGE TO MAKE THAT A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.

AGAIN, DRAINAGE COMES BASICALLY TOWARDS YOU FROM THIS UPPER END IN THE NON CONCRETE LINE DITCH TO THE CONCRETE LINE THAT FLOWS UP AND OVER AND AROUND THIS PAVEMENT.

AND THEN WHEN IT STOPS RAINING, THIS LITTLE AREA WILL POND WITH WATER FOR A DAY OR TWO UNTIL IT EITHER ABSORBS OR IS EVAPORATED.

SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES OUT HERE WITH DRAINAGE.

NEXT SLIDE, I HAPPEN TO BE OUT THERE TAKING THIS PHOTO WHEN EWS WAS OUT THERE AND IT WAS IT WAS A TRASH RECEPTACLE DAY WHERE THEY WERE PICKING THEM UP AND EMPTYING THEM.

AND THEY'RE HAVING TO PUT THESE OUT ON THE ROADWAY, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, PARTIALLY IN THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, AND THAT JUST OBSTRUCTS THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AS WELL, HAVING

[03:10:03]

THE DUMPSTERS OUT THERE.

AND AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SIDEWALKS, WHICH IS FROM ONE SIDE OVER TO THE OTHER, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SIDEWALK BEHIND THE DUMPSTERS THAT'S HARD TO TELL IN THIS PHOTO.

BUT AGAIN, THE SIDEWALK IS HIT AND MISS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS AREA.

AND THEN MY LAST PHOTO HERE IS ONE I WANT TO BRIEF AGAIN, IT'S ANOTHER STREET WHERE THEY'RE HAVING THE SCARRING ON THE PAVEMENT FROM THE TRAFFIC.

BUT RIGHT HERE IS WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO, WERE WATER WOULD POND COMING OFF OF THE STREETS.

AND IT'LL SET IN THIS ADA RAMP HERE, AS YOU SEE HERE, UNTIL THE WATER CAN FLOW OUT AND IT'LL JUST DEPOSITED SILT, MUD AND EVERYTHING ELSE OVER OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL IT DRIES UP AND BE CLEANED OFF.

NEXT THING, THOSE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR, THIS IS A LOCATION MAP OF THE STREET BASICALLY FROM BROADWAY HERE, KIND OF ON THE NORTHEAST PORTION TO THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OUT HERE MAKING THE 90 RIGHT THERE REDWOOD AND COMING BACK OUT TO OATES ROAD.

EXISTING CROSS-SECTION, OBVIOUSLY, TWO LANE ASPHALT PAVING SECTION WITH THE BAR DITCH DRAINAGE, APPROXIMATELY 11 TO 12 FOOT DRIVING LANES OR LANE WITH THE PROPOSED ROADWAY CROSS SECTION, ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S THOROUGHFARE PLAN IS A TYPE F ROADWAY, WHICH IS THIRTY SIX FOOT BACK TO BACK CURB, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN TWO 17 FOOT LANE WIDTHS CONCRETE CURVING GUTTER, OBVIOUSLY UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE SYSTEM, WHICH IS MUCH NEEDED IN THIS LOCATION, AS WELL AS SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES.

AND THE BIGGEST THING IS IF YOU SEE THE IN THE EXHIBIT AT THE BOTTOM IS THAT WE WOULD CUT THAT ROADWAY DOWN, OBVIOUSLY TRY TO SMOOTH THIS OUT, LEVEL IT OUT WHERE THE CROSS STREETS WOULD COME IN MORE LEVEL WITH THE ROADWAY RATHER THAN ELEVATED, WHERE THEY'RE NOT HAVING TROUBLE MANEUVERING OVER THE GREAT DIFFERENTIALS.

AGAIN, IN 2018-19, THE CONSULTANTS PERFORMED SOME OPINIONS OF PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THESE ROADWAYS, INCLUDING RIGHT OF WAY, SOME MINOR UTILITY ADJUSTMENTS, IN THIS CASE, DRAINAGE, THE PAVING THE SIDEWALKS AGAIN, TYPE F, THE LENGTH OF THE ROADWAY WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEET, AND FOR AN OPINION OF PROBABLE COST OF FIVE POINT NINE FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.

AND AGAIN, THAT WAS IN OCTOBER OF TWENTY EIGHTEEN AND FOR THE BOND PROGRAM IN TWENTY NINETEEN.

WHAT I WANTED TO ADD IS THIS PARTICULAR AREA, THIS IS FROM OUR GIS INFORMATION HERE AND PUT SOME EXHIBITS ON HERE.

AGAIN, THERE'S A ROADWAY OF GATEWOOD AND WHAT I REFERRED TO EARLIER THAT YOU SEE IN RED HERE IS THAT OPEN DRAINAGE CHANNEL THAT THE ROADWAY CROSSED, ONCE WE IMPROVE OR IF WE WERE TO IMPROVE GATEWOOD ROAD WITH ALL THE PROPER DRAINAGE TO GET ALL THESE SUBDIVISIONS TO DRAIN PROPERLY AND OUT, THERE WILL BE AN IMPACT OF THIS DRAINAGE CHANNEL THAT COMES FROM THESE SUBDIVISIONS AND WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD HAVE ON THAT DRAINAGE CHANNEL, BASICALLY BETWEEN GATEWOOD AND BROADWAY, WE'RE NOT CERTAIN OF.

THAT'S NEVER BEEN STUDIED IN RECENT YEARS.

ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IS I'VE CIRCLED IT HERE AND A LITTLE BIT DARKER BLUE COLOR IS THE SYSTEM THAT'S ACTUALLY IN BROADWAY.

THAT SYSTEM WAS ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED IN NINETEEN SEVENTY NINETEEN SEVENTY ONE.

AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO LATER, THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM WAS CONSTRUCTED IN OATES ROAD, PROBABLY NINETEEN SEVENTY TWO, MAYBE NINETEEN SEVENTY THREE FROM WHAT I REMEMBER ON THE PLANS.

AND THEN THEY WERE LINKED TOGETHER WHEN THAT PROPERTY DEVELOPED BETWEEN THEM THERE WAS JUST A CONNECTION MADE BETWEEN THEM.

DRAINAGE CRITERIA FOR NINETEEN SEVENTY WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN IT IS TODAY, AND DEPENDING ON THE DRAINAGE FLOW COMING FROM GATEWOOD DOWN THAT OPEN CHANNEL TO THESE LOCATIONS, I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO THESE DRAINAGE STRUCTURES TO ACCOMMODATE THE DRAINAGE THAT'S COMING DOWN THROUGH THAT OPEN CHANNEL FLOW FROM GATEWOOD.

AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT ON THE DOWNSTREAM END IF WE WERE TO IMPROVE BOTH OF THESE LOCATIONS? IS IT A DOMINO EFFECT THAT KEEPS OCCURRING? WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE EROSION ISSUES ALONG THIS CHANNEL ON THIS BOTTOM END.

WE ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING THAT AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

[03:15:01]

FOR THE EROSION ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN THERE, IT IS A RELATIVELY LARGE DRAINAGE CHANNEL AND I'M CERTAIN THAT IT COULD PROBABLY ACCOMMODATE THE FLOW COMING THROUGH THERE.

BUT ARE WE GOING TO WORSEN THE SITUATION WITH THE FLOW THAT'S COMING IF WE IMPROVE THESE THESE OTHER TWO LOCATIONS? SO BASED ON THAT INFORMATION AND KNOWING THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS DOWNSTREAM INSTEAD OF FIVE POINT NINE FIVE MILLION, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPINION OF PROBABLE COST BEING IN THE BALLPARK, MORE OF EIGHT TO NINE MILLION TO ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT GATEWOOD AND THE DOWNSTREAM IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. SO I KNOW THAT WAS A REAL QUICK, VERY HIGH LEVEL SYNOPSIS OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ON GATEWOOD.

BUT I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE OR MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.

OK, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS. AND I THINK YOU'LL NEED TO UNMUTE, SIR.

OK, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU UN-SHARE? OK.

I WAS GOING TO ASK I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE GOING TO IF YOU WERE GOING TO REFER BACK TO IT.

OK, OK.

NO, I DON'T CLAIM TO BE CLOSE TO ENGINEERING, SO I DON'T WANT TO PLAY ACT IT TONIGHT.

[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE], FOR THAT BRIEFING ON THIS PROJECT AND FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD AND COUNCIL, MYSELF, AND I THANK THE MAYOR FOR SUPPORTING THIS.

