* 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. [00:00:01] OKAY. [Community Service Committee on August 3, 2021.] ALL RIGHT. IT IS TUESDAY, AUGUST 3RD, 2021. IT'S 4:00 PM. AND THIS IS A MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE ON DEBRA MORRIS CHAIR. AND WITH ME IS COUNCILMAN ROBERT VERA. AND, UM, OUR OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER, BJ WILLIAMS FROM DISTRICT FOUR IS NOT HERE YET, BUT WE EXPECT HIM SHORTLY AND WE HAVE OTHER, UH, DIGNITARIES LIKE OUR, UH, ATTORNEY AND HIS COUNSELOR WILLIAMS. ALL RIGHT. SO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 8TH, 2021 MEETING. UM, HAS EVERYONE HAD A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GLANCE OVER THEM? OKAY. AND DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. WE APPROVE THE MINUTES A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. OKAY. SO, SO APPROVED, UM, ITEM TWO ON THE AGENDA IS TO CONTINUE THE COMMUNITY PARKS POLICY DISCUSSION. AND WITH US, WE HAVE ZIAD AND I THINK I SAW ANDY HESSER COME IN. ALL RIGHT. IF YOU GENTLEMEN WILL COME UP AND TELL US WHAT YOU GOT. YEAH. MY NAME IS ED CHIRAQ. I'M IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HERE WITH, UH, ANDY HESSER AND, UH, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT POLICY REPORT, UM, IN, REGARDING, UH, PARKLAND ACQUISITION THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND, UH, WHAT YOU SEE IN YOUR PACKET IS A FIRST ITERATION OF WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE TO, UM, HOW WE WOULD APPROACH TO IT PROPOSED TO APPROACH A POLICY, UM, ON, ON THE PARKLAND ACQUISITION, UH, THIS IT'S IN A FORMAT OF A POLICY REPORT JUST IN THE, UH, IN THE HOPES OF GETTING IT PREPARED FOR, UM, HOW THIS MATRICULATES THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE PROCESS. UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE WAY THAT THIS IS FORMATTED, UH, ADDRESSES THE, THE ISSUE AT HAND, WHICH IS, UM, A DESIRE TO CODIFY A PARKLAND ACQUISITION POLICY, UH, THAT SEEKS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND BEST PRACTICES TO THE CITY OF GARLAND AND CITY STAFF TOWARDS STRATEGIC AND EQUITABLE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC PARKLAND. AND SO, UM, IT GOES INTO SOME BACKGROUND OF HOW PARKLAND ACQUISITION WAS ADDRESSED IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION, STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, UH, IN FEBRUARY OF 2020. AND, UM, UH, SOME OF THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, UH, IN THIS DRAFT POLICY REPORT WILL ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, GUIDANCE THAT COMES OUT OF THAT REPORT. AND, UM, UH, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE COMPILED A STAFF, UH, FOR DISCUSSION ON THIS COMMITTEE, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, ARE INCLUDED IN THIS PACKET AS WELL. AND SO, UM, WITHOUT GETTING INTO ALL THE, UH, THE BITS AND PIECES OF IT, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, ANYTHING THAT IS IN THIS PACKET, UH, THEN I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THOSE. UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY, UH, WHAT WE PROPOSE IS A CHECKLIST OF, UH, PARKLAND ACQUISITION, WHEN PROPERTIES COME UP, THAT IT GOES THROUGH A, UM, A PROCEDURAL KIND OF, UM, REVIEW, UM, TO SEE, DOES IT, DOES IT MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ACQUISITION AND, AND WHAT KIND OF TOOL, UH, UH, WHAT KIND OF TOOLS STAFF CAN HAVE, AND COUNCIL CAN HAVE, UM, INTERDEPARTMENTALLY IN TERMS OF HOW, UH, THESE PROPERTIES COME UP FOR, UM, UH, FOR REVIEW BY STAFF, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF PROCESS COULD THEY FOLLOW IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING ACQUIRED OR ALLOWING THE CITY OF FIRST WRITER FIRST, RIGHT. OF REFUSAL, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES THAT MAY MEET THE CRITERIA OF, UM, BEING A VALUE TO THE PARK SYSTEM. SO LET'S PAUSE THERE FOR A MOMENT. GENTLEMEN, DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AS FAR AS THE CHECKLIST GOES OR WHERE HE'S GOTTEN TO SO FAR? YES. UH, MADAM CHEERLEADERS FIRST. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. SORRY. I'VE GOT, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON BETWEEN HERE. YES, INDEED. WHICH IS GOOD, BUT YEAH, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE SNAP, I'M JUST FISHING IN HERE AND I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT FOR DISCUSSION MADAM CHAIR FROM MY, PLEASE DO, UM, UM, [00:05:01] PUBLIC INPUT AND DETERMINING, UH, AND IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE CHECKLIST HERE. UH, WHAT DO YOU SAY? HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE THAT INTO THIS PROCESS AS A PART OF THE UPFRONT EVALUATION TOOL? UM, BECAUSE USUALLY WE GET THAT SET OF AT THE END OF THE RIDE KIND OF THING, BUT ON THIS, ON PARK ACQUISITION, I'D LIKE TO, I THINK, AND, AND AGAIN, I LIKE TO SORT OF BRAINSTORM OR SEE, HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE THAT IN, ON THE FRONT END, WITHOUT THE LANG THE PROCESS I DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TALKING AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY TALKING ABOUT A SUPER FORMAL PROCESS THEN, BUT, BUT I I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IN HERE INSTEAD OF A FRONT. THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IF FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM TEST THE WATER KIND OF THING AND CAN IT CAN, CAN, CAN HAVE YOU SPEAK TO THAT IN? SURE. I CAN. IT'S A VERY FAIR QUESTION THAT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE TRY TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY, THAT THAT IS ALWAYS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF IT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS AT PLAY HERE. I THINK ON THE, ON THE FRONT END AND ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PUBLIC INPUT WAS HAD IN THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS AND CREATE THOSE RED AREAS. AND SO THAT'S ONE COMPONENT OF IT, RIGHT? TAKE THAT DOWN A BETTER LEVEL. AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT SITES THAT THE CHALLENGE OF GOING IN AND DOING PUBLIC INPUT ON THE FRONT END GETS PROBLEMATIC IN A PROCESS LIKE THIS. WHEN WE, THIS TYPE OF PARKLAND ACQUISITION TENDS TO BE EITHER OPPORTUNISTIC OR REACTIONARY, MEANING, OKAY, WE ARE, WE GET WORD THAT A PARCEL MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. WE ACT ON IT. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, PROPERTY ACQUISITION IS TALKED ABOUT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, SAME THING HERE. IF WE WERE ACQUIRING PROPERTY TO PUT IN THE PARK INVENTORY, UM, ACCEPTING PUBLIC INPUT AT A, AT THE WRONG TIME MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK AGAINST THE ACQUISITION THAT WE THINK IN GOOD FAITH. WE'RE ALREADY ACTING ON THE PUBLIC'S INPUT BY THE, BY FUNCTION OF THE MASTER PLAN. NOW, PERHAPS WHAT THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE IS THAT IF THE ACQUISITION IS COMPLETE AND THERE'S NOT A FIRM IDEA OF WHAT THE PARK SHOULD BE, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAYBE THE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN TO TALK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE FOLKS THAT ARE IMMEDIATELY IMPACTED BY IT AND BY EXTENSION INVOLVED THOSE FOLKS AND HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PART. FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S A HALF ACRE OR AN ACRE POCKET PARK VERSUS A SIX TO 10 ACRE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, YOU WOULD INVITE MORE GROUPS TO HAVE INPUT, OR YOU MIGHT DESIGN THE PARK IN A DIFFERENT WAY BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO IMPACT THE ADJACENT HOMES OR BUSINESSES IN ANY WAY. SO WE WOULD WANT PUBLIC INPUT IN THAT CASE. SO, UM, IN THE ABSENCE OF HAVING A, YOU KNOW, AN UP-FRONT PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE AND COMMUNITY THAT'S LARGELY BUILT OUT, WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE A TOUGH TIME PUTTING PUBLIC INPUT AS STEP ONE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT PART OF IT. IT JUST MAY MEAN THAT IT'S FURTHER DOWN THE TIMELINE. OKAY. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PURPOSE ONE THAT I'M JUST, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IT MAY BE NOW HE SHIFTS YOUR DAY AND GOING TOMORROW, RIGHT? YEAH. THE OPPORTUNITY. YEAH. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT, UM, UM, TO MIAMI, SO I GUESS I'M GETTING TO PURPOSE, UM, PEOPLE SAID, OKAY, CITY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BUY THIS PIECE, THIS PARCEL, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE GONNA USE IT FOR? WHY ARE WE BUYING IT RIGHT. UM, TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE BUY AND WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, AND YES, SIR, YOU'VE BEEN VISITED AND ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, W WHAT ARE YOU GONNA BUY IT FOR? SO, AND WE TAKE FOLKS BACK TO THE MASTER PLAN WHEN YOU, AND I BOTH KNOW YOU TUCKED FOLK BLACK MESS PAN, THEY LOOK AT YOU, CROSS-EYED IT. RIGHT. WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM? THE FIRST LANE, BECAUSE MAJORITY OF FOLK, EVEN FOLK THAT YOU HAD INPUT, I'M NOT GOING TO REMEMBER IT RIGHT. SHOW. SO YOU THINK IT'S BEST IN THE TWO, ONCE WE, ONCE WE'VE GOT THE FISH COUNSELING THAT WE THIN, AND WE START TALKING ABOUT PUTTING ON THE SIZE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A MAJOR PARK? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A PLAYGROUND FOR KIDS KIND OF THING. AND, AND I THINK IT'S, MAYBE IT'S BEST TO SAY THAT IT'S THE RIGHT PLACE TO PUT THE PUBLIC INPUT IS BASED [00:10:01] ON THE CONTEXT. IF WE'RE GOING AND SEEKING AN ACQUISITION ON A LARGER SCALE, THAT MIGHT BE ONE PROCESS KNOW, PURCHASING A LOT THAT JUST THAT'S AVAILABLE. AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO ACQUIRE AND HOLD AND NOT DEVELOP FOR SOME TIME, THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE TO PUT IT IN OUR INVENTORY, IT MAY BE IT'S A BLINDED PROPERTY OR A STORM DAMAGED PROPERTY, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THAT IT MIGHT END UP BEING BETTER OFF BEING IN THE CITY'S INVENTORY IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE. NOW WE'VE GOT IT. IT CAN BE MAINTAINED UNTIL IT'S GOT A PURPOSE FOR ITS, FOR ITS ACQUISITION. OKAY. AND ONE QUESTION WAS CITY ATTORNEY, IF WE LET'S SAY WE BOUGHT A PIECE OF PROPERTY, UH, UH, UNDER THIS PROVISION AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FOR RIGHT NOW DEVELOPMENT, IT'S MAYBE 6, 7, 5 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. UH, CAN THE CITY USE THAT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE OTHER THAN PARKS? IT DEPENDS. UM, TYPICALLY IF WE WERE TO APPROACH A HOMEOWNER OR A PROPERTY OWNER AND ASKED, PURCHASED THE LAND, AND THERE PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A RESTRICTION ON THAT NOW, IN THE CASE WHERE A LANDOWNER HAS PROPERTY, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE TO THE PUBLIC BEST PARKLAND, THEN YES, WE WOULD HAVE A RESTRICTION ON HOW WE COULD USE THAT. SO MOST OF THE TIME, THE LATTER DOES NOT OCCUR. MOST OF THE TIME WE APPROACH SOMEBODY OR IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES AVAILABLE AND WE MAKE AN OFFER AND THERE'S NO RESTRICTION. SO IT DOESN'T BECOME RESTRICTED UNTIL EITHER ONE, IT GETS DEDICATED AS PARKLAND OR TWO. WE PUT IT IN OUR LIST OF, UM, UM, PARKS IN OUR ORDINANCE. ONCE WE DO THAT, THEN AT THAT POINT, WE'RE RESTRICTED IN HOW WE CAN DO IT, USE IT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY. UM, MR. BEAR, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I WAS THINKING OF FRIENDSHIP PARK. AND BRUCE SAYING THAT FRIENDSHIP PARK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL EVER HEARD OF BRANDON FRIENDSHIP PARK, FRIENDSHIP PARK IS ON FOREST RAGE AND DALLAS AT THE VERY END OF THE CITY LIMITS. THIS PEOPLE DONATED 20 ACRES, DID THE CITY OF GARDEN OR A PARK, AND WE NEVER HAVE DONE ANYTHING BECAUSE IT'S IN DALLAS. IT'S STILL FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS. AND I WAS TALKING TO ANDY THE OTHER DAY ABOUT IT. AND DALLAS WANTED TO LEASE 10 ACRES, WHICH IS OUR SIDE, BUT IT'S IN DALLAS NOW, NOT IN GARLAND. AND THEY WANTED TO LEASE THE 10 ACRES. AND I TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE GUNNA, UH, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS BRING IT UP TO PAR ON, ON, UH, UH, UH, SWAINS AND SLIDES AND DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT THEY WANTED IT 25 YEARS. WASN'T 25 YEAR AND THE ONE AT 25 YEARS OF LEAVES TO THEM. SO THEY COULD HAVE ENOUGH MONEY AND YEARS TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING. SO WE DID IT, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN STILL USE IT. I'M SAYING THE PEOPLE OVER THERE AND IN RAGE OVER THERE WEST OF PINAL ROAD CAN STILL USE THE PARK. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A WIN-WIN FOR US. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WORLD WE'VE GOT THAT PART DOES THIS DAY. I STILL DON'T KNOW. THEY DONATED IT. SOMEBODY DONATED IT WAY BACK. WE LIKE PEOPLE WHO DONATE PARKLAND. YEAH. UM, OKAY. WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY, UM, COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS, I, I LIKE WHAT YOU DID. I, I LIKED THE, THE APPROACH HERE. I THINK IT MAKES SENSE. AND IT'S LOGICAL. I LIKE THINGS THAT ARE LOGICAL. UM, I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE POINTING OUT THAT PARKS AND OPEN SPACE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE IN FACT, THEY ARE, UM, THE STATEMENT THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED DURING REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. UM, I KIND OF SLOWED MY THOUGHTS ON THAT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE MOSTLY BUILT OUT REDEVELOPMENT FOR US IN SO MANY CASES IS COMMERCIAL RATHER THAN RESIDENTIAL. AND I'M TRYING TO SEE HOW THAT WOULD. HOW WOULD, HOW DO YOU SEE US, UM, PRIORITIZING PARKLAND DEDICATION DURING REDEVELOPMENT? WHAT ARE YOU SEEING WITH THAT? SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE DO HAVE TO EVEN HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING WEATHER. AND IT MAY NOT BE PARKLAND. IT MAY BE TRAIL, IT MAY BE A CONNECTION. IT MAY BE ACCESS. [00:15:01] IT COULD BE A LOT OF THINGS. AND THAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHING AGAIN IN THE ABSENCE OF A PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE, WHICH TENDS TO BE BY LAW. RESIDENTIAL ONLY, IT STILL DOESN'T MEAN THAT THROUGH THE PLANNING AND ZONING AND APPROVAL PROCESS, THAT THERE ARE NOT SOME ASKS ON THE PART OF THE DEVELOPER AND IN EXCHANGE THE CITY, AS WE ALWAYS DO, LITTLE DEVELOPMENTS IS NO PROBLEM. WE'LL CERTAINLY CONSIDER YOUR REQUEST, BUT THE CITY HAS A REQUEST ALSO, AND THEN IT JUST BECOMES A TARGETING CHIP. SO TO SPEAK AS WITH ALL THINGS IN INFRASTRUCTURE, IT BENEFIT THE CITY AS A WHOLE. SO WHAT THAT DOES FOR US, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT QUITE A BIT, IS THAT THAT ALLOWS OTHER SETS OF EYES ON PROPERTY THAT WE WOULDN'T NORMALLY SEE IN DEVELOPMENT. SO ENGINEERING'S ON BOARD, PLANNING'S ON BOARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS ON BOARD. WE'VE HAD ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS AND IF THEY SEE AN OPPORTUNITY, THEY MAY JUST, ALL THEY GET, JUST SEND AN EMAIL AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN DOING THAT AT LEAST VISIBLY. UM, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY DOING THAT WITH DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING IN. I'M THINKING ABOUT THE ONE IN MY DISTRICT THAT'S IN PLAY RIGHT NOW, WHICH WOULD SEEM TO BE A JUICY ONE FOR THIS, WHICH IS AT MILLER AND CENTERVILLE. UM, THE WHOLE BACK OF THE LOT, IT'S A LARGE TRACT AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE WANTING TO PUT SOME CASITAS IN THERE THAT ARE, UM, VERY EXCITING, BUT THE WHOLE BACK OF THAT ACREAGE IS FLOODPLAIN AND TREES, PERFECT TRAIL LAND, I WOULD THINK. YEAH. AND A LOT OF TIMES, WHAT DOES ZAY ADVANCE OR BETTER? A LOT OF TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, SINCE IT'S JUST RECENTLY ADOPTED THE PLANNING AND ZONING FOLKS WILL, WILL NEED TO REFER TO IT PERIODICALLY. I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION WITH ENGINEERING. I HAVEN'T PERSONALLY PLANNING THOSE YET. IF A PARCEL DOES COME UP FOR CONSIDERATION AND IT HAPPENS TO BE APPROXIMATE TO THE TRAIL MASTER PLAN THAT RINGS THE BELL. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS, IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR A TRAIL, BUT IF IT COINCIDES WITH THE MASTER PLAN, WE WOULD PURSUE IT. OKAY. I JUST, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. THAT'S PART OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE CITY OVERALL AND ALL THE MOVING PARTS. I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. THAT'S LIKE AN AHA OF COURSE, PART OF OUR MYTH METHODOLOGY, BUT IT SHOULD BE, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IN HERE. AND I LIKE IT. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN. AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S A KIND OF A NEW CHAIR MINDSET, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT NEW STAFF ON BOARD IN VARIOUS PLACES. AND AS WE HAVE DIALOGUE HAVING GREAT FORWARD THINKING, OKAY, I'VE GOT A QUESTION ON RIVER SET. WHEN DID WE DO ABOUT THAT CORNER, WHERE THE TRAILS ARE COMING THROUGH? DID THAT ANSWER THAT ONE? IT PREDATES ME, DID THEY APPROVE THAT WE COULD USE THOSE AREAS RIGHT THERE? I DON'T REMEMBER THE DETAILS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. UM, AND ACTUALLY MR. ENGLAND MAY HAVE BETTER DETAILS ABOUT THAT THAN I DO, BUT I KNOW THAT THE, I THINK THE FURTHEST NORTHEAST PORTION OF THAT PROPERTY ON OUR, ON THE SIDE OF THE CREEK, THAT'S CLOSEST TO SHILOH, I BELIEVE IS CITY OWNED. UM, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK ON BETWEEN THE CREEK AND SHILOH, I BELIEVE IT'S CITY OWNED PROPERTY. YEAH. BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT INSIDE, INSIDE NEXT TO THE CREEK THERE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO A PARK THERE SET UP LIKE A PARKER, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOR THEM ONLY FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN I, I WANT TO, OH, GO AHEAD. I JUST WANT TO SAY LET'S STAY ON TRACK, BUT, UM, MR. ENGLAND, IF YOU CAN ANSWER HIM QUICKLY, I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO OFF IN THE WEEDS TOO FAR BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER. UM, YES, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT DOES COVER THAT AND THERE ARE CERTAIN, THEY ARE, THEY ARE OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE A AREA WHERE WE CAN HAVE A TRAIL HEAD. AND, UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S IN THE PLANS OF IT'S NOT ALREADY BEEN CREATED. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT, THERE ARE, UH, AS A PART OF THE CONSIDERATION FOR THAT AGREEMENT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, WE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT THERE ARE, UM, INTERNAL TRAILS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO USE THAT THEY'VE BEEN DEDICATED AS EASEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THEY MAINTAIN THOSE. BUT WE DO THE PUBLIC DOES HAVE A RIGHT FOR THOSE REASONS. THAT'S MY QUESTION. OKAY. UM, CAN YOU PROCEED? I THINK WE GOT, WE DIDN'T GET TO THE TOOLBOX OR ALL RIGHT. UH, SO AS, UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO PROCEED WITH, UM, CONSIDERATION OF, UH, PROPERTIES, UH, AS IT LAYS OUT IN THE MASTER PLAN TO, UH, ADDRESS AREAS THAT ARE UNDERSERVED, UH, FIRST, AND YOU'LL SEE LATER ON, UH, THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THAT WITH OUR FIVE INITIAL ZONES THAT WE CREATED, UM, AS PART OF THIS, UH, DRAFT POLICY REPORT IS TO ADDRESS THE UNDERSERVED AREAS, UH, FIRST THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE PRIORITY INVESTMENT ZONES, UH, IDENTIFYING [00:20:01] AREAS THAT, UH, ARE POTENTIALLY CONTIGUOUS TO CURRENT PARKLAND TO EXPAND ON THE CURRENT PARKS EXISTING FOOTPRINT. UM, OF COURSE THAT WOULD NOT PRECLUDE, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL PARCEL TO ADD LAND TO THOSE AREAS. BUT, UH, WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO, UM, EXPAND ON EXISTING PARKLAND WHERE WE COULD, UH, WHEREVER WE CAN INCREASE CONNECTIVITY FOR A PEDESTRIAN AND ACCESS. UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY THAT, UH, ARE, ARE HARD TO ACCESS, NOT ONLY ON FOOT, BUT ALSO BY CAR FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. UM, AND SO HELPING TO, UH, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MINUTES OR AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR SOMEBODY TO GET TO PARKLAND IS, IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL WITH THAT? UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, FLOOD PLAIN IS, IS, UH, USUALLY AN AREA THAT ENDS UP BEING DEDICATED TO PARKLAND, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. UM, SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT FLOOD PLAIN, WHEREVER WE CAN FOR, UH, TRAIL DEVELOPMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THAT TYPE OF LAND. OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T CONSTRUCT ANY BUILDINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, OR MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT OTHER THAN, UM, THINGS THAT CAN WITHSTAND THOSE KINDS OF, UH, FLOODING, UM, GOING ON AS LONG AS IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY THING THAT SAYS WE SHOULD ALL BE RUNNING OUTSIDE, CAUSE WE'RE ON FIRE TOO LATE. SO THAT'S FUNNY. UM, AND THEN, UH, PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, UH, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT, UH, IS THERE'S THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR, UH, INCREASING, UH, THE 10 MINUTE WALK TO PARKLAND IS, IS PLACING THEM WITHIN, UH, WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, AND SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT. AND IN TERMS OF COSTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PARK AMENITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS, UH, UTILITIES, UH, VISIBILITY AND SAFETY. UH, WE ALWAYS, UH, REFER TO THE CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, UH, BECAUSE WE, WE ALWAYS WANT TO, UM, MAKE IT, UH, A WORKABLE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR, FOR CRIME IN THOSE AREAS. UM, OBVIOUSLY PARKING, UH, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PARK THAT WE ENDED UP GOING WITH PARKING IS USUALLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO FACTOR IN IF IT'S, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK OR LARGER, UH, TYPICALLY POCKET PARKS ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH TO, UM, DO I HAVE PARKING IN THERE? UH, AND USUALLY THOSE ARE BUILT MAINLY TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ANYWAY, UH, AND ACCESS. UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION FOR, UH, GETTING PEOPLE TO THOSE, TO THOSE AREAS NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED, WHETHER IT'S LOCATED ON A NON STREET BIKE NETWORK OR, UH, CONNECTIVITY TO AN EXISTING, UH, OFF STREET NETWORK. THERE ARE THOSE COSTS THAT WE WOULDN'T WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING AND THEN NOT FACILITATE ACCESS TO IT. UH, AND THEN THERE ARE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS, YOU KNOW, WITH REAL PROPERTY ENTITLEMENTS AND EASEMENTS, EASEMENT ACQUISITION, AND RIGHT AWAY ACCESS. SO, UM, WITH, WITH MAINE, THOSE MAIN IDEAS KIND OF OUTLINED, WE, WE GENERATED, UM, FIVE DISTRICTS, UH, FIVE ZONES WITHIN THE CITY THAT, UH, WE WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, BEGINNING THIS, UM, ACQUISITION STRATEGY, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS FOR A POTENTIAL ACQUISITION. UH, WE MENTIONED THE TOOLBOX, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH REGARD TO HOW THOSE PARTIALS ARE IDENTIFIED THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, AND THOSE, UH, VARIOUS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE LISTED HERE IN THE TOOLS. UM, AND THEN THIS POS POLICY, UM, WE TOOK THE LIBERTY OF INCLUDING SOME INFORMATION ABOUT POCKET PARKS. UH, SOME OF IT IS, IS, UH, IS OUTLINED IN THE MASTER PLAN. IT'S, IT'S CALLED, UM, MANY PARKS IN THE MASTER PLAN AND THERE MAY BE SOME DIFFERENT SIZE PARAMETERS, UH, IN, IN HOW POCKET PARKS ARE DEFINED AND HOW MANY PARKS MAY BE DEFINED. BUT, UH, IF, IF WE WANT TO JUST OPEN UP A DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, COULD BE INCLUDED IN SOME OF THESE ACQUISITION POLICIES RELATED TO POCKET PARKS, UH, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION IN HERE FOR CONSIDERATION. UM, SO I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SCROLL OVER TO THE MAP HERE. UM, THAT SHOWS THE PRIORITY INVESTMENT AREAS THAT, UH, IS, IS ONE OF THE, WHAT WE CALL THE HEAT MAP IN THE MASTER PLAN. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE AREAS THAT ARE IN, UH, DARKEST RED ARE THE AREAS OF GREATEST NEED IN TERMS OF, UH, COMBINING THE SOCIAL NEEDS AND CONDITIONS INDEX THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH LOOKS AT A NUMBER OF INDICES, UH, RELATED TO, UM, NOT NECESSARILY PARKLAND IT'S, IT'S MORE SOCIAL FACTORS AS, UH, RELATED TO POVERTY, UM, ACCESS TO, TO A DIFFERENT, UH, CITY SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, TYPE [00:25:01] OF HOUSEHOLDS, DEMOGRAPHICS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO WE COMBINED THOSE SOCIAL NEEDS AND CONDITION INDICES WITH PARKLAND SERVICE AREAS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT GENERATED THIS STRATEGIC PRIORITY INVESTMENT AREAS. THIS IS AN OVERLAY OF, OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, UH, FACTORS THAT WORKED INTO THIS DATA. AND SO, UH, IT'S HARD TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE DARK RED AND THE BRIGHTER RED, UH, I'M GOING TO ZOOM IN JUST SO THAT, UM, YOU CAN GET A BETTER SENSE OF, OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. IF I CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN DISTRICT FIVE, YOU'LL SEE AN AREA THAT HAS A COMBINATION OF BRIGHT RED AND DARK RED. SO IT'S, IT'S VERY SUBTLE, BUT THE DIFFERENCES ARE, ARE OUTLINED IN SOME OF THESE AREAS. YOU CAN SEE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EASILY HERE BECAUSE THERE'S A LARGE AREA OF RED. UH, THERE ARE SOME OTHER AREAS OF DARK RED SCATTERED, UM, IN VARIOUS OTHER DISTRICTS AS WELL. UM, BUT THE IDEA HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS TO TARGET THE AREAS THAT HAVE THE LARGEST, UM, AREAS OF RED IN THE CITY FIRST, UM, AS, AS A, AS A STARTING POINT, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE INITIAL FIVE ZONES. AND SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE IT GOES FROM DARK RED TO LIGHT RED, TO ORANGE, UH, WHICH IS, UM, THE LOWEST 20% OF PARK SERVICE. UH, AND, AND THIS INFORMATION IS IN THE, UH, PARKS AND STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN, WHICH I CAN SHARE WITH YOU, UM, AT ANY TIME. AND I THINK YOU ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO IT, RIGHT? AND SO WITH THAT INFORMATION, WE CREATED THESE ZONES THAT ARE, UM, DELINEATED IN THE, IN THE DRAFT POLICY REPORT IN TERMS OF WHICH, UH, STREETS ARE, ARE BOUNDED ON THESE AREAS. SO AREA ONE, UH, LOOKS, IT