* 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. IT'S FOUR [00:00:01] O'CLOCK AND CHAT [Public Safety Committee on June 21, 2021.] WITH START THE MEETING, UH, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AT FOUR O'CLOCK ON JUNE 21ST, 9 20 21. AND, UH, CHIEF, UH, WHO'S GONNA GO FOR THE FIRST. SO FIRST IS, UH, THE, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING. AND I THINK, UH, I SENT ALL OF YOU OR LAURA SENT YOU THE MEETING MINUTES. SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, WE'LL GET THOSE APPROVED SHELL, UH, SOMEBODY BANK EMOTION, A POLL OF THE MINUTES OF THE PRIOR MEETING. OKAY. MR. WILLIAM, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS MAKE A MOTION AND SECOND BY MR. HENDRICK AND, UH, LESS, WELL, I FORGOT MY THREE, THREE, NO. OKAY. UM, GO AHEAD, CHIEF. UH, THE NEXT ITEM, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION IS REVIEW AND CONSIDER MODIFYING THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS ON STREETS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AND THIS WAS REFERRED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE BY COUNCILMAN SMITH AND THE DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY MIKE BETTS IS HERE TO DISCUSS THAT TOPIC. I COULD EVENING GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, COUNCILMAN. SO THIS CAME, UH, THIS CAME, AS I SAID, BY, AS CHIEF SAID BY WAY OF, UH, COUNCILMAN SMITH AND, UH, BASICALLY, UH, SHE HAD A RESIDENT TOO, HAD RECEIVED A TICKET IN AN AREA WHERE THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION GOING ON ON THE STREET AND THE RESIDENT PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY AND WAS BLOCKING, UH, THE SIDEWALK. BUT HIS PARKING IN THAT MANNER WAS NECESSITATED. HE SAID BY THE FACT THAT HE COULDN'T REALLY PARK ON THE STREET BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING ON THE STREET. AND, UH, AFTER, AFTER I BECAME AWARE OF THIS, I TOLD THE DEPUTIES, UH, I TOLD OUR DEPUTIES THAT WE SHOULD NOT, UH, WE SHOULD NOT TICKET VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA. IF THE WAY THEY WERE PARKED WAS NECESSITATED BY THE LACK OF ON-STREET PARKING AS A RESULT OF THE CONSTRUCTION. AND SO THAT RESOLVED IT IN A SHORT TERM. AND THEN MR. SMITH SAID THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO, TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE, UH, FOR THE LONGER TERM IN THE EVENT THAT, UH, THAT WE HAD, UH, UH, MARSHALL SUNDAY, WHO DIDN'T EXERCISE THE SAME AMOUNT OF DISCRETION. AND SO, SO I TOLD THEM THE SIMPLE FIX IS I THINK THE SIMPLE FIX IS SIMPLY TO MAKE IT AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE ON A PARKING THAT IF YOU'RE IN A DESIGNATED CONSTRUCTION AREA AND THE WAY YOUR PARK IS NOT CREATED A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND IS NECESSITATED BY, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROADWAY, THAT THAT'S AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO THE CIVIL PARKING VIOLATION. AND IF THAT'S THE ROUTE Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO GO TO RESOLVE THIS, I'M HAPPY TO PREPARE A BRIEF ORDINANCE. IT REALLY WOULD JUST BE A SENTENCE OR TWO CREATING AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE ON OUR PARKING ORDINANCE IN AREAS WHERE, WHERE THE, THE WAY THAT YOU PARKED WAS NECESSITATED BY, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE STREET. AND THAT THE WAY YOU WERE PARKED DID NOT CREATE, UH, AN IMMEDIATE PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD. AND SO IF IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE COMMITTEE, THEN I'LL DRAFT SUCH AN ORDINANCE AND I'LL BRING IT, UH, TO COUNCIL, UH, IN TWO OR THREE WEEKS. OKAY. UM, MR. WILLIAMS? YES, SIR. MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I'M IN, UM, I, UH, I SUPPORT MR. BETTS, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UH, NOW WITH ONE QUESTION, MR. BETTS, WHEN YOU SAY AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, DOES THAT, DOES THAT MEAN THAT A CITATION THAT WE'RE STILL, WE, THAT, THAT OUR DEPUTIES DIDN'T STILL ISSUE A CITATION AND THE RECIPIENTS THEN BASIS FOR CONTESTING? IT, IS THAT THE FENCE, OR DOES THIS MITIGATE THE ISSUANCE OF THE CITATION UPFRONT? CAN YOU CLEAR IT OFF? WELL, IT WOULD BE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE MEANING THEY'D HAVE TO COME TO HERE TO THE HEARING EXAMINER, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT AS LONG AS I AM THE CITY MARSHALL, [00:05:01] MY DEPUTIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN, I VIEW THIS AS SOMEWHAT UNNECESSARY BECAUSE THE DEPUTIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO WRITE TICKETS AND CONSTRUCTION AREAS. AND AS A MATTER OF POLICY FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, NOW, THEY DON'T WRITE TICKETS AND CONSTRUCTION AREAS BECAUSE THERE ARE LIMITED AREAS WHERE THE CITY IS ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN THE ROADWAY, UH, FOR ON-STREET PARKING. SO THEY CAN MAKE THE REPAIRS THAT THEY'RE MAKING TO THE ROADWAY, WHETHER THEY'RE PUTTING MORE ASPHALT DOWN OR WORKING ON THE DRAINAGE OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY'RE DOING. AND SO IN SOME WAYS IT'S UNNECESSARY, BUT I THINK THAT MR. SMITH WANTED TO HAVE