I THINK IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY COUNCILPERSONS ON THIS CALL TONIGHT WHO WERE AROUND IN DECEMBER OF 1940.

AND THIS, AFTER TALKING WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE].

AND I TOOK A LOOK AT THE CONCEPTIONAL LEVEL PROJECT COST PROJECTIONS.

AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS GOING UP ABOUT THREE MILLION DOLLARS SINCE THAT PROJECTION.

AND I REALIZE THE COST FACTOR.

AND I'M NOT SURE AND I'VE ASKED [INAUDIBLE] AND STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT.

BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE AND I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT TONIGHT.

BUT THIS THIS PROJECT IS CRITICAL.

IF WE CAN FIND THE RESOURCES TO DO IT.

JUST TO THROW OUT SOME COMMENTS IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE HOW DO WE DISSECT THIS PROJECT? WE CAN'T DO IT ALL IN ONE [INAUDIBLE] SWOOP.

HOW CAN WE, FROM AN ENGINEERING STAND STANDPOINT, A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT, HOW CAN WE PRIORITIZE OR BREAK THIS PROJECT INTO SMALLER PIECES TO GET IT DONE? DURING MY PART TIME ON COUNCIL, I MADE A NUMBER OF TRIPS OVER THERE.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ROLLING UP MY PANTLEGS AND ACTUALLY WALKING WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS OVER THERE WHOSE CARS THEY COULDN'T GET TO AND THEY HAD THEIR SHOES OFF, SO I TOOK MINE OFF AND WALKED OVER THERE.

MR. OLIVER AT TRANSPORTATION, THE ASPHALT THAT YOU SAW IN THE ILLUSTRATION, THE PHOTOS HE AND HIS TEAM INSTALLED THOSE TO IMPROVE THE GRADES DURING THAT TIME.

PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY LITERALLY THIS WAS CREATING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES EVEN WHEN THE ASPHALT WAS PUT DOWN.

SO WITH THIS CHALLENGE OVER THERE, IT'S JUST BEEN A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS. AND THE I GUESS NOT SURPRISING NEWS IS THAT IT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER.

AND MR. [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT HAS EXPLAINED THE IMPACT BEYOND JUST THE IMMEDIATE GATEWOOD ROAD AND, YOU KNOW, THE EROSION TO THE CHANNEL, THE IMPACT OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM OUT ON BROADWAY THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED BACK IN THE EARLY 70S.

SO THIS, YOU KNOW, WITH COVID, I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT BACK WITH THOSE FOLK, BUT I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD SEVERAL YEARS BACK TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THEIR FRUSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN AND FRANKLY, SOME OF THE PEOPLE FELT THAT THEY WERE SORT OF A FORGOTTEN PORTION OF GARLAND.

[03:20:03]

MANY OF THE HOMES IN THIS AREA, PARTICULARLY ON GATEWOOD, HEADED TO BROADWAY ARE OLDER HOMESTEADS.

A NUMBER OF THE HOMES ARE OF WOOD CONSTRUCTION.

SO IT'S KIND OF OFF THE BEATEN PATH OVER THERE.

SO I'D ASKED STAFF TO BRING THIS FORWARD TONIGHT AND HOPES THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME FUTURE DISCUSSION ON THIS PROJECT, GET SOME GUIDANCE AND SEE WHAT PERHAPS WE CAN START AT LEAST START TO MOVE THE NEEDLE AND COMING UP WITH SOME CREATIVE WAYS OF BEGINNING TO ADDRESS THIS AREA, BECAUSE IT IS VERY CRITICAL.

IT'S IMPACTING A LOT, LIKE YOU SAID, NOT ONLY THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN THIS AREA THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS PROBLEM.

AND SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

AND HOPEFULLY MOVING FORWARD COUNCIL, WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WHETHER IT'S DURING OUR COMING CIP TIME, BUT I GUESS JUST LOOKING FOR SOME IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, HOW CAN WE BE CREATIVE AT LEAST TO BEGIN? AND I'M A REALIST AND I KNOW THAT MR. BRADFORD, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T HAVE A CHECK IN HIS DESK DRAWER, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, NINE MILLION DOLLARS TO WRITE ON THIS PROJECT.

BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO TAKE SOME FIRST STEPS IN ADDRESSING THIS SITUATION OVER.

THIS IS ONE OF OUR OLDER AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT YOU JUST HEARD.

AND SO THESE FOLKS OVER THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF GARLAND AND THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, SEVERAL OF THE HOMESTEADS OVER THERE OR FOURTH GENERATION HOMESTEADS OVER THERE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.

BUT THEY'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE QUESTION IS, WHEN CAN WE GET SOME HELP OR WILL WE EVER GET SOME HELP? SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE.

AND OUR PLAN IS TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE] AND TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, TO GET SOME SUGGESTIONS.

SO, COUNCIL WE'RE OPEN TO THAT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS MUCH NEEDED.

IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS KIND OF THE PATIENT, IF LEFT UNTREATED, IT'S JUST GOING TO GET WORSE.

AND I WILL INVITE ANY OF MY FELLOW COUNCILMEN THE NEXT HEAVY RAINFALL, IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF, VERY CAREFULLY JUST KIND OF TAKE TAKE A DRIVE DOWN GATEWOOD AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF WITH ONE OF THE ONE OF THE GYMS ON GATEWOOD WHAT SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A MOSQUE ON GATEWOOD, ONE OF THE PREMIER STRUCTURES I THINK IN GARLAND, VERY QUIETLY, SO.

THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

MR. LUEPKE FROM TRANSPORTATION, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS ON THIS PROJECT? OR MR. BAKER.

I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK MICHAEL DID A VERY GOOD JOB DESCRIBING THE PROJECT.

A LOT OF THE ROADS WE HAVE IN GARLAND, THE NEEDS ARE NOT NECESSARILY FOR MORE TRAFFIC CAPACITY, BUT THERE'S PEDESTRIAN NEEDS AND DRAINAGE NEEDS THAT JUST MAKE IT A DIFFICULT ROADWAY TO LIVE ALONG.

AND THAT'S THE CASE HERE.

AND MICHAEL'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF DESCRIBING WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE DONE OUT THERE.

OK, MR. LUEPKE, YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? AND THEN I'LL BE DONE.

[03:25:01]

I'LL KICK IT BACK TO THE MAYOR.

I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, I THINK I THINK MICHAEL COVERED IT PRETTY WELL AND LIKE JOHN SAID, THERE'S IT'S NOT A CAPACITY PROBLEM.

IT'S REALLY A DRAINAGE AND PAVEMENT.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE FOCUS HERE.

OK.

EXACTLY.

EXACTLY.

IT'S THE DRAINAGE.

YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS HOMES ARE FLOODING WHEN IT RAINS.

AND MOST OF THESE HOMES, A LOT OF THESE HOMES HAVE REAR ENTRY GARAGES.

THEY CAN'T USE THEIR ALLEYS WHEN IT RAINS.

AND AS YOU SEE, EWS CAN'T USE THE ALLEYS EITHER WHEN IT RAINS.

SO IT PUTS THE PEOPLE AT A HUGE DISADVANTAGE.

SO THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE], FOR YOUR SHARING TONIGHT.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS AS TO HOW WE CAN BEGIN SOME INITIAL STEPS AT LEAST TO BEGIN TO MOVE THIS PROJECT.

AND I ANTICIPATE IT'LL PROBABLY BE OVER SEVERAL YEARS AT THIS COST.

BUT I CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL AND WITH STAFF ON THIS AND WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I'M DONE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCILMEMBER AUDIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

MR. [INAUDIBLE], DO ANY OF THESE HOMES FLOOD WHERE WE GET WATER IN THE HOMES? IS THAT AN ISSUE FOR THESE? THERE ARE A FEW ADDRESSES INTERIOR TO THE SUBDIVISION THAT WE PERFORMED SOME REMEDIATION TO TRY TO PREVENT THEM FROM FLOODING.

WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB, BUT THE BIGGEST FLOODING ISSUE HERE IS THE STREETS FLOODING.

AGAIN, WHAT COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS WAS REFERRING TO IS THAT PEOPLE ARE WAITING OUT TO GET INTO THEIR VEHICLES BECAUSE THE WATER JUST CAN'T GET OUT FAST ENOUGH THROUGH THE DRAINAGE DITCH ALONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.

OK, AT THIS POINT, IT'S NOT A HOUSE FLOODING ISSUE? NOW, THERE MIGHT BE ONE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THAT THAT'S FLOODING, THAT WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE ROADWAY THERE.