LOOKS AT THIS, UH, AREA. WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT WHAT THE DARK RED AND THE BRIGHT RED, UH, THE AREA TWO, THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE IT'S, IT'S PRIMARILY LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS THAT ARE HIGHEST RED IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, PRIORITY INVESTMENT AREA. AND SO WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IS, IS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR, UH, POTENTIAL LAND OPPORTUNITIES, LAND ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE DISTRICTS, UH, EITHER, UH, TO EXPAND ON EXISTING LAND OR CREATE NEW PARKLAND WHERE THERE IS NOT OKAY, LET ME, LET ME PUT YOU ON PAUSE THERE. SO, UM, COUNCILMAN VERA, I THINK YOU SEE IN YOUR DISTRICT, YOU'VE GOT LARGE AREAS THAT WOULD BE FALLING INTO THESE PRIORITY AREAS, AND I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE PLEASED WITH THAT. YEAH. OKAY. AND I, I TOTALLY AGREE. AND ABOUT THAT. YEAH. WELL, AND DISTRICT SIX DESPERATELY NEEDS MORE PARKS. UM, I'M FOR IT. UM, SO DEPUTY MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THAT TITLE, I'LL TELL YA, UH, WILLIAMS, UM, ARE YOU GOOD WITH THIS APPROACH? TOTALLY ON BULLET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, I WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK POCKET PARKS, MINI PARKS. UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN KIND OF PURPOSES OF COUNCILMAN SMITH REFERRAL BECAUSE HE WAS LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO BRING THESE LITTLE MINI PARKS INTO MORE NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS THAT HAVE, UM, DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY GREEN SPACE. SO, UM, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE GIVEN SHORT SHRIFT HERE. SO I, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING POLICY-WISE SPECIFICALLY IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT A POLICY THAT, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TOWARD DETERMINING WHEN AND WHERE TO PULL THE TRIGGER, TO BUY A, TO BUY A, UH, A VACANT HOME, WHICH WE DO A LOT IN BULLDOZE IT AND TURN IT INTO A GREEN SPACE IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S PART OF OUR CHARTER WITH THIS PARTICULAR REFERRAL IS TO COME UP WITH A POLICY FOR THAT, UH, WHEN WE WOULD DO IT AND WHERE WE WOULD DO IT IN THE MASTER PLAN WOULD BE A GOOD WHERE START. UM, BUT THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, PUTTING IT INTO POLICY FORM. UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT? I THINK MY RESPONSE TO THAT WOULD BE THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT A THRESHOLD OF WHAT SIZE OF PARKLAND, UH, WHAT SIZE OF AN AREA WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR US TO ACQUIRE. UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT GO INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WERE LOOKING AT COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S ALSO COSTS OF OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, POCKET PARKS ARE A WONDERFUL IDEA AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THOSE, UM, WHERE THOSE WOULD BENEFIT THE PUBLIC IN A LOT OF WAYS. [00:30:01] UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT BENEFITS OF, UH, OPEN SPACE AND ACCESS TO, UH, PARK SERVICES, UM, THERE, THERE DOES HAVE TO BE, UH, SOME ENOUGH AREA TO DEVELOP AMENITIES THAT WOULD SERVE A GREATER NEED OR A GREATER POPULATION. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, A, UH, AN AREA THAT'S AN ACRE OR LESS PROBABLY HAS, UM, SOME POTENTIAL OF, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, BENCHES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, A SMALL AREA FOR OPEN PLAY AND COMMUNITY GATHERING. UM, BUT IN TERMS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, THOSE LAND LAND LAND AREAS COULD SERVE A GREATER POPULATION OF PEOPLE WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, ACREAGE AT LEAST OF AN ACRE AND, AND ABOVE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO AT LEAST GET, UH, AREAS WHERE WE COULD GET, YOU KNOW, A, UH, AN AREA WHERE MAYBE A PLAYGROUND CAN BE DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVE A PAVILION WITH SEATING AND A LOOP TRAIL, FOR EXAMPLE. AND WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH LAND AREAS THAT ARE GREATER THAN, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT SAYING THOSE ARE THE THRESHOLDS THAT WE NEED TO, THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING. UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE STRONG CONSIDERATIONS THAT, THAT, THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE VALUE IN THIS DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF WHAT WE SEE IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT VALUE THAT BRINGS TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC. AND SO, UM, WE'LL WORK ON, UM, WHAT KIND OF RECOMMENDATION WE COULD COME UP WITH FOR A POCKET PARK DELINEATION WITHIN THIS, UH, POLICY FRAMEWORK. AND, UM, AND COME BACK IF I COULD ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT, WHAT THE CHALLENGE DOES, THE SMALLER PARCELS ARE, THE BIGGER CHALLENGE IS FINDING THINGS TO PUT IN PLACES THAT DON'T IRRITATE THE NEIGHBORS. IT'S A CHALLENGE WITH THE 50 ACRE PARCEL, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE SO WHEN IT'S A SMALL LOT, SAME WITH BETWEEN ADJACENT HOMES. SO I GUESS THE WAY, AND I RECALL THAT THAT VERY CLEAR DIRECTION IN THAT. SO I DON'T FEEL THAT WE OMITTED IT. I FEEL LIKE BECAUSE IT'S A CATEGORY IN OUR MASTER PLAN, AND IF IT FALLS IN ONE OF THESE PRIORITY AREAS AND AN OPPORTUNITY POPS UP, IT'S ENTERTAINED. SO MEANING THAT IF AN, IF AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY SUBJECT TO BUDGET, BECAUSE IT'S CHIPPING AWAY AT THAT BIG RED BLOCK TAKES TIME, AND IT MAY TAKE A CONNECTION. SOMETIMES IT'S NOT ABOUT ACQUISITION MIGHT JUST BE A CONNECTION THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE THOSE CHARTS ARE DONE BY NOT AS DRAWN RADIUS THERE AS THE SIDEWALK GOES. UM, IF YOU CAN COMPLETE A CONNECTION, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GIVE IT TO SOME RED. AND I THINK CHIPPING AWAY AT IT IS, IS A VERY VALID WAY. AND IF IT MEANS, OKAY, THIS IS, THIS IS OUR CRITERIA FOR A MINI PARK OR A POCKET PARK. IF IT'S UNDER, LET'S SAY IT'S AN ACRE, IT MIGHT FIT THIS CRITERIA. IF IT'S HALF AND UNDER, IT MIGHT BE SIMPLY A NICELY MAINTAINED AND MOWED GREEN SPACE THAT PEOPLE CAN COME LEGALLY GATHERED, RIGHT? AND DO NEIGHBORHOOD THINGS THAT WHETHER IT'S THROW A FOOTBALL, TAKE A SOCCER BALL, THROW A FRISBEE, HAVE A YOGA CLASS, YOU CAN DO THAT ON 0.2, FIVE POSTAGE STAMP SIZE WITHOUT BOTHERING THE NEIGHBORS. SO I FEEL LIKE IT'S PROVIDED FOR IN THERE, AND IT'S REALLY NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN SAYING, OKAY, AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF. AND IT FITS THIS CRITERIA. LET'S LOOK AT IT. AND IF IT'S TOO SMALL TO REALLY PUT A PLAYGROUND IN IT STILL MAY HAVE SOME VALUE BY DEFINITION OF MINI PARK THAT OKAY. AND THAT MADE BACK TO MR. WILLIAMS POINT. IT MAY BE A POINT WHERE BEFORE WE PURCHASE IT, BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO HOMES, WE HAVE PUBLIC INPUT BEFORE WE PURCHASE IT. LET'S SAY IT'S BEEN AVAILABLE FOR YEARS AND IT'S NOT GOING TO, IT'S NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON. AND ANOTHER SCENARIO, WE MAY DO IT THE OTHER WAY TO PURCHASE IT, THEN ASK THE NEIGHBORS HOW WE WOULD DEVELOP IT. SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO FLESH THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUT, BUT I DON'T FEEL THAT THAT STRATEGY WAS OMITTED BY ANY MEANS. UM, CAUSE WE HAVE A DESIGNATION FOR IT. AND WHETHER SOMEBODY BANKS, A FIVE ACRE PARK AVAILABLE, OR A 0.2, FIVE ACRE PARK AVAILABLE, WE WOULD STILL EVALUATE IT, WHETHER IT'S BENEFICIAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR NOT. UM, I, I DO NOT RECALL IT BEING FLESHED OUT OTHER THAN JUST BEING NAMED AS A CATEGORY, MUCH LIKE IT IS RIGHT HERE IN THE MASTER PLAN. AM I RIGHT? IT'S IT'S UH, THAT'S CORRECT. I MEAN, I THINK THEY ALL, ALL THE DESIGNATIONS HAVE THOSE KINDS OF, UH, FACTUAL KIND OF, UH, PRESENTATION OF WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, ON WHAT TYPICAL AMENITIES MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN THEM. WELL, AGAIN, DUE TO THE, THE REFERRAL AND THE CONCERNS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS FLESHED OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH, WITH KIND OF A, A RECIPE FOR, UM, THIS SIZE COULD BE DEVELOPED LIKE THIS, OR THERE'S NOT LIKE HARD AND FAST WHERE YOU'RE STUCK WITH IT, [00:35:01] BUT AT LEAST, UM, A MENU BOARD, UM, THAT WOULD REFER TO THE SMALLER, LESS SAY, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN TWO ACRES. SO MAYBE PERHAPS BREAK DOWN THE MINI PARK. CAUSE THE MAIN PARK DESIGNATION COVERS THAT BELOW TWO AND A HALF ACRES. IT WAS A BLOW MAKER. I THINK IT'S BELOW AN ACRE. YEAH. OKAY. SO PERHAPS SO IT'S ADDRESS. THAT'S WHY I FEEL LIKE WE DIDN'T ADMIT IT. SO MAYBE WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE FURTHER BREAK THAT DOWN, UM, EVEN INTO