A, UH, AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE TO PREVENT THAT. SO IT'S GOING TO BE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE. UH, IT'S GOING TO BE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE. SO THE PERSON WOULD HAVE TO COME DOWN AND SAY, THIS IS WHY THEY PARKED THAT WAY. UH, I SUSPECT THAT BOTH ME AS THE, AS THE MARSHALL AND WHOEVER THE NEXT MARSHALL IS, UH, WOULD LIKELY KEEP THE SAME POLICY IN PLACE THAT I HAVE MR. SMITH WANTED THIS IN CASE SOMEBODY DECIDED THEY WEREN'T GOING TO HAVE THAT POLICY YET. I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO DO IT. I MEAN, YOU COULD JUST SAY NO ENFORCEMENT IN PARKING AND IN CONSTRUCTION AREAS, YOU COULD JUST DO THAT. BUT THEN WHAT YOU'LL HAVE IS YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE PARKING IN A WAY THAT CREATES SAFETY HAZARDS. AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY LOOK AT THIS AND DECIDE, YES, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAD CONSTRUCTION GOING ON, BUT YOU'RE PARKED, YOU KNOW, UP ON TOP OF THE, YOU KNOW, UP ON TOP OF THE BLOCKING THE FIRE HYDRANT FIGURE, YOU'RE IN A PARKING PARKED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU'RE STICKING OUT PARTWAY IN THE ROADWAY, THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE A SAFETY HAZARD. SO I WOULD JUST, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO MAKE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, KNOWING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ISSUE CITATIONS. I WAS SHOCKED THAT WE ISSUED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND I TOLD THEM NOT TO DO IT. AND WE'VE, HAVEN'T HAD ANOTHER ONE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT EVER DO IT AGAIN, BUT IT WOULD BE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE. OKAY. I, I, I, MY CONCERN IS IF GOING THAT ROUTE, USING THAT AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, WE'RE STILL PUTTING IT ON US BACK ON THE, THE RESIDENT OR THE MOTORIST TO COME FORTH WITH THAT. AND I THINK W IF WE CHANGE ORDINANCES AND MAKE ON MISTAKES, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE PURPOSED, BUT THEY ALL SHIP AT, I THINK TO THE EXTENT WE CAN. AND I AGREE WITH YOU AND THE POLICY POSITION THAT YOU HAVE, THE INSTRUCTIONS YOU'VE GIVEN TO YOUR DEPUTIES. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SOME B MAKE SENSE ALSO. AND I THINK USING THAT JUDGMENT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS STRAIGHT CENTER CONSTRUCTION AND, AND THEY ONLY PLACE THE PERSON HAS TO PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY. EVEN IT MAY BOOKS UP. WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S COMMON SENSE, RIGHT? AND, AND I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IF WE GO WITH IT FROM A DEFENSE THAT STILL LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE ISSUANCE OF CITATIONS, AND THEN PUTTING THE, ON US ON THE RECEIVER, THAT CITATION TO USE THAT DEFENSE TO MITIGATE THAT TICKET, I'M NOT SURE HOW WILL WE GET AROUND THAT? THAT'S MY CONCERN. WE COULD DO IT. WE COULD DO IT DIFFERENTLY. I COULD SIMPLY SAY THAT WITH RESPECT TO PARKING ON THE SIDEWALK, BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK, I COULD CREATE A NON APPLICABILITY SAYING THAT THAT ORDINANCE, THAT PREVENTS FOOD FROM BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK IS INAPPLICABLE IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. UH, IF NECESSITATED BY, UH, THE PARK, DURING THE, UH, AREA WHERE THE STREETS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION, I COULD DO THAT WAY TOO. AND THEN, THEN THEY SIMPLY COULDN'T WRITE THE TICKET IN THE FIRST PLACE. UH, IT WOULD JUST BE LIMITED TO THE ONES THAT WERE PARKED ACROSS THE PARKING AREA, THE, THE SIDEWALK, UH, AND NOT SOME OF THE OTHER PARKING VIOLATIONS. I GUESS THE QUESTION THEN FOR THE COUNCIL BAIT, DO YOU WANT TO DELTA DO FOR THE PARKING ON THE LAWN, IF THE GUY PARKS ON HIS DRAFTS, BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING ON THE STREET, DO YOU WANT TO LET THEM PARK ON AN UNIMPROVED SURFACE? KNOW THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE. IT WOULDN'T HAVE, IF YOU MADE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, UH, IF YOU JUST MAKE IT, THE FIRM DEFENSE FOR IT, APPLY EVERYWHERE. IF YOU, IF YOU MAKE IT, UH, NON APPLICABILITY, WE COULD MAKE IT FOR PARKING ON THE SIDEWALK AND PARKED ON THE UNIMPROVED SURFACE DURING A TIME WHEN CONSTRUCTION IS GOING ON, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL USE THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE TO REFLECT THAT IT'S CONSTRUCTION THAT DIRECTED BY THE CITY FOR ROAD MAINTENANCE ON THE ROAD, IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE. UH, I CAN, THAT'S ALL EASY, BUT I CAN DO IT EITHER AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE OR AS THE NON APPLICABILITY. IF I DID NOT APPLICABILITY, I WOULD DO IT ON THOSE TWO VIOLATIONS. ONE WOULD BE PARKED ON THE LAWN AND ONE WOULD BE PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK, GIVEN THAT IT WOULD BE JUST TEMPORARY WHILE THEY HAD NO PLACE TO PARK. OTHERWISE I'M GOOD WITH EITHER WAY, GIVE ME A DIRECTION. OKAY. AND I'LL BE QUIET WHEN COUNCILMAN, UH, HENDRIX HAS TO SAY ON THIS, BUT MY CONCERN IS CONTINUES TO JUST HOW WE, IT'S NOT PUTTING THIS ONUS ON THE, ON THE RESIDENT. UM, LAST TWO OPTIONS, BECAUSE THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS THAT WE WOULD SHARE WOULD BE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY [00:10:01] WALKING A JOB IS APPROXIMATELY ACROSS THE SIDEWALK. THAT IS, THAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST LIKELY ONE THAT WE ON THE KID, VERY FEW CASES WHERE WE GET CAUGHT UP ON THAT GRASS AND CAR. USUALLY I'M WALKING MY DOG. HE HAD ALL THESE FOLKS ACROSS THE SIDE ONES. THAT WOULD BE THE BIG ONE. AND I WOULD FAVOR THAT. SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL SHUT UP. AND, UM, MS. CHAIR, SO THAT COUNCILMAN, UH, CAN GET IN. THANKS. THANKS. SO, THANKS. UM, COUNCILMAN HADDEN. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. UH, MR. BEST, IS THERE ANY OTHER, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED ONE WAS THE INCIDENCE OF PARKING FROM A FIRE HYDRANT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER INSTANCES YOU CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD CAUSE A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD? IF THESE RULES ARE WAIVED DURING CONSTRUCTION? YEAH. THE PEOPLE WHO PARKED RIGHT UP AGAINST THE STOP SIGNS, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEE PAST THEM UNTIL YOU'RE ACTUALLY PARTIALLY INTO THE INTERSECTION. SO THE ONES THAT ARE PARKED TOO CLOSE TO THE TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE NOW, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE SAYS 30 FEET. WE DON'T WRITE PEOPLE UNLESS THEY'RE ACTUALLY RIGHT UP THERE. SO THE DEPUTIES ARE TOLD THERE, THEY'RE GOING TO PULL UP. AND IF YOU CAN'T SEE TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT, BECAUSE THERE'S A CAR PARK, THEY'RE BLOCKING YOUR ABILITY TO SEE WHEN YOU'RE STOPPED, WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STOP THOSE TICKETS TO BE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S 30 FEET, WE DON'T GO OUT AND MEASURE. IF THEY'RE 26 FEET, WRITE HIM A TICKET. IT'S REALLY FOR THE SAFETY HAZARDS, THAT'S, THAT'S A SAFETY HAZARD. THE, THE, THE FIRE HYDRANTS ARE SAFETY HAZARD AND POTENTIALLY PARKED FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION. AND A CURVE IS A SAFETY HAZARD. SO THE, THE SAFETY HAZARDS, YOU STILL WOULD NOT WANT PEOPLE TO PARK THAT WAY, EVEN IF THE ROAD WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT. WOULD THOSE THEN CONTINUE TO BE ENFORCED DURING CONSTRUCTION? THEY WOULD BE CONTINUED TO BE ENFORCED DURING CONSTRUCTION SO THAT SOMEBODY DIDN'T PARK IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY CREATED A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'D HATE TO HAVE SOME IMPORTANT FROM A FIRE HYDRANT AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO IT BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND I'M GLAD THAT THAT'S STILL BEING FORCED, BUT AS THREE OTHERS, I'M FINE WITH THE FORMER DEFENSE, UM, OPTION. AND YOU INSTRUCTING YOUR DEPUTIES. I KNOW WE'VE DONE THAT WITH OTHER IN THE PAST ABOUT HOW TO ENFORCE IT. AND I AM CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITIES. I'M CONFIDENT IN THEIR REASONABILITY FOR ENFORCEMENT AS WELL. SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FOREIGN INVESTMENTS OPTION. OKAY. YEAH. AS I SAY, I WOULDN'T EXPECT THEM THAT TIME. THAT I'M THE MARSHALL FROM NOW TILL I RETIRE. AND EVEN THE NEXT MARSHALL WHO I SUSPECT IT WILL BE. I WOULDN'T EXPECT THAT THIS, THESE CITATIONS WOULD EVER BE WRITTEN AGAIN. WHEN I FOUND OUT THIS WAS WRITTEN, I TALKED TO THE DEPUTY RIGHT AWAY AND HE DID IT AS A RESULT OF A COMPLAINT. BUT I SAID, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A COMPLAINT, YOU KNOW, COMMON SENSE SUGGESTS IF IT'S A DAY OR TWO, THAT THEY'RE DOING CONSTRUCTION ON YOUR STREET, AND THAT'S WHY GUYS PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY. CAUSE HE CAN'T PARK ON THE STREET, YOU KNOW, COME ON, LET'S BE REASONABLE. AND GENERALLY WE ARE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. AND, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD, SO THAT'S WHY I RECOMMENDED THE AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE. JUST SO YOU DON'T GET INTO THESE ISSUES ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. YEAH. I LIKE THAT OPTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, MR. HARRIS. UH, I CONCUR WAS THAT, UH, AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T GIVE A TICKET TO A PERSON THAT THE ROAD IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND HE PARKS IN THE GRASS. I MEAN, I WAVED FROM THE TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DO THE RIGHT THING. I DON'T SEE WHY WE SHOULD GIVE HIM A TICKET. AND ALSO, AND I, I BET THAT THE FIRE HYDRANT, THAT'S ANOTHER THING IF THEY PARKED TOO CLOSE TO THE FIRE HYDRANT AND WE GOT AN EMERGENCY, THE, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN GET TO THE CAR HYBRID, YOU KNOW, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, I, I I'LL WAIT FOR EMOTION. SO, SO WHY DON'T I JUST MAKE THOSE TWO, BOTH THE SIDEWALK AND THE GRASS NON APPLICABILITY THAT IS, THEY DON'T APPLY. SO INSTEAD OF MAKING THE, FROM DEFENSE, JUST SAYING THAT IF THE ROAD, IF YOU'RE PARKING, IS IF YOU'RE PARKED ON THE GRASS OR AN UNIMPROVED SURFACE, OR YOU'RE