BUT I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR RECORDS.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO THAT THAT'S BEEN ON THE LIST.

AND WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THEM WITHOUT DOING SOMETHING WITH THE ROADWAY.

OK, THANK YOU.

COUNCIL, WE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH.

DURING THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING WHAT WE GO INTO THE BOND AND THE THEN REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROJECT THAT SHOULD BE IN THE BOND.

WE DISCUSSED IT AT LENGTH AND WE PULLED IT OUT OF THE BOND.

THAT BOND PROGRAM HAD I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS ONE POINT TWO BILLION DOLLARS IN NEEDS AND TO COUNCIL'S CREDIT, YOU KNOW, WE PUT FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR MILLION OF THOSE NEEDS ON WITH THE WITH THE BOND AND THEN EVEN MORE TO THE CREDIT OF THE VOTERS, THEY APPROVE THAT.

I DEFINITELY FEEL THE PAIN OF THE FOLKS IN GATEWOOOD.

I USED TO GO TO A CHURCH THAT'S ALONG THAT DRAINAGE DITCH AND IN PARTICULAR IN MY DISTRICT, A LOT OF US HAVE ISSUES THAT HAVE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS, MANY OF WHICH WERE SOME OF WHICH WERE PUT IN THE BOND.

YOU KNOW, PARKMONT WHICH WAS APPROVED IN THE 2004 BOND, HAD TO WAIT OVER 15 YEARS, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN APPROVED BOND PROJECT TO GET COMPLETED AND THAT INVOLVED FLOODING IN PEOPLE'S HOMES AND YARDS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF.

THIS, TO ME, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFINITELY ON THE LIST.

AS IT WAS BEFORE, BUT IT FALLS ON THAT LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT APPROVED AND WE ALL HAVE PROJECTS THAT WE--I HAVE PROJECTS THAT I WANTED TO HAVE APPROVED THAT DIDN'T GET APPROVED.

EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS PROJECTS THAT YOU WANTED APPROVED IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT DIDN'T GET APPROVED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR MILLION WAS THE NUMBER.

IT WAS A VERY BIG NUMBER.

MR. BRADFORD.

SO IF WE WERE TO DO AS COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS ASKED THAT WOULD ALL THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE THROUGH ISSUING DEBT BY COS? IS THAT CORRECT? CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION? YES, SIR, IT WOULD.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PROCESS FOR THE BOND THAT WAS OPEN AND FAIR.

WE HAD MANY MEETINGS.

THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT

[03:30:02]

[INAUDIBLE], YOU KNOW, AND WE HAD THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE WE DID MAKE SOME CHANGES.

BUT I STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS BEING ADDRESSED IN OUR COMING CIP OR REALLY IN ANY CIP UNTIL WE'VE ADDRESSED THE VOTER APPROVED BOND PROJECTS.

AND I OPPOSE USING ANY EXCESS CAPACITY FOR THIS.

UNTIL THOSE PROJECTS ARE DONE, ANY EXCESS, SO TO SPEAK, DEBT CAPACITY WE NEED TO PRESERVE FOR VOTER APPROVED BOND PROJECTS, WE'VE ALREADY YOU KNOW, WE HAD OVERRUN ON ON SEVERAL OF THEM.

WE ENDED UP ALREADY SPENDING MORE ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER FOR THAT REASON.

AND WE WILL DO SO ON OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL.

IT WILL HAPPEN.

AND SO WE NEED TO PRESERVE ALL OF THE DEBT CAPACITY FOR BOND PROJECTS AND OTHER THINGS.

AND BEYOND THAT, I YOU KNOW, I HAVE TWO DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED IN MY DISTRICT.

AND ONE OF THEM IS THAT I THINK BOTH OF THEM ACTUALLY ARE SAID TO BE AT THE ABSOLUTE BACK END OF THE BOND PROJECT, WHICH IS OK.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE AGREED TO.

BUT WE ABSOLUTELY UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD LEAP FROG.

YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS, THEY HAVE DRAINAGE ISSUES TO DOWN IN MONTCLAIR ESTATES, NEW WORLD UP HERE IN THE SATURN SPRINGS AREA, THOSE PEOPLE AND [INAUDIBLE] WEST AND THE OTHER ONES THAT ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT, THEY SHOULD ABSOLUTELY UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BE LEAPFROGGED.

BY A PROJECT THAT DID NOT MAKE THE CUT ON THE BOND, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER BOND PROGRAM, HOPEFULLY SOON.

HOPEFULLY WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS SUPERCHARGING THESE THINGS AND THEN IN FIVE OR SIX YEARS, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER BOND AND THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PROGRAM TO BE PUT INTO THAT BOND.

AND ULTIMATELY, WITH WITH HOW WE'VE BEEN, AND I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF OUR CITY STAFF AND THE WORK THEY'VE DONE AND THE WORK THAT COUNCIL TO DELAY THE GROUNDWORK TO SUPERCHARGE THIS BOND PROGRAM.

SO WE MAY END UP, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WITH ANOTHER BOND PROGRAM AND IF GATEWOOD GETS APPROVED, IT MAY GET COMPLETED FASTER THAN THE PARKMONT PROJECT ITSELF GOT APPROVED.

THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS AND WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION ON THE COMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLAYING YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT THE STATE LEVEL ABOUT ELIMINATING OUR ABILITY TO USE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION WITHOUT AN APPROVAL BY THE VOTERS.

AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NINE MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, THERE'S NO NINE MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT THAT WE DO WITHOUT THAT KIND OF VOTE, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE IT COULD BE SEEN BY THE LEGISLATURE AS AN ABUSE OF THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION PROCESS TO THE POINT THAT IT BRINGS US TO THAT CHANGE, WHICH WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE CITY.

SO FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS, I VERY MUCH COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, I APPRECIATE YOUR BRINGING THIS DISCUSSION TO US.

AND I UNDERSTAND THE NEED, BUT I OPPOSE PUTTING ANY MORE STAFF TIME INTO THIS AND I OPPOSE BRINGING IT BACK AND TAKING UP STAFF CAPACITY AS WE PREPARE FOR THIS CIP.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH.

YOU WERE OUT OF THE QUEUE AND YOU WERE BACK IN.

THANK YOU, SIR.

APPRECIATE IT.

AND I'M BEEN TRYING TO THINK BACK TO A NUMBER OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAD DURING THE BOND PROCESS AND I MAY GET THIS COMPLETELY WRONG, BUT MR. BAKER, IF YOU COULD KIND OF HELP ME OUT ON IT.

I REMEMBER.

THEN COUNCIL MEMBER BOOKOUT TALKING ABOUT THE LOW NUMBER OF PROPERTIES THAT HE FELT THAT THIS PROJECT IMPACTED AND WE DISCUSSED USING FLOOD-PRONE PROPERTY FUNDING, WHICH--THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SAID THAT WITHOUT STUTTERING, BY THE WAY--FLOOD PRONE PROPERTY FUNDING TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THERE.

YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY THAT I AGREE VERY MUCH WITH THE PHILOSOPHY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN JUST EXPRESSED.

IS THERE A PROPER USE OF THE FLOOD PRONE PROPERTY FUND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR DETENTION POND OR MORE PERMEABLE SURFACE FOR DRAINAGE? IS THERE SOME OTHER THING THAT THAT MR. BOOKOUT HAD WORKED OUT WITH YOU GUYS

[03:35:05]

THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE FOR US AND STIL SATISFY EVERYTHING WE HEARD FROM MR. AUBIN JUST A MOMENT AGO? WELL, THE ALLOCATION OF THE FLOOD PRONE PROPERTY FUND IS IN THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, AS YOU KNOW.

AND IN THEORY, IT WAS TO BE USED TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES THAT PERHAPS A SOLUTION WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THAN THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY , AND THOSE PROPERTIES WOULD HAVE BEEN FLOODED.

IN THIS CASE, I THINK THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS JUST THE WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING AND LACK OF ACCESS RATHER THAN HOMES GETTING A LOT OF WATER AND THERE'S REALLY NOT A PLACE TO PUT A DETENTION POND FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, ONE, IT'S VERY SHALLOW DRAINAGE AND GETTING THE WATER OFF THE ADJOINING AREA IS CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH PIPES.

AND IF YOU DO THAT, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL BUILD THE WHOLE ROAD.

IT'S REALLY ONE OF THOSE IT'S A BIG DRAINAGE PROBLEM WITH THE ROADWAY ON TOP IT AND I DO WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO EVERYBODY WITH A SIMILAR CIVIL ENGINEERING BACKGROUND THAT I'M JUST WINGING IT HERE.