SMALLER PARCELS OR, OR SIZES THAT CAN THEN FURTHER REFINE WHAT'S APPROPRIATE. WHAT WE MIGHT DO IN A PURE ANCHOR MIGHT BE UNACCEPTABLE IN A QUARTER. RIGHT. THAT THAT'S WHAT I THINK, UM, WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE REQUESTS. RIGHT. SO, AND I DON'T THINK, I, I DON'T, I MEAN, YOU ALL ALREADY HAVE IT IN YOUR HEADS. I'M JUST SAYING I WOULD, IF WE CAN MAKE THAT PART OF THIS DRAFT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE USEFUL JUST FOR CLARITY. I THINK TO SEE, I DID A GREAT JOB OF FINDING SOME RESOURCES FOR HIS POCKET PARKS ARE CHALLENGED AND ALWAYS HAVING THE PROFESSION, WHICH WAS TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND. AND THEN RPA HAD A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS. SO THAT'S WHY WE INCLUDED THAT AS, HEY, THIS IS OUR INTENT TO KIND OF USE THESE GUIDELINES TO PROPER, PROPERLY DEVELOP A POCKET. OKAY. AND I, AND I THINK IF I MAY ADD ALSO, YOU KNOW, POCKET PARKS ARE, ARE, THEY DEFINITELY HAVE VALUE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF IT IS THE LOCATION WHERE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, A POCKET PARK THAT'S MAYBE IN A, CUL-DE-SAC ON A LONG STREET THAT ONLY A FEW PEOPLE CAN ACCESS WILL NOT NECESSARILY HAVE AS MUCH VALUE AS ONE THAT IS FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT OFF OF THE SPINE OFF STREET NETWORK THAT PEOPLE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, DRIVING OR RIDING THEIR BIKES BY EVERY DAY, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DRIVING BY IT. SO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT COMES TO MIND IN TERMS OF HOW, UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT ACQUISITION OF POCKET PARKS, UH, IS, IS LOOKING AT MAYBE A, A RADIUS OF, OF WHAT POPULATION MIGHT BE ABLE TO SERVE THAT AREA AND ITS PROXIMITY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BIKING, PEDESTRIAN NETWORKS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL. SO COULD WE, COULD WE GET YOU JUST TO FLUSH THAT OUT TO THAT POINT AND BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH? THIS LOOKS GREAT. AND I WOULDN'T SEE US THRASHING THIS ON BEYOND THAT. SO ANYTHING ELSE, GENTLEMEN? I'VE GOT A QUESTION. OKAY. PARKLAND ACCUSATION. CAN YOU SAY PARK DASHED LA IN PARKLAND? I THOUGHT WE WERE BUYING PARKLAND HOSPITAL COME IN AND I MET ERIC WHEN HE CAME BACK TO US AND I LIKED IT. I LIKED THE PLAN. I LIKED THE DIRECTIONS AND I'M PLAYING CATCH-UP CHIP MADAM CHAIR, LADY, CALL ME, PUT MY COAT IF, IF I MISS SOMETHING. UM, BUT I THINK IN, IN LOOKING AT THIS, I THINK, UH, LOOKING AT SOME BEST PRACTICES AROUND ANDY THERE'S, OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE YOU SEE THIS, THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BETTER THAN ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM. UH, SOME BEST PRACTICES. I KNOW OF A COUPLE OF CITIES THAT HAVE HIS POCKET POUR PARTS IN THEM. ONE OF THE THINGS GOING BACK TO MY INITIAL POINT, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT POCKET PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, RIDICULOUS, THEY FOLKS WOULD COME VERY TERRITORIAL. UM, UH, I KNOW SOME FRIENDS WHO LIVED IN THIS PARKS AND EVEN THOUGH THEY QUOTE PUBLIC PARKS, IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. OKAY. SO THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME REALLY SOFT WALKING AND THEY RUN INTO SOME ISSUES BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT IN, IT'S A PUBLIC PARK, BUT IT'S LOCATED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THE POCKET PARTS THAT WE'VE GOT TO REMAIN SENSITIVE TO, UM, UH, UH, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A REAL LIVE THREE, A LOT OF ISSUES. SO IF YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT, MAYBE PUT SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME BEST PRACTICES, SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED BECAUSE I, I DON'T PERSONALLY HAVE A COUPLE OF CITIES HAD POCKET PARK AND THEY HAD SOME ISSUES THAT THEY DIDN'T ANTICIPATE OF THESE BECAUSE OF WHAT THE PARK WE'RE LOCATED IN A SUBDIVISION BETWEEN HOMES AND FOLKS WHO LIVED, WHO DIDN'T LIVE IN THAT SUBDIVISION STARTED COMING TO THAT PART. AND IT BECAME, IT CREATED SOME ISSUES. SO YOU BET, AND I, AS A FOLLOWUP TO THAT TO TWO QUICK [00:40:01] POINTS, AS I THINK THAT'S THE INTENT OF A MINI PARK AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE DIFFERENT SIZE CLASSIFICATIONS ARE MEANT TO HANDLE AND ATTRACT AND ACCOMMODATE A RADIUS OF, OF USERS. A POCKET PARK IS MEANT TO YOU. YOU WON'T FIND PARKING THERE EXCEPT FOR STREET PARKING, IF IT'S LEGAL, BECAUSE IT'S JUST MEANT FOR A FEW BLOCKS OF WALKING TO THAT, THAT WALKING RESPITE OF ROOFTOP, SO TO SPEAK. AND SO MAYBE IT'S ALSO, THAT WOULD BE A SITUATION THAT KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHILOSOPHICALLY THE BENEFIT OF A POCKET PARK AND PRACTICALLY HOW PEOPLE RESPOND TO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A SCENARIO WHERE THE, MAYBE THE PUBLIC INPUT GOES BEFORE THE ACQUISITION, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING INPUT FOR THAT VERY REASON. UH, I'M HAVING A FLASHBACK TO A COUPLE OF STORIES OF VERY SIMILAR CHALLENGES THAT IT'S A LOT OF, NOT MY BACKYARD KIND OF FOLKS. EXACTLY. THANK YOU. OTHERWISE, I'M GOOD WITH THE PEN CHAIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH WITH THIS AND HOPEFULLY PUT A BOW, PUT A BOW ON IT. SO, ALL RIGHT. UM, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE HOME OCCUPATION ORDINANCE, UH, CONCERNING TRANSIENT WORKERS, PARKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND AS YOU ALL WILL RECALL, UM, WE DID AMEND OUR HOME OCCUPATION ORDINANCE, I BELIEVE IN MARCH THIS YEAR AND, UM, REFINED IT TO MAKE IT, UH, MORE USEFUL IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THAT WE HEAR MOST ABOUT. THANK YOU. UM, AND WE HAD AT LEAST ONE GENTLEMAN COME AND TESTIFY AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF CALLS AND A LOT OF EMAILS, UM, FROM PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT WHO HAVE COMPLAINED THAT THE, UM, THE UNLAWFUL HOME OCCUPATIONS HAPPENING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST COMPLAINTS IS THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING, A DOZEN OR MORE CARS SHOW UP OF WORKERS. THEY PARK OUT THEIR STREET, THEY ALL PILE INTO TRUCKS FROM THE UNLAWFUL BUSINESS AND THEY GO OFF FOR 12 HOURS TO DO WORK AND COME BACK. AND THIS, THIS GOES ON FIVE, SIX DAYS A WEEK, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A, A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO STOP THAT. SO MAYBE MR. ENGLAND IS NOW PRESENTING US WITH, UH, I DON'T REALLY HAVE IT. I DON'T REALLY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO STOP IT. I DON'T THINK BUT PART OF THE DIFFICULTY IS, IS, UM, I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW IS ALL ADULT DEALT WITH THIS GIRL'S EXPERIENCE ON THE COUNCIL IS ANY WAY THAT WE, ANY REGULATION THAT WE COME UP WITH, IT'S GOING TO ALWAYS CAPTURE, UM, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE UNINTENDED, THAT AREN'T, THAT AREN'T WANTING TO BE CAPTURED BACK COUNCIL. AND SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH DRAFTING LANGUAGE, RIGHT? THERE'S, YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO CAPTURE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO CAPTURE. UM, WHAT WHAT'D YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I SHARED WITH, UM, THE CHAIR WOMAN, UM, PROBABLY A MONTH AGO, MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO, AND IT'S THE MOST LEAST INTRUSIVE THING THAT WE COULD START OFF WITH. UM, UM, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE PRESENTED OUT, I THINK IT MAY BE, I DON'T REMEMBER IT CAME OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE OR ANOTHER COMMITTEE LAST TIME WE TRIED TO ADDRESS THIS, UM, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, AT THAT TIME, WHICH WAS THREE YEARS AGO, MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, UM, THEY WERE CONCERNED WITH THAT. WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED THAT IS CONCERNED WITH CAPTURING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE LAWFUL AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS. SO WHAT I DID HERE, AND THIS IS JUST ONE, UM, ONE IDEA, AND IT CAN CERTAINLY BE CHANGED AND EDITED AS Y'ALL'S AT JOHN'S PLEASURE. I MEAN, THE IDEA HERE IS JUST TO FOCUS ON THE HOME OCCUPATIONS AND HOME OCCUPANT HOME OCCUPATIONS, WHERE THE, UM, UH, PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS OR THE OCCUPATION, OR THE WORK MAY BE DONE OUTSIDE OF THE HOME, BUT THE PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS AS THE HOME, AND THEN WORKERS SHOW UP AT THE HOUSE, PARKED THEIR CARS IN THE MORNING AND THEN LEAVE TO GO TO A JOB SITE. AND SO I CAN SIT HERE AND JUST WITHOUT EVEN GIVING IT MUCH THOUGHT I CAN THINK OF, OF, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT WE WANT TO CAPTURE THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL MISS THAT BEING ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST A REGULAR WORKER, MEETING OTHER WORKERS AT THEIR HOUSE AND SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, I'LL