PARKED, BLOCKING A SIDEWALK DURING A, DURING A, UH, CONSTRUCTION, A CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE THE ROADWAY IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE IS CLOSED. THAT, THAT STATUTE, THE ORDINANCE, THOSE TWO ORDINANCES ARE NOT APPLICABLE. SO THEN WE STILL CAPTURE ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY ORDINANCES, BUT THOSE TWO ORDINANCES, UH, THEY WOULDN'T ENFORCE THAT AS A NON APPLICABILITY. I'M GOOD. I'M GOOD. YUP. ME AS WELL. YEAH. IT'S A BALANCE THERE. OKAY. OKAY. I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A PLUS THERE, [00:15:01] MR. MITCH. NOW, MR. CHAIRMAN, I PROBABLY WON'T BRING THIS BACK. I'M COMING TO COUNCIL. I THINK THE SECOND MEETING IN JULY, UH, I'M COMING THE SECOND MEETING IN JULY TO DO A PARKING UPDATE PRESENTATION. AND I'LL PROBABLY BRING THAT ORDINANCE WITH ME AT THAT TIME. THAT THAT'D BE OKAY. OKAY. THAT'D BE OKAY. AND IN THE MEANTIME, NOBODY'S GOING TO BE WRITING ANYBODY TO TAKE IT IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE EXCEPT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD. OKAY. OKAY. BUT THEN ALSO WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEY, THEY CAN TAKE, THEY CAN GO TO THE COURTHOUSE. I MEAN, TO THE, TO THE JUDGE AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY THEY PARKED THERE OR WHATEVER. YEAH. WELL, NOBODY'S GOING TO WRITE THE TICKETS. THE ONES HAVE THE TRUTH TICKETS THAT WERE WRITTEN IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE THAT CAUSED US, UH, I, THE PARKING SUPERVISOR, I SPOKE TO HIM AND HE SENT A EMAIL TO THE HEARING EXAMINER AND REQUESTED THAT THE TICKETS BE DISMISSED IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND THE HEARING EXAMINER TO DISMISS THE TICKETS. THAT'S ALL RESOLVED PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT, BUT IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. BUT IF IT DOES, THERE'LL BE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT WILL SAY THAT THAT'S RIGHT. WHEN WE TAKE IT TO COUNCIL. YES. OKAY. THAT'D BE GOOD. UM, AND THE SECOND ITEM THAT WE HAD TODAY, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BITCH? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, CHIEF YOU'RE THERE. I THINK I'M UP ON THE SECOND ITEM. SO I MOVE ON. UM, AND JUST, I WANT TO CONFIRM SOMETHING ON THE FIRST ITEM, IF YOU DON'T MIND. UM, SO, UH, MIKE BETTS IS COMING BACK TO COUNCIL, NOT JULY 5TH, BUT THE NEXT ONE TO UPDATE COUNCIL ON UPDATING THE ORDINANCE. IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. I'M GOING TO HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UH, TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON PARKING, WHERE I COME BACK AND SHOW THE STATISTICS AND ALL THE REST OF THAT. AND I'VE GOT THIS PARKING ORDINANCE AND A COUPLE OTHER LITTLE TWEAKS TO THE PARKING LOT AND IT'S PLENTY TO MAKE AT THAT TIME. OKAY. MIKE, DO WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE COMMITTEE TO, UH, FOR THAT DIRECTOR BE THE RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ITEM? YES. I THOUGHT WE, WE VOTED ALREADY, SORRY. UH, UH, IT WAS LIKE THREE. YES. ALL RIGHT. THE SECOND ITEM IS TO REVIEW THE EMERGENCY TRANSPORT POLICY FOR OUR TRANSPORT, THE HOSPITALS, AND FOR THAT, UH, MARK MURPHY WAS NO, THERE HE IS SMART, LAZY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS AND, UH, OTHER MEMBERS, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO DISCUSS THIS SITUATION. UH, I BELIEVE THIS IS AN, THAT CAME TO THE COMMITTEE FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, UH, WANTING TO DISCUSS THE TRANSPORT POLICY TO THE CLOSEST FACILITY. IS THAT CORRECT, SIR? YES, SIR. THAT IS CORRECT. I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM A NUMBER OF MY CONSTITUENTS AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY, IN MY DISTRICT, UM, WHO HAD EMERGENCIES AND, UM, THEIR ISSUE WITH THE QUALITY OF CARE AT THE FACILITY THAT THEY WERE IN THEIR WORDS, THAT THEY WERE BECAUSE OF OUR POLICY THAT THEY WILL FALL OR FORCED TO BE TRANSPORTED TO. AND THEY HAD SOME SERIOUS COMPLAINT, NOT ABOUT THE TRANSPORT ITSELF, BUT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF CARE. AND THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT WHAT ARE, WHAT, WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO THEY HAVE? UM, SOME OF THEM, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE REQUESTED OTHER FACILITIES, BUT WERE TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF OUR POLICY, WE HAD TO DO THAT. SO I BROUGHT THIS UP TO SEE IF THERE'S WHAT OPTIONS YOU FEEL THAT WE COULD CONSIDER. AND, UM, I HAD ONE PERSON TO POINT OUT THERE IS, THERE IS SOME REALITY PERCEPTIONIST REALITIES OF PEOPLE. AND AS OPPOSED TO, IF, FOR RESIDENTS THAT LIVE FURTHER NORTH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OPTIONS OF, UH, MEDICAL FACILITIES IN EMERGENCIES, JUST GENERALLY THE QUALITY IS BETTER AND, AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS. UM, SO, SO THERE'S SOME IMBALANCE BECAUSE THEY WERE BASICALLY TRANSPORTING FOLKS TO ONE FACILITY, SOUTH GARLAND. AND THAT'S THE FACILITY DOWN THAT USED TO BE THE OLD DOCTORS DOWN ON PER CITY. I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED. YEAH. AND THAT'S, UM, THAT'S THE FACILITY THAT