YOU GUYS ARE BEING VERY, VERY GENEROUS TO ME.

OK, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA, I ASSUME THE PCI OF THE ROAD IS SUB 40, IS IT ZERO, IS IT A CANDIDATE FOR A NORMAL STREET REBUILD? NO, IT'S NOT A GOOD PCI, BUT ANYTHING WE WOULD DO TO IT WOULD BE JUST TO PUT ANOTHER ASPHALT OVERLAY ON, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT TAKE OFF AN OLD OVERLAY, BUT WE WOULD JUST PUT A NEW ONE ON TOP.

OK, AND THE IMAGES WE SAW OF THE TRASH CANS OUT ON THE MAIN ROADWAY IS THAT I MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT OUR TRASH TRUCKS ARE THAT AFFECTED BY FLOODING, BUT MAYBE I'M WRONG ON THAT.

ARE THEY OUT ON THE MAIN ROADWAY BECAUSE THERE'S NO SPACE FOR THEM IN THE ALLEY, OR IS IT JUST BEING DONE BECAUSE THERE IS FLOODING? WELL, I THINK, MICHAEL, IF YOU COULD SHOW THOSE, DID THOSE HOUSES FACE GATEWOOD? MOST OF THOSE WERE ACTUALLY THE BUSINESSES ALONG THERE AND THEY ALL HAVE THEIR ENTRY DRIVES TO THAT LOCATION.

AND I GUESS THEY PUT THEM OUT THERE.

I DIDN'T HAVE ACTUAL PICTURES OF THE BUSINESSES, BUT APPARENTLY THE DRIVEWAYS MAY BE NARROW ENOUGH THAT THE TRASH TRUCKS CANNOT GET ONTO THE PROPERTY TO PICK UP THE RECEPTACLES.

SO THEY PUT THEM OUT ON THE ROADWAY ALONG THE ALONG THE PARKWAY THERE ALONG THE EDGE OF THE ASPHALT.

OK, OK.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, GUYS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. THANKS, MR. MAYOR.

AS WE MOVE ON FROM THIS, INTENTIONALLY I DID NOT BRING UP THE, YOU KNOW, MY PREDECESSOR'S POSITION ON THIS FOR [INAUDIBLE] REASON.

TO ME, IT'S KIND OF A MOOT POINT.

BUT I'M SITTING, LOOKING AT MY NOTES AND A COUPLE OF THINGS, NUMBER ONE, IS AND NOTHING I SAID THAT I SUGGEST A REQUEST LEAPFROGGING ANYTHING, ANY PROJECT, THAT WAS NOT WHAT I SAID, THAT'S NOT WHAT I SUGGESTED.

SO TO SUGGEST THAT I SUGGESTED THAT IS A MISREPRESENTATION OF WHAT I SAID.

BECAUSE I HAVE NOT.

I MENTIONED LOOKING AT THE PROJECT, I MENTIONED DISSECTING IT, AND I MENTIONED BEING CREATIVE AND PERHAPS COMING UP WITH JUST SOME DISCUSSIONS ON WHETHER IT'S THE NEXT TWO YEARS OR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SEVEN SOME POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES.

SO I DID NOT SUGGEST OR IMPLY OF ANYTHING IN REFERENCE TO THE UPCOMING CIP OR FUNDING SOURCE.

I DID NOT SUGGEST THAT.

SO I DON'T WANT THAT MISREPRESENTATIONS THAT I'M SUGGESTING LEAPFROGGING ANYTHING.

THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS I ASKED STAFF TO TAKE BECAUSE THIS IS A CONCERN OF THE CONSTITUENTS.

[03:40:02]

AND SO I ASKED STAFF TO GIVE ME AN UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT, BUT AS FAR AS THE CREATIVE OPTIONS, MOVING FORWARD WITH NO DATE CERTAIN, YEAH, I AM GOING TO GATHER INFORMATION ON WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE GOING TO BE.

I WILL TALK TO STAFF ABOUT WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE GOING TO BE.

SO I WILL NOT BE DETERRED OR SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD NOT.

I'LL EXERCISE THAT RIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO DO THAT.

AT SUCH TIME, AND IT MAY NOT OCCUR AT SUCH TIME THAT I FEEL THAT THERE'S SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE TO BE DISCUSSED, THEN I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL AT SUCH TIME THAT I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR AVENUES AND OPTIONS, AND I WILL CONSULT WITH THE EXPERTS WHO ARE STAFF ON THEIR INPUT.

AND THEIR CREATIVITY ON WHAT POSSIBLY COULD BE DONE TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS.

SO I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THOSE TWO POINTS UP MOVING FORWARD.

AND I APPRECIATE STAFF'S PRESENTATIONS AND SHARING, BUT I WANTED THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO GO OUT AND AGAIN, I DID NOT SUGGEST ANY SPECIFIC [INAUDIBLE] TO FUNDING SOURCES ARE LEAPFROGGING SOMETHING.

OK, BUT AS FAR AS MY CONTINUING TO DISCUSS WITH STAFF, I WILL DO THAT.

AND AGAIN, WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE THAT I FEEL WARRANTS COUNCIL DISCUSSION, I WILL BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT VERY CLEAR.

AND I APPRECIATE, AGAIN, TH STAFF TONIGHT FOR PROVIDING THIS UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS. I APOLOGIZE IF I MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU REPRESENTED.

WHEN YOU SAID BRING IT BACK, I THOUGHT YOU HAD SAID TO BRING THIS BACK AT THE CIP DISCUSSION IN JANUARY.

AND SO IF I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT, I DO APOLOGIZE.

I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO PRECLUDE YOU OR PREVENT YOU FROM HAVING WHATEVER DISCUSSIONS OR WHATEVER YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME.

BUT I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I DO OPPOSE ANYTHING BEING DONE ON THIS AND IN MY APPROACH, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE TO BE YOURS, IS THAT WE NEED TO REMAIN LASER FOCUSED ON GETTING THE BOND DONE AND GETTING ALL THE ISSUES OF THE BOND DONE.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEND OTHER TIME, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT STAFF TIME, OUR STAFF IS ALREADY OVERTAXED AND WE HAVE THE BOND, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE A BOND PROJECT MANAGER, BUT I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO HOW TO DO YOUR BUSINESS, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS PROJECT WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO WAIT.

BUT, OF COURSE, FEEL FREE TO, YOU KNOW, GO AS YOU SEE FIT.

AND I DO APOLOGIZE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCILOR MCNEAL.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

AND JUST WEIGH IN JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS OBVIOUSLY SEEING THE TRASH CANS ALIGN THE ROADWAY, BECAUSE THE FIRST TWO THINGS COME TO MIND IS OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES TRYING TO GET DOWN THERE.

GOD FORBID AN EMERGENCY IS REQUIRED OR DURING SCHOOL TIME WHEN BUSSES MAY TRAVERSE THAT AREA.

SO THOSE WOULD BE MY CONCERNS.

OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE PRIORITY LIST THAT THE CITY HAS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PRIORITY LIST THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH.

HOWEVER, I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE US KNOWING THIS EXIST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AWARE ARE WE PUTTING OUR PERSONNEL IN DANGER IN GOING INTO ROADWAYS THAT MAY LEND ITSELF TO FLOODING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT OCCURRED IN THE NORTH AREA A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK BECAUSE OF FLOODING AND WATER OVER RUN OF ROADWAYS.

SO WHATEVER THE PRIORITY IS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS, I THINK IT WOULD BE TO OUR BENEFIT TO AT LEAST HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH THOSE RESIDENTS, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD.

THANK YOU.

[03:45:01]

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE CLEARED THE QUEUE ON THIS ITEM.

OBVIOUSLY THIS AND LOTS OF OTHER ITEMS WILL GET CONTINUED ON AND CARRIED ON FOR YEARS TO COME.

AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE THE STATUS OF THIS PROJECT WILL REMAIN AT THIS MOMENT.

COUNCIL, WE ARE PROBABLY TO ANOTHER RECESSED POINT AT THIS TIME.

WE'VE GOT A FEW ITEMS TO GO AND THEN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THAT.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE ANOTHER RECESS.

LET'S HAVE EVERYBODY BACK AT 10:15, PLEASE, 10:15.

THANK YOU.

WELCOME BACK.

WE ARE COMING BACK FROM RECESS IN THE DECEMBER 14TH WORK SESSION.

AND WE ARE AT ITEM FOUR G, STATUS OF SIGHT OF FORMER DAY LABORER CENTER.