KEEP, I'LL KEEP THE TOOLS IN MY BACKYARD. Y'ALL COME OVER HERE IN THE MORNING AND WE'LL RIDE IN ONE CAR OVER THE JOB SITE. THAT'S ORDINANCE. WE'RE NOT CAPTURE THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ONLY CAPTURE AS IT IS. THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ONLY CAPTURE THE ONES WHERE THE HOME, WHERE THE BUSINESS OWNER, UM, UM, LIVES AT THE PROPERTY, TELLS HIS WORKERS TO COME TO HIS HOUSE IN THE MORNING, GETTING, GETTING A SINGLE CAR, WHETHER IT'S A COMPANY CAR OR SOMEBODY ELSE'S WORK TRUCK, AND THEN GO TO A JOB SITE SOMEWHERE. THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE. UM, REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT THIS WOULD CAPTURE, AND THAT MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE ENOUGH FOR Y'ALL Y'ALL MAY WANT TO CAPTURE SOME MORE THAN THAT, BUT THIS IS REALLY THE LEAST INTRUSIVE WAY OF, UM, PARTIALLY [00:45:01] DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. AND I THINK IT WILL DEAL WITH SOME OF Y'ALL'S, UM, RESIDENTIAL PARKING, RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES, BUT IT CERTAINLY WON'T DEAL WITH ALL OF THEM, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE HAS THE APPETITE TO DEAL WITH THEM AS A WHOLE, JUST BECAUSE OF, AGAIN, WE WOULD CAPTURE SO MUCH OTHER ACTIVITY THAT THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN, RIGHT? WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO CAPTURE, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING IN AND CARPOOLING TO WORK TO IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY ON GAS, WE DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THEM. SO THIS IS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS UNLAWFUL HOME OCCUPATION. SO THESE ARE THE USE OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES FOR BUSINESSES THAT SHOULDN'T BE THERE. SO I THINK THIS ACTUALLY WOULD NOT, YES, THIS WOULD CAPTURE THOSE AS WELL, BUT THIS WOULD ALSO GET THE ONES WHERE THE BUSINESSES AREN'T EVEN OCCURRING AT THE HOUSE. IT'S JUST THE PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS, MEANING TEMPLE PLACE OF BUSINESS, WHERE THE BOOKS AND RECORDS ARE KEPT IS WHERE THE BUSINESS, MAYBE A CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS RECEIVES ITS MAIL OR THE ADVERTISING, UM, UH, UH, MAY, MAY, UM, INDICATE THAT THAT'S THE LOCATION OF THE, OF THE OFFICE OF THE BUSINESS. AND SO THIS CAPTURES TWO THINGS. IT WOULD CAPTURE THAT WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, WHERE IF MAYBE THE BUSINESS'S ONSITE, IT'S ACTUALLY THERE IN THE HOUSE, THIS WOULD ADDRESS THAT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO ADDRESS THE SITUATION WHERE IT'S OFFSITE AND THE WORKERS ARE GATHERING AND THEN GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE. OKAY. AND LEAVING THEIR VEHICLES, PARKED ALL OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD. OKAY. AND, AND WITH THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE, IT REQUIRES THAT, UM, IN, IN, UM, WE DISCUSSED THIS ALREADY, UH, IT REQUIRES TWO COMPLAINTS. UH, TWO SAYS THOSE TO COME FORWARD WITH WRITTEN COMPLAINTS, AND THOSE CAN BE DONE BY EMAIL OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE, THROUGH THE, UH, CITY OF BARWOOD WEBSITE. AND AT THAT POINT, THE CITY MARSHALL WILL COME OUT IN FORCE. SO WHAT THAT'S TRYING TO ADDRESS IS THIS NOTION THAT THE CITY MARSHALS WILL TAKE THIS AND BE OUT IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS, LOOKING TO TARGET VEHICLES THAT THEY BELIEVE MAY BE RELATED TO THE HOME OCCUPATIONS. THIS IS GOING AWAY GOING TO REQUIRE IT. IT'S A CIVIL OFFENSE. IT'S NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PROVE A HOME OCCUPATIONS CASE IN A CRIMINAL AS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE BECAUSE OF THE STANDARD OF REVIEW. AND THAT BEING BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, IT'S MUCH EASIER IN A, AS A CIVIL, BECAUSE IT'S MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, THAT IS A 51% CHANCE. THAT'S THE STANDARD. UM, UM, AND SO WITH THE TESTIMONY OF NEIGHBORS SAYING, I KNOW THIS IS A HOME OCCUPATION BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS, BECAUSE HE'S TOLD ME THIS, OR WITH THE WRITTEN COMPLAINT OF NEIGHBORS, WE COULD ACTUALLY USE THAT WRITTEN COMPLAINT AS EVIDENCE IN A CIVIL HEARING, WHICH WE COULD NOT DO IN A CRIMINAL HEARING, DEALING WITH DRUGS. WELL, THAT FAIR SHARE, OH, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. I LIKE THIS, BRIAN. AND I THINK YOU'RE SPOT ON. WE DON'T WANT TO THROW A HUGE NET CATCH STUFF. WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR HERE. AND SO I THINK THIS ADDRESSES IT IS THEN YOU'VE GOT IT. IT'S A SYMBOL. I LIKE, I LIKE THAT. IT'S COMPLAINT TRIGGERED. SO MARSHALL'S ARE NOT PUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS THING. THEY PUT MIDDLE OF LOT. I GOT A CALL JUST THIS MORNING. IT'S NOT ONLY THE MARSHALL'S, BUT CHIEF, I GOT A REQUEST THAT, BUT I, I HANDLED IT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED, THEY WANTED, THEY WANTED CHIEF'S PEOPLE OUT THIS MORNING BECAUSE NEIGHBOR'S FEUD KIND OF THING. SO ARE YOU RIGHT? I DON'T THINK WE AS A CITY NEED TO GET AND STOP REFEREEING THIS STUFF ON PARKING. SO I LIKE A BROAD APPROACH TO THIS AND HAVING IT. AND I SAID TO THE LADY, I, MATTER OF FACT, I GAVE HER THE YEAR ASSIST. I GAVE HER THE MARSHALL'S NUMBER. THOSE WERE CALLS TO US AT 90 FEET. YOU KNOW, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS, THEN THIS IS HOW IS THIS THE PROCESS, BUT WHAT YOU FIND YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT, YOU KNOW? AND I LEFT IT UP TO MY CONSTITUENTS TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT OR NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT SHE WANTED SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY OUT THIS MORNING TO STAY IN BETWEEN SHE AND THE NEIGHBOR. AND I SAID, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. SO I LIKE BETTER CHAIR. I LIKE THIS APPROACH I DO TOO. I'M FINE. OKAY. UM, HOW ARE WE, I'M GOING BACK AND FORTH AND YOU AND I, AND MIKE BETTS, AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS ENOUGH, WHERE I'VE GOT THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY HERE. IT'S STILL IN MY HEAD. UM, HOW ARE WE EXACTLY DEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF A HOME OCCUPATION, COMMUTER ZONE. IF YOU FLIP BACK TO THE FIRST PAGE, LOOK AT SUBSECTION A THERE TOO IT'S AND THIS CAN CHANGE THESE BOUNDARIES. THIS IS, WAS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. AND IT WAS JUST USED AS A PLACE OVER IT'S IT'S THE AREA LOCATED WITHIN A RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING IN A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ACROSS THE STREET LOCATED [00:50:01] ON THE SAME STREET AS A HOME OCCUPATION OR WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE HOME OCCUPATION MEASURED FROM THE PROPERTY LINE ON WHICH THE HOME OCCUPATION IS LOCATED. SO THAT WOULD COVER THE, UM, SITUATIONS WHERE SOMEONE MAY PARK AROUND THE CORNER. IT'S STILL WITHIN 500 FEET. AND SO THEY WOULD BE PART OF THE ZONE. AND SO IT'D BE STRICTLY BASED ON WHERE A HOME OCCUPATION. OKAY. SO SOMEBODY COULD PARK TWO BLOCKS AWAY AND WALK, BUT THAT BECOMES DECREASINGLY ATTRACTIVE TO THEM. IT'S LIKE PARKING DOWNTOWN. IF THEY CAN'T PARK IN FRONT OF THE BUSINESS, THEY, THEY CLAIM THERE'S NO PARKING. SO, UM, OKAY, GOOD. BECAUSE I FLIPPED FLIPPED PAST THAT TOO QUICKLY. I DO LIKE THIS IT'S SHORT, IT'S CLEAN. UM, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THE CONCERN OF THE TWO PEOPLE WHO NEED TO, UH, SIGN THEIR NAMES TO THE COMPLAINT, BUT AT SOME POINT, IF THEY WANT IT TAKEN CARE OF, UM, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN ONE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS THERE AS A SITUATION AS, UH, UM, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM DESCRIBED IS WHERE NEIGHBORS GET IN FIGHTS WITH ANOTHER PENNY AND START COMPLAINING ON WHICH THE OTHER, THE IDEA TO HAVE TWO COMPLAINTS, AS OPPOSED TO ONE IS YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A LEGITIMATE PROBLEM. IF YOU HAVE TWO NEIGHBORS COMPLAINING ON ONE, AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE. AND SO THAT WAS THE IDEA AND OUR, AND OUR, UM, JUDGES INTERPRET OUR LOUD MUSIC COMPLAINTS IN THE SAME MANNER. IT TAKES TWO TO ACTUALLY CONVICT ON IT, LOUD MUSIC COMPLAINT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE TO TALK. UM, I SAY THAT THAT'S THE FORMER JUDGES. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE CURRENT JUDGES. OKAY. THAT'S ANOTHER HIGH VALUE COMPLAINT IN MY DISTRICT ALL THE TIME. ALL RIGHT. SO GENTLEMEN, DO YOU SEE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT WE NEED TO, UM, REVISE, CORRECT? EXPAND, RESTRICT. UM, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH THIS TO SEND IT OUT TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION COUNCILMAN BERRA? WELL, THAT'S ALL WE GOT. UM, I'M NOT HAPPY WITH IT MYSELF, BUT I GO HOME. WHAT WAS HARD? ARE YOU NOT HAPPY WITH THE PARKING, THE PARKING ON THE STREET? AND I KNOW THAT IT'S TOUGH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, THAT I'M NOT HAPPY WITH IT BECAUSE I GOT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT IN MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THEIR YARD, THEY'LL GO DO YARDS. THEY COME OVER AND THE GUY GOT A BIG FANS THAT GOT TRAILERS IN THE BACK. HE PULLS HIM OUT EVERY DAY. YOU GUYS PARK ON THE STREET, THIS SHOULD ADDRESS THAT. WELL, THIS SHOULD ADDRESS THAT. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S SEND THIS OUT TO THE COUNCIL. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING SURPRISINGLY GOOD AND THAT'LL SUDDENLY STOP WITH THIS NEXT ONE. UM, SO I DID FOUR ON THE AGENDA IS TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS AND CHIEF. IS THAT, IS THIS WHAT THE ITEM YOU'RE HERE FOR? OR ARE YOU JUST, OH, WELL, ALL RIGHT. I KNOW YOU'RE LEADING A BORING LIFE AND YOU JUST LOVE TO SIT IN COMMITTEES. SO, UM, SO HERE'S, UH, SINCE, SINCE I HAVE TWO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, LET ME, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND ON THIS. THIS WAS REFERRED TO US RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BY COUNCILMAN ALBAN. AND HE REFERRED THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS REPORT, WHICH IS 150 PAGES, SOMETHING, UM, IT WAS ENORMOUS. THE, WE STARTED INTO IT AND IT'S IT'S, IT IS COMPREHENSIVE, BUT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY THE, THE ITEM THAT WAS ACTUALLY UFFORD WAS ABOUT VETERAN HOMELESSNESS. SO, UM, WE TRIED TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE LARGER DOCUMENT. UM, THEN THE PANDEMIC CAME, THEN WE WEREN'T MEETING FOR A LONG TIME. THEN WE STARTED PICKING AWAY AT IT ON ZOOM. SO I FINALLY JUST CALLED TIME ON IT BECAUSE THIS HAS JUST BEEN LINGERING FOREVER. AND IT'S A HUGE DOCUMENT. SO I SAID, CAN WE PULL OUT THE PART SPECIFIC TO VETERAN HOMELESSNESS INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO GO THROUGH THIS HUGE DOCUMENT? COUNCILMAN ALMOND SAID, YES. SO THAT'S THIS. SO I SENT THIS OUT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND SAID, CAN WE PLEASE REVIEW JUST THIS SECTION, NOT THE WHOLE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. UM, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SENT OUT TO COUNCIL ON THIS TOPIC LAST YEAR WAS TO HIRE [00:55:02] A MASTER'S DEGREE SOCIAL WORKER WHO WOULD COME TO WORK FOR US FULL-TIME AS A CITY. AND IT WOULD BE THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, SINCE THEY ARE THE ONES HEADING UP, OUR HOMELESS LIAISONS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND WE MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION LAST YEAR, AND THEN THE PANDEMIC CAME AND SUCKED AWAY OUR MONEY AND OUR TIME AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO IT DIDN'T HAPPEN LAST YEAR. I, I BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR. SO, SO THAT RECOMMENDATION I THINK, IS GOING TO COME TO LIFE WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. UM, SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, AND I'LL JUST SAY WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO YOU ALL, UM, I HAD THIS EMAILED TO YOU. YOU'VE NOW GOT A HARD COPY. I WOULD LIKE IF YOU WILL, PLEASE, IN THE NEXT MONTH BEFORE NEXT MEETING, IF YOU WILL GO THROUGH THIS ONE SECTION ABOUT VETERAN HOMELESSNESS, GO THROUGH IT, FIND UP TO THREE ACTION ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THAT THE CITY CAN DO, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS HERE THAT DIFFERENT NPO, UH, YOU KNOW, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN HERE THAT AREN'T AT OUR LEVEL OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. SO IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND IN THE NEXT MONTH BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, REVIEWING THIS AND SEEING WHAT, IF ANY IDEAS YOU HAVE THAT WOULD BE ACTION ITEMS FOR US AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, AND THEN COME BACK NEXT MONTH WHEN WE DO THIS AGAIN AND, AND DISCUSS IT. SO, IN THE MEANTIME, SINCE YOU ALREADY HAD THIS, UM, WELL, LET ME JUST START OFF, I'LL ASK THE CHIEF DO YOU'VE BEEN WORKING THE WHOLE HOMELESS, UM, ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME. AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS SPECIFIC TO VETERANS, DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR INSIGHTS? DO YOU HAVE, UM, SPECIFIC TO VETERANS WHEN I MENTIONED THE LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, UM, THAT WE, WE HAD, UH, EVEN BEFORE THE MEETING LAST TIME HAD SUBMITTED THAT THAT IS TO HELP WITH THE HOMELESS, UH, WHETHER THAT'S VETERAN OR NOT VETERANS TO HELP WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IT'S TO HELP WITH, UM, VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME. SO IT'S A, IT'S A BROAD SCOPE THAT WE'RE WANTING TO, TO ADD THOSE RESOURCES FOR. UM, THE VETERANS HOMELESS IS WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR VETERANS HOMELESS THROUGH THE VA. UH, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN AND WORKING WITH THEM TO GET SOME OF THOSE SERVICES. UM, HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS SOME OF YOUR QUESTION, BUT YEAH, BROAD, UH, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY AN OVER-BROAD TOPIC TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A POLICY AND A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, BUT IT NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE AND WHATEVER WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE NEED TO DO THE, UM, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL IS, UM, THAT'S A BIG DEAL AND I, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIG DEAL THAT WE'LL DO THE MOST GOOD, UM, OVERALL TOWARD ADDRESSING THIS. AND YOU REALLY CAN'T SEPARATE VETERAN HOMELESSNESS FROM EVERYBODY ELSE KIND OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, IN ALL REALITY, BUT THAT'S OUR CHARTER HERE. SO I'LL JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE. UM, COUNCILMAN VERA AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS. DO YOU HAVE ANY INITIAL THOUGHTS? I, I'M NOT GOING TO RUN THIS INTO THE GROUND TODAY JUST BECAUSE, UM, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR A YEAR. OKAY. UM, SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE'RE GOING TO JUST THINK ABOUT VETERANS HOMELESSNESS OR THE WHOLE PICTURE. WHAT WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE WAS SPECIFIC TO VETERANS THAT THERE IS, THERE'S NO WAY TO ACTUALLY DO THAT. NO, NO. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT, UM, WE NEED ACTION ITEMS, POLICY ITEMS, THINGS THAT WE AT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL CAN ACTUALLY ACT ON. SO NOT BIG GIANT CONCEPTS. THAT SOUND GOOD, BUT THAT DON'T HAVE ANY PRACTICALITY. WE NEED SOME PRACTICAL STEPS. IF THERE ARE ANY THAT WE CAN TAKE OTHER THAN HIRING A SOCIAL WORKER, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. UH, CHIEF, CAN YOU COME UP WITH SOME THINGS LIKE THAT, TWO FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR VETERANS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? AND WE CAN JUST SAY INCLUDE VETERANS. IT INCLUDES, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS IN PLACE NOW. I MEAN, I THINK WHAT, UM, WITH THIS COMMITTEE WAS TASKED WAS NOT JUST POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT, BUT CITYWIDE, UH, PLANS AND PROCEDURES. WE AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE DOING THAT NOW. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EVERY THURSDAY WE'RE VISITING NEW HOMELESS CAMPS, UH, EVERY THURSDAY WHERE, UH, HAVE OUTREACH, WE'VE GOT RESOURCES, WE'RE BRINGING IN, UM, MORE CLEANING CAMPS ON MONDAYS. UM, AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, [01:00:01] DOING THOSE NOW AND WE GET COMPLAINTS AND WE GO OUT AND ADDRESS, WE'VE GOT A, UH, A HOMELESS POLICE OFFICER, A HOMELESS LIAISON POLICE OFFICER. WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH POLICE OFFICER. WE HAVE WENDY'S SHERIFF, WHO'S NOW DOING THAT. PART-TIME AND THE, UH, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL THAT WILL ADD WILL ASSISTANCE IN DOING THAT. SO AS, AS FAR AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED, UH, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE DOING MOST OF THOSE THINGS. NOW, GO AHEAD. UM, THROUGH, UM, I GUESS, UH, GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND GOVERNMENT REPORTS SET UP, IT COULD HAVE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS BECAUSE I SPENT MOST OF MY, MY OTHER LIFE EITHER WRITING THEM OR TRYING TO INTERPRET THEM. AND, UH, UM, I DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB, BUT, UH, UM, UM, IT WASN'T EASY TO DO ANY, EITHER ONE OF THOSE. AND THEN THESE KINDS OF REPORTS ARE VERY LAWFULLY. YOU GOT IN A LOT OF INCIDENTS, YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO'S SITTING UP THERE WRITING THESE REPORTS AND IT'S, UH, IT'S LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOOTING A SHOOTING QUAIL, UM, MADAM CHAIR. I'M NOT SURE WHAT APP, WHAT APP. SO, UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED. WE LOOK AT THIS RULE. SO WE'RE BEING ASKED IF THERE'S SOME POLICY ISSUES, SOME POLICY ISSUES THAT THIS COMMITTEE CAN PRESENT TO COUNCIL THAT WOULD ADDRESS THIS TIME, IS THAT RIGHT? YES. PAULA POLICY OR, OR ACTION ITEMS, THINGS THAT WE AS A CITY CAN DO THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE AS A CITY ACTUALLY PUT INTO EFFECT. AND, AND I AGREE THAT THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY DOING AN EXEMPLARY JOB. SO THIS POLICY, THE, THESE, THIS REPORT THAT WAS SENT TO COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE, IT IS NOT WRITTEN FOR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS. IT'S WRITTEN. IT IS, IT IS WRITTEN FOR BUREAUCRATS. YEAH, EXACTLY. THANK YOU. GREAT. I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S HOW WE WROTE THEM. AMEN. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. AND JUST, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS. ONE IS, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, TWO CHIEF'S TEAM HEAD HOMELESSNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE JUST A BRIEF SUMMATION OF WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW. I KNOW WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THINGS CHEAP. I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS, AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME. JUST SOME BULLETS I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF REPORT CHIEF. I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST SOME BULLET POINTS ON WHAT WE ARE DOING. AND I KNOW WE DOING IT. WE DO A LOT OF THINGS AT THOMPSON THAT WOULD HELP ME, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING ALREADY? THE SECOND THING IS, UM, VA HAS, AT LEAST I'VE ALWAYS HAD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL THEM NOW, BUT THEY USED TO CALL THEM A OFFICE OF, OF, UM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR VETERANS SERVICES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL IT NOW. AND THEY HAD AN INDIVIDUAL IN THAT OFFICE WHO WORKED WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DID VARIOUS THINGS WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT EVERY CHAIR. WHAT I WOULD THINK THAT AS WE PREPARE TO TAKE SOMETHING BACK FOR COUNCIL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN'T INVITE THAT PERSON TO A COMMITTEE MEETING THAT VA PERSON, HEY, AND COME AND INFORM US AND EDUCATE US AS A LOCAL MUNICIPALITY ON THE THINGS FROM WHAT HE SAID THAT WEEK INTERACTIONS, INTERACTIONS, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THAT PERSON THAT LIKES THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY USED TO CALL THEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL THEM NOW, BUT THEY'VE GOT THEY. AND I KNOW, I KNOW THEY'VE GOT AN OFFICE. UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUR NEW FACILITY, WHETHER THEY'VE GOT THAT, BUT, BUT THEY'VE GOT IT. I THINK IT'S OVER IN, UH, DALLAS, BUT I KNOW THEY'VE GOT THAT PERSON IN OFFICE AND WE CAN, WE, WE CAN FIND THE CRITICAL, BUT I THINK IF WE, IF WE CAN GET THAT PERSON WHO WORKS IN THIS AREA TO COME AND GIVE US THE LATEST, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO CRAFT IT. AM I, AM I MAKING SENSE, MADAM CHAIR? I ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, BECAUSE YEAH, THIS, [01:05:01] THIS IS, THIS IS SUCH A BROAD, WELL, AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ASK, WHAT IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOING? IT, IT IS SO BROAD. IT IS INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIC. SO, YOU KNOW, WITH, IF WE SHOW UP AND THERE'S A CAMP AND WE'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TO GIVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE DO BECAUSE IT'S SO NEED SPECIFIC. IT MAY BE, I NEED A DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND SO WE HELPED THEM GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IT MAY BE I NEED HOUSING. SO, UM, UH, BUT YEAH, I WOULD APPRECIATE, I, I, IF YOU CAN CREATE YOUR JUST BULLET POINT LIST, THAT'S GOING TO BE A ONE PAGE EMAIL AND COPY, COPY THAT COMMITTEE. UM, AND, AND REALLY, I MEAN, I'M, I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE NOT, AND I'M SURE YOU ARE TOO. ALL OF THE NON-PROFITS WHO ARE DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN HERE, BUT THEY AREN'T US AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE US. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE ONES HELPING PEOPLE DIRECTLY. ALTHOUGH TODD AND WENDY AND ALL HAVE DONE THAT HAVE HELPED WITH GETTING PEOPLE DRIVER'S LICENSE OR TEXAS IDS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SET UP A SHOP, RIGHT, AS A MUNICIPALITY TO DO THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO, AND THAT AREN'T IN OUR ARENA. SO I THINK GETTING, UH, GETTING A HOME, A VA LIAISON TO COME TO OUR NEXT MEETING AND JUST TELL US HOW WE CAN BETTER, UM, INTERACT. THAT MAKES SENSE. AND I THINK THAT FALLS, EVEN THOUGH THE CHARTER WAS THE NRA US INNER AGENCY COUNCIL, UH, ON HOMELESSNESS, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE ACTUAL CHARTER, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT WORKS. LET'S UM, LET'S PLAN TO DO THAT. ARE YOU OKAY? YEAH, I'M FINE. SURE. OKAY. WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? UM, AND I DON'T WANT TO KEEP GOING ON THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE OTHER SPECIFIC IDEAS. COUNCILMAN CHAIR. I, I'VE GOT A QUESTION WHO BROUGHT THIS UP. RICH ALLEN. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'LL BE GOOD. AND, UM, KEVIN, IF YOU CAN, DO YOU WANT ME TO REACH OUT TO THE VA? OKAY. AND JUST GET THE APPROPRIATE PERSON TO COME. AND CHIEF, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING. UM, AND, AND SO I'LL, YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE BULLET POINTS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING? YEAH. IF YOU'LL SEND THOSE AHEAD OF TIME, JUST TO, WE'LL ALREADY HAVE THEM, BUT, BUT YEAH. BRING THEM, BRING THEM WITH YOU THEN. AND THAT WAY I THINK, I THINK AT THAT POINT WE CAN JUST, UM, IF WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT, IF WE NEED TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL ABOUT SOMETHING TO ADD OR, UM, UH, UH, PROCEDURE, IT WOULD BE MORE LIKELY A PROCEDURE THAN A POLICY WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE. AND, AND, UH, WHAT I'LL BRING YOU IS, I MEAN, REALLY WHAT WE DO IS CONNECT PEOPLE TO RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, AND I MENTIONED THE DRIVER'S LICENSE. THAT'S NOT A SERVICE WE OFFER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SAYING IF YOU NEED A DRIVER'S LICENSE COME US, WE'LL HELP YOU GET ONE. UH, W OUR JOB IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO RESOURCES. SO I'LL BRING A LIST OF THOSE RESOURCES. WONDERFUL. THE OTHER THING I I'VE THOUGHT A BUNCH OF, SINCE WE'RE GOING TO BE QUOTING THAT PHYSICIAN BUDGET, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE PUT THE JOB DESCRIPTION A TASK HAS IS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT. I WOULD ASSUME THAT ARE YOU ALREADY, YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT JOB. AND, UH, AND SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR, TOO. UM, SO THAT POSITION IS POSITIONED THAT THAT'S COMING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOT FROM THIS COMMITTEE, RIGHT? SO THIS IS A POSITION THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ASKED FOR HIM TO SUPPORT A NUMBER OF THINGS. UM, UH, NOT, NOT AS DIRECTION, NOT, NOT AS DIRECTION FROM THIS COMMODITY. CORRECT. IT WAS JUST THAT THIS COMMITTEE MADE THAT DIRECTION. YEAH. YEAH. IT JUST NEVER HAPPENED LAST YEAR BECAUSE THE BUDGET CRATERED. RIGHT. AND I, I DON'T KNOW, UH, I DON'T KNOW LAST YEAR, IF THAT WAS TO BE PART OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, UM, IT WAS ASSUMED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE HANDLING THE OTHER HOMELESS SERVICES. RIGHT. BUT IT JUST, IT NEVER HAPPENED LAST YEAR. AND SO THIS WAS A CONVERSATION THAT I RAISED AGAIN WITH THE CITY MANAGER SOME MONTHS AGO AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT RECOMMENDATION LAST YEAR, WE REALLY NEEDED TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR. AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING TO CHIEF BRIAN ABOUT THAT. AND I SAID, WELL, GOOD. WE'RE ALL GOOD. THEN OUR NEEDS ARE, ARE VAST. I MEAN, IT IS, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW THE HOMICIDE WE HAD LAST WEEK, AND THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE. IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S A NUMBER OF AREAS. WE NEED THAT PERSON. SO YEAH. TWO OR THREE WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO IT. YOU KNOW? SO I, IF WE WERE A RICHER CITY, YOU GUYS WOULD BE WEARING, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL YOUR PINS WOULD BE SOLID GOLD, AND YOU'D HAVE PLATINUM AND GOOD DIAMONDS ALL OVER. BUT [01:10:01] YEAH, HERE WE ARE ASKED MORE THAN MORE THAN YOU NEED. THAT'S RIGHT. HE'S, HE'S, HE'S BEEN AT THIS TOO LONG. ALL RIGHT. WELL, GENTLEMEN, IT IS, UM, ITEM FIVE IS TO ADJOURN. IT'S 5, 10, 5, 11:00 PM. AND THE MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED. THANKS. * 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.