[00:00:11] WELL, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE MONDAY, JULY 19, 2021 WORK SESSION FOR THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL. WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD INTO OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING. ITEM ONE, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS. MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE DO NOT HAVE ANY IN-PERSON SPEAKERS OR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS TONIGHT SO FAR. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. I WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO, UH, MOVE TO ITEM TWO CONSIDER THE [2. Consider the Consent Agenda] CONSENT AGENDA. THIS WILL BE FOR TOMORROW NIGHT. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS HAS REQUESTED THAT ITEM 2-I BE PULLED THAT'S E.M.S. CONTROL SERVICES. SO WE HAVE THAT ITEM THAT WE'LL PULL AND CONSIDER SEPARATELY. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS? IF NOT NOW, BEFORE WE GET THERE, IF YOU CAN LET US KNOW. THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE TO COMMENT, ASK QUESTIONS. THAT WILL MOVE US TO ITEM THREE WRITTEN BRIEFINGS [3. Written Briefing] EXCUSE ME, ITEM THREE, A NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY MATCHING GRANT SPRING 2021 APPLICATIONS. ITEM 3-B, ELECTRIC UTILITY, DIRECT PURCHASE NOTES. ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS THE LAST WRITTEN BRIEFING. NOW WE ALL COME TO ITEM FOUR VERBAL BRIEFINGS, COUNCIL ITEM 4A THE GARLAND HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION REPORT WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE. [4B. Interview for Appointment to the Texas Municipal Power Agency] SO THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM 4B INTERVIEW FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL POWER AGENCY. THE COUNCIL WILL CONDUCT INTERVIEWS WITH APPLICANTS AND DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT REAPPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND'S REPRESENTATION ON THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL POWER AGENCY. OUR CURRENT APPOINTEE, MR. JEFFERIES' TERM EXPIRES JULY 18TH, AND SO WE HAVE HAD THREE THREE APPLICANTS. MR. JEFFERIES HAS APPLIED FOR REAPPOINTMENT BUT IS NOT PRESENT. AND ISRAEL RAMOS HAS APPLIED FOR APPOINTMENT, BUT IS NOT PRESENT. BUT WE DO HAVE ONE OF THE APPLICANTS, JAMES [INAUDIBLE], IS HERE, MR. [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE. AND COUNCIL, I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF MR. [INAUDIBLE] INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SIR, WE WILL GIVE YOU A FEW MINUTES TO TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU WANT TO DO IT. OK, WELL, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN GARLAND FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS. MY WIFE AND I MOVED HERE WHEN WE OPENED A BUSINESS IN PLANO. ACTUALLY, WE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE INTO THAT PART OF PLANO. WE OPENED A BUSINESS CALLED SUPERIOR GUN CARE. WE CLEAN AND REPAIR GUNS AND THAT SHOP'S BEEN OPEN FOR SIX YEARS AS OF JULY 2ND. I ALSO WORK AS A SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST FOR GAINWELL TECHNOLOGIES, WE DEVELOP SOFTWARE FOR STATES MEDICARE PROGRAMS. IT'S SOME REALLY COMPLEX REGULATIONS OF SOFTWARE THAT EVERY STATE HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITIES. I WORK ON CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT WHERE WE ACTUALLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO SET UP CHANGE THE RULES FOR THEIR STATE, FOR THEIR COUNTIES, THAT SORT OF THING. SO I'VE BEEN A BUSINESS ANALYST FOR 20 YEARS, AND THE SHOP IS A NICE THING. I'M NOT READY TO RETIRE YET. SO THAT JUST KEEPS TWO EMPLOYEES EMPLOYED AND WE HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION THERE. AND SO THERE'S THAT. NOW, AS FAR AS APPLYING TODAY, I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST IN BEING INVOLVED IN POLITICS. I RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL MANY YEARS AGO IN BRYAN, TEXAS AND DIDN'T WIN THAT. BUT I ALSO RAN FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT THREE AGAINST SAM JOHNSON AND DIDN'T EXPECT TO WIN THAT. BUT I'M STILL OUT THERE BATTING AWAY. I LIVED IN ROWLETT BEFORE I MOVED HERE, AND I WAS ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR TWO [00:05:02] TERMS BEFORE I MOVED TO GARLAND. I'D ALSO BEEN ON A BOARD FOR THE HOA, CANDLEWOOD CREEK, WHERE WE LIVED HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. I WAS ON THAT BOARD. SO ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS FOR MANY YEARS AND DOING WHAT I CAN. I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT ELECTRIC. I HAVEN'T WORKED IN ELECTRIC. BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AWARE OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGIES, THE YOU KNOW, LIKE WIND, SOLAR, NUCLEAR, ALL THOSE. I READ A LOT ABOUT THAT. MY BROTHER IN LAW, HE'S RUNNING FOR TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC BOARD OVER IN KELLER, COINCIDENTALLY. AND WE DIDN'T PLAN THAT, LIKE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER THE INDUSTRY OR SOMETHING. BUT ANYWAY BUT WE DO TALK ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS A LOT. WE'RE CONCERNED AND WE WANT TO DO GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP WHY I'M HERE. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. WELL, WE CERTAINLY APPLAUD YOU FOR RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKING ON SAM JOHNSON, THAT'S A BIG FIGHT. SO NOT MANY PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS WERE WILLING TO WADE INTO. SO WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. AND THANK YOU FOR THE INTEREST. THANK YOU FOR APPLYING. WE APPRECIATE THAT. I'VE JUST GOT ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TMPA? WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE? SO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL POWER AGENCY CONSISTS OF THE FOUR CITIES, BRYAN, GARLAND, RICHARDSON, AND GREENVILLE, I BELIEVE, AND THEY HELPED PURCHASE OR ARRANGED THE PURCHASE, I GUESS THE SOURCE OF ENERGY. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LIGNITE MINE, I BELIEVE, IN WYOMING. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK HIGHLY OF COAL, BUT I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A GOOD RESOURCE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE GOOD CLEAN PLANTS AND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THERE AND MEETING THE GOVERNMENT DEMANDS THAT MAY BE SET UPON US BUT, I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. VERY GOOD, SIR. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MR. [INAUDIBLE]? THANK YOU, SIR. AND ONE OF OUR OTHER APPLICANTS IS NOW PRESENT WITH US. MR. JEFFRIES, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE. THE HONORABLE TOM JEFFERIES. WE DID THROW YOU A CURVE, WE ARE NOT MEETING IN THE WORK SESSION ROOM RIGHT NOW. I SAW YOU HEADED THAT WAY JUST OUT OF OLD HABIT. SO THANK YOU. GOOD TO BE HERE. VERY GOOD. PLEASE. THIS IS YOUR TIME TO TALK TO US. BRIEFLY, AS PROBABLY SEVERAL OF YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON TMPA BOARD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THINGS HAVE BEEN QUITE INTERESTING DOWN THERE IN THE PAST. THINGS ARE CHANGING A BIT, QUITE A BIT, IN FACT. WE SOLD PLANT [INAUDIBLE] ASSOCIATED WITH IT, ETC. BACK IN SIX MONTHS OR SO AGO. THE PURCHASER'S CURRENTLY DEMOLISHING IT. WE HAVE VERY TIGHT CONTROLS OVER THAT, AND SO FAR HOW IT HAPPENS AND THE RELIEF OF LIABILITY ON THAT TO THE AGENCY AND THE FOUR MEMBER CITIES. YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW YET. WE HAD OUR MEETING THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK, SO WHAT FOUR DAYS AGO, WE SIGNED A CONTRACT TO SELL THE MINE PROPERTY AND THE MINE PROPERTY, WE PUT IT OUT, WE GOT ROUGHLY 20 ENTITIES INTERESTED IN IT. WE GOT DOWN TO THE FINAL FIVE, WENT BACK TO THEM AND TOLD THEM TO GIVE US A SEALED BID. WE OPENED THOSE LAST TUESDAY. INTERESTINGLY AND THIS IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, THE HIGHEST BID WAS FOR SEVENTY FIVE [00:10:07] MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS APPRECIABLY HIGHER THAN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD GO FOR A YEAR AGO. SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING THAT AND NEGOTIATING THE FINAL TERMS, ETC. AFTER THAT, WE WILL HAVE BASICALLY JUST THE TRANSMISSION ASSETS LEFT. I BROUGHT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WANT IT OR NOT. I BROUGHT A HANDOUT THAT I CAN GIVE YOU, YOU CAN READ LATER IF YOU WANT, OR WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT NOW. THAT'S IN ESSENCE THE THINGS ITEMS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS, ASSUMING I'M ON THE BOARD. MITCH, SINCE YOU'RE DOWN ON THE FLOOR, CAN YOU PASS THOSE OUT TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO US REAL QUICK? SORRY. THANK YOU. ANYWAY, ANY QUESTIONS I CAN ENTERTAIN? ALL RIGHT, LET ME SEE. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, MR. JEFFERIES. GOOD TO SEE YOU. HADN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE. WE TALKED ON THE PHONE, BUT HADN'T SEEN YOU. RIGHT. GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. IT'S JUST ONE QUESTION. DURING YOUR TENURE ON THE BOARD, HOW HAS THE ROLE AND MISSION OF THE AGENCY, HOW HAS IT CHANGED OR EVOLVED DURING YOUR PERIOD ON THE BOARD? AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS ITS BIGGEST CHALLENGE GOING FORWARD? OK, WELL, IT'S CHANGED RADICALLY. I WAS FIRST ON THE BOARD BACK FROM EIGHTY SIX TO NINETY ONE I THINK IT WAS, AND THAT WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WE WERE STILL USING THE LIGNITE MINE AT THE PLANT, WHICH IS THE TRACT WE JUST SOLD, WHICH IS SOME 11000 ACRES. THAT WAS A VERY, VERY POOR QUALITY OF FUEL, ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH IT. I WENT OFF THE BOARD IN NINETY ONE, IN NINETY SIX, THE AGENCY SWITCHED FROM [INAUDIBLE], SWITCHED FROM THE LIGNITE TO POWDER RIVER BASIN COAL OUT OF WYOMING. THAT HAD ITS OWN PROBLEMS TOO. WE WERE PAYING ROUGHLY EIGHT DOLLARS A TON FOR THE COAL, MUCH HIGHER, ROUGHLY TWICE BTU PER POUND. BUT WE WERE PAYING ROUGHLY TWENTY ONE OR TWENTY TWO, TWENTY THREE DOLLARS A TON TO GET IT FROM WYOMING TO THE PLANT. SO IT ENDED UP BEING EXPENSIVE. THE ECONOMICS CHANGED BACK AND WELL CHANGED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. BUT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018 MAYBE NINETEEN I THINK WAS EIGHTEEN, WE CLOSED THE PLANT, CLOSED IT FOR GOOD. SO THE PLANT'S BEEN VACANT OR NON-RUNNING SINCE THEN, AND THE MEMBER CITIES HAD BEEN ACQUIRING THEIR POWER FROM OTHER SOURCES, PRIMARILY NATURAL GAS, WIND AND SOLAR CHALLENGES GOING FORWARD, KIND OF ON THE HANDOUT I JUST PROVIDED. BUT BASICALLY OUR TWO BIGGEST CHALLENGES ARE SOMEWHAT BEHIND US. WE'RE SELLING THE PLANT AND THE BIG ISSUE AND SELLING THE PLANT WAS WE'VE GOT BONDING AND WE FEEL VERY ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO PROTECT THE FOUR CITIES FROM LIABILITY BECAUSE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH CLOSING OFF A PLANT OF THAT SIZE, ETC.. THE PURCHASER HAS ASSUMED ALL OF THOSE LIABILITIES, SO THE FOUR CITIES SHOULDN'T INCUR ANY ADDITIONAL LIABILITY ON THAT. AND THEN THE LAND, WHICH, LIKE I SAID, WAS ROUGHLY ELEVEN THOUSAND ACRES. WE'VE GOT JUST SOMEWHERE NORTH OF TEN THOUSAND ACRES OF THAT RELEASE FROM BOND AND WE'RE FAR INTO RELEASING THE REST OF IT. SO THE SALE, WHEN IT TAKES PLACE, WILL HAVE SOME CAVEATS, GIVING US AUTHORITY TO GO IN ON THOSE SPECIFIC TRACTS TO GET THE BONDS FINALLY RELEASED. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND COUNCIL, THIS IS ON OUR AGENDA TOMORROW NIGHT FOR FORMAL CONSIDERATION OF THE APPOINTMENT. VERY GOOD. WE WILL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 4C, CONSIDERATION OF THE FALL 2020 NEIGHBORHOOD [4C. Consideration of the Fall 2020 Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant(NVMG) Application from the Trails Recreation Club] [00:15:01] VITALITY MATCHING GRANT APPLICATION FROM THE TRAILS RECREATION CLUB. ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS KATYA COPELAND I'M THE SENIOR PLANNER WITH THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY. AND LET ME JUST START BY SAYING IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE EVERYONE IN PERSON TONIGHT. WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS THE FALL 2020 APPLICATION FROM THE MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE TRAILS RECREATION CLUB. THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS LOCATED WITHIN DISTRICT FOUR, NORTH OF I-30 EAST OF NW DRIVE AND SOUTH OF OATS ROAD. THEIR PROJECT PROPOSAL CONSISTS OF UPGRADING THEIR RECREATIONAL CLUB, WHICH IS USED BY HOA MEMBERS AND GUESTS, STARTING WITH RESURFACING AND RESTRIPING THE PARKING LOT AND SIX TENNIS COURTS TO INCLUDE PICKLEBALL, REPAIRING AND REPAINTING THE CHAIN LINK FENCE AND RESTORING THE OVERHEAD LIGHTING. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR DOLLARS, WITH A MAXIMUM PERMITTED REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND OF SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO DOLLARS. IMAGES AND DETAILS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE AVAILABLE IN YOUR POCKETS AND ON THE SCREEN. THE TRAILS RECREATIONAL CLUB SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATION ON SEPTEMBER TWENTY THIRD 2020 AND IT WAS REVIEWED AT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER 10TH. DURING THAT FIRST MEETING, THE COMMITTEE REQUESTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM STAFF AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WAS SHARED DURING OUR SECOND MEETING ON MARCH 9TH, 2021. THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION DURING THAT MEETING WAS TO HAVE A FULL COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER. THEY DID NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF THE TRAILS PROPOSAL. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS TONIGHT. AFTER THE APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED AND COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED BY SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, THE APPLICANT VOLUNTARILY REMOVED AN ARRAY OF ITEMS SUCH AS INSTALLING AND ASPHALT OVERLAY OF THE COURTS, INSTALLING NEW BUSHES, INSTALLING SECURITY CAMERAS AND INSTALLING WIND SCREENS. THIS CUT DOWN ON THE PROJECT SCOPE AND COST SIGNIFICANTLY. THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY COMMENTED ON THE MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE OF REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES, ELIGIBLE AND INELIGIBLE PROJECTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE FACILITY BEING SEMIPUBLIC WITH A FIVE DOLLAR DAILY FEE FOR NON-HOA MEMBERS. THE PRESIDENT OF THE TRAILS IS WILLING TO REMOVE THAT FIVE DOLLAR FEE AND SIGN A LICENSE AND GRANT AGREEMENT IN HOPES THAT THEIR PROJECT WILL BE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL. SO, YEAH, THANK YOU, KATYA, FOR GOING OVER THE PROJECT DETAILS, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THIS. WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE APPLICANT AND WITH COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS ON PREPARING THIS, GETTING IT READY FOR FULL COUNCIL. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, FOR GIVING US THE TIME AND SPACE TO DO THAT. THE LICENSE AGREEMENT IS IN YOUR PACKET, BUT JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS. SECTION FOUR SHOWS THAT THERE'S A TERM OF 20 YEARS, SECTION FIVE, THAT THE TRAILS RECREATION CLUB WOULD MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY. 7B, THAT THEY HAVE GENERAL PUBLIC ACCESS, 7C AT NO CHARGE AND 7D, THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN REASONABLE HOURS OF OPERATION. CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, MR. ENGLAND DRAFTED THAT FOR US. THANK YOU. SO I THINK WE'RE NOW AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN BRING IT TO FULL COUNCIL FOR YOUR DELIBERATION. VERY GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? SORRY, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANT TO THANK SCOTT AND KATYA FOR NUMBER ONE, FOR BRINGING ME UP TO SPEED ON ALL THE MEETINGS THAT SHE REFERRED TO. SO THEY DID SEVERAL CRASH COURSES WITH ME TO BRING ME UP TO SPEED ON THIS PROJECT AND TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND THINGS. SO AND REALLY DID THE DEEP DIVE INTO ALL THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE HOA OVER THERE AND THE PRESIDENT. SO, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AS IT IS NOW. SO AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TEAMWORK, FOR YOUR LEGWORK AND FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU INUNDATED ME WITH TO GET ME UP TO SPEED ON THIS PROJECT. SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS THAT NOTE OF APPRECIATION TO BOTH OF YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, SIR. ANY ADDITIONAL--COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL HAVE RESOLVED ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE RAISED [00:20:05] DURING THE COMMITTEE PROCESS, SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THERE'S MUCH I MEAN, WE HAD BEEN I THINK WE WANTED TO REFER TO FULL COUNCIL IN ORDER TO KIND OF DISCUSS SOME OF THE POLICY ISSUES. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE POLICY ISSUES ARE NO LONGER THERE BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE RESOLVED IT. SO GIVEN THAT, I SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD ON IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. VERY GOOD. VERY GOOD. ANY ADDITIONAL? IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THIS APPLICATION MOVING FORWARD? I SEE NO ANSWER. THANK YOU. GOT YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH. [Items 4D & 4E] ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE TO ITEM 4D, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE REPORT. COUNCIL MEMBER VERA, DO YOU WANT TO KICK US OFF HERE? YES, SIR, CAN YOU HEAR ME? NO, SIR. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUNCH IN. THERE YOU GO. OK. I WOULD LIKE TO PUT D AND E TOGETHER BECAUSE IT'S FROM OUR CHIEF BEST GOT BOTH OF THEM. SO WE WANT TO DO THAT, IS THAT OK? OK. GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AS COUNCILMAN VERA IDENTIFIED, I'LL BE PRESENTING BOTH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PARKING PROGRAM WHERE WE ARE IN THE PARKING PROGRAM TODAY. AND AS WELL, I WILL BRING TO YOU THE ISSUE THAT WAS VOTED OUT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE REGARDING A CHANGE TO THE PARKING ORDINANCE TO CREATE A NON-APPLICABILITY FOR AREAS WHERE THERE'S CONSTRUCTION GOING ON. I'M GOING TO DO BOTH OF THOSE TONIGHT. THE PARKING ORDINANCE WILL BE AT THE END. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE TWO ITEMS TOGETHER. AT THE TIME THAT WE UNDERTOOK THE PARKING PROGRAM. IF COUNCIL RECALLS, YOU'D ASKED THAT I COME BACK BEFORE YOU FROM TIME TO TIME AND UPDATE YOU ON HOW THE PARKING PROGRAM WAS GOING AND WHAT WAS WORKING AND WHAT WASN'T AND WHERE WE WERE WITH IT. FOR THE PEOPLE AT HOME AND FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WEREN'T HERE, I'LL DO A BRIEF, JUST A VERY SHORT HISTORY OF THE PARKING PROGRAM AND THE MARSHALS IN IT. AND I'LL FOLLOW THAT WITH WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO IT WAS BACK IN TWENTY NINETEEN SOMETIME TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR IN 2019, THAT COUNCIL DECIDED THAT RATHER THAN CODE COMPLIANCE DOING PARKING AROUND THE CITY, THAT THE CITY MARSHALS WOULD BE TASKED WITH ENGAGING IN PARKING COMPLIANCE AROUND THE CITY. AND SOMETIME AROUND THE END OF 2019, THE COUNCIL HAD ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE TO ALLOW FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT OF PARKING ORDINANCES, AND THE PARKING PROGRAM WAS BORN. AT THAT TIME, FROM MID-DECEMBER OF TWENTY NINETEEN UNTIL THEY WENT LIVE WITH ACTUAL WRITING AND WARNINGS AND CITATIONS, THE MARSHALS ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 4000 RED TAG WARNINGS, WHICH WERE JUST READ PIECES OF PAPER THAT WENT ON WINDSHIELDS AND SAID, HEY, YOUR CAR IS PARKED IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT THE PARKING VIOLATION RULES WERE. AND THE IDEA WAS TO GIVE THE CITIZENS FAIR NOTICE AND LOTS OF NOTICE ABOUT WHAT IT WAS THAT WAS EXPECTED WITH RESPECT TO PARKING. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY UNDERTOOK A TREMENDOUS PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPAIGN OR PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, I SHOULD SAY, PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGER PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS FOR ANY PROGRAM WE ROLLED OUT. IT WAS ALL OVER THE WEBSITE, IT WAS IN THE CITY PRESS. THEY PUT A FLYER OUT IN THE UTILITY BILLS SO THAT EVERYBODY WHO LIVED IN THE CITY WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS PARKING PROGRAM WAS GOING TO START. AND AGAIN, WE DID THAT BECAUSE OF THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HAVE FAIR NOTICE OF WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM. WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS WITH THE RED WARNINGS ALONE, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT COMPLIANCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. WE BEGAN TO SEE PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR AND PARKING GOT BETTER IN A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AROUND THE SAME TIME, I PRESENTED TO SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AT THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I HEARD FEEDBACK FROM CITIZENS THAT THINGS GOT BETTER. PARKING GOT SOMEWHAT BETTER. BEGINNING IN 2020 IN ABOUT FEBRUARY, WE BEGAN ISSUING ELECTRONIC WARNINGS. AT THAT TIME AS A RESULT OF COUNCIL'S DIRECTION, WHAT WE DID IS EVERYBODY WOULD FIRST GET A WARNING AND AFTER THEY GOT A WARNING, ONLY THEN WOULD THEY BE ISSUED A TICKET, SO THAT IN THE EARLY PART OF THE PROGRAM, NOBODY GOT A TICKET UNTIL THEY FIRST GOT AN ELECTRONIC [00:25:04] WARNING. THAT WENT ON ALMOST FOR SIX MONTHS UNTIL JULY WHEN WE WENT LIVE WITH ACTUAL TICKETS. DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE ISSUED THREE THOUSAND ELECTRONIC WARNINGS. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY RECEIVED TICKETS DURING THAT TIME WERE PEOPLE WHO HAD ALREADY RECEIVED AN ELECTRONIC WARNING AND THEN COMMITTED THE SAME VIOLATION AGAIN. AND THEN WE WOULD ISSUE THEM A CITATION. WE WERE ISSUING WARNING WARNINGS IN MANY CASES HAD JUST GONE LIVE TO ISSUING LIVE CITATIONS TO ALMOST EVERYBODY WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN WARNINGS AND TO PEOPLE WHO WERE PARKING ILLEGALLY STILL AND COVID-19 HIT. SO COVID-19 HITS. AND COUNCIL'S DIRECTION AT THAT TIME WAS LET'S NOT ENGAGE IN A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STUCK HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO REALLY THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT THEN WAS LIMITED TO THINGS THAT WERE HEALTH SAFETY ISSUES, WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARKED IN A WAY THAT WAS DANGEROUS OR THEY HAD OVERSIZED VEHICLES THAT SHOULDN'T BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT WE TRIED TO LIGHTEN UP ON THE TYPES OF VIOLATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE STUCK WITH A LOT OF CARS HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS DURING THE PERIOD WHERE PEOPLE WERE QUARANTINED AND STAY IN THEIR HOMES. WE RETURN TO FULL ENFORCEMENT IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR AND OVER THE PAST FISCAL YEAR, DESPITE THE OVER THE PAST YEAR FROM NOW, DESPITE THE COVID, THE CITY MARSHAL'S OFFICE HAS ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 11000 CITATIONS. ABOUT 6000 OF THOSE CITATIONS HAVE BEEN PAID, 3600 ARE OVERDUE, AND THE REMAINING AREN'T DUE YET. THAT IS, THEY'VE BEEN ISSUED, BUT THEY'RE NOT DUE YET. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS, I THINK, WOEFULLY UNAWARE OF OR UNPREPARED FOR WAS THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT THE CITY RECEIVES FOR PARKING ENFORCEMENT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR ALONE. AND WE'RE PRETTY WELL THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR. WE'VE RECEIVED NEARLY 3000 PARKING COMPLAINTS AND THOSE ARE HANDLED. ALL OF THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE HANDLED BY TWO FULL TIME POSITIONS THAT COUNCIL ALLOCATED TO HANDLE PARKING ENFORCEMENT IN OUR CITY. AND SO I'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE WHO WORK VERY HARD, ESPECIALLY THE WHOLE TEAM WORKS VERY HARD, BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE BUSY OUT WRITING CITATIONS AND THE WEEKEND PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE AND THE DOWNTOWN PATROL PERSON WHO WORKS AND PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE COURTHOUSE WHO AREN'T OTHERWISE ENGAGED WITH COURT DOCKETS, THEY GO OUT AND TRY TO CLEAR THESE COMPLAINTS AS WELL. WE HAVE A PARKING SUPERVISOR WHO HANDLES COMPLAINTS ALSO AND HAS IS THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPOUNDING VEHICLES. IF YOU'RE GOING TO IMPOUND SOMEBODY'S VEHICLE, TAKE IT OFF THE STREET AND PUT IT IN THE IMPOUND LOT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S RIGHT. AND WE HAVE A PARKING SUPERVISOR WHO HIS PRIMARY DUTIES ARE AT THE COURT, BUT HE'S ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPOUNDING VEHICLES. HE'S IMPOUNDED ABOUT 100 VEHICLES. YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE IMPOUND 100 VEHICLES? THOSE AREN'T 100 PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T PAY THEIR TICKETS AND GOT IMPOUNDED. THE VAST MAJORITY, ALL BUT ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN OF THOSE ARE VEHICLES THAT WERE ABANDONED ESSENTIALLY ON OUR STREETS. ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS JUST SHOCKED TO LEARN IS THAT PEOPLE WILL COME INTO GARLAND WITH A VEHICLE PARKED ON THE STREET AND THEN JUST LEAVE IT THERE AND THEY LEAVE THE VEHICLE. WE NEVER HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE DON'T KNOW HOW THE VEHICLE GOT THERE. IT'S NOT STOLEN. IT'S NOT REGISTERED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO WE PUT A 48 HOUR NOTICE ON IT. WE COME BACK AND ELECTRONICALLY KEEP TRACK OF WHEN THE VEHICLE'S MOVED OR NOT. IT HASN'T MOVED. WE PUT A TICKET ON IT, WE PUT ANOTHER TICKET ON IT, AND THEN WE IMPOUND IT. AND IT'S USUALLY A TWO OR THREE WEEK PROCESS ALL THE WHILE, WHILE WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, GET THIS VEHICLE OFF THE STREET, YOU KNOW, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE PROBABLY COULD ACT FASTER. BUT YOU HAVE TO WONDER, SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ON VACATION LEFT THE CAR THERE FOR A WEEK. DO WE REALLY WANT TO IMPOUND THOSE CARS? YOU KNOW, IS A TICKET ENOUGH IF THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A WEEK UNMOVED? AND SO WE REALLY ONLY IMPOUND THOSE VEHICLES THAT, LOOK, APPEAR TO US TO BE TRULY ABANDONED THAT NOBODY'S DOING ANYTHING ABOUT. BUT THAT'S BEEN ABOUT ONE HUNDRED VEHICLES OVER THE PAST YEAR DESPITE COVID, WHICH WAS A SURPRISE TO ME. AND THERE'S PROBABLY 50 OR 100 HOLDING RIGHT NOW THAT ARE CLOSE TO THAT POINT. WE'VE ONLY IMPOUNDED SIX VEHICLES FOR UNPAID TICKETS. WE HAD ONE RECENTLY. THE PERSON HAD THIRTEEN UNPAID TICKETS. WE HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED THE BARNACLE PROGRAM YET BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVE VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE MULTIPLE TICKETS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN PAID. THE BARNACLE PROGRAM. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WEREN'T ON COUNCIL-- I WAS GOING TO SAY PLEASE EXPLAIN THE BARNACLE PROGRAM. I WISH I'D BROUGHT A PICTURE OF THE BARNACLE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE COUNCIL'S FAVORITE. THE BARNACLE IS A BIG DEVICE THAT GETS STUCK ON THE WINDSHIELD OF A CAR AND IT'S A BIG PIECE OF PLASTIC AND IT GOES ON THERE AND GETS STUCK TO THE WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR. AND THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THE BARNACLE IS THE PERSON WHOSE CAR HAS BEEN BARNACLED FOR NOT PAYING THEIR TICKETS. THEY CAN UNBAN IT, BARNACLE THEIR OWN CAR SIMPLY BY PAYING THE TICKETS, CALLING THE NUMBER, TELLING THEM THE TICKET TO BE PAID. THEY DO A RELEASE CODE. [00:30:01] THE BARNACLE COMES OFF THE CAR. THEY WANT TO GET ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS BACK FOR THE BARNACLE FEE. THEY BRING THE BARNACLE BACK TO THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, PUT IN THE DROP BOX AND BINGO, PRESTO, THEY'LL BE OUT. FORTUNATELY, AND PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF COVID, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENOUGH TICKETS TO HAVE EARNED A BARNACLE. WE EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN IN THE COMING YEAR BECAUSE WE SEE THE NUMBERS GOING UP SLIGHTLY. AND WHEN THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, THEN WE'LL GET A BARNACLE. AND INSTEAD OF IMPOUNDING THE VEHICLES, WE WILL FIRST BARNACLE THE VEHICLES AND THEN THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEM. I KNOW WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT DAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TOLD THE COUNCIL AT THE BEGINNING WAS THAT THE PRIMARY PARKING PROBLEMS THAT THE DEPUTIES OBSERVED WERE BLOCKING THE SIDEWALKS, NO PARKING ZONES, FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION, UNIMPROVED SURFACES, VEHICLES PARKED OVER 48 HOURS AND OVERSIZE VEHICLES. THAT WAS WHAT WE THOUGHT FROM THE OBSERVATIONS DURING THE WARNING PERIOD. WE WOULD SEE. LO AND BEHOLD, HERE'S THE VIOLATIONS OVER THE LAST THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE DAYS AND YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBER ONE VIOLATION IN THE CITY, THE BY FAR MOST COMPLAINTS WE GET OUR NEIGHBORS WHO CAN'T WALK THE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE SOMEBODY PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK. AND SO I WOULD SAY OVER HALF OF THE TICKETS THAT WE'VE WRITTEN IN THE LAST THREE AND SIXTY FIVE DAYS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARKED BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK. NOW, SOMETIMES WE'LL GET PHONE CALLS AND THEY'LL TELL US. I WAS ONLY BARELY INTO THE SIDEWALK. I WAS JUST A FOOT OVER THE SIDEWALK. AND I SAID, MA'AM OR SIR, I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF DISCRETION I WOULD EXPECT OUR DEPUTIES TO EXERCISE. SO LET ME LOOK AT THE PICTURE AND I PULL UP THE PICTURE AND THERE'S THE CAR ACROSS THE ENTIRE SIDEWALK AND TWO FEET INTO THE APRON. AND I'M LIKE, OK, I'M LOOKING AT THE PICTURE, MA'AM. AND YOUR CAR'S ALL THE WAY OVER THE SIDEWALK AND HALFWAY INTO THE APRON. AND SO IT'S REALLY THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF PARKING ON SIDEWALKS AND IT'S IT WENT DOWN. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED. WE STARTED ISSUING CITATIONS. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PARKED ON THE SIDEWALKS WENT DOWN DRAMATICALLY. THE DEPUTIES REPORTED WE SAW FAR FEWER PEOPLE PARKED BLOCKING THE SIDEWALKS. I READ STUFF ON SOME OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA. PEOPLE WERE HAPPY THEY COULD USE THE SIDEWALKS AGAIN. COVID HIT. WE STOPPED WRITING TICKETS FOR THAT FOR A WHILE BECAUSE IT SEEMED UNFAIR IF PEOPLE HAD NO OTHER PLACE TO PARK AND ALL THE VEHICLES WERE STUCK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE EASED UP ON ENFORCEMENT ON THAT. WHEN WE WENT BACK, LO AND BEHOLD, WHAT DID WE FIND? PEOPLE ARE ALL BACK ACROSS THE SIDEWALKS. THE GOOD NEWS IS NOW LESS PEOPLE ARE ON THE SIDEWALKS. AND SO ALTHOUGH THIS IS A THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE DAY SNAPSHOT, I THINK IN THE MORE RECENT PAST YOU SEE A FEW LESS PEOPLE ON THE SIDEWALKS. AND I THINK THE WORD'S OUT THAT IF YOU PARK ON THE SIDEWALK, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP WITH A 25 DOLLAR TICKET FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND. THE OTHER OFFENSES ARE NO PARKING, WHERE THERE'S A SIGN PARKED ON UNIMPROVED SURFACE, OVERSIZED VEHICLE BLOCKING A FIRE HYDRANT AND THEN PARKED IN THE SCHOOL ZONE. SO THEY WERE, NOT SURPRISINGLY, ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE THOUGHT THE NUMBERS FROM WHAT THE DEPUTY SAW DRIVING AROUND WOULD SEE. VEHICLES BY LOCATION IN THE LAST THREE AND SIXTY FIVE DAYS. AND I PUT THIS UP TO SHOW WE HAVE SOME PARTICULAR HOT SPOTS IN THE CITY, PLACES WHERE WE HAVE GONE AND WRITTEN TICKETS. AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE WRITTEN TICKETS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE PARKING IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE AND YOU'LL SEE A HANDFUL OF OF STREETS. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STREETS IN THE CITY MORE THAN I EVER, I THINK WAS APPRECIATIVE OF BEFORE I GOT INVOLVED IN THIS. A HANDFUL OF STREETS MAKE UP THE BULK OF OUR TICKETS WHERE PEOPLE AND SOME OF THESE ARE LOCATED NEAR APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND PEOPLE PARK ON THE STREET IN VIOLATION, NO PARKING SIGNS. AND DESPITE THE FACT THEY GOT TICKETS, THEY KEEP PARKING THERE. ONE OF THEM WAS THE PLACE WHERE WE RECENTLY HAD SOMEBODY GET 13 PARKING TICKETS AND FINALLY CAUGHT THEM PARKING AGAIN THAT WAY AND THEIR VEHICLE GOT IMPOUNDED. AND SO MAYBE IF THE CITIZENS REALIZE IF YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF TICKETS AND YOU DON'T PAY THEM, EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO EITHER BARNACLE OR IMPOUND YOUR CAR. MY HOPE IS THAT SOME OF THE PROBLEM AREAS WILL BECOME LESS PROBLEMS FOR US AS WE GO FORWARD. AS I EXPLAINED THROUGH THE PERIOD OF COVID, YOU'LL SEE TICKETS JUST BEGAN TO GO UP BEFORE COVID HIT AND THEY WENT DOWN AND MOST OF THOSE TICKETS WERE HEALTH SAFETY ISSUES OR THINGS THAT WE WROTE BECAUSE IT WASN'T SAFE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLES THERE AND WE NEEDED TO GET THE VEHICLES, THE LARGER VEHICLES AND THE VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED IN WAYS THAT WERE DANGEROUS FOR OUR CITIZENS OFF THE STREET OR FOR RECALCITRANT PEOPLE WHO WERE PARKED IN WAYS THAT WE'D ASKED THEM NOT TO PARK AND WARNINGS. AND THEN THEY CONTINUED TO PARK THAT WAY DESPITE AVAILABLE SPACES ON THE STREET. ONCE COVID ENDED AND YOU CAN SEE IT SHARPLY ON THE DIAGRAM, THE NUMBERS ARE STARTING TO GO UP. AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE. IN THE LAST 365 DAYS, HERE IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TICKETS, ABOUT 11000, AS I POINTED OUT EARLIER. YOU'LL SEE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE TICKETS HAVE BEEN PAID. THE MAJORITY OF TICKETS HAVE BEEN PAID. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT OF THE FORTY SIX HUNDRED THERE, ONLY THIRTY SIX HUNDRED ARE OVERDUE. THE OTHER THOUSAND AREN'T EVEN DUE YET. MORE THAN HALF, PROBABLY 55 PERCENT, 60 PERCENT OF OUR TICKETS ARE ACTUALLY PAID. [00:35:06] AND THE GOOD NEWS IS NOT SO MUCH THAT THEY'RE PAYING THEM, BUT I THINK IF SOMEBODY COMES DOWN AND PAYS THE TICKET, THE CHANCES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PARK THAT WAY AGAIN IS PROBABLY PRETTY SMALL. I THINK THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE ARE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO GET A TICKET AND JUST DISREGARD IT, THEN THEY PARK THAT WAY AGAIN AND DISREGARD IT, PARK THAT WAY AGAIN AND DISREGARD IT. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AS WE BEGIN TO IMPOUND AND BARNACLE VEHICLES AND PEOPLE REALIZE, OK, THERE'S A CONSEQUENCE, WE HOPE TO SEE MORE COMPLIANCE FROM THE FOLKS IN THAT CATEGORY. JUST A SNAPSHOT SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE BACK TO NOW, THIS IS THE LAST FULL MONTH THAT I HAVE STATISTICS ON. ALMOST OVER 2000 TICKETS IN THE LAST CALENDAR MONTH IN JUNE OF 2021. AND A LOT OF THOSE TICKETS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID. SOME OF THOSE TICKETS STILL AREN'T EVEN DUE. SO WE'VE HAD TICKETS THAT WERE ISSUED, TICKETS THAT WERE PAID THAT WEREN'T EVEN REQUIRED TO BE PAID YET AND SOME THAT WILL COME DUE. SO THE REASON THAT ISSUED EXCEEDS PAID HERE IS BECAUSE A TICKET WRITTEN IN JUNE WON'T BE DUE FOR 45 DAYS. SOME OF THOSE WON'T BE DUE TO THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST. AND SO THE STATISTICS KEEP UP WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. LASTLY, I PUT THIS MAP UP BECAUSE THIS SHOWS A TYPICAL ONE WEEK PERIOD. IF YOU SAY, WELL, ALTHOUGH THERE'S PLACES WHERE WE HAVE CLUSTERS OF TICKETS AND LOTS OF NONENFORCEMENT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS IS JUST ONE WEEK AND IT'S PRETTY BROADLY SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY. ONE OF THE FEW PLACES, I WOULD SAY NORTH OF 190, WE HAVE VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PARKING VIOLATIONS. WE DON'T SEE VERY MANY UP THERE. THERE'S A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS UP THERE AND THEY, I GUESS, DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB AT CONVINCING THEIR PEOPLE TO PARK IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY. BUT OTHERWISE THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE RED AREAS ARE JUST AREAS WHERE THEY WROTE MORE TICKETS THAT WEEK THAN LAST. IF I PUT SEVERAL OTHER WEEKS UP, YOU'D SEE IT SPREADS AROUND THE CITY. THIS IS ONLY A ONE WEEK SNAPSHOT IN TIME FROM ONE OF THE WEEKS WE HAD IN JUNE. SO THAT'S THE UPDATE ON THE PARKING BEFORE I GO ON TO THE PROPOSED PARKING AMENDMENT. I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL HAS. OK, THANK YOU, SIR, FOR THE UPDATE. ANY QUESTIONS ON PARKING PROGRAM STATUS AND. MAYOR PRO-TEM HEDRICK. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE TICKETS THAT WERE DISMISSED, THE NATURE OF THEM, OR WHY THEY WERE DISMISSED? SO VERY FEW TICKETS ARE DISMISSED AND THEY'RE LISTED HERE IN GREEN. AND SO WHAT HAPPENS ON A TICKET THAT'S DISMISSED, THE HEARING EXAMINER DISMISSES A FEW OF THEM BECAUSE THERE MAY NOT BE A VIOLATION? I WOULD SAY THE BULK OF THE DISMISSED TICKETS WERE AN OFFICER'S OUT AND HE WRITES A TICKET BECAUSE SOMEBODY PARKED ACROSS THE SIDEWALK AS HE WALKS UP TO THE VEHICLE TO PUT IT ON THERE, SOMEBODY SITS UP OUT OF THE CAR OR HE DIDN'T SEE THEM. AND THEY SAY, I'M JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT OF THE RESIDENCE OR WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S PARKED IN A NO PARKING ZONE. WE GET BEHIND THEM, WRITE HIM A TICKET, WE GO UP TO AND WE FIND OUT THEY'RE NOT PARKING. THEY'RE JUST STANDING IN THE VEHICLE. WE DIDN'T REALIZE. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS, AS A RESULT OF MY DISCUSSIONS WITH INTERNAL AUDIT, A DEPUTY HAS TO WRITE A MEMO, HE HAS TO BRING THE TICKET BACK. HE WRITES A MEMO EXPLAINS, THIS IS WHY THIS TICKET, ALTHOUGH I ISSUED IT, SHOULD BE DISMISSED. I HAVE NOT HANDED IT TO THE PERSON. IT THEN COMES TO ME, I REVIEW IT TO MAKE SURE HIS REASON WAS A LEGITIMATE ONE, AND THEN IT GETS DISMISSED AND PLACED IN AN AUDIT FILE SO THAT THE AUDITOR CAN AUDIT THEM. SO THE BULK OF THE DISMISSED TICKETS YOU SEE HERE, PROBABLY AROUND 100 SINCE WE STARTED THE PROGRAM, ARE TICKETS WHERE WE ISSUE THEM, SOMETIMES IT'S THE WRONG VIOLATION. THE OFFICER PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON AND NOW THE TICKET SPITS OUT [INAUDIBLE] SPIT OUT TICKET, HE DOESN'T WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE RIGHT VIOLATION. WELL, THAT DEPUTY WOULD THEN WRITE A MEMO TO ME SAYING, HERE'S THE TICKET. I DIDN'T ISSUE IT. IT'S STILL HERE. HE HAS TO HAVE IT PHYSICALLY IN THE FLESH. AND HE WILL ATTACH THAT TO HIS MEMO AND I WILL ATTACH IT TO THE RECEIPT, DISMISSING IT AND PUT IT IN AN AUDIT FILE FOR AUDITOR TO REVIEW TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS WORKING PROPERLY. DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS. THANK YOU. MIKE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THE WAY YOU'VE MANAGED IT AND OVERSEEN IT AND HANDLED IT. I SAW ON THE PICTURE OF THE WEEK LONG OR WHATEVER THE HEAT MAP WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF RED. IN MY DISTRICT, IT'S BEEN KIND OF THE HOT SPOT FOR A LOT OF PARKING PROBLEMS. BUT YOU HAVE MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IT STUNNED ME WHEN THIS PROGRAM STARTED AND IT HAS STUNNED ME WHEN IT RESTARTED. I WAS EXPECTING A LOT OF BLOWBACK FROM RESIDENTS AND WHAT INSTEAD I GOT FOR EVERY ONE COMPLAINT, I'VE PROBABLY GOTTEN 30 TO 50, "WE'RE SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS. HURRAY, SEND THEM ON." SO YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. [00:40:04] YOU'RE MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE IN A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE THE MOST CONGESTED. AND HAVING RECEIVED SOME OF THOSE CALLS, AS YOU KNOW, FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE BARELY TOUCHING THE SIDEWALK AND THEN LOOKING AT THE PICTURE AND FINDING IT EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID, ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE SIDEWALK, I HAVE ADMIRED YOUR FAIRNESS AND YOUR CALMNESS IN RESPONDING TO CITIZENS WHO HAVE THOSE KIND OF CONCERNS. YOU'VE BEEN VERY COURTEOUS, VERY PATIENT WITH THEM AND HAVE BEEN TOTALLY FAIR WHEN IT COMES TO SITUATIONS THAT ARE IFFY. SO THANK YOU. DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE. YES, MR. MAYOR. MIKE, COULD YOU EXPLAIN VEHICLE REPAIR ON ROAD? SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO IS SIT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE AND DO MAJOR VEHICLE REPAIR ON YOUR ROAD. THESE AREN'T PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE JUST CHANGING THEIR OIL OR FIXING A FLAT TIRE. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED AND HAVE A YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE BIG DEVICES THAT LIFTS THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND HALF THE PARTS. AND SADLY, SOME OF THE PICTURES I'VE SEEN HALF THE PARTS OUT ON THE STREET. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE STANDING INSIDE IN SOME OF THESE VEHICLES STANDING INSIDE AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE THE VEHICLES PARTS ARE ALL ON THE STREET. WELL, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DID THAT, LIKE IN AN HOUR OR TWO AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE AT A PIT STOP IN AND OUT, WE PROBABLY NEVER GET OUT THERE AND HEAR ABOUT IT. WE WILL GET A COMPLAINT ON THOSE. HEY, THIS GUY, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT THIS VEHICLE AND I'M LIKE, OH, HOW BAD COULD IT BE? I GO OUT AND LOOK AT SOME OF THESE. AND I'M LIKE, OH, MY GOD, HE'S DOING A FULL FLEDGED REBUILD OF THIS ENGINE. AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO OR THREE WEEKS. YOU KNOW, THESE AREN'T ONES WHERE THEY'RE JUST I'M DOING A BRAKE JOB IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. THIS IS I'M DOING A COMPLETE ENGINE REBUILD IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE FOR A WEEK OR TWO AT A TIME. AND THE NEIGHBORS ARE ALL WATCHING. AND SOME OF THEM HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE OIL, THEY JUST GOES OUT ON THE STREET AND THE PARTS ARE LAYING ALL OVER AND IT'S A MESS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE USUALLY ARE, PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGING IN PRETTY HEAVY DUTY REPAIR. YOU KNOW, IF WE GO UP AND SOMEBODY JUST WHILE I'M FIXING A TIRE, I'M CHANGING THE OIL, THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FULL-BLOWN REBUILDS GOING ON THAT THE DEPUTIES USUALLY WILL WRITE CITATIONS FOR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND I, TOO, WAS SURPRISED, BY THE WAY. A LOT MORE THAT GOES ON THE CITY GROUND THAN I EVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED MY WIFE, SHE WILL BE GLAD TO HEAR WHAT YOU JUST SAID. [CHUCKLING] OK, COUNCIL MEMBER VERA? I WANTED TO COMMENT MORE ON THAT, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO LET IT GO. [LAUGHTER] YES, SIR, AND MIKE, YOU HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS, WE DIDN'T HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO. BUT YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. I'LL TELL YOU, IN ALL FAIRNESS, IF HAD I KNOWN THE SCOPE AND MAGNITUDE OF THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK CODE COMPLIANCE AND WHOEVER ELSE IS HANDLING PARKING IS DOING A FINE JOB. JUST LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS, IS IT'S A MUCH BIGGER JOB THAN I ANTICIPATED. BUT I THINK THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK FOR THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE HAVE REALLY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. I MEAN, I TOLD THEM HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROGRAM WAS TO THE COUNCIL. AND IN OUR TEAM MEETINGS, I SAY THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE AND THEY REALLY WANT US TO DO THIS RIGHT. AND THEY'VE TAKEN IT TO HEART. AND MY HAT'S OFF TO THEM. YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY GO OUT AND DO ANY OF THIS ENFORCEMENT. IT'S THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO REALLY TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND REALIZE THIS IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD JOB, MIKE. I'M PRETTY SURE THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOUR LEGACY FOR THE CITY WOULD BE, A LONG SHOT, BUT YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS FOR THE CITY IN THE YEARS YOU'VE SERVED THE CITY, NOT JUST THIS STUFF, BUT I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE DAY TO DAY OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND I KNOW THEY REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, AS MANY KUDOS AS YOU AS YOU GIVE TO YOUR FOLKS. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT IT'S YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR DESIGN OF THIS PROGRAM THAT'S REALLY MADE IT VERY EFFECTIVE. AND IT'S FASCINATING TO WATCH. I MEAN, AND LIKE ANYTHING. AND ALSO I'LL SAY KUDOS TO THE COUNCIL FOR CHOOSING SOMETHING THAT TO DO SOMETHING THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE IS VERY UNPOPULAR. AND IT'S HARD FOR COUNCILS TO DO THAT SOMETIMES. BUT IT'S BEEN FASCINATING TO WATCH ON THE ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA DISCUSSIONS WHERE, YOU KNOW, ONE PERSON WILL BE PARTICULARLY UPSET ABOUT THEY GOT A TICKET FOR PARKING OVER THE SIDEWALK OR WHATEVER, AND THEN WATCHED ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE JUST LIKE, OH, YOU'RE [00:45:03] GETTING YOURS NOW. I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO REALLY DEFEND AND APPRECIATE THIS PROGRAM. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK AND APPRECIATE YOU KEEPING THAT AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT IT'S BEEN A I THINK, A VERY FAIR PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN GEARED TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SAFETY ISSUES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT I THINK REALLY PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT AND THE MOBILITY ISSUES IN PARTICULAR. AND, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO'S A BIG SUPPORTER OF HAVING MOBILITY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS HAS DONE AN ENORMOUS GOOD FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I'M VERY THANKFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. VERY GOOD. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WHEN WE DID START THIS PROGRAM, WE ALL EXPECTED OUR PHONES TO EXPLODE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE'S, BUT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE, THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM FOLKS WHO'VE RECEIVED TICKETS HAS I DON'T EVEN THINK IT WOULD REGISTER ON YOUR ON YOUR CHART. BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THANKED ME OR US FOR THAT PROGRAM IS COUNTLESS AT THIS POINT. SO I THINK WE'RE CERTAINLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH IT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS TO THE BARNACLE, WE HAVE TWO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE DOING A TEST ON THEIR VEHICLES. I CAN GET YOU THEIR ADDRESSES. AND, YOU KNOW [LAUGHTER] WE'VE ALREADY BARNACLED ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' VEHICLES, IF I RECALL. WELL, WE HAVE TWO NEW PEOPLE. SO I SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DO IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYBE DO COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE'S WIFE'S CAR. [LAUGHTER] DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS. I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT MIKE, WHAT ROLE DOES OUR E-ASSIST PLAY IN THIS PROCESS, I'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT IT. EVERY TIME I TALK TO A CITIZEN. I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO LOAD IT IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT. AND PEOPLE ARE SHOCKED WITH THE EASE AND THE CONFIDENTIALITY. THE NEIGHBORS [INAUDIBLE]. SO I'M ALWAYS PUSHING THE USE OF E-ASSIST AND I'LL STOP AND LOAD IT ON SOMEBODY'S PHONE FOR THEM. YEAH, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT, MIKE, THE IMPACT OF THAT TECHNOLOGY IN THIS PROGRAM? DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY PROBABLY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS PEOPLE CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE. THE EASIEST WAY IS TO E-ASSIST. SO THE E-ASSIST SOFTWARE APPLICATION THAT'S AVAILABLE ON YOUR SMARTPHONE OR ON YOUR COMPUTER, THEY CAN ACTUALLY PUT A COMPLAINT IN THEMSELVES. AND OF THE THREE THOUSAND COMPLAINTS, A LOT OF THOSE COMPLAINTS COME IN THROUGH E-ASSIST. THE OTHER WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN CAN GET A COMPLAINT TO THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS THROUGH THE EMAIL ADDRESS, PARKING QUESTIONS AT GARLANDTX.GOV. WE RECEIVED QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS THAT WAY. AND THEN WE HAVE A DEPUTY ASSIGNED TO A FIXED POST OVER AT THE CARVER CENTER. HIS JOB ALL DAY IS TO TAKE THOSE EMAILS AND PUT THEM INTO THE E-ASSIST SYSTEM. AND WE ASSUME THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE WHO ARE MAYBE UNABLE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, TO USE THE E-ASSIST SYSTEM, FIND IT COMPLICATED OR DIFFICULT, ALTHOUGH IT'S A PRETTY EASY SYSTEM, WE PUT THOSE IN FOR THEM. THE OTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN REPORT A PARKING COMPLAINT IS THROUGH THE PARKING PHONE NUMBER, WHICH IS (972)205-2222. THAT NUMBER IS ANSWERED BY THE SAME DEPUTY AT THE CARVER CENTER AND HE SITS ALL DAY LONG. THE PHONE RINGS, HE GETS A COMPLAINT AND HE PUTS IT INTO E-ASSIST. SO E-ASSIST IS WHAT TRACKS OUR COMPLAINTS AND LETS US KNOW WHERE THE COMPLAINTS ARE AROUND THE CITY. FOR THE CITIZENS, IT'S A FABULOUS PRODUCT BECAUSE THEY CAN PUT IT IN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING FURTHER AND SOMEBODY WILL GO OUT THERE AND CHECK ON IT. THEY CAN LOOK BACK LATER AND SEE IF WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHECK ON IT AND WE'LL RECORD WHEN WE HAVE. IT'S ALSO A FABULOUS PRODUCT FOR THE DEPUTIES TO USE BECAUSE THE DEPUTIES GET THE COMPLAINTS ALL ON A MAP. SO INSTEAD OF DRIVING HITHER AND YON, THEY CAN LOOK AND GO AND TAKE THOSE ONES TOGETHER ON THE MAP. I'M GOING TO GO OVER INTO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, CHECK OUT ALL THE COMPLAINTS, DO ENFORCEMENT IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND IT'S REALLY BEEN A FANTASTIC PRODUCT. AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE FOLKS WHO MANAGE THE E-ASSIST PROGRAM HERE IS REALLY BEEN TOP NOTCH AND IT REALLY HELPED THIS PROGRAM BE SUCCESSFUL. SO I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING ABOUT THAT. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE'RE READY TO MOVE TO PART TWO. [00:50:03] OK, SO PART TWO IS THE PROPOSED PARKING AMENDMENT OR I'LL SEGUE BY SAYING, AS MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL HAVE COMMENTED, THE DEPUTIES ATTEMPT TO EXERCISE REALLY GOOD DISCRETION. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISN'T MEANT TO BE OPPRESSIVE. IT'S MEANT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, VERY RARELY ONE OF OUR DEPUTIES WILL ISSUE A CITATION YOU LOOK AT AND YOU SCRATCH YOUR HEAD. AND SOMETIMES IT'S JUST A MATTER OF OF TALKING TO A DEPUTY AND FINDING OUT WHY AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB. BUT WE BECAME AWARE THAT DEPUTY HAD DECIDED TO WRITE TICKETS. MAYBE IT A RESULT OF A COMPLAINT, MAYBE IT WASN'T, I DON'T KNOW, IN AN AREA WHERE WE HAD CONSTRUCTION GOING ON. SO WE'VE GOT CONSTRUCTION GOING ON IN THE STREET. SOMEBODY PARKED BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK OR PARKED ON PARTLY ON THEIR GRASS BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE. WROTE A CITATION. COUNCILMAN SMITH, I THINK REFERRED THIS TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT DURING THE DURATION THAT I AM YOUR CITY MARSHAL, THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO THE DEPUTIES AND SAID, LOOK, GIVEN THE MODEL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE A POSITIVE FORCE IN THE CITY FOR QUALITY OF LIFE, WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE WRITING TICKETS IN CONSTRUCTION AREAS EXCEPT FOR REAL SAFETY HAZARDS THAT OCCUR IN AREAS. AND IF SOMEBODY IS BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE HE CAN'T PARK ON THE STREET, BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WE REALLY NEED TO EXERCISE BETTER DISCRETION. I'M ASSURED THAT THOSE TICKETS WOULD NEVER BE ISSUED AGAIN. BUT I THINK COUNCILMAN SMITH WAS CONCERNED THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE DIRECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE. AND IF SOMEBODY WERE TO ALLOW THESE TICKETS, IT IS A LITTLE BIT UNSEEMLY. AND SO WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS OR THE REQUEST WAS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WAS THAT THEY CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD MAKE NON APPLICABLE CERTAIN VIOLATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION AREAS. AND SO ALTHOUGH THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN DIRECTED BY POLICY NOT TO DO IT, WHAT THE COMMITTEE CAME OUT WITH IS THE ORDINANCE THAT'S IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY MAKE NON APPLICABLE CERTAIN VIOLATIONS THAT SEEM FAIRLY OBVIOUS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT COMMIT AS NECESSITATED BY THE FACT THAT THERE'S CONSTRUCTION ON THE STREETS. SO THE TWO SECTIONS THAT REALLY ARE IMPLICATED IS ONE PARKING LOT, IMPROVED SERVICE, THE NOTION BEING, OK, WELL, IF WE'RE DOING CONSTRUCTION ON YOUR STREET IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, MIGHT YOU PARK YOUR CAR ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE DRIVEWAY THAT DAY IF YOUR CAR, OTHER CAR IS OTHERWISE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND HAVE TO BE ON THE GRASS FOR OVERNIGHT OR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED. AND SO WE'VE MADE IT SO THAT IF YOU'RE PARKED ON THE GRASS, THAT ORDINANCE IS NOT APPLICABLE. IF IT'S NECESSITATED BY CONSTRUCTION ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE. SO THE DEPUTIES WILL KNOW THAT ORDINANCE ISN'T APPLICABLE, DON'T ISSUE THE TICKET. DON'T MAKE THE PERSON GO DOWN TO COURT AND EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS NECESSARY. IT'S JUST NOT APPLICABLE. THE OTHER TWO PLACES THAT WE USED IT FOR WERE FOR PEOPLE WHO UNDER THE GENERAL LIST OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN PARK THERE, APPROPRIATE ONE WHERE SIGNS ARE ERECTED PROHIBITING PARKING. SO PART OF A STREET HAS NO PARKING ON THE STREET, BUT THERE'S CONSTRUCTION ON THE STREET. THE ONLY WAY THOSE VEHICLES CAN PARK ON THE STREET IS TO PARK SOMEPLACE WHERE THERE'S A NO PARKING SIGN. OK, ORDINARILY WE DON'T WANT THOSE CARS PARKING THERE. BUT IF THEY'RE PARKING THERE FOR THE DURATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION, WE MAKE THAT NON-APPLICABLE. THE LAST ONE WE MADE NON-APPLICABLE WAS IF YOU'RE BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK. SO WHAT PEOPLE DID IN SOME OF THE CASES WHERE THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION IS THEY PULLED THE CAR INTO THE DRIVEWAY. THEN THEY PULLED THE SECOND CAR IN BEHIND THE DRIVEWAY, STICKING OUT, BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK. ORDINARILY, AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM THE NUMBER OF EMAILS AND COMPLAINTS WE GET, PEOPLE DON'T LIKE PEOPLE PARKING ON THE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO WALK THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE SIDEWALK. BUT IF THERE'S CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AND YOU CAN'T PARK IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, WHERE DO WE EXPECT YOU TO PARK THREE, FOUR OR FIVE BLOCKS AWAY? PROBABLY NOT. AND SO FOR THOSE FEW DAYS, WHILE WE'RE HAVING CONSTRUCTION, THESE PROJECTS DON'T LAST VERY LONG IN ANY GIVEN AREA. IF YOU'RE PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK, BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK, STICKING OUT OF YOUR DRIVEWAY, THOSE SECTIONS WOULD BE NON-APPLICABLE. SO IT WOULD BE PARKED ON UNIMPROVED SURFACE, PARKED WHERE THE SIGN SAYS DON'T PARK AND PARKED BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK. AND SO THE EASY FIX FOR THE ORDINANCE WAS JUST MAKE THOSE SECTIONS NON-APPLICABLE. IF THE PARKING IS NECESSITATED BY CONSTRUCTION IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND. IT CAME OUT, VOTED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. AND IF THE COUNCIL IS INCLINED TO WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS AND WE WOULD BRING IT BACK IN TWO WEEKS ON A CONSENT AGENDA. [00:55:02] VERY GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS ON PART TWO? I GUESS WE'LL CALL IT. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THE AMENDMENTS? I SEE NONE. TWO WEEKS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA [INAUDIBLE] COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN, OOPS, SORRY. ALMOST GOT AWAY, YEAH, YOU WERE THAT CLOSE. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. SO, I MEAN, THINGS LIKE PARKING ON THE GRASS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I MEAN, WE DO HAVE A LEGITIMATE SAFETY REASON THAT WE PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING. PARKING ON THE GRASS. YEAH. AND I MEAN, IT'S MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SAY [INAUDIBLE] OR THIS OR THAT. BUT I'D JUST BE VERY CONCERNED IF SOMEBODY CATCHES THEIR LAWN ON FIRE. AND I MEAN, THAT'S YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IF THEY'RE GOING TO PARK ON THE GRASS IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE TO MOW THE LAWN DOWN PROPERLY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TALL GRASS UNDER THEIR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. AND I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF PARKING ON THE GRASS IS BOTH SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD ESTHETICS. AND THAT, REALLY ONE THING THAT CAN MAKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK REALLY BAD AND REALLY QUICK, IS TO HAVE CARS PARKED ALL OVER THE LAWNS AND THAT'S THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM CITIZENS WHEN THEY CALL TO COMPLAIN, THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS REALLY NICE, BUT WE'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR HOUSES WHERE THEY'RE JUST PARKING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAWN IN A CAR. AND OUR VIEW JUST WITH RESPECT TO THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT IS IF THEY DO THAT FOR THE BRIEF DURATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO PLACE ELSE TO PARK THE CAR, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT CARS PARKED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE LAWNS, WE STILL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GIVE FOLKS WARNINGS OR WHATEVER, IF WE THINK THERE'S A SAFETY ISSUE? WE DO, AND CERTAINLY IF OUR FOLKS BECAME AWARE OF A SAFETY ISSUE, WE'D POINTED OUT TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE CAREFUL PARKING THAT CAR THERE BECAUSE THE GRASS IS PRETTY HIGH AND YOU MIGHT CAUSE A FIRE WITH YOUR CATALYTIC CONVERTER TOUCHING THE GRASS. OK, THANK YOU, MIKE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR; WE'LL SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS. LOOK AT HIM NOW. HE'S RUNNING, RUNNING FROM THE PODIUM. [CHUCKLING] THANK YOU, SIR. AND THAT MOVES US TO ITEM 4F AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT [4F. Audit Committee Meeting Report] CARDS. COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN, YOU WANT TO KICK US OFF? THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE MET RECENTLY. WE RECEIVED TWO AUDIT REPORTS THAT JED IS HERE. HE'S GOING TO GO OVER WITH YOU. THE FIRST ONE IS THE S.R.O. PROGRAM AUDIT THAT FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER GIBBONS ASKED FOR LAST YEAR. SO THAT'S THE CONTEXT THERE. AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS THE FUEL CARD PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AUDIT. SO, JED, TAKE IT AWAY, PLEASE. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL. AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED, WE MET ON JUNE 15TH TO TALK ABOUT TWO AUDITS. THE FIRST ONE WAS THE SRO AUDIT. THERE WERE TWO OBJECTIVES. NUMBER ONE WAS TO VERIFY THE SERVICES PROVIDED AND PAYMENTS WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOU, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, THE CITY HAD WITH GARLAND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE SECOND ITEM WAS TO IDENTIFY THE CITY'S COST TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM. SO THOSE WERE THE TWO. THE SCOPE OF THE AUDIT MAINLY COVERED FISCAL YEAR '19 AND 20. WE DID EXPAND THE SCOPE TO FISCAL YEAR 18 AS WELL. I DO WANT TO APPRECIATE AND THANK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER FOR WORKING WITH US IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THESE THINGS. OVERALL, THE PROGRAM WAS VERY EFFECTIVE. AS YOU ARE AWARE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS PROGRAM FOR A LONG TIME, THESE MOUS FROM A YEAR TO YEAR PERSPECTIVE AND THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THIRTY FIVE OFFICERS SLASH ONE ADMIN THAT THE CITY OFFERS TO GISD. THAT INCLUDES THIRTY ONE SROS, THREE LIEUTENANTS, AND ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. GISD DID PAY IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE DID FIND A FEW MINOR ISSUES ON THE BILLING SIDE ON A FEW OCCASIONS WHEN WE BILLED GISD FOR OUR BENEFITS CALCULATION, WE USED THE BUDGETED RATE INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL RATE, WHICH COST THE CITY TO UNDERBILL GISD FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR. BUT POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE THE CORRECTION AND GOING FORWARD, THEY WILL PROVIDE THE ADJUSTMENT, MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE INVOICES SO WE'LL GET THE ACTUAL PAYMENT FROM GISD. WE ALSO IDENTIFIED A FEW MINOR ISSUES WHEN IT WHEN IT COMES TO BILLING THEM FOR OVERTIME. THIS HAPPENED IN FISCAL YEAR EIGHTEEN AND EARLY FISCAL YEAR NINETEEN. POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SINCE IMPLEMENTED A RECONCILIATION PROCESS, SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ISSUE GOING FORWARD. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE WAS TO IDENTIFY HOW MUCH IT'S COSTING THE CITY. [01:00:05] WE WERE ABLE TO COME VERY CLOSE FOR THE PAYROLL AND THE BENEFITS. YES, WE DO HAVE THAT NUMBER. FOR THE NON-PAYROLL-RELATED. AND WE DO HAVE THE NUMBER FOR THE VEHICLES, HOW MUCH IT'S COSTING THE CITY, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER MINOR ITEMS, SUCH AS THE COST FOR THE AMMUNITION, THE WEAPONS AND THE UNIFORMS, WE COULD NOT EXACTLY IDENTIFY EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT IS COSTING THE CITY. THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PURCHASING SOME OF THESE ITEMS, THEY'RE BUYING THEM IN BULK. AND ON TOP OF THAT, MOST OF THESE ITEMS ARE BEING USED AND NOT FOR SRO FOLKS, BUT FOR NON-SRO FOLKS. OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT IT COST APPROXIMATELY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TOTAL FOR A YEAR. SO THAT IS A VERY MINIMAL COST. THE CITY IS NOT BILLING GISD, BUT GOING FORWARD, STARTING IN THE SCHOOL YEAR '21-22, THE CITY AND GISD AGREED TO PAY A PORTION OF THE VEHICLE COST SO THEY WILL BE REIMBURSING THE CITY FOR THAT. SO THAT WAS BASICALLY AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF THAT AUDIT. IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER. BUT I BELIEVE COUNCILMAN GIBBONS, AT THAT TIME WHEN HE REQUESTED HE WANTED TO GET AN ASSURANCE FROM US. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THIS AUDIT PROVIDED. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST ITEM? I SEE NONE. OK, THE NEXT ITEM WAS THE FUEL CARD PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AUDIT. THIS AUDIT ACTUALLY WAS REQUESTED BY BRYAN BRADFORD, THE CITY MANAGER. THIS IS A CARD THAT THE CITY USES TO PURCHASE PREMIUM FUELS. AND ALSO THE CITY STAFF IS ABLE TO USE THIS CARD WHEN THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS. SO OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO VERIFY IF THE CITY HAS ADEQUATE CONTROLS TO MANAGE THIS PROGRAM AND ALSO THE ACCURACY AND TIMELINESS OF BILLING FROM THE THIRD PARTY. THERE IS NO INACCURACY OR LACK OF TIMELINESS FROM A BILLING PERSPECTIVE. WE VERIFIED THAT THEY'RE ACCURATELY BILLING US AND WE'RE PROVIDING PAYMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER. HOWEVER, WE DID FIND ISSUES FROM AN INTERNAL CONTROL PERSPECTIVE. WE HAD A VERY GOOD, THOROUGH REVIEW PROCESS ON THESE TRANSACTIONS OR ON THESE USAGES. WHILE WE WERE CONDUCTING SOME OF THE DATA ANALYSIS, WE IDENTIFIED SOME EXCESSIVE USE ESPECIALLY FROM ONE USER. HOWEVER, FURTHER REVIEW REVEALED THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS SHARING HIS CREDENTIALS WITH OTHERS, SO OTHERS WERE USING HIS CARD TO PURCHASE FUEL FOR THEIR CAR. AND SO, AGAIN, FROM AN INTERNAL CONTROL PERSPECTIVE, WE HAD SOME ISSUES AND NO POLICIES WERE DEVELOPED ON HOW TO HANDLE THIS. WHEN WE DECOMMISSION CERTAIN VEHICLES, THESE CARDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEACTIVATED. WE FOUND SOME ISSUES WITH THAT. THERE WERE SOME ACCESS RIGHT ISSUES. EMPLOYEES WHO WERE TERMINATED WERE NOT IN THE SYSTEM IN A TIMELY MANNER. A NUMBER OF CARDS WERE UNUTILIZED FOR A LONG TIME. THOSE WERE NOT TERMINATED. AND IN FACT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITHOUT AN EXECUTED CONTRACT. HOWEVER, ONCE WE IDENTIFIED THESE ISSUES, THE CITY MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION HAS DECIDED TO TERMINATE THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE BACK IN THE EARLY 20S, WE DID NOT HAVE AN ESTABLISHED [INAUDIBLE] PROCESS. BUT CURRENTLY WE DO. SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A FUEL CARD, SEPARATE FUEL CARD FOR EMPLOYEES TO UTILIZE OCTANE FUEL. SO WE DO HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] CARD IN PLACE AND THERE IS A GOOD INTERNAL CONTROL PRACTICE IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THERE IS GOOD REVIEWS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF. SO THE ADMINISTRATION HAS DECIDED TO TERMINATE THIS PROGRAM. SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF THE FUEL CARD PROGRAM. OK, VERY GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? I SEE NONE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT WAS EASY. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. I ALWAYS LIKE IT WHEN SOMEBODY WALKS AWAY FROM THE PODIUM, SAYS THAT WAS EASY, YOU KNOW? NOT SURE IF WE SHOULD TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT OR IF WE SHOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. I DON'T KNOW. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT MOVES US TO ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. [5. Discuss Appointments to Boards and Commissions] AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE QUITE A LENGTHY LIST FOR TOMORROW NIGHT. AND I SUSPECT WE WILL HAVE AN EQUALLY LENGTHY LIST FOR THE UPCOMING MEETING AFTER THAT, AS WE DO OUR APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE CAN TAKE THESE ALL AS ONE AND NOT GO THROUGH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER OR THROUGH THEM INDIVIDUALLY. [01:05:02] AND MAYOR PRO-TEM, IF YOU COULD ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ME WHEN YOU DO YOURS, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS EASY. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO ITEM SIX, ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. [6. Announce Future Agenda Items] ANYBODY HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COUNCIL MEMBER VERA? LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD THIS VIRUS AND THE LEE SANDWICH RESTAURANT AT SAIGON MALL, THEY CALLED ME AND I WENT OVER THERE. AND BECAUSE I DO, I KNOW THEM PRETTY WELL. THEY'RE GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE. AND [INAUDIBLE] THE OWNER, KIM AND MIKE CHAN, GAVE ME FOOD FOR ALL THE SHIFTS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND I WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING FOR THEM, HONOR THEM, OR THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT OUTSIDE OF COMMITTEE. OK, THAT'S FINE? DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHETHER THIS, EXCUSE ME, [INAUDIBLE] FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS COME UP FROM CONSTITUENTS WITH THE ADVENT OF THE DELTA VIRUSES THAT ARE OUT THERE. WE WERE GETTING BRIEFINGS FROM OUR HEALTH DIRECTOR AND I HAD SOME QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO SEE AT A FUTURE MEETING THAT HE COME BACK AND GIVE US WHATEVER LATEST INFORMATION. I'M STARTING TO GET SOME QUESTIONS OUT THERE FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE, HOW IT'S IMPACTING GARLAND. SO, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT. WE WILL HAVE THEM BACK AT OUR NEXT WORK SESSION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? SEEING NONE, BUT OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE SOME THAT COME UP AFTER WE ADJOURN, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS TO GET THEM FORWARD. THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM SEVEN COUNCIL WILL MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. [7. Council will move into Executive Session] THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER SECTION 551.086 AND 551.071 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING COMPETITIVE MATTERS RELATING TO ONE GP&L OPERATIONS WITHIN. AND SINCE THE WEATHER RELATED ELECTRIC CURTAILMENT EVENT EARLIER THIS YEAR AND TWO, FUTURE OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES AND ATTORNEY CLIENT MATTERS CONCERNING PRIVILEGED AND UNPRIVILEGED INFORMATION RELATED TO THE SAME. SO AT THIS POINT WE WILL RECESS THIS WORK SESSION AND WE WILL RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 7:20. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.