[4G. Status of Site of Former Day Labor Center]

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

TONIGHT, WE'RE HERE TO [INAUDIBLE] REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN IN REGARD, IT'S ACTUALLY THE FORMER SITE OF THE DAY LABORER CENTER, OF COURSE, I KNOW COUNCIL WILL REMEMBER THAT THE SITE CLOSED THIS PREVIOUS YEAR WITH THE CLOSING OF THE SITE.

WE DID EXPERIENCE SOME CHALLENGES AT THE LOCATION FOR A WHILE.

WE DID ORIGINALLY HAVE A FENCE UP ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, WHICH SEEMED TO HELP TO SOME DEGREE.

AND THEN AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I THINK WE TOOK DOWN THE DEFENSE TO SEE IF WE COULD OPERATE WITHOUT A FENCE UP FULL TIME.

BUT I THINK AFTER A COUPLE MORE MONTHS, WE HAD SOME MORE CHALLENGES THERE.

WE PUT THE FENCE BACK UP, BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME CHALLENGES, EVEN THOUGH THE FENCE IS UP AND WE'VE KIND OF KEPT IT UP ON A PERMANENT BASIS RIGHT NOW, DEALING WITH SOME, WHETHER IT'S FORMER DAY LABORERS, OCCASIONALLY CONTRACTORS STILL SHOWING UP IN THE GENERAL VICINITY THERE AT OR NEAR THAT SIDE ACROSS THE STREET ADJACENT TO THAT.

SO I KNOW THAT OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN OVERSEEING THE FACILITY ITSELF.

BUT OF COURSE, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN RESPONDING AND HANDLING ANY KIND OF CALLS AND SITUATIONS OUT AT THE LOCATION.

FOR A TIME AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FENCE OUT THERE.

WE HAD SOME INDIVIDUALS STAYING THERE ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT WE ENDED UP DEALING WITH.

SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE ISSUES, TRYING TO MITIGATE THE ISSUES FOR THE FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR RESIDENTS OVER IN THAT AREA.

BUT IT'S STILL BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US.

AND WITH THAT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

OK, THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCILMEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MR. BATES, I APPRECIATE THAT.

WE DEFINITELY DID HAVE SOME RECENT CHALLENGES THERE WHEN THE FENCE CAME DOWN.

BUT I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO THANK CITY STAFF AND THE COUNCIL FOR MAKING THE DECISION.

WE DID, I GUESS, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO NOW REGARDING THE DAY LABOR CENTER AND THE SITUATION IN THAT PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED FROM WHERE IT HAD BEEN.

THERE ARE STILL SOME ISSUES WE HAD TALKED BEFORE.

I THINK WE'RE AT A POINT TO.

NOT NECESSARILY MAKE ANY KIND OF DECISION TONIGHT, BUT AT LEAST GIVE SOME STAFF DIRECTION OR HAVE STAFF COME BACK TO US WITH SOME OPTIONS.

I KNOW THAT GIVEN CURRENT KIND OF POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY, THIS IS NOT THE CANDIDATE FOR, WE DON'T DO SUBSTATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD LOCATIONS AND WHATNOT THESE DAYS FOR A VARIETY OF VERY GOOD REASONS.

WE HAD TALKED LAST YEAR ABOUT POSSIBLY HAVING SOME KIND OF POLICING PRESENCE THERE, I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO HAVE THAT.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO EXPLORE THAT OR EXPLORE WHETHER THERE'S SOME OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE USE OF THE FACILITY FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE OR IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SELL THE PROPERTY.

I DON'T THINK IT'S CONSIDERED A PARK PROPERTY.

I DON'T KNOW IF MR. NEIGHBOR KNOWS THAT, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ELECTION TO SELL IT.

BUT IF THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY TO SELL IT OR COMBINE IT WITH THE NEARBY THE NEXT DOOR FACILITY, I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME ECONOMIC UTILITY.

BUT THE MAIN ISSUE THERE IS TO JUST PUT IT BACK INTO SERVICE IN SOME WAY.

[03:50:02]

MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO SEE YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME NONPROFIT GROUPS.

WE DO HAVE THE NONPROFIT USE POLICY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY APPROVED YET OR IF THAT'S COMING FOR APPROVAL.

BUT I THINK THIS WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE FOR THAT TO LOOK AT PUTTING SOMETHING THERE THAT COULD BE A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND I'LL FOLLOW ON THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A NONPROFIT TO TAKE IT OVER.

ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I'VE HAD AND I'VE NOT APPROACHED ANYBODY ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING IS NOT MY DISTRICT, AND SO I HAVEN'T DONE THE LEGWORK IS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US APPROACH THE GARLAND POLICE ASSOCIATION TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED MEETING SPACE OR WANTED TO PROVIDE A BREAK ROOM OR SOMETHING DOWN IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE CITY.

I KNOW WE'VE CONCURRED FOR THE NONPROFIT USE AGREEMENT.

IT'S GONE BACK TO LEGAL.

LEGAL'S GOING TO TURN IT AROUND INTO THE FORMAL LANGUAGE FOR US TO VOTE ON AND HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S THERE YET, BUT I KNOW WE'RE NOT MOVING TERRIBLY QUICKLY ON THIS PROPERTY ANYWAY.

YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THE, AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR ANY ORGANIZATION AND I HAVEN'T ENGAGED WITH ANY ORGANIZATION, BUT I LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN BROUGHT TO US A YEAR AGO WHEN WE DISCUSSED THE DAY LABOR CENTER.

AND EVEN THOUGH HE AND I WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF OF HOW THAT ENDED, HE HAD TALKED ABOUT FIXING AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM IN THAT AREA.

AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE VISUAL PRESENCE OF A FEW POLICE CARS THERE AT VARIOUS HOURS OF THE DAY WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING HIM COMPLETE THE TASK THAT HE STARTED IN TRYING TO BRING THAT AREA A LITTLE MORE SECURITY.

SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE IT GO TO A NON PROFIT FOR NOW IF WE CAN SELL IT.

THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION.

I KNOW THAT THAT WAS NOT AN AREA THAT WAS VERY CONDUCIVE TO RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL JUST BASED ON THE SHAPE AND SIZE AND LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT SORT OF LUCK WE WOULD HAVE DOING THAT.

BUT I'M PRETTY MUCH OPEN TO ANY IDEAS.

AND I WAS HAPPY TO SECOND THIS TO BRING IT ON TO THE AGENDA TONIGHT SO WE COULD JUST START FLOATING SOME IDEAS OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT FOLKS HAD TO BRING TO THE TABLE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I'M OPEN TO A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS WITH THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND IT'S NOT IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I CAN THROW A BASEBALL ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY DISTRICT AND HIT IT.

SO I DRIVE PAST IT CONSTANTLY ON MY WAY TO AND FROM PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE.

IT IS AN UGLY AND STRANGE PROPERTY.

IT WAS BUILT FOR A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE.

AND I HAVE ALSO SAT THERE, WRACKED MY BRAINS TRYING TO THINK, WELL, WHO ELSE WOULD THIS BE GOOD FOR? IT'S ODD AND IT'S UGLY.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO THROW SOMETHING OUT AND THIS WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING FOR IMMEDIATE.

BUT JUST WHILE WE'RE THROWING OUT DIFFERENT IDEAS RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TWO POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS SITTING IN OUR TREE MITIGATION FUND THAT PRETTY MUCH NONE OF IT'S BEEN SPENT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND ABOUT A HALF MILLION OF IT IS SET ASIDE FOR SQUARE LANDSCAPING WHEN THAT'S DONE, WE'VE GOT AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT SET ASIDE FOR LAVON DRIVE LANDSCAPING, WHICH I'M EXCITED ABOUT SOMEDAY.

BUT I WAS THINKING AS I DROVE PAST THAT QUARTER TODAY, I WAS THINKING ABOUT BELGIUM AND I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILS SPEND ANY TIME IN BELGIUM, BUT THEY TAKE EVERY CORNER THAT'S KIND OF LANDLOCKED BY A BUNCH OF BLEAK LOOKING BUILDINGS.

AND I'M TELLING YOU, THAT CORNER, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE STREET IS AN AGING, DECREPIT CEMETERY THAT GETS VANDALIZED ALL THE TIME.

THEN YOU'VE GOT THE SHELL STATION WHERE THERE'S ALWAYS PEOPLE CONGREGATED.

