* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [District 6 Update with Council Member Vera] [00:00:07] HELLO AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL UPDATE TODAY. WE'RE IN DISTRICT SIX WITH COUNCILMAN ROBERT VERA, COUNCILMAN VERA. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A VERY EXCITING YEAR FOR YOU IN DISTRICT SIX. LET'S START BY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS LIKE RIVER SET, RICKY ROCKETS. AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT A FEW MORE TO TALK ABOUT. WELL, UM, ON THE, UH, JUPITER CORRIDOR WHERE RICKY ROCKET OPENED UP, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE THAT GOOD, BUT IT'S REAL BUSY NOW. AND ALSO THE RAY BEYOND A DISTRICT OR A SITE IT'S ALL FILLED UP AND WE, UM, UH, BEHIND THE, THOSE BUILDINGS IS ANOTHER COMPANY THAT CAME IN IS CALLED, UH, I BELIEVE IS CO UH, COST MAP. AND IT'S A VERY GOOD COMPANY. THEY PRODUCE, UM, UH, SANITIZER THAT MAKE THEM SANITIZE THEM. YEAH. AND ALSO, UM, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON BIKES AND TRAIL TRAIL BIKES AND, UM, THE TRAILS AND ALL THAT CONNECTING TO, UM, RICHARDSON IN MY DISTRICT. WE ARE GOING TO CONNECT ON YALE AND BUCKINGHAM. WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT WITH RICHARDSON WHERE BIKERS CAN JUST COME THAT WAY AND THEN GET WESTERN ALL THE WAY TO, UH, BELIEVE IS SHILOH. AND THEY CAN, UH, JOIN THE TRAILS THERE TOO. AND ALSO LOWER GOES ALL THE WAY TO RICHARDSON. AND I BELIEVE, UH, PEOPLE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MY DISTRICT, THE MAJORITY OF THEM GO TO RICHARDSON ELEMENTARY. SO THEY CONNECT AND THEY CONNECT RIGHT THERE ON LAWLER THAT CONNECTS TO THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT THE BIKES TRAILS AND WALK IN OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT. CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON THAT OVERALL MASTER PLAN FOR MORE HIKING, BIKING, WALKING TRAILS AND ALL THAT. SO THAT'S FABULOUS. I KNOW WE'VE GOT, WELL, LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT RIVER SET. RIVER SET IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS YOU'RE PROUD OF. OH, UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT. IT'S FUNNY, DOROTHY, BECAUSE SOME TIME BACK I USED TO HAVE HORSES AND UH, I HAD RACE HORSES AND NOT TRAIN THEM THERE AT THE, UH, AT THE RANGE AT THAT FARM. OKAY. AND I REMEMBER SEEING THAT, THAT USED TO BE THERE. AND, UH, AND IT'S FUNNY HOW THANKS REVOLVED, YOU KNOW, AND NEW THINGS COME IN AND ALL THAT, BUT I AM VERY, VERY PROUD TO HAVE RIVERS THAT THEY ALREADY ALMOST FINISHED THE FIRST BASE. AND, UM, THEY'RE ALREADY STARTED DOING THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE SECOND PHASE. THAT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE CONNECTED TO A WESTERN ON FRUIT TREE ON FRUITS, UH, STREET. AND THEN ON GOOD ONE, I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO OPENINGS NOW, THREE OPENINGS, ONE ON CHECK ON SHANANDOAH AND THE OTHER ONE, UM, OPENS TO, UM, UH, TOMAC AND THEY'LL GO INTO, UM, UM, UM, WHAT IS IT? UM, BUT TONE MIC. AND IT GOES TO, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF THE STREET NAME. WELL IN RIVER SET HAS A LOT OF ITS OWN REALLY SPECIAL AMENITIES. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEIR OWN DOG PARK, ISN'T THAT CORRECT. AND THEIR OWN INTERNAL NETWORK OF WALKING TRAILS AND SO ON. THAT'S CONNECT TO THOSE ALL DOTS THAT YOU CAN GO FROM RICHARDSON TO GARLAND. YOU KNOW, THOSE TRAILS ARE GOING TO BE CONNECTED THERE TOO. OKAY. YEAH. LET'S TALK ABOUT BOND PROJECTS. I KNOW YOU'VE GOT SOME IMPORTANT BOND PROJECTS IN YOUR DISTRICT AND OTHER BOND PROJECTS THAT YOUR DISTRICT WILL BENEFIT FROM. I KNOW THE LIBRARY, THE NEW LIBRARY IS SOMETHING YOU ALL HAVE REALLY BEEN LOOKING AT. UM, I AM SO PROUD THAT THAT THE PEOPLE OF GARLAND VOTED FOR IT BECAUSE IT'S LONG YOU TO MOVE THAT LIBRARY. AND, UH, UM, THE HALL BAR WAS ON THE BOND ISSUE TOO. AND, UM, THE WAY [00:05:01] THAT WE PASSED, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW GYM AT HOLLABACK. AND, UH, UH, THE, UM, THE KITCHEN IN THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE OPEN UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, OR WE CAN HAVE A BIG KITCHEN AND A BIG MEETING ROOM FOR THE DISTRICT WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET THERE. AND, UM, THE, UM, ON THE AD SIDE, UH, WE HAVE, UM, THE, UM, I CAN THINK OF, YOU'VE GOT THAT NICE PAVILION OUT THERE. THAT'S WHAT GOT THE PAVILION. WHEN THEY FINISHED THAT PAVILION, THEY ONLY DID IT HALFWAY. OH YEAH. WELL, WE DIDN'T GET THE GYM WAY BACK THEN WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE DIDN'T GET THE JAM WHEN YOU CAN GET THE BIG ON THAT, BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET IT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF GARLANDS BIG IN DAY, ONE THAT DONE IN THE PAVILION WILL HAVE THAT OTHER SIDE, WHICH MAKES IT A LOT BIGGER. YOU CAN HAVE OUTSIDE STUFF. UM, ANOTHER THING THAT, UH, I'M PROUD OF THAT, UM, I'M A MOM. I WAS MA I'M PROUD THAT I WAS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL. WE JUST FINISHED THE DOG PARK ON, ON CENTER CENTRAL OVER THERE. AND, UH, ALL IT'S BEAUTIFUL INTERVIEW, LOTS OF PEOPLE USING IT. I SEE PEOPLE OVER THERE ALL THE TIME. YEAH. IT'S VERY NICE. AND, UH, I THINK LAST WEEK WE ARE THIS WEEK I CAME, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK. YEAH. LAST WEEK WE BROKE GROUND ON THE ANIMALS SHELTER, WHICH WE REALLY NEEDED ONE OF THOSE. AND, UM, I'M, I'M, I'M PROUD OF ALL OF THOSE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT MY DISTRICT. LIKE YOU SAID, MY PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT ON DISTRICT SIX. ALL OF US WILL, OUR CITY WILL. AND THAT GROUNDBREAKING BY THE WAY, WAS DECEMBER 8TH FOR ANYBODY. WHO'S NOT SURE WHICH WEEK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. CHANCE. UH, I'VE GOT TO TELL THEM SAYING IT'S, UH, UH, OCTOBER 30TH, I GOT SICK WITH THE VIRUS. UM, COVID AT 19 AND I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, UH, SPENT A WEEK THERE AND I CAME OUT AND I'M HEALTHY NOW. AND I'M REAL PROUD THAT I MADE IT. YEAH. WE'RE GLAD YOU DID. I'M GLAD YOU'RE DOING WELL. IT WAS TOUGH, BUT I'M AIDED AND, UH, I'M BEGINNING TO FEEL A LOT BETTER AND READY TO GO, YOU KNOW? GOOD. YEAH. ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN DISTRICT SIX IS PARKING AND, AND THAT'S NOT JUST A DISTRICT SIX ISSUE, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE GOT SOME UNIQUE DISTRICT SIX CONCERNS. WELL, UM, I'M THE ONE THAT BROUGHT UP PARKING BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE SOME APARTMENTS THAT I CAN HOLLOW BY CENTER AND, UH, THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE STREET OR HAVE APARTMENTS. WELL, THE PEOPLE IN THE APARTMENTS WOULD COME AND PARK THEIR CARS, A HOLLABAUGH AND OUR CUSTOMER ARE PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO USE HOLLABAUGH COULD NOT USE IT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T PARK. SO I STARTED LOOKING AT THAT SITUATION AND WHAT I DID, I TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER AND, UH, WE'VE PUT A GATE, I CALL A BOMB. SO, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT COMING TO TOLERABLE CENTER TO USE IT, YOU CANNOT PARK THERE BECAUSE THOSE APARTMENTS TOOK OVER THE PARKING LOT. AND I I'M HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE LIBRARY ON EDGEWOOD BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ON APARTMENTS ACROSS THE STREET ARE DOING THE SAME THING AT THE WALNUT CREEK LIBRARY. AND SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA PUT GAGE WHENEVER THEY LEAVE THE STAFF CLOSE THE LIBRARY, THEY CAN PUT A LOCK THE GAUGE. SO, AND THEN IN THE MORNING WHEN NOBODY'S THERE, THEY CAN COME AND OPEN IT UP. AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT SIGNS OUT ONLY FOR LIBRARY BECAUSE THERE'S VERY FEW PARKING SPACES THERE AND ALSO FOR HANDICAP, YOU KNOW? BUT, UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, UH, OH, WE HAD ISSUES ALSO ON THE, [00:10:01] ON THE OTHER AREAS LIKE SECURITY AND, UH, RESERVE A LOT OF THIS PEOPLE, UH, AUTOMATIC PARTS, REPAIR SHOPS ARE PARKING, ALL THEIR CARS THAT HIT REPAIRING ON THE STREET AND, AND THE 18 WHEELERS OVER THERE CAN TURN AROUND AND GO THROUGH THERE. SO, UH, WE STARTED CRACKING DOWN ON THEM BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S A HAZARD FOR, FOR TRUCKS AND CARS. AND IF YOU'RE GOING BY THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT FOR BIKING WHEELERS TO TURN AROUND. AND THAT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT STREET, THOSE TWO STREETS, BECAUSE, UH, YOU HAD JUPITER AND MILLER ON EACH SIDE AND RESERVE AND SECURITY ARE THE ONLY OTHER EXITS. SO, YOU KNOW, THE MORAL TO THIS STORY IS, UM, WHEN OUR RESIDENTS HAVE ISSUES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, LIKE THESE KINDS OF ISSUES, THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF IT. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS KNOW. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS FIRSTHAND. SEE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE VALUE OF STAYING IN CONTACT WITH YOUR COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE IS YOUR BEST CONDUIT FOR SAYING, HEY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS, BUT I SEE THIS PROBLEM AND IT'S CREATING A PROBLEM. AND, AND THAT'S PART OF THE VALUE OF STAYING IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER. YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT. UH, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE FOUND OUT SINCE I'M A BUSINESSMAN AND I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR MYSELF ALL THIS TIME, UM, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WELL, IT'S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT THE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT GOVERNMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LOCAL OR STATE OR, OR, OR, UH, WASHINGTON DC. IT TAKES TIME. YOU JUST GAINED, YOU KNOW, QUITE WHEN I NEED SOMETHING, I CAN JUST GO AND GET IT. NO MAN. BUT WHEN YOU WERE A CAMPER THAT WAS GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU, YOU GOT TO WAIT, IT'S NOT, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT RIGHT NOW. OH, THERE'S USUALLY A PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH THINGS. EXACTLY. AND YOU CAN'T JUST, UNLESS, UNLESS THE PROCESS IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED OR THE PROCESS HAS ALREADY BEEN GONE THROUGH YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. SO, YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. AND ANOTHER THING, UM, UH, ONE OF MY, UH, UH, FRIENDS CALLED ME UP AND TOLD ME THAT I'M A LAWLER THAT WERE RACING. SO I WENT UP THERE AND IT'S ON YALE AND LAWLER. AND, UM, HE W HIS FANS, HE LIVES RIGHT THERE IN THE CORNER. HIS FANS HAD BEEN TORN DOWN TWICE CARS GOING INTO THERE AND WHAT HAPPENS. THEY CRASHED INTO THE VAN, THEY BACK OFF AND TAKE OFF. SO THIS MAN HAD TO REPAIR THAT PANTS TWICE. AND, AND WHAT GETS ME, THERE'S A WATER, UM, HYDROGEN RIGHT THERE, NOT A HYDRANT, WELL, HYDROGEN FOR THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE THAT FIRE HYDRANT. YEAH. FIRE HYDRANT. AND, UM, AND, UH, THEY HAD NEVER HIT THAT HYBRID, BUT I WORKED ON IT AND I TALKED TO THE TRANSPORTATION ON HIM AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T PUT UP A SIGNAL LIGHT THERE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PUT BLINKING LIGHTS. SO I GOT HIM TO PUT A BLINKING LIGHT TO, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT, HEY, YOU GOT TO STOP. THIS IS A FOUR-WAY STOP SIGN AND THAT'S HELPING, BUT I'M WORKING ON TRYING TO DO OTHER THINGS TOO ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, DOING QUERIES ON THE CORNERS. AND THEY CAN ALL KNOW THAT WE'LL, WE'LL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT TOO, YOU KNOW, CAUSE I'M GETTING TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UH, RACE IN, ON PLANE OR ROAD AND I'M WORKING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKING, OH, ONE THING THAT I AM SO PROUD OF THE CITY THAT WE DID IS START PUTTING NEW LIGHTS ON JUPITER FOREST LANE, A WALNUT AND PLAYING A ROAD. YOU KNOW, WE PUT THOSE NEW, UM, LIGHTS UP THERE, A LOT OF DIFFERENCE, ACTUALLY. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH YOUR FOLKS ABOUT DISTRICT [00:15:01] SIX? WELL, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, JUST HAVE A LITTLE PATIENCE. I KNOW THAT I CAN'T DO IT RIGHT AWAY, BUT I WILL GET THEIR ATTENTION AND I'M WORKING FOR YOU. I'M NOT WORKING FOR MYSELF. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST CALL ME OR SEND ME A MESSAGE. SO MAYBE I CAN HELP YOU ON SOLVING THAT PROBLEM. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. VERA FOR JOINING US FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL UPDATE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.