I'VE GOTTEN THE MOST COMPLAINTS ABOUT. SO IT'S THAT CONTEXT THAT I'M BRINGING THIS TO THE COMMITTEE [00:20:02] IT'S AT BUCKNER NORTH WAS HOW ARE WE DOWN AT THAT EASILY, THE OLD DALLAS BEEN ROAD, RIGHT? NOT NOW WEST HALLWAY, DONALD ROAD. YEAH. YOU WERE ASKED TO BE THE OLD DOCTORS HOSPITAL. SO THAT'S SETTLED TO ACHIEVE THAT, THAT I'M GETTING SOME, A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT SERVICES. SO, SO I JUST, THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP. AND THAT'S SORT OF THE CONTEXT OF, ARE THERE SOME OPTIONS? UM, IF, IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS WILLING TO PAY COST DIFFERENCES AND HAVING A NUMBERS CHIEF AT THIS POINT, DIDN'T PARTICULARLY ASK FOR WHAT HAS BEEN OUR VOLUME AS FORCE TRANSPORT. WHAT HAS BEEN OUR COST AS FAR AS TRANSPORT, BUT ARE SOME OTHER OPTIONS EVEN TO INCLUDE PERHAPS IF, IF THE, IF THE, THE PERSON OR THE PATIENT, UH, COULD OPT TO PAY A DIFFERENTIAL FEE TO BE TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER FACILITY. AND OF COURSE RESPOND TIME IS CRITICAL DEPENDING ON THAT. SO THAT'S SORT OF THE CONTEXT OF MY CONVERSATIONS AND EMAILS THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM MY CONSTITUENTS CHEAP. YES, SIR. UH, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS AND, UM, THE, THE PERCEPTIONS, UH, THAT YOU'VE LISTED. AND, UH, IF I CAN TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT GOD IS HERE FIRST, UH, WHEN BAYLOR GARLAND, UH, ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE CLOSING, WE, WE SCRAMBLED, UM, LOOKED AT HOW'S THIS GOING TO IMPACT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE CITY OF GARLAND. UM, THAT OCCURRED FEBRUARY OF 2018. UH, WE SAW AN INCREASE IN RESPONSE TIMES WE SAW AN INCREASE AND ON SCENE TIME, INCREASE IN TRANSPORT TIME AND INCREASE TOWN AROUND TIMES IN HOSPITALS. UM, AND, AND IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL TIME RATINGS. BUT, UM, ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERNS THAT WE HAD WITH BAYLOR GARLAND'S CLOSING WAS WHERE WILL THESE PATIENTS BE TRANSPORTED? AND WHAT WILL IT DO TO AVAILABILITY OF UNITS FOR FUTURE CALLS THAT MAY COME IN, IN THAT SAME DISTRICT OR THE DISTRICT NEXT DOOR? UM, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT RESPONSE TIMES ARE UP ABOUT SO 20 TO 40 SECONDS. UM, THE ON-SCENE TIME DROP ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF. THE TRANSPORT TIMES ARE UP ANYWHERE FROM A MINUTE TO TWO MINUTES, TURNAROUND TIMES AND HOSPITALS THOUGH HAS, HAS INCREASED TO IN CERTAIN FACILITIES, SYDNEY HOSPITAL BEING ONE OF THEM, UM, THAT, THAT OFFLOAD TIME HAS, AND TURNAROUND TIME HAS GONE FROM 30 MINUTES TO AN EXCESS OF 40 MINUTES. UM, SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GET PATIENTS OFF OF OUR CAR AND RETURNED BACK TO THE CITY. SO IF I MAY, I'M GONNA SHARE MY SCREEN REAL QUICK AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE HOSPITALS IN OUR REGION, UM, THAT WE TYPICALLY TRANSPORT TO I'M LOOKING FOR, ALTHOUGH IT IS GOOD TO SEE CITY HOSPITAL AND MAY WAS OUR THIRD BUSIEST HOSPITAL THAT WE TRANSPORT TO, EXCUSE ME FOR, UH, NUMBER ONE IS RENNER PRESBY AND THAT BIG PRESBY ON WALNUT HILL LAKE POINT, WHICH IS OVER IN THAT, AND THEN CITY HOSPITAL. UM, THIS IS THE RING OF HOSPITALS AND THEIR CAPABILITIES THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE MAKING A TRANSPORT. WE LOOK AT WHAT IS ON WITH THE PATIENT. ARE THEY HAVING A CHEST PAIN EVENT AND THEY NEED TO GO TO A CARDIAC CENTER. THE CARDIAC CENTERS ARE THESE IN RED. YOU CAN SEE DALLAS REGIONAL, BAYLOR SCOTT, AND WHITE SUNNYVALE, LIKE POINT AND CITY HOSPITAL, WHICH IS LABELED DOCTOR'S HOSPITAL. WE'LL MISS FRAME, UM, OR BUSH IS ANOTHER ONE. AND THEN PRETTY MUCH EVERY HOSPITAL AROUND US WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PRESBY ROCKWALL IS CONSIDERED A CARDIAC CENTER WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO TAKE A HEART ATTACK TO A CARDIAC CENTER. THESE ARE THE HOSPITALS THAT RUN 24 HOUR CATH LABS. SO IF A PATIENT IS IN FACT HAVING A HEART ATTACK, WE CAN GET THEM INTO THE CATHETERIZATION LAB AND HOPEFULLY GET THIS SITUATION. THE BLOCKAGE CLEARED BEFORE PERMANENT DAMAGE OCCURS TO THEIR HEART. I SUSPECT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND WHAT IS GENERATING THE COMPLIANCE. AND THIS IS GUT INSTINCT ONLY COUNCILMAN IS THAT THE NON-CARDIAC NON STROKE, NON-TRAUMA GENERAL ILLNESS, UM, DIFFICULTY BREATHING CALL THE, UM, MY STOMACH HURTS CALL MY BACK HURTS CALLS THESE, THESE OTHER [00:25:01] ASSOCIATED MEDICAL CALLS THAT ARE NON-CARDIAC NON STROKE THAN NON TRALA. I SUSPECT THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO GENERATED THE INTEREST AND THE CONCERN ABOUT WHY DID I GET TAKEN TO THAT FACILITY? THE THOUGHT THAT WAS PUT OUT AT THAT CLOSING, AND I'M GOING TO READ FROM MY, A LETTER THAT WE DRAFTED TO DELIVER THE PATIENTS IS THE SECOND PARAGRAPH THAT SAYS WE ARE A NON-WOVEN BASED SYSTEM BY USING NINE 11 WITHIN THE CITY OF GARLAND, WE WERE RESPOND TO ASSIST YOU IN AN EMERGENCY. OUR TRANSPORT POLICY IS TO PROVIDE YOU FIRST-CLASS CARE WHILE TRANSPORTING THE PATIENT TO THE CLOSEST AND MOST APPROPRIATE MEDICAL FACILITY BY DOING SO YOU WILL ARRIVE AT A MEDICAL FACILITY CAPABLE OF TREATING THE SUSPECTED INJURY OR