YOU'VE GOT AN OLD AND NOT GREAT LOOKING LITTLE OFFICE BUILDING DIRECTLY BEHIND.

I MEAN, IF YOU GO 360 AROUND IT AND THERE IS NO BEAUTY TO BE FOUND.

SO I JUST WAS THINKING IF WE DO NOT END UP FINDING AN ACTUAL PROFITABLE USE FOR IT.

I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER DOING WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, DEMOLISHING IT AND MAKING THAT PLANTING'S A GREEN SPOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A WHOLE

[03:55:03]

BUNCH OF UGLY BUILDINGS AND UGLY PAVEMENT, NOT A PARK, NOT WITH ANY OTHER AMENITIES, TREES AND SHRUBS, AND I'LL JUST HAVE YOU IN MY DISTRICT LAVON DR. BAPTIST CHURCH, JUST RECENTLY FINISHED A HUGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND THEY DID.

THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL OF THE [INAUDIBLE] REQUIREMENTS AND THEY PUT IN TREES AND A LOT OF DEEP LANDSCAPING ALL ALONG THE LONG DRIVE.

AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE I'VE HEARD FROM WHO SAID THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE ON THAT STRETCH.

DRIVING BY NOW AND IT'S GREEN INSTEAD OF CONCRETE.

IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

I HEAR CONSTANTLY FROM PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT AND ACTUALLY ACROSS THE CITY SAYING, WHY DON'T WE HAVE MORE TREES AT STREET CORNERS AND IN MEDIANS? AND I KNOW WE'RE MOVING TOWARD A LOT OF THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE IDEA THAT CAME TO MY MIND FOR THAT CORNER, WHICH HAS NO BEAUTY ANYWHERE AROUND IT.

WE COULD MAKE IT A LITTLE OASIS.

IF WE CAN'T FIND SOME WAY TO ACTUALLY EXTRACT TAX DOLLARS OUT OF IT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD FAVOR US, CONSIDERING IF WE CONSIDER EVERYTHING ELSE AND FIND IT NOT SUITABLE TO SELL AND NOT REALLY SUITABLE TO USE.

SO I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT THERE.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

LET'S SEE, COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I APPRECIATE THE IDEAS AND INPUT ASKING STAFF LOOK INTO THAT, I HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GPA.

JUST GENERALLY THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE FACILITY.

THEY WANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE CONCERNS THAT THE DEPARTMENT MIGHT HAVE REGARDING OPERATING OF SOME KIND OF FACILITY THERE.

I KNOW I'VE HEARD FROM OFFICERS NOT JUST THE GPA, BUT OTHER FOLKS WHO BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE SOME KIND OF BREAK ROOM FACILITY THAT WAS THEIRS WHERE THEY COULD GO AND USE THE BATHROOM OR WRITE REPORTS OR WHATNOT, NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE STATION TO DO THAT.

BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ASK STAFF TO LOOK INTO THAT POSSIBILITY.

AND ANY OTHER POTENTIAL NONPROFITS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED OR ABLE TO USE THAT.

WE MIGHT HAVE A BOY SCOUT TROOP THAT MIGHT FIND THAT PARTICULARLY USEFUL.

SO JUST.

BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT AND CERTAINLY NEVER OPPOSED TO ADDING MORE BEAUTY TO ANY PART OF GARLAND.

SO PERHAPS WE CAN PUT SOME PUBLIC ART THERE; WORK THAT WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS [INAUDIBLE] THERE.

SO, ANYWAY, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

MR. BRADFORD.

YES, SIR.

JUST REAL QUICKLY, WE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING A NUMBER OF OPTIONS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

THE FACILITY ITSELF, THE INTERIOR IS ACTUALLY VERY, VERY SMALL.

AND THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO USE ANY TIME YOU'RE EXPECTING MORE THAN TWO OR THREE PEOPLE.

ONE OF THE OPTIONS, OF COURSE, THAT IS ON OUR LIST OF THINGS TO EXPLORE IS SELLING THE PROPERTY.

AND I GUESS BEFORE WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD AND START T GET MARKET ASSESSMENTS AND THE LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER, WE'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM ON THE COUNCIL WITH THE COUNCIL OF US SELLING THE PROPERTY.

IF COUNCIL WANTS US TO HANG ONTO THAT PROPERTY AND KEEP IT IN OUR INVENTORY, WE CERTAINLY WILL.

IF SELLING IT IS AN OPTION YOU WOULD CONSIDER.

WELL, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT FEEDBACK TONIGHT AND THEN WE CAN GO FORWARD FULLY VETTING ALL OF THE OPTIONS.

OK, THANK YOU, SIR.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MY...

DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO-TEM VERA.

THANK YOU.

I AGREE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT SELLING IT.

I THINK IT'S LESS PROBLEM IF WE SELL IT.

THAT'S MY INTAKE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, SIR.

AS I WAS GOING TO SAY, I MEAN, IT IS A VERY CHALLENGED PIECE OF PROPERTY

[04:00:01]

IN ITS LOCATION AND ITS VARIOUS ADJACENCIES AND ITS SHAPE.

I MEAN, IT'S YOU KNOW, IT IS GOING TO BE TOUGH.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW MARKETABLE THE PIECE OF PROPERTY IS AS FAR AS SOMEONE BUYING IT.

BUT AT THIS POINT, I WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED.

I WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO SELLING IT, EVEN IF THAT IS NOT AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN'T FIND A NONPROFIT USE FOR IT, WHETHER THAT'S POLICE ORIENTED OR NOT, I WOULD HAVE NO ISSUES TO RAISING THE STRUCTURE AND BEAUTIFYING THE CORNER.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE AFTER WE'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OF THE OTHERS.

SO COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. YEAH, THANKS, MAYOR.

TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE OPTION THAT CITY MANAGER BRADFORD PUT IN AS ONE OF THE POSSIBLE OPTIONS, IF WE CAN'T FIND A BETTER USE FOR THE CORNER.

IT'S A VERY BUSY CORNER WITH THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND CROSSINGS THERE.

SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PUTTING THAT OPTION IN THERE IF WE CANNOT FIND A NONPROFIT.

IT'S A SMALL STRUCTURE WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO YOU CAN'T PUT A REAL "OFFICE STAFF" IN THERE, BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO SMALL.

SO I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT OPTION.

BUT I DO THINK PART B TO THAT IS THERE'S STILL A NEED.

AND I DON'T KNOW AT WHAT POINT DO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT AND PERHAPS USING SOME OF OUR NONPROFIT CONTACTS OR VEHICLES TO ADDRESS THAT, BECAUSE I DRIVE THROUGH THAT PRETTY OFTEN.

I DROVE THROUGH THERE TWICE TODAY AND, YOU KNOW, THE GUYS ACROSS THE STREET LEANING AGAINST THE UTILITY POLE.

AND SO IF WE RAISE IT OR WE SELL IT OR WE REMOVE IT, I JUST THINK THAT THERE IS STILL A NEED FOR THAT OR A SIMILAR LOCATION FOR THE FOLKS.

I DROVE BY THERE THE OTHER DAY AND, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER GUY STANDING ACROSS THE STREET IN THE RAIN.

SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT BEING AN OPTION.

I THINK THAT ON THAT CORNER, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE MAYBE SOME EDGES THAT ARE MANAGED, BUT I THINK IF WE DO TREES ON THERE VISIBILITY, THAT'S A VERY BUSY CORNER WITH TURN SIGNALS AND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, SO I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT VISIBILITY, DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF TREES WERE PLANTED.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I THINK WE CAN PUT THE SALE OPTION IN THE PACKAGE IF WE CANNOT GET A NONPROFIT.

BUT I DO THINK WE ALSO WANT TO ASK OURSELVES, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THE NEED? BECAUSE WHATEVER WE DO WITH THE PROPERTY, THAT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCILMEMBER NICKERSON.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

YOU KNOW, I HEARD SEVERAL GOOD IDEAS ABOUT THE PROPERTY.

I THINK I GUESS WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A NONPROFIT.

MIGHT BE OF SOME USE, ACTUALLY, I THINK IF WE WERE TO GO OUT AND SEE WHAT THE MARKET TELLS US ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE OUGHT TO WE OUGHT TO KNOW.

AND IN SOME CASES, IF THE BUILDING I DON'T KNOW THE BUILDING VERY WELL.

AND SO I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH IT AS SOME OF YOU ALL.

BUT IF THE BUILDING REALLY IS VERY SMALL ON THE INSIDE AND TOUGH TO FIND A GOOD USE FOR, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR ANYBODY TO WANT TO BUY IT.

I THINK IF WE GET TO THAT POINT, THE OTHER OPTION AND IT'S WORKED.

IT WORKS SOMETIMES IN THESE CASES IS THAT WE DO RAISE THE BUILDING AND CLEAN THE SITE UP AND GET IT TO BE A FLAT PIECE OF DIRT AND THEN IT MIGHT EVEN BE MORE MARKETABLE TO SELL IT THAT WAY AND SOMEONE CAN BUILD WHAT THEY NEED ON IT.

THAT HAS HAPPENED A LOT, WHERE YOU FIND A STRUCTURE THAT EITHER IS SO FAR GONE, IT TAKES TOO MUCH TO FIX IT OR IT'S JUST A BUILDING THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT ANYBODY'S NEED FOR IT.

[04:05:01]

SO I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE PRICES AND SEE WHAT THE MARKET SAYS ABOUT IT.

IF WE CAN'T SELL IT, WE SHOULD REALLY THINK ABOUT MAYBE TEARING IT DOWN AND THEN TRYING TO SELL IT AGAIN AS A BARE PIECE OF PROPERTY.

IT'LL COST SOMEONE LESS MONEY TO DEVELOP IT THAT WAY AND YOU MIGHT GET A BUYER MORE INTERESTED IN IT.

BUT SO I'M OPEN TO ANY OF THOSE KIND OF OPTIONS, THOUGH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCILMEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SOMEHOW, I MANAGED TO FORGET HOW TO UNMUTE MYSELF.

YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY AM NOT OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT THE SALE OF THAT PROPERTY THAT ALLOW US TO CONTROL THE DEVELOPMENT [INAUDIBLE] IT IS ROUGHLY HALF AN ACRE IN SIZE.

ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT ODD-SHAPED, IT'S NOT COMPLETELY UNUSABLE.

WE HAVE HAD YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE APPROVED A SEVEN-ELEVEN THAT WAS A HALF AN ACRE IN SIZE, I THINK PROBABLY THE BUT I THINK IF STAFF DOES EXPLORE THAT AND SHOULD EXPLORE THAT, SHOULD ALSO TALK TO THE ADJACENT OWNER OF THE SMALL LITTLE PICKETS OF FOUR SHOPPING STRIPS CENTER NEXT DOOR, THAT'S PROBABLY FULLY DEPRECIATED.

I THINK THAT MIGHT PROVIDE SOME BETTER OPPORTUNITIES.

PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER.

YOU'RE PROBABLY CLOSER TO AN ACRE.

THERE MIGHT BE SOME BETTER OPPORTUNITIES.

I AM VERY SENSITIVE TO THE TRAFFIC ISSUES THERE.

AND THOSE ARE I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD MAKE THEM MUCH WORSE THAN THEY ARE IN SOME RESPECTS, BUT WE'LL SEE IF THOSE ARE ALLEVIATED BY WHAT WE SEE IN THE FUTURE IF GARLAND ROAD DOES GET REALIGNED.

AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME POSSIBLE CHANGES ON THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN AS WELL FOR SATURN, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES THERE, BUT I'M OPEN TO ALMOST ANYTHING THAT PUTS THAT LAND BACK INTO SOME KIND OF SERVICE, WHETHER IT'S SOME KIND OF QUASI PARK LAND OR SOMETHING ELSE, OR WHETHER YOU WANT TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME OTHER KIND OF THING THERE.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE IT GET BACK INTO SERVICE.

I DO THINK THE SOME KIND OF USE THAT BRINGS ANY KIND OF ACTIVITY THERE IS NOT THAT I WOULD LOVE.

BUT I WOULD I DO THINK I AGREE WITH MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING.

IF WE'RE LOOKING AT CHANGING THE ECOSYSTEM THERE, THEN SOMETHING LIKE HAVING A NONPROFIT LIKE THE GPA THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE BENEFICIAL.

BUT BY ALL MEANS, LET'S LOOK AT SELLING IT AS WELL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCILMEMBER MCNEAL.

AND I ECHO THAT TOO CITY MANAGER BRADFORD, YES, I DEFINITELY AM IN FAVOR OF YOU EXPLORING THAT OPTION AS WELL.

SO DEFINITELY I CONCUR WITH THAT.

THE OTHER THOUGHT PROCESS THAT I HAD, WAS OBVIOUSLY THAT BEEN A GATEWAY OF SOME TYPE OF BEAUTIFICATION OR ARTWORK.

BUT AGAIN, I KNOW IF YOU ADD ARTWORK, NOW YOU HAVE PEOPLE GAZING AT THE ARTWORK.

SO WHAT'S THE PROS AND CONS THERE? HOWEVER, TO YOUR INITIAL QUESTION, YES, I AM IN FAVOR OF YOU EXPLORING THOSE OPTIONS OF PUTTING IT ON THE MARKET AS WELL.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE CLEARED THE QUEUE ON THIS, MR. BRADFORD.

I THINK THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS LET'S LOOK AT ALL THE NONPROFIT USES, LET'S GET A SIGN OFF OR SIGN ON OR SIGN OFF FROM ANYONE.

AND THEN IF WE CAN'T GO THAT ROUTE, LET'S GET A VALUATION OF THE PROPERTY AS FAR AS ITS MARKETABILITY.

WHETHER THAT INCLUDES THE STRUCTURE OR WHETHER THAT IS WITHOUT THE STRUCTURE AND THEN TO COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN'S POINT, IS THERE A WAY TO INCORPORATE THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IN THERE? THAT'S SORT OF THREE SORT OF OPTIONS THERE OF WHAT THE VIABILITY IS THROUGH THAT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF NONE OF THOSE OPTIONS PAN OUT, THEN MAYBE IT BECOMES SOME SORT OF GREEN SPACE, BUT LET'S RUN IT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WITH THAT IN MIND, WITH THOSE IDEAS IN MIND, AND THEN WE'LL WORK FROM THERE.

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THAT IS TO PULL THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION TOGETHER, MR. BRADFORD? WHAT TYPE OF WHAT TYPE OF LEG WORK IS THAT GOING TO REQUIRE TIME-WISE,

[04:10:05]

STAFF-WISE? NOT COUNTING THE HOLIDAYS.

WE NEED ABOUT A MONTH.

OK, OK.

OK, SO THEORETICALLY LOOKING WE COULD HAVE SOME INFORMATION BACK, SAY, AT OUR SECOND MEETING IN JANUARY, FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY.

FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

VERY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE HERE THAT MOVES US TO ITEM FOUR H UPDATE FROM LEGISLATIVE

[4H. Update from Legislative Affairs Committee]

AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR [INAUDIBLE] TONIGHT.

I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A LOT AHEAD OF US.

WANTED TO PROVIDE A QUICK UPDATE FROM LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, WE MET LAST WEEK TO KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF HOW THIS WHOLE THING WAS GOING TO WORK.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE CITY OF GARLAND HAS PUT TOGETHER LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN ANYBODY'S MEMORY.

SO WE'RE HAVING TO KIND OF MAKE SOME OF THIS UP AS WE GO ALONG.

AND WE WANTED TO CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY WITH COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TRACK WITH WITH THE BODY AS A WHOLE AND THAT WE DON'T OVERSTEP OR MISSTEP.

WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BRING TWO THINGS BACK TO THE COUNCIL IN EARLY JANUARY.

THE FIRST IS THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IN PRIOR SESSION YEARS.

IT'S MOSTLY PITCHED BY STAFF AND WE'LL TAKE INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE ON IT.

SO WE HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

THE SECOND IS A SET OF GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR STAFF BASED ON THE COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION AT SOME POINT WHERE SOMETHING HAPPENS.

WE HAVE TO RESPOND WITHIN DAYS OR POSSIBLY EVEN HOURS.

AND SO WE DON'T WANT THE COMMITTEE OR THE STAFF WORKING OUTSIDE OF THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL.

AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE'LL BRING BACK SOME HIGH LEVEL OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES BACK TO THE COUNCIL IN EARLY JANUARY THAT WE'D LIKE YOU TO APPROVE, THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL AND THAT WE DON'T, AGAIN, OVERSTEPPED THEIR BOUNDS.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO DO IN A COMMITTEE LIKE THIS.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THOSE PITFALLS.

THE LAST PIECE IS WE ARE PLANNING TO MEET AT 4:00 P.M.

ON EVERY MONDAY WHERE THERE IS NOT A WORK SESSION.

SO WE INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE AND JOIN US ON THOSE DAYS.