ILLNESS. THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW OUR AMBULANCES TO RETURN TO GARLAND LAST TIME IN ORDER TO BE AVAILABLE, TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. THAT LAST PART WAS THE WHOLE REASON FOR THIS POLICY CHANGE. UH, PRIOR TO THIS POLICY, ANY HOSPITAL THAT YOU SEE ON THIS LIST, WE WOULD TAKE A PATIENT TO, IF THEY WANTED TO GO TO CLIMATES, WE'LL LOAD UP, LET'S GO. YOU WANT TO GO TO PARKLAND RURAL IN THE WAY YOU WANT TO HEAD OVER TO THE HEART HOSPITAL. UH, WE'LL TAKE YOU THERE. EVEN IF IT WAS COMING OUT OF, UH, DOWN BY THE LAKE SOMEWHERE, WE'VE BEEN TAKING THEM WHEREVER THEY WANTED TO GO. THAT UNAVAILABLE TIME FOR THOSE AMBULANCES BECAME CRITICAL. AFTER THE CLOSING OF THE HOSPITAL, AS WE SEE CALL VOLUMES HAVE GONE UP, AND THAT TURNAROUND TIME HAS GONE UP, THAT THOSE UNITS ARE GOING TO BE EVEN FARTHER AWAY FROM THE NORMAL DISTRICT AND HAVE GREATER TIME TO RETURN TO SERVICE FOR THE NEXT CALL IN THAT DISTRICT. UM, THIS, AS FAR AS SOMEBODY PAYING A DIFFERENTIAL, UM, AS THE FIRE CHIEF, WE, WE COLLECT A LOT OF MONEY FROM, FROM EMS FEES. UH, WE CERTAINLY DO, AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO BURDEN SOMEBODY EVEN FURTHER BY CHARGING THEM MORE. WHAT WE ALSO HAVE DONE IN INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR FIELD PARAMEDICS IS WE'VE TOLD THEM IF THERE IS A VALID MEDICAL REASON THAT YOU NEED TO BYPASS THE CLOSEST APPROPRIATE FACILITY DO SO THEN JUST LET YOUR EMS SUPERVISOR KNOW THAT YOU YOU'VE TAKEN THAT ACTION. SO A SCENARIO THAT SOMEBODY IS HAVING, UM, A, A HEART POP THAT HELPS ASSIST THE BLOOD CIRCULATING WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR A HEART TRANSPLANT, IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON, THEY PROBABLY NEED TO GO TO THAT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL WHERE THAT PUMP WAS PUT IN, WHICH WOULD BE PROBABLY BIG BAYLOR, UM, CLEMENTS HOSPITAL, UM, PARKLAND, THOSE TOP FACILITIES. WE'RE GOING TO BYPASS EVERYTHING TO GET YOU TO THAT FACILITY, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SO MANY MAJOR ISSUES GOING ON. MEDICALLY, YOU NEED TO BE WHERE YOUR DOCS ARE AT. UH, BUT AGAIN, THOSE GENERAL MEDICAL CALLS, THE POLICY HAS BEEN TRANSPORTED TO THE CLOSEST FACILITY. UH, COUNCIL DECIDES THAT WE WANT TO OPEN THIS UP, UH, AND, AND MAYBE RESTRICT OUR HOSPITALISTS A LITTLE BIT. UH, THEN WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT A POLICY CHANGE LIKE THAT AND HAVE OUR FOLKS, BUT WE DO NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR, FOR AVAILABILITY OF UNITS TO DROP SIGNIFICANTLY. OKAY. UM, TO BE FRANK, THAT'S WHY I'VE ASKED. I DON'T HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT THE, WHAT THE ANSWER TO THIS IS. UH, I KNOW IN ONE CASE IT WAS A CARDIO, UH, SITUATION, UH, AND THE, THE CONSTITUENT. SO Y W SENT ME A VERY DESCRIPTIVE, UM, UH, EMAIL AND IT WAS AGAIN, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS. IT WAS AT THE POINT OF TREATMENT THAT'S THAT HAS BEEN THAT'S ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE GOTTEN IS THAT FROM, FROM, FROM THE INTAKE PROCESS AT CITY HOSPITAL TO I'VE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT NURSING, JUST NURSING TREATMENT OF PATIENTS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE VALIDITY I HAVE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SHARING WITH YOU FEEDBACK. I HAVE NO IDEA THE TRUTH OF, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SHARING WHAT I'VE GOT. I'M NOT, I'M NOT IT SAYING IT'S TRUE OR NOT. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT, BUT THEY COMPLY TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET THERE AND IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE, SINCE MOSES CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN AND, AND FOLKS ARE JUST NOT PLEASED WITH THAT GOING TO THAT FACILITY. AND I THINK AT ONE, ONE OF THE LETTERS INCLUDED, UH, ONE OF [00:30:01] THE, ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS, I THINK SAID THEY PUSHED TO GO TO LAKE POINT AND, AND THEY, THEY, UH, WERE TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPTION TO BE TRANSFERRED, TO STAY LATE, TO LIKE POINT. SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE FACTUAL TRUTH OF THIS, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SEE, HOW COULD WE LOOK AT THIS? UM, UH, I KNOW WE DON'T GET, WE DON'T GET INTO IN FEEDBACK ON THE ACTUAL MEDICAL TREATMENT ITSELF. UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, I SHARE THE SAME CONCERN YOU DO, UH, TAKING A UNITS OUT AND THE IMPACT OF THAT ON SERVICES TO OTHER CONSTITUENTS. UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS, COULD WE GO TO A SECOND OPTION? AND YOU MENTIONED BY CLASSIFYING, YOU SAID IF IT'S MAJOR CARDIO AND WELL, THE DOCTOR'S HOSPITAL CALLED ME TO THE GRAPH, YOU JUST SHOW THAT'S CALLED A YELLOW. SO IT'S LIKE FOR, SO IS THERE A SITUATION WHERE IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO MAKE LAKE POINT THEIR FIRST CHOICE, EVEN THOUGH SINCE WE'RE ON THE BORDERLINE RIGHT HERE ON THE DALLAS, IF, IF, IF THEY WERE ON THE BORDERLINE, BUT WHY DID YOU GO TO LAKE POINT, UM, WHAT IMPACT, UM, AND I'M KIND OF LOOKING AT SOMETHING ON A SMALL SCALE ON A TRIAL BASIS, MAYBE NOT CHANGING THE WHOLE POLICY, BUT, UH, UH, MAYBE LOOK AT