THIS COMING MONDAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS WORKS AT A VERY TECHNICAL LEVEL.

SO WE UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR MACHINE MAKES THE LEGISLATIVE SAUSAGE.

AND SO WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT SMARTER ON WHEN WE WANT TO POTENTIALLY INTERVENE OR TESTIFY OR COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR GUIDANCE FOR VARIOUS THINGS.

SO WE'D INVITE ALL OF YOU TO JOIN US FOR EACH OF THESE MEETINGS.

AND THAT'S IT.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

VERY GOOD, SIR.

AND YOU DID THAT IN UNDER THREE MINUTES, JUST AS YOU PROMISED.

COUNCILMAN NICKERSON.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

YES, I GUESS I APPRECIATE THAT THAT YOU'RE INVITING US TO THIS THING, TOO.

IS IT GOING TO BE A ZOOM KIND OF MEETING? OK, SO THE INVITE WILL GO OUT TO ALL OF US ON A REGULAR BASIS THEN.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

REALLY GOOD.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.

THANKS, SIR.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? I WILL TELL YOU, MAYOR SMITH SENT ME THE SCHEDULE A FEW DAYS AGO, AND IT IS AGGRESSIVE.

THERE'S A LOT OF MEETINGS PLANNED FOR THIS GROUP AND THEY WILL BE VERY ACTIVE HERE COMING UP VERY SOON.

SO I APPRECIATE IN ADVANCE ALL OF THE TIME THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS GOING TO SPEND TOGETHER.

SO THANK YOU, SIR, FOR THAT.

AND NOW WE JUST REAL' QUICKLY, ITEM FOUR, I APPOINTMENTS TO COUNCIL

[4I. Mayor Appointments to Council Committees and Outside Boards]

COMMITTEES AND OUTSIDE BOARDS JUST TO I DON'T THINK ANYBODY NEEDS TO BE REMINDED THAT WE ARE ELECTIONS ARE A LITTLE OFF SCHEDULE, THE MAY ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER.

AND WE HAVE TWO NEW MEMBERS ON THE COUNCIL FROM ELECTION AND FROM A RESIGNATION.

SO THAT CREATED BASICALLY FOUR OPENINGS IN OUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE SEATS.

AND RATHER THAN CREATE MORE DISRUPTION TO EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST TAKE OUR TWO NEW MEMBERS AND FILL THE FOUR OPEN SEATS WITH THEM.

[04:15:09]

THEN, IN MAY, THIS COMING MAY OF 2021, WE CAN GO THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESS WHERE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO SWITCH COMMITTEES, WHAT YOUR CHOICES ARE, WE CAN GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS THEN.

SO FOR THE INTERIM PERIOD, I HAVE WE HAD FOUR COMMITTEES, OPEN AUDIT, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND FOR THE INTERIM PERIOD, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS IS GOING TO FILL THE AUDIT AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE SEATS.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER MCNEAL AGAIN, WELCOME, WILL FILL THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

AND AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, SOME MONTHS AGO, I GUESS NOW, I HAD ASKED COUNCILMAN HEDRICK TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF THAT.

AND SO THAT WILL CONTINUE AT THIS POINT, SO THAT WILL THAT WILL GET US THROUGH TO NEXT DAY WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL DISRUPTIONS TO OUR ALREADY DISRUPTED LIVES.

IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS ANY ISSUES WITH THAT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT WILL BRING US TO ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND

[5. Discuss Appointments to Boards and Commissions]

COMMISSIONS, COUNCILOR NICKERSON, YOU HAVE A NOMINATION FOR TOMORROW NIGHT THAT WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR YOU TO MAKE THAT NOMINATION.

VERY GOOD.

YEAH, I PLAN TO NOMINATE LISA [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL COMMISSION.

VERY GOOD, SIR.

VERY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT WILL BRING US TO ITEM SIX, ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS A FUTURE AGENDA, ITEMS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING

[6. Announce Future Agenda Items]

FORWARD? DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM VERA.

I HAD IT WRITTEN DOWN HERE.

OK, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE [INAUDIBLE] TO PROHIBIT VEHICLES FROM PARKING ON CITY PROPERTY OWNED.

EXCEPT ON THIS DESIGNATED PARKING SPACES.

OK, LET ME SEE IF I--SO, YOU'RE WANTING PUBLIC SAFETY TO LOOK AT TO PROHIBIT VEHICLES FROM PARKING IN OUR CITY, PARKING LOTS UNLESS PERMITTED.

NOT PARKING LOT, PROPERTY, CITY PROPERTY, BECAUSE IN MY DISTRICT I HAVE HAD PEOPLE PARK IN CARS FOR SALE ON OUR PROPERTY CITY PROPERTIES.

ON THE GRASS AND BLOCKING THE ALLEYS.

OK, I JUST WANT TO BRING IT UP TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.

OK, SIR, I'M JUST GOING TO JUMP IN HERE.

MY GUESS IS WE PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE ORDINANCES THAT WOULD COVER THAT.

I'M NOT SURE.

I'M GOING TO ASK IF MAYBE WE TAKE THIS OFFLINE AND MAYBE DISCUSS THIS WITH-- I ALREADY DISCUSSED IT AND WE ALREADY HAVE ONE.

BUT IT'S VERY VAGUE.

AND THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH THE POLICE CHIEF AND MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE]? ALL RIGHT, SIR.

I WILL SECOND THAT ITEM THEN AND WE WILL MOVE THAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

LET'S SEE, COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

TWO ITEMS, BOTH WHICH SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO RTC.

[04:20:07]

THE FIRST ONE IS TO LOOK AND SEEING COUNCIL NEEDS TO ADOPT SOME KIND OF POLICY REGARDING SOME.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES AT THE RTC CALLED THE MILESTONE PROGRAM, WHICH IS HOW THEY HANDLE SUNSETTING FUNDING THAT THEY'VE PUT FORWARD IF WE DON'T MAKE USE OF IT.

AND SO I THINK WE MAY NEED A COUNCIL POLICY ON THAT.

SO I'D LIKE TIM TO DISCUSS THAT.

AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM IS COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS HAS RAISED AN ISSUE REGARDING SPEED SPEED HUMPS, A VERY KIND OF A SPECIFIC NARROW ISSUE.

AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXPAND THAT FOR US TO REVIEW ALL OF OUR SPEED AND TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES AND METHODS SO ENCOMPASSING WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER SAID, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT THE OTHER POTENTIAL OPTIONS AND WHATNOT ARE.

SO BROAD OVERVIEW OF THAT.

OK, AND COUNCILMAN NICKERSON IS SECONDING THAT.

I'M ASSUMING THAT'S BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS. YES.

OK, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

AND MAYOR PRO-TEM SMITH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

JUST A REMINDER THAT [INAUDIBLE] IS GOING TO BE UNDERGOING THE COUNCIL POLICY REVIEW IN JANUARY.

SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO ADD TO THAT, COULD YOU PLEASE REACH OUT TO STAFF OR TO MYSELF AND WE WILL ADD THAT TO THAT FUTURE AGENDA.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, ANY MORE ANY ADDITIONAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OK, I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE QUEUE ON THAT.

AT THIS POINT, WE'RE AT ITEM SEVEN.

COUNCIL WILL MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

[7. Council will move into Executive Session]

THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE FIVE ONE POINT EIGHT ZERO SIX, FIVE FIVE TWO POINT ONE THREE THREE, AND FIVE FIVE ONE POINT ZERO SEVEN ONE OF THE TEXAS THE GOVERNMENT CODE FOR PURPOSES OF DELIBERATING, DISCUSSING, VOTING ON AND TAKING FINAL ACTION WITH REGARD TO A COMPETITIVE MATTER AND DISCUSS PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION AND OTHER ATTORNEY CLIENT MATTERS DEEMED CONFIDENTIAL BY LAW REGARDING LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO A REQUEST FROM THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL POWER AGENCY FOR APPROVAL OF THE SALE OF CERTAINTY TMPA ASSETS COUNCIL.

I BELIEVE WE'VE ALL RECEIVED THE LINK FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.

SO AT THIS TIME WE WILL RECESS THIS WORK SESSION AND WE WILL RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

AND IF WE COULD DO THAT, LET'S--I'M TRYING TO SEE WHAT TIME IT IS--LET'S GIVE EVERYBODY TIME TO CLEAR OUT FOR A LITTLE BIT.

AND LET'S BE ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT ELEVEN O'CLOCK, PLEASE.

ELEVEN O'CLOCK.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.