A SATURDAY SMALL SAMPLE AND TO SEE IF THERE, WHAT IMPACT WILL HAVE ON OUR RESPONSE TIME, THE AVAILABILITY OF UNITS, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, MAYBE TAKING, LET'S SAY TWO OF THOSE HOSPITALS. AND INSTEAD OF PUTTING THEM IN THE SAME, IN THE SAME PICTURE AND SAYING, YOU HAVE NO OPTION, IF YOU, IF YOU REQUEST IT OF BEING TRANSPORTED TO ONE OF THESE TWO HOSPITALS RIGHT NOW, IT IS ONE HOSPITAL. AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE, NOT LIKE SITU I'M JUST THROWING THINGS OUT. AND TELL ME IF IT'S CRAZY, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE, BUT I'M JUST, I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT BECAUSE, AND IT ALL GOES BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID FIRST, INSTEAD OF GUESS, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS WOULDN'T BE THE GARLAND CLOSED AND, YOU KNOW, PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY, SORT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS IN SOUTH GARDEN THAT CHOICES ARE NOT FROM A QUALITY STANDPOINT AND NOT AT THE LEVEL OF WHAT THEY OWN. NOW, SEPTEMBER, THAT'S A PERCEPTION THAT I GET THAT ONE, ONE THING TO CONSIDER ALSO. AND YOU SAID ONE OF THESE CONSTITUENTS WAS TALKING ABOUT A CARDIAC ISSUE. NOW THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE REFER TO IS TOM IS MUSCLE AND THE CARDIAC MUSCLE. WE WANT TO GET THEM TO THAT, THAT CATH LAB AS FAST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. SO THAT'S THE OTHER REASON WE WON'T BYPASS A CATH LAB TO GET TO A CATH LAB. AND IF IT'S, I THINK OUR MEDICS WERE PRETTY GOOD ABOUT IF IT'S A MATTER OF, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THOSE TWO FACILITIES. IF WE COULD MAKE ONE NEARLY AS FAST AS THE OTHER, AND THE PATIENT WANTS TO GO THERE, THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH OUR MEDICS AND TRY TO EDUCATE THEM MORE ON THIS POLICY. THAT, UM, A CASE THAT CAME ACROSS MY DESK, UH, RECENTLY WAS A PATIENT WHO REFUSED TRANSPORT BY AMBULANCE, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL THAT THEY WANTED TO TAKE HIM TO. MY MEDICS, NEVER SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED THAT. AND IT WAS A CARDIAC ISSUE. THEY NEVER SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED THAT GUY TO REFUSE TRANSPORT. THEY SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM YOU'RE A DANGER TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROADWAY. IF YOUR HEART CONDITION GETS WORSE ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, DRIVING YOURSELF, PLEASE ALLOW US TO TAKE YOU. AND WE WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND DONE. SO THAT'S FOLLOW UP STUFF. WE HAVE TO DO INTERNALLY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT KNOW THEY NEED TO GO BY AMBULANCE. THEY'RE WILLING TO GO BY AMBULANCE. THEY JUST DON'T LIKE WHERE WE'RE TAKING HOME. SOMETIMES IT'S IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO GO THERE. SOMETIMES IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST. I'M NOT SAYING IT WOULD BE A WORST, BUT I THINK WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVORITE HOSPITALS. I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. UM, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THAT I WOULD KIND OF HOPE I'VE NOT HAVE SOMEBODY TAKE ME SOMEPLACE DIFFERENT BECAUSE NOT THE QUALITY OF CARE, BUT THE VOLUME OF PATIENTS THAT THEY SEE AND CITY HOSPITAL WAS A VERY, VERY BUSY HOSPITAL. AND SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR STAFF MAY BE SHORT FUSED. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY, UH, DELAYS IN CARE. MAY THEY COME ACROSS AS A PERCEPTION WHEN IT'S JUST, THEY'RE OVERWHELMED. AND, UM, THAT'S HIGHLY UNFORTUNATE. AGAIN, THE BAYLOR GARLAND CLOSING [00:35:02] SWAPPED CITY, HOSPITAL, AND RENNER, UH, COVERED THEM UP. AND WE, OUR MEDICS TRY TO STAY IN TUNE WITH, IF THEY KNOW THAT THE OFFLOAD TIMES AT A CERTAIN HOSPITAL AND LONGER THAN ANOTHER ONE, THAT IT MIGHT BE IN THE PATIENT'S BEST INTEREST TO BYPASS THAT HOSPITAL AND KEEP GOING. AND THEY TRY TO STAY UP ON THAT, BUT WE MISS IT. THERE'S TIMES THAT WE'RE GOING TO MISS THAT INFORMATION. WE'RE ON THIS MARK. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A STUPID DECISION. AND WHEN WE DO, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO COUNSEL OUR FOLKS AND HELP THEM MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE. UM, I THINK THAT WE, WE TRY TO TEACH THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN OUR, ON OUR RANKS AND LET FOLKS KNOW THE EXPECTATION IS, LIKE YOU SAID, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE HAPPY WITH THE CARE WE PROVIDE AND THE TRANSPORT THAT WE PROVIDE IN THE CARE THEY RECEIVE IT AT THEIR HOSPITALS. WE DID PAUL, UH, SOME OF THE CITIES AROUND US, UM, WE FROM THE SKI TO DALLAS TO PLANO, SO ON AND SO FORTH. MUSKY GIVES PEOPLE THREE HOSPITALS TO PICK FROM, UH, THEY'LL GIVE THEM A FOURTH ONE IF THEY SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR IT. I DON'T KNOW. I GUESS YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THE SECRET LIST. UM, THE SECOND, MOST RESTRICTIVE AS CLOSEST APPROPRIATE HOSPITAL, UH, WHEN A MAJOR PROCEDURE HAS BEEN RECENTLY PERFORMED, THEY'LL GO TO THAT OTHER HOSPITAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PATIENTS HAVE THE CHOICE AT ANY HOSPITAL EXCEPT SPECIFIC HIGH-VOLUME INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE HOSPITALS DESIGNATED BY MEDICAL CONTROL. SO A FREQUENT FLYER, AS THEY'RE REFERRED TO THAT WANTS TO GO TO THE VA EVERY THIRD DAY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THEM TO THE VA EVERY THIRD DAY, OR WE'LL TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE CLOSER. BUT, UH, AND THEN SOME TELL YOU THEM WHEREVER THEY WANT TO GO WITH THE DALLAS FORT WORTH REGION, WHERE AS LONG AS IT'S INAPPROPRIATE HOSPITAL FOR THEM. SO THE GAMUT IS WIDE OPEN. UM, AND IF YOU'D LIKE WE CAN, UH, TRY TO EDUCATE OUR MEDICS FIRST AND SEE IF IT MAKES YOUR PHONE QUIT RINGING AND YOUR EMAIL QUIT BLOWING UP. AND IF IT DOESN'T, THEN MAYBE WE GO FURTHER. OR IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LIST OF HOSPITALS AND TRY TO EXECUTE, UM, A CHANGE IN POLICY. I JUST, I FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF THIS GROUP. YEAH. SHE MIGHT START ON THIS AND CARE FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND, AND COUNCILMAN HETTRICK. UM, JUST, JUST THROW THIS PHONE THING OUT. CAUSE LIKE I SAID, I'M SORT OF SPINNING THEM ALL WAS HERE. UM, COULD WE POSSIBLY LOOK AT, YOU MENTIONED AN ESCAPE THAT THAT GIVES YOU, IT GIVES YOU, UH, TWO, THREE OPTIONS. UM, COULD YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IF WE, IF WE MODIFIED IT AND IF WE MADE, IF WE GAVE THE FOLKS TWO OPTIONS BETWEEN CITY AND LAKE COHEN, WHAT IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE ON, UM, ON, ON, UH, ON, UH, A RESPONSE TIME ON A TRANSPORT TIME, UH, ON OUR RESTORATION AND TO SERVE JUST, JUST THOSE TWO HOSPITALS, IF WE COMPARE IT, LAKE POINT IS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. IT, WELL, IT, WHAT IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THE PICKUP IS. IF, IF IT'S AT THE CORNER OF BROADWAY AND 30 LAKE POINTS CLOSER, IF IT'S AT NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AND 6 35 CITY PLACES CLOSER. SO DEPENDS ON WHERE THE PICKUP IS. SO PERHAPS TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, SORT OF PUT SOME NUMBERS TOGETHER TO SAY, OKAY, IF, IF WE SORT OF USE THOSE TWO HOSPITALS AS, AS OPTIONS, HOW WOULD IT IMPACT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THINGS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RESPONSE RETURNING TO SERVICE, THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, JUST THOSE TWO HOSPITALS THAT WE CAN COMPARE TO SEE FROM A FEEDING FROM A COST STANDPOINT, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT? JUST THOSE TWO AS, AS POSSIBLE, UH, OFFERINGS OF TWO HOSPITALS THAT ARE PICKED UP IN, LET'S SAY THE ZIP CODES OF, OF, UH, SOUTH. AND THEN IT MAY BE IN DISTRICT THREE, IT MAY BE IN THIS FOUR COULD EVEN BE SOUTH OF MILLER, EVEN IN DISTRICT FIVE. BUT JUST WITH, COULD WE JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE? IT MAY NOT BE JUST THOSE TWO HOSPITALS, TAKE A LOOK THERE THERE'S TWO MORE HOSPITALS THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE THROWN IN IF WE'RE GOING TO GET, YOU KNOW, SUNNYVALE AND ALICE REGIONAL, OLD GALLAWAY WOULD PROBABLY THROW THOSE TWO IN THERE AS WELL. YEAH, WE'LL SEE. YEAH. AND THOSE IN SHAPE AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND WHAT THE, WHAT IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE IF WE INCLUDED THOSE FOUR HOSPITALS AND, AND, UH, THE CHOICE PACKAGE, [00:40:01] FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, JUST TO SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE. COULD WE, SHOULD YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT FOUR SHEETS AND COME BACK AND LATER MEETING AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THAT? WELL, TO GIVE US SOME, SOME BRAIN POWER ON THAT AND I'LL GET WITH MY TEAM AND SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH. GOTCHA. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THAT. OKAY. UH, UH, WHEN, UM, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO WORK ON THIS ITEM? PROBABLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO REALLY GET INTO IT. WE GOT SOME STUFF. MAYBE DO THE 1ST OF AUGUST. THAT WOULD BE, I WOULD GIVE YOU PLENTY OF TIME. YEAH. SO THAT'LL, THAT'LL GIVE ME A COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE I'M ACTUALLY OUT OF, OUT OF TOWN THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF JULY. SO THAT'LL GIVE ME THREE WEEKS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD. WE CAN DO THAT. OKAY. WELL, LET'S, LET'S PLAN ON, UM, THE FIRST WORK SESSION AND ALL THIS. OKAY. THAT'D BE GOOD. AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE'LL DO FROM THEM. THANK YOU FOR GOOD. ANYTHING MS. WILLIAMS. I'M DONE. MS. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU, CHIEF. BRIAN, WE GOT ANYTHING ELSE? UH, NOPE. SO, UM, FOR THIS TOPIC, JUST CONFIRMING, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK THE FIRST WORK SESSION IN AUGUST, WE'LL HOST ANOTHER PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING AND CHIEFLY WE'LL UPDATE IS ON THAT, BUT THAT IS OUR LAST TOPIC. OKAY. AND, UM, AND A SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. BYE-BYE. * 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.